by Jim
I know, I know…. #FirstWorldProblems! I don’t care.
Being a toy collector, and a huge proponent of geek culture, I felt I had to address this. For people around the world who may not know, in at least the United States and Canada Toys R Us was a place most of us looked at fondly ever since we were children and we’re really sad to see it go.
When I was little, I got my first Gameboy at the one in Dedham, Massachusetts. I remember getting Nintendo, Gameboy, all the way up to Sony Playstation games there before I went to college. You always went in and grabbed a slip of paper that you brought up to the front to check out. There were literally three isles of games to look through. Back then, they had everything.
This wasn’t just with video games though, back then, Toys R Us was a one-stop-shop for all things a kid or geek could ever want. They had model kits and paints, arts and crafts supplies, bikes, an endless supply of action figures… going in there as a kid and being let loose to find the one treasure that I’d been hoping to find (within reason of course), and the joy if finding it still in stock.
I do realize that the place has changed, pricing there has gotten a little crazy, and it’s not anywhere near what it was when I was a child, but being a parent now myself… watching my kids experience the same thing when we go in there… that magic never left. I’m just really sorry that my kids will no longer be able to experience that. Yes, we still have targets, walmarts, etc. that have their toy sections, but it’s not really the same thing.
So if you found this post to be tripe and focused on something that really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, well I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s always tough to watch a piece of nostalgia disappear forever and I will miss it.
However I’d like to hear from some of my readers. Do you have fond memories of this company or another that no longer exists? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments. I’d love to hear about them.
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
James Harringtons Creative Work 
My husband and I grew up with Toys R Us, and KB Toys. We both lived in the same community in southeastern Virginia, near a big mall that opened in 1989. In the late 1980s and through the 1990s, the KB Toys in the mall was super popular, and the Toys R Us was in a stand-alone building on the outer edge of the mall. The KB Toys shut down many years ago, which was sad. We just went into that Toys R Us this past weekend for the last time. and it felt super surreal. Even my mother-in-law, who lives three hours away now, was sad that everything was closing. I also have memories of visiting Toys R Us in Florida with both sets of grandparents, along with the flagship store in New York City a few times. It’s sad to see it go, and sadder that future generations won’t know about the wonder and magic these places gave to us. We’ll tell them about it, of course, but it won’t be the same.
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I miss how games used to seem a lot more diverse, each game a unique story, a new way to play. Now, every game seems to be one of a handful of stories, and one of a handful of ways to achieve the goals.
The dying childhood feeling you described, to me, usually comes with a death of an artist that had a big impact during my pre-teen/early-teen years. Like when Prince died, I remembered sneaking out to see Purple Rain, something my cousin also admitted to doing when he died. It’s like feeling those long ago feelings, with a mixture of happiness to have experienced it, and sadness because he’s gone. When Princes Leia died 😦 …
At the same time, your post made me consider the reasons why, assumptions really, of how come such a huge chain did not survive. I only ever walked into Toys R Us one time in my life. It was enough to realize that it was not the place for me, a place full of things I wanted and could not afford. Obviously many others could afford it, but the store must not have evolved with the business portion of the times, not that this transformation was good or bad. Well, I think it’s bad because it involves the mistreatment of employees.
I also think that’s why games these days, electronic games, are all basically the same – the re-use of a handful of templates that have been proven to generate money. It’s tough, coming from a generation that was dripping in innovation – Nintendo, Sega, PlayStation, X-Box. Goodness, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven when the first PlayStation came out. And then the MMORPG’s… As a gamer, who fell in love with electronic games the first time I saw Space Invaders on Atari, I think I grew up through a sort of a magical time period. I feel as if the magic is no longer there, although I do look for it all the time.
Who knows… maybe I’m just getting older and harder to satisfy.
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It is sad to see it go. Toys R Us is so iconic. Great post dear ☺️☺️ x x
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