Toys R Us Kids - A Mini Documentary

[@thewhitematstudio]

Seeing those commercials during Saturday morning cartoons as a kid with not a worry in the world is the best nostalgic feeling I can think of.

[@skinc4rver]

I am 16, and I loved Toys R Us. I rarely went there, but that's where I got my toys. It was super special to go. All my Star Wars, GI Joe, Transformers, and Lego's came from.

[@sdzero]

This video encapsulates everything I could ever say about ToysRUs. Everyone that went to ToysRUs has those memories that they'll cherish forever. I've only been to the store a few times in my life and that place was a dreamworld when I was a kid. Thanks for making this video!

[@xploitizlex9286]

I was born in 92 and I can say that when my dad would bring me to toys r us and said you can get 1 toy I would spend so long searching up and down the aisles... good times hope the Canadian locations stay open.

[@RadioCarter]

Brilliantly done! Being a child of divorce, Toys “R” Us was where we did our meet ups between my parents. At the time even though we usually never bought anything, it was a piece of comfort during a troubling situation. Thanks for making this

[@volkswag12]

This warms my heart into the new year and I hope it all worked out for you :)

[@dravenlee4473]

Charles Lazarus died today - A week after Toys R Us announced they are closing. What an even sadder ending to this tale. RIP.

[@laxboy3033]

Damn Billy, hell of a job man. Some great work!

[@rageinsilence]

Billy with your son buying the giraffe. Omg! Melt my heart! Love you guys!!!

[@roccogully3259]

This was wonderful...thanx fellas. And I just learned Mr. Lazarus passed away today. God Bless You for making us all Toys R Us kids. Rest In Peace sir.

[@turinx]

I thought Melvor was going to cry. Great video guys, you guys perfectly encapsulated the magic of Toys R Us that we all shared as kids. Thank you.

[@RetailArchaeology]

This is the best Toys R Us video I've watched 😁 Awesome job guys!

[@grahamrobertson9013]

Retail Archaeology so sick seeing you apart of other amazing youtubers! Huge fan of both of your channels!

[@nastyheretic4240]

Retail Archaeology You should collaborate with the Game Chasers! Good stuff!

[@RetailArchaeology]

Your Mom On My Tip I would love to 😁 I do a fair amount of game chasing myself at Goodwill stores.

[@Randhrick]

Wow, simply wow . Not only did you guys brought back some good memories from my childhood but you also created a quality documentary. I'm from canadia and I had a Toy's R US close to my home as a kid (still open for the moment) and I remember my dad surprised me by getting A Link to the Past from this store Because no other stores had it . It's also the same place where I chose which 32 bits system I would buy . Man I will miss the place, I was still going there from time to time to buy some Toys.

[@TheGameChasers]

Thanks dude, I really appreciate the compliment. I needed it after the last week and a half.

[@ZapCristal]

Man, this made me cry because its hard to hear news like this especially from a store that I grew up with. Excellent documentary!!!

[@supersnappahead]

Holy shit, I had no idea Billy had a baby. Congratulations man! Great video as always. TRU will definitely be missed

[@16bitbrit]

That line about not being able to take your son to Toys R Us got me right in the feels. Losing that experience is something I hadn't really considered until watching this video. Great video, Billy.

[@TattedCollector]

This was PERFECT in so many ways! Thanks Game Chasers for taking me back to my childhood for a few moments. This is truly a sad time for us "big kids".

[@WeelzofSteel]

Tatted Collector didn't Amazon pretty much take out Toys R Us recently

[@8thLife]

Such a great documentary. Definitely brought back a few really good memories that I had there. There wasn't a Toys R Us anywhere close to me so it was always a real special trip when I went to one!

[@Swaggdupazn1]

I’m currently working at TRU and tomorrow is our last day. The liquidation process is very hard to be part of, and it’s very sad to watch the store slowly become empty. Having to take down signs that have been up since forever and selling all the fixtures in the store just makes me feel like my heart’s been ripped out of my chest 💔 #riptoysrus

[@shadowtheoblivious]

not gonna lie...32 year old grown ass man...i cried...

[@CaliforniaLuv84]

so many memories! thanks so much for putting this video together. really enjoyed it.

