Toys "R" Us: Coolest Toy Store Ever?

[megoat]

In 1978 my family moved to Sacramento. I was eight years old and Sacramento had a Toy 'R' Us. All the toy stores I had been to previous were either toy departments of drug stores or department stores or small shops in shopping malls. When I stepped foot into a Toys R Us for the first time I felt like I was at Disneyland. It was HUGE! I vividly remember gigantic Star Wars displays, and I'm pretty sure it was the retail source of my Mego birthday of 1979-- I received about 8 different heroes (including a Thor).....I useta beg my mom just to go and LOOK........

[jwyblejr]

We didn't get a TRU in our area until after Mego had been dead and buried for quite some time....

The one in New Hartford across from Sangertown,right? Where they had a movie theater before TRU came in. I cursed the day they tore down that theater.

[kryptosmaster]

I think the first time I saw a Toys R Us in the Buffalo area was when they bought out Child World (or maybe just took over the Child World locations?), maybe 1989-90?

Not sure about that. I want to say the Child Worlds closed down before TRU came in but I can't recall. I'm pretty sure they built their own new buildings though. I don't remember if any of them were in the same plazas, etc as the Child World stores.
Rich

[supercrazy]

I also remember recollections just like Tom. My parents used to drive us from Gary Indiana to Merryville to Toys R Us and yes they used to have loose stuff hung up high on boards also. Lots of mego stuff and we couldn't go in either without parents. We had other stores also such as Brady's This Is It. Lots of mego stuff at the back of the store and lots of Aurora models. Kmart and Venture. We had great stores in Indiana and plenty to find megos. Just wish I would have kept them all.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

Reading all of these responses is interesting, seeing how many of you didn't grow up with TRU!! It was such a staple of my childhood I guess I took for granted that nearly everyone had one in their area and experienced it as a child.

I was really fortunate in that I had about four Toys R Us stores within a 30 minute radius of where I lived. There was one on 87th street, which I rarely went to because it was in an area that was getting a bit less "friendly". The three main ones I frequented were the "Bargain Town" TRU in South Chicago, the TRU in Calumet City (my favorite!) and the TRU in Merrillville, IN., which was about a half-hour drive from me. The Indiana store is the only one of the four still open, sadly. I try to get out there and visit it when I can. I know the store isn't nearly as cool as it seemed as a child, but it's still a great feeling driving down the street and suddenly seeing that sign and the big windows on the front of the store.

Most of my Mego/TRU memories are from the 1979-1981 period. Around that time we started a tradition where my mom would give me a certain amount of money for my birthday, and we'd make an afternoon going to TRU (and a few other stores occasionally) and I would have a little "shopping spree" for my b-day. So it was a good time to stock up on the toys I'd been craving. What I remember most though was that the Mego toys were really starting to become scarce, which was frustrating! I had been waiting for my birthday to come, expecting to walk into the store and find all those WGSH figures I'd been lusting after like Iron Man, Green Goblin, Green Arrow, The Thing and Thor......only to find alot of carded Spidey, Cap. America, Batman and Robin. I remember one birthday, probably in 1980, being lucky enough to nab a Batmobile. Even the movie/tv related Mego toys were in small numbers. I remember going into Bargain Town TRU and finding the Star Trek TMP 3-3/4" figures in the discount isle, very soon after they'd been released! In fact I think that might've been the first time I'd seen them in person, and already discounted! TRU was also one of the only stores that I could still come across discounted WGSH figures well into the mid-Eighties, though it was 95% Hulk figures, with the occasional Spidey popping up now and then. Sure wish I had picked up a few *sigh*

I remember TRU having alot of special guests (Spidey, Batman, Bozo, etc.) and I wanted to meet them so badly, but my parents never took me :(

I have very clear and strong memories of going to TRU with my parents, even very specific memories of trips there, what I bought, etc. I treasure those memories, especially now because I loved going there with my dad on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. He always got a kick out of how toy crazy I was, and years later he too would reminisce with me about taking me there and how excited and happy I would get. Since he passed away two years ago, those particular memories mean far more to me now than ever before.

While the store is only a shadow of it's former glorious self, it's going to be a very sad day for me when there are no more TRUs to visit.

[mitchedwards]

TRU did not come to my town till after I was in college. However, I was around 8 or 9 and we went with my dad to Virginia, for a business trip. I remember visiting my first TRU and my mom bought me a type one Kirk.

[cjefferys]

Not sure about that. I want to say the Child Worlds closed down before TRU came in but I can't recall. I'm pretty sure they built their own new buildings though. I don't remember if any of them were in the same plazas, etc as the Child World stores.
Rich

I can definitely remember this happening at the Summit Park Mall in Niagara Falls, NY. I just started going to the Childs World there as an adult collector, buying clearance toys. Then they finally closed up, and a short time later a TRU opened in the same retail space. I'm not 100% certain about this happening at Buffalo CW locations, but perhaps in the mall on Transit Road?

[Brue]

I didn't know toys r us existed until the 90's.
As a kid - I got toys twice a year. In Aug they came from hill. In Dec they came from the sears catalog.
The only good thing about that - i preserved my toys -cauz if i trashed or lost them , that was it. no more toys

[kryptosmaster]

I can definitely remember this happening at the Summit Park Mall in Niagara Falls, NY. I just started going to the Childs World there as an adult collector, buying clearance toys. Then they finally closed up, and a short time later a TRU opened in the same retail space. I'm not 100% certain about this happening at Buffalo CW locations, but perhaps in the mall on Transit Road?

