Child World Toy stores!

[Atari Creep]

Just thought I would share a small/LARGE part of my childhood. Child World (the location pictured below in particular) was the main spot I got all my Star Wars, G.I. Joe and Atari items from. In fact I am almost sure that 90% of all my toys came from there. The place was HUGE! I miss going there, the building is still there and looks the same but is another retail store. The closed all doors in 1993 but I was able to make one more purchase there just before they closed, a Genesis game. (can't remember what title)

If you want to know more click on the link. I find it to be interesting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_World

YouTube has a few cool T.V. spots from them too.

 

Thanks all!

[Justin]

Where I grew up Child World was called Children's Palace. I always saw it as an alternative to Toys R Us. They were slightly smaller, but not by much. A good comparison would be Home Depot and Ace Hardware. Children's Palace had the castle theme and was a bit more boutique than Toys R Us. I used to get some of my Atari games from there, as well as my Lego sets, Laser Tag and Teddy Ruxpin. If I remember correctly Children's Palace would have some of the more elaborate Lego sets that Toys R Us didn't always have. This would be the big cardboard box sets that would be a town, gas station with car wash, etc. I also remember them having a lot of giant stuffed animals that were probably kind of expensive.

[Rowsdower70]

They didn't have this near me when I grew up.   We didn't have Toys R Us for a long time.   We had some neat proper glass store front stores in our mall, and I dearly miss those Christmas displays they'd set up.

[Atari Creep]

Where I grew up Child World was called Children's Palace. I always saw it as an alternative to Toys R Us. They were slightly smaller, but not by much. A good comparison would be Home Depot and Ace Hardware. Children's Palace had the castle theme and was a bit more boutique than Toys R Us. I used to get some of my Atari games from there, as well as my Lego sets, Laser Tag and Teddy Ruxpin. If I remember correctly Children's Palace would have some of the more elaborate Lego sets that Toys R Us didn't always have. This would be the big cardboard box sets that would be a town, gas station with car wash, etc. I also remember them having a lot of giant stuffed animals that were probably kind of expensive.

Thats funny because here in MA Child World was the go to toy store. Toys-R-Us and K.B. were the alternative. Although I remember KB Toys having better GoBots. haha

[Atari Adventure Square]

Oh man, dig that castle design!

 

Reminds me of this mall toy store called Toy World which, in the late 60s, very early 70s, was the closest thing to child Nirvana I ever experienced, on every visit.

Nothing new to the kid inside every one of us, but I'm sure those visits there sparked my life-long love of malls.

 

I've been scouring old newspapers, ads, local libraries, just to find pics of the inside of that store, back then.

 

If I ever seek a monk on a mountaintop, it will surely be to phase out the planet and access those memories, that existence, those Letrasets and Big Jim displays.

[Atari 5200 Guy]

That's awesome!  Brings back the memories of visiting the Kay B Toys in Battlefield Mall.  There were a couple of others, too, but my memory can't remember the names of them.  I remember Circus World where my 7800 came from but I don't remember much else.  As for photos my Mom was not much for family photos so I have none.

[RickR]

Big Jim! Wow, haven't heard that name in years.

[nosweargamer]

Where I grew up Child World was called Children's Palace. I always saw it as an alternative to Toys R Us. They were slightly smaller, but not by much. A good comparison would be Home Depot and Ace Hardware. Children's Palace had the castle theme and was a bit more boutique than Toys R Us. I used to get some of my Atari games from there, as well as my Lego sets, Laser Tag and Teddy Ruxpin. If I remember correctly Children's Palace would have some of the more elaborate Lego sets that Toys R Us didn't always have. This would be the big cardboard box sets that would be a town, gas station with car wash, etc. I also remember them having a lot of giant stuffed animals that were probably kind of expensive.

 

Yup. Children's Palace! I remember the catchy TV jingle (Children's Palace - That's Where It's At!):

 

It felt more like a toy warehouse inside compared to Toys R Us. And the video games were right in the front and you could flip through boxes instead of the card system. I recall seeing Superman on the NES and River Raid 2 for the 2600 there. I also saw a Wonder Boy in Monster World for the Genesis, but I can't remember if I bought it there. I might have when they had a going out of business sale. I also recall some special sets, such as a GI Joe 2 vehicle set I bought on clearance that including two extra, random figures.  You didn't see these at regular stores.

 

Also, I once found a vintage Human Torch Mego figure on the shelf in the clearance section, well after it's run. Where else could you find a toy that was discontinued 5-10 years earlier?

[RickR]

That place looks awesome.  I love the castle motif. 

 

Out here, we had a whole bunch of one-off mom and pop toy stores.  We had KB Toys at the malls.  And the big dog was Toys R Us.  I was just explaining to my teenage son the other day that TRU used to have a cage where you picked up your game after purchasing it (using a paper ticket)...and how that job of working the cage seemed like the most awesome-super-duper-ohmygod job in the world to a 10 year old kid.  The Toys R Us that I got a ton of my Atari games from back in the 80's is actually still here -- same building and location.  Very close to where I live now.  But the cage is long gone (except in my memory). 

Edited November 21, 2016 by RickR

[Arenafoot]

We had a Lionel Playworld in Gretna, LA and a Children's Palace in Marrero, LA along with toys available at Woolco, Woolworth, Gaylord's, Zayre's, TG&Y in the 80's. We did not have a Toys R Us until late 80's maybe early 90's.

I would say a good 90% of my toys came from Lionel Playworld. I can still remember buying my Cloak and Dagger board game, most of my Vectrex carts, Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars, etc from Playworld.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Arenafoot

[Mcorleonep]

Where I grew up, there was Toys R Us and Child World close by but this was the place all the kids wanted to go to...