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Goodbye Toys R Us
I went down today to see the last of the remains of Toys R Us, turned out Yesterday (6-27-18) was THE last day to see and walk into Toys R Us.
I wish I knew that, thought I had til Saturday.
There was a crew, working inside, dismantling the shelves and stands, I couldn't see what was left. You could see a depression on the people inside. And in the 2-3 minutes I was there, several cars pulled up, all doing the same thing I was doing, hoping one last look inside, many also taking photos.
Its sad to see a childhood icon now forever dead and gone. No more dedicated toy stores left, a wonderful era is over. Much like Saturday Morning Cartoons, another piece of my childhood is gone.
*edit* As a parent, I loved taking my son and daughter to TRU, watch their eyes light up at the vast stock that Target or Wallys paled in comparison .It was then I understood how my folks felt taking me to TRU as a kid. Plus took pride having each of them select a toy to donate to the Marines Toys for Tots each holiday.
Farewell Geoffry, Farewell TRU.
I wish I knew that, thought I had til Saturday.
There was a crew, working inside, dismantling the shelves and stands, I couldn't see what was left. You could see a depression on the people inside. And in the 2-3 minutes I was there, several cars pulled up, all doing the same thing I was doing, hoping one last look inside, many also taking photos.
Its sad to see a childhood icon now forever dead and gone. No more dedicated toy stores left, a wonderful era is over. Much like Saturday Morning Cartoons, another piece of my childhood is gone.
*edit* As a parent, I loved taking my son and daughter to TRU, watch their eyes light up at the vast stock that Target or Wallys paled in comparison .It was then I understood how my folks felt taking me to TRU as a kid. Plus took pride having each of them select a toy to donate to the Marines Toys for Tots each holiday.
Farewell Geoffry, Farewell TRU.
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It's a hotel and hot spring. It has been continuously operated by 52 generations of the same family (including adopted heirs) for over 1,300 years.
https://www.keiunkan.co.jp/en/
https://www.keiunkan.co.jp/en/
I sigh and cry a little inside every time I hear "Toys 'R' Us" now or see pictures of it. Honestly, it speaks volumes about how so many aspects of society have changed, and not always for the better (in terms of market competition, how we consume, etc). The more businesses like TRU that I see go under, the more I worry.
It seems kinda like a cycle, IMO. We seem to be returning to the days of the late 19th/turn of the 20th century, when everything was mail order from the Sears-Roebuck catalog, only digital and a thousand times faster, both ordering and delivery.
I miss shopping at brick n' mortar, but have long since tired of the limited selection and having employees saying "We can order it for you." when I can order it for me, without having to come back to your crummy store.
I miss shopping at brick n' mortar, but have long since tired of the limited selection and having employees saying "We can order it for you." when I can order it for me, without having to come back to your crummy store.
I'll peruse various books at Barnes and Noble, and then scan the Amazon price, and 99% of the time, order through Amazon. I'd rather pay $12 for a certain book than $20 B&N will nail me for.
Plus I've actually deleted wishlist books after scanning through them at B&N cause they were either lame or not the info I had hoped.
And I recall only a couple times, B&N was roughly the same price as Amazon, so I had immediate gratification instead of waiting 2-3 days.
Plus I've actually deleted wishlist books after scanning through them at B&N cause they were either lame or not the info I had hoped.
And I recall only a couple times, B&N was roughly the same price as Amazon, so I had immediate gratification instead of waiting 2-3 days.
Sears and K-Mart have their CEO to blame for their downfall. Eddie Lampert's put his objectivist beliefs into running his stores, thinking that a retail store can run like an outlet, with every division and department in the store being its own store and every department fighting against each other for assets and funding. And the stocks have plummeted. He's also devoted himself to only improving the websites, not caring to improve the stores at all.
I remember years ago in Tucson, there was a Lionel Play World just up the street from a new Toys R Us, it was hilarious seeing somebody in the Lionel Kangaroo mascot suit at the edge of the parking lot shaking his fist at a Geoffrey mascot suit glad handing the customers. And Geoffrey would Italian style , flip off the Kangaroo.
