Legos Now Available At Steph's Stuff

Steph's Stuff, a longtime staple of East Hampton's Newtown Lane that recently moved to The Circle, is now offering a selection of Lego brand products, becoming the only store to carry the popular toy line east of Bridgehampton.

Stephanie Tekulsky, the owner and operator of the eponymous store, says it wasn't an easy process to become a Lego retailer. "The thing with Lego is that they used to sell through distributors until last year," Tekulsky said. "Smaller stores could buy it through them, but it would wind up being more expensive."

Since the shift at the end of 2012, Tekulsy had been anxious to get the products in, but knew she couldn't even apply to Lego directly until she moved into her new location. Steph's Stuff moved to 62 The Circle in East Hampton on May 1. "You need a certain amount of shelf space to be able to display Lego in order to be able to carry it," Tekulsky said. Additionally, the increased space and access to parking have been an added boon for business — "Toy store as destination is a really good thing," Tekulsky said.

"We wouldn't have been able to hold the first shipment in the old space," Tekulsky's daughter Kylie added. The first shipment arrived last Thursday in 87 boxes.

"We were worried they'd wind up taking over the store," Tekulsky said, "but they've wound up just being a wonderful complement."

In terms of how the new products are selling, she said, "We had people lining up on the first day." Though Legos have been considered by many to be a boy's toy, the new "Friends" line of Legos aimed at young girls, has been doing especially well. The playset, which comes in a pink suitcase that functions like a purse, sold out entirely in the first day and a half.

Lego also offers Duplo, its line aimed toward toddlers, with larger blocks that are less of a choking hazard, and figures for children to play with.

Superhero playsets are among the top sellers for boys, but in general the intermediate sizes of all Lego products, ranging between 150 and 260 pieces, are selling the best.

"It's the right size," Tekulsky said, "Just big enough for the kids to find it interesting, and small enough that parents think their kids will finish it."