Andy and Kathy Bultman were elementary school teachers in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1980 when their only daughter, Sara, was about to celebrate her first Christmas.

Kathy wanted to give Sara a wooden rocking horse and searched high-and-low to find the perfect one. She couldn’t find what she wanted. So, Andy made it.

Before the internet, word spread of Sara’s wooden rocking horse and Andy’s wood-working skills. People started to place orders and the Rocking Horse Toy Company was born.

Since they opened their first store in Glen Arbor in 1981, the Bultmans and their devoted staff have brought toys to Northern Michigan. Today, the store is what is known as an independently owned, specialty toy store.

With locations in downtown Petoskey and on Main Street in Harbor Springs, the Rocking Horse Toy Company has one of the largest selections of Playmobil, Bruder trucks, Brio trains, Breyer horses, Ravensburger puzzles, crafts, board games, stuffed animals, outdoor toys, and Lego in Northern Michigan.