Until news the a couple of months ago that Toys 'R' us was closing down and I read the ensuing comments and reactions from people who were shocked that Toys 'R' Us was still around, I never really questioned the existence of our local store. But, it's begun to quicken its pace on its long, slow march to the retail graveyard, and every time I go back, I'm reminded of the time that I've spent in there, and how that time is coming to an end.
I have a lot of memories of shopping in that store, mostly window shopping, especially when I was a kid with no money, and also as an adult with no money. Though I could sometimes find something to buy that cost less than what I'd find between the couch cushions, just going and looking around was fun in and of itself.
But, growing up, I went there a lot, mostly to buy video games. My mom took me out there to buy a copy of Tetris 2 for the Game Boy, which I had saved up for weeks to get. We got there, I bought it, and then the car wouldn't start. Thankfully I had brought my Game Boy and some fresh batteries so I had something to do while she tried to contact someone in a pre-cell phone world and we waited for help.
In the weeks leading up to the Nintendo 64 launch, I would go on Saturday mornings with a few of my friends and we'd park ourselves in front of the line of demo consoles to play Super Mario 64 for hours monopolizing them all and relinquishing them right before they kicked us out.
I bought an NES Advantage (the best controller ever made) from them for $5, well into the lifespan of the Nintendo 64. I suspect that someone found a cache of them in their warehouse when they were moving crates around.
I accidentally played a demo of Mario Golf there for so long that my arm partially fell asleep.
And so on. I also have lots of memories of that store that don't involve video games, but since this is (usually) a video game blog, I won't talk about them too much here.
It's definitely the end of an era, and, while I do order from online retailers a lot, nothing will replace going into a store that gets deep into one thing (like toys, books, video games, or whatever) and just nosing around marveling at the depth and breadth of the selection. Or to go there with a kid and vicariously live through them the experience and excitement of wide-eyed exploration where every turn could lead somewhere magical.
As convenient as Amazon is, or Wal-Mart, or wherever, they just can't replicate the experience of just meandering through the aisles and discovering something new. Or spending part of the day in a playground where you can take a part of it home with you (without a visit from the police later).
I'll miss it for sure, but I'll at least have my memories of going there. Unfortunately, the kids today, especially the youngest ones, won't even have that.