Toys R Us & The Centre at Glen Burnie | eulogy for a demolished mall and Toys "Were" Us | ExLog 62
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2020
- Toys Were Us. Toys always were us, and the memory will never die.
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I used my time machine to bring you guys back to this mall when it was still open. I also know where Minister Cheng's weak spot is. You all rock, thanks for watching.
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I once worked for RadioShack in 2003-2007. First at 01-2920 in Arbutus/Catonsville: Wilkens Avenue near 695 for about 3 months. Then I moved back to Denver during my remaining 3.75 years with the company. I visited Baltimore a few more times over the years for Otakon, and visited the Glen Burnie mall store many times over those years to get supplies for random electronics projects with friends there. Its sad to see that chain, and the Glen Burnie Mall, both gone.
I worked at the mall during high school beginning in 1971. It was a small stand that sold pizza, soda, ice cream and popcorn. And later high quality sausages. I felt like I had spent my entire life there. The mall certainly looked different in those days. The first Saturday before Christmas one year we sold 27 dozen 16 inch pizzas by the slice (2592 slices @ 35 cents each). Those were the days.
Some of my favorite childhood memories took place at the Glen Burnie Mall. I loved going to the movies with my parents, and I remembered how devastated I was when they "Paved paradise and put up"... a bookstore. I even worked in the Mall after graduating from high school: Things Remembered, Toys R Us, JoAnn Fabrics, Mothercare and Montgomery Ward.... I was all over that place...lol.
Great
If I can return dead Moore's again I can bring it back
Grew up in the Brooklyn section of Baltimore and in the 70's and 80's this was the go to mall that my parent's and grandparent's always went to. So many memories. It's sad to see it in this state. You can't go home again.
It always amazes me that open air venues are preferred to malls.
I don’t see that really catching on
Same! Why shop in the cold, heat, and rain?
I mean in md laurel mall was converted to open air same as chatman mall
It’s all about money. Developers and managers don’t want to pay for maintenance and heating/cooling
@@sal yeah have you done the fredericktowne mall? There finally doing some development but the virus might squash that
Sal, the ExLog series means a lot to me. It was my catalyst for diving back into the dead mall stuff. Centre at Glen Burnie is now part of the big mall in the sky, joining so many other fallen greats.
Even after all this time, I feel really sad seeing Toys R Us at the end of its life.
hit me right in the feels...i'm a toys r us kid that grew up to work at toys r us in the assembly area. it was awesome to see that you were able to film that station.
I used to shop in this mall back in the early 1980's. I saw the first Star Trek movie in the movie theater that was in the Glen Burnie Mall. So when did the movie theater close? I decided to add an additional comment to this one. Years ago around 1966 I remember seeing on TV from the National Historical Society an ad that showed old buildings being demolished and then old buildings still standing and said "Look up and marvel before it is all gone." Unfortunately, in America today it has become a throw away society.
Possibly my favorite ExLog yet; flawlessly shot and researched, as usual, but I so loved the way you framed this one, and concluded it. It's exactly what we needed, right now. Thank you, Sal!
Thanks so much, friend. Your kind words warm my heart
Help. Toys u us. Back
Dylan p
Toys us rs. Good n
Duck and cover brings me back to my US history class! I never did understand why the guy used a newspaper to protect himself from the nuclear blast. That paper would have been incinerated!!! I love this video!!
Such a great history lesson about Toys R Us! I knew a few people who worked at the headquarters in Wayne, NJ, for almost 30 years. I used to drive by the one entrance millions of times on my way to the Wayne Hills Mall. The Toys R Us there used to be a Child World until they went out in '93. Fond memories. ❤
I like when other mall walkers kind of give their opinion/memories of the malls. Idk, it’s just makes it feel more personal to me.
Depressing to see what remains 😒
The boarded off concourse looked really cool, but now just a pile of rubble.
Thankfully you have captured the memory, which is awesome 👏🏼
Can’t believe I stumbled on this video 12 hours after it was posted, great timing...I’ve become a fan of history/abandoned videos covering malls/amusement parks/retail and was pleasantly surprised to see your video because I live just south of this mall and, having moved in the area about 8 years ago, only saw it in shambles. I had no idea what it used to be or the history behind it. Thanks for putting this together. Very well done and I look forward to exploring your video collection and seeing what else you’ve uncovered 🙂
20:08 "I don't think that Guy was ever a Toys 'R' Us Kid". Love that Quote!
