POSTIMEES OBSERVATION: Ülle Madise’s grandfather was the king of toys

Oskar Luik, an entrepreneur from Võnnu village in Tartu County, built his career from traveling bookseller to Estonia’s largest toy producer and retailer.

He did not come from a wealthy family, but he had quick intelligence and business sense. Luik established his first “company” at 18, when he began selling books as a traveling merchant.

Within three years, he had saved 800 rubles. In 1910, that was a substantial sum, enough to open a toy and stationery shop at the beginning of Aleksandri Street in Tartu.