tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post7608351463725425626..comments2024-03-21T01:17:34.038-05:00Comments on Pleasant Family Shopping: Bargain Town is now Toys "R" Us!Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-62548097747715292902017-05-01T19:55:52.813-05:002017-05-01T19:55:52.813-05:00I worked at the Melrose Park store when it opened ...I worked at the Melrose Park store when it opened in 1966. Through the years I was moved from Melrose Park to an old store on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago (Byron, they called it, based on the cross street) and later to the RGD (return goods department) at the South Chicago store on Commercial. Found Larry Hochberg to be a nice guy and when I worked in the railroad industry years later, I would run into him once in a while at the Standard Club, Chicago's Jewish equivalent to the Union League Club. His M.S. Hochberg and uncle Joseph Hochberg were also nice and quite accessible on the company phone to fill them in on what was selling out fast and should be reordered. Wanted to open a hobby shop after working there as they only carried the fundamentals of some hobbies like gas model planes and HO trains.Tedeboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12821474515217984569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-47327085359708415492014-06-15T09:20:21.094-05:002014-06-15T09:20:21.094-05:00I used to work at the Bargain Town USA on Milwauke...I used to work at the Bargain Town USA on Milwaukee Ave right across from the Golf Mill Shopping Center in Niles while in high school. Great memories!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-32022902018558034892012-10-20T12:58:32.502-05:002012-10-20T12:58:32.502-05:00This Bargain Town should be the one on 159th stree...This Bargain Town should be the one on 159th street in Calumet City, IL.<br /><br />Shakey's in the back ground, same building, parking lot!<br /><br />Dave S (different Dave)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05575436041750837822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-83317370390772851802012-03-04T01:03:27.648-06:002012-03-04T01:03:27.648-06:00The Bargain Town TV ads are part of my family lore...The Bargain Town TV ads are part of my family lore. I would always say "Pumpkin Pumpkin Say" and no one in my family had any clue what I meant until one day at a Xmas party I think (yes, in the front-room), the ad came on TV and I pointed at it and said "Pumpkin Pumpkin Say" and everyone finally knew what I meant and had a good chuckle over it for years and I would get kidded and reminded about that. Very cool blog.everybodyplayshurthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07999879683549978840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-34148139129749860052011-12-29T14:36:25.624-06:002011-12-29T14:36:25.624-06:00i remember the store on Milwaukee Ave (NW side of ...i remember the store on Milwaukee Ave (NW side of city)2013 milwakee ave across the street at 2001 was white castle just like the store on cicero ave the in side you can see some of the old frame and tell where the office was there was a store on lincoln ave too the south chicago store had a basement just like the one on Milwaukee Ave . they kept the bike down there picked out my first bike there.i remember the Winston Park Plaza store too in Melrose Park, IL my dad was a travling picture frame salesman we went all over chicago and burbs tooAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-60185254209118948112011-12-29T14:35:34.537-06:002011-12-29T14:35:34.537-06:00i remember the store across from midway airport an...i remember the store across from midway airport and the one on milwakee road it had a basement like the one in south chicago. the bike were down there. the one on milwakee road had a white castle across the street so did cicero ave i were to a lot of them there was one on lincoln ave too up north i think there was one in waugeun too. my dad was a traveling salesman we drove all over chicagoland and subsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-33520402420485663922011-10-26T23:40:15.971-05:002011-10-26T23:40:15.971-05:00I grew up in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago,...I grew up in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago, near 119th and Halsted, and very fondly remember a Bargain Town near my home, though I'm not certain of the exact store address. Along with the Toys R Us that it later became it was a rare treat when we got to prowl the aisles getting ideas for our wish lists. Thanks for bringing up some treasured memories!Dan Onoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-17770343106002202262011-10-12T19:25:04.507-05:002011-10-12T19:25:04.507-05:00My father worked for Dixie Bedding in Chicago, IL ...My father worked for Dixie Bedding in Chicago, IL on Milwaukee Ave (NW side of city) when Mr. Hochberg and Mr. Berg owned it. They changed it to Bargain Town in the late 50's and also opened another store in Waukegan. Some years later the stores changed to Toys R Us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-39576084719930245032011-07-16T11:55:17.513-05:002011-07-16T11:55:17.513-05:00Anonymous - Thanks for that clarification about Mr...Anonymous - Thanks for that clarification about Mr. Hochberg.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-17757027141526661372011-06-22T21:45:13.322-05:002011-06-22T21:45:13.322-05:00It was really Larry Hochberg's father, Joseph ...It was really Larry Hochberg's father, Joseph Hochberg, who had the primary role in founding Bargain Town in the 1950's. Larry went on found Sportmart some twenty years later.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-49327694168383211322011-03-07T02:25:19.439-06:002011-03-07T02:25:19.439-06:00We used to go to the Bargain Town near Midway airp...We used to go to the Bargain Town near Midway airport. Every birthday, my Dad would take us there and we could pick one thing. It was amazing. Great memories. Thanks for the article.John McDnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-15621643008628876032010-11-29T00:58:50.229-06:002010-11-29T00:58:50.229-06:00I remember Bargain Town as a staple of my childhoo...I remember Bargain Town as a staple of my childhood. I couldn't wait for my birthday to roll around because it meant my parents would let me pick out a GI Joe or Major Matt Mason playset that I wanted. I cherish those memories. The SW Chicago store was located at 6333 S Cicero Ave. (south east corner of Chicago's Midway Airport) In fact the original building still exists and looked similar to the photo of one posted. Today it is the home of Continental Sales/Lots for Less, a surplus and closeout retailer which I frequent monthly... -MCMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-77208035217724316782010-11-17T08:54:35.273-06:002010-11-17T08:54:35.273-06:00It seems to me they advertiseda lot on "BJ An...It seems to me they advertiseda lot on "BJ And the Dirty Dragon" too.. I can remember as a kid trying every Christmas to win that shopping spree where you had like 5 minutes to fill a shopping cart with as many toys as you could.. Those were the days.. