A treasure of a toy shop with toys antique and new, curated and displayed with imagination and care. Where else will you see part of an old wooden ship loaded with stuffed animals, a Noah's Ark with a turkey in charge? Or an Egyptian sarcophagus from a set design for Indiana Jones next to a sizeable camel stuffie. Or an antique Underwood typewriter in its case or a set of illustrated journals of a bear who has traveled to Paris, to Egypt, to the Chelsea Flower Show in London, to Africa! A must visit for everyone! A you must go soon as Mme. Susan has seen her rent quadrupled and survival is challenged. Please support her! read more

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My first time in San Anselmo and someone had recommended the place for unique pieces. I noticed a beautiful blue/white vase behind a glass cabinet when I walked in. I asked the owner (Susan) how much it was, and her response was "it's very very expensive. Very rare. Probably $300 or more" in a very exaggerated manner. Didn't bother checking the price or offer to let me see it. Very "Pretty Woman" moment. For context, I'm a black woman. read more

Susan's Store Room is a quirky place. It's more a "Cabinet of Curiosities" than a traditional retail business, and there is real creativity to the shop, both in terms of what Susan carries and in terms of her highly original displays. Susan Hoy is the sole proprietor here, and she's been running the business for around thirty years. She's also an author, having written a series of "fictional diary" books featuring Steiff Teddy Bears, who go to Africa, the Chelsea Flower Show, Paris, and the Nile, which she displays and carries in the shop and online. We have come in at times and not been greeted by Susan, but on our recent visit she came out from behind the counter to share her story with us, showing us her favorite things with pride and we made a human connection. Our verdict is that is a passion project run by a true original, and some might say eccentric. Susan creates replicas of actual antique greeting cards that she sells, and offers a remarkable collection of vintage mercury holiday ornaments. All the things that Susan loves fill this unusual shop. She's also managed to set up a blog & webstore for her shop to sell her treasures, which is almost as quirky as her bricks and mortar shop. read more

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Wondered In during our walk about Excellent choice of ornaments. Very nice owner, place is clean and well organized. I had Fun browsing And would Definitely come back read more

Susan is the best. Her collection and curation of amazing toys and collectables is completely unique. Her whimsy is completely unique. I hope we can continue to enjoy fir many years! read more

Although we've lived in San Anselmo for decades, it wasn't until we had out of town guests staying with us that we visited Susan's Store Room. She has quite a collection of different things from China to stuffed animals to dolls and doll houses to cards to Star wars things and way more. She seemed friendly and tolerated my Siberian Husky wandering around and sniffing everywhere. My daughter bought something, but the rest of us asked questions and looked with no intention of buying. Her prices seemed higher, but she had a one-of-a-kind place and dedicated following. read more

Susan is so creative--in her inventory as well as the cards she makes, and in how she's kept the Store Room going for so many decades--which is how long my family has been shopping here. A wonderful and charming place to buy gifts for all ages. read more

I recently inherited some vintage dolls and needed some expert guidance. I reached out to Susan at Susan's Store room. She was gracious and professional providing information on doll collectors to help me. I have lived in the area most of my life and passed this little store many times. Only during this information gathering project on vintage dolls did I finally have the opportunity to visit Susan's store. It was like stepping back into my childhood and seeing dolls, books, and stuff animals long forgotten. As I walked around the shop I could see the attention to details for each display that Susan had created. Even a few shelves with glass Christmas ornaments that brought back many wonderful memories of a time when cherished decorations would be placed on the tree. Being In Susan's store was like being back in a childhood playroom. I highly recommend a trip to her store to reminisce and talk with Susan. It was a wonderful unexpected trip down memory lane. read more

Brought my kids here all through their childhood and still come back for the kid in me. Also - many wonderful gifts to be had. Susan is lovely and knows a lot about Steiff animals. Christmas an especially wonderful time to visit. read more

I never leave the store without making a purchase. All the gifts I bought from her unique store have been greatly loved and treasured.

