The Return of...KB Toys?

Black Arbor · 03-20-2018, 10:56 AM

I remember last year some little weenie name Nicholas Tobolski made Twitter accounts for KB Toys and Palisades Toys and was pretending to bring them back... I'm not proud of it but I called his butt out til he shut down all his accounts (well, maybe I'm a liiiittle proud haha)

WastelandAngel · 03-22-2018, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Arbor

If it happened I would actually consider picking up some part-time work there since when I was a kid it was my favorite place on earth!

My first "on the books" job was with KB-Toys, I hated it, especially around christmas time when the furby was first released, believe me, it was much better shopping with them rather than working for them.

Black Arbor · 03-22-2018, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WastelandAngel

My first "on the books" job was with KB-Toys, I hated it, especially around christmas time when the furby was first released, believe me, it was much better shopping with them rather than working for them.

Why do you haveta go and ruin my dreams?

juggernaut209 · 03-22-2018, 01:55 PM

This is very sketchy. The only information available has come out of social media pages. Even the mainstream professional media coverage only has the LinkedIn post as a source.

From their own bio: "Strategic Marks, LLC acquires and develops trademarks in order to rebuild old brands taht have tleft the market years ago but still are highly regarded. Current brands include: Leaf Brands, Astro Pops, Wacky Wafers, Bonkers! Fruit Chews, May Company, Bullock's, The Broadway, The Bon Marche', Abraham and Straus, Robonson's department stores, Joseph Magnin adn Screaming Yellow Zonkers." I've never heard of any of these.

Jmacq1 · 03-22-2018, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juggernaut209

This is very sketchy. The only information available has come out of social media pages. Even the mainstream professional media coverage only has the LinkedIn post as a source.

From their own bio: "Strategic Marks, LLC acquires and develops trademarks in order to rebuild old brands taht have tleft the market years ago but still are highly regarded. Current brands include: Leaf Brands, Astro Pops, Wacky Wafers, Bonkers! Fruit Chews, May Company, Bullock's, The Broadway, The Bon Marche', Abraham and Straus, Robonson's department stores, Joseph Magnin adn Screaming Yellow Zonkers." I've never heard of any of these.

I’ve heard of/remember a few. Astro pops, Wacky Wafers, Bonkers, The Broadway, and the Bon Marche. Sounds like they buy up a lot of trademarks but I don’t know that they’ve successfully “rebuilt” any so far.

TheBlueMarvel · 03-22-2018, 06:18 PM

KB always seemed pretty figure friendly, at least in my memory. You could get nearly everything, especially X-men and...Bats...so many Batman figures, with no enemies. A wide variety of cool toys, in a smaller space.

The industry is still going to take a hit. Regardless of whatever they mobilize.

Maybe they'll save some of the dying malls around the country. Local franchise...unlikely as that is. doom. They need to make a new Doom.

Word salad.

MechaTails · 03-27-2018, 04:11 PM

Why should I be excited about this news? So they come back and take TRU's place as the toy retailer that marked up all their merch by 20%? Pff.

WastelandAngel · 03-27-2018, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Arbor

Why do you haveta go and ruin my dreams?

Lmao, sorry, but look at it this way, I saved you from potential misery.

Joe Moore · 05-11-2018, 06:33 AM

KB Toys Details comeback Plans at PlayCon

BlackRazor · 05-11-2018, 07:29 AM

Simon is among the many mall organizations that replied with interest to Kassoff ‘s LinkedIn post and are now aboard as investors; banks, outside investors and private equity are not involved in this version of KB Toys.
---------------------------------

Yeah I'll just bet malls are interested, KB will have their pick with some of the open stores - especially in 1 local mall. A good way to get even more people in the malls before the holidays. What kid doesn't enjoy a trip to a toy store?

JimGrimm · 05-11-2018, 07:39 AM

Hope the physical stores stay small, I think a huge detriment to TRU was that they were so big. I always preferred KBT for this reason, even as a kid haha.

BlackRazor · 05-11-2018, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimGrimm

Hope the physical stores stay small, I think a huge detriment to TRU was that they were so big. I always preferred KBT for this reason, even as a kid haha.

