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07-18-2020, 10:33 PM | #11 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Brooklyn NY!
Posts: 5,239
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So TRU not withstanding there were a few local family spots that jumped on action figures in the red hot market of the 80s. All of these were in South Brooklyn.
Reds Pool and Patio. Red was an asshole but I got Gung Ho (and probably others) there in 1983. It was a good spot to find figures that run of the mill families didn't know about. The place smelled like pool liners. Time Square Store was a small appliance chain in NYC. There was one on Avenue U. Got Airborne there, also in 83. City of Famous Bargains. A mom and pop appliance and electronic shop in the opposite direction on Avenue U. It was an old creaky floor dump held over from the 1960s. The guy who owned the place was a super nice/cool guy. The looked like the actor who played Casey Jones in the first Turtles movie. He had a couple kids my age and knew what was what. In 1984 he held Storm Shadows behind the counter for the "real fans", or so he said. He was the only reason that my brother and I ever found Storm Shadow at all. I'd like to thank him and hope he did well in life. Genels. A small card and candy/lotto shop in my 'hood. Got my first Joe, Breaker, there in 82 and found a Flint there years after he was out of production. Was a great little local spot for Ben Cooper costumes, holiday window decorations, model kits etc. In the late 70s to early 80s Mr. Genel order my mom a 12" Kenner Luke. You could NOT find him anywhere. He was a grumpy guy but always liked me and was nice to me. I gave him as much of my business as I could until he sold the place. It's a Real Estate agency now. Like TRU, they are all gone now and that makes me really, really sad. The Brooklyn real estate market has ruined the entire borough.
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Visit my vintage Joe restoration page! https://www.flickr.com/photos/131988164@N07/albums Cross Country's super smooth feedback thread. http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...ml#post4456308 Currently available Hasbro items. PM me for your prices (DO NOT be discouraged by the listing prices) https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dkr...nirtoys&_oac=1 Last edited by Cross Country; 07-19-2020 at 05:21 PM.. |
07-18-2020, 10:33 PM | #12 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: May 2015
Location: CT
Posts: 2,052
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Children's Palace, Hills and K-mart - every summer when we would visit my grandparents my dad would take me and my little brother there and buy us a few figures - it was a fun tradition that lasted from probably 1990-1995.
Children's Palace Joe toy aisle was pretty damned amazing. Figures I can still remember acquiring from those trips are PP Copperhead, PP Viper, PP Crimson Guard, Freefall, Rock Viper, Desert Scorpion, Duke v3, DEF Shockwave, Star Brigade Duke - (the one in the green suit) - he was my second to last GI Joe bought at retail. My final retail Joe was Battle Corps Flint in 96 at the PX. Last edited by HitandRun; 07-18-2020 at 10:40 PM.. |
07-18-2020, 10:53 PM | #13 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: WV
Posts: 3,155
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For me it was K-Mart and Hill's, and a small local brand called Harts. We didn't have a TRU until around 88 or 89. Had a children's palace until 87 when it burned down.
Hill's was awesome, up til about 87. They would have a big GIJoe display with the new figures and vehicles set up with a nice diorama. Whoever made it, really went all out. They would get stuff from the model trains, those old foam tunnels and mountains, the trees and grass and bushes and really made a great scene. If there was a boat that year, they would use I think it was saran wrap and put blue construction paper under it so it would kinda look like water. They even went so far as to pull the wrap up around the boat to look like waves. With the aircraft hanging down like they are attacking, they would put cotton balls to the missiles and have them hanging in "mid air" and use the cotton balls to make explosions. I think they really enjoyed doing it. Loved seeing Hill's Christmas commercial, they had this tag line. "hill's is were the toys are". |
07-18-2020, 11:26 PM | #14 |
Mass Nerderer
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Slitherin' around the tank- It's cool, though, 'cause I'm being "watched"
Posts: 9,106
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07-19-2020, 12:08 AM | #15 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Floriduh!
