Mego Retailers: Where Did You Buy Your Toys?

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Where did you and your family buy Mego toys?I’m working on a new project, and I need your help.I want to document every retailer, large or small, that sold Mego action figures during the 1970s and early 1980s. I already started a Blog series documenting cool Mego price stickers, and now I’m asking from contributions [...]

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[Brown Bear]

Bought most of mine at Kresges

[megoscott]

TG& Y, Gibsons, KMart, Sears mail order, Montgomery Wards, Toys By Roy

[toys2cool]

Well I found some at McCrory's? I think it was called that,it was like a woolworths type of place and a local store here called Villa Clara

[Wee67]

Kiddie City (I think they were later bought by Lionel), Sears and Two Guys.





BTW, Ben, I cannot leave comments at your site, It says there is a "wee67" registered, but it does not recognize password AND it says it does not recognize my email address to get my lost password. I had the same issue when the site was originally put up. I do, however, realize why you want me not to leave comments. I know I wouldn't want me to comment

[cjefferys]

I got most of mine from Zellers (Canadian department store that is still in existance. Getting clobbered by Walmart though, of course). Another store I got a lot from was Rosberg's, a local department store in downtown Niagara Falls, ON. They always had a awesome toy section with great selection. Other than that, I got some from K-mart (both in the US and Canada) and a couple at Child's World in Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY, including the last Mego I ever saw at retail (a carded Hulk I bought around 1989-90).

[Earth 2 Chris]

Mostly Ben Franklin's, and possibly Howard's, although I don't recall getting Megos there, I did get many other toys there. My Mom ordered some from Sears. We only had a catalog store here in town.

Chris

[mitchedwards]

Woolworth
Murpheys 5 and dime
K-Mart
Mail order Penny's, Wards and Sears

[WannabeMego]

Play World or Child World...or both...Maybe Berto can clear it up...

...and Korvettes I believe

[Bionic Joe]

Grants City
J.M. Fields
Two-Guys
Kiddie City
Sears [ christmas wish book]
K-Mart

[batmanmc]

child world and kmart. also the seras cataloug. mike

[imp]

These are just fantastic responses. I have added a ton of retailers I was missing. Thanks to everyone who has already posted.

Can those of you listed below (who already posted) please answer the following questions RE: some of the stores you mentioned?

1) What kind of store was it (department store, pharmacy, etc.)?

2) Where were they located?

3) Any personal and/or Mego memories about this store?

4) Do you have any images or ephemera (price stickers, catalogs, storefronts, etc.)?

MegoScott:
Gibsons and Toys By Roy

toys2cool:
McCrory's and Villa Clara

cfjefferys:
Zellers (also: is it exclusive to Candada?)

mitchedwards:
What do you remember about Murpheys 5 and dime? I understand they were also known as "G.C. Murphy"

starbuk:
Value Village, Models, Gee Lumber, Topps

spockfan74:
Grants City, J.M. Fields

Keep 'em coming, and thanks guys!

Benjamin

[palitoy]

Woolco- Department Store- Whitby, ON- I was babysat in my grandparents store next to Woolco most Saturdays while my parents worked. My sister and I would just wander the toy department for hours, she claimed to see a Tarzan and described it to a t, i never did. I have several items with Woolco Price Tags.

Pinnochio's Toys- CDN Chain- Midtown Mall, Oshawa, ON- My dad's friend Hans ran this chain, they would go to toyfair together. He had an amazing assortment of mego, OZ, Heroes, Legends, Robin Hood, Apes, I saw them all there. I got my super softie Spider-Man there in 1975. Hans gave me the lead that got me to the warehouse find in the 80's.

Dominion PlayWord- CDN Mall Chain- Oshawa Center/Scarborough Town Center- This is the place I chickened out on a Supergirl, where I got my Star Trek crew, where I stupidly chose Donny Osmond over Human Torch and where I bought my last childhood Mego, a Myx. The stores were revoltingly orange, I miss them.

Shoppers Drug Mart-Pharmacy chain- Whitby ON- Got all my Comic Action Heroes here, still have WW play set with their sticker on it.

Eatons- Department Store- Oshawa Center- I don't know how many Mego I got from here, but i remember a Talos hung on their shelves for years.

Hudsons Bay- Department Store Chain- Oshawa Center- When they opened in 1978, the had a display box of original WGSH in their boxes, I wept. (no fooling, I cried and took home an Iron man)

[imp]

Brian, WOW. What a great post.

You've just taken my project in a brand new direction. Thank you!

PLEASE send me scans/pics of the price tags you mentioned. Close-ups of the sticker is fine, but please be sure to let me know what toy the sticker is affixed to.

Can't wait to see them!

-b

[cjefferys]

.

Can those of you listed below (who already posted) please answer the following questions RE: some of the stores you mentioned?

1) What kind of store was it (department store, pharmacy, etc.)?

2) Where were they located?

3) Any personal and/or Mego memories about this store?

4) Do you have any images or ephemera (price stickers, catalogs, storefronts, etc.)?

cfjefferys:
Zellers (also: is it exclusive to Canada?)

Zellers is a department store that has locations across Canada (but less than they used to due to Walmart, and I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually go out of business). They are exclusive to Canada, and currently owned by the Hudson's Bay Company, but I don't think that was the case when I was a kid. I bought Megos at 2 of their locations, one in Niagara Falls, ON (that specific store is now closed) and one in Fort Erie, ON (still open, but struggling).

It was at the Niagara Falls Zellers where I first saw Megos, and where my mother bought my very first one (RC Batman). That was also the store where I first saw the KISS dolls. It was at the Fort Erie Zellers where I first saw the Star Trek figures (I bought a Kirk), the Robin Hood figures (I bought Robin) and the Knights. Although the floor plan is different, I can still walk into that store today and remember EXACTLY where I saw the above figures. Sadly I have no images, stickers or anything, but I could always snap a pic of the storefront as it is today.


Another store I remember seeing Megos at was Towers, which was another national department store chain in Canada (eventually bought out by Zellers actually!) . I visited the Niagara Falls, ON location and although I don't remember buying Megos specifically there, I do remember getting other toys there, like the Big Jim Dr. Steel.

When K-mart started opening stores in Canada in the mid to late 70's (?), we had one in Niagara Falls, and of course I saw Megos there too. I specifically remember drooling over an endcap of POTA figures that were on sale for $1.99 each.

My fondest memories are toy shopping at Rosberg's in Niagara Falls though. (not a chain, just a local dept store). It was there that I first saw the WGSH wave that included the Fantastic Four. They were my favourites, and I lost it when I saw them for sale. I grabbed Mr. F and the Thing. This was the store where I also first saw the Pirates (I bought Long John Silver).

Hope my rambling memories are of some use to you, Benjamin.