He definitely wasn’t
For many of us these places were a big player of our childhood memories. Seeing them documented before it's too late is something I will forever be grateful for. Thank You Sal.
Very Interesting video I learned some stuff I didn't even know so thank you for this cool video
Great historical look back at this mall. I used to visit regularly, and always felt the downturn occurred with the closing of "Murphy's Mart" (as we called it) and the addition of Dick's Sporting Goods. Murphy's was a five-and-dime that brought in families and groups of high schoolers and kept the place crackling with energy. Dick's made the mall more sedate...boring even. After that, vacant spaces regular started appearing. I guess Murphy's had to close, since stores like it were becoming a thing of the past. But in their day, these eclectic stores definitely increased foot traffic, bringing in people looking for everything from batteries to fish tanks to knitting materials to gardening tools. Great selection of candy too.
One of the malls that are near and dear to my heart.
Bought a pair of Asics with my late grandma that was from this mall. They were on discount from Footlocker at the time. This was in about 2014. I wear the same pair to this day, and have been to every country I have ever been to.
"Wards" at the time of closure, my grandma also bought me a knockoff Razor scooter. It was called "Scoot" and the wheel broke off.
Endless adventures at Power Gamer when visiting as a child as well. Toys R Us goes without saying.
Sal, I thank you for this sentimental trip down memory lane. This documentation will live forever, and can show my kids when they come in the future.
We never got to talk at work about Malls, but maybe one day. Take care, bro.
Elijah.
I was still with you. This place seems like your standard bearer of your expeditions. Im amazed that people even still go to that Ollies through the bunker path.
It is so sad to see one of my favorite malls gone like that. I loved Glen Burnie Mall. As a previous video, I commented. I used to work at the Italian restaurant there. It was right in the middle of the mall. I loved eating at the Quiznos. I got my game guides and some of my video games at Power Gamer. There was an indoor Amusement Center named Jeepers. I was the only person that could fit in their mascot's costume. I was the gorilla. Also, I used to work at Date Place Calendars. I used to open the store.
It saddens me to see my mall like that. They were to build a movie theater in the back where the mall Only old mall that is still standing is Marley Station. Even that mall is failing. Due to Arundel MIll's.
My favorite ExLog so far (and I've seen them all)! Thanks for revisiting this one. Really appreciate your work Sal. - Scott
That man sitting there was also going back in time. Very interesting in my opinion.
"I don't think that guy was ever a Toys R Us kid" lol 🤣
Toys R Us is making a comeback. There is a store in New Jersey that is still open
Yet another home run,well done sir!
Thanks!!!
The malls in Houston all had a KB Toys. They reopened one ToysRus here in Houston in the high priced, Galleria Mall.
Great video!
Amazing how much different a store looks when the shelves are bare.
So sad. I remember, when I was a teen, the Erie Central Mall closing as the Millcreek Mall was built. The building still stands, but sectioned Into separate businesses. Remnants of the mall no longer exist. Loved the 60/70s decor.
I was a small, T-shaped mall, but so cool. Great memories.
Oh, Lordy, that buzz! 😖
Great content as usual! Thanks for all the hard work, Sal!
Sal, I don't know if you know but toys r us toys were being sold in some grocery stores. As of Christmas season 2018 Kroger was one that I know was selling toys. I remember reading in the financial pages that they had managed to put enough equity together to start reopening certain stores. In and around areas that had managed to stay profitable most of these stores would have a much smaller foot print and be more experimental in nature. I know that their website has managed to stay running but I have not seen any news of where or if for that manner they put these store in.
People like that who let the smallest bit of authority go to their head drive me crazy. "You're done. Seeya." Why can't you talk to someone like a human being?
The down side of life is theres far too many people like that around. Sickens me n pisses me off whenever I see that happening. "screw you" should not be a way of life.
Very informative, nicely done AGAIN!! Thanks Sal for doing what you do. 👍👋🏆😁
Another amazing, thoughtful, well researched ExLog! Thank you Sal.
Does anybody else remember the Jeepers here? We used to do field trips and birthday parties there and it was the coolest place for kids, like an indoor amusement park.
Also, RIP to Power Gamer II. The staff there was the best.
