# Old Toy Store Photos



## 1bluegtx (Aug 13, 2004)

Found this really cool website that shows photos of old toy stores.Brings back memories of aisles packed full of toys and models.

Check out the second photo down:
http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/five.html

ten photos down!:
http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/seven.html

BRIAN


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## 1970AMX (Feb 3, 2011)

Pretty neat, Thanks for the pics


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## rhinooctopus (May 22, 2011)

Those bring back some memories!...
I used to look forward to going into the basement of the local "Medical Center Pharmacy" (that was a hobby store) and seeing the newest Aurora "long box" monster kits, or the Revell "Fink" kits.
"Atlantic Mills" was a department store that I first saw (and bought) the original "Lindberg Loonies".

Does anybody else have dreams about going into a store (hobby or department store) and seeing ALL THESE FIGURE KITS of monsters, creatures, etc. that have never been done as figure kits?

Do dreams come true?

Phil K


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## rat salad (Oct 18, 2004)

That's very cool. Brings back great memories. Sadly, toys stores are a dying breed. My local ToysRUs is folding up shop next week. I remember when there were several chains of toy stores. Not anymore.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I remember shops and stores like that through the late 70s and into the mid 80s. Toy King comes to mind. They were a chain store that pre-dated Kay Bee. Lionel Playworld in the early 70s was awesome. Even TRU, 30 years ago, was pretty impressive. Now TRU if its still open, is mostly crap and half empty.

I recall also the big stacks of monster kits. Even big chains like JC Penny, JM Fields and Montgomery Wards had big displays of models like that. The Woolco down the street from where I grew up had more kits in the 70s than a Hobbytown today has.


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## rowdylex (Jan 19, 2010)

Thanks for the link. :thumbsup:

Some great pictures there, especially of the Dinky toys display. It definately brought back some fond memories.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

Even in grainy black and white, those photos bring back the era and the memories. Thanks for showing!


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## spawndude (Nov 28, 2007)

Sears and JC Penney usta have a huge toy inventory during the Christmas season.

The garden departments were generally the temporary hosts.

I remember walking into Sears toy department after Christmas one year(1979 ish) and they had a "ton" of Star Wars toys marked 3/4 off. This included the big ones like the Falcon, huge boxes. Shopping baskets full of figures. 

Woulda, Coulda, Shouda! Oh well.


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## Hunch (Apr 6, 2003)

All those square boxes! I'm drooling! Great pics!:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

spawndude said:


> Woulda, Coulda, Shouda! Oh well.


The sooner somebody invents a time machine, the happier I for one will be.


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## Chinxy (May 23, 2003)

WOW! I'm a kid again with my mom. Does that bring back GREAT memories! Yes, yes it does! Thanks for sharing! I wish I could go back to those times! I was a happy kid growing up.


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## spawndude (Nov 28, 2007)

Until the early 80's we only had one dedicated toy store. "Milams Toyland". They sold mainly high end imported toys.

When the new mall opened (1980ish) we got Kaybee, Childrens Palace, and ToysRus.


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## Dracula (Jun 5, 2005)

Chinxy said:


> WOW! I'm a kid again with my mom. Does that bring back GREAT memories! Yes, yes it does! Thanks for sharing! I wish I could go back to those times! I was a happy kid growing up.


I agree brings back memories of Satlers department store and Grants during the fifties and sixties in Buffalo Ny. To go back to our younger days.


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Chinxy said:


> WOW! I'm a kid again with my mom. Does that bring back GREAT memories! Yes, yes it does! Thanks for sharing! I wish I could go back to those times! I was a happy kid growing up.


Come on Chinxy, you are still a kid, just bigger and hairier! All of us guys on here are in the same boat. I do remember toy stores growing up. I remember saving up for a Creep Crawler set and getting a vacuform for my birthday. I remember visiting the only hobby shop in the area, House of Hobbies in Clearwater, whenever I could get my parents to take me there on our trips to Clearwater. It is sad that so many toy and hobby shops are going under these days, where am I going to take my grandkids when I have some??? Those pictures bring back fond memories.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I'm looking at that, thinking that as long as there are Star Wars toys, it's not "old." I mean, I was 20 when SW came out. "Old" would be from when I was 10 or something. :lol:


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## Bobj812 (Jun 15, 2009)

A lot of fun looking at those pictures - thanks for posting this!
The first toy store I remember being in total awe of was Toyco in San Diego in the mid-60s. Talk about kid-heaven. I'm sure it's bigger in my memory than it was in real life, but if I think back on that store it gives me a specific and special nostalgic feeling. When we moved further inland less trips to Toyco (and it was never a regular trip to that store - I bet I can count the number of times I was actually in there on one hand), and when Toys R Us opened in La Mesa that was the go-to place from then on. I think Toyco closed up sometime in the '70s, sad to say.
Also a lot of pics of TG&Ys on that site. We had one that I could stop in everyday on the way home from school where I bought several model kits back then. All the hobby stores filled with model kits, I still recall where most of them were. Sigh.


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