Defunctland: The History of Toys "R" Us Times Square

In this one-off episode, Kevin dives into the flagship location of the iconic toy retailer Toys "R" Us in the heart of Times Square in New York City.
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[@Defunctland]

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the episode. If you're interested, we have a new Defunctland store with brand new shirts and pins! Check them out here: defunctland.com/store

[@omni8568]

Oooooooo

[@alexgeorge501]

since this video was set in new york, can you make the next one on WWF/WWE times square/the world NYC?

[@RandomPerson-xj3we]

While I'm aware it's not really directly relevant to the New York focus of this episode, I do want to point out that there's a Toys 'R Us "experience" that seems to be trying to emulate what the Times Square version was.

[@Rock6Delta13]

I hate seeing the stories of places failing, especially like this one in the end that speech from the manager reminds me just how personal these jobs are. To some it’s just a “job”. Get a new one. But for others that was life, the people they worked with becomes like a family. The sights are always going to be with them no matter what business goes there. They will always remember the good days at work. And I’m sure as time goes by the memories will bring tears to their eyes as they remember all that was, but never will be again.

[@carminecdinoproductions]

Wow. This is a pretty informative video that’ll make me wanna start a Christmas superstore chain with a flagship store with headquarters in New York City’s Time Square! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Here’s a huge variety of toys for under your Christmas tree!

[@voxpopuli8957]

But the manager at the end was like the most New Yorker that ever New Yorked, is really sweet and caring, but sounds and acts like an upset mob boss all the time

[@Scorpia161]

Not a man with a heavy Brooklyn accent making me emotional over a toy store

[@lampshade7189]

Completely agree, touched me :)

[@Zeldafan1ify]

Freaking sounds like something out of a nostalgic 80s/90s/2000s movie and I'm crying

[@ObsceneLobster]

Honestly you could FEEL the passion the man had as he spoke. It was so touching and honestly beautiful.

[@bigcas78]

Brooklyn Manager: "Things I will miss. Just one word: You." Me: why is it so hard to see all of the sudden?

[@CaptainScorchMane]

"As guests entered the store, they were IMMEDIATELY confronted by Jeffrey the Giraffe." That sounds hilariously threatening.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

"...who immediately demanded you empty your wallet."

[@jaggerguth4391]

Jeffrey: Don't CLUE Me Out Bud. Because I am HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPO For Money.

[@leelalo6625]

I have been there dozens of times and would see him on occasion but dodged him. Hehehehe I was a teen.

[@timothymclean]

"Have a wonderful time in the store today! ...or ELSE!"

[@claytonbouldin9381]

Geoffery looks pretty dejected in the picture too.

[@Hyskaris]

That guy's closing speech was so endearing, it could only have come from someone who worked in a store like that for years. He must've seen his fair share of awful shit in all that time. But something tells me he was having a lot of fun during those final moments.

[@RandyyLaheyy]

anime is cringe, so that means you are too :)

[@jess_hinz]

@@RandyyLaheyy leaving shitty comments for no reason is actually cringe my dude

[@wenryjones2220]

PSA: THE MANAGER AT THE END THEN WENT ONTO $100K PYRAMID AND WON!! The clip is available on youtube

[@dudududu1926]

Thing he will miss #92 Raging grannies.

[@alainportant6412]

@@jess_hinz insulting random people on the internet is based

[@tazmike523]

Riding the ferris wheel in the middle of this store was amazing. Visiting this store in the early 2000s was like something out of a movie.

[@billyshears2032]

we really had a great childhood didnt we?

[@tazmike523]

We really did.

[@jamiegreenberg8476]

i have a framed photo of my family from us riding the ferris wheel for my 4th birthday (it was the monopoly one and this was 2006- my sister was just born)

[@elizabethwitt2621]

Took my kids on that ferris wheel when they were 3 and 4 years old. They're in their 29s now and they still remember it and the store. It really was a fabulous experience. We were so sad to hear it closed.

[@Blue8lue]

>It was replaced by a GAP and an Old Navy Now that's just heart breaking. That's the real insult to injury to all of this. A giant toy store getting replaced by the absolute most boring stores in the world to get dragged to.

[@SapphireDragonDX]

"Aw, screw this! I'm heading to Rockefeller Center. At least I know that Nintendo New York store is still alive and kickin'."

[@machellbartlett8783]

But part of it was a flagship McDonald's restaurant.

[@jackreiter7291]

“Well at least I’ll still be able to visit the Disney store a few blocks down”

[@andrewduong2740]

Donald Glover said Home Depot is where your childhood dies. He was wrong.

[@Ninten110dogs]

Times Square grew up and stopped getting toys for Christmas... now they just get boring clothes instead.

[@tavern2468]

“ confronted by Jeffrey giraffe” is the equivalent of “A powerful rat named Charles entertainment cheese “

[@fallingpetunias9046]

Something in that phrasing makes me expect a headbutt out of left field.

[@bothquickanddead]

I too found the use of "confronted" to feel vaguely threatening.

[@Foxy02016]

Now I want a Defunctland episode on Showbiz Pizza

[@rokronroff]

"Talk shit, get hit, kids"

[@RichV20]

G-eoffrey

[@XerxesTexasToast]

I love Johnny Tammaro's thick New Yorker accent. Greatly enhances any comedic delivery

[@rosemaryedwards7239]

Honey you ain't heard nothing!

[@wenryjones2220]

PSA: THE MANAGER AT THE END THEN WENT ONTO $100K PYRAMID AND WON!! The clip is available on youtube

[@sheketrow]

Its absolutely crazy to me to find out now as an adult, that this place never turned a profit. This was literally my favorite place in the world when I was little. I lived in Florida but we'd try to make a trip up to NYC every year or 2. Everyone knew we had to stop here for me and ride the ferris wheel. This place brought me so much happiness. I was allowed to get one thing every year and even if it was small souvenir, I was so proud to walk out of there with my toys r us bag. Definitely teared up watching this. Thank you for the great video!

