
Toys of all ages,
for all ages
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The Vision
The Toys Of Our Lives is a vintage toys and modern collectibles store located in the heart of Verona, a vibrant suburb of Madison, Wisconsin. The toy store features a variety of collectibles from vintage G.I. Joe vehicles and Kenner Star Wars figures to the newest exclusive Funko! Pops and LEGO sets, all displayed in a thoughtfully designed, easy-to-find layout. Inspired by many years of toy hunting and collecting, store owner Paul Ivkovich set out to create the ideal vintage toy shop: one with toys galore and nostalgia around every corner! The Toys Of Our Lives has a section for each decade, 70s-00s, with toys that will have any kid from the era smiling and saying, “Hey, I remember having that!” Walking through the store is a trip down memory lane, with the opportunity to take an old friend off the shelf and back home again!
The Toys Of Our Lives has a constantly changing stock, with new toys being brought in every day! After opening just in time for Verona’s Hometown Trick-or-Treat event on October 31st of 2022, the store has continued to grow and thrive, supported by the welcoming residents of Verona. During 2023, the business was featured in Madison Magazine’s Best of Madison Throwback Edition, as well as The Cap Times! In early 2024, The Toys of Our Lives launched several new additions including an e-store, with online global access to the same toys that line the brick-and-mortar store’s shelves, and a blog with weekly posts that explore the world of toy-collecting. The Toys Of Our Lives looks forward to expanding further with other exciting additions.

Meet The Owner


Meet Paul, the owner and creator of The Toys Of Our Lives! A seasoned toy connoisseur, Paul has been carefully building his stock of figures and collectibles since he was a child.
“My Dad had always impressed upon me that someday they might be valuable, and that I should take the utmost care of them. I don't know how he had that foresight, but he was right. So, I did take care of my toys, and while in college I purchased a booth at my first toy show, and sold a portion of my toys at that show for several thousand dollars, and was so elated to have made that money as a college student, that I realized I could continue to do that for the rest of my life. Just buying and selling toys, from that point forward became a joyful hobby for me, and a way to help pay the bills for my family. I love finding toys, and the hunt for Rare and Valuable pieces is something I enjoy more than anything else.”
After selling toys online and at conventions for years, in late 2022 Paul took the leap and opened his own store: a devoted place for toys and collectibles, modern and vintage. With the very same love he has put into taking care of his toys for decades, he has created a store dedicated to celebrating the uniquely nostalgic role that toys play in each of our lives.
“I want people to walk into my store and find that section, whether it is the Toys of the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s that speaks to them and instantly transports them back to their childhood. I want them to be overwhelmed with nostalgia by the Commercials for Toys, Cereal and other stuff playing on the TVs in those sections, and remember what it was like to be a kid again as they relive their fondest memories of playing with the toys of their youth. I have already seen many visitors and customers have these experiences in the store, and it truly warms my heart when they share those thoughts with me.
Meet The Team

Maddie Ivkovich
Public Relations & Marketing Director
Maddie manages The Toys of Our Lives’ marketing efforts, from in-store posters and decor to online social media graphics, e-mail newsletters, and text campaigns. During the store’s first few months, she created The Toys of Our Lives’ social media accounts and helped to advertise the opening. She is currently studying creative industries and marketing through The University of Massachusetts-Amherst’s University Without Walls program. Growing up, Maddie was inspired by her dad’s passion for movies and the artistry of toys. She developed a similar love for film and is working toward building a career as a filmmaker. She began independently producing short films during high school with a team of friends and her brothers; over the years since those first projects, she has continued to create these short films, learning from the unique experiences of each production and using these valuable lessons to grow and achieve more ambitious visions. Maddie plans to continue working with The Toys of Our Lives and is proud to be a part of the team helping the store grow and unite more toy fans in their shared passion. She is constantly inspired by the love and appreciation for toys expressed by avid collectors and one-time customers alike, as well as the unique art of toy-design.

Ken Miyamoto
Content & Collections Manager
Ken Miyamoto is the Content and Collections Manager for The Toys of Our Lives, tasked with creating fun and engaging content on our blog and social media channels and gathering, organizing, photographing, and uploading our various toy line collections onto our online store. He’s a child of the 1980s. He and his wife have raised two high school-age and college-age sons who are equally obsessed with toys, movies, and TV shows of the era. Ken has also worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures. He is currently a professional screenwriter with a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple produced writing assignments, including the miniseries BLACKOUT, starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller HUNTER'S CREED, and many produced Lifetime thrillers with titles like PSYCHO INTERN, HIDER IN MY HOUSE, THE PODCAST MURDERS, A PROFESSOR'S GUIDE TO MURDER, and THE NEIGHBORS ARE WATCHING (and many more to come). His favorite toy line is G.I. JOE and he loves the movies of Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, John Carpenter, and most other 1980s iconic directors, with movie favorites like CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, The Original STAR WARS Trilogy, The Original INDIANA JONES Trilogy, BACK TO THE FUTURE, THE TERMINATOR, the MAD MAX Franchise, The Original RAMBO Trilogy, JAWS, E.T., ALIENS, and PREDATOR (among many others).