[@andrewthompson1405]

Love you guys your amazing and your quality really is phenomenal. This is way beyond normal youtube quality and makes me feel like I owe you something.

[@blackbirdentertainment3342]

Back when Pokemon Red and Blue was IMPOSSIBLE to get. I had called around store after store, for weeks. And this lady at a nearby Toys R Us answered and said: "We have one copy of Red, do you want us to hold this for you for a few hours?" I read that entire manual and must have sunk 100's of hours into that game on the good ol' grey brick gameboy. Thank you Toys R Us, for generating such a happy memory for my 11 year old self.

[@jaythe01]

Billy seeing you share a moment of nostalgia with your son, honestly touched my heart. I am glad you got a opportunity to do it with him and share something special that you hold dear. i applaud you fellas for this, as I type I am filled with tears and memories. Its sad that this may only be stories going forward as the new generation wont get to experience what we did growing up. THANK YOU #TOYSRUSKID

[@Dnick55]

this is amazing! My first job was at Toys R Us in the R Zone getting games for people when they picked up the sleeve to bring up front. I would love to see more short documentary type videos like this. So well done!!!

[@robtg9672]

This needs to make it to the next Blu Ray release

[@TheMightyPika]

Every time you guys upload a video it's better and better. It was always good and fun, but you guys are improving each and every time. Love you guys!!!

[@MapleJames76]

Great video Billy, Toys R Us was a massive part of my childhood, we didn't get to go too often because toys were meant for birthdays and Christmas. Also, Melvor with his sweet get up just dissappears into that retro couch you have lol

[@thegamingsurvivalist1789]

I don't normally comment of videos much. But this one I had too and I gotta say this is amazing and very heartfelt video guys! So I just wanna say thank you guys for putting such a grand close on an era as Toys R Us.

[@notquiteordinary]

The Gaming Survivalist i dont normally reply to comments or explain to ppl how I dont comment much at the beginning of every comment...but....

[@erbicus]

notquiteordinary i dont usually comment on a comment someone made as a reply for another comment in the comment section but hey i really liked your comment

[@notquiteordinary]

erbicus sweet bro, me u and that idiot who has never even seen a toys r us (the original idiot I replied to) all are doing first things today. We're making great progress. We should all b proud of ourselves

[@TimBrice7]

great video. Billy, first congrats on your new baby boy. I thought the exact same thing about my son. I remember begging to go to toys r us when I was a kid and being told no 95% of the time but man that 5% was magical. I was looking forward to taking my son just so he could beg to go back and I'd have to tell him no. Every now and then he'd see that glimmer in my eye, that kid in me wanting to come out and I'd say yes knowing that I was just as excited as he was. My son is 4 so this past weekend I took him for the first and possibly last time in hopes he might remember running around the store looking at all the toys. We walked away with a remote control car and a doll for his sister. I'm glad we were able to do this together and I'll never forget it. I hope it's something he remembers too just so he can say that he's a toys r us kids as well.

[@MrKrowvinland]

That was really well done. I took my 4 year old daughter to one recently and was reminded why that place was so special. Seeing it through her eyes was a nostalgia trip. She was blown away that a store dedicated to toys existed. We had a blast that day!

[@bhumps6309]

I never thought I would get emotional over something like this. When I was a kid, any video game that I saved up for and bought came from Toys R Us. I too will be going to back (with my 4 year old nephew) before they close. Great job guys.

[@NintenRetroGamer]

The end of an era. So many great joys of stepping foot inside a Toys R us store and feeling that rush of excitement. Thank you guys for the video, it brought back a flood of great memories.

[@vicviper99]

Thanks for making this tribute.... I echo everything you guys said. It truly does evoke some wonderful nostalgia. I will never forget the excitement I felt as a kid walking into that store. I hope it can live on in some fashion. The news of their demise is incredibly sad.

[@Silvergun_Raven]

That pic of the store is what I remember it looking like in Roanoke, VA. So many video games and toys I’ve acquired there and those paper slips you take up to the front to get your game was incredible!

[@divefraggle]

Melvor has a true love for toys.

[@Sopturtle]

Oh man this was a great video. I got reminded of stuff I totally forgot about. Just how I would browse the store as a kid. I remember looking at the 3D puzzles, then the bargain bin SNES games, then the regular toy aisles, and slip and slides, etc. etc. Thanks for making this video! Brought back some memories I didn't even realize I had almost forgotten.

