Madison Originals Magazine Madison Originals Magazine February 2012 | Page 12
12 | madison originals magazineoriginal shopping
hether you are looking for a
toy for an infant, toddler, tween, or
teen, Playthings in Hilldale Shopping
Center is the place to nd a huge selec-
tion of toys that entertain, educate, and
fascinate.
Owner Nancy Nigl took a circuitous
route before deciding to open a toy shop.
Originally an art major at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, she decided
to take a break from school and move
to Tucson, Arizona. There she met her
husband Pete, who is from Milwaukee.
They married in 1977, and decided to
move back to Wisconsin. �We moved
to Madison so that my husband could
return to school to further his education and so that we could be closer to family,� explains Nancy. �I took a job at a hospital, which lead me to return to school to pursue a nursing degree.� Nancy graduated from nursing school in 1981, and began her career as an RN. When her rst son, Spencer, was born in 1984, Nancy decided to stay home as a full-time mom. �This is when I really started to think about opening a toy store. In my pursuit for interesting and creative toys, there just didn�t seem to be much out there,� she says. With the help and support of her family, she made her way to the International Toy Fair in New York, where she discovered a world of wonderful children�s products. Nancy