Big Fun Cleveland

Big Fun Cleveland

If you’ve never been to Big Fun on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights, then, well, you’re missing out on exactly that . . . big fun! Steve Presser’s toy store includes everything from vintage toys to offbeat collectibles. Packed to the gills with good stuff like retro lunchboxes, original Atari games, iron-on tee shirt designs, GI Joe figurines, Alf keychains and novelty baby pacifiers (that look like fake teeth from the Simpsons’ fictitious “Big Book of British Smiles”), it’s hard to know where to focus your attention. The quirky shop was recently named one of Playboy magazine’s “20 Coolest Stores in America.” And no, that doesn’t have “those” kind of toys.

Laughing Sal peeks through the window for the grand opening.

Now Presser has added a second location (Big Fun Cleveland) on the city’s west side at 11512 Clifton Boulevard. (Clevelanders will recognize it as the former site of Clifton Web.) The quintessentially C-town grand opening took place on June 11, with live music along the street from Cats on Holiday, a Hough bakery cake and an appearance by “Laughing Sal,” the somewhat disturbing, gap-toothed animatronic character whose maniacal laugh used to welcome visitors to Euclid Beach Park’s haunted house.

Although slightly smaller than the Coventry store, the new Big Fun Cleveland is already crammed with kitsch. And, located next to Flower Child (a vintage store), across from the Diner on Clifton and within reach of Melt Bar and Grilled (enormous, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches), it’s well-positioned for success. Stop by and commemorate the trip with some black-and-whites from the photo booth. –Submitted by AK