Sal, this is the best piece you put together for this series yet. You're a great historian on all things malls and superstores and other great economic relics that were part of prominent American culture. I will say one thing though...Toys will ALWAYS have us, even if the store they called home is no longer around. The economy simply grows up, but never leaves its childhood behind, and aims to be kind to everyone of all generations, just like we all have to be in the most tense time of our lives. You nailed it in the end, Sal! Keep being kind to all, maintain physical distancing with a mask while outside, and we will pull through when these crises end. Been doing these on my end. 👍
I worked at this store up until they closed their doors. I was sad to see it go, I’m glad I followed the news because a lot of people were laid off thinking they weren’t closing for real and were without work.
Many great memories of Toys’R’Us when I was a child. Often got many Legos and Nintendo games there.
The Toys R Us guy must be Kyle from that Indiana Pa. Mall's dad
Lol!!!
Really sad to see Toys R Us stuff. Worked for the company from 1995-1998 in my late teens. I still have most of my stuff including my name tag and several buttons from my time there. Another great video keep up the great work as I've been on a marathon binge of all your videos.
Wonderful video Sal, I enjoyed that so much. Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Love your vids, thanks and keep up the good work
Watching this ExLog really took me back to my childhood and visiting the Salem Mall in Dayton, OH which also had a Toys R Us nearby: simpler times.
I used to go to this very Toys R Us as a child and I also distinctly remember taking the papers off of the isle for video games. For me, they were Atari 2600 games! It meant a lot to me to take my son to the same store to get toys when he was a toddler in the early 2000's. Thank you Sal for the documentation you do for all malls and this one especially! Keep up the good work.
I will never forget the sights, sounds and smells of Mellett Mall in Canton, Ohio.
That was our go to place in the mid to late 70's as a teen.
This is probably the best video about a failed mall I've seen so far. From you or anyone else. Stay safe.
Had a few friends tell me they were watching some videos of closed and abandoned malls, so out of curiosity I asked if there were any videos of this place (I had moved away from the area in 2005), and while I'm happy to see that there is in fact footage, it is also very sad to see what happened to the place. Glen Burnie Mall was my childhood, would go there almost every weekend in the 80's and 90's (mainly for the arcade and Toys R Us, but also Best Buy for the time it was there). I'm also old enough to remember when Montgomery Ward had a restaurant in it. I also did go to Marley Station occasionally but not as often.
Earned yourself a subscriber. Loved this mall back in the day, would love to make some of this type of content myself one day. Very interesting and very nostalgic.
Thanks for this Sal. I grew up with Toys R Us, although we didn’t live anywhere near one so it was a rare treat when we’d be visiting my grandparents to go to the Newington NH store. (It was a stand-alone with the old striped facade) My own children got to experience the tail end of TRU; when the bankruptcy was announced I took them one last time to our local store in Colorado Springs before the liquidation started. I couldn’t bear to be there for the vultures picking the corpse. (In hindsight, I wish I had gone and bought signage although I did snag a TRU shopping cart out of a ditch after the store closed.) Our store still sits abandoned and decaying. The death of that company hit me harder than I ever thought possible.
It was incredible to see how many times that entrance area changed over the years! It really felt like we were traveling back and forth through time!
Truly one of the best. You rock, Sal.
I used to go to this mall all of the time, I moved out of Maryland in like 2017, so I never got to see the real "downfall" of the mall. I was able to see the writing on the wall even when I was like 7 (Born in 2004 btw) though, so I'm not really surprised. Seeing Ollie's open up right where it was made me irrationally angry though, I don't really know why. It always felt kind of sad to walk around that place, there's a really good video from 2015 where this dude explores the entire mall when it was in its "prime" so to speak. Thanks for making this video, it's kinda surreal to see a video essay about a place I used to go to all the time.
Man I remember when the toys r us jingle came out. I was in 2nd or 3rd grade and we all sang it just about everyday. I loved the store for rubicks cubes, transformers, and most importantly, Atari games:) they had it all!
I too went for the atari games n model kits when they opened up where I live back in '84. Here in Canada we still have toys r us. Hadn't been in 1 since '86 until nearly 30 years later after the neices n nephews were born looking for christmas presents for them.
@@CJ-rf9jm Yeah another urbex guy Jake from Bright Sun Films did a video about Toys R Us recently and, not long before the pandemic, Toys R Us was making a comeback. First they partnered with Target to sell online, and then they had smaller interactive boutique stores in a few malls.