[@elizaisdunn]

I've never been to NYC, but I felt the same way about the ToysRUs in my local area. I loved just being there, even if I didn't get to bring anything home. I would love to look at and play with the toy displays with my siblings and talk about how we would play with them with our other toys at home. I remember ours had this wooden / magnetic train set you could make different paths for, it was my favorite. You really don't know you're in the "good old days" until they're gone :')

[@purrehype]

These comments remind me of memories at our local Toys ‘R Us!! my brother and I would regularly stay with my grandma when my parents were idk..having social lives. Typical kids, our 1st question was always: “can we PLEEEEEZE go to Toys ‘R Us?!?!?” 🤞😩 grandma: I suppose 😏 Also gma: but u each can pick out ONE THING Me: yayyy☺️ Brother: WHATS OUR SPENDING LIMIT 🤨📝 I was just excited to go! I remember that store feeling like kid nirvana. With floor to ceiling toys. We’d each get lost in our fave aisles. My bro strategizing his toy budget (even tho granny never minded if we went a little over) and me always going the impulse buy route. 😅❤

[@CeaerCeaer]

Honestly it just seemed a victim of unfortunate circumstance, with opening shortly after 9/11 starting it all and then changes of management later down the line and I imagine recession didnt help.

[@BoySamusMetroid]

You'd be surprised, most retail stores in big places like that don't turn a profit at all. They're often built and opened knowing that they'll never be profitable by themselves, but it's seen as good advertising for the company to have its face in famous/popular/high-traffic places.

[@pizzasharkguy3807]

Been to NYC many times while it was open, I made the horrid mistake of never traveling there until it was too late.

[@2x4noah]

“As guests enter they where immediately confronted by Geoffrey the giraffe” makes it sounds like Geoffrey was a boss fight

[@Goldv0]

It wasn’t? So that’s why security had to escort me...

[@microsoft8911]

Geoffrey [boss battle] [no hits taken]

[@katlyn3248]

Thats what I thought. Made me chuckle.

[@Camad]

I didn’t hear him say that it *wasn’t* a boss fight...

[@faisalsalam4161]

I don't know about you but every time I got in I had to fight Geoffrey the giraffe. I always kicked his ass.

[@wendillon92]

"in order to improve customer service, Eyler approved wage increases for Toys R us employees"....holy crap they had a CEO that actually understood how to get better quality work from their staff.

[@luichinplaystation610]

Imagine

[@ricechido1089]

That ceo sounded a good guy imo. The fact that guy stepped down tells me 2 things A) The company board was starting to fill up with smooth brains or B) The company board was already filled with smooth brains and made him step down

[@Kaanfight]

It’s amazing how many people don’t know or care about this one easy trick to make your company run better

[@flan6449]

@@Kaanfight yeah….then it went bankrupt

[@Kaanfight]

@@flan6449 it went under after a leveraged buyout, not because pay was too high. The debt created from the buyout was what killed it.

[@andracatheduckking257]

Blowing my mind to learn that this place only existed for 14 years. It was such a staple of my childhood and every visit to the city. I thought it was something that had been there forever.....or at least since the 80s or something. I have a lot of great memories of this store

[@mollyo2407]

I grew up in midtown Manhattan and same:((

[@BobRooney290]

i loved sight seeing in toys r us. mainly because i knew i would never get anything since i was being raised by a single parent. the company's downfall came hilariously fast with the invention of the internet and online stores that would sell the same products for half the price. eventually toys r us was known as ripoff r us.

[@PeepsILoveEllie]

"forever.....or at least since the 80s or something" i cackled XD

[@monicaniblett9651]

That speech at the end was great. Never had someone that high up in leadership sound so genuine when my company has done layoffs/closures.

[@TheEmilyxx99]

Most likely, he lost his job as well :( I''ve had 2 stores that I worked in close and our managers were either laid off or offered to move to another location (which didnt work for most of us). There's a solidarity in your time together coming to an end, especially if you love the people you work with

[@wenryjones2220]

PSA: THE MANAGER AT THE END THEN WENT ONTO $100K PYRAMID AND WON!! The clip is available on youtube

[@WolfCoder]

The anti war toy grandma squad incident sounds like a skit from Monty Python.

[@frankyu553]

It's so very New York and I love it

[@albertnortononymous9020]

Yeah there was the sketch about a gang of grannies terrorizing people and calling themselves “Hell’s Grannies.”

[@spyczech]

Little is reported about the conflict between the anti-war Grandma's liberation front and Grandmothers anti-war people's front

[@icarus9340]

Time square always act like a Monty Python skit

[@gastronomist]

They should have been protesting Mr. & Mrs. Potatohead!! They represent hate and intolerance!

[@OvertheHedge06]

"Customers viewed Toys "R" Us as nothing more but dirty warehouses without character or charm." That is exactly what Walmart is.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

Kmart was much worse, especially with many of their locations found in sketchy neighborhoods that used to be much more affluent...

[@thishonestgrifter]

Sure but Walmart also sells Gogurt!

[@Lightwolf234]

When you are considered to be an even more dirtier warehouse then fucking Wal-Mart, you know you have some problems.

[@bustedkeaton]

The only difference is walmart sells groceries and stuff parents give a shit about too

[@marinac9854]

THANK YOU I cant believe it's one of the stores that replaced toy stores our kids have a lot less to experience than us, it's a little sad

[@obligatedorb5202]

The fate of the Toys-R-Us T-Rex was the saddest thing I've heard all day. I was really hoping that an ambitious collector acquired him. R.I.P. Rex, I'll miss you. 😔

[@drewhite7044]

My Aunt Lil worked there in the Baby Registry dept. Her nickname for him (which became OUR nickname for him) was "Screamin' Pete". #R.I.P. Aunt Lil #R.I.P. Screamin' Pete

[@neonisity]

that t-rex used to make me sob. f_ck that t-rex 😑. (slash j ☠️)

[@Clampityclampclamp]

That manager deserves an award. Also a gig voice acting

[@wenryjones2220]

PSA: THE MANAGER AT THE END THEN WENT ONTO $100K PYRAMID AND WON!! The clip is available on youtube

[@AwesomeVidzChannel]

Dinosaur: Brings smiles to millions of kids throughout the years Construction company: LETS BURN IT!

