Maxima is an excellent, go-to destination for kids' and adults' novelty items. A short list of the…read morekinds of things one might find there would include (deep breath): books (kid and adult), cards, Sock Lady mismatched socks that rock my and my kids' feet, magic wands, cute onesies, Robeez shoes, art projects, gorgeous mugs, beautiful and funky jewelry, clocks, shawls, games, dress-up clothes, pencils, things that wind up and move in interesting ways, and... well, gosh. Probably other stuff, too, but I can't keep it all in my head, now can I?
A true story: I went in a couple weeks ago to see if they had Robeez to fit my larger than expected toddler boy, who grew out of his size 12-18 month pair much earlier than 18 months (he's only 17 months now). They don't normally carry his size in the styles that I liked, because most kids who wear the 18-24 month size aren't still beginning walkers. But, after a quick discussion with the manager who was working that day, she agreed to order two styles in his size so I could look at them in person, since the catalog pictures were not clear enough about the details for me to choose. They arrived within a week, and presto! New, gecko indoor slipper-shoes now adorn his chubby feet and help keep them warm (in part by keeping his socks on :) ).
I *love* supporting local, non-chain stores. I know that the bigger chains would never have offered to do something that they don't usually do for a single customer. Because they're a small, independent store, they don't buy in huge quantity, and so their prices are on the higher side; but they're certainly fair. They are not making any attempts to make extra money just because they carry cool merchandise. I know this because I know how much Robeez (and Sock Lady socks, and board books, etc) cost elsewhere, and that's how much I paid.
Rock on, Maxima! We'll stop by frequently on our walks through the neighborhood to see what you've gotten in lately.
