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#1 krob

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Posted 15 September 2006 - 02:01 PM

Was just wondering if anyone here remembers either Toy Chest that was on Camp Bowie near Hulen. . .and also Tolson's Hobby Shop. . .which was also located on Camp Bowie down across from Will Rogers Coliseum. . . these places were the center of the universe when I was a kid in the 60's and early 70's.

#2 texastrill

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Posted 15 September 2006 - 02:06 PM

In the 80's for me over here in the East was Joy Toy.It was on Lancaster and Handley.
T E X A S T R I L L - G O C O W B O Y S

#3 krob

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Posted 15 September 2006 - 03:03 PM

A few others I remember were Alexander Ed's Hobby Shop downtown. I never went there but I do remember the large model of a B-58 jet hanging over the door. . . . Also, Bolen's Toy Palace in Wedgwood.

#4 Bill Sievers

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 08:17 AM

I remember those stores! Tolson's was a favorite place to go, and there was one guy in there who was aleays very helpful. I think eventually they drifted more into picture frames. Wonder when they closed.

Good old Toy Palace! Bob Bolen's place, started in the Westcliff Shopping Center back in the '50's. His dad had a watch and clock repair business in the old Westcliff Theatre building which was eventually torn down. He moved into the Toy Palace and ran his business out of there for a long time. I guess they moved over to Wedgewood sometime in the late 60's or early 70's. Bob gave me my first job putting flyers on all the cars in the Westcliff Shopping Center parking lot. It was the middle of the summer, and was it hot! Got paid a dollar!

There was another toy store on BlueBonnet Circle, called Circle Toy and Hobbies. They had a pretty good selection of just about everything toy and hobby related, but the owners weren't very friendly, especially to kids! You could look, but couldn't touch ANYTHING in that store. Strange way to market to your potential customers. They had a really neat model train setup as I recall. It was an HO guage and was quite intricate.

I think I remember the place with the B-58 over the door. Seems like when I was young, I always wanted to go in there, but never did. Wasn't that the place where the B-58 was flat up against the building, nose down, directly over the entrance? I can't remember for sure.

Seems like the days of toy stores has been replaced by the big box store, Toys R Us. Hobby shops these days are as scarce as hen's teeth having been replaced by an 800 number and a credit card.

Interesting topic!

Bill Sievers

#5 krob

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 09:29 AM

QUOTE(Bill Sievers @ Sep 16 2006, 09:17 AM) View Post

I remember those stores! Tolson's was a favorite place to go, and there was one guy in there who was aleays very helpful. I think eventually they drifted more into picture frames. Wonder when they closed.

Good old Toy Palace! Bob Bolen's place, started in the Westcliff Shopping Center back in the '50's. His dad had a watch and clock repair business in the old Westcliff Theatre building which was eventually torn down. He moved into the Toy Palace and ran his business out of there for a long time. I guess they moved over to Wedgewood sometime in the late 60's or early 70's. Bob gave me my first job putting flyers on all the cars in the Westcliff Shopping Center parking lot. It was the middle of the summer, and was it hot! Got paid a dollar!

There was another toy store on BlueBonnet Circle, called Circle Toy and Hobbies. They had a pretty good selection of just about everything toy and hobby related, but the owners weren't very friendly, especially to kids! You could look, but couldn't touch ANYTHING in that store. Strange way to market to your potential customers. They had a really neat model train setup as I recall. It was an HO guage and was quite intricate.

I think I remember the place with the B-58 over the door. Seems like when I was young, I always wanted to go in there, but never did. Wasn't that the place where the B-58 was flat up against the building, nose down, directly over the entrance? I can't remember for sure.

Seems like the days of toy stores has been replaced by the big box store, Toys R Us. Hobby shops these days are as scarce as hen's teeth having been replaced by an 800 number and a credit card.

Interesting topic!

Bill Sievers



I think the guy you were speaking of at Tolson's as being helpful was Mr. Tolson himself. He was always there and I am sure he was the owner. I can remember marveling at the model airplanes in the display case and also at the model train that was always set up. I had only been to Bolen's a few times when they were located in Westcliff. And maybe once when they moved to Wedgwood. It was another great store. I don't recall the shop on Bluebonnet Circle. And you are right about the B-58. It was over the door and pointed downward. . . I regret never having made it in to that place. I am pretty sure it was called Alexander Edd's Hobby Shop. And you are correct in saying these shops have been replaced by Toy's r Us or an 800 number. . . or a website. It's really too bad. Of course kids today could care less about train sets or model planes. . . today it's Ipods and computer games.

