Nostalgia Spotlight - Toy Aisles of the 80's

Deefuzz · 08-23-2011, 02:48 PM

Nostalgia Spotlight - Toy Aisles of the 80's

Here's one I have been wanting to do for a while. I wanted to try to compile more images before I posted, but then I thought I could make this more interactive by throwing it out there and seeing what pictures the rest of you may have access to!

The toy aisles of the 80's sure were something. You really don't get the same feeling walking into a Toys R US these days. Maybe it was because I was a child, so I was smaller, and everything else around me was so much more imposing. But I remember the excitement just seeing the outside of a Children's Palace or Toys R US as a kid, and becoming practically breathless standing at the end of the toy aisle looking down at the mountainous rows of Transformers and G.I. Joe toys that lined the shelves to what seemed like the heavens.

I know there has to be more pictures of these beautiful sights out there somewhere! Whaddya got?

hrothgars · 08-23-2011, 03:06 PM

Have to say, these photos are pretty rad.

Stompers! G.I. Joe Headquarters & a fleet of Skystrikers! Castle Grayskull! M.A.S.K.! Metroplex, Jetfire, Megatron, & Dirge! Thundercats Thundertank!

That sweater & glasses combo!

Sooooo much want!

nomad1632 · 08-23-2011, 03:27 PM

thats awesome, the 80s, and 90s were the decades when toy isles were packed not just a single isle like they are now and toys r us's were packed full of figures, vehicles and playsets!!!! god I miss those days!!!!!

bmorr · 08-23-2011, 03:31 PM

wow. kids back then didnt have to worry about selection huh? I grew up in the 90s and I dont remember if i had it as good.

nomad1632 · 08-23-2011, 03:58 PM

the 90s were great too we still had kaybees and all, now stores like walmart or target have barely one isle for boy toys and figures and toys r us is like half the size too.

bmorr · 08-23-2011, 04:05 PM

yeah i had kaybees in all the malls but they all kinds blew. instead, i dont know if it was regional or not but they had a sister store called Toy Works. better prices than toys r us. I remember the days when beast wars toys were as plentiful on the shelves as the movie toys are now.

---but then the economy tanked coupled with the fact that more kids play video games now

ludovicotek · 08-23-2011, 04:24 PM

Beautiful. Just beautiful. Those pics brought a tear to my eye. *sniff*

synapse17 · 08-23-2011, 04:27 PM

Really takes you back. I can remember when there were fewer lines but each line was represented in full. Play sets, vehicles, figures, and accessory packs. Take GI Joe, There's like one peg maybe two of Joe's at my Toys R Us. It used to be 1/4th of a aisles. Too much crap these days.

Back in the late 80's and early 90's I could walk down one aisles and nothing but Joe's, Turtles, Thunder Cats, He-Man and Some marvel and DC.

The good old days...

jamesmruddy · 08-23-2011, 04:50 PM

I can remember spending hours just looking at all of the things shown in those pics.

darkmega2000 · 08-23-2011, 05:21 PM

WOW, the good old days, before toys became an adult/scalper/variant driven market.

fr0stie1980 · 08-23-2011, 05:28 PM

I used to love those days! I now have proof that they existed!!!

nomad1632 · 08-23-2011, 06:06 PM

the best kaybees were the outlets man I remember getting so many sweet buys from the one back home.

omega145 · 08-23-2011, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkmega2000

WOW, the good old days, before toys became an adult/scalper/variant driven market.

Great first post and welcome! Awesome thread and pics to go along with it. Hope to see more eventually.

nomad1632 · 08-23-2011, 06:49 PM

I agree I hope we see more these pics bring back some great memories!

jamesmruddy · 08-23-2011, 06:54 PM

I often wonder if there is some dark and dusty forgotten warehouse out there, filled with these goodies.

ludovicotek · 08-23-2011, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesmruddy

I often wonder if there is some dark and dusty forgotten warehouse out there, filled with these goodies.

Could you imagine? That would be a dream come true!

jamesmruddy · 08-23-2011, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ludovicotek

Could you imagine? That would be a dream come true!

Wouldn't it though.

AndyCR75 · 08-23-2011, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ludovicotek

Beautiful. Just beautiful. Those pics brought a tear to my eye. *sniff*

Took the word right out of my mouth. Oh man..the smell of cheap rubber and plastic as you entered the rainbow-colored wall of a Toys R Us. I was too young to like girls at the time, but that same thrill of seeing a set of nice t*ts is equal to the thrill I got from marching up and down the aisles at TRU, KayBee and Child World.