Later I was inside the employee break room at Lionel and seeing a huge mural of their Roo pounding the shit out of Geoffrey in a boxing ring. I regret not taking a photo.
Later I was inside the employee break room at Lionel and seeing a huge mural of their Roo pounding the shit out of Geoffrey in a boxing ring. I regret not taking a photo.
Toys "Я" Us spent far too much of their resources trying to sue their competition out of existence. They went after Kay Bee Toys hammer and tongs, suing them over and over, and finally ran the firm into the ground and bought it out, in 2009, for a miserly 2 million.
I do feel sorry for the former customers and employees of Toys "Я" Us. For the corporation and its management? Burn in corporate Gehenna.
I do feel sorry for the former customers and employees of Toys "Я" Us. For the corporation and its management? Burn in corporate Gehenna.
In Connecticut, we still have a (very) small handful of independents. My favorite is Amato's Toy & Hobby in Middletown and New Britain. It's still family run; I used to work with the wife of one of the second-generation owners. The places aren't huge, but they have good selection and that 1970s feel.
TRU was doing well financially, until three venture capital companies got together and did a Leveraged Buyout to get controlling share of TRU stock.
Leveraged buyouts are funny things. Company A takes out a loan to get the money to buy Company B's stock. Once Company A owns Company B, then the liability for the loan can be transferred to Company B.
Three companies, getting together to buy control of TRU, none of the companies revealing to the others how much debt they were taking on to buy their share of the stock. All three companies handing off the liability for their debts to TRU. TRU ends up with more debt than it can service, and the three Venture Capital companies get away with not paying back the loans they took out for the purchase (and likely make a small profit selling the TRU stock after the debt transfer is done. If they get more for the stock than they paid out of their own money (not the loan money) then they call it a win.
Sears is in a similar situation; bought by another company, other company moves debt to Sears, then orders Sears to sell of its money-making brands to service the debt. Losing control of the brands means losing the profit from them, leaving Sears in an even WORSE position for repayment of the debt dropped on top of it.
Leveraged buyouts are funny things. Company A takes out a loan to get the money to buy Company B's stock. Once Company A owns Company B, then the liability for the loan can be transferred to Company B.
Three companies, getting together to buy control of TRU, none of the companies revealing to the others how much debt they were taking on to buy their share of the stock. All three companies handing off the liability for their debts to TRU. TRU ends up with more debt than it can service, and the three Venture Capital companies get away with not paying back the loans they took out for the purchase (and likely make a small profit selling the TRU stock after the debt transfer is done. If they get more for the stock than they paid out of their own money (not the loan money) then they call it a win.
Sears is in a similar situation; bought by another company, other company moves debt to Sears, then orders Sears to sell of its money-making brands to service the debt. Losing control of the brands means losing the profit from them, leaving Sears in an even WORSE position for repayment of the debt dropped on top of it.
KB Toys is apparently going to come back. https://www.deseretnews.com/article.....l-find-it.html
Huh. Obtain and dispose of existing stock in temporary liquidation shops. It's a shame it's come to this, but it's something.
I've been seeing a lot of fireworks tents around the 4th of July and Halloween stores around... well, you get the idea. Someone understands marketing.
I've been seeing a lot of fireworks tents around the 4th of July and Halloween stores around... well, you get the idea. Someone understands marketing.
Shit, last time I was in a TRU was back in '14. If I knew then that it'd be gone in four years I would've taken pictures. That was back when MP Acid Storm was out, for $75 yet. I should've grabbed it when I had the chance. Now I'll never be able to walk down isles and isles of toys again, and this makes me sad beyond words.
A piece of my childhood gone forever, right there, just like Worlds of Fun. Remember when it actually had rides and areas themed around different countries? Well, not anymore. It's more 'Worlds of Roller Coasters' than anything, and it's been getting worse every year.
A piece of my childhood gone forever, right there, just like Worlds of Fun. Remember when it actually had rides and areas themed around different countries? Well, not anymore. It's more 'Worlds of Roller Coasters' than anything, and it's been getting worse every year.
