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Our History and Philosophy
Welcome to Grandrabbit’s Toy Shoppe! We are an
independently-owned, specialty toy store with three locations in the Front
Range of Colorado. We carry a wide range of hand chosen, educational and fun
toys for gifts, holidays, birthdays or any special occasion. We’ve been
voted The Best Children’s Store in Boulder
for over 30 years.
As I look back, I must say - it’s been quite a journey from
our humble beginnings.
In 1974, I was the scholarship director for a private Montessori School
in Boulder, Colorado, with a long term goal to enter the
social work or psychotherapy field. I was frustrated with the disparity between
our stated cultural philosophy that children are a high priority and the
reality I saw. Particularly, I worked with many single moms who had to work out
of necessity, and who could not find jobs that recognized, respected and worked
around their most important job – that of being good mothers.
Armed with only a dream that a business could be a positive force
and benefit the local community, I opened Grandrabbit’s Toy Shoppe on October
3, 1977 in Boulder.
The name “Grandrabbit” was taken from a wonderful old lady I knew whose
children nicknamed her “Rabbit” and so when she became a grandmother she became
known as “Grandrabbit.” Any knowledge or business experience on my part was
severely lacking, so the first years were a rather comical series of learning
experiences until I discovered the ins and outs of the business world. It was
the old, “jump in the middle of the lake to see if you can swim,” method!
My philosophy has expanded since then and I have come to
believe that if we would truly make all children –of all national and ethnic
origins, creeds and needs – a global priority, that the staggering challenges
we face as human beings could be more easily resolved. The motivation for
profit at any cost fails to recognize the human and environmental impacts of
business decisions.
That is why, over thirty years later, our goals remain the
same:
To be an evolving business organization that benefits
everyone involved. To be successful in human as well as financial goals, and to
be a catalyst for positive social change. We are committed to offering high
quality, aesthetically pleasing playthings that contribute to a child’s
learning and development.
Lynne Milot
Foundress
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