[@triple7marc]

To be fair, what’s the construction company supposed to do with it? Buy it and keep it?

[@Jabroniville]

Sadly very common. West Edmonton Mall lost its fire-breathing dragon pretty much the same way. They cut it apart and a worker took home the head, and was told to return it to destroy it. He burned it.

[@triple7marc]

@@elcb845 Considered they sold the Ferris wheel carriages I’m sure they also offered the dinosaur up for sale, but just didn’t get any buyers.

[@lunaticlemon2997]

*_WE TRIED BURYING IT, SHREDDING IT, AND BURNING IT! :)_*

[@bradwhite5884]

Why put the thing up for auction, not everything meant to be burned or destroyed even if it's loved my everyone, should of sold it or something, I don't get people like such

[@mg6945]

The saddest fact about Toys "R" Us is that its founder, Charles Lazarus, died the day after the company he founded started closing all its stores.

[@QuinnMiller]

The captain went down with his ship

[@wanderingoryx3710]

Still exists in Asia they give a shit about toys

[@kekero540]

With a last name like Lazarus maybe there’s still hope?

[@JamieLeece]

@@wanderingoryx3710 We've still got them here in Canada too.

[@teijaflink2226]

Wonder if it was too difficult fir him to see what he created go down, sad.

[@chloesuzette3508]

The speech at the end really hit hard for me, since the toy store I had worked at for 7 years just closed its doors due to leasing issues. Not only were the 'lists' entirely accurate (and something I plan on stealing for my last staff party's speeches), but it made me reminisce on not only my time working as a toy salesman, but as a customer to this Toys R Us in 2011. In both scenarios, I was delighted to be there. It was magic. Knowing what I know as an insider for the toy industry I can see how this place was doomed. But boy howdy, what a magical place it was. I hope all the staff can look back as fondly on this place as I do my store, and hope even more that wherever they are now, every kid who walked through the doors remembers it for what it was: fun.

[@wenryjones2220]

PSA: THE MANAGER AT THE END THEN WENT ONTO $100K PYRAMID AND WON!! The clip is available on youtube

[@elizabethwitt2621]

I agree it was totally magical, so magical that my kids still remember going there and on the ferris wheel. They were 3 and 4 then and now in their 20s, they still remember everything about it.

[@KrummyBrinkleJr.]

Went to NYC as a child around 2003 and the only thing I truly remember is going to this Toys-R-Us store. Was an amazing experience.

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

That was the year I was born.

[@autismworldtravel]

I took my kids in 2017 and it was closed, except seasonally. I was disappointed, I really wanted to see it. We went to the m&m’s store instead. And then Hershey’s. It was meh

[@bondel-]

The use of the word “confronted” rather than “greeted” when talking about Geoffrey cracked me up

[@Rakerong]

Yo that was pretty accurate though. You wanted to just go in, but there was Geoffrey, standing right there, blocking your path. I used to like going into the store with another family with children and wait til Geoffrey was preoccupied with them and slip by XD

[@ill_hex8103]

I full-on imagined that he was gonna square-up, like it’s some deranged psychopath that stole the suit and is off their meds.

[@SteeZy644]

*You’re a Toys R Us kid...forever*

[@r4z713]

😂😂😂

[@elisabethsnider4311]

The comment I came looking for

[@CZsWorld]

The Chad Toys R Us vs the Virgin Megastore.

[@NYRavage]

Removed my like to keep it at 69.

[@pinrapplerex4344]

Lol

[@isakts8576]

@@NYRavage you're very funny

[@NYRavage]

@@isakts8576 Welp, they ruined it. It's up to 183 now.

[@benedictdwyer2608]

@@NYRavage haha much funni🙄

[@margheritaberto4864]

The ending made me tear up fr. It sounded so genuine :( i hope everyone involved is living an amazing life❤️

[@williebeemin22]

Right.. I’m so confused as why that actually made me tear up…

[@wenryjones2220]

PSA: THE MANAGER AT THE END THEN WENT ONTO $100K PYRAMID AND WON!! The clip is available on youtube

[@MissPoplarLeaf]

​@@wenryjones2220what's his name? I hope that guy's having a good life overall

[@cat-ol7mf]

it was so sweet ❤

[@JussaPeakBruh]

We went to NYC in 2006 because my brother had a terminal diagnosis, and we wanted to give him some good experiences before we couldnt. We spent the better part of a whole day in the Times Square Toys R' Us. It was one of the best days of my life, and it's sad to know its no longer around. I wish every kid could experience that.

[@wowitslena]

The ending was so sweet. That guy seems like a genuinely amazing and kind human being who really wanted to see the store and everyone in it succeed. I hope he went somewhere great.

[@paganpines]

I loved him. What a cool guy.

[@benjaminrobinson3842]

Yeah, that had the be the classiest store-closing speech ever recorded. Kudos to him.

[@beuxjmusic]

Really, suprisingly, sweet.

[@hayberdasher8625]

His thoughtfulness, comedy, and sincerity in a hard time is rare and beautiful.

[@williamwade2674]

truly heartwarming

[@bizarrosito]

That's a manager right there. You can see how he lasted there 14 years. For anyone that's ever worked retail, you know the big difference passionate caring managers can make not only for the experience of the customers, but also to motivate and inspire the staff. Thanks for this video!

[@kellypatrick5667]

I hope wherever he is, I hope that he’s doing well.

[@BeauDek]

He was my manager when I worked there and he really was a great guy. Kind, caring, talented (he's done a few shows), funny. Really made you feel seen as an employee and made our job really fun.

[@dennychan1049]

He was my manager when I started in the wheels department...one of the coolest manager you'll ever find...I miss those days

[@fancyultrafresh3264]

Literally the most New York man ever made.

[@piedpiper1172]

Man, you enjoy bootlicking so much you gotta lick the boots of some manager you never even met?