I''m in Canada myself. Our local Toys R Us used to be in a mall til it moved out to an open air shopping park a few years back. I may have been there once or twice, but while I have friends with kids, I have none of my own, and sadly may never.
I'm glad you talked with that giy, you are OK man. Going through a dead mall and talking... interacting with folks in the dead mall. This gets a different "on the spot perspective" than your own which is insightful.
Sal I remember when you first came here. It's crazy how much it's changed in a short period of time. It's a bazar time we live in and I'm hoping things will get better and come back stronger. Take care sal, stay safe out there.
I grew up in Glen Burnie.. man... this took me back. I feel so heavy and sad right now. Thank you for doing this! Going to check and see if you have on one Harundale.
I used to go to Power Gamer and Rainbow in this mall. At least we still have Marley Station. Thanks for the great information!
I cried. Well done.
I went here this past January and it's just literally a hallway with the Ollie's. The lady who rang me up was really nice and told me there's plans to do a movie theatre or bowling alley. We'll see what happens now. It's basically a strip mall now anchored by Ollies and Target. Thankfully there's a Chik Fil A nearby lol.
Perhaps one of the greatest comments. I don't think that guy was ever a Toy's Our Us kid.
ah yes, a mall of my youth. I remember when arcade machines lined the center of the mall and I was still too short to play any. lol .
Also, rest in peace Power Gamer, you were impactful on many gamers though all the years, till the bitter end.
i wish i could befriend the old power gamer staff somehow online. i miss those guys.
you can see faint traces of that original Babies R Us in Westbury NY nearby there was also a Home Depot Expo Design center which was a strange concept that also closed.
Yeah, I remember a time when simply being nice to one another was still considered important. Simple kindness and decency. I really do think it mattered more before. I've watched it deteriorate, just like these malls. I wonder if they're related. If you don't care about anyone else, why would you care about the places they gather and build memories? If nothing matters, why bother preserving anything? Something's gotta change for the better.
Kennith Beltan, it’s because we’ve been let down so many times before. By corporations, municipalities, greedy people. All our landmarks disappear, so we no longer trust that anything is permanent. Why depend on a place, or be loyal to it, when it will probably be gone tomorrow? We no doubt feel the same way about our fellow human beings.
You're right n its gotta change for the better though I've got no idea how. I know some of us try but I don't see it making any difference.
Thanks Sal!! Stellar as always 💚😊
Thanks for watching!!!
I should add that one difference I notice between the US and the UK is that here closed shops are quickly replaced. I think it’s perhaps because land is so scarce here. I will miss department stores if they go. Always seemed special as a kid to visit them. I particularly miss Woolworths, the most British of stores but actually American.
Great video Sal! You Rock!!👊
So many memories ❤️
Thank goodness you are documenting these places. One tip is perhaps to invest in an osmo pocket. You could literally pop it in a pocket and film. It may reduce the problems with security. Again beautifully done. Your work is appreciated.
I love it when you cover our home town .
That little kid in the commercial sounds like he did the voice of Linus in some of the Peanuts cartoons. Wow...what a well researched and wonderfully presented video with a great message. Thank you.
We are incredibly lucky to still have Toys R Us up here in Canada, and it seems to be doing well :)
Omg these short videos/ sponsored videos are hilarious 😂 😃
Thank you Sal keep up the social commentary someone must relay the truth xxx
Jeez seeing the young adult version of those kids was a little heart breaking, especially the one in the sunset with the giraffe reverting back to a child.
:(
Oh my God, yes. Right in the feels. That is my ninja weakness...
nice video sal keep up the good work brother well done a+ :)
Well done story and great post log. My office was 5 minutes from there, so it was a nice place to run for lunch break, or an after hours drink. Fortunately for me, I've moved away so haven't had to see the last 6 years of decline. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for your hard work and dedication. I'm a mall lover and its sooooooo sad that mall are disappearing. Thank you for keeping my childhood memories alive. I'm definitely a toys r us kid!!!!!!
17:38 Wow I know where almost all of those Toys R Us stores used to be.
I remember going here to get my brother toys and then going to the mall part. They had the last Woolworth store in Maryland and I still remember going there. I also went to the dick’s sporting goods there and got shoes.
Toys R Us lives on here in Canada. When the U.S. brand went under the Canadian company found new ownership. How long it will remain viable is yet to be seen. Your research and depth of knowledge about these places is unmatched Sal, well done.
2:05 - 4:50 = Sweaty Men grabbing each others BERRIES: The 70's WERE LITERALLY NUTS!!
