Big Fun

This place is AMAZING! I discovered it on accident a number of months ago when I was in the area, so when we made a trip up to Columbus for the day, I knew I needed to stop in and that my boyfriend really needed to check out what Star Wars things they had available (he’s a collector and has been looking for some original action figures).
The staff is so awesome, funny, helpful, and friendly. I mean, it would be hard not to work around toys all day and be grumpy, right? Anyway, they were super awesome and even talked about special figures and pricing and all sorts of stuff with him as he mulled over what he wanted to get.
This shop is packed wall to wall with stuff. I think you could spend DAYS there and still not see everything they have to sell! They buy things, too, if you’re looking to let go of some old collectibles. Seriously cool shop that we will come back to again and again!

Awesome place, great selection of old toys, fun just to walk around and look even if you aren’t buying.
They actually have a decent section of 70s & 80s comic books too, which is why I normally go in. They are kind of overpriced though (it seems they tend to price based on guide value vs actual market value). But if I need to fill in some non-​key runs I can usually find some higher numbered stuff for a few bucks each.

I am a regular here. Come at least one a week. Staff is great and toys are too. Brings me back to when I was younger. I love this place.

Love the collection of classic toys that they carry. Its like walking through a building made of physical nostalgia.

If you want it, they probably have it… or know someone who can get it!

My husband and I love this place so much. The selection of new and old toys is amazing. We always say that Big Fun has the kind of things we *wish* we saw at the comic and toy cons. It’s got packaged, loose, old, new, common, and rare items. It’s got toys, pop culture items, candy, and games. It is a bit overwhelming the first time you walk in because there is SO much to take in but you get used to it quickly. I feel like I see new things every time we go. The staff is super friendly and it’s just a fun place to walk around and get a blast from the past. Even if you’re not a collector of anything, it’s definitely worth a visit just to see what they’ve got.

The name says it all. I was in love with this place before I even set foot inside. Being from Pittsburgh, it gave me that feel of cramped that most stores have. As odd as it may seem, it works for me. I enjoy being cramped in and being overstimulated by the amount of product on the shelf, but only when it comes to a toy store. Especially one that produces thoughts of nostalgia.
I came in here to look for gifts for my two nieces but ultimately ended up indulging myself. What can I say, I’m a kid myself. I was impressed by the throwback toys and board games they had. That may be why it took me longer to browse, each time I saw something that reminded me of my younger years it added minutes onto the amount of time I spent in this store. That’s not to say that I didn’t spend any time on newer items I had never seen before. I especially stopped in my tracks when I came across ‘Pittsburgh 68.’ A zombie shuffling card game, no zombie fiend’s collection is complete without one.
The only gripe I have about this place is that when it is busy you will be pushed along while looking at items. Not that that is any reason to deduct stars, but it can be annoying when you want to read the packaging of an item.

The galleries are fun but what I really enjoy in the Short North is Big Fun. Even if you’re not a toy collector, you’ll have a great time looking at toys from your past and the toys you wanted when you were a kid but didn’t get. Well, now’s your chance. The staff is friendly and the store is very well stocked. It’ll take you a while to look through everything. Great way to spend an hour or so on a weekend afternoon.

While I can’t really call myself a collector of vintage toys, etc., I always enjoy coming into Big Fun for the pure nostalgic factor. They always have a great assortment of toys and collectables from decades past that are hard to find. Upon walking in the door, I always get flashbacks of my childhood because of the toys they have here. If I were to come here alone I could see myself spending about an hour or so browsing despite the place being fairly small and cramped. Regardless of its size, it’s packed to the rafters with vintage toys, cards, games, candies and just about anything else you could think of. If you’re in the neighborhood with not much to do, I suggest stopping in for a good dose of nostalgic pleasure. (That probably sounded dirty. If it did, you have a filthy mind.)

This place has everything!!! Prices are fair and staff is very friendly. I highly recommend this comic shop.

Worth a trip for the instant nostalgia. Mostly affordable luxury, because the inventory is all fairly reasonably priced.

In town from Detroit for Hell City and we always stop in. Love love love this store!!! They have everything. I got a strawberry shortcake, baby and a care bear of course! Super friendly and knowledgeable!

This is a cute store that is jam packed with toys and candy! So much ws reminiscent of my childhood.
It was a great time to peruse. I didn’t look at a lot of prices, so I can’t really vouche for that.
Definitely stop in a give it a look.

