I posted in the forum topic about K.B. Toys and it got me to thinking about a toy store called Children's Palace ( Children's World ) which was also mentioned too. I know in St Louis we had different toy stores much like every city probably had their only local toy chain. But when I was a kid we had a store called Toy Chest or maybe The Toy Chest. And I was wondering if anyone else outside of the MO/IL Metro area had ever had one in their area. When I was a kid that was the toy store to be at. But it all changed see Toy Chest being I think just a local store couldn't compete when Children's Palace moved in literally one mile down the road. Within six months of there store opening Toy Chest was out of business. It was a sad day for me because that the the true toy store of my childhood but by 1987-88 it was gone. That store was where I bought my first Atari ( yes Atari ) games and my first NES games. I went to Children's Palace begrudgingly but after awhile I enjoyed yet every time we drove past the empty building on the way to the movies I still feel saddened. Hell there's been an Office Depot there for the past 15 years at least but part of me still misses it. Yet Children's Palace would get it in the end too. See I believe it was either 1990 or 1991 when Toy's R Us moved in directly across the street from The Palace. And again within six months to a year tops they too were out of business. And till this day at least here Toy's R Us has reigned supreme. Its funny though because the mall which had my childhood K.B. Toys was also divided by one street with Toys' R Us as was Children's Palace. All three stores were only within a quarter mile radius of eachother. You would think it would have been a kids dream to have that many toy stores that close. Oh the deals. Oh the splendor. Oh the toys! Yet no it wasn't. I only had one true toy store and its dead and gone. What about you guys what toy store did you have has a kid that today's don't match up to?

There was this store in my area called Leisure World. It was a toy and hobby store. At the one near my home at Towne and Countrye (now Centerpoint) Mall, in Toronto, there were trains and models galore, and also such toys as Transformers and G.I. Joes. My two fondest memories:

1. In 1985/86 when I was 6, one evening, after going to see 101 Dalmatians at the movie theater that once was at that mall, I looked in the display window of that store, and was amazed at the different model trains there.

2. In September or October 1987 when I was almost 8, I bought my first Transformer there. I had recently decided to start collecting Transformers and went into the store one evening about fifteen minutes before closing. I was not sure which transformer I wanted to buy as I didn't know the names of most of the new ones. I took the first familiar one, Goldbug, and bought him. That was my first transformer. :shock:

Near there was (and still is) a big Toys R Us. Speaks for itself.

At the Don Mills Centre, a Toronto mall that my dad says was torn down some time ago, there used to be a good shop called The Toyman. I wish I had a scanner, because there's actually a picture of me sitting on a bench near this shop with my grandmother as a kid. When I was 8, I got my Ultra Magnus transformer there.

generally speaking, kaybee toys was the bull's nuts to me when I was a squirt.

I remember Children Palace that was an awesome store. Back then you could actually find what you were looking for at the stores (there were very little scalpers picking up the good figures) it was like heaven :D

My six favorite toy stores were Kay-Bee, Toys R Us, Lionel Kiddie City, a local store in my neigborhood called Fairy Godmother, FAO Schwartz, and Zany Brainy (even though I was 14/15 when I first went into one)

As i live in iceland, I can't remember the names of these Toy Stores BUT , I remember 2 toy stores.. BOTH gone, long time ago :S

I got looots of childhood memories of checking out toy cars. :P

There is no actual toy store in the town anymore, only a newly opened "Toys R Us" -.-

Toys R' Us was the shit but it was over an hour away when I was a kid. KB Toys was awesome and a must see if I happened to be at the mall. And Hills is where the toys are or shall I say Hills is where the toys were.

Kay-Bee toy store! I remember getting "Zombies ate my Neighbors" for $9.99. What a great buy! I wish I still had it.

we had severeal toy stores near me Toys R Us KB Toys and Zainy Brainy

Growing up, there wasn't a Toys R Us for MILES. My parents used to take me to Family Toy Warehouse.

I really liked Family Toy Warehouse when I was a kid. The problem is they were few and far between around here. I also remember Kay-Bee and Children's Palace. Sadly we didn't get a Toys R Us until I was like 10. Pittsburgh's always last in line for everything. :(

I've been living in Pittsburgh (the north hills) for the last four years while going to college. I've only been to two of the Toys R Us' in the area.

As for Family Toy, that was a killer store. Though I remember my Mom had this crazed period where-- well, she's very religious and conservative, and there was a time where she took my sister and I to the store and didn't let us have anything that wasn't made in the USA. Which narrowed it down pretty good. But within days, my Dad's like "For god's sakes, let them get what they want."

I went to KB, Toys R Us, and Family Toy when I was younger. I always went to KB whenever we went to the mall. I didn't always get something, but I was so happy just to go in and look around. If I couldn't find anything to buy at KB, my parents took me to Toys R Us. And I would always find something there to buy. Toys R Us had the best variety. Sadly, toy store like everything else these days suck, because they don't have good selections like they used to. At least we've got our memories to hold onto.

I miss toy stores; they were always full with kids playing with bouncy balls or bicycles.

When I was really young we had a local (I think?) toy store called Warehouse of Toys that I have fond memories of. Then that closed down and then Kay Bee came in the mall. Then a little while later we got Family Toy Warehouse, it closed around 2000-2001 I think, was vacant for years, now a church has occupied it *shudders*.

However, Hills was always the place for toys in my eyes.

I haven't seen a Kay Bee in years...

Family Toy Warehouse was awesome, I found Episode II toys there a day before they were supposed to be released.

It's because it completely went under.

Huh... didn't know that.

To be more specific, Kay-Bee (later KB Toys), closed all of their remaining stores in 2009, which in my own hypothetical opinion, would be the after-effects of the franchise going under.