Historical Folk Toys, LLC began in 2004 in the rolling hills and nationally known artist colony of Nashville, Indiana. After being established there for 8 years, along with a bunch of wonderful Midwest Toy Elves, the company moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. The Charlotte Elves are a creative group and we enjoy sharing our varied skills to continue making Historical Folk Toys, LLC a fun and viable business. Together we find magic through the process of designing and producing quality historical products. Our particular line of merchandise provides our Museum and National Park customers with unique items for their gift shops and educational departments.

Owner, Julie Harris, the Head Elf and native Charlottean, was inspired to sew and fashion small craft projects at an early age. Later she began creating dolls and crafts in 1976. Julie’s Bachelor’s degree in music, with experience in performance and composition, truly came in handy during the creation of the music books in our collection. Many of her family members are creative and/or artistic and some have worked alongside her in the business, thus; it sort of runs in the family.

Contemplating any new item for our collection means quite a process. All of our products include history, which is one of the most important features in our packaging. While it does take much dedication to research and design each new item, actually seeing a product from inception to fruition is such a pleasure. Between 2004 and now nearly 50 new items have been introduced and more are on their way.

We truly appreciate our dedicated customers. As we proceed into the future we celebrate our motto: “Explore the past and journey into tomorrow.” It is our hope that those who encounter our products will find a child-like joy experiencing the toys and games of yesteryear and will keep the early American handicraft skills alive by sharing them with others.