Waylon Westfall has a premier toy collection which he values at — and has insured for — $1 million.
Luckily for collectors, toy enthusiasts and families that are fans of iconic action figures, memorable games, classic albums and more, Westfall doesn’t have it hidden away in a closet or a storage shed somewhere or even decorating a man cave in his home.
The 47-year old Mentor High graduate owns and operates Wayout Toys and Collectibles in a shopping plaza on Andrews Road in Mentor-on-the-Lake. His collection is not only on display, but for sale and has helped create a profitable and enjoyable career.
Not only does Westfall offer an impressive selection of toys for sale, but Wayout Toys also buys and trades.
Wayout Toys and Collectibles was established in 2020 by “Wayout” Waylon, who has been collecting toys for nearly 30 years. He estimates 80 percent of what is on display in the store is his own personal collection.
The store, located at 5917 Andrews Road a few doors down from Marc’s, is 4,000-square feet of heaven for those who fall into Generation X. In fact. the sign outside the shop states that patrons are about to “Go on a Gen-X-capade.”
Westfall is highly knowledgeable of dozens of toy lines, including Transformers, G.I. Joe, Power Rangers, M.A.S.K., Masters of the Universe and more.
He said one of the top sellers is Star Wars items because it basically markets itself, but a loyal customer base built up since doing toy shows prior to opening his store in Mentor-on-the-Lake keeps him busy and attracts buyers interested in a wide variety of items.
“I think some people in a way want to buy their childhood and that is what I try to offer here,” Westfall said. “I feel like I could sell things on eBay or do it online, but if someone is willing to take a 20-minute drive or spend 20 minutes out of their day to come to the store, I need to sell myself as much as the toys. They deserve everything I have.”
“I discovered a large amount of toys as a senior in high school and while others were trying to find money for different interests, I knew this was going to be something I wanted to get into,” he added.
It didn’t start out as a way to make money or a living, but a hobby turned profitable for Westfall.
He started out in a smaller location in the same plaza, but quickly outgrew that and moved to the current store in September 2023.
Among the items available are ’70s toys, ’80s toys, ’90s toys, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Buck Rogers, Care Bears, collectible glasses, Digimon, Dino Riders, Disney, Dr. Who, Dragonball Z, Funko POP!, Ghostbusters, Go-Bots, Godzilla, Gundam, Hanna Barbera, Hello Kitty, Jurassic Park, LEGO, Marvel, Masters of the Universe, Micro Machines, Minecraft, Monster High, My Little Pony, Naruto, Nintendo Power, Pac-Man, Pokemon, Scooby-Doo, The Simpsons, Smurfs, Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Trek, Star Wars, Strawberry Shortcake, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Trolls and video games including Playstation X-Box Nintendo Atari Intellivision Coleco and SEGA.
“I can’t say this with 100 percent accuracy or confirm it, but people have told me we are the largest toy store by square footage in Northeast Ohio and we offer more toys than big chain stores like Wal-Mart,” Westfall said. “The nice thing now is I don’t have to keep part of my collection in storage in Willoughby or Painesville, it is here on display for people to see and enjoy and possibly purchase. I think it is a big deal to be able to see an item physically in store and not just on a website.”
Westfall used to go to various toy shows, but he spends all of his time and energy now six days a week at the Mentor-on-the-Lake store.
Even his business hours were affected by his early experience with finding and purchasing toys from his childhood.
“Most shops close at 5, but we are open until 9 on five of the six days (Monday through Saturday, closed Thursday),” Westfall said. “Before COVID hit, before I got laid off from my job and this opportunity came up, I remembered it was not easy to get to these stores by 5 so we try to offer something more convenient for our loyal customers who many have followed us from toy shows in the past or online.”
Additional information on Wayout Toys can be found at https://www.wayouttoyshop.com/.
