Beloved toy chain to shut ALL its stores after a century and a half as owner laments ‘it’s a sign of the times’

A BELOVED toy and bike store has announced it is closing its final store, after 160 years in business.

Family business, B.D Price has been operating in Dudley since 1865, but will now , as owner Dan Price plans to , and doesn't think he will be able to on.

The 84-year-old revealed that the crisis has led to a reduction in sales and to the cost of running the skyrocketing.

“It’s unfortunately a sign of the times,” he told Dudley News.

“We’re closing due to a combination of age and a lack of trade, as footfall has decreased, and overheads have increased.

“People are just hard-up at the moment.”;

Dan's great-grandfather, D J Price, started the business back in 1865, opening a cycle shop from the front of his terraced house in High Holbon, Sedgley.

In the 1960s, the business expanded into children's toy sales, and at its height, also had stores in nearby Wolverhampton, Great Bridge and Kingswinford.

“It's sad, but I'm quite relieved to finally be retiring,” he told Express and Star.

Dan revealed that he doesn't think he would be able to sell the business on, due to the .

He added that the only reason the business has been able to carry on for this long, is because his family owns the building so he doesn't have to worry about rent.

Online sales have also helped to keep the business afloat, but Dan believes that ultimately, children do not want the kind of he is selling any more.

“The young lads don't buy Airfix kits, its all click click, click on their electronic devices,” he said.

“We don't sell board games any more, either, people don't play them, it is all click, click on the computer games.”

He added that most of his customers nowadays are older people, who like to collect the toys they had as children.

The business first expanded back in 1885, when it acquired a former nail factory, and began making bikes, under the Sedgely Beacon name.

In the 1930s, Dan's father Bernard took the business over, and renamed it B D Price.

An extension was built, helping to double the size of production, however, during , the factory was taken over for special war production, making beds for troop ships and hopsitals.

Dan was born in the cellar of the shop in 1940, and helped out with the family business from an early age.

Initially, he trained as an accountant, but after his father died in the 60s, he returned to help his mother with the business, and they began focusing more on toy sales.

“We were one of the first stockists of Playmobil”, he said.

The closing-down sale has now begun at the store, but there isn't yet a closing date.

The way things are going, it will take us four or five years to sell the stock,” he said.

“Then we will put the premises on the market.”

Dan plans to use his retirement to spend more time with his grandchildren.