What became of your Mego stores?

[ScottA]

The K-mart in the 70's thread got me to thinking. What ever became of the stores and buildings you got megos from back in the day? Have any idea? I realize you may not live in the same town now. Here are some of mine:

TG&Y - when TG&Y folded the building was remodeled into an HQ (think Lowes). After they failed the building was leveled and a Burlington Coat Factory was built. It's still in business.

K-mart #1 - After K-mart folded the building set empty forever. Then it was flattened and a Publix was built.

K-mart #2 - At first it was remolded slightly into a Big K but didn't survive the last round of closings. It's still there and empty.

Gayfers - This departement store had a toy section in their basement. It's now an Antique and Flea Market store. I still go in there from time to time. Building hasen't changed in 40 years.

Gaylords - used to walk to this in 78-81. It's still there but is another flea market store now.

Zayres - became an Aimes - became a Winn Dixie

Wal-mart #1 - after the new Super Wal-mart was built it set empty forever. Then Hobby Lobby and Hancocks Fabrics moved into building.

Wal-mart #2 - after the new Super Wal-mart was built on this side of town it also set empty forever. Now Freds is in a small part of it.

Service Merchandise - Also now a Freds and a tile store.

Bellis Hess - this is the last store I ever bought a Mego at (Falcon and Hulk). It set empty forever and then a handfull of different stores, mainly grocery strores, have been in and out of the building since. It's the shell of it's former self and ever single time I pass it I think of those last megos I got there.

Toys R Us - still there and still in business, although the actual building is showing it's age.

Tobys Toys - loved going to this one. When it closed it was divided up and bacame a nurses uniform store and some other things.

I also remember going to other stores, like Grants and Bradlees, in other towns I use to live in but have no idea whatever became of them.

I personally love seeing the old photos of department stores and toy isles PlaidStallions has been showing. Too bad no one had thought to do it to the stores of our time. I doubt anyone ever stood in Bradlees or Amies parking lots in the 90's and took photos of the outside and then the toy isles. It's a shame too.

[The Toyroom]

Two that come to mind...
Stars Dept Store- Went out of business and the building was taken over by Price Chopper. Now an empty building...

Grandway- Went out of business and then became Zayre, then Ames, then P&C, then Tops and P&C again!

[toys2cool]

The only store I ever bought Megos in,was Villa clara.A Cuban store that's still open today

[Earth 2 Chris]

Ben Franklin's: Became a clothing store for about 10 years. Then a local lawyer and comic/toy enthusiast opened an antique/collectilbes store there. It didn't go over in this town, but I got some nice stuff when he auctioned off the stock. It was nice to see vintage toys in the old downstairs toy dept. again. Then it became a "junk store". Basically one big flea market booth. It's now a local church's thrift store.

Howard's: Became a Big Lots. Lasted like that for about 20 years. Now it's a furniture store.

The local Sears catalog store closed up years ago. It's been various things, but now it's a flower shop.

Chris

[palitoy]

Pinnochio's Toys: Now a Weight Watchers

Woolco: became Wal-Mart now is a Hart store where I still sometimes buy toys

Dominion Play World: Became an Organ store and now I think is a Le Chateau or something

K-Mart: Became Value Village so I could technically buy Mego figures in there, closest I've come is a Rainfall Moses.

Hudson's Bay: Still there, toy section is awful

Sears: See Hudson's Bay

Eaton's: Now a Staples.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

Sears (River Oaks Mall)- Still there, but little to no toys anymore sadly.

Toys R Us (Cal. City)- The original was relocated about a mile away in the early 80s, then that one was closed down a couple years ago. It's now a big sad empty building.

Toys R Us "Bargain Town"- Open until at least the late '80s. Not sure what's in that building now, to be honest.

K-Mart (Cal. City)- One of the only places still around, doesn't look too much different actually. The toy section is not nearly as big as it used to be though.

Ben Franklin- Burned down in the early 80s, now a Payless Shoes store.

Child World (Merrillville)- Closed in late 80s, now a Gander Mountain.

Toys R Us (Merrillville)- Still open for business, one of the few TRUs left in the whole area *sigh*

There were other places that I bought Megos here and there but these were definitely the main haunts.

[wayne foundation 07]

Wow old store flashbacks.Montgomery Wards close,Hills became Ames and closed Murphy Mart became Ames and closed,Hills closed.Leaving now everyones worst and favorite place to shop,WALMART.I know our town changed dramaticly once it opened.

[Marvelmania]

McCrory's- now part of a Proffitts
K-Mart- now a TJ Maxx and Pier 1 Import
Heroes World_ no idea what they became, probably an empty store
Howard Bros.- Now a country western bar.

