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Lexi's Toy Box, located at 328 S. Ashley St. in Ann Arbor will close soon. Store owner Crystal Metzger said she is closing the store so she can enjoy retirement with her husband.

(Matt Durr | The Ann Arbor News)

Over the last seven years, Crystal Metzger has seen her customer base grow both figuratively and literally.

As the owner of Lexi's Toy Box, at 328 S. Ashley St. in Ann Arbor, Metzger said she has customers who shop at her store who've been visiting since before they could walk.

But just as children eventually grow up and leave the nest, the time has come for Metzger to close the toy store and enjoy retirement.

"I just thought it would be a nice time to be free," Metzger said. "I've loved doing this. It's been a fun, rewarding experience. I've met so many fantastic customers."

Metzger said her husband recently retired and, after giving it much thought, she's decided to join him.

"If my husband was still working, I wouldn't be closing the store," Metzger said. "This store is my baby. But I'm not going to go away for a month and leave my baby."

Metzger opened the toy store in October 2007 - the store is named after her daughter Lexi - with the focus of selling children's toys that aren't focused on electronics sounds. The idea was to encourage children to use their imaginations.

"She took a lot of her expertise in child development, and that influenced what was selected for the store," said Sigrid Wittke, who builds the displays for Lexi's Toy Box.

As a former psychologist, Metzger had plenty of experience in working with children and their development. Metzger said the toys are brought in from all around the world, with wooden German toys being amongst her most popular items.

To help clear out the inventory, Lexi's will be having a sale on June 12 and 13, with most toys reduced by 50 percent. Fixtures and equipment in the store also will be for sale. No closing date has been finalized, but Metzger said once the store is mostly cleared out she will close the doors for good.

While she isn't exactly sure what she will do with the store once it's closed, she said there are no plans to rent the space to anyone else right now. The upstairs of the 1,100 square foot property is currently rented by another business that will remain in the space.

The property has been in her family for nearly 70 years, and Metzger said she plans on keeping it despite the recent purchase of neighboring properties by Reza Rahmani.

As the final days approach, Metzger said she was grateful for all the customers she's had over the years and for the hard work of her employees.

"We've had a lot of great people in here," Metzger said. "It's been fun."

Matt Durr is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.