...it will remain a memory then the day I wnet to the US and inside a TRU... it was a great day.. sad it is now only a memory and no more TRUs....
..I can hear my inner pup crying...
..digital is awesome, but not the same as walking
around isles and isles of lil plastic marvels and wonders... 
The major problem was not Amazon. It was the enormous amount of debt. KB toys is planning on coming back from what CNN reported.
http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/20/new.....-us/index.html
http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/20/new.....-us/index.html
https://www.deseretnews.com/article.....l-find-it.html Yep! Pop-up stores like the Halloween ones that pop up in October.
One of my first jobs was at Toys. A week after they "didn't pick up my option" which was in no way firing me (Right), I was in and the remaining staff were confused about a toy request for "Tombstone." So I told them, Tombstone is a Marvel character and is available in aisle 8C.
Good call there management, good call.
Good call there management, good call.
we have a lot stores closing down, malls have tons of empty store fronts. Some malls have shut down but some are converting into hotels. But the worst thing many college grads coming out of college are underemployed and have to work in retail stores like Toys R Us or War-Mart
Its too hard to give us full time hours and benefits
Its too hard to give us full time hours and benefits
I'm afraid this is part of the price society is paying, for the ease of our online shopping environment...
I admit, I hate waiting in lines at any store, ESP. during the insane 'Holiday Shopping Season'.
I will also admit, that as a kid/young adult, walking INTO the box stores and browsing/touching/listeningwatching/etc., the products on display? That WAS the appeal of the entire shopping experience (and hence, all the giant malls that opened around the Nation).
Ya know yer gettin' 'Olde', when such things happen. Stores closing forever, favorite actors/actresses dying, and all the annoying kids listening to their strange music at a volume that would put a jet fighter screaming down to earth at hundred of mph to shame... (A-10's, I'm looking right AT ya!) ((Yes, I have seen those babies at work, IRL. Very impressive.)
::Moment of Silence for treasured memories... ::
I admit, I hate waiting in lines at any store, ESP. during the insane 'Holiday Shopping Season'.
I will also admit, that as a kid/young adult, walking INTO the box stores and browsing/touching/listeningwatching/etc., the products on display? That WAS the appeal of the entire shopping experience (and hence, all the giant malls that opened around the Nation).
Ya know yer gettin' 'Olde', when such things happen. Stores closing forever, favorite actors/actresses dying, and all the annoying kids listening to their strange music at a volume that would put a jet fighter screaming down to earth at hundred of mph to shame... (A-10's, I'm looking right AT ya!) ((Yes, I have seen those babies at work, IRL. Very impressive.)
::Moment of Silence for treasured memories... ::
LIES!
All LIES!!
During our two week 'Vacation', (while in the Reserves), we were out at 29 Stumps, CA, bivouacked for the night behind some dunes (well, low ridges). Sometime AFTER 0100, we were all awakened by two A-10's screaming overhead, and those bastards HAD to have been no more than 50' off the deck when they did it.
I'm sure they're still chuckling at it, to this day...
Awesome bird. We also had the privilege of seeing the SR-71 taking off and making some passes while at Beale AFB (before the bean-counters in Washington decided to close the facility). That's something you never get tired of watching.
:-D
All LIES!!
During our two week 'Vacation', (while in the Reserves), we were out at 29 Stumps, CA, bivouacked for the night behind some dunes (well, low ridges). Sometime AFTER 0100, we were all awakened by two A-10's screaming overhead, and those bastards HAD to have been no more than 50' off the deck when they did it.
I'm sure they're still chuckling at it, to this day...
Awesome bird. We also had the privilege of seeing the SR-71 taking off and making some passes while at Beale AFB (before the bean-counters in Washington decided to close the facility). That's something you never get tired of watching.
:-D
Hmmm. Interesting. Night low-level is not something Hogs do. NVGs can get you lower but not THAT low. Also, 100’ AGL flight isn’t done except in the highest threat environments...and in daylight . It’s scary enough just checking someone out for 100’ flight (trust me on this; I have the soiled underwear to prove it). Are you sure they were Hogs?
by the time they opened a TRU near me I was too old to like anything they had... and I was too busy trying to support myself after getting kicked out of my home at 18.
