Piecing Together a Toy Empire

Piece by piece, Alan Saffron has built a toy empire.

The Australia native, who worked for more than two decades in the retail business, decided a few years ago to make a career change. He opened a shop in Northridge that only sold jigsaw puzzles. Meeting without much success, he moved his operation in 1993 to a Santa Monica location--and found a niche by offering specialty toys.

“I had done a lot of analysis,” said the Woodland Hills resident and father of five. “I didn’t want to compete with Toys R Us. What I tried to do was find areas that were popular and unfocused.”

Saffron began marketing some familiar items, such as dolls, puzzles and games, but he also sold goods such as educational tools, collectible toys, and arts and crafts, developing a vast and varied selection that has cemented the store’s unique image.

To accommodate a growing demand for unusual fare, the store recently expanded its retail space from 2,700 square feet to 5,000 square feet.

Puzzle Zoo has become a haven for adults and children alike. Mighty Morphin Power Ranger fans also find a bit of heaven. Here you can buy Morpher/Gun Sword and White Tigerzord. These transformer robots range from $29.99 to $49.99.

For high-end movie merchandise, check out the resin and vinyl Blade Runner gun, which sells for $695. If chess is your game, the store sells sets made from materials such as slate, stone, pewter and wood. Or try putting together a model of the human heart.

And Saffron has not forgotten what got him into the toy business. At any given time, the store has more than 4,000 jigsaw puzzles in stock. The selection is remarkable. Some of the more challenging choices include the double-sided “world’s most difficult” puzzle, a serial-numbered German-made Ravensburger and the 8,000-piece Educa classic, which retails for $95.

Much of the inventory is from the United States, Europe and Japan. Many of the items cannot be found in major toy stores.

“It’s great,” said 8-year-old Jonathan Reid, who stopped by on a recent Monday night. “We usually buy pogs. We have come here many times, but we haven’t gone through everything.”

Puzzle Zoo, 1413 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Information: (310) 393-9201.