Is there anything that can fill you with childlike Christmassy wonder more than stepping into a classic board game shop? Family-run Hoyle's is the place to go to pick up games, whether a vintage chess set as someone's special present, or a jigsaw for the family to piece together on Boxing Day. We chatted to owner Phillip Scaysbrook and his daughter Emily, who runs the digital side of the business.
Tell us about what you sell
Emily: We sell games, jigsaws and puzzles! We've over 3000 lines in-store, ranging from traditional games like chess, backgammon, mah jong and go, to modern classics like Monopoly and Scrabble, Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne, plus newcomers like Exploding Kittens, What Do You Meme, and Ru Paul's Drag Race Card Game... We have a huge range of playing cards, and specialise in ornamental chess sets. We have an extensive range of vintage items too. Our most recent (and most unique!) find is this huge bespoke horse racing game from around 1870.
How long have you been going?
Emily: We've been on the High in Oxford since 1997. We moved one door down in July 2013 to 71 High Street, where we are now.
What motivated you to start a business?
Phil: We had been making ornamental chess sets in Banbury for many years, and had opened a small shop beneath the studio where the chess sets were made. This was quite successful, and prompted me to open a bigger shop in Oxford. While the manufacturing side fell away due to Chinese competition, the shop in Oxford went from strength to strength.
What do you like best about being based In Oxford?
Phil: I like the history of Oxford, the architecture and the cosmopolitan nature of the populace. It's great for small businesses because of the three-way split between tourists, locals and students.
What’s the most challenging thing about running a small business?
Phil: The biggest challenge is having to be an expert at everything, as you can't afford to have specialist staff - so I am a buyer, a seller, an HR person, window dresser, cleaner, stock control person, tax expert, accounts clerk, and so on.
What's the most interesting little-known fact about what you do?
Phil: We sell over three hundred different chess lines, and two hundred different playing cards!
What's the funniest thing that's happened in the shop?
Phil: The woman who invented Jenga came in to see if it was still a good seller. It is!!
What’s your favourite product?
Phil: Mine is a vintage item: Escalado, a mechanical horse racing game where you crank a handle, the track vibrates and the metal horses race towards a finish line. We sell lots of them each year to people aged 90 down to 35 years old. Some time ago, we purchased the last stock of 'spare' horses from the Chad Valley toy factory, and we regularly sell them to collectors whose original horses have suffered broken legs and missing tails!
Emily: For my part, it's the ornamental painted Alice in Wonderland chess set! I've loved it ever since I was little - it's so quintessentially Oxford, and the rabbit pawns are adorable - although it's followed closely by some of the antique chess sets in the St George's style, which are absolutely stunning.
Is there anything else you’d like to highlight?
Emily: For the first time, we're turning a number of our antique and modern chess pieces (some as old as 1780) into Christmas tree decorations, as we start to look more into upcycling. We're selling these in the shop and online, starting at just £3.
Welcome to Daily Info’s 2023 Advent Calendar – 24 days of festive tips, free activities & local shopping suggestions!
This year's calendar offers a mix of Christmas suggestions, taking in traditions in Oxford and the wider area, and free activities & events in the build up to the big day.
