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Jokingly, he calls himself “Dinosaur Dave,” a smiling Dave Plenn said, laughing at the nickname, adding that he keeps track of new species of dinosaurs that have been discovered since his popular store first opened a quarter of a century ago.
The Dinosaur Farm, one of the country’s top-rated independent toy and bookstores, recently celebrated its 25th year in South Pasadena with a huge anniversary celebration, as many of the town’s residents and visitors from neighboring cities came out in support of the unique store in the 1510 block of Mission Street.
The word “dinosaur” often refers to people or things that are out-of-step or on the verge of extinction. That definitely doesn’t apply to the Dinosaur Farm.
Tucked away in small-town South Pasadena, the Dinosaur Farm was founded by Plenn, a musician/songwriter and artist, and his wife, museum store consultant Shelley Stephens, when their son was a toddler and they couldn’t find a source for interesting toys and books close to home.
Over the years, the Dinosaur Farm has received accolades from Forbes in 2000 (“One of 10 Best Toy Stores in the US”), BuzzFeed in 2016 (one of “17 Toy Stores That Will Change Your Kids’ Lives,” a list of toy stores all over the world), and USA Today, which included The Dinosaur Farm on its 2018 list of “10 Best Independent Toy Stores in America.”
Everything in The Dinosaur Farm is selected with an eye towards its motto: “Not Your Ordinary Toy Store!”
As part of its 25th-anniversary celebration, the Dinosaur Farm offered special sales while the in-store party included refreshments and prizes.
The Dinosaur Farm is located at 1510 Mission Street in South Pasadena. For more information: www.dinosaurfarm.com, (626) 441-2767