[@alexandra457]

Growing up in NYC, the Times Square Toys R Us was genuinely one of my favorite childhood memories. It was so surreal as a kid seeing all your toys come to life in there. The enormous dinosaur, the pink Barbie House, and constantly begging my parents for one more ride on the Ferris Wheel. It was heartbreaking when I heard they were closing down, especially since it was my family go to place to hang out in when in Times Square. Miss it🥺😢

[@elizabethwitt2621]

Same. So sad. But at least the memories are magical. 🤷‍♀️

[@Marchant2]

As an adult with no children, this store looks really fun. Plus, the word "grambush" may sound clever at first, but upon more thought, it invokes something gray and gnarly.

[@vnsn1628]

the speech at the end was set up so perfectly. he makes you think he's still continuing to be comedic and the small paper is indicative of him not missing anything, but then he just went straight for the heart instead. beautiful and touching

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

Yeah that end definitely hit me in the feels. ❤️

[@Mizu-AM]

even if I wasn't there, I'll miss him too

[@NeoNovastar]

That sounded like a real good boss there. Fuuuck, my heart.

[@sd-ch2cq]

Perfect way to end this episode. Bringing home that real people worked there.

[@WhatAreDrums729]

Hearing that speech in a gruff new york accent makes it that much more heartwarming

[@WowItsJake]

I like how you said “confronted by Jeffrey the Giraffe” rather than greeted, makes it sound very ominous

[@macmcscott9723]

GEOFFREY The Giraffe

[@albertnortononymous9020]

And he paired it with a pic of Geoffrey looking down with a very accusatory expression on his face. Perfection.

[@albertbarese6486]

""Hheyyy kids......you like toooyyyss??😠"

[@IonicApple]

I literally came here to comment on that lol

[@bruhchamp16593]

A wild GEOFFREY THE GIRAFFE draws near!

[@mayashadrin8385]

As a little girl born and raised in NYC, I have so many great memories here. My Russian immigrant grandma would take me on the ferris wheel and I would try to translate between them to figure out how to pay. My twin sister and I would run around for hours using all of the toy playstations. I have a distinct memory of my getting my hair painted with those colored chalk pressers and feeling like I owned the world after. Toys R Us was special and even now that I'm older I still think about how happy it made me!

[@Gorilla_Jones]

The fact that Walmart was looked as being higher class then Toys R Us shows just how trashy we are as a country. Really miss the Times Square Store, such a great place.

[@francisnopantses1108]

That store was literally nothing like an average 1980s era Toys R Us. Stressful, horrible place. No wonder parents took the first exit (Walmart). I was lucky enough to visit real toy stores too, with quality merchandise instead of plastic licensed crap mixed in with sports gear, carpeted floors, and play areas where you could play test Brios and other toys. Quiet, calm, and inviting.

[@greatcaledonianpenicillin5378]

Yeah even toys r us stores in the UK sucked. I had better memories of other stores.

[@williamerazo3921]

Same here

[@Gorilla_Jones]

@@francisnopantses1108 lol shaddup

[@Gorilla_Jones]

@@greatcaledonianpenicillin5378 nope

[@420alfonzo6]

Imagine your friends saying "me and a giant crowd of other people are going downtown to scream at a dinosaur, wanna join?"

[@ImDudeRandom90]

I don't care what my plans for that day were. I'd say yes.

[@LARKXHIN]

“Hell yeah!”

[@THawkMedia]

only in new york

[@zidna656]

"I would be offended of you didn't ask"

[@Jonboi-jh3xc]

Bro it’s 2007. Later we’re gonna go watch that new Transformers movie and go to my house to play Halo 3.

[@wolfywox]

"Due to licensing issues, E.T. had to be covered up with a gift bag." That should not have been as funny as it was 😂

[@cynsational7225]

Hahahahaha I laughed so hard

[@benplutafilms]

I like how Toy Story was fine though

[@MarcusTheDorkus]

The whole place sounded like a licensing nightmare.

[@Baconatorz]

@@MarcusTheDorkus That nightmare probably kept 3 people employed, just managing/negotiating licenses.

[@TheHedgememe]

" Due to licensing issues, *E.T. was suffocated.* "

[@cwindsor8060]

“The dinosaur? we shredded it and burned it to pieces.” Marc Heiman saw it move and knew it was possessed by a witch

[@netiii]

Man that place looked spectacular! 6 year old me would have been ecstatic to step into that life sized Barbie dream house. I loved seeing each intricate detail they put into the entire store. Must've been a fun experience for those who went! Toys R Us shutting down made me realize how big of an it had on me. Most things are online, and sure it's convenient, but that feeling of physically being in a Toys R Us is unbeatable.

[@chrisphoenix77]

"They considered the experience of the store to be worth the loss." Man. Companies don't seem to ever think that way. Makes this loss even sadder.

[@pato8001]

it's basically looked at as a marketing expense. It's somewhat common for brands to do this for a flagship store in major cosmopolitan cities...just usually not to this level.

[@thecasualanarchist0307]

I've read somewhere that basically every store at times square is run at a loss and is usually just seen as a marketing expense. Toys 'r' us was just already in a bad situation. Then being bought by a private equity company didn't help either.

[@MarceloFalcon]

@@thecasualanarchist0307 That is correct for the majority of flagship type stores, be in in Times Sq, 5th Ave, the Champs-Elysees in Paris, so on and so forth.

[@jairotena8281]

See also: Costco Hot Dogs

[@ma9081-l4y]

That’s because businesses can’t keep their doors open if they can’t pay their bills

[@PadChennington]

There was nothin like goin to this toys r us around christmas time and seein that big ol dinosaur

[@brubru9663]

Yup

[@holyordersol2668]

I can't believe they shredded and burned it, instead of selling it. What a memory.

[@NotSuheyla]

the dinosaur scared me so much

[@michellefernandez3155]

@@holyordersol2668 that shredded and burn story is BS. Someone stole it.

[@chucklebutt4470]

That fucking dinosaur was terrifying to me!~ I had totally blocked it from my memory and now seeing it again I felt a drop in the pit of my stomach!!

[@NecoLumi]

Toys R Us being such a great part of my childhood, this got me a bit teary-eyed. It was beautiful and just full of whimsy. It's too bad that was prohibitively expensive.