Susan's store is so much more than an antique or toy store. It is a curated treasure box with gifts and messages to inspire. Among the many things offered for sale in the shop, Susan creates and sells greeting cards with messages to remind us of what is important..via quotes from famous individuals paired with special images. Her personally designed and crafted cards also feature collages with vintage images, postage stamps and more. She is the author of a series of children's books that have an accompanying stuffed animal custom created by Steiff. And if you are a fan of Steiff animals, you will find giraffes towering over you, a turkey well beyond life-sized and many others as well. There are gift items, new and old. Susan herself is a gift...a former teacher turned author, store keeper and creator. read more

This store is a magical wonderful with great gifts. It has something for everyone. I love the great selections of toys, gifts and antiques. Susan has curated a great collection. read more

Boooooo on you, Susan! I was on a bus with 50 ladies, touring boutique thrift and consignment shops in the Bay Area...by the way GEORGI & WILLOW down the street provided EXCELLENT customer service. Anyway, upon entering, Susan says, "Are you on that big bus from Stockton?" I cheerfully answered, "I sure am!" She, perhaps not seeing the bags I am already carrying, says, "Unfortunately this is NOT a thrift shop." I said, "That's fine. We've stopped in plenty of shops and made purchases from other stores in the area as well, that are not thrift shops." I saw a book I would've loved to spend $30 on for my son, however, because of Susan's condescending remarks, I will be making my purchase ELSEWHERE. read more

Susan's Store Room - The book I would have happily paid $30 for, were it not for the insulting service by the owner. - Toy Stores Near Me - San Anselmo, California

The Owner Susan is super nice and friendly~~~so is her store staff~~ I went back to pick up my pre ordered Be@r~~ I had waited for 3 months for that Be@r and it finally arrived at the store~~~ Yay~~~~!!! It's SOOOO adorable and CUTE!!! ^_________^ Her store is full of cute and precious antiques (mainly Be@rs) and also a lovely LOVELY dolly house~~~ It's sooo much more than just a toy store...I felt like I could really go for a treasure hunt there hehe^___^ Everything (literally) from greetings cards to plush toys to miniatures are exquisite~~~ I totally fell in love with this store and am definitely gonna be a frequent shopper there!^_______________^ read more

Susan's Store Room - So many CUTE plush Bears^___^ - Toy Stores Near Me - San Anselmo, California

This is the most Amazing, fun and interesting store! It's been in this location for 30 years and it's as fresh as ever. Looking for a unique gift..Susan will take care of you!! read more

Susan's Storeroom is a one of a kind place in Marin and one can find gifts for children and adults. Susan is helpful and kind. If you have children or grandchildren you must go visit! My husband even found a hat that was once worn by one of Susan's giraffes! I found tablecloths for our grandsons first birthday celebration and beautiful and absorbent kitchen towels and our grandsons first Steiff! The books are worth the trip and it is quite frankly a magical and sweet place! read more

What a nasty woman Susan is. We are new residents in San Anselmo, and our daughter was enticed by the gorgeous window displays and festive music. We made a point of purchasing books, stickers, cards, every week in order to support the store in exchange for the joy it gave our daughter. Today, while I held my daughter in my arms and we admired a gorgeous miniature recreation of Queen Elizabeth's desk, Susan came up to me and told me "you can't keep coming in here to look, you have to buy something every once in a while." Wow. I told her we had purchased numerous items, either through her or one of her associates, and she said "Fine, but if you keep coming in her and not buying something I'm going to go out of business." I can handle this kind of attitude from an adult, regardless of how rotten, snobby, and incompetent that adult might be, but to spend the next hour consoling my own tearful and sweet two-year-old daughter, who understood every word, is beyond forgiveness. You're right Susan, it's SUSAN'S Store Room. And you can have it. read more

I hesitate to call this a toy store because it is so much more. Antiques, crafts items, stickers, unique jewelry plus the place itself is just a great place to browse in. The owner designs her own cards (Susan's Card Store) and has also written three childrens books staring Steiff (not sure of spelling) bears. The latest one, "Pansy Goes to Paris " is simply delightful. They have drawings and are done in journal style, complete with ephemeria and it looks like someones scrapbooked journal. I would have died for shop like this one when I was a child. They also have great gifts for home, lots of unique and antique french things. It is a great store just to browse in. read more

