POULSBO — After bidding farewell to two decades of business in Kauai, Hawaii, it didn’t take long for Toys Etc. owner Marilyn Sipila to start again in Little Norway.

“It was hard giving up a business that was very successful, but I wanted to spend time with my grandson,” Sipila said.

Before returning to her Northwest roots in 2003, she started Kauai Kite and Hobby and had built it into a successful high-end toy and hobby company.

A year later, Sipila found herself in Poulsbo Village, where she opened a new store “for the young and the young at heart.”

“I grew up in Tacoma in the Provost District and spent a lot of my time at the Five-and-Dime,” she said. “I think that in the back of my mind that’s where I developed the idea for my stores.”

People like to walk into Toys Etc. and find every nook and cranny filled with items, and the reception from the community has been great, she said.

“People like having an independent toy store,” Sipila said.

With walls lined with shelves of everything from building blocks to stuffed animals, dolls to model kits and board games, Sipila said she prides herself in having something for everyone who walks in her door.

“I ask a lot of questions to find out what age a child is, what their skill sets are,” she said, adding that many of the toys in her store are not only entertaining but educational as well.

In addition to carrying a wide assortment of toys and puzzles, Sipila is one of the few merchants in the area that carries a selection of Doverbooks, which have attracted quite a following, she said.

“I buy products based on quality and durability,” Sipila said, noting that the store’s inventory has quadrupled since it opened in 2004.

Even though it is only two years old, Toys Etc. has already attracted a loyal customer base that reaches beyond Kitsap County into places like Port Angeles, Quilcene and parts of Seattle, she said.

Its location in Poulsbo Village has been ideal as customers have ample parking and visibility from State Route 305, she said.

“The location was right, and Bev Lyons (Poulsbo Village property manager) was easy to work with,” Sipila said.

As for the future, Sipila said her inventory will continue to change with customer demand and during the holiday season the store’s hours will expand as well.