A toy shop owner in Los Angeles is worried playtime could be over for his business as the uncertainty brought by the Trump administration's tariff measures continues to disrupt supply chains and risks scaring away customers with higher prices. Like many small U.S. businesses operators, Louis Calderon, who has been running Big Lou's Toys and Collectibles in Los Angeles for over 30 years, has been anxiously watching news reports as he looks for the latest updates about the unpredictable tariff situation. Calderon said he has been carefully managing his overall purchases and doing all he can to pass down only the bare minimum of the cost increases to customers as he tries to protect his business from the uncertainty. "All my distributors already told me that everything is going to go up in price. So, I have to be smart [about] what I buy and what I don't buy. I try to carry everything, but with tariffs going up - I try to be the lowest price possible, but I'm going to have to raise my prices, which is a bummer," he said. Despite Calderon's best efforts, the reality is that price-sensitive customers are having to cut their overall spending, meaning it becomes increasingly unviable to splash the cash on non-essential items like toys. "You know, the wages are not that high up here. It will be a little hiccup, yeah, it'll be a little hard because prices, they're already high," said Stephen Perez, a customer. Though he has come through economic hardships in the past, Calderon said the current tariff turmoil has him worrying about the worst case scenario. He said the potential closure of his toy store means not only losing his source of income but will also destroy the long-standing connection he has established with loyal customers over the past three decades. "I think that's the one thing that I'm worried about if we ever do close because of this, which hopefully won't happen -- I'm going to miss the interaction with people and how they come in here and they see their childhood. Honestly, that's what I'm going to miss the most," said Calderon. For local customers who were raised up in the nearby community and have been fans of Calderon's store since their own childhoods, imagining the shop no longer being there is an unbearable thought. "This is the local one that I always came to as a kid, and that it's still open means a lot to me because you could always buy toys on Amazon and stuff like that. But finding vintage toys and stuff that you can't find on the Internet, this is one of the best places you can come to," said Perez. SHOTLIST: Los Angeles, USA - May 12, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Various of Louis Calderon, toy shop owner, watching news on U.S. tariffs 2. Interior of Calderon's toy shop 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Calderon, owner, Big Lou's Toys and Collectibles (starting with shot 2): "All my distributors already told me that everything is going to go up in price. So, I have to be smart [about] what I buy and what I don't buy. I try to carry everything, but with tariffs going up - I try to be the lowest price possible, but I'm going to have to raise my prices, which is a bummer." 4. Customer shopping for toys 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen Perez, customer: "You know, the wages are not that high up here. It will be a little hiccup, yeah, it'll be a little hard because prices, they're already high." 6. Various of toys for sale 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Calderon, owner, Big Lou's Toys and Collectibles (starting with shot 6): "I think that's the one thing that I'm worried about if we ever do close because of this, which hopefully won't happen -- I'm going to miss the interaction with people and how they come in here and they see their childhood. Honestly, that's what I'm going to miss the most." 8. Various of Calderon in store 9. Various of customers paying for toy 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen Perez, customer: "This is the local one that I always came to as a kid, and that it's still open means a lot to me because you could always buy toys on Amazon and stuff like that. But finding vintage toys and stuff that you can't find on the Internet, this is one of the best places you can come to." 11. Various of Calderon's toy store [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]