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[Mistake]

So I saw this meme in the funny pics thread

And I said, no. No. Maybe I can be the manager. Maybe there's still a chance.
So I went and found one

The parking lot was empty. I only saw one employee stocking shelves, and nobody was on registers. But everything still looked pretty nice inside. This was the entrance

If you have a kid obsessed with dinosaurs or trains, this is the place to go. I haven't seen this many in ages

Also tons of cars like RC, trucks, hot wheels..

The other sections were equally impressive. I like how creative the sticker books can be in Japan. There's so much to do in them

They had some Barbies, but it seems they have their own brand here

They also sell different parts of costumes for all those magical girls out there

This brand is called "Sylvanian Families." I guess they're sold in Europe too, but I never saw them in the US

The urge to buy a Tamagotchi never goes away

Anpanman is quite popular here. You can find small buildings full of it for kids to go nuts in

And here's a bunch of other stuff

There was a lot of variety at this store. They also had many things for children under 3 as well, which I didn't include. The exit had some gotcha machines and a mini arcade. I think the walls felt a bit empty and could use a bit of decoration, but any 5 year old would still love the place.

 

[Coconutt]

None in my state anymore but as a kid it was definitely one of my favorite spots to go. Shame kids have replaced toys with screens.

 

[p_xavier]

We still have them in Canada.

 

[IAmRei]

my place only got TRU in about 10 years ago. I often goes there to see lego, but lego prices is kinda overpriced in my local TRU, i mostly ended buy it online in independent sellers : ))
Place like this always pique my interest tho, I often goes there if I wait my wife when she is shopping : ))

 

[The_hunter]

Last time I went to one, over a decade ago, it was filled with screaming kids.

Nice hot wheels section.

 

[lachesis]

Back in midwest in early 90s... I had Toys R' Us about 90 miles away from my town, and it was nearest place that carried Turbogfx 16 and games.
Used to read up EGM and GameFan, and drove down 1 and half hour just to get that - for that reason I have fond memories of it.

 

[Windle Poons]

If you remember WH Smith's in the UK (now call TJ Hughes but stick with me) there are some Toys R Us subsidiaries in those shops.

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

The last toy that my parents got for me from Toy 'R Us was a Jurassic Park dino thingymajingy.

 

[Hemingwayoffbase]

Did they still have the tickets for video games that you had to bring up to that counter??

Did they?!

 

[Soltype]

Loved the store growing up, then ended working there selling games.The job wasn't the best but I still miss it, the Nintendo rep used to give us extra promo stuff.

 

[AJUMP23]

It was a great store. Private Equity killed it I think. They put them in Macy's now.

 

[Agave]

THEYRE BACK???

Oh- never mind

 

[deriks]

When I saw this I honestly got worried about the future

I mean, cartoons are fun first and foremost, but they also teach lessons and can lead inspirations. A generation that only watches some Tiktok bullshit or short videos about nothing... As much I sound like a old grumpy guy, I think it's fair to assume those new kids will be empty and with even more neurological problems than we know today

 

[spookyfish]

Did they still have the tickets for video games that you had to bring up to that counter??

Did they?!

I don't know why, but I have fond memories of that. (Didn't really love it at the time, because it always took so long for someone to help me at the cage.)

 

[p_xavier]

When I saw this I honestly got worried about the future

I mean, cartoons are fun first and foremost, but they also teach lessons and can lead inspirations. A generation that only watches some Tiktok bullshit or short videos about nothing... As much I sound like a old grumpy guy, I think it's fair to assume those new kids will be empty and with even more neurological problems than we know today

Franco-Japanese animation was something else. Watch Remi or Rose of Versailles.

 

[Chuck Berry]

This was my childhood

Phantasy Star 2 was $80. Some things never change...

Edit - Which prick took the final copy of Tommy Lasorda Baseball?

 

[Dural]

This brand is called "Sylvanian Families." I guess they're sold in Europe too, but I never saw them in the US

You've never heard of Calico Critters? My daughter was really in to them 6 or so years ago. Target and Walmart both have their own knockoffs. I swear there was something like them in the 80s when I was a kid.

It was a great store. Private Equity killed it I think. They put them in Macy's now.

Yep, still pisses me off to this day. Private equity took out a huge loan to buy them and that's what killed them. Toys R Us were making a profit, just not enough to pay the huge loan.

 

[dem]

We still have them in Canada.

Not for long

 

[Paasei]

I remember our holidays in the US very fondly from when I was young with my family. Late 90s we did 3 summer vacations in a row and one of those to Canada as well.

Always excited when my dad took a break from driving at a huge store close to whatever highway we were on at the time.

I even lost my parents in one and an employee helping me fine them. Good times. No clue the stores would end up closing one after the other.

 

[Vyse]

This was my childhood

Phantasy Star 2 was $80. Some things never change...

Edit - Which prick took the final copy of Tommy Lasorda Baseball?

I remember Phantasy Star 4 being really expensive like that. Couldn't afford it at the time.

 

[Chuck Berry]

I remember Phantasy Star 4 being really expensive like that. Couldn't afford it at the time.

Yeah Phantasy Star 4 and Beyond Oasis were both $100 at launch. I couldn't either....because I was 12 lol

Waited a year or so and ordered them both used from FuncoLand back when the company was only out in California. Longest three week delivery ever lol

 

[Vyse]

Yeah Phantasy Star 4 and Beyond Oasis were both $100 at launch. I couldn't either....because I was 12 lol

Waited a year or so and ordered them both used from FuncoLand back when the company was only out in California. Longest three week delivery ever lol

Loved Beyond Oasis!

 

[Chuck Berry]

Loved Beyond Oasis!

And it still holds up!

