Bruce Barnes, owner of the Antique Toy Museum, wouldn’t say definitively that this summer would his last along Route 66 in Stanton, Mo., after 21 years. But if you’re wanting to gaze at his collection, it’d be prudent to see it soon.
David Clark, aka the Windy City Road Warrior, reported on his blog that Barnes seemed certain this summer would be the finale for the museum.
But when contacted by phone Tuesday, Barnes was less sure. He did acknowledge that his business essentially is on the market, and that he might reopen in 2009 until a buyer is found.
“If someone wants to buy it, I’m willing to sell, yes,” he said. “But it’s going to take some deep pockets.”
Barnes said he wants to retire, and that his children have shown little interest in the museum. If someone wants to buy him out and keep the museum going, that’s fine. But Barnes wouldn’t discount the possibility of shutting down the museum for good and liquidating his collection, piece by piece if necessary.
Barnes, 72, with his wife Lorraine, has been collecting toys for almost 50 years. Before settling on a permanent spot in the late 1980s in Stanton, he took his collection on the road in a travel trailer. It’s conservatively estimated that his museum’s contents are worth six figures.
Barnes says the museum building includes a two-bedroom home. From about Memorial Day to Labor Day, the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. During the off-season months of the spring and fall, it’s open only on weekends, and shuts down completely during the winter.
The phone number for the museum is 573-927-5555. Here’s a good photo overview of the museum.
I stopped by today and the owner told me that he and his wife had decided that this is, in fact, their last season. I’m glad I saw it. I loved seeing some of the toys I had as a child.
This is a collection that is made by the presence of the man that put it all togeather. I was there on July 4th, 2008. His passion for his collection just lights the whole place up. There is not a toy in that building that he is not willing to talk about or even learn a more about. I could go back a million times but with out that smile and never ending energy of Bruce as a tour guide it may not be the same. A visit is like seeing all those old Sears Christmas Dream Books come to life. If you remember what it was like to look in those toy catalogs and long for those images to come to life, this is the place for you. You must visit and say hello to Bruce.