[Bubbavader]

‘Zon and Tru has a multi year court battle that Tru won to the tune of 50 million. They then promptly lost the war.

[Cross Country]

I reread my previous, probably emotional post earlier in the thread. Though I stand by my remarks, I have had a change of heart. I no longer care as to who or why this is happening. I am no longer angry but sad, very very sad. I only care that this is happening and nothing will stop it. I'm more upset about it than I care to admit beyond the solace of this anonymous site.

I'm assuming like the rest of you, TRU was where I wanted to spend every childhood weekend. With a fist full of dollars and unrelenting pleading to my poor parents TRU is where I bought my first Star Wars, MotU, Joe, Transformer, MASK figure, D&D box set, Atari, Nintendo game, bat, glove, football, bike, swimming pool, etc. I am more than forlorn that the temple of my childhood will no longer be there, where it has been for my entire life. It's the same location where I took my step daugter in 2007 and stumbeled upon an action figure isle full of new Joe figures in vintage card backs. It's not an exaggeration to say that my eyes teared up a bit. I bought one of whatever they had and haven't looked back. Sadly standing in that same isle yesterday my eyes were tearing up again.

TRU was my first on the books job as a teenager. I'm sure I'm in like minded company to say that I loved action figures as a child. It seemed like a good fit for me. It was no longer where I spent money (ok maybe some) but where I earned money to do, well, teenage things. It's where a met a girl and we dated for over a decade. That era of my life has no fewer fond TRU memories as my childhood. I learned about life, the untruths of preconviced social ideas, and a bit about myself at TRU. I am a better man and better worker for it and use the skills that I learned every day.

I am grateful to have had a second go of brick and mortar toy collecting, as an adult. I know I'll cherish these new memories when I am older as I do my childhood memories now. I lament for today's children who will be deprived of even an inital chance to make their own memories at the house that Geoffrey built. I stopped by last Sunday. It was the last horrah. The store was suprisingly bustling like it was in the 80s. Parents with carts full and children running amok. I even found a figure that I wanted. All was right with my soul as I bought what would most likely be my last TRU pruchase. It felt good to buy something. One last drop of the plastic for my old friend, the giraffe. I went again yesterday but it was a mistake. The life was gone and the store felt like a funeral parlor. I don't want to remember the store like that so I'll probably resist the urge to go again. More's the pity.

First Luke is dead and now this?! My inner child can not survive another hit. I feel like Pan if he got served a evection notice from Neverland property management. It is as if the Goonies never found Willie's ship or Sloth and Troy and his dad will get their golf course. Stupif golf course. Where's a dejected Calvin emogie when you need one?!

Geoffrey;
Take care old friend, and thanks for the awesome childhood and adult memories. It's was a blast! I wish the party didn't have to end. Up Isle 7C!

Slainte,
Tommy

[RoadPigRules]

TRU was the best place for me as a kid. I have so many great memories and it makes me so sad knowing my future kids will never experience the same joy. Yet another thing that current generations can't Relate to.

[blackman2005]

Is it safe to assume that Joes have no future in retail at this point?

[Jmacq1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackman2005

Is it safe to assume that Joes have no future in retail at this point?

No.

Hasbro will push Joe with the 2020 movie, and Wal-Mart and Target will PROBABLY stock some of it. But if it doesn't sell through well or gets massively overstocked or whatever, it'll be just another "last gasp."

Also bear strongly in mind that whatever form the 2020 Joe line takes may NOT be anything we old-school guys like or recognize. They may be dumping ARAH altogether. It's almost certainly NOT going to be vintage-inspired in terms of designs (ie we're not going to get unmade "classic" figures). Hasbro's tried going to that well too many times now without lasting success. I think we very well may be in for a reinvention of Joe on par with the birth of the "A Real American Hero" era in the early 80's.

So yeah...wait and see, basically. I would wager Hascon 2019 is when we'll get our first glimpses, assuming everything stays on schedule. MAYBE SDCC 2019.

[ozzie92]

I went in today to spend my $5 rewards...and bought batteries. NOTHING worthwhile for customizing, NOTHING AT ALL I WANTED! :/

[Dolemite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cross Country

I reread my previous, probably emotional post earlier in the thread. Though I stand by my remarks, I have had a change of heart. I no longer care as to who or why this is happening. I am no longer angry but sad, very very sad. I only care that this is happening and nothing will stop it. I'm more upset about it than I care to admit beyond the solace of this anonymous site.