[@gasjebasje99]

I live in the Netherlands, and I've been here. It was one of the most magical places I've ever been. The idea the video game section was the size of its own store, was legendary.

[@calamaria9221]

The speech from their manager was great (added bonus with his accent) and really wholesome. You can tell that despite having to deal with some bad costumers and having their store be called a dirty warehouse, he's going to miss working with his co-workers.

[@susanhillwig5784]

His long list of things he wouldn't miss is pretty on-par with retail in general. I've answered those questions multiple times, including "How do I get out of here?" despite working in a store a fraction of that size.

[@Lady_FrostIron]

Johnny is an AMAZING human being. We adored him and he kept us smiling even after bad guests.

[@nyc78]

He was very much beloved at the store. It was very difficult to keep up morale in the store in its final months since everybody in the building was getting fired but he kept the place fun and made everyone personally feel appreciated.

[@Lady_FrostIron]

@@nyc78 We knew why they were finding the littlest things to get fired for. Less severance payout. It was stupid.

[@kcindc5539]

I was waiting for him to say “Youz” instead of “you” :-)

[@bizuko2307]

The customer service manager is the most New Yawk man to ever live. The accent, the attitude, the fact his name is "Johnny"... very appropriate for the location.

[@bend1119]

He is an actor too en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Tammaro

[@tentringer4065]

When he was interrupted, I expected him to say "I'm talking here".

[@KAlovesherkitties]

He was definitely peak New York.

[@LynnHermione]

He sounds like DeNiro

[@somebonehead]

*New Yoak New Yawk is how people from the South would say it.

[@silverjsvl]

How did I get chills listening the speech of a closing toy store employee from a country I’m not even from and a store I never visited and didn’t even know it existed when I was a kid. He legitimately seems like such an amazing guy.

[@sminthian]

I grew up through the 80's and 90's. Kids nowadays will never have any idea what Toys R Us was like. There weren't toys in every store, only there. To go there and see a whole store full of toys, that you never saw anywhere else...it was like the best thing in the world.

[@opsimathics]

"due to licensing issues, ET had to be covered with a gift bag" stay classy Steven

[@americanbadass88]

Steven Spielberg be like the hell with those poor sick children who wants to see ET. i need more money cover him with a gift bag damnit!

[@CharlesWorkPPL]

They could have just put a wig on E.T. and surrounded him with dolls. Nobody would have noticed him. It worked in the movie.

[@rars0n]

Universal owns the rights for ET, not Spielberg.

[@hellskitchenkritterandfrie3372]

Poor ET 😂

[@pentalway]

That customer service manager, Johnny Tammaro, at the end, really is just wholesome. He just made my day.

[@itzlucaaa6789]

He also got a fire New York accent too

[@ChibiNeco]

The kinda manager that makes the job better😁

[@JohnChoidotOrg]

Wow...blown away by this man's character. He sounds like a great boss to work for.

[@ameliabrittain158]

Right? He sounds absolutely delightful I hope he is doing well.

[@Moto_Medics]

I’m not crying your crying

[@gingerbreadgoodiehouse]

I live across the street from this location for 30 years, i watched Toys R Us be built, was invited to a party before the store opened to the public.. the place was magical.. all the staff were so sweet.. I would go in once a week just for fun.. the staff would teach you how to use the toys.. always a magic show going on.. I miss it dearly. Thank you for making this video. 💗

[@johnoliveri4064]

Man I remember visiting here as a kid, shit was the coolest thing EVER, I adored the T-Rex. Its closing was a true loss for my childhood.

[@GaryOransky]

I worked at Toys R Us Times Square for 7 years. I started in the "Action" department hearing the T Rex roaring every 2 minutes. I graduated to being an Ambassador whose whole job was to make memorable customer experiences directly under Johnny. It really was a unique experience.

[@margybenavides9056]

I still can't believe they just shredded and burned that T Rex. I have so many memories of that T Rex as a kid, along with touring the Barbie Dream House and seeing the Speed Racer car.

[@GaryOransky]

@@margybenavides9056 The dinosaur was only supposed to be there for around 5 years. By the end it was in pretty bad shape.

[@jellybeansss9]

@@GaryOransky Thank you for the years you put into the store Gary. I loved this place as a teen in high school. I spent my first summer youth pay check when I was 16 here. I bought the Star Wars Phantom Menace Life game and so many other cool toys. I felt like a big kid who could escape the Bronx at any time, it was just a train ride away.

[@Lochnessmonstor727]

I wanted to ask, was there someone operating the T. rex or was he programmed to cycle thru some animations? When I went, I waved at him, and could s w e a r he waved back at me

[@GaryOransky]

@@Lochnessmonstor727 It was on a cycle. Usually 2 or 3 minutes, 90 seconds during Christmas season.

[@katiephillips7206]

I don't know why, but "due to licensing issues, the ET had to be covered up by a gift bag" may be the funniest thing I've heard all year

[@TheThingNG]

For some reason I thought it was going to be a bag over his head with his feet sticking out, which would have been amazing

[@DoswarePictures]

Now I want a tiny gift bag to cover my E.T. Atari Cartridge.

[@azadalamiq]

@@DoswarePictures oof xD

[@DoswarePictures]

@@azadalamiq hey, I collect video games.

[@jayjuniperjen8404]

Universal owns ET and ET licensing. They have the ET ride and all at universal studios so Disney wouldn't be able to display him at their theme parks.

[@DoctorHowl]

I loved that closing speech, it's the sign of a good manager that even with EVERYONE losing their jobs, he can keep their morale high

[@666bpm4]

The tribute to the employees at the end is the best send off.

[@fordabr5898]

When I was about 7 I got lost in this store for about 2 hours. My parents freaked out and called the police because they couldn't find me. I was busy playing wii sports in the game section.

[@flora_7719]

You madlad. I aspire to be that committed to the wii

[@jeremyfuster7570]

I'd like to think if somebody lost their kid in a toy store, the first thing they'd try is, "go to whatever part of the store has the stuff my kid loves most."

[@jcrews8582]

@@jeremyfuster7570 That’d be arguably the smartest strategy!