I've gone into them twice since then, and... nothing appealed to me more than being able to afford to EAT the next day
I've gone into them twice since then, and... nothing appealed to me more than being able to afford to EAT the next day
I bought many a video game cartridge there in the 80s and 90s!
There is some talk that they might come back under new leadership; several interested parties have voiced the possibility of buying up their IP and reopening at least a subset of stores.
That's a big "if" but one never knows. I'm sad to see them go, too.
There is some talk that they might come back under new leadership; several interested parties have voiced the possibility of buying up their IP and reopening at least a subset of stores.
That's a big "if" but one never knows. I'm sad to see them go, too.
Even when I was a little kid I didn't like going to the circus because I felt sorry for the animals. Who wants to sit in a cage with some douchebag cracking a whip at you to make you jump through hoops? Circ du solie (sp?) and the other acrobatic circuses proved you don't have to cage animals to make a fun & successful show. In this case the animal acts were relics from another time that did need to go.
Agreed. If anything, Dumbo was the beginning of the end of the circus. Plus, the proliferation and improvement of zoos and ease of transportation meant that the circus coming to town wasn't the only way you could see an elephant anymore. Its demise was a long time coming.
When I was a kid Children's Palace was the place, but those vanished by the 1990's.
The building's still standing, I think, minus the turrets and crenelations, but turned into a Big Lots or a Kohl's or something long ago.
Toys R' Us was an older franchise, so Wikipedia tells me, but wasn't really a presence to me until my college nerd years in the 90's.
Anyway, it's a shame, but that's how things do. Nothin' stays around forever.
The building's still standing, I think, minus the turrets and crenelations, but turned into a Big Lots or a Kohl's or something long ago.
Toys R' Us was an older franchise, so Wikipedia tells me, but wasn't really a presence to me until my college nerd years in the 90's.
Anyway, it's a shame, but that's how things do. Nothin' stays around forever.
Yeah I missed out on going one last time, myself. Thought I had a few days left so went out to visit two chains that were closing at once, and found out our TRU's had all gone already. Suckage! I still remember buying my N64 from one. And my bike! And still regretting not buying a replica G1 Optimus Prime when they were out! Nuuuuuu!
So you're right. Though the new owner is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfax_Financial But apparently Toys R Us will live on in Canada, for how long though, who knows?
Probably a while. I'd be willing to call Toys R Us a mixed case, since it's a US chain that became Canadian and failed in the US.
Chains that make it in Canada weirdly tend to fail in the US and vice versa, for the most part. There's occasional cross-border successes, KFC (or PFK as it goes by up there), McDonald's, The Hudson Bay Company (at least in Oklahoma, they go by Saks Fifth Avenue, but it's damn obvious it's really HBC given the one across the street from where I work has the Canadian and HBC flags one pole, and on the other they alternate between the US and Oklahoma State flags and the Muscogee Nation and Tulsa's unofficial city flags), and Bombardier (find the street with motorcycle or boat dealerships on it and one's bound to be Bombardier or CanAm, and there's some transit systems, like Portland's TriMet, that have entire fleets of Bombardier-built trains).
But for the most part, cross-border retail tends to do horribly. Canadian failures in the US include Future Shop and Canadian Tire; American failures in Canada include Target and Sears. Canada and the US are weirdly alike and very different in terms of retail desires.
Chains that make it in Canada weirdly tend to fail in the US and vice versa, for the most part. There's occasional cross-border successes, KFC (or PFK as it goes by up there), McDonald's, The Hudson Bay Company (at least in Oklahoma, they go by Saks Fifth Avenue, but it's damn obvious it's really HBC given the one across the street from where I work has the Canadian and HBC flags one pole, and on the other they alternate between the US and Oklahoma State flags and the Muscogee Nation and Tulsa's unofficial city flags), and Bombardier (find the street with motorcycle or boat dealerships on it and one's bound to be Bombardier or CanAm, and there's some transit systems, like Portland's TriMet, that have entire fleets of Bombardier-built trains).
