When the original owner decided he wanted to sell his small chain of toy stores in 2006, long-time employee Shawntá Harmon and her husband Rick took a leap of faith and purchased all three stores. Their company, Happy Up Inc, does business as LagoonaMagoo Toys in the St. Louis Mills Mall.

Happy Up Inc is a member of ASTRA , the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association, which brings together independent and specialty toy retailers, along with other toy industry professionals. The group's mission is "leading the way through play by providing quality products that help children have fun, achieve success and lead happy, healthy lives," as well as bringing together their members to help promote their businesses and provide products that are in kids' best interest.

As the parents of a 2-year old son, Rigby, the Harmons said they feel fortunate to have their own business since it offers them the flexibility they need as a family.  Shawntá works in their stores, while Rick does the accounting for their business at home.

"We work constantly," she told Patch. "We have flexibility to work while our child is with us, so we try to keep it balanced."

Rigby has something that many kids only dream of—not only is he the heir of the toy store empire his parents are building, but he serves as the resident toy tester and often asks to go to work with mom. Shawntá says that while she brought him to work regularly until he was 1-year old, his visits are now limited to a couple of hours at a time.  The Harmons are careful not to over-indulge him and say they are focusing on his development and using their toys to make sure he stays interested and active in the world around him.

That being said, the Harmons know what it is to be a child and understand the importance of fun, so they pride themselves on offering specialty toys with an eclectic and well-rounded mix of products for kids and fun households. 

Shawntá said that their stores are "mom and pop" shops and that they're looking to build relationships with their customers. She said she feels that LagoonaMagoo's customers are better served when they're given individual attention, and the proof is in the pudding—the stores are thriving and have many loyal customers. Happy Up Inc recently began hosting free family game nights at local schools.

"These game nights have been really well received," Shawntá said. "We use it as an opportunity to meet new families and teachers and to share our store as a resource to the community. We are sharing a love of playing games and spending time with our families."

The Harmons said they want people to know that despite what customers might think, their specialty store is not especially expensive—their prices are very competitive. Plus, they said that parents and kids alike will find products they've never seen before.

"My manager in the Hazelwood store has 25 years of experience in the specialty toy industry and moved here from Chicago last year to manage our store," Shawntá said. "My staff is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful and we couldn't do it without them. They care and they love their jobs."

Happy Up Inc also does business as Once Upon a Toy (not to be confused with the used item store, Once Upon a Child) in Edwardsville and has a LagoonaMagoo store in Fairview Heights.