Owner of Timberworks Toy Store, Chris Heston is stocking up in hopes of big Christmas sales.

However, competition just got tough in toy store land. Wal-Mart announced Monday it's slashing toy prices across the nation. Christmas present standards such as Barbie dolls and G.I. Joes are now 30 percent cheaper. Target stores are matching Wal-Mart's toy price dive.

Heston and his wife Dawn say they're not worried about being undercut by the fierce competition. They said they are aiming for a higher-end market with a unique product.

Heston takes lumber, cuts it down to size and carves it into pieces that fit together. One full set of these giant Lego-like toys costs between $300 and $400. The wood comes from American maple and cherry trees.

"These are heirloom products. If you bought this for your son or daughter, their kids might be playing with it in 30 years," Dawn Heston said.

The idea started just this year, when Chris Heston made a toy for his son, but now he's turning it into a living.

Small mid-Missouri toy stores such as Timberworks or the Butterfly Tattoo in downtown Columbia say the real test of their success in selling unique toys will be Christmas.