By Flashbax, a novelty and antique toy store, has moved into Uptown Aberdeen, the former Aberdeen Mall along Sixth Avenue Southeast on the east side of town.
Owner Erik Braley said since opening Flashbax in 2010, the store has moved around and was most recently on North Main Street.
“We’ve had several different locations. A lot of times business was a little bit tough or money was tight,” he said.
Braley opened at the mall on June 1.
Since he can remember, Braley has been collecting toys and collectibles of all sorts.
A hobby turned job
“I was one of those kids who never got rid of his toys, and then once I started getting a job, I just kept buying and buying and buying,” he said.
“It just blossomed into this. I have family that does antiques, and so kind of turned my hobby into a job,” Braley said.
Growing up, he said, his favorite type of toy was Transformers.
“I don’t have many in (the store) because I hoard them all for myself,” he said.
But Braley does have a little bit of everything else.
“We do toys, games, books, comics, antiques, anything fun and nerdy,” he said.
He even has some rare comic books that a person would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else nearby.
“We have some rare Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon stuff from Japan in the 1980s, so you’re not gonna find that anywhere else in South Dakota,” Braley said.
Secondhand finds
He said he finds his products at garage sales, antique stores and auctions.
“Every moment that I wasn’t working for someone else, this is what I was doing was going out and finding stuff,” Braley said.
Being at Uptown Aberdeen has allowed more people to discover Flashbax, he said.
Erik Braley, owner of Flashbax, opened the store at a new location in Uptown Aberdeen Mall on June 1. Aberdeen Insider photo by Shannon Marvel.
“Being here in the mall has been wonderful. We’ve had a little bit of everybody from every slice of life come in, which is something that we were kinda hoping would happen, and we’ve had a lot of people who’ve never heard of us coming in and finding us,” he said.
Flashbax buys, sells and trades inventory.
“So instead of donating your stuff, you can bring it to us and actually get some cash for it. That’s always a positive. And then if your kids are looking to clean out their closet and want new toys here, you know, that’s a good way for them to learn some commerce and responsibility,” Braley said.
News and notes
- The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs and Edmunds County Veterans Service Office are holding a coffee and conversation event at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 26 at FEM Electric’s conference room, 800 Fifth Ave. in Ipswich. Jeremiah Schneider, secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, staff and county Veterans Service Officer Barb Schaefer will answer questions.
- Ellis Russell and Ava Hanson, both of Aberdeen, are among 33 scholarship recipients announced by American Bank & Trust. Each received a $1,000 scholarship.
- Leah Naasz of Aberdeen and Amanda Rook of Aberdeen received scholarships from the South Dakota State Medical Association Foundation. Naasz received the Dr. Herbert. A. Saloum Memorial Scholarship, and Rook received the Wulbers Scholarship.
- Sanford Health has been listed by Becker’s on its 150 top places to work in health care, according to a news release. Companies on the list are committed to supporting their teams through comprehensive benefits, opportunities for personal and professional growth, inclusive and empowering work environments, and resources that promote a healthy work/life balance.
- Northern State University business faculty members Aaron Scholl and Kristi Bockorny are co-authors of a newly published study examining the impact of workplace gratitude on employees in banking and financial services. The study appears in the latest edition of the Journal of Applied Business and Economics. It found gratitude positively affects physical capital, satisfaction with life and employees’ intention to stay with their organization.
