Stoney Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Never, ever would have imagined that Toys R Us would shut down. Then again I couldn’t imagine my nieces and nephews having a palm sized computer that can make calls and play video games either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 I would hate to be a kid today. I still go to the toy section of most stores around Christmas to see if I would want anything as a kid. I really don't see much that would interest me if I was. They make lousy toys compared to what we had. Sure we had hand held electronic games that were poor on quality, but I wouldn't want to play many of the games I see online today. I miss the old arcade games of the late 70's, 80's, and early 90's. I've been to a few arcades/Dave &Busters that only have weird games that I wouldn't want to play now or as a kid. I want Galaga, Missile Command, Asteroids, Tetris, Centipede, Pac Man, Berserk, Sinistar, Moon Patrol, Dig Dug, QBert, NFL Blitz, NBA Jams, Donkey Kong, Pole Position, Gun Fight, Street Fighter, Robocop, Gauntlet, Paperboy, 1942, R.B.I. Baseball, Atari Football with the X's and O's as the players and using the roller ball to control one player, but being able to switch with the touch of a button, and there was one baseball game where you used a large toothpick to pitch fast, change ups, curveballs, sliders, and on when on offense you used it to bat. Heck back in the day I could arrive at the mall on a Friday or Saturday night at 5 pm with $5 and play until 10 pm when it shut down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 You couldn’t make a trip to the Longview Mall and not stop at KB Toys. Christmas, your Santa Claus list was whatever you had circled out of the Sears Wish Book. Those were good times. Nowadays if it doesn’t have a screen a kid doesn’t know how to use it. What’s funny Dave, my nephew’s favorite toy in the whole world, you can leave this kid alone and he’ll keep himself entertained with it, but’s it’s the barrel of monkeys. That kid will line them up every which. He’ll hang them off any and everything. Those and matchbox cars. Now don’t get me wrong he stills watches Paw Patrol and PJ Masks like any other kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 32 minutes ago, Stoney said: You couldn’t make a trip to the Longview Mall and not stop at KB Toys. Christmas, your Santa Claus list was whatever you had circled out of the Sears Wish Book. Those were good times. Nowadays if it doesn’t have a screen a kid doesn’t know how to use it. What’s funny Dave, my nephew’s favorite toy in the whole world, you can leave this kid alone and he’ll keep himself entertained with it, but’s it’s the barrel of monkeys. That kid will line them up every which. He’ll hang them off any and everything. Those and matchbox cars. Now don’t get me wrong he stills watches Paw Patrol and PJ Masks like any other kid. I remember the Toy Ranch, and KB Toys before Toys R US came into being. The same with Treasure City, Montgomery Wards, Sears, Wackers, Perry's, TG&Y, , M.E. Moses 5 and dime, and even J.C. Penney used to have a toy section in the 70's and early 80's, Otasco, and even Western Auto sold toys for kids. I had some great toys as a kid that kept me occupied. Today it's buy your kid an app or XBox/Playstation and they're controlled for hours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 Perry’s in Gilmer. I killed more goldfish from that place growing up then I probably ever had the right to. Lol Remember Montgomery Wards in the Longview Mall. Went in to Sears a few weeks back and I can’t believe they haven’t shut down yet. That was a booming place 15, 20 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarthDawg77 Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 When I was a kid back in the 70’s there was an older kid in the neighborhood whose dad was a doctor & he had the first “Pong” game I ever saw... kids these days wouldn’t give it a second look.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 23 hours ago, Stoney said: Perry’s in Gilmer. I killed more goldfish from that place growing up then I probably ever had the right to. Lol Remember Montgomery Wards in the Longview Mall. Went in to Sears a few weeks back and I can’t believe they haven’t shut down yet. That was a booming place 15, 20 years ago. I don't remember it ever being in the Mall, but it was next door to the Army Navy Store downtown in Longview. I remember the one in Tyler in front of Brookshire's . We used to shop there a lot when I was a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hookemhorns88 Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 On 6/30/2018 at 7:22 PM, DaveTV1 said: I don't remember it ever being in the Mall, but it was next door to the Army Navy Store downtown in Longview. I remember the one in Tyler in front of Brookshire's . We used to shop there a lot when I was a kid. I don't remember Montgomery Wards being in the mall either. I remember going to Gibson's on the Southside across from LeTourneau University. I was YOUNG!! When we would go there I would tell my parents to come and get me when they were ready to leave because I would be in the toy section! