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Anyone ever work at a Toy Store?

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  • Spawn67
    Career Member
    • Aug 14, 2009
    • 816

    Anyone ever work at a Toy Store?

    Anyone ever work at a toy store back in the 70's or 80's or even early 90's?
  • luey
    Treasure Hunter
    • Jun 17, 2001
    • 2631

    #2
    I did in the early nineties one Christmas unloading trucks at Toys-R-Us during winter break from College... Racked up on Power Rangers and ToyBiz (mainly Iceman) ... I remember the store manager tossing cases or bumper stickers with Hotwheels logo "My Other Car is a Hotwheel" ... Thousands gone!!
    Greg Mason The Vintage Toy Picker from Knoxville, TN

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    • kingdom warrior
      OH JES!!
      • Jul 21, 2005
      • 12478

      #3
      Yes I worked for Toys R Us and Lionel Kiddie city in the late 80's early 90's both companies sucked and were horrible to work for......but i racked up on the toys.

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      • johnnystorm
        Hot Child in the City
        • Jul 3, 2008
        • 4293

        #4
        I started working at JCPenney the summer Star Wars came out. I actually stocked the shelves with those figures, and sad to say, NEVER bought any of it...i was into comics and scifi but not toys back in high school. I also remember helping set up a Masters of the Universe & Barbie promo. Barbie they just put a wig and pink dress on a young girl frombthe store who volunteered. But He-Man was a full size rubber costume including rubber mask similar to one of those pull ovrr Ben Coopers that they got some kid to wear (not me!). After it was over the kid literally poured water out of the boots- how he nevrr passed out I'll never know. God, I wish I had pictures of that, for years I had a life size Heman standee from it but dold it off. Then was a toy dept manager in the 80s during the Cabbage Patch riots, the Birth of Atari, ET , and the Pogo Ball disasters. The best part then was the company I worked for sold us our choice of toys at cost for Christmas and deducted $5 or $10 out of my paycheck to cover it during the next yewr. Do you know yhe cost on rack toys back then was like $.16 ! My son got the entire set of Ghostbusters stuff the year it was hot, even the tough stuff ... Hey, I was the guy unloaded the trucks!
        The biggest bust I recall was Captain Power, because ghe show aired at like 6:00 AM on Sundays.
        All in all, it was fun back then. Got into other things eventually, but I miss those days a lot. I just wish I'd bought more and saved it, and also kept yhe catslogs and stuff. If we knew then...

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        • thunderbolt
          Hi Ernie!!!
          • Feb 15, 2004
          • 34211

          #5
          TRU in Clearwater late 80's when the first Ninja Turtles figures came out and Robocop.
          You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

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          • Trappy Trek Freak
            House of a thousand Megos
            • Aug 10, 2009
            • 1168

            #6
            When I was 12 to about 14 I worked at K&K Toys in our local mall under the table I did restock and cleaned up, the manager's name was Karen and she paid me in toys it was pretty awesome!!!
            Flickr: Trappy74's Photostream

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            • Trappy Trek Freak
              House of a thousand Megos
              • Aug 10, 2009
              • 1168

              #7
              This was about 86-88 until I got a real job but I liked getting paid in toys much better.
              Flickr: Trappy74's Photostream

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              • GaryPlaysWithDolls
                Mighty Man/Monster Maker
                • Aug 14, 2007
                • 2347

                #8
                I spent a soul- crushing Christmas season at Kay-bee toys. Ungh.

                Mina is the world's first Paranormal Petsitter in the new middle-grade book series by Gary Buettner, MONSTER PETS, coming in FALL 2014 from EMBY KIDS. Spooky adventure that's perfect reading for kids 8-12
                https://www.facebook.com/monsterpetsbooks?ref=hl

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                • kingdom warrior
                  OH JES!!
                  • Jul 21, 2005
                  • 12478

                  #9
                  Originally posted by GaryPlaysWithDolls
                  I spent a soul- crushing Christmas season at Kay-bee toys. Ungh.
                  I had friends who worked there....I had pity for them....lol

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                  • jds1911a1
                    Alan Scott is the best GL
                    • Aug 8, 2007
                    • 3556

                    #10
                    toys r us in college at the height of power ranger mania = mad parents mugginf us for anything power rangers even rack junk

                    Comment

                    • ScottA
                      Original Member
                      • Jun 25, 2001
                      • 12264

                      #11
                      My son is working at TRU right now while in college. He collects Transformers so he gets first dibs when they come in. He's gotten me a couple of the DCUC figures in the past. But nothing exciting lately.
                      sigpic WANTED: Boxed, Carded and Kresge Carded WGSH

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                      • Spyweb007
                        Persistent Member
                        • Apr 18, 2006
                        • 1449

                        #12
                        Spent 17 years working for Toys R Us, most of them running the video game dept. The job wasn't bad, but the company kept getting worse over the years.

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                        • starsky
                          veteran member
                          • Aug 26, 2007
                          • 6207

                          #13
                          Originally posted by jds1911a1
                          toys r us in college at the height of power ranger mania = mad parents mugginf us for anything power rangers even rack junk
                          yeah me too! all the good stuff was always taken to the manager's office. also i remember everyone hunting for spawn malebolgia figures as well!

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                          • VintageMike
                            Permanent Member
                            • Dec 16, 2004
                            • 3385

                            #14
                            Not a toy store per se, but I worked a Ben Franklin from 87-89 in High School which had a pretty big toy department. They still had Star Wars Droids figures in stock (Ugh, could have got those for next to nothing!) and saw plenty of Transformers, GI Joes and LJN wrestlers in my time there.

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                            • LadyZod
                              Superman's Gal Pal
                              • Jan 27, 2007
                              • 1803

                              #15
                              Worked at Toys r Us part time for like a month right out of college during the summer.

                              One day I'm sitting in the break room and this old cashier looks at me and says, "I started working here right out of school too, during the holiday season. Next thing I know, I've been here 20 years."

                              I remember thinking, "Good god, that's going to be me!"

                              I went home, depressed, and I told my dad I couldn't do it. I was also working as a freelance artist, and my dad just said, quit that job if it's horrible. There's alywas something better.

                              A week later I was offered a job at the comic shop I shopped at.
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                              My life through toys: Tales from the Toybox!
                              Check out my art:
                              Art Portfolio@Redbubble
                              Art Portfolio@Tumblr

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