For over 40 years, whenever one sought a unique children’s toy, book or transient rubber ball, one could depend on the quaint and cherished Mr. Mopps’ Childrens Books and Toys store located in North Berkeley on Martin Luther King Avenue. Unfortunately, Mr. Mopps’ will soon be shutting its doors for good. According to Mr. Mopps’ cashier Marcus Prazniak, “[Mr. Mopps is] closing because of a combination of factors — the economy and such.” Owner Eugene Yamashita was reportedly unable to sell the establishment, and, since he was planning to retire, he decided to close the toy store for good.
For many North Berkeley residents, Mr. Mopps’ was a fun place to go to with small children where they could find Barbie dolls, Beanie Babies, train sets, stickers, books, and even a vast collection of dolls imported from Europe. Generations of children remember spending hours of their time exploring the hundreds of treasures found in the beloved store. Many view Mr. Mopps’ as a regional gem, and they are very sad to see it go. When Berkeley High students were informed of the toy store’s news, the usual reaction was a shocked “What? Wait, the one in Berkeley?”, and most common was a gasping “No!”
“As a child I remember just exploring the whole entire store, and it was just the most amazing place because it seemed like it never ended,” enthused Jenna Guffy, a BHS sophomore. “I even went there recently to get my friend some sea monkeys,” Guffy added. Another BHS sophomore Zoë O’Rorke had a similar experience with the toy store. “When my dad used to take me there and let me get something, it took such a long time because there was so much to choose from. I usually ended up buying some sort of stuffed animal.” Sophomore Giancarlo Beroldo raved, “Once I went with my grandma to buy a Lego set, and I was so excited I went into the back room and everything, it was awesome!”
Faithful shoppers of Mr. Mopps’ fear that this is not just the closing of a lovely store, but the end of the independent toy store era. A passionate shopper, named Lupita, explained, “You won't find any low quality toys in this store, everything is cute and the kids love it, I can't imagine what it's going to be like walking by and having this store just be gone. The worst thing that could happen would be another toy store opening here that's from some large company that pays no attention to the community and is just looking to make money." The loss of many independant Berkeley stores have made residents wary of big chains replacing smaller buisnesses. Small bay area toy stores have especially felt the effects of the declining economy; and many have shut their doors in the past couple of years.
“The official closing date has not been set,” Prazniak said. All of the books and toys are on sale, and Mr. Mopps’ plan to close when they have hardly anything else to sell. “I’ll miss all the toys, they sell the most,” O’Rorke concluded. “It’s depressing, I grew up going to that store. When I was little, my treat was to go to Mr. Mopps’."
"My friend and I still go to Mr. Mopps’ to buy water balloons,” remembered sophomore Tatlyn Johnson.
The legacy of high quality toys that Mr. Mopps’ created will not be forgotten, and the generations of Berkeley children who spent hours running through the charming establishment will always remember the toy store fondly. Whether it was the Harry Potter corner, or the collection of model horses, Mr. Mopps had something for everyone. Many Berkeley residents have a strong connection to the store, and it will be sorely missed.
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