For decades, Mal's Toy Shop has been putting smiles on children's faces in a country town on the mid-north coast of New South Wales.

It is a throwback to a simpler time, before online shopping, the growth in large discount department stores, and phrases like 'screen time'.

Owner Mal Geary has been running the Taree business for almost 30 years and said seeing the joy it brought to children had been a highlight.

"The look in the children's eyes as they come in the shop, the parents tell me it's a real experience to come to a shop like this, because they are not used to it," he said.

"To see the children, they are so happy and they run around the shop, it just gives me great pleasure."

A quick chat to locals is enough to confirm that for many, a visit to Mal's Toy Shop was a highlight of their early childhood years.

"I remember when I was about four, running from home up the street to Mal's Toy Shop," former Taree resident Adam Easter said.

"I was dressed as Superman, I had a tea towel around my neck with a pin in it, and I ran up to Mal's store because there were just toys everywhere."

Independent Taree store, Mal's Toy Shop, will soon close. ( ABC News: Emma Siossian )

Memories across generations

Another local, Leanne Northam, said the shop had been a treasured place for her children.

"One our favourite memories is of a time when our daughter, Chloe, loved her dummies and wouldn't give them up, but she really wanted a [Toy Story] Buzz Lightyear toy," she said.

"So we arranged with Mal for Chloe to bring in her dummies to 'buy' the Buzz Lightyear doll. We still have that doll 15 years later."

Mr Geary said he had enjoyed getting to know local families.

Mal Geary said he has loved getting to know local families who have visited his toy shop over decades. ( ABC news: Emma Siossian )

"There's a lot of loyal customers, some from years ago, their kids have grown up and now we are seeing their kids come in and buy for their bubs."

"They say to me, as they hold a baby in their arms, 'Do you know who I am?' and I'm trying to place their face because the last time I might have seen them was when they were six or seven."

Mr Geary also recalled a time before credit card use surged, when lay-bys were very popular.

"In the first 10 years it was really good, it was so busy, we used to have hundreds and hundreds of lay-bys then," he said.

"We had our shed full, our house full, upstairs in our house, every bedroom was full of toys."

Traditional toy shops under increasing pressure

The era of Mal's Toy Shop is about to come to an end, with the business set to close at the end of the month.

"We're getting on in years, and I think it's time, things have certainly changed in the toy industry," Mr Geary said.

"I don't think there are many independent toy stores left in NSW now, and that's the same across the country."

Mr Geary said the play habits of children were changing.

"It is hard, children today tend to want electronics, [they] want the phones and the iPads and stuff like that," he said.

Mal Geary said from a certain age children are more interested in using electronics than playing with toys. ( Flickr: flickingerbrad )

"It tends to be younger children now, once they get to about five or six they don't want toys, they want electronics.

"You're okay up until about then, especially with ABC TV character toys based on shows like In the Night Garden, but once they get over that they tend to not want it."

Meanwhile, it was confirmed in June this year that 44 Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us stores around Australia would be shut down.

IBISWorld industry analysts said the company's failure could be blamed on "intense internal and external competition" and the movement of consumers online to discount department stores.

Favourite toys through the years

Mr Geary said trends and toys had come and gone over the years, but some had remained popular.

"Yo-yos [and] fidget spinners were among the biggest, Cabbage Patch dolls are still popular, toy prams for girls and Tonka trucks are still popular with boys.

"Lego [and] Star Wars remains very popular, and years ago Furby toys were very popular," he said.

Mal Geary said toy cars had remained popular through the years. ( ABC News: Emma Siossian )

Mr Geary said his daughter Sally had stepped in and helped him run the shop after his wife Trish passed away 10 years ago, and it would be hard to see the business close.

"Sally stopped here and helped me and I certainly couldn't have survived without her, she's been a blessing," he said.