[SeattleEd]

Toytown(Rosemead, CA) - Now a bunch of shops
ToysRUs(Rosemead, CA) - Still there
Hollywood Toy Shoppe(Hollywood, CA) - Now Hollywood Toys and Costume Shop
Hollywood Toys on Sunset(Silverlake, L.A., CA) - Not sure what it is now, I think a furniture store.
Bert Wheelers Toys(Hollywood, CA) - Now a used consumer electronics store
Sears(Hollywood, CA) - Still there but soon to close in March of this year. An era long gone. I still have dreams of this place.
Woolworth(Hollywood, CA) - Now a indoor swapmeet
Zody's(Hollywood, CA) - Huge Discount store on Sunset and Western that is now a Ralph's market. Mass WGSH boxed from what I recall. Over abundance in the toy aisle and up by the registers.
Pic'N'Save(Hollywood, CA) - Major Discount outlet and yes, they carried Mego stuff, especially during the last days of WGSH and Mego. I think it's still there.
ToysRUs(Burbank, CA) - Still there.
Woolworth(Downtown L.A.) - Not sure what it is now
Fedco(Cienega, L.A., CA) - Leveled. Not sure what it is now
Montgomery Wards(Rosemead, CA) - Long gone. Not sure what it is now
The Broadway(Hollywood, CA) - Now a bunch of lofts. My friend's mom worked there and got Mego and Kenner stuff cheap.
Don's Toys and Hobbys(Glendale, CA and Eagle Rock, CA) - Not sure what it is now.
There were some chain of Discount stores I can't recall the name but they had the carded WGSH. That chain is long gone. Began with an "M".

These are all I can recall off the top of my head but there were more for sure.

[toys2cool]

2 out of the 3 Toys r us's I use to go to as a kid are still there.But they've remodeled them inside and honestly I walk in there and it doesn't even feel like Toys r us anymore.I use to like the long old Isles of toys,bike,dolls and video games.Now it feels like a freakin' maze anyone else feel the same way?

[Sweep Secondhand]

Interestingly enough, the original K-mart in my town that opend in the mid-70's is still there! There was a K-Mart Foods attached to it that opened at the same time but it is long gone!

TG&Y - The whole strip mall is gone
Neisners - Now a Family Dollar
JM Fields - Now a Scotty's Building Supplies
GW Grants - Now a police substation
Toy King - Now a Pet Safari (this takes up the entire area that used to be Toy King and the Woolworth's next to it)
Jack & Jill Toys - Now a furniter rental place

[brannon86]

Stores

Well, lets see. The original K-Mart that opened in the early 70's closed around 88 or 89. The building stayed vacant for a while, then a lumber supply place moved in. That stayed open for a few years, then went out. Then, Big Lots moved in, and thats what it been ever since. The original K-Mart was Heaven to me as a kid, Ha. Will never top that one....

Howard Brothers came here in the early 70's, and stayed here until around 87 or 88. The building stayed vacant for while, then became a Books A Million store, which it still is today.

TG&Y was here in the early 70's. It stayed open until the late 80's, then it went out. Stayed vacant for a while, then became a crafts place, then became some kind of school. I dont know, cant remember exactly what it is now. I havent been that way in that part of town in a while now, so.

Wilsons came here in the mid 70's. It stayed open until the mid 80's sometime. It bacame a Service merchandise after it closed. Service Merchandise remained until the early 90's, then it bacame a Stein Mart, which it still is today.

We got a Super K-Mart in the early 90's(91-92 era). It stayed open for a few years, then close, due to the theft factor was so high. Poor management, etc....It sucked anyway.

Sears close up in the early 70's sometime. It moved to a new mall in 78. The original building bacame a library. Sears has never been the same since the early 70's. It lost all its charm. No more popcorn smells, etc. Never was the same since. Much like the Super K-Mart was compared to the original K-Mart we had.

Treasury Drug Had a good toy section. I remember seeing great stuff there, including Mego stuff. They were here in the mid 70's around when TG&Y was around.They went out around the time TG&Y did.

I really miss those stores, and the charm and vibe they had back then. Oh well, different times, different vibes. Thats a wrap....

[brannon86]

Stores

And my typing SUCKS as usual...Ha...GEEEEZ

[PCofmisfittoys]

2 out of the 3 Toys r us's I use to go to as a kid are still there.But they've remodeled them inside and honestly I walk in there and it doesn't even feel like Toys r us anymore.I use to like the long old Isles of toys,bike,dolls and video games.Now it feels like a freakin' maze anyone else feel the same way?

yeah i use to work/manage for toysrus us for aout 7 years . I would travel all over the country sometimes and help them remodel the stores. It was sad. I kept an old blue toy sign i remember and a few great old restroom signs.
I'm working on trying to get a whole TRU sign or the letters for hell of it.

I'm the same way , i walk in there and it's a poor design. i remember doing a store I think in Atlanta once , where it was the clasic TRU layout with the long isles. This sotre was being moved and we got to gut the store and we found al kinds of great ads/signs under those gondolas.

TRU changed hands and still hasn't gotten back to form. I miss that place in the old days and now it's terrible.

[spamn]

Lionel's Kiddie City in King of Prussia, Pa is long, long gone from the mall. I think it was gone before the mall became an all indoors one. Sometime in the mid-80s. Haven't found a single trace of the store online, either.

edit: 'Til I search on youtube, that is.