[@finkaiser3994]

Nice work guys! Your videos never disappoint!

[@RememberTheGreatsSports]

Great video I just joined KZbin a few months ago and came across your channel. I am around your age as well (at least from what I gather, because I played with the same toys you did) and I agree it is emotional seeing part of our childhood go away. Part of the reason I created my channel was to try and capture some of the nostalgia like your channel does with games/toys from our childhood of the 1980s only with sports related items. So if you guys are interested in sports stuff check it out. But back on topic, I totally forgot about the plastic card/paper sleeve setups and the "vault" up front to get your games, those memories bring us all back. Thanks for posting and Happy Collecting!

[@MoonSpiritChannel]

A piece of my childhood is gone and I'm pretty sad. But with the advent of online shopping and smart devices, it was inevitable. Thanks for evening Mr Lazarus. Rest in peace.

[@lunarvania8073]

Very sweet little documentary with my favorote chodes, awesome back rounds, lighting, and editing as usual! Very crisp and clean guys.

[@dapperdanbuilds]

This is awesome, guys! You hit the nail on the head! For our generation (I'm a bit older than you guys, but not much), TRU is all about nostalgia and memories! I remember buying my first Transformer there. I remember buying GI Joes there. I remember my parents getting our Comadore 64 there. I remember taking my kids there. Luckily, they're old enough to remember KB Toys as well. I'm with Billy, though. It breaks my heart that my grandkids (if/when I have any) won't know the wonder and amazement of a TOY store. Thanks Game Chasers!

[@joshsheets1469]

Congrats Billy! Amazed you produced this quality so quick after the birth of your child!

[@TheGameChasers]

Thanks dude

[@JBird401]

The Game Chasers Congrats on becoming a father !

[@haminazu3908]

Congrats Billy! What a lucky boy to get a cool dad as you

[@notquiteordinary]

Yeah Billy really does do a good job on the productions despite having a full time job

[@sadisticsith4190]

Thanks guys for doing this. Really means a lot. I teared up multiple times. But definitely the tears flowed when I saw Billy with his baby holding the Geoffrey stuffed animal. The 10 year old inside my 38 year old self thanks you.

[@zombiejlt1]

Awesome job everyone. This was a fantastic trip down memory lane for us and as a "new" father myself I can definitely relate Billy ☺. This is a well edited video, everyone's recollections were great, I know I have my fair share of them and still own the items I ever bought from TRU. This definitely should be a TV special if not part of a bigger project, you all did a terrific job with this. I hope every Toys R Us kid past and present has a chance to relive the experience and just maybe, future generations can too. P.S. Thank you for showing us your son Billy, he's adorable. 😊

[@garylshawiii427]

Just found this channel through game historian, good stuff guys. I'm 35 and I remember the last thing I bought there was a PS1 original that I saved up for myself. Damn, it was awesome. To this day I literally still have dreams of that video game aisle. Hopefully, they can revamp and reopen it.

[@thingnumbertwo2]

Neat video. Lots of memories of Toys R Us here, both as a kid in the 80s and as an employee back in the 90s. The world just won't be the same without TRU. RIP Geoffrey.

[@FreddyBenzo]

Glad we have you guys to document all this stuff. Everyone on this channel appreciates it

[@TheGameChasers]

Honestly, I see this channel as a way to preserve memories like this.

[@SilentViewer7]

This video is very good, awesome job Game chasers. Thank you for all the laughs and smiles. It is good medicine for the soul in this fast world. Also congratulations Billy on your new son.

[@petebutler5139]

The retro family room is the best! The wood paneling, the furniture, dudes hair and Op shirt…just the best!!

[@NostalgicNumbnuts]

This may be one of the best videos you guys have ever put together. Damn fine work. It was the perfect mix of comedy and nostalgia. Billy's comments on his son possibly never experiencing this like we did really drove home how crazy it is that TRU is closing.

[@retrodalton8863]

Holy shit! Welcome to fatherhood Billy! Another great piece of content. I was wondering where Billy’s been, Love that Melvor has been in more videos! As always keep up the great work boys!

[@ToploadedGaming]

What a masterfully done minidoc. This brightened and saddened my day, mostly it just put a smile on my face, and thats rare these days, cause I’m apparently emo.

