CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Gastonia man has taken his passion for toys and turned it into a moneymaking business, even during the pandemic.
Back in Time Collectibles is stuffed to the gills with toys, and that’s the point. The owner said he wants customers to be overwhelmed, and they are, in the best way possible.
This is a toy story.
Jimmy Woody is a 40-year-old man who plays with toys for a living and he's turned it into a successful business.
"I'm taking a passion, collected for 23 years, and I’m just turning it into a full-scale business," he said.
He opened Back in Time collectibles three months ago.
"I constantly can make excuses why not to open a store so I thought now is as good as time as any," Woody explained.
Turns out, he was right.
"We set goals for the store and we have exceeded by 300%, we’ve exceeded those goals," he said.
He has some ideas why customers are literally driving hours, and often across state lines to check out the store.
"Now that people are sitting at home trying to find things to do and watching old cartoons and want to collect those items so brought a lot of new collectors into the hobby," he said.
And into the store.
"Our primary focus is action figures, like He-Man, GI Joe, Transformers, Thundercats but we have stuff from the 50s to current," he said.
For Woody, it’s like being a kid in a candy store – one he owns.
"It just goes to show if you put your mind to it you can accomplish anything it’s a dream come true," Woody said.
You can find the store at 194 S South Street in Gastonia. They're open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, and closed on Mondays.