[@maddieridgway7486]

@@jeremyfuster7570 I worked at a Walmart where a kid got lost once, when I was told to help them look after like 10 minutes the first thing I asked was if they already looked in the toy section, the person I asked said probably ..... they had not, he was in the toy section the whole time

[@Replicaate]

That Customer Service manager's speech at the end gave me some real feelings, I gotta say.

[@ACDieppa]

Girl same 🫂

[@dragoncubes1074]

I think that was the store manager.

[@Lady_FrostIron]

Ambassador Manager. Ambassadors were THE store experience. They were the ones who did Demos, events, giveaways, any public work outside the store. V.I.P shopping, and one was ALWAYS in the front to act as greeter. They had to know about almost EVERY toy. I loved it.

[@Replicaate]

@@Lady_FrostIron Man I have so much respect for people who do that kind of work in retail. I was usually only in "the back" or stocking at most places I worked at, and the few times I interacted with customers it was borderline abuse. How you guys hold up, I don't even know.

[@Lady_FrostIron]

@@Replicaate As I no longer work in retail. I can sincerely look back and go I don't know HOW I did it. In TRU TS I was cussed at, pushed, and called the N-word more times than I could count. And if you were an Ambassador you couldn't be ANYTHING but pleasant.

[@stephanieg9089]

That store looks absolutely incredible, I’m blown away. What a magical place.

[@donchoq]

Times square was renovated from a dirty, seedy tourist trap to a CLEAN, seedy tourist trap!

[@hamstersamiright8837]

Props to the manager at the end I can’t even imagine what it feels like for your livelihood for 14 years to be shut down and then to still put on a good attitude about it.

[@Chris.P.Kreme90]

Well he won't have any difficulties finding another job, maybe not a job he loves as much but he surely must have good ass testimonials

[@loulou3676]

I love how they managed to find THE most New York man ever for the position too. Accent straight out of a Seinfeld extra

[@clintgolub1751]

“Due to licensing issues, E.T. had to be covered up with a gift bag” LOL 😂

[@n1njahawkssecondchannel84]

I guess an alien will be for Christmas 🤣

[@TheOrkneyFaction]

Why didn't they cover him up with a ghost sheet instead?

[@cursedkevin]

This implies they somehow got the license for literally every other car BESIDES E.T

[@kathrynblakeslee126]

@@cursedkevin It's possible. Give Kids works closely with Disney and a lot of other companies because of the Make A Wish program, I bet they were able to work out deals for the other characters. Though weird that ET would be the one they couldn't get out of the lot.

[@billdemarco4436]

All time line

[@ingobernoble2678]

It was always one of my go to places anytime I was in NYC. Such a cool store

[@user-vl4zi9vl8g]

My heart breaks watching this. It was my favorite job. It's hard to imagine the impact something has on the world when you're in the front lines, boots on the ground. I worked here seasonal once, and then again for like 3 years after that cause I loved it so much. Then I moved to Staten Island and started working at another TRU. It's definitely not the same. I will never forget this place. Wish I ad been more involved in the big stuff like the celebrity appearances. Ahh well.. I'm definitely a Toys R Us kid, for life.

[@LetMeExplainStudios]

I didn't know I wanted to know the history of the Toys "R" Us on Times Square. I guess I did because that was hella interesting!

[@princessofweirdsville9000]

Oh, hey Rebecca! Did not expect to see you here

[@ironwolf3654]

@@princessofweirdsville9000 I mean she likes Disney so it’s kind of obvious that she might be interested in it and also why would do that to the coolest part of the store. They be like”yeah let’s make one more dinosaur extinct” WHY?!?!?!

[@llamalover5791]

It was quite interesting wasnt it?! See you in your next video❤️❤️

[@jainimaijainitai]

Grace Carter KZbinrs watch and enjoy other KZbinrs,

[@Limpshot_McGee]

That's this channel in a nutshell. Seemingly mundane things made super interesting.

[@Inlelendri]

That speech at the end? Genuinely teared up at how heartfelt that seemed and that it felt like a team. Beat out most of the 'Christmas' movies I've seen this year, without a doubt

[@notgray88]

This guy should be an actor for real

[@TimoteoDeBaum]

I'm not crying you are 😭💔

[@Lady_FrostIron]

@@notgray88 He is!

[@notgray88]

@@Lady_FrostIron wait really?

[@DACrowley]

Props to the manager man. You knew he cared and had a positive outlook on things despite what's been going on.

[@mkbXD]

i’ve been to this store many times as a child and it was always the coolest thing. i’d never seen an indoor ferris wheel before. to hear about it like this breaks my heart. as much as the dinosaur scared the crap out of me on my way to the barbie dream house, hearing how they disposed of it made me cry :,) i don’t want to sound like a grumpy old person but i feel sorry for todays children. i feel like we’re running out of those whimsical places made just for children now.

[@TheJackaxe]

18:10 Damn, he's a good public speaker. I hope that guy was a decent boss to those employees, seems cool.

[@ViccVegaa023]

That's a classic New York character right there. There's not as many of them around as you'd think.

[@SaltpeterTaffy]

@@ViccVegaa023 The fugheddaboutit is strong in this one!

[@lanceturley7745]

He reminds me of my Cousin Nicky, who always used to say "I'm walkin' here!"

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

@@lanceturley7745 All I heard when you said that was that same line from Rick and Morty.

[@ayindestevens6152]

It’s that peak New Yorker Working Class extra that I live for!

[@abloogywoogywoo]

"The dinosaur? We shredded it and burnt it to pieces." Wow, no love at all. Not even a love for money, as they could've sold it to a collector or museum.

[@shonenjumpmagneto]

Very short sighted of some blue collar bozos lol.

[@beafraid2951]

I'd bet one of em rode it, though 😂😂

[@TidusDowthelas]

Welcome to New York City, no one cares whether you give a crap, it's just scrap. I hate the irony of N.Y.C. It's an epicenter of Shopping and Trade, but I'd hate to go there except to see the street performers.