This was a great little shop I visited while on a quick trip to Columbus. They have lots of different toys from different time periods and fandoms. Carded TMNTs, Supernaturals, He-​Man etc & more obscure stuff like Ninja Assassins, plus more recent pop culture stuff like mustache gag gifts & horse head masks. And there’s plenty of bins and displays to look through to find hidden gems (which I ddi.)
Prices were good & in most cases much less than eBay, IMO.
Staff was helpful, using ladders to get items down from high shelves, moving things around & giving me prices for items behind the counter.
The store was very crowded the 1^st time I stopped in on a weekend, but was much more manageable on a weekday.

I love this store. It’s perfect for so many things. Have somebody in your life who has everything? We’ll they probably don’t have astronaut ice cream, but you could be the one to change that for them and they’ll thank you. Feeling tipsy from the bars and want to document it sans selfie? There’s a photo booth in the back! With props! Too embarrassed to go to the Garden for raunchy bachelorette/​bachelor party supplies? Big Fun has it for you right next to the toys of your childhood. Finally, want to impress the child in your life with an entire store full of toys that don’t require a wi-​fi signal? Blow their mind at Big Fun.
This store is the best. I remember back when it was located on campus. Before the glitter of the Gateway this store was selling Magic Fish and Slinky for days. Now in its new Short North glory it should definitely be a stop on your shopping trip or just a walk and wonder on a Saturday afternoon. Big Fun is a store that lives up to it’s name.

Just– wow! I would call this a toy store. For kids, sure, but mainly for adult kids. Tacky stuff for a gag gift, toys and candy from when you were little, tons of collectibles and goofy magnets, whatever– you’ll find something here. Service was friendly. The place is small and crammed with interesting things. I will definitely add this to my list of stops when in the Short North.

Somehow, I am an avid user of Unilocal and have yet to write a single review. Upon this realization, I have decided to issue my very first review to my very favorite shop in the Short North (which says a lot because I’m part owner of two businesses here).
The greatest thing about this place is the people who work here. The owners, Jason and Trinity, clearly love what they do. They’re quick to help their customers find whatever it is they’re looking for, or just to chat about what’s new (or old for that matter) on the shelves.
As an avid collector and lover toys from the 80’s to today, there is plenty here for me to look at and admire. I’m one of those «Oh-​I-​have-​that» kind of collectors where as much as I love what I’m looking at, it’s rare for me to find something I covet. This is a great place for people like me. The cases are curated regularly as treasures come and go. That’s why it’s important to visit frequently. The odds are that the Blue Kree from the 2009 Toys-​R-​Us two-​pack that came with a Skrull will get snatched up pretty quickly. Likewise, that complete original Soundwave from 1984 with Buzzsaw. Or Private Pizza from the scarcely remembered Food Fighters line.
Besides the collectibles, there is also a wonderful selection of jokes and gags that range from the classic whoopie cushion to the more contemporary Hilary Clinton Nut Cracker to ooo and ahh at. While there are some high end items that carry a high (though fair) price tag, there are tons of options for the bargain shopper as well, including unopened packs of old baseball cards or Yo! MTV Raps, and all types of fun candy.
There’s a lot of stuff packed into this relatively small space. Be sure to look up and down to see it all. There’s plenty to look at, as Jason and Trinity have gotten creative with their displays.
I dare you to walk a loop through this place and not find something to reminisce and/​or giggle about.

Big Fun is NOT where you take a child to get a gift…
It is where you take yourself to get a gift.
Lots of cool toys from the 80’s and 90’s.
As well as come cool novelty stuff that is current.
My only complaint is that there is almost too much packed into the already small space. But it is full of cool stuff, so who cares!

If you want the real experience, I suggest you go to Cleveland, but like Melt, this is another Cleveland staple that it’s nice to see expand down into cbus. The shop is too small… that’s what makes the Cleveland locations better. Just so much more stuff to dig through and explore, but all of the hallmarks are here, lots of odds and ends from toyland. Random stuff crammed everywhere, everything for sale. A good spot for stocking stuffers or small gag gifts, but the true hobbyist/​collector would be disappointed compared to the original.
Review number 666… probably shoulda picked something more… satanic.

What’s better than being a kid?
Being an adult and being able to get ALL the stuff your parents didn’t let you have back when you were five or six.
Big Fun is a fixture in the Cleveland area, and used to have a branch near OSU. Featuring vintage toys, novelties, trading cards, jokes, gags, and magic tricks, the new location in the Short North packs a ton of nostalgia into a tiny package.
Walking through, you keep remembering when you owned the items on the shelves, or the friends you wanted to hang out with so you got to play with them.
Even better, prices on the new items are quite decent, and even the vintage collectibles are generally pretty reasonable.
And, if you decide you’ve got a few things that could use a new home, Big Fun even buys your toys, comics, and collectibles… and offers pretty generous store credit if you’re in the mood to satisfy other nostalgic impulses.