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 I’m thinking Service Merchandise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 8 hours ago, Hookemhorns88 said: I don't remember Montgomery Wards being in the mall either. I remember going to Gibson's on the Southside across from LeTourneau University. I was YOUNG!! When we would go there I would tell my parents to come and get me when they were ready to leave because I would be in the toy section! They still have a Gibson’s in Kerrville. Cool little store. We were down at our lease and my uncle wanted galoshes so his shoes wouldn’t get wet. Went to Walmart in Fredricksburg and they had not clue what they were. Go to Gibson’s and they had like two different brands to choose from. Crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirtFalcon Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 You kids are too young to remember the real fun stuff like rolling a metal bicycle rim down a dirt road with a stick and chunking switch cane spears at hay bales ... when we got older we skied behind dirt bikes down dirt roads and over the terraces in the pastures ... kids today are way too soft ... we were outside 90% of the time and did our "playing" outside in the weather ... rain, sleet or shine .... AND WE WERE THANKFUL!!!!! .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 Kirt, us early to mid 30s kids we’re the last of that type of childhood. You can’t get a kid outside in the summer to mow a yard let alone play with some friends nowadays. And if they are they’d better be supervised or else some nosy neighbor will call in on you for child endangerment. Kids today are too busy figuring out if they’re gay or pansexual or cross dressers or into fish or whatever in the hell is the “cool”thing to be right now instead of just doing something simple as playing. Enjoy being kid while you can. It goes by way too damn fast. No need to rush it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarthDawg77 Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 16 minutes ago, Stoney said: Kirt, us early to mid 30s kids we’re the last of that type of childhood. You can’t get a kid outside in the summer to mow a yard let alone play with some friends nowadays. And if they are they’d better be supervised or else some nosy neighbor will call in on you for child endangerment. Kids today are too busy figuring out if they’re gay or pansexual or cross dressers or into fish or whatever in the hell is the “cool”thing to be right now instead of just doing something simple as playing. Enjoy being kid while you can. It goes by way too damn fast. No need to rush it. I mean, hell, now kids these days have to decide if they are a guy, a girl, both, or even if they identify as white, black, Latino , etc... No Wonder they’re so confused; Their liberal parent(s) have told them they can be Anything, or anyone they Choose to be today! I think they all be found under ONE description: “SICK PUPPIES”....🤷♂ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 Saw a video of a kid that the Huffington Post was praising as the future of America. 10 year old said he was a drag queen. Said he knew it when he was 2. . At two you were pooping your diapers, not making some big existential statement about your sexual orientation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirtFalcon Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 We swam in our drawers in the big "hole" down on the creek bend, played cowboys and Indians in the woods, built forts out of limbs and pine straw, had mudball fights down at the creek, swang on vines across the creek and beat our chests like Tarzan ... we hunted squirrels and fished for perch or catfish and we ate what we caught or killed. There was no laying around in the house watching tv or no video games ... I remember a big old Hampshire hog that probably weighed 400lbs that we used to ride around in the yard ... When my three grandsons come over, I take them outside and we throw knives and hatchets, they love spear chucking too ... love to take the down to the catfish pond and throw out some floating food and let them catch some channel cats ... always make them help skin them too ... Kids today don't even go outside much and get dirty ... I think a lot of kids are always sick these days because they don't go outside and get exposed to dirt, cow manure and fish guts ... that kind of exposure builds up your immune system and builds men ... My youngest grandson with a big old channel cat ... there are no video games at Poppy's house ... I'm going to take them hog hunting soon ... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 10 hours ago, Stoney said: I’m thinking Service Merchandise. It was Wilson's before it was Service Merchandise, and they did have about 8 aisles of toys and games back in the day. I don't think they became Service Merchandise until the late 80's. They weren't bad, until they switched to a no sales floor, and you had to take the tags to the front counter for them to retrieve what you wanted from the warehouse. I did by a Mickey Mantle baseball for my dad there, and I have it today. I also bought a Reggie Jackson autographed baseball as well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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