#6 hipolyte

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 10:34 AM

Mason's Hobby Lobby on Grapevine Highway in North Richland Hills still exists, almost untouched by time, except for the lack of Mrs. Mason's kindly presence.

#7 Now in Denton

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 11:57 AM

When I was a kid it was "Toys by Roy" in the Ridgmar mall.

#8 mbdalton1

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 03:02 PM

I remember visiting Bob Bolen's in Wedgewood in the summers (1970's) when I would come visit my grandparents. We would always go there at least once during my week long stay. I can still smell the plastic of the rubber balls in the big wire bin, usually placed somewhere near the entrance, if I remember correctly. Oh yeah, and didn't they have shopping bags with vertical red and white stripes and in the center the words "Bob Bolen's" spelled in royal or navy blue? This is just now coming back to me....

Such fond memories! Thanks for adding this thread!

smile.gif Mary Bess

#9 fortworthman

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Posted 17 September 2006 - 10:44 PM

QUOTE(krob @ Sep 15 2006, 04:03 PM) View Post
A few others I remember were Alexander Ed's Hobby Shop downtown. I never went there but I do remember the large model of a B-58 jet hanging over the door. . . . .


It was called Ed Alexander's and in the 1950's. it was a large scale silver Convair B-36 that was hanging over the doorway in downtown Fort Worth. Ed, like Bill Tolson's hobby shop on Camp Bowie, could get any kind of hobby kit that you wanted. But, Ed specialized in gas engine airplanes, Radio Control airplane kits and engines, and plastic model kits. Ed had some very old antique model airplane engines in a case. They were not for sale. Everything from miniature to large, gas and diseal engines were in display cases. The store was located in one of those narrow store fronts with two narrow dispaly windows on each side of the doorway. Inside was a tall ceiling from turn of the century architecture. One very long glass top counter served the customers. Ed had a good crew to wait on the customers and they were experienced in the hobby to help and give tips.

Bill Tolson's shop's speciality was model rail roading and always advertised in the back of Model Railroad magazine. If one were traveling or lived out of Texas and picked up a copy of the mazine, it was always nice and warm feeling to see Fort Worth, Texas name still on the map, even if it was in a hobby magazine. Bill also had plastic kits and balsa models too. Seems like it was about 1996 that I last visited with Bill in his shop. It was dark in there and not very much business. It was shortly after that when Tolson's Hobby closed its doors. There was a short article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram about it. I bought and built my first model airplane from Tolson's about 1951 and had many, many enjoyable moments in my life constructing those kits bought from Tolosn's as well as Alexander's.

I can't begin to tell you how I miss those good old days.

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#10 Sailor

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Posted 19 October 2006 - 10:26 AM

Tolson's always had the complete inventory of the Lionel catalog. Great Place!!! I believe they closed when Mr. Tolson died......

#11 gary mcferran

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 10:46 AM

I remember a store downtown, don't know it's name but it sold magic tricks, that was me and my brothers favorite store in the late 60's.
we use to go there and buy those cigarettes that blew up and those hand buzzers.
Good Times

#12 krob

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Posted 28 February 2007 - 09:37 AM

Ohh. . .I forgot one. . .

The Hobby Hub that was located in the old Seminary South shopping center.

#13 campbowiefan

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Posted 24 October 2007 - 06:36 PM

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I recall the Toy Chest. My brother and I often walked up there from my great aunt's house on Lafayette Avenue. Mott's Five and Dime was fun, too, for spending our allowance. We used to visit here from Wichita Falls and thought Ft. Worth was the big time. lol

M.


#14 jenidallas

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Posted 22 November 2007 - 03:24 PM

A place I loved for toys as a kid (the more vintage variety of things) was Mott's 5&10 - we used to go to the one in the old Monnig's shopping center at Jacksboro Highway and River Oaks Blvd. It was how I stayed "busy" when mom was shopping for clothes and probably explains my love for vintage things at a very early age!

#15 Giraffe

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Posted 02 December 2007 - 11:07 PM

QUOTE(krob @ Sep 15 2006, 03:03 PM) View Post

A few others I remember were Alexander Ed's Hobby Shop downtown. I never went there but I do remember the large model of a B-58 jet hanging over the door. . . . Also, Bolen's Toy Palace in Wedgwood.


