FAO’s website lacks all of the magical charm of the FAO store. It’s worth bearing in mind that the

Designed and organized for the busy adult shopper, the site is neatly organized into major categories for easy browsing, such as Stuffed Animals, Dolls & Collectible Dolls, Dress Up & Accessories, and Arts & Crafts. Shoppers can also browse by age and gender to view FAO recommended items, although the recommended items appear in a random order and it took a couple of turns on the site to realize that recommendations went beyond four pages of items to review.

Since FAO has never exactly been known for price economy nor mass-marketed toy brands, it’s not a huge surprise that there are no features to navigate by price nor by brands (such as on eToys or Target.com). In fact since restructuring the company over the last year plus, the retailer no longer carries brands carried by other discount toy sellers. However to assist the busy buyer (and add to the upscale retailer’s cachet), personal shoppers are advertised on the site.

On the plus side, FAO.com offers a similar mix of distinctive toys and items for babies to teens as its theme-park like retail stores. It leaves the Fisher Prices and Little Tikes of the world to the mainstream e-tailers such as Toysrus.com (a co-branded venture with Amazon.com), eToys and others.

Additionally unique to FAO.com are the vintage toys and luxury gifts on offer at no other toy site or store. Exuberant gift givers can give little Tommy or Tamara an aviation-quality motion simulator (similar to the ones in the FAO stores) for a mere $ 300,000. Replica Wurlitzer Jukeboxes from the 1940s and 50s are just $ 10,000 and a custom Victorian-inspired playhouse with nicer amenities than the average American home is available for $ 30,000. The playhouse comes with the services of a professional children’s interior designer as well. Luxury ride-on vehicles such as by Mercedes, Hummer and Porsche are also available.

There are a few offerings on the site that are uniquely for the adult (collector) versus the child. After all what seven-year old cares if his Etch-A-Sketch or Mickey Mouse Pez candy dispenser is made of Swarovski crystals? And what 16-year old really wants to say that her new lime green Vespa scooter is actually from a toy store? On the vintage side, not too many kids today even know who Popeye (particularly circa 1936) is.

Despite its 150-year legacy, FAO Schwarz has seen its share of business woes over the last couple of years. At the end of 2003, FAO Schwarz was forced into bankruptcy for the second time that year, reportedly due to increased competition from large discount stores. D.E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios LLC bought FAO Schwarz's Manhattan and Las Vegas stores for $ 41 million months after FAO declared bankruptcy. In December 2004, the Manhattan store was completely re-designed from the floor up and re-opened to the public. Toy Acquisition Corp. owner of eToys is also a subsidiary of D.E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios LLC.