'80s game store pic

[o2william]

Well, it's the game aisle at a toy store, actually. Child World to be exact.

http://www.classicgaming.com/o2home/trade/t_childworld.jpg

(Click here for larger pic) (http://www.classicgaming.com/o2home/trade/childworld.jpg)

I lifted this from a tape of old '80s TV commercials I have (got it off eBay). Sorry for the blurriness but that's the quality of the tape.

I love this pic because it's like a window into a bygone era. Can you imagine walking into a toy store and seeing a big display of shiny new Atari carts? Unfortunately, I never got to experience that back in the day because I lived in a poor area with no big toy stores. :(

[Ed Oscuro]

Atari sure knew how to put on a show. It's shiny, black...perfect, really; cool corporate opulence. There does seem to be a bit of space wasted when you compare it to the big windows they use today, but there's no doubt that only ONE type of game belongs behind that glass :)

[NintendoMan]

I love seeing stuff like this! (Even though I would rather it be another picture of something from the NES :D )

It is like a passage to a bygone era. I missed alot of it due to me being younger with no money. But know that I have money I buy everything, espcially the old classics!

Again, NICE PICTURE, THANKS!!!!

[YoshiM]

Thanks for the pic! It's really cool to see something like that as a lot of places today just stack up the stuff with no flash or bang.

[Arqueologia_Digital]

Cool!!!, this must be the thread to upload some pics of old vg stores...

[TheRedEye]

Kinda wish I actually took photos at Toys R Us back in the old days. Remember the old setup, with promotional flat boxes on the wall and little tickets you pull off to buy the game? That was awesome. I remember seeing an ad for a timed Toys R Us shopping spree, and thinking that I'd spend the entire two minutes (or whatever) grabbing handfuls of those tickets and stuffing them into the cart.

[optic_85]

DUDE! I completely forgot abot thoes ticket thingys at Toys R' Us. That was very cool! I remember i went there on my birthday when i was like 8, and i got two NES games(Dr.Mario, and Tetris)........*sigh*......Good times.

[Daria]

Kinda wish I actually took photos at Toys R Us back in the old days. Remember the old setup, with promotional flat boxes on the wall and little tickets you pull off to buy the game? That was awesome. I remember seeing an ad for a timed Toys R Us shopping spree, and thinking that I'd spend the entire two minutes (or whatever) grabbing handfuls of those tickets and stuffing them into the cart.

Heh I remember it was set up like that when I picked out Shining Force 2 for my birthday and the remember being surprised the set up had changed a good number of years later when I bought SaGa Frontier 2. And THEN going back recently to find they had a seperate electronics "store" cornered off from the rest of the toys.

Shows you how often I shop at Toys R' Us
________
Suzuki gsx-r600 (http://www.suzuki-tech.com/wiki/Suzuki_GSX-R600)

[charitycasegreg]

Kinda wish I actually took photos at Toys R Us back in the old days. Remember the old setup, with promotional flat boxes on the wall and little tickets you pull off to buy the game? That was awesome. I remember seeing an ad for a timed Toys R Us shopping spree, and thinking that I'd spend the entire two minutes (or whatever) grabbing handfuls of those tickets and stuffing them into the cart.

I remember those tickets at TRU. I also remember all the nes snes games at target behind the glass, thats how it still is today though.

[gamergary]

I love seeing things like these of the past.

[Aussie2B]

I remember buying my N64 and several N64 games with those TRU tickets. o_O Maybe my local TRU was a little behind the times?

[JaredCenter]

Excellent pic!

It's too bad I didn't have any pics of Compucentre from the late 80's. Here in Canada back then, you could walk into any Compucentre store and see an entire wall filled with Nintendo game cartridges.

And what was so cool was after playing the hottest arcade game in the area (ex. Rush 'n' Attack, Ghosts and Goblins, Bubble Bobble), you would have that strong feeling that the game was available for Nintendo. All you needed to do was walk into a Compucentre and, lo and behold, the Nintendo version would be right there among all the other games on the wall.

I remember being in the Eaton Centre in Toronto, where you would spend an entire afternoon in Compucentre looking at all the cool games on the wall. You'd take three hours to figure out and come up with a hunch on what the hottest arcade game is, and how you could beat everyone to the punch by getting the game home while everyone was stuck in the arcades pumping quarters into the game you already own! Hunches were needed during the "pre game-mag" days, and I remember getting the hunch right on with Contra!

. . . those were the days.

[slip81]

I remember going into my local TRU once and seeing the top loader NES for $40.00 brand new and thiking, "that's cool, but I don't need another NES", what an idiot I was in my youth. I don't remember my TRU having any fancy set-ups though, they just pretty much covered a wall with those ticket things, and set up a few NES and later on, SNES kiosks.