But for the most part, cross-border retail tends to do horribly. Canadian failures in the US include Future Shop and Canadian Tire; American failures in Canada include Target and Sears. Canada and the US are weirdly alike and very different in terms of retail desires.
Yeah, but it was pretty touch-and-go for Safeway Canada for a while before they split.
Likewise, it seems a lot of east coast brands don't work on the west coast, vice versa, and either coast suffers in the midwest. Like, you can tell where there used to be old Safeway stores in Oklahoma from the iconic round topped roofs, and Albertsons from their gravel and concrete walls. They're all furniture stores and gyms and libraries now. But weirdly, midwestern stuff ends up just DOMINATING if it makes it to the coast. Walmart, for example...
Likewise, it seems a lot of east coast brands don't work on the west coast, vice versa, and either coast suffers in the midwest. Like, you can tell where there used to be old Safeway stores in Oklahoma from the iconic round topped roofs, and Albertsons from their gravel and concrete walls. They're all furniture stores and gyms and libraries now. But weirdly, midwestern stuff ends up just DOMINATING if it makes it to the coast. Walmart, for example...
I remember when I was 11 years old, going to Lionel Playworld. When they closed up... I was in heaven atg Toys R Us. I really felt like the characters in the commercial... I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R Us Kid. Like all the US consumer electronics companies, like RCA, Zenith, Admiral, Magnavox, Fisher, GE, etc... all gone now. Sigh....
I have to admit to having mixed feelings. I worked at TRU back in the 80s, and it was not a nice place to work. You'd think that working in a toy store would be fun, but there was no fun or joy there. In fact, some of the things they pulled may have been illegal, but when you are young and work is hard to come by, you put up with a lot. Still, I did learn a lot about 80s toys, and am hard to beat in trivia in that topic. It is always sad to lose an icon, but I can never shake what a horrible place it was to work for.
I visited there last few weeks watching the steady decline and my last purchase was one of the Skylander Supercharger vehicles for 65 cents.
I would go there to see all of the movie related toys the that came out .
We all feel a little emptier.
Goodbye Geoffrey.
You will be missed.
I would go there to see all of the movie related toys the that came out .
We all feel a little emptier.
Goodbye Geoffrey.
You will be missed.
The toy's r us in my area closed down two months back. Went to their final day sale and managed to only get a FNAF keychain since all the good stuff was gone. I never got that NECA terminator 1 t-800 police-station assault figure I wanted nor a copy of one of the old pokemon ds games.
I even had a rewardsrus membership card that gave me benefits and such and I only had it for a good several months including shopping for the holidays.
Been shopping alot at the TRU in my area and it had been around since 70s/80s and now it's closed down for good.
I'll miss it.
I even had a rewardsrus membership card that gave me benefits and such and I only had it for a good several months including shopping for the holidays.
Been shopping alot at the TRU in my area and it had been around since 70s/80s and now it's closed down for good.
I'll miss it.
Luckily there are smaller independent toy shops where I live.
It's been years since I went to a TRU, they always struck me as a corporate place that mostly sold all of the commercial plastic crap that I largely don't care for. Ironically, they were brought down by businesses like Amazon, which I don't care to use either, on account of their predatory business practices and poor treatment of workers.
Definitely the end of an era, though...
It's been years since I went to a TRU, they always struck me as a corporate place that mostly sold all of the commercial plastic crap that I largely don't care for. Ironically, they were brought down by businesses like Amazon, which I don't care to use either, on account of their predatory business practices and poor treatment of workers.
Definitely the end of an era, though...
We didn't have one in my town until I was 7 or 8; we just had Kay Bee Toys in the mall and Family Toy Warehouse, which was more of a regional thing. They finally bulldozed an old hardware store and put one up. I spent many a summer afternoon perusing the aisles, trying to decide what I wanted to get. Sad to see it go.
The end of a retail giant (in the USA,UK), and a loved shop for all ages o enjoy. my gf and I went to the one here a few months ago just to see it still full of merchandise, and i stopped by yesterday after work only to find it closed with lights still on and 2 guys taking out the shopping cart holders in the lot. before i went to Toys 'r' us, i went to the Sears here just to see what was left. it was just sad.