Interesting store to browse in, yet somewhat possessed-looking stuffed animals. A shopper in the store thought that my pekingese dog was a stuffed animal when I brought him to Susan's. Often, my dog does look possessed. I bought a very expensive ($16) set of paper files at Susan's with birds on them because I wanted to buy something, but couldn't figure out anything else to buy. I originally came in here to buy a birthday card, but could not find an appropriate one. I ended up making a birthday card, which was truly ugly, but at least it didn't have frightening teddy bears on it. read more

We have visited Susan's store many times. We drive over from the East Bay and make it a special day trip. The selection of seasonal items are always fun to browse through. We came for our first Summer visit to see what she had. Not disappointed. Her window display was enticing and fun. Susan is very friendly and helpful. She has great kits and we really like how she is helpful with suggestions. We will be back for her Halloween! read more

Part of my day is a walk along the Avenue. Until recently there was a large stuffed bear at the front door. Just the sort of bear you want to say hello to. The windows are always a treat. The various seasons and events of the year are celebrated by an assembly of stuffed toys celebrating all things joyous. Teddy Roosevelt is the special patron saint of the bears and the holidays are part of the history of bears and their travels. The big bear is missing from its place. I want it to be recovered. Perhaps we can organize a group of Rough Riders to find the bear. Has anyone seen a big bear roaming around? Find the bear and allow me to have my greeting be met by my friend. read more

Susan's store room is the most unique, interesting and fun shop - stepping through the front door it is easy to feel you've been transported to a different place and time all together. Susan has had incredible adventures all over the world and with each one has brought new and interesting things into the store. I didn't take the time to talk with her until my most recent visit and I didn't want to leave. The stories of her travels are reflected in all the treasures found here. What a gem! read more

Heaven forbid I brought a child into a toy store, contained in a stroller. We quietly looked around the store subject to many glares, and after being scoffed at and made to feel very uncomfortable/in the way, I was finally rudely asked, "Are you looking for something?!" Other customers were greeted with a, "Hi, how are you?," etc. This is exactly the kind of poor customer service that drives me to shop online instead of trying to support local merchants; I'll gladly take my business elsewhere and won't be sad to see this go. read more

This store is cluttered and has no focus. I felt overwhelmed by all of the stuff everywhere and kept thinking the store needed to focus on a couple genres, rather than anything one could put a price tag on... The store is huge and I had a question about an item in one of the back corners. I found a woman and asked if she worked there. She snapped, "I own this store." Then she proceeded to act like I was dumb for not knowing the meaning of the obscure religious item. I felt like I was doing her a favor by shopping in the store. I won't be back. read more

Cannot tell you how many times I have driven by, run by and walked by this store...and not gone in. Until Saturday. My BFF and I went in, and were blown away. Not kidding when I say we spent more than an HOUR in this store, and every time we went back to a certain section we found more unbelievable treasures. There is a gift in here for everyone on your list!!! Susan, the owner, is also extremely sweet and helpful....cannot wait to go back!! read more

What a cute little store with high quality stuffed animals! Not necessarily a kid friendly place, but I'm not a kid friendly person. Susan was not taken aback by my inquiry of whether they had possums in stock and was very helpful in trying to find one. I will be back once the order comes in. read more

This store brings your kids, you and your grand parents back to old time toys and long forgotten stories. It's like traveling back in time where toys where treasures and made with quality. Antique bears, dolls and tea books, travel books written by a bear that is now back in the store. Im going to bring my parents here and im sure this place brings back memories. :-) For everyone who is anti- Toys'rus! read more

This is our favorite store of all time, and Susan is the most knowledgeable and friendly person. There have been times when the store is closed and we are in San Anselmo with out-of-town visitors. We have even been able to contact her at home, and Susan will make a special trip down to the store to let us in to shop. You never feel pressured to buy anything; Susan is just happy that you appreciate her treasures. We have purchased many items over the years from Susan. When people come over, those treasures from Susan are the ones that everyone wants to learn more about. This store is a store for collectors and not garage-sale seekers, and everything in there is worth seeing. Whenever we are looking for that "special" gift for someone, the first thought comes to mind is to go to Susan's Store Room. This is a true haven for collectors. read more

