After Build-A-Bear, Build-A-Toy-Car

The founder of the stuff-and-outfit your own plush animal phenomenon known as Build-A-Bear Workshop has teamed up with Larry Andreini, 44, an entrepreneur from Fairfax, Va., to back a concept called Ridemakerz, a make-and-outfit your own toy car business, according to the New York Times.

The first Ridemakerz store is scheduled to open Friday at an entertainment and retail complex in Myrtle Beach, S.C., followed in July by an outpost at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

Customers select a chassis type (street or monster); body styles (stock or custom, a Ridemakerz brand hot rod, a Ford Mustang GT or Dodge Ram pickup, to name a few options); paint schemes; sound effects (for example, sirens or race sounds) and style of locomotion (free wheel or radio control).

After the 10- to 12-inch cars are assembled, there are ample customizing and accessorizing options: tire treads, grille guards, side pipes, snowboard racks and decals. Andreini estimates that a fully tricked-out vehicle will run about $75, including $25 for radio control. For the budget-minded, there’s a stock tuner car for $12.

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