[@shaolingamer7316]

One of the best videos you guys have done! Thank you!

[@retrogameraaron4778]

The girl in the commercial at the very beginning is Jenny Lewis who was in "The Wizard". And the kid on the swing near the very end of the video is none other than Steve Urkel himself, Jaleel White.

[@Toezly]

Yesss!!!! Another fantastic episode! Can’t get enough of you guys and your content on youtube! Thank you!

[@dotheevolution78]

Fantastic video. Well done. Pulls at the heartstrings.

[@MyLaptopAndIR2gether]

I vividly remember getting my Sega cd from. Toysrus. Gave it away a few years ago. Should have kept it and the games

[@Marc_Araujo]

Oof...I hope Snatcher wasn't one of those games.

[@bradmckinley2660]

I remember so vividly pulling those tickets out and taking it to the counter when I was a kid. I'm gonna miss that place. My son is almost 10 and we've made weekly trips to our local Toys 'R Us since he was old enough to walk. Ahhh, the memories. Great video guys. :'(

[@pastorsprinkles]

My sons are 3 and 5 and get super excited when they go to toys r us. They have electronics but love toys too.

[@Tone_Jammer]

Great memories of going to toys R us in Woking, England, with my mum. Place seemed HUGE!

[@popfuntoplay]

You guys are making me cry with all the memories. I will miss Toys R us.

[@retrogameraaron4778]

I've been watching a lot of tributes to Toys 'R Us over the last week...this one is definitely the best. I asked my 9 year old niece the other day what she thinks of Toys 'R Us closing, and she just shrugged and said "meh". Such a different generation.

[@rageinsilence]

I used to circle the toys I wanted in the mags for Christmas!

[@WeelzofSteel]

Elizabeth Ballinger you mean you don't do that anymore?

[@rellik187redrum]

The Video Game Years was great to watch!! Thanks for all, these dudes are OG

[@VenomHernandez]

Just came back to visit my local Toys R Us which was in it's last days and empty shelves... As I looked back at the store the feeling of the store will never be replaced I'm truly gonna miss it

[@ericpe84]

damn you guys just made me feel really nostalgic and brought back some memories I completely forgot about thanks for that, I remember taking a ticket for a game knowing my mom was gonna buy it for me and taking it to the counter being super excited to get it and waiting for that moment when they brought it out and handed it to you, I wanted to explode with excitement every time

[@kota687]

Outstanding work guys! What an amazing tribute. Congratulations on your son as well Billy!

[@ltrain4479]

Awesome video. I was born in 1981 and when we went to Toys R US it was special because that was the expensive store. We usually went to Kaybee Toys.

[@CommodoreFan64]

I was born in 81 as well, and Toys R" US yeah it was the expensive store that was also out of our way to get too, so it was indeed special when one of my parents took us. I got most of my toys/games at places like Roses, K-Mart, Walmart, Radio Shack, Dollar General, and EB Games. all because they where more convenient, and cheaper, but yeah Kaybee Toys was also part of my childhood when my father had a good week at work, and where already at the mall coming out of seeing a movie, and again was in a good mood.

[@WeelzofSteel]

Gordon Adams I barely remember KB

[@ltrain4479]

Shibboleth Okay

[@RDJ134]

There whas no Toy r Us in my country at the time i grew up, but Toy Stores where a magic place for me and my brother as kids. I miss those days. Great video :)

[@jessejames1388]

This was awesome. Thank you for bringing back so many great memories. R.I.P. Toys R Us

[@lgvx8000]

Great video, guys. So many memories for me of this awesome store. Shopping spree from my mom and aunt, Sonic Adventure demo, Grand Theft Auto 3 demo, buying Super Nintendo games, Power Ranger toys, wrestling toys and Marvel toys. One of the greatest stores of all time. Still a Toys R Us kid!!!

[@DigitalBamboo]

lol at that story about Jay & Melvor's mom! That's some hard-ass parenting right there, the likes of which is rarely seen nowadays, and I commend her for it.

[@mikenguyen5661]

Thank you guys for this Really touched me on a personal level.

[@UltraDTA]

Your son is lucky to have a dad who cares enough to make a memory like that, even as a newborn. Congrats and good luck.

