Mrs Hintz said her husband Deryck had been the driving force behind the toy store where she had worked alongside him for many years.
She said she had her fingers crossed the building would sell.
Bayleys Rotorua salesman Mark Rendell said Rotorua had seen a marked change in shopping habits over the past decade.
"As consumer habits and shopping choices have evolved, Rotorua, like all provincial cities around New Zealand, has seen the bigger box retailers and home store chains move out to the city fringes where larger warehouse-style floor plates are available at cheaper leasing rates," Mr Rendell said.
"Meanwhile, city centres have seen a consolidation of specialist and boutique shops ... the type usually directly operated by the owner, who has a specialist product knowledge of the goods or services they are selling.
"That was certainly the case with Martin's Toyworld. Deryck Hintz was well known in the community for his passion of toys, games, and puzzles. In fact, the shop's longevity was getting to the stage where customers who had been bought toys from there as children were now returning back to buy toys for their children.
"Martin's Toyworld certainly created a legacy, but as is sadly the way with such stores, that legacy often ends when the owner is no longer involved with the business."