Absolutely one of the best little unique shops that I come to fairly often. I'm never disappointed. This place is the envy of visitors and tourists alike. Just as a note, there's a lot of newer 'vintage' items along with some one of a kind genuine antiques. So you have to really look around and sift if you're looking for something particular. What made me extra happy this particular time is I bought a small metal car from the 1950's and payed a little more than half from what I've seen on eBay. read more

One of my all time favorite stores to visit. We will drive the 45 minutes from Alameda to see what seasonable displays Susan has. So many beautiful vignettes to explore, I could spend hours going through the rooms. We never leave here empty handed! read more

There are few people left in this world who have Susan's eye...beauty, arrangement, nostalgia, modern, loving, respectful...I was walking thru the store and realized who needs therapists and acupuncturists!!!! I HAVE SUSAN'S FOR AN HOUR! and no one bothers me talking to myself and in utter heavenly realms. I do not care if my neice, nephews, godchildren like it or not (they will!) but my money is being spent in the old fashion way where my imagination is stimulated by a similar one in the owner of the shop! Thank you... "Demented attic" said by another reviewer, I doubt she knows what imagination is all about! read more

I also had a horrible experience with the owner, Susan. She was incredibly unfriendly to me and my daughter. We won't be returning. A family member was also with us who watched the interaction and was shocked since this family member has been a loyal customer of this store for years. Needless to say, my family member said she will also never return. read more

Do not bring kids in here- you might get snapped at! It is too cluttered dusty and difficult to navigate this store. There are a zillion different lacey doily-things here and there to look at and everywhere you turn you might knock something over. I saw one of the old ladies that work here get upset at someone's kid who knocked a doll over. My sister in law suggested I come in here to get good bears- wanted to get one for both my daughter as well as my best friends daughter. Little did i know i would get a headache from trying to figure out which of the zillion different overpriced bears to choose from. $140 bucks for a tiny little stuffed figure blew my mind- it wasn't even antique. Adventure it was, but i had to get out of there because I felt like I was in a demented old lady's dusty attic- not enchanting at all. I love digging around at yard sales , but this was just disturbing and no yard sale prices found here! read more

I have to agree with most of the negative reviews. This shop has no focus, is over stuffed, poorly organized and all the items I was interested in were overpriced. The owner is not very friendly and not very knowledgeable about antiques. There is a beautiful dollhouse on display with the most wonderful items, but they are not for sale. I would not travel any distance to visit this shop but if you are in downtown San Anselmo you may want to stop in to see the dollhouse. read more

I have been coming to Susan's Store Room since the 1980's for wonderful gifts for family members of all ages. The owner and her staff are always very friendly, caring, and helpful. Varying by seasons and holidays, Susan creates incredible, heartwarming window displays you don't want to miss! Inside are wonderful treasures everwhere so it's fun to explore the different themed sections and their ever-changing items - many nostalgic from times past. My daughter and I especially love Susan's unique, high-quality miniatures and discovering how she's updated her own classic resident dollhouse (including where Yoda and ET are hiding this time!). read more

This store is SO cool! My toddler and I wandered in and were both equally enchanted. My child wanted to touch everything (I mean who doesn't? Those stuffed animals are amazing!) I made sure we handled things gently and respectfully, and the owner could not have been nicer and friendlier to us both...I spent less than $10 on a small toy and then she gave us a gift-a lovely children's book she wrote. My son asks nearly every day to go back there to see all the animals, this place really made an impression on us both :) If you want to find a truly special heirloom toy or gift, this is your store! read more

This is the best store ever for children and adults... you can find amazing gifts for all your friends. I have been visiting this store for twenty years. If you want to recapture the magic of the old-fashioned Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter store windows you used to find in downtown San Francisco, you will find them here. Susan is so creative and inspiring. read more

Lots of great things in this store. Came to the store to pick up some ornaments for XMASS. They have tons. Really nice and helpful staff!

From the sidewalk window gallery featuring stunning seasonally changing scenic and costume toy dramas enhanced with music accompaniment, to the moment you step over the threshold into Susan's Storeroom, you have stepped into a fairy tale kingdom. It's a must see for the pleasant respite of the pure delight derived at beholding all things unexpected,lovely and wondrous. For children and adult alike there is a bounty both seemingly common, such as a bedazzling glass marble, to the most treasured and rare. Susan is the wished for fairy godmother. read more