Man oh man! I browsed Bolen's Toy Palace several hundred times when I was a kid. Never bought anything there, though, because they had the highest prices in town. I recall the big "cage" right outside the front door where they kept swingsets; I often used to chain up my bicycle on the bars. You could buy plastic model kits, Hot Wheels cars, etc. In the early '80s you could get game cartidges for the Odyssey 2 home video game system, but it was outrageous how much Bolen's charged for them. My brother may have bought his Testor's model paints there. I think there was a Bolen's bicycle shop in the same shopping center.

I remember seeing a big model of a jet airplane (could have been a B-58) that hung over the entrace to a hobby store near Paschal H.S. That would have been late '70s or early '80s. This was right around the corner from Mac's House restaurant. Eventually they took down the model and my dad and I went in there once to ask why; the guy said they kept it inside the back room for some reason. That hobby store has long since closed.



#16 Giraffe

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Posted 02 December 2007 - 11:12 PM

QUOTE(jenidallas @ Nov 22 2007, 03:24 PM) View Post

A place I loved for toys as a kid (the more vintage variety of things) was Mott's 5&10 - we used to go to the one in the old Monnig's shopping center at Jacksboro Highway and River Oaks Blvd. It was how I stayed "busy" when mom was shopping for clothes and probably explains my love for vintage things at a very early age!


Our Motts 5&10 was on Trail Lake Dr. at Loop 820. It was right next door to Kragen's Auto Supply (both of these are now gone). I usually went there as a kid while my mom was getting her hair done in the beauty parlor a few doors down. I remember buying Magic Rocks (those little colored rocks that grew into stalagmites in just a few minutes) and "Balloon in a Tube"... it was a very smelly chemical that you squeezed out of a toothpaste tube and twirled onto the end of a straw, and you blew into that straw to make your own multi-colored balloon when it hardened. Stank to high heaven and could easily put a kid into a stupor. tongue.gif

#17 Ghost Writer in Disguise

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Posted 09 December 2007 - 12:02 PM

I remember the Toy Chest. I remember driving past the Toy Chest but never getting to stop; I always wondered what it was like in there. Of course, many of those trips past were trips to Tolson's Modelcraft. I wonder if the helpful guy there may have been Charlie Jetton, who worked there while in college. At Tolson's you could bring in your old choo-choo stuff and sell it on consignment.

There was another store that I visited only once or twice on NE 28th, A & A Hobby Center. They had a lot of early HO stuff the like of which I never saw anywhere else.

I honestly do not remember any downtown hobby shop yet I do remember a huge B-36 hanging over someone's door. Could it have been at one shop and later at another? I just remembered another one ( but not its name ) and it seems like it might be the one where I saw it: on highway 80 next to Donn Heath's gun shop there was a hobby shop that specialized in military model kits, no trains. Owner was a bit of a of a jerk. Later, when Heath built his new store across the road, the hobby shop moved there too. They had an M5 tank parked out front. I'll bet I'm not the only one who remembers that.

#18 krob

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Posted 09 December 2007 - 12:29 PM

QUOTE(Ghost Writer in Disguise @ Dec 9 2007, 12:02 PM) View Post

I remember the Toy Chest. I remember driving past the Toy Chest but never getting to stop; I always wondered what it was like in there. Of course, many of those trips past were trips to Tolson's Modelcraft. I wonder if the helpful guy there may have been Charlie Jetton, who worked there while in college. At Tolson's you could bring in your old choo-choo stuff and sell it on consignment.

There was another store that I visited only once or twice on NE 28th, A & A Hobby Center. They had a lot of early HO stuff the like of which I never saw anywhere else.

I honestly do not remember any downtown hobby shop yet I do remember a huge B-36 hanging over someone's door. Could it have been at one shop and later at another? I just remembered another one ( but not its name ) and it seems like it might be the one where I saw it: on highway 80 next to Donn Heath's gun shop there was a hobby shop that specialized in military model kits, no trains. Owner was a bit of a of a jerk. Later, when Heath built his new store across the road, the hobby shop moved there too. They had an M5 tank parked out front. I'll bet I'm not the only one who remembers that.


I do remember that tank outside the hobby shop on Highway 80. I think I went there maybe once.