I think they will - always recall how cramped they were, like they had too many toys for the space they had.

Was walking in & then past a TRU this week & you're right, that's a huge building!

Dolemite · 05-11-2018, 12:37 PM

This sounds almost too good to be true. They're even talking like they're going to be catering in-part to big boy collectors like us.

If this actually happens, I'm assured of having one open by me, as I live near a major shopping district.

Joe Moore · 05-11-2018, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dolemite

This sounds almost too good to be true. They're even talking like they're going to be catering in-part to big boy collectors like us.

If this actually happens, I'm assured of having one open by me, as I live near a major shopping district.

If it happens, I'll have a few near me. I live less than a 45 minute drive to at least 5 malls. All of which are Simon owned.

Dolemite · 05-11-2018, 02:12 PM

Same here. I have at least three or four Simon malls within driving distance, including one smack-dab in the middle of the aforementioned major shopping district.

MeLikeJinx · 05-11-2018, 03:33 PM

The Christmas Season pop up store model should work IMO. At my giant shopping mall in which rent is probably crazy expensive the dumb calendar and novelty store opens up shop every November to February... and they mostly just sell calendars and novelty items. Any mall shop selling toys during Christmas time without much retail competition at that same mall should do just as well as the seasonal Calendar shops.

NGW · 05-13-2018, 12:56 PM

Quote:

– Of special interest to collector communities, a dedicated “Toy Nerd” in each store will help buyers with in-store hot off the delivery truck purchases, along with events like meet and greet autograph sessions with toy designers.

So, easy access to new and rare stuff for scalpers? Disgusting.

Black Arbor · 05-13-2018, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NGW

So, easy access to new and rare stuff for scalpers? Disgusting.

Orrrrrr that person could be in the know about what figures are most likely to get scalped, and take steps to assure that no one buys 20 of the ultra rare figures to flip...

Il Cattivo · 05-13-2018, 04:32 PM

are we getting board games with a "TRU classics" logo on it? that's what I wanna know...

03-22-2018, 01:06 PM	#27
WastelandAngel Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Elmira, NY Posts: 362	Quote: Originally Posted by Black Arbor If it happened I would actually consider picking up some part-time work there since when I was a kid it was my favorite place on earth! My first "on the books" job was with KB-Toys, I hated it, especially around christmas time when the furby was first released, believe me, it was much better shopping with them rather than working for them. __________________ Collecting MOTUC, Aliens, Predator, horror.

03-22-2018, 01:55 PM	#29
juggernaut209 Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 355	This is very sketchy. The only information available has come out of social media pages. Even the mainstream professional media coverage only has the LinkedIn post as a source. From their own bio: "Strategic Marks, LLC acquires and develops trademarks in order to rebuild old brands taht have tleft the market years ago but still are highly regarded. Current brands include: Leaf Brands, Astro Pops, Wacky Wafers, Bonkers! Fruit Chews, May Company, Bullock's, The Broadway, The Bon Marche', Abraham and Straus, Robonson's department stores, Joseph Magnin adn Screaming Yellow Zonkers." I've never heard of any of these. __________________ Toy pics from my collection:https://www.instagram.com/presidentjuggernaut/

03-27-2018, 04:14 PM	#33
WastelandAngel Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Elmira, NY Posts: 362	Quote: Originally Posted by Black Arbor Why do you haveta go and ruin my dreams? Lmao, sorry, but look at it this way, I saved you from potential misery. __________________ Collecting MOTUC, Aliens, Predator, horror.

05-11-2018, 06:33 AM	#34
Joe Moore Administrator Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 34,320	KB Toys Details comeback Plans at PlayCon __________________

05-11-2018, 01:02 PM	#39
Joe Moore Administrator Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 34,320	Quote: Originally Posted by Dolemite This sounds almost too good to be true. They're even talking like they're going to be catering in-part to big boy collectors like us. If this actually happens, I'm assured of having one open by me, as I live near a major shopping district. If it happens, I'll have a few near me. I live less than a 45 minute drive to at least 5 malls. All of which are Simon owned. __________________