[@ShaiyanHossain]

to be fair theres very little use of a 5 ton dinosaur you need a semi to transport in pieces everywhere

[@ShaiyanHossain]

@@TidusDowthelas i mean flashing things is pretty common in NYC i used to live there and just went back a few days ago, and people are still flexing high end luxury cars like no tomorrow

[@kingsofguyana]

This store was so cool even as a teenager I was stoked to go visit anytime I was visiting my family in NY.

[@TheKayasto]

what a wholesome store manager

[@almazoe4924]

8:53 nothing screams early 2000's like tony hawk and hillary duff at a toys r' us promoting videonow

[@DoswarePictures]

Nowadays it’s just Tony Hawk. No VideoNow, no Hillary Duff.

[@Menaceblue3]

Who the hell is Ryan Cabrera?

[@dk14929]

@@Menaceblue3 he's gotta be a reverse mandela effect where absolutely nobody remembers him, but he's well documented as being a major early 2000s pop icon

[@willissudweeks1050]

@@Menaceblue3 I asked myself the same thing and I was a kid then.

[@YuukiTakemoto1996]

And TOM 2 from Toonami being absolutely sexy. ...Sorry.

[@SarahZ]

Seeing the crowd at 10:23 be so densely packed together is genuinely alien to me now. It looks wrong

[@kam2894]

this comment is going to get a lot of likes because you’re verified

[@SarahZ]

@@kam2894 idk about that

[@kam2894]

@@SarahZ wait what you replied? never seen a verified youtuber do that on other channels. anyways, it will, just you wait

[@NounOzlos]

@@kam2894 Lol I wouldn't have even noticed it was Sarah Z commenting if you hadn't pointed out the verification check. Liked anyway.

[@FlightSimNZ]

It hasn’t really changed where we are, but I am always baffled at the sheer scale that some events in the US have!

[@chrisjuliette]

that "you" at the end was just enough to make me shed a tear lol

[@tiffanyoates9856]

Im not gonna lie, I truly miss this place lol I remember walking through the Wonka area looking at all the candy. My mom never bought me anything but I was just so happy to be in there.

[@smugshrug]

loved that speech at the end. that guy could put on a show. he was funny, too.

[@bakomusha]

He's a part time actor.

[@jackruttan3545]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It was an excellent speech.

[@HenchmenNo616]

Speaking from experience; you can have a crummy job but still make strong bonds with your coworkers, after 14 years of craziness working there his "things I'll miss" word was sweet.

[@Jabroniville]

I love how every retail worker understands the "can't you check the BACK ROOM?" one.

[@AussieDragoon]

Wasn't expecting this from Defunctland, I actually worked at the Time Square Toys R Us for its final few months of operation in the electronics sections. I actually completely forgot about Johnny Tammaro's speech until I saw the video, but yeah, I was there when he was giving that speech in person.

[@ao9688]

He sounds like a good man, I hope he was a good boss to you guys.

[@AussieDragoon]

@@ao9688 I never really saw him all that much.

[@catherinetyndale1734]

@@AussieDragoon I was never really able to go there. And probably wouldn't enjoy it as much as a child without my protective headphones due to the L I G H T S A N D S O U N D S F R O M E V E R Y W H ER E. It would probably cause overstimulation. But at the same time it seemed so interesting in videos.

[@themysterysith]

I loved the place, I was there 3 days before it closed with my parents I still was able to see the T. rex and ride the Ferris wheel one more time, sad it ended the way it did.

[@bend1119]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Tammaro , is the same guy, wow

[@levelheaded0038]

There is something so sad about a closing toy store. I grew up in northern New Jersey, so NYC and Times Square were common weekend trips for my family. I remember this store, and its seeming permanence. Creating a creative and immersive store like that is so priceless to kids, and it breaks my heart to see it lapse into such an unimpressive space. Also that last clip was so wholesome. I loved it

[@llamapalooza]

Being there at Christmas time was a dream! It was always so crowded but truly impressive. Times Square really isn’t the same without it.

[@aarinkulig7915]

That speech from the manager at the end was really sweet. It sounds like this was a stellar place!

[@Moodymsmo30]

It really was🥰

[@danceydoll5]

It was.

[@looney18]

Man that ending...Made me miss my "R" us Family. I didn't work at that location, but everything he said was spot on.

[@azuzastreet9087]

Miss my "R" us family too which actually ran across my mind before I found this video. Hope you're well! Happy New Year!

[@findantu]

And the only illegal alien had to go into a sack huh? Gg

[@LSPD1909]

We still have them up here in Canada.

[@donchaput8278]

I worked for Getinge who now resides in the old ToysRUs corporate building in Wayne NJ. Really interesting campus and it was cool to see the old relics that had been left behind. There is a neat statue called "Looking through the eye of a child" that is still there.

[@stevenunibrow5036]

“What did you do with the hopes and dreams of the children?” “We shredded them and burned them to pieces...”

[@m-the-bug]

Can I believe they did that? Yes, the world is a horrible place. Can I believe they said so? No, why would you tell people you did something that awful?!

[@zacharycarioti3889]

I actually got to see that Dinosaur

[@margybenavides9056]

Hearing that actually hurt me quite a bit lol. I used to go to Toys R Us Time Square a lot as a kid, and I have so many fond memories of riding the ferris wheel (my favorite car being the M&Ms car), taking pictures under the overhead Superman, and being scared of that T Rex when I was very little (and then of course loving it as an older child). Can't believe they just burned it smh.

[@awwtergirl7040]

It's actually kind of a hilarious response lol. Brutal but hilarious.

[@SG-82]

I can’t believe they didn’t try to sell it to recoup some money as they were going bankrupt! It’s sad that it was destroyed instead.

[@lastlife0726]

"ET had to be covered up with a gift bag." To be fair? Pretty on-brand for ET.

[@cannonfodder4000]

Lol love this commebt

[@monoduck]

"A grambush, if you will" never change, Kevin. Every other thing that comes out of your mouth is iconic

[@Ittybittyree33]

What a wonderful speech to end a job with. Despite all the stress and awfulness of retail, that guy cared and you can tell he cared about his team. That makes my heart beat just a touch. Wish I could have had a team or a leader like that.