#19 Willy1

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 12:34 AM

I loved going to The Toy Chest. My grandmother always took me to my dentist appointments when I was a kid and as a reward I always got to go to The Toy Chest afterwards and pick out a new toy. That was my reward for going to the dentist and not biting his fingers off while they were performing oral torture treatments on me. In fact, I have a dentist appointment on Jan. 21st and I think I will have to go buy myself a toy of some sort afterwards just for old times sake. I still hate going to the dentist. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that when I had my wisdom teeth out, they had to be removed by a maxiofacial reconstructive surgeon and it took me over 3 months to recover from the surgery. Hmm... now that I think about it, maybe I'll buy myself a big toy after my dentist appointment on the 21st!



#20 Willy1

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 12:35 AM

Hey... I just hit my 500th post so now I'm an elite member. Woo Hoo!!!!! Quick someone build a 75 story landmark skyscaper downtown to celebrate my new status on the FW Forum!

#21 wrccpa

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Posted 20 August 2008 - 08:01 AM

Does anyone remember the hobby shop next to Buddies on the corner of Meadowbrook and Handley? I can remember the name of it, even though I spent a lot of time there.

#22 hankjr

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Posted 20 August 2008 - 09:49 AM

how about Leonard Brothers downstairs in the old original store at Christmas? I can tell you my eyes were like saucers to behold that display of electric trains in the early to mid 40's. Aside, from that our iceman ,Ernest Tubbs brother, gave me, my brother and sister a little mechanical catarpillar tractor and small wind up motor boat that actually propelled on our small duck pond. Those were real lean years before the bomber plant came in with all those jobs for our parents.

#23 McHand

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Posted 20 August 2008 - 12:03 PM

QUOTE (jenidallas @ Nov 22 2007, 04:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
A place I loved for toys as a kid (the more vintage variety of things) was Mott's 5&10 - we used to go to the one in the old Monnig's shopping center at Jacksboro Highway and River Oaks Blvd. It was how I stayed "busy" when mom was shopping for clothes and probably explains my love for vintage things at a very early age!



Yes, I was going to mention Mott's. We used to go to the one on Camp Bowie. It had a small toy section but I always loved to browse. I also remember getting pencil boxes and other school stuff there.

Voice & Guitars in Big Heaven
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#24 buffalo71

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Posted 27 August 2008 - 01:03 PM

QUOTE (hankjr @ Aug 20 2008, 10:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
how about Leonard Brothers downstairs in the old original store at Christmas? I can tell you my eyes were like saucers to behold that display of electric trains in the early to mid 40's. Aside, from that our iceman ,Ernest Tubbs brother, gave me, my brother and sister a little mechanical catarpillar tractor and small wind up motor boat that actually propelled on our small duck pond. Those were real lean years before the bomber plant came in with all those jobs for our parents.


Does anyone happen to remember a Christmas train at Leonard's downtown that the kids could ride? I know I remember riding a train that went behind the walls and there were little animated creatures wrapping presents and helping Santa. It seems like it was along the top of the walls and you had to go upstairs to get on the train. It would have been in the late 50s' or early 60's. My sister doesn't remember it and thinks I'm imagining things. It would be nice if I could prove to her that I'm not totally crazy.

#25 bailey

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Posted 28 August 2008 - 10:14 AM

You are absolutely not crazy about the train at Leonards. It was located in the basement close to the entrance of the M&O Subway, on the left side as you approached the entrance to the subway. It went through the wall and passed a bunch of elves making toys. If I recall, they also had a Santa Claus back there. I used to love riding that train.

#26 buffalo71

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Posted 28 August 2008 - 02:22 PM

QUOTE (bailey @ Aug 28 2008, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You are absolutely not crazy about the train at Leonards. It was located in the basement close to the entrance of the M&O Subway, on the left side as you approached the entrance to the subway. It went through the wall and passed a bunch of elves making toys. If I recall, they also had a Santa Claus back there. I used to love riding that train.


Thanks Baily! That's a relief. I didn't remember all of the details, but I knew it was real. I have to go call my sister now.

#27 sonny 2

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Posted 22 September 2008 - 03:29 PM

QUOTE (buffalo71 @ Aug 28 2008, 03:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (bailey @ Aug 28 2008, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You are absolutely not crazy about the train at Leonards. It was located in the basement close to the entrance of the M&O Subway, on the left side as you approached the entrance to the subway. It went through the wall and passed a bunch of elves making toys. If I recall, they also had a Santa Claus back there. I used to love riding that train.


Thanks Baily! That's a relief. I didn't remember all of the details, but I knew it was real. I have to go call my sister now.

My favorite place was The Model Shop, just behind Flynts' Drugstore on 6th ave. and Terrell Street. A tiny place, but he had a large train diorama with mountains, tunnells, rivers, bridges, and many buildings and autos. It always smelled of Testors Cement and airplane dope. This was late '40's_early '50's.

