Dimestore Flashback

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Please bear with me, for this entry I'll be going a little, as they say in radio, "local". Growing up in 70's Ontario, most summer vacations were spent up north camping or in a rented cottage. Along the way, we'd usually stop in a small town which usually had a "Stedman's" department store. Stedman's was one of those stores that smelled like inflatable vinyl pool toys and had a toy department full of King Kong jigglers and rubber alligators. If you're in the US, liken it to a Ben Franklin. I used to be able to spend the $5 my grandmother gave me rather quickly.



Flash forward to now and the Wal-Mart culture has all but killed the smaller department store. On the way to a campground, my wife mentioned we'd forgotten our daughter's bathing suit, I sarcastically commented "We'll just get one at the Stedmans" and we laughed.



So it was a complete and total shock to turn a corner two hours into our drive and find this!

I can't imagine there are too many of these left. Needless to say we stopped, I half expected to find 70's toys in there but no such luck, we did pick up a few classic rack toy items still around.

The store was out of army men so we had to settle for Cowboys and Indians (which are still being made by Imperial )I also grabbed the George Hamilton Evel Knievel film for $3. It's nowhere near as cheeseas "Viva Knievel" but it's close.

There is no better an afternoon than watching Cowboys and Indians fight mutant bugs. There were many losses on both sides, next month it's Army
men Vs Dinosaurs....
For more Fashion Mockery and 70's toy love visit us at Plaid Stallions.com


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[toys2cool]

very cool,I forgot how cool those little cheap plastic cowboys can be

[HardyGirl]

The dimestore I grew up w/ was Woolworth's. My mom was never one for rack toys and getting something "just because". There had to be a reason or occasion (like back to school, Halloween, Christmas, etc.) Still it was fun to look; Ben Cooper costumes, Xmas ornaments, records, and of course the toy dept. When I got older, this was the perfect place to find the older records cheap that weren't for sale any longer (overpressing stock) w/ the little slit cut into the cover for quick sale. And yes, I still miss the lunch counter at the back of the store.

[Hotfoot]

Woolworths Lunch counters were the best. We almost always had the grilled cheese and picked up a few dime toys! Kids today won't have those kind of memories.

[toys2cool]

man the Woolworths I went to here in Miami had a huge Diner.I always got the Club or mac and cheese and always always had a huge Hot fudge sundae

[Rallygirl]

My Grams worked at our local Woolworth's lunch counter until I was about six. We used to go in at the slow times of the day to visit her. Mom usually usually let us wander as she chatted with Grams. More than the toys, I remember the 2 cages of pathetic looking parakeets in the pet "department" and also wondering why Mom wouldn't buy us any of that chocolate (Ex-Lax) that was advertised during the morning game shows. LOL!

[palitoy]

Woolworths died here in the 80s but most of them became "Bargains!" shops. There is one close to my work, still has the basement full of water pistols and strange action figures.

[ScottA]

How cool. I know for a split second you were sure you were going to find some amazing toys hidden in there. But at least you didn't come away empty handed.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Cool Brian. When I first signed up for college classes in Morehead, KY (don't laugh), I was shocked to find a Ben Franklin's still opened there! I made my parents stop and we just had to go in. I thought for sure this tucked away store would be a time capsule full of Mego, Remco and AHI goodies. Nope. Just crafts, frames, and a pet dept. I was SO disappointed. At least you got some retro goodness!

Chris

[lepage]

I have not seen a Woolworths in years. Is there any even left in the U.S.?
I know on several of my trips to visit the inlaws in London, I see that Woolworths is alive and well there but its a far cry from what it used to be.
I did remember buying some of these harder to get POTF2 long photo carded figures that were exlcusive to the Uk but not much of anything else.

[lepage]

On a side note, In the New England town I grew up in , we had this department store called GLOBE and then there was one called GAYNES and they were the shnizit for toys!
I had never seen either anywhere else especially GLOBE.

Has anyone ever heard of GLOBE?

[vintage spideyfan]

Living in the Detroit area intil the age of 10, we used to frequent what were then known as D&C Dimestores. We later moved to 250 miles north, to a town with a population of roughly 2800 year round residents and its' very own Ben Franklin Store!! The local BF has since closed, but there is still one to be found about 25 miles away. Although it is more of a craft store now than a dime store.