New Article: Mego Retailers!

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Today, we gather the collective knowledge of Mego Museum members, who contributed their memories in an effort to catalog every retailer that sold Mego toys back in the day! Sadly, most of these stores are long-gone, but that’s partially what makes visiting the past so much fun… it’s the only way we can go back [...]

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[ScottA]

I'm sorry but that has to be the coolest list ever.

[megoscott]

Yeah, that's very cool...Wow, maybe one day you'll have price stickers of all of them.

[Sideshow Spock]

This is awesome. I live in central NYS, and we also had a Grants downtown. Closed in the early to mid 80s I believe. Also had a Nichols, which closed around 1993.

A quick correction.. the last year for Ames stores was 2002, not 1992.

[imp]

A quick correction.. the last year for Ames stores was 2002, not 1992.

FIXED. Thanks for catching that!

-b

[The Toyroom]

Some additional info:

- "Big N" may have had ties to "Neisner's". Some Neisner's in Central NY were sold to McCrory's.

- "Grand Way" had ties to Grand Union, a grocery chain. Apparently, there were other Grand Way stores in New York as well as New Jersey.

- "Jupiter" (a Kresge store) is missing from the chart. Pic of logo circa 60s: http://bp3.blogger.com/_Ei2Ik5quiI0/...ter%2B1961.jpg

- "Nichols" was actually S.E. Nichols, Inc. At one time, they had stores in NY,VA,MD,PA,WV,OH and NC and numbered about 43 stores. By 1991, they were down to 14 and filed Chapter 11 after their conversion to "Pharmhouse" stores ran out of cash.
The Pharmhouse chain was eventually sold to Pharm-Mor.

- "Star's": There was also another located in Utica, NY.

[jwyblejr]

Wasn't there a Nichols in Marcy? I remember the one in Oneonta. They went in where Barker's was. That one opened around 1984. Was there until the chain went under. All of Pyramid Mall in Oneonta went out shortly there after. Became an indoor flea market for awhile,then I think Fox Hospital took over. Have to double check when I visit my grandmother in Mount Vision in the fall.

[The Toyroom]

There were Nichols stores in Marcy, New Hartford, and Herkimer that I'm aware of and perhaps Watertown, as far as Central NY goes.

[AcroRay]

I believe Gee Bee's eventually became Ames. At least, the Gee Bees store in my home area of South Western Pennsylvania eventually were converted into Ames stores, in the mid-1980s, if I recall correctly.

I'd also add the Fisher's Big Wheel department store chain to the list, which were similar to Hills & K-Mart. I purchased two TV Trek Uhura figures and a large plush STTMP Kirk doll at the Fisher's in Waynesburg, PA in 1982, which I later sold at a Creation convention in '83. They had some WGSH on the pegs as well, but I wasn't into those.

Lastly, I'll add the "Health Mart" chain of drug & general product stores, largely centered in South Western Pennsylvania up until the late 1980s. When I was little I got all manner of toys there, from AMT Trek kits to Mattel Godzilla's Gang & Shogun Warriors. They also carried various Mego products. (There's one old location undergoing some renovation near me and I believe their faded old sign was just exposed when some facing was removed. I'll drop by & try to get a shot of it this weekend if its still there.)

[beartex2000]

In the Fort Worth area back in the 70s and 80s we got out Megos at Motts 5 and dime, A great little store that is now long gone.....

[woodyk8]

In Colorado we had a store called Woolco it was similar to the wal-mart. We used to get ICEES there. Now 7-11 sells the drink. I purchased Conan and Thor there. And my silver trans am

[Wee67]

Didn't Woolco have a relationbship with Woolworth's?

BTW, Benjamin, your focus is, as always, quite impressive. A pretty cool list. I really enjoyed looking down the list. Aside from the stores I had mentioned, some others really brought back some waves of nostalgia.

[vulcan2074]

I've got a MIB Batgirl with a price sticker that doesn't belong to any of the stores on the list. The Price sticker says [W] Wakers $1.20. I also have another MIB Batgirl that has a Price sticker that says Toy Castle with a written price. I Love this list. It's very intricate.
V~2074


$1.20 Now thats a Bargain, LOL.

[txteach]

Very impressive!

[vulcan2074]

Thank You.