You got me on that one. I never went to the Summit Park mall. Rarely went north of Tonawanda. Niagara Falls? Meh, seen it once, you've seen it. LOL
NO, it's majestic but I think you know what I mean? Not a daily or even yearly destination.
The two Child Worlds I recall were in TransitTown Plaza and Thruway Mall. I don't know about the Transit Road one but they knocked down Thruway Mall and I don't recall if there was a TRU at that location. I think there was one on Niagara falls Blvd or Sheridan Drive in Amherst that I used to go to and the one out near McKinley Mall in Blasdell.
Rich

[toys2cool]

Reading all of these responses is interesting, seeing how many of you didn't grow up with TRU!! It was such a staple of my childhood I guess I took for granted that nearly everyone had one in their area and experienced it as a child.

I was really fortunate in that I had about four Toys R Us stores within a 30 minute radius of where I lived.

Same here,I had 5 with in a 25 mile radius and about 3 Playworlds anyone from Miami will remember these toys r us
1-107th and NW 9Th street in International mall
2-US1 and 70 something
3-Hialeah
4-US1 and 190 something
5-87th and Coral Way (That's the one I worked at and the one that recently closed down ) The rest are still there

oh and 6-117th and 88th street across from Town and country mall man I guess I was lucky!

[cjefferys]

I think there was one on Niagara falls Blvd or Sheridan Drive in Amherst that I used to go to

There is a TRU on NF Blvd near Sheridan Drive (a couple blocks away from the Boulevard Mall). I don't know if that place used to be a Child World, but it sounds like we might be talking about the same location.

Rarely went north of Tonawanda. Niagara Falls? Meh, seen it once, you've seen it. LOL
NO, it's majestic but I think you know what I mean? Not a daily or even yearly destination.

Well, I very rarely visit the actual falls itself, but I still make regular rounds to various places in Niagara Falls, NY and Niagara Falls, Ontario (I've lived in NF, Ontario on and off too). Of course I do only live 20 minutes away.

[ScottA]

We've had 1 TRU in Montgomery for as long as I can remember. It's at the corner of the Atlanta Hwy and Eastern By-pass. Back in the 70's when I was growing up that intersection was the edge of town. Across the street was TG&Y which I remember going to often. I'm not sure when TRU was built. Then in early '80 Eastdale Mall was built diagonally across from TRU and had a KayBee. Montgomery Mall on the other side of town had Circus World.

[RobertL]

I remember in 1977, after Star Wars came out...The Toys R Us was next door to the Stanley Warner theater, a 4-plex (now a 16-plex), on Rte. 4 in Paramus, New Jersey. I was one of those kids who saw Star Wars about 50 times that summer, and EVERY SINGLE TIME the ritual went like this: someone's mom would drop us off at the theater, we'd stay for one or two shows of the movie, then we'd go to TRU and check to see if Star Wars action figures had showed up...We'd get picked up at the TRU and repeat the process all summer long. In retrospect, I can't believe parents dropped a bunch of 8-12 year olds off a the movies and picked them up 5 hours later, but I digress...

I was 100% certain that Star Wars figures would be Megos. They were the only action figures on the market besides GI Joes. Kenner was barely a gleam in some toymaker's eye, and there was no such thing at a 3 and 3/4 inch toy! Without moving wrists and elbows and knees? Childhood blasphemy! Anyway, every single time after the movie we'd check out the Megos, and of course, no Star Wars figures.

The first store to get them was actually a nearby Kay Bee Toy and Hobbie Shop, and I'll never forget the day we went there and I saw SW figures for the first time...I must've totally freaked and spazzed out. My dad told me I could pick out ONE figure, and that's it...So I picked out Darth Vader, I think, and he took it from me and told me to go look around at other stuff. When I met him back at the toy line, he had taken one of each of the Star Wars figures and was buying them all for me!!!!

I'll never forget that memory...It probably solidified me as a toy geek from that minute on. My dad saw how excited I was about these holy grail figures, and just got me all of them...I don't think he knew that they'd end up making THOUSANDS of them, and I'd want them all...

The Megos fell by the wayside in my heart because of my love for Star Wars and the way the figures were manufactured...It became a 3 3/4" toy universe...Then in the late 80's, early 90's, I started looking for my old Megos, and became obsessed with them, and ashamed for having forsaken them. It was probably my renewed love of Star Trek Original Series and Planet of the Apes that fueled my desire to have the old toys (and it was probably late night bong hits that refueled my interest in POTA and Trek). I was living in Santa Cruz at the time. My mom shipped out all my Star Wars toys, and I ended up trading them all (very loose and very played with) to a flea market dealer for his entire collection of very loose and very played with Megos. And that's how the adult addiction began...

Anyway, that's my TRU memory, and a little more.

R.

[kryptosmaster]

I Kenner was barely a gleam in some toymaker's eye, and there was no such thing at a 3 and 3/4 inch toy! R.

Actually Kenner was going gangbusters with the Six Million Dollar Man line already. But we know what you meant.
Rich

[kingdom warrior]

As a Child I loved Toys R Us and I vividly remember all the Megos. It was magical.

Came to an abrupt halt when I actually worked for them. They are miserable take advantage of the worker franchise who hire criminals and loners oh hell they hire anybody period.....seriously no joke. That's why when you go there you never go to sales associate because they have no clue.

They seriously are a mess of a company but are better than KB. These guys make some serious money this time of the year too bad they don't share the wealth with their work for hire slaves.