Holy Lord, Child World in Cranston, RI. It was like a Sams Club or a Big Lots. It was like there was absolutely zero aesthetic to it. It was basically a building crammed with as much sh*t as you could fit in one store. Action figure aisle? 2nd aisle from the left in the back. Never forget it. I'll occasionally dream of it, or what my mind remembers of it. It was bliss. Absolute f**king bliss.

http://fogetaboutitri.blogspot.com/2...ild-world.html

AndyCR75 · 08-23-2011, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by omega145

Great first post and welcome! Awesome thread and pics to go along with it. Hope to see more eventually.

yeah this is great stuff right here. You see, I think what drives many of us now is just that...NOSTALGIA!!!

bmorr · 08-23-2011, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesmruddy

I often wonder if there is some dark and dusty forgotten warehouse out there, filled with these goodies.

this:

jamesmruddy · 08-23-2011, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmorr

this:

Indeed. That is how I would imagine it.

fr0stie1980 · 08-24-2011, 12:03 AM

I never remember it being hard to find a toy back then, there were no limited editions or short packs. The only thing that was limited were the mail aways. I remember using the joe points to buy old toys from the little catalog you'd get when you bought a vehicle, you could get a killer whale for $20 bucks and 50 joe points.

Primacron · 08-24-2011, 02:57 AM

Back in the 80's large superstores didn't really exist in the UK, and so it was all about the shops in the centre of town, Beaties, Woolworths, even WH Smiths and John Menzies had nice toy sections. (Any other UK'ers remember those?)

My best memories are floor to ceiling Thundercats, rack after rack of Transformers, entire aisles devoted to Lego, and that was in the town centre!

With the possible exception of comic shops, maybe Argos and the Entertainer I think you'd be hard pushed to get a decent toy in any town or city centre nowadays.

What's with the solitary aisle of shelf-warmers in most stores we get nowadays!? (Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda, I'm looking at you!) Thank god for the internet!

MegaPrime33 · 08-24-2011, 03:48 AM

It's true what they say that youth is wasted on the young. If only to be an adult in the 80s and 90s where I can drive to TRU and just spend my paycheck away.

MegaPrime33 · 08-24-2011, 03:56 AM

08-23-2011, 02:48 PM	#1
Deefuzz Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 634	Nostalgia Spotlight - Toy Aisles of the 80's Here's one I have been wanting to do for a while. I wanted to try to compile more images before I posted, but then I thought I could make this more interactive by throwing it out there and seeing what pictures the rest of you may have access to! The toy aisles of the 80's sure were something. You really don't get the same feeling walking into a Toys R US these days. Maybe it was because I was a child, so I was smaller, and everything else around me was so much more imposing. But I remember the excitement just seeing the outside of a Children's Palace or Toys R US as a kid, and becoming practically breathless standing at the end of the toy aisle looking down at the mountainous rows of Transformers and G.I. Joe toys that lined the shelves to what seemed like the heavens. I know there has to be more pictures of these beautiful sights out there somewhere! Whaddya got? Last edited by Deefuzz; 08-23-2011 at 02:52 PM..

08-23-2011, 03:06 PM	#2
hrothgars Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 842	Have to say, these photos are pretty rad. Stompers! G.I. Joe Headquarters & a fleet of Skystrikers! Castle Grayskull! M.A.S.K.! Metroplex, Jetfire, Megatron, & Dirge! Thundercats Thundertank! That sweater & glasses combo! Sooooo much want! __________________ Last edited by hrothgars; 08-23-2011 at 03:11 PM..

08-23-2011, 04:50 PM	#9
jamesmruddy Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 898	I can remember spending hours just looking at all of the things shown in those pics. __________________ It's Not a Doll, It's an ACTION FIGURE!!!

08-23-2011, 05:21 PM	#10
darkmega2000 Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1	WOW, the good old days, before toys became an adult/scalper/variant driven market. Last edited by darkmega2000; 08-23-2011 at 05:22 PM.. Reason: misspelling

08-23-2011, 06:10 PM	#13
omega145 Toy Monger Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Hudson, NH Posts: 3,012	Quote: Originally Posted by darkmega2000 WOW, the good old days, before toys became an adult/scalper/variant driven market. Great first post and welcome! Awesome thread and pics to go along with it. Hope to see more eventually. __________________ B/S/T