Stacy Winegar has a somewhat old-fashioned idea about how to run her business: get personal.

In a time where the relationship between customer and business owner can be distant at best, Winegar, the owner of Lions & Tigers & Toys, is bent on offering a more direct connection.

Walk into her store, and one cannot help but look back on one's childhood and feel at least a little nostalgic—the store has character.

It only takes a few people to run Lions & Tigers & Toys; Aside from the occasional help from Winegar's husband, Brad, the entire team is manager Gene Bell, Gary Delgado and Winegar herself.

The store officially opened in April 2011 but did not host its grand opening until September. Dedicated to quality, Winegar brought in award-winning interior designer Jennifer Burggraaf to design her circus-themed shop.

She said that the store was designed with the kids in mind, which is why visitors are allowed to do something that is frowned upon in most toy stores: play with the toys before buying them.

"We want to be the best toy store, the best toys, the best service, the best price," she said.

Patrons will not find shelves lined with masses of Barbies, action figures or other mainstream toys. They are more likely to find the rare and different.

There is some overlap with the superstores, and she does carry brands like LEGO and Mattel, but the entrepreneur said that she is a fan of the vintage and handmade.

She bases what she carries on local demand. If customers want it, there is a good chance she has it.

"A lot of people in Austin do like to shop local," she said. "People tell us when they come in, 'You have things that the other toy stores don't have.' So, we really try to bring in a diverse inventory."

This is her first business venture, and after being a homemaker for many years, raising children and volunteering here and there, Winegar decided it was time to do something unknown to her.

"I had raised three kids, my last one had graduated from college, and I decided that I was ready for something to do—something new and different," she said. "I was like, 'I'm going to get out in the business world.'"

The shop's biggest competitor is the Internet, and while the business's website has no shopping capacity, she knows that she'll have to establish one to survive in the modern market.

"At some point, we're going to get into some sort of online sales, but right now we're strictly the store," she said.

Unique toys available

• What L&T&T offers
• Rare toys
• Wooden toys
• 'Green' toys
• Personalized service
• Items in demand
• Locally made toys
• Free gift wrapping
• Try before you buy

Lions & Tigers & Toys, 4301 W. William Cannon Drive, 892-7627, www.lionsandtigersandtoys.com