I visited this mall a couple of times. The Best Buy and Dick's used to be in this mall but moved to the malls in close proximity. Your doing what i used to do but, i didn't have a camera twenty five years ago to film stuff. You should have seen Hunt Valley back then. It only had a Sears and a bookstore before the Walmart brought it back to life.
Sorry I'm late to comment but I had to work Sal, but like usual, a wonderful video and a timeless message for these days and ALL days.
14:41 = Never had a Toy's R US in Bismarck, ND: K&B TOY'S WAS OUR TOY STORE!!
and the people here WERE NOT HAPPY WHEN IT CLOSED!!!
This is my local mall and my local toys r us one thing I know about it is that the toys r us was rebranded to a cheapos depot
I worked part time in The Zales store at that mall back in the day .
I can't remember many items that I bought at Toy R Us but I do remember buying a Commodore 128 and it's 5 1/4 floppy disk drive there around 1985.
It seems Ollie's might have had influence from "Building #19", for the idea of a discount store with tongue-in-cheek humor, and sharing the exact same tagline: "Good stuff cheap." These stores were not far from the Building #19 locations.
Building #19 would sass the management in their flyers, and had sock puppet commercials called "Building #19 Theatre".
They got into trouble with the masses when they were advertising mens white tank tops in their circulars, referring to them as "Wife-Beaters" in the ad. In their tradition of sass humor, they honored that ad in the next flyer, showing the caricature of the owner holding the "Wife-Beater" ad, commenting on it, but showing the price for them while they were at it. people were still angry. They just let it go, moved on.
They were not very good, and you can see many CZcams videos of the store, zero shedding good light on it, from broken merchandise, missing parts, to urine-stained underwear (yes, that was a thing), to hidden prescription drugs inside a sunglasses display. After an employee made a video showing the poor quality of merchandise, and offerings for workers, they adopted a "No cell phone" policy, untill they all went out of business not too many months after (maybe a year or two).
Good stuff Sal. You make great content. 🙌
Thanks!!!
I swear, I heard that voice for Geoffrey before... Also remember when the TRU first opened in Albany GA shortly after the Genesis came out. I remember the giraffe family was there, and because it was around when the Genesis came out, they also had Sonic appear.
It was speculated by many friends and I, that a "proper mall" would always have one either next door, or within a very small distance from said mall.
So sad...The passage of time.
Nothing is forever
God..I don't want to grow up..I AM A TOYS R US KID
Great message brother...Brought tears to my eyes
I miss them. Good video
Man I loved toysrus but actually only been there a few time. more memorable to me was the amount of begging , crying screaming I had to do to get my mum to take me. I must of begged my mom for months just to get her there and buy my a game boy color.
Man I really do hope some malls can still survive after the hit of the virus it’s a shame toys r us was also in the process of working on a comeback as well :(
That's why I like to go to Park Meadows in Centennial Colorado.
It's an alive Mall that makes you feel the way .alls were back in the 80s.
I grew my family up here. SAD. Maybe we were more community and knew we all wanted to be happy/ How I loved this Mall. Simple. Not flashy.
Well, Sal at least I had to leave something here, GREAT SHOW and THANKS to the other RETAIL CREATORS who were on the livecast....
I worked at this mall in 1970 at the Zales jewelry store .
At 33:33, I am so glad that you're glad I am still here . Remember; duck and cover.
I enjoyed this video. I personally cannot understand why we have made the move to walking outside of one store into the elements just to walk next door to the next store. I much perfer staying a air-conditioned built of a mall. Our one and only mall is dead. There are no anchor stores left. The only things it has that I am interested in is a music store that carries new and used vinyl records and an electronics repair store (they have a standalone store that is walking distance from where I live so I tend to go there). During the pandemic I have done quite a bit of shopping through 2 evil empires called Amazon and Walmart.
I cannot remember a simpler time that you talk about. I am 62 years old and since the age of 10 I was bullied and hated. Why? For whom I am attracted to. For me and people like me we are freer today then we were 40 years ago.
Deep, meaningful and poignant. Thank you.
Sal!! I just dropped a comment on Ace’s latest exploration and said you and Ace bang out some good content Mint👌👌
Sal, so crazy how at around 22 minute mark you zoom down at the manhole cover drain in the mall that says neenah foundry, that just so happens to be where I live in Wisconsin