#28 Phil Phillips

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Posted 23 September 2008 - 12:30 PM

QUOTE (wrccpa @ Aug 20 2008, 09:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Does anyone remember the hobby shop next to Buddies on the corner of Meadowbrook and Handley? I can remember the name of it, even though I spent a lot of time there.


I believe it was Kay's Hobby Shop.

#29 m lambert

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Posted 02 May 2009 - 02:46 PM

QUOTE (avvy @ Aug 20 2008, 01:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (jenidallas @ Nov 22 2007, 04:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
A place I loved for toys as a kid (the more vintage variety of things) was Mott's 5&10 - we used to go to the one in the old Monnig's shopping center at Jacksboro Highway and River Oaks Blvd. It was how I stayed "busy" when mom was shopping for clothes and probably explains my love for vintage things at a very early age!



Yes, I was going to mention Mott's. We used to go to the one on Camp Bowie. It had a small toy section but I always loved to browse. I also remember getting pencil boxes and other school stuff there.

Go see the Leonard's Museum in Fort Worth.

#30 Mark S

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Posted 03 May 2009 - 07:44 AM

The Leonard's Museum? Tell me more!

#31 Papaw

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Posted 03 May 2009 - 01:42 PM

It is in a small cafe just South of White Settlement on Carroll Street.

http://www.fortworth...epartment.shtml

#32 Mark S

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Posted 07 May 2009 - 04:02 PM

QUOTE (Papaw @ May 3 2009, 02:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It is in a small cafe just South of White Settlement on Carroll Street.

http://www.fortworth...epartment.shtml


Thanks, Papaw... I'll definitely check it out!


#33 Lonn Taylor

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Posted 13 May 2009 - 03:16 PM

This is a little before the other stores mentioned but in the late 1940s there was a Green Front (or perhaps it was Green & White) Five and Ten on Camp Bowie that had a fantastic stock of model airplane kits. My mother and I spent the summer of 1947 at my grandmother's house in Fort Worth, waiting to join my father overseas, and I made model airplanes at the rate of about one a week. My favorites were the Strombecker solid model series, and this store had an endless supply of them. Seems to me that it was still there when we moved back to Fort Worth in 1956.

Lonn Taylor

#34 travelbear

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Posted 17 May 2009 - 10:03 PM

Any one remember A & A Hobby Shop on N.E. 28th, just east of Riverside Dr? Old time shop with model kits, hobby stuff and lots of trains. A & A was for Archie (the owner) and his wife who's name started with A but I forget her name. Archie was a very nice old man who passed in the early 90's leading to the closing of the shop. Also wasn't Ed Alexander's Hobby shop located on Forest Park near Mac's House for a few years after he closed the downtown location?

#35 Ghost Writer in Disguise

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Posted 18 May 2009 - 12:58 PM

QUOTE (travelbear @ May 17 2009, 11:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Any one remember A & A Hobby Shop on N.E. 28th, just east of Riverside Dr? Old time shop with model kits, hobby stuff and lots of trains. A & A was for Archie (the owner) and his wife who's name started with A but I forget her name. Archie was a very nice old man who passed in the early 90's leading to the closing of the shop. Also wasn't Ed Alexander's Hobby shop located on Forest Park near Mac's House for a few years after he closed the downtown location?


See post #17, this thread. Early 90s? I didn't know A & A was around that long.

#36 GGJ

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Posted 15 November 2009 - 02:40 AM

Mason's Hobby Lobby was and is a local treasure!

Another toy store that I remember as a kid growing up in the 1980's was Children's Palace. Although it was a chain, it stood out due to its castle-like facade. According to Wikipedia, the chain went out of business in 1992.The one I occasionally was lucky enough to check out was at Grapevine Highway and NE Loop 820 in North Richland Hills across from the now demolished North Hills Mall. The location later became a Best Buy, and then that moved to Hurst, and now the location is an off-price Children and Baby Store.

#37 hinzdl

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Posted 15 November 2009 - 09:45 AM

Oh the memories in Fort Worth. I lived at the corner of Washington Ter and Bunting and those toy store were my haunt. Tolson was the best and Mr. Tolson was always ready to explain and help. Mott's on Camp Bowie was at Virginia Pl and Camp Bowie and then there was a Mott's on W7th next to Chicozkic (spelling) Grocery. I picked up a pack of BBs there and when I got in the car with my Mom asked where they came from. I had to go back in the store give them back to the manager, apologize and also give him my dime allowance for the week. Thus the end of my shop lifting careeer ended at 7 years old. Toy Chest was another that was close and we went there to find the toys you could not find other places. It seems without these neighborhood stores our kids are losing there imagination and and great memories....Great thread.

