By Pauline von Pezold
Leonore Turberg is in her prime retirement age. But the 78-year-old still stands in her shop in Berlin-Charlottenburg every day. What makes children’s hearts beat faster apparently also keeps seniors young.
Your store “Märklin & Spielwaren” at Wilmersdorfer Straße 157 has been around for more than 100 years. The selection that customers find with the agile owner is second to none.
Turberg took it over from the previous owner over 50 years ago and has been running it with enthusiasm ever since. “There’s just nothing better than having a toy store like this,” she says.
Turberg and her parents took over the shop at Wilmersdorfer Straße 157 more than 50 years ago Photo: Olaf Selchow
Her parents also had a toy store, and as a child Turberg would change and decorate the bears in the window. “Everyone knew our bears back then: Luft’s Berlin Bears,” she says proudly.
With the takeover of “Märklin & Toys”, model railway fans became customers. Today, on 260 square meters, she sells everything a toy heart desires: from steam locomotives to Monchhichis, the cult monkeys of the 1970s, to Scoubidou tapes. Many of their approximately 80,000 items have long since been discontinued in other toy stores.
Turberg has 80,000 items in its range. Including a lot of things that are no longer available in other toy stores Photo: Olaf Selchow
Turberg still chooses what she sells herself. Lego and Playmobil, now collector’s items for adults, are among their box office hits. Their strategy: “There is a 20 percent discount all year round. That’s just how you get a lot of new customers.”
Her flair for games also helped her through the corona pandemic: puzzles and board games were in demand. Now she is primarily concerned with one question: What will become of her shop? Because it is not easy to find a successor.
“Running a toy store only works with passion,” says Leonore Turberg.