 

[Windle Poons]

Did they still have the tickets for video games that you had to bring up to that counter??

Did they?!

Special times. The first Sonic and Revenge of Shinobi were my first game purchases from there.

 

[Vestal]

This was my childhood

Phantasy Star 2 was $80. Some things never change...

Edit - Which prick took the final copy of Tommy Lasorda Baseball?

WHAT A FUCKING WALL!!!!!

Tommy Lassorda, Ghouls and Ghosts, Golden Axe, Shinobi and Phantasy Star 2.. That was me and my friends 2 consecutive summers of FUN!

 

[Solarstrike]

They should merge with Gamestop and make the ultimate gaming/toy store or something

 

[Chuck Berry]

60 bucks for Golden Axe 1 and you can wrap it up in about 30 min or less

Edit - With inflation that would be about $160 American dollars in 2026 lol

 

[GateofD]

never really went to Toys R Us.
like only once or twice when my parents got me a bike.

I was more of a KB Toys patron. RIP KB Toys.
Rest in Shit. Suncoast Videos

 

[spookyfish]

Oh man. Suncoast. I remember buying the "Collectors Edition" VHS tapes in the plastic clamshells, that were letterboxed, and all that, from them.

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

They should merge with Gamestop and make the ultimate gaming/toy store or something

I don't think any business partners around the globe would want to get into bed with a company that was done in by vulture capitalists and Wall Street. It's a dog-eat-dog-world out there.

 

[Idleyes]

Damn shame they couldn't execute a transition plan to modern retail fast enough while buried under debt. They had almost every obstacle you can think of get in the way.

Edit: Still wish I would have kept that "We're no longer accepting ET returns" sign my uncle ripped down as he left the store pissed. It would probably be worth 100 times as much as he spent on that game.

 

[jshackles]

Knew it was Japan before entering the thread. Visited one there myself last year and it was a wild time.

But the one I went to was actually pretty busy and had a full staff of people working there.

 

[EverydayBeast]

The little toys r us' in Macy's basements are do disrespectful to what Toys R' Us use to be

, I have a long history with the store, the bike department, nintendo wii launch etc.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

So I saw this meme in the funny pics thread

And I said, no. No. Maybe I can be the manager. Maybe there's still a chance.
So I went and found one

The parking lot was empty. I only saw one employee stocking shelves, and nobody was on registers. But everything still looked pretty nice inside. This was the entrance

If you have a kid obsessed with dinosaurs or trains, this is the place to go. I haven't seen this many in ages

Also tons of cars like RC, trucks, hot wheels..

The other sections were equally impressive. I like how creative the sticker books can be in Japan. There's so much to do in them

They had some Barbies, but it seems they have their own brand here

They also sell different parts of costumes for all those magical girls out there

This brand is called "Sylvanian Families." I guess they're sold in Europe too, but I never saw them in the US

The urge to buy a Tamagotchi never goes away

Anpanman is quite popular here. You can find small buildings full of it for kids to go nuts in

And here's a bunch of other stuff

There was a lot of variety at this store. They also had many things for children under 3 as well, which I didn't include. The exit had some gotcha machines and a mini arcade. I think the walls felt a bit empty and could use a bit of decoration, but any 5 year old would still love the place.

I loved Toys R Us, they were just expensive. AFAIR. This was My favorite store to visit as a kid, with Circuit City and KB Toys being close/tied second.

 

[MaestroMike]

Pretty sure my parents bought my N64 from toys r us and a bunch of street sharks

 

[ClanOfNone]

A Toys R Us thread without Lance Reddick's Toys R Me vid?
For shame gaf.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I bought Super Metroid, Mortal Kombat II and Kid Icarus (GB version.) from Toys R Us. It was on the highway coming from shopping out of town. I begged my dad to stop every single time. The last thing I remember buying there was Ocarina of Time (preorder gold cart) and NFL Blitz (tshirt scrunched up as a tiny football) for N64. I don't think I cared about anything else in that store.

The Toys R Us (two of them) closed down in my city. So did the Best Buy locations that were right next door. They downsized the Best Buy and moved it a block away.

I did take my step daughter there for a Barbie back in 2019. I was probably more excited about taking her there than she knew where we were going.

 

[trikster40]

Loved Toys R Us. Shame their prices were always more than their competitors. If they had just dropped their prices to match or beat Walmart/Target, they'd still be around.

 

[gamingforum1]

Loved this store. My mom used to take me there randomly for an afternoon to just browse around. I remember getting Yoshi's Island for like $92 CAD. Had to ask the employee to get it cause it was locked behind the glass display or whatever. Also had reoccurring dreams of going there but you know how dreams are, everything was bigger and cooler cause it was in the dream world.

 

[Pimpollo818]

obligatory

 

[TDiddyLive]

THEYRE BACK???

Oh- never mind

They are back. One opened around Thanksgiving near me. A full standalone store, not a section in Macy's.

Toysrus.com, The Official Toys”R”Us Site - Toys, Games, & More

Toys”R”Us is the leading kids store for all toys, dolls, action figures, learning games, building blocks and more. C'mon, Let's Play!

www.toysrus.com

The store locator has them listed. The one by me is pretty big but feels… off. It just feels soulless.

 

[Agave]

They are back. One opened around Thanksgiving near me. A full standalone store, not a section in Macy's.

Toysrus.com, The Official Toys”R”Us Site - Toys, Games, & More

Toys”R”Us is the leading kids store for all toys, dolls, action figures, learning games, building blocks and more. C'mon, Let's Play!

www.toysrus.com

The store locator has them listed. The one by me is pretty big but feels… off. It just feels soulless.

OH MY GOSH- oh . . . that's too far away from where I am . . .