In the Short North, the toys are not what you'd expect. Rivet, a designer toy and art gallery, carries this decade's quirky collector and customized toys as well as art featuring the model characters.

Owner Laura Kuenzli has a special interest in these unique fictional creatures, and, after curating a toy show in Columbus in December 2006, realized that a market exists here for people like her. She says, "A lot of the people who come into the gallery come in because they have found out we're here, and they're already collectors and fans of the art and toys. And people who are just curious about the gallery have also come in and taken an interest and become involved. My customers range in age from little kids to adults in their late fifties."

Laura's favorites from her personal collection include pieces by Toyer and Hazmapos as well as customized art toys by various artists. Rivet carries works by local artists Trevor Zammit, Sharon Bell, and Daniel Elson as well as those by national and international artists such as Angie Mason and Kathie Olivas.

by Morgan Baughman