Sigma is correct. Get online!
Lots of antique dealers closed up shop and started dealing on ebay. They are not doing fine and way less overhead!! Those who haven't closed up shop have their stuff on ebay as well as a store or booth.

I don't think Sigma would know how to turn on those solar panals, she hasn't seen the light in years.

If you are a specialty retailer you need to target the entire world if you want to survive. There just isnt enough people in a small community like this to cover the cost of overhead and keep prices low enough to have a lot of sales. They dont even have an online store. Look at that Knoble Knight game store.... who would have ever thought that would do ok. They do by targeting a bigger market...online. All BB needs to do is go through a place like Volusion, make an online store... sell to the whole country and then they can increase their volume of sales, get better costs and lower their prices below competitors. This is like antique stores and pawn shops... if you're not online you aint making squat.

Lemme, you should get together with sigma 40, you two were meant to be together.

Being a business owner, I see what the problem is. People will buy on the internet to save themselves a few pennies instead of buying from their friends and neighbors that own local businesses. If you want the local economy to improve, you should buy local.

Very sad. I really enjoyed going there with my kids.

Winterstinks - Its not the fact that people have less money, its the fact the media has instilled fear into everyone so less people are spending....but that has nothing to do with anything. I dont even know what "Building Blocks" is...never heard of it. I just looked it up and it seems like a super specialty store with a very limited customer group. I would imagine just looking at the pics you could get the same stuff at Walmart and way cheaper....or like someone already said, in a catalog or online.

So sorry to hear about Building Blocks! Only place in town to buy decent toys.

Sorry to see that BB is closing. Seems like people are in such a hurry these days and they go to the bigger stores so they can buy all their items in one store. Small stores such as this just cannot compete with large stores or shopping on the internet. Govenor Walkers fault?? You people are such IDIOTS. All business owners manage their business--did Govenor Walker max out your credit cards??

I was in there at lunch today. The toys are pretty picked over. There are more supplies typical for teachers left, such as workbooks and room decorations. So sad to see BB closing.

YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T TAKE SARCASIM SIGMA 40...CHESSSSSS

Once again, another story where the uneducated that know nothing about running a business chime in with the Walker, Government blame. Come on people! Really? You cannot possibly blame him for everything. When you do, you lose all credibility and sound so naive it's alarming. People like you are part of the problem, not the solution. Please, I encourage you to go educate yourself on business before blaming.

I used to shop at Building Blocks a lot. Then a teacher friend introduced me to the Lakeshore catalog. Even with shipping, all the same things were more affordable. After that, I only shopped there when I didnt have time to wait for shipping. It's unfortunate that they are closing. But in this day and age, you just cannot over charge people. Not when I can get the same Melissa & Doug item from their own website (M&D) for cheaper.

Any word on local stores that will now be carrying the John Eyster hand puppet? You know, the one that keeps saying "We the people!"

Maybe "SIGMA", can get some solar panels from Obama!Ya think?

Sigma,HELLO! If people have less money in this economy, guess what? They buy less. Sales are down, they can't pay bills and file bankruptcy. Do you dems understand economics even in the simplest form?

She mentioned you would save a lot of money buying stuff there. I don't see how you save unless you bought stuff that day for buy one get one free. Vending machine cupcakes at about .75 cents. in the store they are .90.I did stock up on some junk food though. I was surprised to see that most of the stuff had already expired.
I never went into building blocks. Nope I was in once I think just to check it out. I don't have kids and no kids to buy for until about 1 year ago. Never thoought to go in again.
Building blocks- how dare you inconvience Steve. The post office was closed, fees for bank account and now this.
True Sigma- I will agree with you for once. It would be very hard for them to compete with Walmart, the Mall, Target, Toys r us.

I also heard Card Factory outlet is closing its doors in February. :(

Bankruptcy and stores closing are from either poor business practices or lack of customers.. I dont see how Obama or Walker have anything to do w/ this. Are you people really that dumb?

I too am sad that this store will be gone. It was such a great place to spend time with your kids. We could always find neat gifts that you can't find at a big box store. I shopped today and felt bad the entire time, the staff looked very tired and sad. A lot of stuff is gone, but they do have stuff to choose from. I wouldn't wait until this weekend though. Lots of love to BB!

Walker probably doesn't like "kids & cupcakes"

My kids and I loved this store! So sad that it is closing. We would go in to shop and end up spending an hour playing before we made our purchases. I always bought teacher gifts there too. We will miss you building blocks!!!

Maybe these two stores can become title loan places.

Can you say "Thanks Gov Walker ?"

The economy is not that bad really. Its actually really good. What probably killed them is the 50 department stores around the area... makes it convenient for everyone.

Very sad to see this. My son loved going here. Sometimes we got him a Thomas train, most times he liked going and just interacting with other children there. One of the few places where you could get quality educational toys, run but the nicest staff.

I never had the opportunity to shop there, and my children are just a little too old, but I had always heard positive things about it. It's just so hard for a small shop to make it when people are looking (these days, necessarily) for the lowest possible price on an item that will "make do" instead of being able to go with something a little nicer. And we all lose a little because of that. Best wishes to the owners in wherever their path now takes them.

As one toy store closes, another tobacco store opens.
I'm just sayin'...

Oh no! This is sad news. A great store, run by such nice, helpful, and friendly people. Best of luck in the future.