[Aswald]

Wonderful picture!

It does bring back memories, especially since next to it would be the Coleco display.

[Jibbajaba]

You guys remember back in those NES days at TRU they had the aisle with the ticket thingies and if you were standing looking at them then behind you was accessories and the systems and whatnot and then on the next aisle over was a big glass case with the really expensive stuff in it. I remember seeing that Neo-Geo home unit and each cart was behind glass as well and they were like $200 per cart plus I don't even remember how much for the system itself. I remember later they put the cheaper NES games that were on clearance next to the wall with the tickets on a shelf. I guess it didnt matter if someone stole those. I think that the Game Boy was originally in the glass case with the Neo-Geo too...

[TNTPLUST]

From the posts I take it I'm a tiny bit older than the rest of you. In late 70's early 80's we had a small store open next to us that ONLY sold Atari 2600 games. This picture reminds me of that store. Tons of Atari posters and displays...really neat.

As for Toys R US I have vivid memories of the ticket wall and the glass case. I got burned on that glass case more than once. I remember all the discontinueds going into that case. Atari Jr, TG16's, Virtual Boys and the already mentioned NES top loaders. Sigh I wish I had bought those great deals then.

I walked that wall when it had C64 and Vic 20 games on it still. I remember picking up Mail order Monsters from that wall. It was the highlight of my week.

Once you got your ticket and paid you had to go to the Security Booth. I loved that also. I would ALWAYS look in through the windows for lost treasures. Many a time I would find merchandise in there that had now ticket on the floor. Usually you could call a manager over and get some really good discounts.

Sigh...those were the days...thanks for the pic it brought back lots of memories.

[Aswald]

:D So you were also around when Pong first came out? Remember how awesome it seemed to us? Then the variations, like...FOUR paddles on the screen?

[TNTPLUST]

OH YEAH! We thought PONG was the Shisa. I remember when my friend got an Oddysey. We were so impressed with the stupid overlays that you would put on your TV. We had about 5 kids on our street. Whether by design or accident (I don't remember) each of us got one of the early units. Soon we would get together in my friends garage and play on two tvs. One was black and white and one was color. Besides the already mentioned Oddysey we had an RCA II (Mine, and I still own it), Fairchild CH F, Coleco Telestar Combat (soooo cooool), and an Atari Pong. We all would go into the 2nd generation consoles too. Once again we would each select a diiferent console (2600, Bally, Oddysey 2, and a Intelevision). It's know wonder why we were stunned by the graphics of the 2600, Oddysey 2, Astrocade, and others compared to the 1rst gen systems. Anyway it's those early days and exposure to so many systems that have fueled my Collecting bug today.

[EnemyZero]

Ahh brings back memories, when child world was open a few blocks from me in good ole buffalo, i used to force my dad to take me there and by me sega games, now all thats left is a walmart, tops and a gamestope , ....poor child world

[tyranthraxus]

Well there is no time like the present to take some photos! How many of
you Dreamcast collectors wish you had a few snap shots of the last Xmas
spread? Or PS2 fanboys how about a pic of the lineups at launch day?

[sniperCCJVQ]

Look at those Intellivision display X_x

http://pageperso.aol.fr/carlhervier/fun/intellivision.jpg

[JaredCenter]

Look at those Intellivision display X_x

http://pageperso.aol.fr/carlhervier/fun/intellivision.jpg

Hey look in the far left. It's Burgertime! Right on!

[Cmosfm]

Kinda wish I actually took photos at Toys R Us back in the old days. Remember the old setup, with promotional flat boxes on the wall and little tickets you pull off to buy the game? That was awesome. I remember seeing an ad for a timed Toys R Us shopping spree, and thinking that I'd spend the entire two minutes (or whatever) grabbing handfuls of those tickets and stuffing them into the cart.

I remember dreaming about that also, grabbing the tickers and forgetting all the other toys...ahhhh, nostalgia

[Cmosfm]

I remember later they put the cheaper NES games that were on clearance next to the wall with the tickets on a shelf. I guess it didnt matter if someone stole those....

I REMEMBER THAT! That's where I got my Astyanax & Caveman Games as a kid. We always shopped the cheap isle. I remember when my mom got me Dr. Mario, ahhhh, I love my mom.

I remember K B Toys clearance games also, I got Shadow Of The Ninja & Adventures of Dino Riki there. My aunt bought me both, then she borrowed Dino Riki and someone broke into her house and stole all her games and christmas gifts. I was sad for her and me.

Then there was Toy Liquidators...anyone else remember this? This is where all the non-hot ticket toys went to. I remember eyeing the Sega Master system for the longest time there, it was cheap also, around 50.00. I never got one.

