In 1945, when he returned from WWII, Irvin Kipper bought a store across the street from L.A.’s Farmer’s Market in Hollywood. It gradually evolved from a place that sold flags to a store that sold toys. A year-round place to buy toys was an anomaly back then, but by 1956, when he moved the store to Farmer’s Market, it became a favorite of both locals and tourists. And now, Steve Lopez of the LA Times reports:
The store moved to its current location in the Farmer’s Market in 2000, and last Sunday, Irvin Kipper’s creation celebrated a magical milestone.
Kip’s Toyland has turned 70.
Irvin Kipper is about to turn 99.
He and Gertrude have been married 76 years.
And a third-generation Kipper, Lily, now works in the store with her father and occasionally her grandfather, which means Kip’s Toyland could last another 70 years.
Let’s hope it does!
