If you want to find out more about Fun Things Etc., you've come to the right place!

Fun Things Etc is a specialty toy store located in downtown Waynesville, NC.  Some people call us "that place where they shoot the monkeys." When you visit us on a busy day, you might see shoppers testing out juggling sticks and yo-yos, Toy Specialists assaulting each other with a Water Wiz Water Gun, or someone sending one of the Superfly Flying Monkeys through a hula hoop "target" hanging from our ceiling. Our tables of building blocks, K'Nex, and model trains give kids a place to hang out and play.

Brightly-colored partitions divide our sales floor into sections including Outdoors, Cornhole, Jokes & Pranks, Magic, Games, Novelties, Building, Art, Pretend, Puzzles, Puppets, Science, and Trains, plus more odds and ends being added all the time. Our Event Space, tucked away in the very back of the store, has been known to host puppet shows, workshops, and exhibits of electric model trains.  You’ll also see Fun Things Etc. providing children’s activities outside the store during the many festivals and other events held downtown throughout the year.

The store has been owned by Denise Hager Teague and family-operated by Denise, her husband Mark, and their three children since it opened in 2006! Denise's dream is to turn Fun Things Etc. into a non-profit children's museum where families in Haywood County and the surrounding areas can enjoy events, activities, and exhibits.

Find out more about Fun Things Etc.'s Toy Specialists!

Denise Teague

Owner

While running Fun Things Etc. for the past five years, Denise has also become a professional Superfly Flying Monkey shooter in her spare time.  She will gladly demonstrate this skill for anyone interested.  Before Fun Things Etc., Denise worked with YMCA and Girl Scouts of America, which helped inspire her to open her own toy store.  Her dream is to eventually run a non-profit children’s museum in the building that currently houses Fun Things Etc.

Mark Teague

Assistant Director of Logistics and Moral Support

The offices of Mark’s independent engineering firm, JM Teague Engineering, are housed in the back of our building.  Sometimes we let him come up front to help us out during festivals and other busy times when we need an extra hand. 

Amanda & Zachary Teague

Advisors to Toy Acquisition and Quality Control

Amanda and Zachary are always willing to test products and make sure they’re up to our high standards.  Candy often needs to be tested multiple times before an accurate sampling can be collected.  It’s a tough job, but they accept it with grace.  Amanda is currently in the second grade; Zachary is currently in the first grade.  Outside Fun Things Etc., Amanda enjoys soccer, Girl Scouts, and her dance lessons.  Zachary also plays soccer and is a member of the Boy Scouts.

Matthew Teague

Toy Specialist / Vice President of Toy Acquisition

Matthew helps out at Fun Things Etc. in a lot of ways!  He rings up customers during busy times and helps Denise decide which products to order—to date, his instincts have been right 99% of the time.  Matthew is currently in the eighth grade and would eventually like to work for the Department of Forestry or in a similar field.

Haley Wolfe

Toy Specialist / Marketing Assistant

Haley came to Fun Things Etc. in February 2011.  She writes our press releases and newsletters, and she keeps our website and online social media content up to date.  Haley has a BA in Creative Writing from UNC Asheville.  Outside Fun Things Etc., she writes and illustrates her own publication, Haley’s Comic, at www.haleyscomic.com. 

Barbara McCarty

Toy Specialist / Administrative Support

Barbara and Denise have been working together for * years.  Barbara helps with record keeping, filing, product orders, and bookkeeping.  In her spare time, she enjoys assembling puzzles and spending time with her three dogs.   

Charles the Betta Fish

Toy Specialist / Store Mascot

Charles came to live with us in July 2011.  He resides in a fish TV on our front counter.  Charles does not walk around the store or demonstrate the flying monkeys like the other Toy Specialists, so he only gets paid in small crumbs of food, plus free room and board.  He enjoys catching fruit flies, getting clean water, and relaxing at the bottom of his tank.