That was where I got my first Sega Genesis, it came with Sonic, oh man...hooking that baby up for the first time and playing Sonic with my little brother and my friends was the best feeling! Then I took it to my dad's with me, divorced parents, and we got to go rent a game for the first time for my Genesis. What game did I get? SONIC 2! TAILS WAS SO COOL! Next I got Tiny Toon Adventures, Busters Hidden Treasure...boy was that a good game, I need to get it again.

I remember loving that store so much, as a lower-middle class family we didn't get all the hot new items so we shopped there a lot. I remember getting Captain Comic for NES...and that game was great, still holds fond memories. I remember seeing that blue cart for the first time and thinking "what is this? blue? COOOOOOL!". They also had a ton of Gameboy PDA style cartridges.

Toys! I got so many COOL toys there! I got Cowboys of MOO Mesa action figures, Bucky O'Hare action figures (i collected the entire set), View Master reels, boxes of cheap football and baseball cards, some weird magic wand toy, Ninja Turtles (usually the oddball ones - I remember when I got a Ninja Turtle action figure for my birthday, it was a frog guy with a tongue gun. I still have him! I remember when Birthdays & Christmas wasnt about getting tons of stuff but getting a few things that you really wanted). What else did they have there, Books, I remember getting puzzle books there.

They had like, 4 isles, one with cards and books, one with board games and the sort, one with girly items, one with big box action figure accessories and bigger toys (ninja turtle vans & full size play plastic swords, water guns, that sort) and the last isle had outdoor/summer stuff. The back wall had books also, and some action figures. But my favorite place was the front of the store, where the HUGE action figure bins were. There were like 4 or 5 of em. They also had a huge clearance bin that I would raid, boy did I love the clearance items. And they had some of the hotter items in 2 front shelves by the counter Usually X-men stuff. And of course all the games were behind the counter.

I remember being young and getting christmas money, or birthday money, I would have 50.00 maybe. Anyways, unlike most kids I wouldnt spend it on the newest game or the cool 20-30.00 toy. I'd hit KB Toys clearances. I swear to you, I would find all the really cool toys marked down 1.00-2.00, sometimes less, sometimes more. They were always marked down in red pen, marked through the original ticket and the new price above it. I would grab up a HUGE basketfull of toys that were hot last year and now no one wanted...I would leave there with like 3 HUGE BAGS full of toys for what most kids would buy one single game for. I was thrifty, still am.

Then there were the Power Ranger toys when they first came out, I was maybe 12, I dunno. I put the big Megazord figures all on layaway at Wal-Mart...I would pay 5.00 a week and until I got them. Then I got them and had them all set up on my shelf. I remember I was so hard up for an action figure (the 12" kind) but everywhere was sold out, EVERYWHERE! There was a huge rush on them, anyways, I remember when I was in a Wal-Mart and they just got a stock in a few hours ago...but all they had left was Pink & Yellow. I was sad, but I still bought one! I got the Pink one, which I still don't know why being that I'm a boy...maybe I was desperate. Why didn't I get the yellow? Who knows.

Anyone remember a store called Brendles? They used to have all the cool games there, they were right next to a pawn shop here. I remember wanting a Mega Man game boy game there but never got it, no idea why. I remember I bought the Disney's Aladdin cassette soundtrack there. I also remember wanting Adventures Of Bayou Billy from there, and some other cool NES accessories like the Power Glove and a joystick. This was where I was going to buy my very first cassette tape at (before alladdin), I wanted Vanilla Ice...I was a kid, sue me...but my mom showed me a Michael Jackson tape (Dangerous) and I had never heard of him. She promised me that I would like it and if I got it she would pay for half. Of course, it was mom, so I believed her and took her up on it....and I've been a huge fan ever since. Black or White was my favorite song.

K-MART! I remember when K-Mart used to be a good store! I was dying for a game and would always go there because they would have a few under a glass case. I wanted Super Mario 3 SO BAD but it was too much money. Instead I got Ducktales, Oh MAN, Ducktales...that was a heck of a game, still my fave today. I remember that blessed time I seen my first Super Mario 3 box. I was talking to my aunt, she was in the car and I was standing there by her car door. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a Super Mario Bros. 3 box in the back seat! She said I could borrow it when she was done with it...took a few weeks but I finally got it! I was so happy. K-Mart was a great place, I got Super Mario Land 2 there, I got TMNT 2 there. They had a restaurant inside there and I knew we were getting it that day, but I was SO anxious to go get it that I made my mom give me the money and to go get it while she was eating. I also got TMNT the movie on VHS from there, i seen that in theaters with my mom, she bought me a poster also. I remember looking through the Cassettes and for some reason I remember seeing a Nat King Cole tape and having no idea who it was. LOL I got my brother a Baby Huey VHS from there, he loved it.

