R.I.P. Toys R Us

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

A couple days before Christmas I went with my mom to Macy's to help her pick out a gift for my niece. We were walking by one door to go in another and she says "Hey do you want to go to Toys R Us?" and I look in the door and there's literally a kiosk with a Toys R Us sign. I went "Really..?" and she's just laughing because she knows I had just had talked about our old TRU with my niece and nephew.

 

[JediMichael]

Came to Macys at the mall, and wasn't even thinking about ToysRus, but they have a small section...and NO prices. Everything is like 25% or more off....but off from what? For all we know, they raised the prices and "put them on sale".
Wait, I found prices on the back or bottom of each package. Not retyping anything.

I like these Hotwheels models. They are all $14, but possibly on sale. Don't see a sign.

This TMNT van is $6.49, but at 25% off should be about $5. My Grandpa gave me like $12 for Christmas, might as well treat myself.

 

[dkaniel]

The MACYs I went to a week before XMAS didn't even have a section half as big as that, it was maybe 4 rows of toys and some cheap RC stuff. I thought how pathetic if this the great Toys R Us rebranding attempt!

 

[CessnaDriver]

Vintage Toys 'R' Us pops up in Burbank for film shoot

A vintage Toys "R" Us sign mysteriously popped up at an old Kmart store on San Fernando Boulevard in Burbank.

abc7.com

 

[Moviefreak]

Vintage Toys 'R' Us pops up in Burbank for film shoot

A vintage Toys "R" Us sign mysteriously popped up at an old Kmart store on San Fernando Boulevard in Burbank.

abc7.com

Don’t get too excited…. Last sentence of that article states that it was erected for a movie being filmed there.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Don’t get too excited…. Last sentence of that article states that it was erected for a movie being filmed there.

Oh sure, judging by the appearance that could be late 70s to 80s store appearance. Wonder what they are filming?

 

[NakedMoleRat]

As much as I loved Toys “R” Us and excitedly took my girls there, they really did price themselves out of business. Why pay $21.99 for a Barbie doll that you could literally buy at Walmart for $14.99

 

[Moviefreak]

As much as I loved Toys “R” Us and excitedly took my girls there, they really did price themselves out of business. Why pay $21.99 for a Barbie doll that you could literally buy at Walmart for $14.99

Yeah, people want cheaper. A certain “generation” would pay for the extra money just for the nostalgia and the experience, but the majority of the world will go to Walmart, Target, or Amazon to save a few bucks.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Well Walmart barely has a toy section now. It's like four or five rows, if that.

 

[Wakeem]

In defense of Walmart, back when I went to Toys R Us, they only had 3 or 4 rows that I would check. But and it's a big but, those rows were filled with G.I. Joe, Star Wars, etc. Not the few figures you see today in Walmart or Target stores. And Toys R Us always seemed to keep stock. I never felt that if a figure wasn't there. That it wouldn't get restocked in a day or so. Or it might be at another Toys R Us. Perhaps even Kay Bee, Circus World, or Mall Toy Store. It was nothing like today.

 

[Moviefreak]

In defense of Walmart, back when I went to Toys R Us, they only had 3 or 4 rows that I would check. But and it's a big but, those rows were filled with G.I. Joe, Star Wars, etc. Not the few figures you see today in Walmart or Target stores. And Toys R Us always seemed to keep stock. I never felt that if a figure wasn't there. That it wouldn't get restocked in a day or so. Or it might be at another Toys R Us. Perhaps even Kay Bee, Circus World, or Mall Toy Store. It was nothing like today.

I blame a lot on resellers these days. Stores get minimal stock and they get picked over the night or morning that they are getting stocked on the shelves. It’s a whole different experience these days.

 

[Wakeem]

I blame a lot on resellers these days. Stores get minimal stock and they get picked over the night or morning that they are getting stocked on the shelves. It’s a whole different experience these days.

True. Resellers is a kind word. There wasn't an ebay. So flippers / scalpers didn't have the market. Unless it was sports tickets or something. The only hot seller I remember towards when I think Toys R Us started to get bad was a Teddy doll or that tickle Elmo.

There wasn't any fear of missing out. Pre-Orders. Or artificially limited production items. Also prices were fairly even across stores I think. Except for maybe FAO Schwartz. But I barely remember getting anything there.

 

[Kylash]

i just saw that TRU in Canada is starting to carry large sections for DVD/ CD and Vinyl records, when every other store is getting rid of those things. Could this hurt us Americans any more? lol, its basically becoming a time machine.

 

[NakedMoleRat]

I’m huge into vinyl.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Might want to add "records" to the end of that. You might get some odd DMs.

 

[NakedMoleRat]

Might want to add "records" to the end of that. You might get some odd DMs.

Not sure I understand what you mean.

 

[Moviefreak]

Not sure I understand what you mean.

You wrote that you are “into vinyl”.
He is implying you might get odd PMs from people into S&M bondage fetishes.

 

[NakedMoleRat]

You wrote that you are “into vinyl”.
He is implying you might get odd PMs from people into S&M bondage fetishes.

Yeah, I had absolutely no basis of reference for that..

 

[JediMichael]

Vinyl records for MUSIC!!!!
Not THAT type stuff......

I've known people into some of that really crazy S&M bondage stuff.....yeah, its quite weird alright.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Yeah, I had absolutely no basis of reference for that..

Neither did I until this one girl. I left when she came in with a whip. First date. I'm not even joking.