Toys "R" Us Nostalgia!

[imp]

I went to see about a Creative Director gig in Van Nuys, CA today. Afterward, I popped into a nearby Toys "R" Us to see if they had any EMCE/Mattel Heroes.

The store was strange and powerful, because it was such a blast of nostalgia... to TRUs of my childhood in MI. And yet, I couldn't explain why. My first thought inside was, "My God, I feel like there might be an end-cap display of old Mego figures here!"

I decided to ask the manager how old the store was. When she told me it was the FIRST TRU EVER on the West Coast, I was pleased. When she said it was one of the only stores NEVER to be remodeled, I felt vindicated. The store layout, it turns out, truly hearkens back to my childhood, and I somehow instantly recognized it.

I asked if I could take a picture from the front of the store, to share with you guys, but she politely declined my request. Such a cool, visceral experience. I'm still tingly with the buzz of a nostalgic high.

-b

[toys2cool]

man that's awesome!! I miss the old look

[TrueDave]

I remeber the fun of getting chased out for playing in the isles back then.

[Sideshow Spock]

The two stores in my area of upstate NY (one of which is now closed) also were never remodeled. They were among the last on the list to be updated, but before they could be started TRU realized the new floor plan was a farce, and they dropped the concept.

I thought I read a year or so ago that all the remodeled stores were now going back to the old look...

[mazinz]

I went to see about a Creative Director gig in Van Nuys, CA today. Afterward, I popped into a nearby Toys "R" Us to see if they had any EMCE/Mattel Heroes.

The store was strange and powerful, because it was such a blast of nostalgia... to TRUs of my childhood in MI. And yet, I couldn't explain why. My first thought inside was, "My God, I feel like there might be an end-cap display of old Mego figures here!"

I decided to ask the manager how old the store was. When she told me it was the FIRST TRU EVER on the West Coast, I was pleased. When she said it was one of the only stores NEVER to be remodeled, I felt vindicated. The store layout, it turns out, truly hearkens back to my childhood, and I somehow instantly recognized it.

I asked if I could take a picture from the front of the store, to share with you guys, but she politely declined my request. Such a cool, visceral experience. I'm still tingly with the buzz of a nostalgic high.

-b

you should go in another day and steal a pic anyway!

[soldierape]

Here's a 1970's Toys R Us TV Christmas commerical....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt-TE6JYC2s

[Earth 2 Chris]

That's awesome Ben. Odd that she wouldn't allow a picture.

Back around 97 or so, my wife and I discovered a TRU in Huntington, WV that was very old school. To go along with it's old-school look, she actually found a pair of 1984 Super Powers Wonder Woman sunglasses!!! I seriously checked every aisle in that store for Megos, AHIs, Super Powers, anything!

Chris

[The Toyroom]

Our TRU now is more Babies R Us than TRU....

[HardyGirl]

Here's a 1970's Toys R Us TV Christmas commerical....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt-TE6JYC2s

I have always loved that commercial!!

I never went to any TRU stores back in the day, b/c 1) there weren't any in the NYC area (they were in the burbs), and 2) my mom knew better than to take a little girl w/ the galloping gimmies to a big toy store like that!

[megoscott]

Doesn't make any sense. You are free to take a picture of the outside of any building.


01-06-08_0736 Toys R Us Van Nuys on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

You should go back, these pictures are lame.

We had TRU commercials on the LA cable stations when I was growing up in New Mexico. It was like being shown a commercial for Shangri-La, a legendary magical place I could never visit.

[rchatlin]

Benjamin,
that's the Toys R Us where I first saw the Retro Action heroes!

r
o
b

[toys2cool]

Here's a 1970's Toys R Us TV Christmas commerical....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt-TE6JYC2s

I watch all the old toys r us commercials at least once a year, great stuff and memories

[toys2cool]

Doesn't make any sense. You are free to take a picture of the outside of any building.

http://images1.citysearch.net/assets/imgdb/3e/24/7e/c3/49/77/67/f8/fb/2/a6/3e/68/9/7d/76/7/7/5/9/7157759.JPG

01-06-08_0736 Toys R Us Van Nuys on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

You should go back, these pictures are lame.

We had TRU commercials on the LA cable stations when I was growing up in New Mexico. It was like being shown a commercial for Shangri-La, a legendary magical place I could never visit.

I agree, Although i thin he meant from the front of the store inside where you could see all the isles

[ODBJBG]

I visited a TRU a few months back that had the exact same layout as when I was a kid. Granted, this was more like the 1980's layout, than some of you old farts remember, haha, but it was pretty cool.

I made a video and took a bunch of pics. Check it out: Infinite Hollywood: Thanksgiving and the Toys R Us That Time Forgot

[Trappy Trek Freak]

We had the commercials when I was a kid in WV but we didn't get one until the late 80s when I was in Jr. High. We had Children's palace, it was kinda like a castle and they had megos there!!! When ToysRus came into play they took the Chilren's palace out and its a michael's craft store now I remember going to TRU in NC before that time period in the early 80s and it looked like the one in the picture above. I remember megos in Kmart, sears, diamond, house of toys, and well's auto. It was an auto parts store with a kick butt toy dept.