I'm assuming like the rest of you, TRU was where I wanted to spend every childhood weekend. With a fist full of dollars and unrelenting pleading to my poor parents TRU is where I bought my first Star Wars, MotU, Joe, Transformer, MASK figure, D&D box set, Atari, Nintendo game, bat, glove, football, bike, swimming pool, etc. I am more than forlorn that the temple of my childhood will no longer be there, where it has been for my entire life. It's the same location where I took my step daugter in 2007 and stumbeled upon an action figure isle full of new Joe figures in vintage card backs. It's not an exaggeration to say that my eyes teared up a bit. I bought one of whatever they had and haven't looked back. Sadly standing in that same isle yesterday my eyes were tearing up again.

TRU was my first on the books job as a teenager. I'm sure I'm in like minded company to say that I loved action figures as a child. It seemed like a good fit for me. It was no longer where I spent money (ok maybe some) but where I earned money to do, well, teenage things. It's where a met a girl and we dated for over a decade. That era of my life has no fewer fond TRU memories as my childhood. I learned about life, the untruths of preconviced social ideas, and a bit about myself at TRU. I am a better man and better worker for it and use the skills that I learned every day.

I am grateful to have had a second go of brick and mortar toy collecting, as an adult. I know I'll cherish these new memories when I am older as I do my childhood memories now. I lament for today's children who will be deprived of even an inital chance to make their own memories at the house that Geoffrey built. I stopped by last Sunday. It was the last horrah. The store was suprisingly bustling like it was in the 80s. Parents with carts full and children running amok. I even found a figure that I wanted. All was right with my soul as I bought what would most likely be my last TRU pruchase. It felt good to buy something. One last drop of the plastic for my old friend, the giraffe. I went again yesterday but it was a mistake. The life was gone and the store felt like a funeral parlor. I don't want to remember the store like that so I'll probably resist the urge to go again. More's the pity.

First Luke is dead and now this?! My inner child can not survive another hit. I feel like Pan if he got served a evection notice from Neverland property management. It is as if the Goonies never found Willie's ship or Sloth and Troy and his dad will get their golf course. Stupif golf course. Where's a dejected Calvin emogie when you need one?!

Geoffrey;
Take care old friend, and thanks for the awesome childhood and adult memories. It's was a blast! I wish the party didn't have to end. Up Isle 7C!

Slainte,
Tommy

So well written, and every word got me, man. This is the end of an era, and you captured those feelings perfectly.

[plastic army 72]

Toys R Us are done !!!! all branches here in the UK will be closed down by 6 weeks time , most are already barren , in the US they can't find an 11th hour buyer and are going to wind it up , and now they are being probed for a missing $485.5 million that they borrowed to try and save the UK arm , then spirited away to an offshore bank account in the Virgin isles

[Cross Country]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmacq1

No.

Hasbro will push Joe with the 2020 movie, and Wal-Mart and Target will PROBABLY stock some of it. But if it doesn't sell through well or gets massively overstocked or whatever, it'll be just another "last gasp."

Also bear strongly in mind that whatever form the 2020 Joe line takes may NOT be anything we old-school guys like or recognize. They may be dumping ARAH altogether. It's almost certainly NOT going to be vintage-inspired in terms of designs (ie we're not going to get unmade "classic" figures). Hasbro's tried going to that well too many times now without lasting success. I think we very well may be in for a reinvention of Joe on par with the birth of the "A Real American Hero" era in the early 80's.

So yeah...wait and see, basically. I would wager Hascon 2019 is when we'll get our first glimpses, assuming everything stays on schedule. MAYBE SDCC 2019.

Well Hasbro has a habit of peppering in classic vintage figures in its movie toy lines, Marvel, Star Wars, and even Joe movie product got us some nice vintage figures.

And to he honest J, other than Regegades SS the figures to sell out first after the 25th era were almost always ARAH figures. 30th Life Line, Airtight, Low Light, Sci Fi etc we’re considerably harder to find than any of the PoC figures in the wild, at least in my area. When it comes to Marvel Legends and Star Wars I see similar trends. I think the Imperial Probe Droid was the only new Star Wars item to sell out in the post Rogue One world. Hobgoblin, Taskmaster, Mysterio, all classic based figures and they are considerably tougher for me to find than modern or movie versions of characters. Unless it just in my area.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dolemite

So well written, and every word got me, man. This is the end of an era, and you captured those feelings perfectly.

Thank you. It makes things easier knowing that I’m not alone. I have been reading similar threads on other boards and I can’t believe (or maybe I can) how many Dads took their kids to TRU in the past week to say good bye.

[turner]

Wow, now I want to go to tru. I worked at one during a Christmas season before I finished college. My son and I have been in there together a load of times. The night I bought my first modern joes I met a guy in the joe aisle, he told me about the ‘tank, and a year or two later we met up and he gave me a few vintage guys including a mint and white storm shadow.