[@kameleonls1]

i really enjoyed this video guys.... i had to watch it with my 2 daughters as well. they know how important toy r us was and will always be.

[@arcadepixels]

Such a great episode. Greetings from Poland. In mid 80's I could only dream to have a toy shop in my country. :( it all started in begining of 90's. First lego bricks, video games and tmnt cartoons. Be proud of Your nostalgia memories.

[@SonnyBrown]

Excellent Video !

[@OMGITSMIKE]

This brought tears to my eyes being a dad I try my best to keep toys very alive in my sons eyes, I am happy enough to say for at least 3 years of his life he got to enjoy a trip of 30 to toys r us and experience that feeling I loved so much as a child.

[@TheSkullKidTV]

I love you guys so much! So excited to watch this. I know it's gonna be great Billy! I just got my first editing job! You are one of my favorite editors and have been a big inspiration to me over the years.

[@TheGameChasers]

Wow thats really cool. I'm seriously blown away. Thank you.

[@non-prophets__exposedmazes84]

Great video guys as I cooperate employee at game stop my goal was always to be just like toys “r” us Thank you L.P.

[@roguedr0id]

Ok...we are not the only parents to have taken their very small child to Toys R Us so they got a chance to have the same experience we enjoyed as children. My son was 2 at the time and not quite diagnosed with autism. We explained what we were doing..we were going to this BIG toy store and he got to pick one toy. He totally got it. He went in..found a toy, made sure he only got one (we actually bought him a few lol). That place was so magical, my 2 yr old non verbal autistic son who had large deficits in communication understood why this was an amazing place for kids and big kids alike. They now have some stores inside Macy's...but its just not the same. I hope one day Toys R Us can regain its magic.

[@EyedOmally]

It is sad to see Toys R Us go, but times are changing, and...well I guess that’s just how toy chasing go. Great video guys. Love the new set and the high quality videos. You never disappoint. Good to see that the patreon is helping grow your production.

[@pika23]

also, thank you all so much for the work you guys do. I have been going through a lot of shit this weekend, and you've helped me tremendously. You and gaming historian. Mental illness is a cruel mistress

[@OctoberHourglass]

My favorite part of TRU as a kid was exactly what yall mentioned. Taking the tickets up to the corner booth where they would walk in the back & get your game. Ours was in the right corner of the front of the store when you walk in. And it had glass, so you could see just mountains of the expensive toys. Man... Me & my mom would go hunt Starting Line-ups & Power Rangers. "Nothing gold can stay."

[@interghost]

Bloody hell guys, that gave me shivers all the way through haha! Great little video and thanks for making it. They are all closing over here to in the UK and it is a big deal, and sad times. I remember ours opening as it was like 10 mins walk from my house. I even went on to work there for two years between 16-18yrs old. Walking around there recently is horrible... the shelves are bare and the place literally feels dead. We had a different commercial here in the UK I think but it has the same impact when you hear the song. I think the problem is they were too big. The stores are huge and cost too much to run. The prices reflected this and people stopped buying as they could get it cheaper else where. Also, they stopped selling video games in a big way and their stock was crap. But I will always have fond memories of the place :(

[@bjrmagic1]

This is really great. Amazing content. Y'all have such an amazing channel....I can't wait when y'all 1 mill subs....

[@Gamevet]

I didn't know about Toys "R" Us until we got cable around 1980. I lived in a small town that didn't have stores like that. One of the 1st things I did when I moved to Phoenix to attend a tech school was check out the store. I'd bought C64 games from there, and when I finally got around to buying a NES in 1989, I got a lot of my games for the system there. I'd also got the early launch Sega Saturn ($400) from a Toys "R" Us store that was near my apartment in Dallas. It was a sad day when I went by the TRU where I'd bought my Saturn and a ton of other stuff, and saw that the strip mall it was in was being torn down. My most recent purchase from TRU was the SNES Classic that I'd bought a little over a month ago. I checked out the Star Wars toys while I was there and observed the people that were shopping there. The traffic was a lot lighter than it was when I'd visited the stores in the late 80's and 90's.

[@ninjamaster3453]

Gamevet I got my c128D from there back in 1990 when they were phasing them out. I recall a commodore branded IBM pc with 8088/640k/10mb HDD

[@Gamevet]

Did you find a lot of games for the 128?