#38 Ghost Writer in Disguise

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Posted 15 November 2009 - 09:31 PM

Chikotsky's.

#39 SWRebel

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Posted 16 November 2009 - 04:12 PM

I started saving my money in May.
Grandma sent $2.00, my folks pitched in 5 and I was off to
the upstairs toy department at the Stripling on Berry to pick out
my own birthday present.
mellow.gif
"To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, ‘the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, & the fruits acquired by it.'"

#40 Mark S

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Posted 18 November 2009 - 08:37 AM

I remember those stairs! They seemed to go on forever... like the stairway to heaven. Wasn't that store Cox's before it became Stripling-Cox?

QUOTE (SWRebel @ Nov 16 2009, 04:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I started saving my money in May.
Grandma sent $2.00, my folks pitched in 5 and I was off to
the upstairs toy department at the Stripling on Berry to pick out
my own birthday present.
mellow.gif



#41 Doohickie

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Posted 21 November 2009 - 11:18 PM

I recently came across a Schwinn bike that had a Bolen's Bike World sticker on it. I fixed it up and gave it to a friend of my wife's. I still see Bob Bolen regularly....
My blog: Doohickie

#42 waywr

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Posted 04 January 2010 - 08:31 AM

Remember the toy store at Seminary South? It was called Toy Faire I think. The front facade looked like a little gingerbread/Hansel and Gretel type house. It was over by that grey 5-story office building in the mall.
I used to go there a lot as a kid in the 60s and 70s. Hobby Hub too.
Don't recall when Toy Faire went out of business, sometime in the early/mid 70s. They demolished that section of buildings to build the Dillards around 1976 or so. I think Toy Faire had already gone out of business by then. Of course, Dillards is also gone from the mall now too.
I remember as a little kid, I was born in 1963, I used to dream or imagine that I found $100 and went into Toy Faire and bought out the entire store. Guess I thought $100 was like $1 million back then.

#43 unknowntbone

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Posted 04 January 2010 - 09:17 AM

[quote name='waywr' date='Jan 4 2010, 08:31 AM' post='59039']
Remember the toy store at Seminary South? It was called Toy Faire I think. The front facade looked like a little gingerbread/Hansel and Gretel type house. It was over by that grey 5-story office building in the mall.

I guess that was down at the end of the mall--near El Chico's and Buddie's Supermarket.
I spent plenty of money at Murphy's--$2.66 at a time--buying records. And then going downstairs to the pet department and checking out if anyone forked over the $200 to buy a pirhanna that they had for sale down there.


#44 waywr

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Posted 04 January 2010 - 02:09 PM

Bought plenty of records at Murphys through the years. Still have a lot of them.
My parents bought several pets for me from their pet dept. too. Remember the little red-eared turtles with the plastic bowl with the island and plastic palm tree?

#45 gdvanc

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Posted 04 January 2010 - 03:55 PM

QUOTE (waywr @ Jan 4 2010, 02:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Remember the little red-eared turtles with the plastic bowl with the island and plastic palm tree?

Actually those little red-eared turtles and the island & plastic tree are one of my oldest memories. I had one when I was a toddler. It probably would have been when my parents were still married or very shortly after when we lived in River Oaks, so I would have been two to four years old. I loved that little turtle.

#46 Mark S

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Posted 21 July 2013 - 05:05 PM

The old Bolen's Toy Palace in the Westcliff Shopping Center was the place when I was a kid in the '60s. What sticks in my mind was how you could walk into the toy store, then pass through, from inside, into the bicycle store (that included a multi-lane slot car track you could rent time on), and then continue thorough to the Hallmark card store. Good memories!



#47 earlbutkus

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Posted 12 August 2013 - 01:45 AM

A place I loved for toys as a kid (the more vintage variety of things) was Mott's 5&10 - we used to go to the one in the old Monnig's shopping center at Jacksboro Highway and River Oaks Blvd. It was how I stayed "busy" when mom was shopping for clothes and probably explains my love for vintage things at a very early age!

I remember going to Mott's and also Monnig's ( now Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity Re-Store respectively). They had a wide variety of inexpensive toys I really loved back then.






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