Posts: 153
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Child's World and Play World when I was a kid. I think Child's World went out of business early 90's. I loved how the exterior facade looked like a castle. Then TRU, especially in mid to late 90's into mid 2000's. I highly doubt we'll ever see those kinds of toy stores ever again. Sad.
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07-19-2020, 12:29 AM | #16 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 258
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Man these bring back memories.
Best is where I found the 1985 Snake-Eyes. I visited Australia over a year ago. Their stores are just like US Stores were like in the 1980s. Well-stocked and highly organized. If I go to my local Walmart or Target, things are scrambled on the shelves and the stock for anything has no rhyme nor reason. Walmart and Target control the toy business now a long with Hasbro and Mattel. I miss all the other stores and the locally owned places, sigh. |
07-19-2020, 01:25 PM | #17 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Houston
Posts: 2,449
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My aunt lives in a small town in Texas called Gonzeles, and before they had Walmart, there was a small general store type place called Gibson's. I remember going to stay with her frequently and getting Snow Job, Torpedo and Bib Fortuna from there.
Mervyn's - this was the "hidden gem" of Windsor Park Mall in San Antonio. They got Joe's before anyone else. I remember William Forester from elementary calling me up and telling me they had Mutt, Ripcord and Zartan early so it was easy pickings. Toy Box - this was the main toy store of Windsor Park Mall. Not a lot of Joes but I remember MOTU hitting there one Friday when I was there with my parents. No internet back then, no commercials, no comic ads or anything.... just BAM! Massive new toy line. I got Skeletor and had to save up allowance for later figures. Later got Snake Mountain on layaway and also picked out a massive Godaikin for Christmas. K-Mart - I remember putting the Rattler on layaway and paying it off with my allowance. Still my 2nd favorite vehicle, behind the Water Moccasin. Toys R Us - Of course, TRU, but my main memory from them was getting the LJN D&D figures. I remember picking out the Fortress of Fangs for Christmas one year. Also picked up 1988 Storm Shadow there when I was "too old" for toys. F all those people, I said! Also in the 90's, getting the Vypra Stinger (Rattler) jeep and the Cobra Polar Force figures. That was unexpected and very awesome. Never thought I'd have original sculpts again. The originals were already pretty expensive at local comic shops, and I was making about 5 bucks an hour... KayBee - My main memory of them was 90's and later. Star Wars POTF2 line in the 90's, big time. I was in Houston by then and hit Baybrook Mall every weekend for new stuff. But when the 2000 ARAH Joe figures hit, that was very cool. I got Firefly / Undertow and shopped around for others but never bit. There was a ghetto mall near my work so I'd leave college, hit the mall's KayBee real quick, then head to work. Good times, hunting in the wild, before pre-orders and before I had a family and had a lot more time on the weekends! |
07-19-2020, 02:15 PM | #18 |
Retired Toy Hunter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Burbank, Ca.
Posts: 12,048
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No store fond memories for me.G.I. Joe was EVERYWHERE back then. So I got Joes from PlayWorld, Consumers(Distrbuting), Woolworths, Alexander’s, Drug stores, even bodegas.
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07-19-2020, 05:17 PM | #19 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Brooklyn NY!
Posts: 5,239
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Quote:
And yeah GI Joe was everywhere! Glorious times.
__________________
Visit my vintage Joe restoration page! https://www.flickr.com/photos/131988164@N07/albums Cross Country's super smooth feedback thread. http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...ml#post4456308 Currently available Hasbro items. PM me for your prices (DO NOT be discouraged by the listing prices) https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dkr...nirtoys&_oac=1 |
07-19-2020, 08:35 PM | #20 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Cobra Island & Massachusetts
Posts: 6,378
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Zayre I can remember buying some Gi joe, TF and Ghostbusters from.
Douglas Drug in Fall River, Ma I bought the 89 RnR and Dee Jay from. Kerr Mill discount store I remember getting both the movie 3 packs from just before it burned to the ground. I am still looking for vintage card backs with any of these 3 price tags on them
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