FAO Schwarz

Shopping in New York City – FAO Schwarz

FAO Schwarz New York – Shopping in New York City.

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FAO Schwarz

FAO Schwarz is the name of an upscale specialty toy retailer headquartered in New York City. FAO Schwarz was founded in 1862 by German immigrant, Frederick August Otto Schwarz, under the name Toy Bazaar in Baltimore, where Schwarz and his brothers retailed toys from a fancy-goods store there. Additional locations of Toy Bazaar followed in Philadelphia and Boston. However, it was the New York City location opened in 1870, where the name changed to FAO Schwarz, that dominated the others in the family business. The toy store became well-known for its unique plush toys and memorable environment that pioneered “entertainment retail,” the philosophy that a store should be an experience for its attendees. In 1931 the New York location was moved to the southeast corner of 58th Street and Fifth Avenue.