[@meandsambffl]

“No....we’re number 2” oh man, the crushing shame felt in that quote

[@tman8930]

walmart is now number 2 to amazon

[@matthewschoen9827]

"The flash mob craze that swept the nation...for some reason" That's the best way to describe it.

[@LeftyPlaat]

my guess is it was the beginning of social media, and discovering/playing with the idea of spreading a call to action among many strangers. since then it has developed into calls to storm the capital! its essentially the same process.

[@clintwilson6380]

That was gay AF.

[@bruhemian]

that final speech was really sweet. i hope they're all doing well.

[@alisha9197]

I am from the Netherlands and when I was about 11 years old we visited this store on vacation. I was absolutely in awe - truly the kids version of the American dream coming true.

[@PhantomLord]

Fun fact: as they were gutting the building that housed Toys R Us times square, they discovered an old theater from the days of Vaudeville underneath the Foundation. I worked in Times Square (at another soulless big box store) at the time and remember being severely bummed they weren't going to preserve it in any capacity. Gap proceeded to pave over the theater and it sits beneath to this day.

[@iainhansen1047]

Dam

[@blackleague212]

@@iainhansen1047 oh well unless its a gold mine under there no one cares about some damn theature

[@magma1264]

@@blackleague212 Plot twist: under the theatre was a gold mine that no one noticed

[@stevenobrien557]

Foundations, not an entire abandoned theatre.

[@PhantomLord]

@@blackleague212 you too will be forgotten when you die

[@zekumi]

This was fascinating, but “We shredded it and burned it to pieces” Ow my heart

[@Clementinewoofwoof]

I agree...poor dino

[@CabtainCrispy]

My guess is thats just code for "its head is hanging over my fireplace"

[@GhoskyIsBack]

I went there as a kid and it is really impressive when you first walk in, I also got a Nintendo DS from there back then

[@Samuraistar92]

I remember going there as a kid in 2003 on our family vacation to New York. I rode the Ferris wheel with my brother. We didn’t have a lot of time to see the whole store but it was very impressive and fun to see. I have fond memories of that place and wanted to see more there but my family wanted to see something else that day so we had to keep our visit short and brief. So glad I rode the Ferris wheel but now this place exists in my memory.

[@trtledave3079]

19:11 "How do I get out of here??" - so true because there were like 15 doors to get in and only about two to get out, I remember asking that the first time I went and a store employee jokingly answered "Oh you can't leave here!" Such an awesome experience though if you were able to make it in person when it was still open.

[@TheatreJosh24601]

If I worked there, I would absolutely have been the employee to say that they can never leave and start laughing maniacally before abruptly cutting off and saying "down the escalator, make a right at the Hotwheels."

[@larrycj4382]

They limited exits to slow shoplifters from running for the nearest exit.

[@the_one_titan3381]

His accent made it 100x better

[@jamisanmatalonis8458]

It’s the infinite ikea

[@agentkmr]

A labyrinth without a way out?

[@repletereplete8002]

Customers reviewed Toys "R" Us stores as dirty warehouses. Whereas Wal-Mart was seen as a kingdom of pure imagination inhabited by strange and magical creatures with exotic names like Bubba and Brandeen gliding around the store on their enchanted mobility sleighs on quests to find legendary .22 ammunition and Dew of the Mountain.

[@Agent_3141]

Not to mention beggars in the parking lots and people driving up to children asking if the have or want to buy a cigarette (which happened to me)

[@shinyagumon7015]

Truly a magical place

[@TacticusPrime]

Willie Wal-mart sure ain't handing out Golden Tickets.

[@shinyagumon7015]

@@TacticusPrime Imagine getting injured at Wall Mart and a bunch of Oompa Loompas in blue vests come towards you and start singing.

[@JakeLovesSteak]

One time when I went to Walmart, there was a woman in the produce section clipping her fingernails over the fresh fruits and vegetables.

[@alexophor3129]

I went to this store all the time as a kid, I loved being inside a toy store so big it had multiple attractions, a gaming lower level, and an indoor ferris wheel. I was heartbroken when I heard it was getting closed, and I still say that that place was magical. Thank you for reminding me of one of my favorite parts of my childhood.

[@Poyostar]

Gosh, the Toys R Us Times Square location is so cool. It's a shame that it no longer exists, as I would've loved to go there while it was still around. This is easily one of my personal favorite Defunctland episodes. It's always nice to rewatch this every once in a while!

[@dogol284]

I’m not seeing many people say this, so I’ll say it. This looks fucking awesome. I would’ve killed to go to a place like this. I’m pretty sad that I’ll never be able to go.

[@bajabl]

I’m in LA and I’ve never been to NYC but I swore I would visit the toys r us store since I always saw it in movies. I didn’t know it closed down till today :(

[@koala201211]

I went twice as a kid

[@DanoFSmith-yc9tg]

I went as a 14 year old grade 9, in the Christmas of 2001, so kinda just getting toys, and directly after Sept 11th, it was the highlight of that NYC trip for me at the time, and think about it still to this day all the time as a 33 year old man. It was just unreal at the time, and still as I look back at it now.

[@Prisoner-jf8vi]

It was kinda corny and just crowded with tourist. A visit to a regular toys r us was much better.

[@broadwaybrook2319]

@@koala201211 Lucky you

[@sirwoollyjumper4893]

Its almost 4am and I’m containing my laughter at ET being disguised as a gift sack to prevent copyright.

[@thomasmurrell9832]

Seriously a CHAD move right there. Woulda probably been easier to just remove him, but no, they went the same route he went in the movie and just keep him in a disguise lol

[@blackoverblueskies6221]

Lmao, it was definitely cheaper to throw a Santa gift bag over it

[@sarinabina5487]

it was 4 am for me 2 sjdkdjdkl

[@user-ej2jx1no1s]

I’m so thankful for Defunctland if not for documenting these old stores/parks, then for proving that I did NOT imagine the 20ft robot T-Rex in Times Square. I’m so glad someone can keep these elements of my childhood alive.

[@cutecat3004]

Toys R Us is one of the few stores I genuinely miss. Toys R Us and this one diner where I grew up, RIP little kid me loved those places.