Hello even just got done watching classic toys r us commercials on you tube just for the memories.
so much is gone and now i think what is left for future generations to enjoy? sure we can shop online. but what physical shopping experiences are left? not much for kids i think. its all walmarts, targets, best buys maybe some small niche shops.
i am glad that Toys R Us Canada is separate and alive and well.
I will forever be a Toys R Us kid, at heart
on another note, will you be drawing up one of your classic RIP. artworks with Geoffrey?
Hello even just got done watching classic toys r us commercials on you tube just for the memories.
so much is gone and now i think what is left for future generations to enjoy? sure we can shop online. but what physical shopping experiences are left? not much for kids i think. its all walmarts, targets, best buys maybe some small niche shops.
i am glad that Toys R Us Canada is separate and alive and well.
I will forever be a Toys R Us kid, at heart
on another note, will you be drawing up one of your classic RIP. artworks with Geoffrey?
bain capital loaded up a thriving company but they bought it and loaded it with debt to kill it and give themselves corporate handouts which mitt Romney was one of the people who invested in it srysly wake up stop supporting the great oppressive party thats what killed toys r us thanks for supporting ass wipes that killed a lot of peoples childhoods
Hey 
Malekith22 Aren't you the little SJW that was here earlier and accused me of things I'm not involved with and then blathered and bitched to various leftist furs to get me banned from here and from the fandom, and blocked me from replying directly to you over your accusations?
Malekith22 Aren't you the little SJW that was here earlier and accused me of things I'm not involved with and then blathered and bitched to various leftist furs to get me banned from here and from the fandom, and blocked me from replying directly to you over your accusations?
says the person that whined to the mods and got me suspended for a day for telling the truth about one your neo nazi idols screw off u snowflake old troll what i said about toys r us is the truth its bain capitals fault they bankrupted and ruined a place of joy to millions of kids they all need to be arrested for that evil cruelty
You still accused me of something I was NOT involved with, and your truth is that of utter bullshit you spewed on my pages about me on others pages. YOU whined to others, not me.
I agree about TRU, but your attitude and accusations towards me are false and utter bullshit. I strongly suggest you just go crawl back under your rock of hate and finger point your nazi attitude towards a mirror. Because YOU are doing the exact same thing they pulled, false accusations, lies and slander. ALSO young man, I was NEVER in the GOP, I was a registered Democrat til the DNC tossed Bernie under the bus for the Wannabee Witch of the White House. I told the DNC to fuck off that day. So stop accusing me of being a damn right wing GOP.
This is my last time with you. GO AWAY!
I agree about TRU, but your attitude and accusations towards me are false and utter bullshit. I strongly suggest you just go crawl back under your rock of hate and finger point your nazi attitude towards a mirror. Because YOU are doing the exact same thing they pulled, false accusations, lies and slander. ALSO young man, I was NEVER in the GOP, I was a registered Democrat til the DNC tossed Bernie under the bus for the Wannabee Witch of the White House. I told the DNC to fuck off that day. So stop accusing me of being a damn right wing GOP.
This is my last time with you. GO AWAY!
I went to the Toys "R" Us in Tucson (Oracle Road) about a week before it closed, and it was depressing. Most of the store had been roped off. There was hardly anything left in any of the departments. I bought a couple of action figures (at 70% off) just to be able to say I'd gotten something out of there more or less at the last minute and because I sort of felt sorry for them in a way. I knew the manager at that TRU, and am grateful that I had a chance to speak to her before the end. I'm really going to miss that place. I've spoken with any number of friends who enjoyed taking their kids or grandkids there, and they've all said that it's just not the same taking them to Walmart or Target. TRU was a special treat. I remember getting the G.I. Joe Space Shuttle Complex there in 1987, not long after they'd opened. And they had a LOT of exclusive G.I. Joe product over the years, as well as in other categories. I was looking through my G.I. Joe collection the other day, and thinking, "Yeah, those guys were TRU exclusives. So were they, the entire Night Force team. All those multi-packs of figures from 2003-2006..." I still have the toys, but the store is gone.
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