For 13 years, Car Toys has been Tulsa's leading provider of high-end mobile electronics. We built our business off a reputation for quality goods, professional installation, and excellent customer service. Our president, Rob Rice, opened his first car-audio shop in 1983. It's due to Rice's hard-earned business savvy that Car Toys has become what it is today.

So, without further ado, here's a word from our president:

Hello, my name is Rob Rice.  I am the Owner and President of R & B Sound Incorporated, doing business as Car Toys in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I would like to start things off with a big "Thank You," because if you are reading this, I know you're on the Car Toys web site.  Again, thank you very much and please enjoy your stay.
 
I'd like to tell you about the history of Car Toys, and how it became what it is today, a leader in 12-volt electronics sales and installation.

Car Toys had very humble beginnings.  In 1983, a friend of mine and I wanted to be our own bosses and have our own car audio store.  We felt that, at the least, we could make enough money to pay our rent and bills -- plus, we could have a great time at work doing what we loved to do the most, listen to music.  We found out that a local car audio store was either going to be closed or liquidated.  We saw an opportunity and were able to act on it.  We purchased Discount Sound for the cost of existing inventory and equipment -- a whopping $16,000.00.  It seemed like a ton of money back then, but we were willing to put everything we owned on the line for the chance to realize our dream.

In 1983, eight track players were still popular and there was this new music format coming out called a cassette.  Amplifiers as we know them today were called "boosters," and the best speakers available were a 6x9" coax made by Jensen.  Security systems were hardly talked about and the security systems that were available were turned off and on with a key-switch mounted on a front fender.

Over the following years there have been ups and downs. Learning how to operate a business in a profitable way is easier said than done. We learned through on-the-job training, and attended the School of Hard Knocks.  It was probably the best way to learn about car electronics, but perhaps the hardest way to learn proper business practices. I learned that it is extremely important to offer exceptional service to your customer. If top-notch service is the norm, then customers will come back and buy more, and they will tell their friends about your great customer service. We continue to be as committed to service today as we were in 1983.
 
Today's technology in the 12-volt market is incredible.  I never would have thought that we'd be using satellites to listen to commercial-free music, as with the XM Satellite Radio product.  It would have been hard in 1983 to make me believe I could have an actual computer in the car.  Video for your car was unheard of. Digital technology hadn't even been considered for the automotive environment.  I am in awe of the technology that is available to us today.  However, I still believe that you need to couple the technology with outstanding customer service in order to have a successful business.
 
I hope you enjoy your visit on our website. More importantly, I hope you'll visit one of our stores, and experience first-hand our exceptional service and our expertise with today's technology.
 
Sincerely,
 

Rob Rice
Owner/President R & B Sound dba Car Toys