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-52789233788047242832009-11-02T18:38:33.663-06:002009-11-02T18:38:33.663-06:00Anonymous - Thanks so much for that great input! I...Anonymous - Thanks so much for that great input! I wasn't sure as to whether the old striped Bargain Towns were converted to the TRU mansard look. And the anecdote about Mr. Lazarus is fascinating! Glad this brought back some memories for you!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-69747842996888299252009-11-01T10:52:46.361-06:002009-11-01T10:52:46.361-06:00I was an employee of Toys R Us from 1975 to 1985....I was an employee of Toys R Us from 1975 to 1985. During that time, BargainTown managers were changing over the "new" Toys R Us stores. Those god awful stores in the inner city, such as Commercial Ave, were nightmares. Burbank, was the first TRU store in the area with the long necked Geoffrey on the mansard. Cal City was converted soon after if my memory serves me correct.<br /><br />Many stories about the Topps/White Front fiasco spread around. But in the end, TRU survived, and I got stock when it opened. It was amazing to watch it grow from the ashes of Interstate. <br /><br />At that point, Charles Lazarus was heavily into standardization, and the use of computers for tracking inventory. It was rumored that during store tours, he would ask to be blindfolded, and walked into a store, making a set pattern of turns and steps, and expect his hand to land on exactly the item that was supposed to be there.<br /><br />It's NCR 280 cash registers could, in same time, track sales and inventory (most times, data was transmitted over night, it was really not live all the time). Amazing since today, many retailers still do not have that ability. They used their own system of code bars on sales tickets, and later converted to OCR. <br /><br />Great memories, thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-77483379035361483882009-09-06T20:54:24.839-05:002009-09-06T20:54:24.839-05:00Mike CS - Garfield and Bozo live on in my heart as...Mike CS - Garfield and Bozo live on in my heart as well, and the Bargain Town commercials certainly ran during those shows also. And I remember Winston Park from my junior college days - I used to shop at the Madigans store there in the early 80's (checking out the Members Only jackets, I'm sure). Winston Park had definitely seen better days by that time, and I remember thinking it had to be pretty cool in its heyday. Thanks!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-52970808203997535542009-09-05T21:41:51.859-05:002009-09-05T21:41:51.859-05:00Ah, yes! I remember Bargain Town well (along with ...Ah, yes! I remember Bargain Town well (along with Ray Rayner, and let's not forget Garfield Goose and Bozo). My grandparents lived in an apartment behind Winston Park Plaza in Melrose Park, IL and they would take us to the nearby Melrose Park Bargain Town In fact, we knew we were getting close to the Grandma's & Grandpa's when we saw the Bargain Town sign.<br /><br />Thanks for the memories.Mike CSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-32444492502441972262008-09-25T21:28:00.000-05:002008-09-25T21:28:00.000-05:00Scott - Thanks for sharing that. no doubt that com...Scott - Thanks for sharing that. no doubt that commercial really stuck for those of us who saw it as kids! And I agree Paramus is classic retail-land.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-69153815785074603972008-09-19T11:38:00.000-05:002008-09-19T11:38:00.000-05:00We had the Bargain Town/Toy "R" Us switchout here ...We had the Bargain Town/Toy "R" Us switchout here on the East Coast as well. I grew up in Ridgewood Jersey, next door to retail-happy Paramus. I remember the phrase as "Bargain Town Bargain Town Bargain Town has changed its name to Toys "R" Us Toys "R" Us Toys "R" Us!!!" And that log of the guy with the Uncle Sam is sure familiar!scott robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192488859910698223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-70813240671898374372008-08-02T14:30:00.000-05:002008-08-02T14:30:00.000-05:00Mark - I agree they are both great. The Bargain To...Mark - I agree they are both great. The Bargain Town "striped" look was fairly common among retail stores of the era. The Toys R Us mansard style was used for years, but to me looked most interesting in its original form, as pictured here. Thanks!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-83803551868771099202008-07-31T10:01:00.000-05:002008-07-31T10:01:00.000-05:00Aw, this is cool I love both of them Children's Ba...Aw, this is cool I love both of them Children's Bargain Town USA for it's big huge sign and simple uncluttered building style :D and Toys R Us for it's colorful uniqueness and unusual building style <BR/><BR/>:DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-87837145516283282702008-06-22T14:55:00.000-05:002008-06-22T14:55:00.000-05:00Anonymous - Thanks for spotting that. I totally mi...Anonymous - Thanks for spotting that. I totally missed it. Very charming!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-35819969967198639322008-06-19T20:52:00.000-05:002008-06-19T20:52:00.000-05:00I love the way Toys R Us played around with the ph...I love the way Toys R Us played around with the phone numbers at the bottom of the ad, with prefixes like TAffy, SUper, HAppiness, GLeeful...no way those were real, and I'm guessing that the DC area wasn't using those old letter-number combos by 1971.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-38536970045955568352008-06-19T18:46:00.000-05:002008-06-19T18:46:00.000-05:00I'll have to check it out, Didi. thanks.I'll have to check it out, Didi. thanks.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-60083754846499838652008-06-19T10:26:00.000-05:002008-06-19T10:26:00.000-05:00Yep that was it. Although if you do an image searc...Yep that was it. Although if you do an image search for Toys R Us a lot of great pics pop up.<BR/><BR/>http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b111/chameleon667/Dead%20Euclid/toysrussale2.jpgAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com