Oh man, sorry for rambling on for so long, this thread just grabbed the memories from me and I had to do it...everything just flowed out and I didn't even realize how much I typed. Sorry. :(

[Jibbajaba]

I used to do that with my money, too. I would go to Kay-Bee and look through the clearance piles. I bought Mega Man 6 (obviously sealed) for $5.00 there. Unfortunately I don't have the box or manual anymore but I still have that cart :).

[Jasoco]

Kinda wish I actually took photos at Toys R Us back in the old days. Remember the old setup, with promotional flat boxes on the wall and little tickets you pull off to buy the game? That was awesome. I remember seeing an ad for a timed Toys R Us shopping spree, and thinking that I'd spend the entire two minutes (or whatever) grabbing handfuls of those tickets and stuffing them into the cart.

I remember dreaming about that also, grabbing the tickers and forgetting all the other toys...ahhhh, nostalgiaHeh. I remember that too.

As for the Shopping Spree, I wonder if there was a disclaimer or something. TRU would lose a LOT of money by allowing you to grab all the tickets, so I wonder if they ever had a fine print part that said games were off-limits or you would be limited to a certain amount? Now I'm curious..

[Qixmaster]

Here are a few scans of Toys R Us ads from when I was younger. My mom saved these and pulled them out a couple of months ago and gave them to me. I figured some of these would be appropriate here. I have a few more, with SNES ads I should upload. Anyways, here they are

http://img37.photobucket.com/albums/v113/qixmaster/TG_TRU.jpg

http://img37.photobucket.com/albums/v113/qixmaster/NES_TRU.jpg

http://img37.photobucket.com/albums/v113/qixmaster/SegaGen_TRU.jpg

http://img37.photobucket.com/albums/v113/qixmaster/toysrus_TGHH_ad.jpg

http://img37.photobucket.com/albums/v113/qixmaster/Toysrus_SEGAGEN_ad.jpg


Hope the links work out. I'm pretty sure the bandwidth is okay (think it's allowed 70,000 hits).

-Josh[/img]

[Jasoco]

Thanks. It worked.

LOL. NES for $79.99!! Woo! What a deal! What year were these?

Upload more!! I love this stuff!

[Azazel]

Kinda wish I actually took photos at Toys R Us back in the old days. Remember the old setup, with promotional flat boxes on the wall and little tickets you pull off to buy the game? That was awesome. I remember seeing an ad for a timed Toys R Us shopping spree, and thinking that I'd spend the entire two minutes (or whatever) grabbing handfuls of those tickets and stuffing them into the cart.

I remember dreaming about that also, grabbing the tickers and forgetting all the other toys...ahhhh, nostalgiaHeh. I remember that too.

As for the Shopping Spree, I wonder if there was a disclaimer or something. TRU would lose a LOT of money by allowing you to grab all the tickets, so I wonder if they ever had a fine print part that said games were off-limits or you would be limited to a certain amount? Now I'm curious..

I remember those tickets. I use to take them but rarely ever bought any games back than. Always wondered what happened to those games.

[jwl]

I went in to a TRU in Bellingham, WA, about a month ago, on a little road trip, and they still had the aisle with the tickets for games, then the accessories aisle, and then the glass case with all expensive stuff. And bargain games were in baskets at the ends of the aisles and throughout the store. It brought back such good memories of when I was younger because I hadn't seen a TRU like that in years.

[Jasoco]

I went in to a TRU in Bellingham, WA, about a month ago, on a little road trip, and they still had the aisle with the tickets for games, then the accessories aisle, and then the glass case with all expensive stuff. And bargain games were in baskets at the ends of the aisles and throughout the store. It brought back such good memories of when I was younger because I hadn't seen a TRU like that in years.Nice to know not all of their stores became "R*Zone'd". Though, it's not the same without the tickets being for NES, SNES and Genesis games.

[Qixmaster]

I went in to a TRU in Bellingham, WA, about a month ago, on a little road trip, and they still had the aisle with the tickets for games, then the accessories aisle, and then the glass case with all expensive stuff. And bargain games were in baskets at the ends of the aisles and throughout the store. It brought back such good memories of when I was younger because I hadn't seen a TRU like that in years.

did they have any nes games in those bargain baskets?

[NE146]

Toys R Us still had the tickets not that long ago.. heck I bought the PS2 when it came out by snagging one of 5 tickets an employee placed in "the wall" right in the heart of a rowdy christmas crowd. And that was what... 4-ish years ago?

[jwl]

did they have any nes games in those bargain baskets?

Sadly no. :( The oldest stuff in the bargain bins were PSX, GBC, and DC. N64 were still expensive on the wall.