[@ninjamaster3453]

Gamevet nope. Lots of c64 games. Basically used it as c64. It worked well as a BBS which I liked to tinker around with back then.

[@Gamevet]

I'd heard that there were some C64 games that would run in C128 mode with some enhancement.They were also some games that had the C128 version on the B side. Did you ever get to at least try those out.www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16196

[@dynamobeard]

I remember going to Toy's R Us in the early 2000's and finding still sealed original Gameboy games on an endcap, and thank goodness I grabbed some then. Or finding some Megaman figures in the 90's and being so happy a company made toys based on a video game I loved. Though when my friend and I went in 2003 (in our late teens), we both filled out applications so we could work there ourselves and have a cool toy store job, the guy at the front counter, some 40-something with a neckbeard, took them and wordlessly tore them in half before tossing them in the garbage can next to them. That was pretty heartbreaking. Despite that, I'll always have great memories of going in as a kid and getting something no other store offered.

[@RetroGamePlayers]

RIP Charles Lazarus, he would've enjoyed this video. Most likely anyway

[@Euro-H.E.V.]

Holy shit! He died so very recently! Maybe the announcement of what he created dying, was too much of a blow for him. :(

[@thewhitematstudio]

I’d really like to see more content like this. Retrospectives with personal experiences is a lot of fun to watch

[@KFXG]

Lots of Toys R Us memories. I'm 20 and I still go there. That's where I discovered Accelercers, and my family would go and hunt down each of the cars and movies. Between my brother and I, we have all but like 4 or 5 of the cars. Just one of the many memories I have of Toys R Us. I'm in Canada, so thankfully it isn't closing... yet. Sometimes I just go to browse and see the new stuff that's out. Love that place. They have a great Lego selection, too.

[@nkucarrd88]

Amazing video guys. Used to love Toys R Us as a kid just like everyone else. Hoping that more people will want to pay for the nostalgia and toy stores like this could make some kind of comeback one day.

[@edtheluck]

This was awesome, thanks! Memories for a lifetime.. I can still vividly remember going there with my birthday money and getting Super Mario Land & Gargoyles Quest for the new Gameboy I'd gotten that Birthday in 1991! Taking the little ticket things up to the collection booth.. it was all exactly the same here in the UK, happy days. I went to my local store last night, was so sad to see it so quiet and all the shelves half empty ready to close.

[@Masterantula]

I have bad PTSD and this isn't the first time one of your videos helped me. Even if just temporary, I'm really thankful for the sixteen minutes and twenty seven seconds of mental relief. Digging that new 80's set, and these documentary videos a lot. I have great memories of going to Toys R' Us with my late Uncle, who would let us pick out a couple toys when we would visit. Thanks for stoking up the memories. You guys rock.

[@TheGameChasers]

Hang in there, man. Thanks a ton

[@TheMelvor]

Doc Terantula thanks for watching!

[@notquiteordinary]

Doc Terantula yep the best healing thing for ptsd is a documentary about a store that no one ever went to

[@Masterantula]

The Game Chasers Thank you

[@andrewthompson1405]

Doc Terantula its feel good videos that give me sanity as well

[@blueshky]

When you showed the footage of the video game slips.....THAT was a nostalgia hammer that hit me and took me back to 1993.

[@jonathanredford215]

Cool vid guys. I get the whole connection factor with a place like that. For me it was there or KB toys mostly. Felt special when you'd go searching out that particular toy you'd waited for, or just wanted to see what's new. It's a hard feeling to replicate

[@Sasha-ux6xe]

we lived next to a toys r us in germany when i was a kid, I would literally just hang out there everyday and look at all the things i couldnt have, good times man

[@pizzamon795]

I grew up in a medium size town, didn't have a Toys R us, but I went to one in Kansas City, MO when I was 10 in 1989, they had more game consoles that I didn't recognize than I had ever seen. One specific console I remember is the LJN Video Art console that had really long joystick on the controller.

[@MegaN0ise]

Toys R Us was my favorite store as an 80's kid and it's my favorite store as an adult who collects toys and video games. I'm glad my kid is old enough to have had memories of this amazing place and tell me that it's her favorite store ever.

[@souperman72]

Going through a tough break up, this helped me forget for a little bit.