70s/80s Toy Shops

[lejackal]

Any ideas if anyone has previously tried to find out the history of vintage shops?
Where shops were, what happened to them etc?

I have an idea for a bit of research 8)

 

[stu70]

I remember Zodiac toys, used to go to the one in Romford when visiting my nan.

https://zodiactoys.wordpress.com/

Lots of pictures of store displays on the site, mid 80's?, as they have all the He-Man figures on the shelves.

 

[Waltham Wookiee]

I've looked in to a few in the Southampton area myself.

 

[Cazza]

The black and white Zodiac Toys picture has lightsabers in the bottom left of the front window, and what looks like baskets of MOCs above them. This is exactly how I remember the layout in Swindon, when I chose my Palitoy R5 and Death Star Droid on my seventh birthday 8)

Other independant shops I remember:

Coles Toys & Gunsmith, Castle Street, Cirencester
GW Hurley in Burnham-on-Sea (still there)

 

[lejackal]

GW Hurley in Burnham-on-Sea (still there)

Get in there to the cellar/backroom/loft :lol:

 

[lejackal]

I looked a while ago at the old toy shops in Leicester and one of them was a Zodiac toys which is now a Tesco Metro, there was also a Dominoes Toys which had a revival a couple of years ago but is now closed again, the other place my toys came from was Tescos at Beaumont Leys in Leicester which is still a Tescos (rather unsurprisingly)

 

[Mini99]

I remember Zodiac toys, used to go to the one in Romford when visiting my nan.

https://zodiactoys.wordpress.com/

Lots of pictures of store displays on the site, mid 80's?, as they have all the He-Man figures on the shelves.

Thanks for the link, an interesting site.
I had never heard of Zodiac Toys before, looks like the closest one to me was Bromley, which would explain why.

 

[SAVORY100]

Great link, brought back floods of memories of Zodiac Toys in Swindon... I was trying to work out where exactly it was and therefore what is there now... I'm pretty sure it's a phone shop now actually... isn't everything? :roll:
Fingers crossed it gets regularly updated as I'd love to see more images inside and out from across the UK

 

[Cazza]

GW Hurley in Burnham-on-Sea (still there)

Get in there to the cellar/backroom/loft :lol:

Tried a couple of years ago, but the lady I spoke to was really rude It was a shame, because the time before that, they still had a big ESB logo foil sticker up on one of the shelves (remembered it from when I was a kid), but I didn't say anything :roll:

 

[edd_jedi]

Tried a couple of years ago, but the lady I spoke to was really rude It was a shame, because the time before that, they still had a big ESB logo foil sticker up on one of the shelves (remembered it from when I was a kid), but I didn't say anything :roll:

Sounds like it's worth persevering!

 

[x-pack]

We had Toy & Hobby in Preston which is now Iceland. Nobody seems to know much about the chain. I don't know if they were nationwide.

Other than that, my first figures came from an independent shop called Greenways, also in Preston. That closed down in the late 80s. I read a blog where someone recalled going there for the closing down sale to buy up Action Man toys. That is now a Betfred

 

[Palifan]

Martins was the toy shop for me in Kingswood Bristol. All of their figures were sold out of a wicker basket so probably had the hanger punch still in them. My first 12 came out of that shop including a large head han and VCJ

They also had both Darth and Boba visit the store and during the early 80's opened a second shop up opposite it. It's sadly long gone but pretty much all my figures and play sets came from there (Cantina and Death Star), so I have great memories of spending hours on a Saturday looking in there with my friend.

Ian

 

[Gaz46&2]

Barnett's toy shop on Elgin Crescent, London W11 - had a huge range of SW back in the early 80s, this was the only place I saw the Rancor, Max Rebo band and last 17 on sale. I don't remember buying anything from there as in comparison to the other shops it was expensive.

Also had Patrick's toys on Lillie Road in Fulham, and a Toymasters in Goldhawk Road Shepherd's Bush.

 

[Dannywhiteley]

I remember Toy and Hobby and Zodiac in Stockport and Dominos in Sale, near Manchester. Then we moved to Anglesey so we had local newsagents, cash and carry's (my parents owned a small shop) and a couple of local independent toy shops. Been back to a few on the off chance but never found anything interesting.

 

[Dannywhiteley]

Also Zodiac in Stretford Arndale.

Btw that Zodiac website is fantastic, who else spotted the only Star Wars items on display?

 

[Dr_Ball_MD]

My local toyshops (Sutton, Surrey) for Star Wars back in the 70's and 80's was mainly Tesco's, I got most of my figures from there.

I remember getting them from BHS as well but our main toy only store was Gamleys. (went out of business in 2008).

Slightly off topic I'm currently making an excel spreadsheet for my local history group that shops the layout of Sutton High Street, which has the changes to street numbering, and buildings that have been demolished.

Each square indicates a shop and links to another tab that lists the occupants of that shop using old directories and guides from 1869 onward.

 

[Mini99]

I'm sure that this will make for an interesting read.

 

[Dannywhiteley]

Slightly off topic I'm currently making an excel spreadsheet for my local history group that shops the layout of Sutton High Street, which has the changes to street numbering, and buildings that have been demolished.

Each square indicates a shop and links to another tab that lists the occupants of that shop using old directories and guides from 1869 onward.

My local town has a Facebook page dedicated to it (as most do these days) and one has mapped the history of all the old shops on the high street. I asked about old toys shops from 70's and 80's that have since ceased trading and I now know of 3 or 4 from the old high street, one or two of which could still harbour stuff in the attics. I'm dying to go in and ask about old stock, displays or shipping boxes.

 

[lejackal]

Just started these two threads, on for pics and history as I dig it out and one for picture donations and discussions.

Very early days but as I find cardbacks I can pick up or MOCs etc I can beg, borrow and steal photos of I'll add them to the main thread.
Please add any photos you are happy for me to use and share any memories in the discussion thread.

Thanks and enjoy

http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=34070

http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=34071

 

[tobedesu]

Zodiac Toys in Rugby is also a fond memory for me.
I rember the figures on the hangers but also in a tub/ tray type box in which the cards slotted in standing upright.
From my childhood cardbacks, the ones from Zodiac are punched and unpunched.
I still have some orange Zodiac bags and a big white one with a logo and cartoon of kids in multicolour.

Woolies and co-op were also popular for me.
There was a chap who ran a stall on the indoor market in Rugby which is now a wetherspoons.
My friend and I often reminisce and talk about how he had carded figures. Very vague recollections of different packaging and had a run of last 17.
He also had imported toys like motu, mask, transformers and so on.
I bought a knock-off Starscream which is grey in colour. Still have it.