Poll: Toy Stores

CrimsonTide4 · #1 08-12-2004, 07:41 AM

What toy stores were around when you were growing up?

We had Children's Palace, Toys 'R' Us came around late 80s or so. Children's Palace is long gone, but that is where a lot of my toys came from. A few years ago, my granny redid her porch. Underneath the old porch, we found a HUGE Children's Palace bag. I like to think it held toys for me.

We had BEST too. (long gone

) They had the best catalogue for writing your Dear Santa letters.

Dear Santa, send me everything on pages 100- 110.
Love ya,
CT4

I cannot think of others because I guess we just did not shop there, but my other Clevelanders will remind me.

Rain Man · #2 08-12-2004, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
What toy stores were around when you were growing up?

We had Children's Palace, Toys 'R' Us came around late 80s or so. Children's Palace is long gone, but that is where a lot of my toys came from. A few years ago, my granny redid her porch. Underneath the old porch, we found a HUGE Children's Palace bag. I like to think it held toys for me.

We had BEST too. (long gone ) They had the best catalogue for writing your Dear Santa letters.

Dear Santa, send me everything on pages 100- 110.
Love ya,
CT4

I cannot think of others because I guess we just did not shop there, but my other Clevelanders will remind me.

Ditto to what CT4 said,

In Columbus, Children's Palace was the place to shop, Toys 'R' Us didn't come until the late 80's (matter of fact, the West Broad St. location had Children's Palace and T'R'U side by side competing for business. Guess who won that battle).

After Children's Palace shut down, Media Play (a retail book, movies, and music store) bought all the old Children's Palace buildings in Columbus.

CT4, how could you forget KayBee Toy Store? Nowhere near as good as T'R'U, but had some good merchandise nontheless. Well, I heard they went bankrupt and folded also very recently.

CrimsonTide4 · #3 08-12-2004, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rain Man
Ditto to what CT4 said,

In Columbus, Children's Palace was the place to shop, Toys 'R' Us didn't come until the late 80's (matter of fact, the West Broad St. location had Children's Palace and T'R'U side by side competing for business. Guess who won that battle).

After Children's Palace shut down, Media Play (a retail book, movies, and music store) bought all the old Children's Palace buildings in Columbus.

CT4, how could you forget KayBee Toy Store? Nowhere near as good as T'R'U, but had some good merchandise nontheless. Well, I heard they went bankrupt and folded also very recently.

My family did not shop at KayBee.

Yeah Children's Palace (the one I remember) was on Miles Ave. outside of Randall Mall which is where the Circuit City now is. Toys 'R' Us opened across the street and a few years later, adios Children's Palace.

TonyB06 · #4 08-12-2004, 09:44 AM

Johnny's Toy Store in Cincinnati. It's still there, I think. As a kid, you brought in a special key (usually given to you as a gift) on your birthday and got to go to a special palace section of the store w/ extra special toys. I was like "bump the North Pole, Johnny's is the place to be!!"

...I noticed that all the posts are from Ohio. do other states have toys?

STL_Lady · #5 08-12-2004, 10:03 AM

I am from St. Louis, Missouri and I remember a couple of toy stores. I remember Children's Palace. I remember how excited I used to get when me and my mom pulled up to that big castle. I just knew I was about to go into that store and clown. I almost remember this toy store named Toy Chest. I remember it was really small, but I didn't really care because they had TOYS. I remember my mom taking me between Children's Palace and Toy Chest. I remember asking her can we go to Toys R Us when it first came out, and she said no because they were too expensive. But as years went by I didn't have much choice.

Gina1201 · #6 08-12-2004, 11:26 AM

Here is the 'Cuse, that's Syracuse, I remember the following:

Toys 'R' Us
KayBee
Lionel Kiddie City (turns your frown upside down)

I think those were the main toy stores that we had

#7 08-12-2004, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
What toy stores were around when you were growing up?

We had Children's Palace......
We had BEST too. (long gone ) They had the best catalogue for writing your Dear Santa letters.

I cannot think of others because I guess we just did not shop there, but my other Clevelanders will remind me.

YES! YES! YES!

I remember Children's Palace. It was the besteses (yes, I said best-ESES) toy store in the world!!!

I worked at BEST until they went out of business. It's Dallas Shoe Store now.

BirthaBlue4 · #8 08-12-2004, 11:42 AM

In DC, we have Toys 'R Us, Kaybee, Funcoland (for video games), and some independent ones. But since I've had a child, I've gone mainly to Wal-Mart, and I went to Toys 'R Us a couple times. But my mama got stuff wherever it was cheapest lol.

AKA2D '91 · #9 08-12-2004, 11:48 AM

We had all of those, plus Toy Fair. You can buy toys and shoes from the same store.

blackerican · #10 08-12-2004, 02:42 PM

Toys 'R' Us was my favorite spot....I got my EasyBake Oven from there!!!

I also remember Funco Land.

My son prefers KayBee Toys (for his G.I. Joe toys, and Match Box Cars) & Radio Shack (for his R/C cars).

Sister Havana · #11 08-12-2004, 06:20 PM

Toys 'R Us, Children's Palace, Kay-Bee, Toys By Rizzi, Galt Toys...Service Merchandise had a great toy section in their giant catalog. In the Chicago area, we also had Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom. It had a castle in front which was a giant toy store, and behind that was a kiddie amusement park. That place ruled.

ram229 · #12 08-12-2004, 06:25 PM

In the Pittsburgh area, Children's Palace was the place to shop. Kids R Us did not come along until the late 80's, I believe. Kay Bee was around but we always shopped at Children's Palace.

Sister Havana · #13 08-12-2004, 06:33 PM

I almost forgot Circus World! That was big in the malls.

sigtau305 · #14 08-12-2004, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
What toy stores were around when you were growing up?

We had Children's Palace, Toys 'R' Us came around late 80s or so. Children's Palace is long gone, but that is where a lot of my toys came from. A few years ago, my granny redid her porch. Underneath the old porch, we found a HUGE Children's Palace bag. I like to think it held toys for me.

We had BEST too. (long gone ) They had the best catalogue for writing your Dear Santa letters.

Dear Santa, send me everything on pages 100- 110.
Love ya,
CT4

I cannot think of others because I guess we just did not shop there, but my other Clevelanders will remind me.

Wow,

It's been so long since I heard the name Children's Palace. the Old Woolworth Department store also had a pretty good amount of toys on Stock. That's far as I know on Toy Stores.

CrimsonTide4 · #15 08-14-2004, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gina1201
Lionel Kiddie City (turns your frown upside down)

I remember this store. Don't remember shopping there but I remember the commercial.

Quote:

Originally posted by kissy324
I worked at BEST until they went out of business. It's Dallas Shoe Store now.

I grew up right by there. I spent every weekend for like 3 years at Randall Park Mall. Now I only go there if I don't want to drive to Richmond.