HOT TOYS How Mildred & Dildred Became the Go-To Toy Shop in Tucson
Employee Nikki Brzescinski created watercolor illustrations to enliven mildredanddildred.com. The images identify each product category.
by Michael Nocella
I
f you happen to find yourself in Arizona’s second-largest city, be sure to stop in at Mildred & Dildred. It’s a toy store on Swan Street, a busy thoroughfare, but trust me – you can’t miss “Mil & Dil.” The bright blue building stands out against the desert landscape and is further amplified by bright red trim and a white picket fence. Owner Autumn Ruhe, a Tucson native, earned a degree in art history before opening her store in 2007 when she was just 25. Since then, the alumna of legendary local shop Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s Toys has been creating her own brand of whimsy and fun. The community loves it – Mil & Dil was voted “Best Toy Store” four times by the readers of Tucson Weekly. But as all specialty toy retailers know, remaining number one requires work. That’s why Autumn took the plunge on a second location in 2019. Then the pandemic happened. A move The original Mil & Dil opened at La Encantada, Tucson’s luxury outdoor shopping center. Right from the start,
there was enough ricochet traffic from a nearby Apple Store to keep business steady. A loan from Autumn’s grandfather funded the startup, and the store’s name pays homage to the stories he told about two mischievous sisters. Mildred and Dildred were always getting into trouble, but their grandfather always came to their rescue. Autumn’s was the only toy store in La Encantada, but not the only one in the city. When the owners of Kid’s Center, a toy mainstay in midtown, retired in 2019, Autumn purchased their building and made plans for a second location. “We had been thinking about it, but we didn’t want to step on any retailers’ toes,” she told This Is Tucson, a local event app, that October. “Clearly, though, that part of town likes toy stores because Kid’s Center was open for 30 years!” At 3,000 square feet, the space was twice the size of her shop at La Encantada. Autumn’s plans for it included more space for storage and a larger book section. The grand opening was scheduled for spring 2020. “When COVID hit, we thought it
was better to simplify, so we closed our original store and opened here, officially, in January 2021. “I was scared to leave the mall,” she admits. “I wasn’t sure we would make it on our own, but it’s been great. We’re doing better here than we ever did at the mall because our new space is more central. And now, we’re the only toy store in town.” The mix Thinking back to her start 15 years ago, Autumn recalls not knowing what to order to stock the shelves. One of the first items she brought in, seemingly on a whim, was Kidoozie’s Hide N’ Squeak Eggs, “We’ve sold hundreds of them since we opened,” she said, proving that her gut instinct is spot on. The same thing happened with Two Bros Bows. “They’ve been our top seller for the last two years. They’re not new and I’m always surprised by how well they do.” Autumn credits her staff of six – four of whom are part-time – and toy reps for helping her curate her mix. She also spends a lot of time sifting through
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