Toys'R'Us :-(

[Iron Mego]

I guess I could've snapped a few pics on my phone when we went on Sunday, but the place was an absolute mess.

[PNGwynne]

Didn't realize you were from Akron. I'd throw in Uncle Bills on the northeast Ohio list. That's the only place that I ever saw just about every Mego at. It was unreal because by that time you only saw the big 4 anymore and this store had almost every one. I got Thor, but really desperately wanted Joker, as well.

And, yes, I wish I had pictures of all of those.

I've never heard of that retailer. Selection sounds great, though. I'm a little southwest of Akron, I grew up with stores like Conley's, Big Wheel, Mr. Wiggs (that was a good one) and Nichol's (which was like a Wal-Mart back in the day).

[Hector]

Bye R Us...

[Sideshow Spock]

Our mall, Rolling Acres, had Rizzi's and Kay-Bee inside, as well seasonal toys at the anchor stores.

Ever watch this? I love these dead mall videos..

[Obibob]

Wow, that video of Rolling Acres Mall really hurts. I'm originally from Cuyahoga Falls (moved to Dallas decades ago) and used to go to Rolling Acres Mall all the time. I remember seeing Escape from New York at the mall cinema on opening night, now it looks like a set from the Walking Dead...sigh

The TRU across the street (on Romig Road) was always good for toy hunting. I remember finding the only 2 McFarland (Spawn) Malebolgias that I ever saw at retail there and I turned a Toy Biz Invisible Woman and Captain Picard (from the Tapestry episode) figure at the same store - do any of you recall that fiasco? Anyway, lots of memories from that neck of the woods. Someone else mentioned Uncle Bill's and Gold Circle - both were great stores. How about Hills and a bit further back in time, Clarkins? That's where I got my first Mego Aquaman! Good times for sure...almost forgot about Zayre's...I picked up the Star Trek Alien Megos there.

[EMCE Hammer]

There's an old Gold Circle a couple minutes away from my office that's a Kohls now. Looks exactly the same on the outside. Many of my childhood Megos came from there and Kmart.

[PNGwynne]

That video (much appreciated), sad and surreal as it is, is also bittersweet. I could recall so many stores, holiday shopping, and good times as I watched it. I was there when it opened (saw a Mego Falcon at Kay-Bee) and shopped there until it closed.

[MRP]

According the the BBC, all 100 Toys R Us stores in the UK are closing because a buyer failed to emerge. They will all close within the next 6 weeks. Nothing on how this affects US stores though.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43401674

-M

[jimbutsu]

They're run separately, so it shouldn't have much of any impact - even though from a practical standpoint it might because buyers or bailouts might get even harder to come by here) -- I thought it was funny that the official word on the UK stores all shutting down (much like here in the US, it started with them announcing *some* closures, but obviously that didn't work out) came out as we are basically waiting for the same confirmation from the US, who are in the same situation... just to make it even more confusing than it already is.

I was really sad to hear that all the UK stores were closed down. The only one I'd ever been to there was Milton Keynes, and I thought it was really nice. It was supposed to be one of the locations that survived the initial closures, too...

[Werewolf]

MGA is trying to rally fellow toymakers in a last ditch attempt to save Toys R Us.

MGA CEO Isaac Larian "If there is no Toys “R” Us, I don’t think there is a toy business,”

https://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=1&itemid=30771

[cockyhoskins]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2018/03/14/toys-r-us-to-close-all-800-of-its-u-s-stores/?utm_term=.87831dfcd78b

[emeraldknight47]

Sounds like the fat lady has sung as far as Toys R Us is concerned. Sad news, but I never found their stores as inviting as Lionel Playworlds or Children's Palace. All of their stores in the Louisville area are always understaffed, over-priced (way) and more disorganized than a local goodwill shop.

[hedrap]

Might as well just start a "This Is The End" thread to cover everything fading away...

[EmergencyIan]

Yeah, I see the news is even crawling across the CNN ticker. Too bad.

I’m from a city called Evansville. We didn’t get Toys R Us until the latter part of the mid 1980s. So, it was almost too late for me to enjoy. I got the most out of Children’s Palace, which arrived at the beginning of the 1980s. In 1979, we got Kay Bee Toys, at the new mall. Prior to that, we had a couple of locally owned smaller toy stores (Kay Bee sized).

- Ian

[powersthatbe]

same,TRUs didn't show up in Pittsburgh until the 80s,always had children's palace.I was unaware they had been around for 70 years.It really is a shame kids won't be able to go to and enjoy a big box retail now:( I have three by me within 20 miles.now I just got target,walmart,walgreens,the local comic shop and game stop if I want to buy figures(plus bigbadtoystore online).And I wonder how much of a boom online retailers will get from this?and if TRU will be selling online for a while(there are still exclusive marvel legends I hope to get)