Get ready to travel back in time and unleash your inner child as we dive into the realm of some of our most cherished stores of childhood. Whether they were straight up toy stores, or leaned more educational, these ‘90s toy and hobby stores captured the imaginations of us all during our formative years. Do the kids of today have anything even close to these other than science and children’s museums? It’s a sad world, indeed.
Toys 'R' Us
I know, it’s heart-wrenching to think that Toys ‘R’ Us stores don’t exist anymore. If you want to get ultra-technical, Macy’s now features Toys ‘R’ Us sections in a number of their stores. But it’s still not the same as driving up to that huge warehouse full of childhood dreams. From towering shelves filled with action figures and dolls to aisles packed with board games and bicycles, it was a true toy paradise.
Remember the jingle? So classic.
Imaginarium
Was there anything cooler than having your own separate small entrance in the Imaginarium stores in ‘90s malls? (Well, probably, but this was pretty fun.) Imaginarium was a specialty toy store that focused on educational toys and similar products. At some point, the chain was bought by Toys ‘R’ Us, and eventually the stores all closed by 2003.
Natural Wonders
If you didn’t go straight for the rain sticks in Natural Wonders, did you even live? This store wasn’t necessarily a toy store, but it did have a lot of fun stuff like cool rocks, and, probably, those power bead bracelets that everyone wore in the ‘90s. I applied to work at the one in my mall when I was in high school, but didn’t ever hear back. Instead, my first real job was at…
Store of Knowledge
The Store of Knowledge was indeed my first real job, and let me tell you, getting that first check for like $90 seemed like a whole lot back then. Store of Knowledge had a unique partnership with local PBS stations, and featured a combination of toys and educational items like telescopes. There was a giant TV when you first walked in, and bins of those random things you loved to touch as you waited in line at the register. It was not only a fun store to shop in, it was also a fun first job. You know, apart from it going bankrupt while I was working there.
The Nature Company
Very similar to Natural Wonders, The Nature Company was also known for its rain sticks, along with gemstones, minerals, fossils, telescopes, and other sorts of scientific type stuff. While Natural Wonders went bankrupt, The Nature Company was bought by the Discovery Channel in 1996 and most were turned into…
Discovery Channel Store
Now it would seem pretty obvious that the Discovery Channel Store was pretty similar to The Nature Company, you know, since it bought it and all. But, of course, they had the opportunity to basically just support Discovery Channel shows and stuff by taking over the other business rather than compete against them.
Warner Bros. Studio Store
While the Disney Store may still exist in many malls, alas, the Warner Bros. Studio Store sadly does not, though it was a very similar concept. Funny that both Discovery Channel and Warner Bros. both had physical storefronts in malls that went defunct, and both are now part of the same company. One can only imagine how these stores might’ve combined if this merger was done back in the ‘90s. That said, if you want to get some Warner Bros merch, you can still find a store on the Warner Bros studio lot and online.
KB Toys
It’s really sad when companies that have been around for a long time fail, and that’s no exception for KB Toys, which was around in some form from 1922 – 2009. They were so close to reaching 100 years! Damn. When the company declared bankruptcy, Toys ‘R’ Us actually bought what was left. They sold it to another company in 2016, who planned to try to revive it, but alas, that didn’t go through and we still don’t have any KB Toys as of 2023.
Zany Brainy
Zany Brainy was founded in 1991, and was a place for educational toys and multimedia products for kids ages 9-13. This store only lasted for about 10 years, declaring bankruptcy in 2001, partially because it faced financial difficulties after acquiring its main rival…
Noodle Kidoodle
Yep, Noodle Kidoodle started out as its own thing, but was eventually acquired by Zany Brainy, which just caused both of them to go under in the end. Did you noticed all of the cross-buying and dying across this entire list? It’s sad, really, seeing as almost all of them died by the early 2000s.
What were your favorite toy and hobby stores in the ‘90s? Any we missed that you adored? Let us know in the comments!
- KB Toys was founded in 1922 by the Kaufman brothers, and began as a wholesale candy store. It transitioned to toys in 1946.
- Noodle Kidoodle’s slogan was, “Kids learn best when they’re having fun!” and it mainly operated stores in the Northeastern United States.
- The backward R in the Toys ‘R’ Us logo was done purposefully, to make it look like a kid had written it and make it stand out as a family-friendly store.
- By the year 2000, there were about 92 Store of Knowledge stores around the United States, which generated sales of about $125 million. But, that didn’t stop it from going bankrupt the following year.
- Zany Brainy was owned by FAO Schwarz, you know, the famous NYC toy store known for its life-sized keyboard and general over-the-top-ness. Will FAO Schwarz stand the test of time? We can only hope.
- KB Toys was founded in 1922 by the Kaufman brothers, and began as a wholesale candy store. It transitioned to toys in 1946.
- Noodle Kidoodle’s slogan was, “Kids learn best when they’re having fun!” and it mainly operated stores in the Northeastern United States.
- The backward R in the Toys ‘R’ Us logo was done purposefully, to make it look like a kid had written it and make it stand out as a family-friendly store.
- By the year 2000, there were about 92 Store of Knowledge stores around the United States, which generated sales of about $125 million. But, that didn’t stop it from going bankrupt the following year.
- Zany Brainy was owned by FAO Schwarz, you know, the famous NYC toy store known for its life-sized keyboard and general over-the-top-ness. Will FAO Schwarz stand the test of time? We can only hope.
