Where have all the toy shops gone?

[RAREFILMFINDER]

On Kingsland road where I have grown up ,we had three toy shops within a small stretch of the high road.I believe that nearly every town centre had a similar amount.

I look now and there are very few.Have our children lost their childhood.

Will there ever be a day where corgi sell over 1 million models of just the gold james bond car or action man makes a comeback?

Times have totally changed and it looks like an end of an era for toys as we knew them.



lenny

[Steve Crook]

name='RAREFILMFINDER']On Kingsland road where I have grown up ,we had three toy shops within a small stretch of the high road.I believe that nearly every town centre had a similar amount.

I don't think so. They were usually few and far between with at most one in most town centres, often not even that many.



There are still some around. But many more people buy online now.



Steve

[narabdela]

Toys 'R Us was the death knell for most of them.

[MB]

They have these massive places called 'Toys R US' now. I agree, they don't have the same kind of magic as the old 'toy shops'. They are basically warehouses with 'stock on shelves' - they don't hang anything from the ceiling or have eyecatching bits and bobs for children to play with and they employ very young people who don't seem to know very much about anything they sell.



There is also 'The Early Learning centre' - which is a very good idea - they sell toys that are genuinely well thought out and about 'play' rather than the latest faddy cartoon merchandise, although, I have to say, given the choice my daughter would go for the latest faddy toy any time rather than the traditional toy.



I'd encourage anyone to go along to Hamleys and Harrods for toys if they are in London. They have a bit of both - you can get just about anything, there is an air of that 'magic' there..and they sells toys of both nature..faddy and traditional.

[pitchfork]

I remember some very good toy and model shops where the models were built and painted.

There is an good model shop, mainly die cast vehiclles etc in Bookham,Surrey. This of course is mainly an adult market now.

Remember the Meccano sets ? Many a budding" engineer" was encouraged by them.

[MB]

There was a film out recently called 'Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium' - about a toy shop - with Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman.



It shows the most wonderful set of ideas of what a 'toy shop' could be..some realistic and some not. But the first quarter of the film is beautifully made and captivating.



The story really lets it down though and my daughter ended up crying half way through! We had to put it off.



A real shame - because everyone else had done their job perfectly. (In a nutshell - Mr Magorium is planning his suicide..hmmm..nice one! I haven't seen the end.)

[julian_craster]

Devoured by ARGOS, every one.......

[faginsgirl]

Hi.



How odd, I was just thinking the same thing the other day. I have a wonderful memory of a toy shop I used to visit as a child, mainly window shopping but the times I did go into it it was such a magical place.



I didn`t even mind Joblings and Fenwicks when they used to stack thier toys on shelves, at least there was normally a santa`s grotto near by and lots of tissel to add atmosphere.



But, people are right when they say `toys are us` have been the death of it all. These places are so cold and have no atmosphere. It is consumerism hell.



xx

[Carmel]

Its sad now that children play computer games and sit in front of the television most of the time, when now do you ever see a little girl playing with her doll and pram and little boys playing cowboys and indians Never, children dont stay children for long any more they are swallowed up by adult games, clothes etc little girls want makeup when they are still in primary school and little boys want to hang out in gangs and be nasty. Bring back the good old days.

[Steve Crook]

We do particularly well for toy shops in Kingston-upon-Thames.

As well as Toys'R'Us and an Early Learning Centre and a Disney store there are also 3 independent toy shops and toy departments in places like Bentalls. The best of those is the Fun Learning shop which does toys that are still somewhat educational but are even better than those offered by the ELC. They are also very good at remakes of old toys. I got my nieces a space hopper there last Christmas



Steve