Author Topic: Goodbye KB Toys  (Read 11512 times)

Offline efranks

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #15 on: December 11, 2008, 11:27 PM »
When I was growing up we didn't have a TRU anywhere near me (or WM or Target).  Binghamton, NY was the closest "big" city and they had KB in the mall.  That's the only true toy store I remember from childhood and bought a lot of stuff there both as a kid and as an adult collector.

Unfortunately, their problem was twofold; they weren't big enough in recent years to get the discounts that larger chains like WM, TRU and Target can take advantage of and being located mostly in malls (as mentioned) they had high rents and couldn't leverage real estate like the other standalone stores could.

I'll be sad to see them go as they were another alternative in the collecting market.  They've both brought us some cool exclusives over the years and picked up overstock from other retailers making it more available to people around the country.

Obviously with the economy the way it is we'll be seeing more companies go or file for Chapter 11 to try and weather the storm, but I'll never say "good riddance" to a store that was available to help further my chosen hobby of collecting toys.

It's easy to say that you're glad to see them go or it's about time, or that you're waiting for TRU to be next, but when WM is the only show in town is that really a good thing?  High prices or not, I'm going with NO.  I love Target and have great access to one, but I still wouldn't be happy to see the local K-Mart go nor would I be happy to see KB go if we had one in the local mall.  Choice is always better.

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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #16 on: December 11, 2008, 11:49 PM »
Choice is always better, but KB was never competitive so it really wasn't an impact, and that is what makes me not really weep at the loss of KB...  Had they at least tried, then maybe I'd care more.  Seeing KM go is a bigger issue to me partly because they're such a large force in the Northeast, and plus their sales make them a competitive store...  I could count on my hands the number of items I've bought at KB though, they were that bad, since the modern line's inception.  I just never even bothered. :(

TRU, Kmart, and such are much larger losses should they fold...  They're competitive.  They maintain good stock (KM actually does near me, though they don't stock a TON.  They almost always have the latest figures though) and they do promotions to try and remain in competition with Wal-Mart or Target.  I haven't even considered KB an option for the last 10 years...  Hell, like I said, Boscov's had a toy department that was better stocked and better priced than KB.  When that Boscovs folded a few months back, that really hit me hard.  That was competition, plus I liked it better than Macy's for general shopping.  :(  That stung, and it barely even had opened here before it tanked.
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Offline solrac

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2008, 02:30 AM »
First FAO and now KB the two biggest rip off toy stores in San Diego. so long. the only cool thing about KB is that last year i got a slave Leia unleashed for $14.00. the sad part is that they had a slave girl Leia last year. they also have vintage Terminator toys. maybe when they close they will liquidate all the ROTJ two packs they have in the back...
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Offline EdSolo

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2008, 07:14 AM »
I can't say that I'm surprised...it seems for at least the past year, my local KB had about half their items at 50% off.  Also, they never sold the Wii or Wii games.  Occassionaly you could find new waves of figures there, but their drastically higher prices were certainly a turn off.

Offline Brian

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #19 on: December 12, 2008, 09:23 AM »
Like others, KB wasn't a player around here for me either.  I didn't generally like going there anyways, and only would if we were already in the mall for something else.  Our closed shortly after Christmas last year, and I could say I probably was in there 5 times in the four years we lived here prior to that.  And never on a special trip.  I won't miss them as a store particularly, but find it more sad that toy stores themselves are struggling these days.

TRU on the other hand, I'd be sad about - mainly for the reasons I mentioned earlier.  I think its a fun place for kids to go, at least it was when I was growing up, and I'd like it to be there for our daughter as well.  It may be a thing where kids these days don't get quite as excited about a simple thing like that, what with kids getting into video games and ipods at younger ages all the time, but it was a pretty big deal for me when I was growing up.  Our local store seems to do ok (crazy busy this time of year), so hopefully that's a good sign (KB here on the other hand rarely had anyone in it).  I know that TRU is often priced higher, and they rarely if ever put anything on clearance, but if the prices are similar, I try to give them the business.  I'm not a big fan of WM necessarily, so when possible, I try to give the business to TRU or Target if I'm buying collectibles.

Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #20 on: December 12, 2008, 09:31 AM »
Wow. End of an era, but I'm not surprised.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #21 on: December 12, 2008, 01:04 PM »
I just thought about it, and I've bought more SW **** at Ross and TJ Maxx than I did at KB...  That's friggin' sad, ya know?  Still, it is an end of an era and it's sad in that regard, plus I feel bad for their employees, but that store still irks me because they truly were the least competitive store for SW swag.

Now I did get some 1:18 military figures there cheap this year.  Overstock of the line I collect got dumped there 3 for $9.98, which was a steal.  The stock is picked over now, but really if any of it went on more sale I'd gobble it all up I think, even if it's stuff I don't want.
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Offline darth punkinhed

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #22 on: December 12, 2008, 01:23 PM »
I remember picking up atari 2600 games there on the cheap in the 80's. That's about all I ever really bought there. That was back when Children's Palace was still around. In recent years I've picked up the odd Disney Car, Marvel Legend, Star Wars or just odd line no one else is carrying toy but I rarely shopped there. I'm not going to be missing them.
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Offline Sugart

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #23 on: December 12, 2008, 02:37 PM »
Was just in the local KB and prices were only a dollar cheaper than Target with the liquidation sale. When I factor in my discount, Target is still cheaper. Not to mention the fact that they had nothing worth buying.

Offline Nicklab

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #24 on: December 12, 2008, 06:49 PM »
I actually made some pretty good finds at KayBee over the years.  Scored my Collector's Fleet Executor there which turned out to be a HUGE find.  Also got quite a bit of my Action Fleet collection there and at decent prices, too.

It's definitely unfortunate to see this happen, but not totally unexpected.  The retail landscape has gotten a lot more competitive.  And the rising price in our collecting bread and butter - basic figures - has no doubt hit KayBee harder.  Their slightly higher prices were a lot more easy to stomach when TRU or Target was charging $5.99 a figure and KayBee was at $6.99 a figure.  Now that those chains are up to $6.99 or $7.99 a figure, KayBee's $9.99 price just isn't acceptable.

The negative for us as collectors is that we have fewer places to shop.  And that in turn means less competition for our retail dollars.  That could certainly have a negative affect on the hobby.  But the flipside of that is how much of an impact was there when Suncoast went out?  For Hasbro or any toy manufacturer to lose a retail outlet in malls is serious.  But in the grand scheme of things it's only 250+ outlets when there are probably over 2,000 outlets between Target and WalMart alone.
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Offline Diddly

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #25 on: December 12, 2008, 10:30 PM »
Not surprised, considering the last time I bought anything from KB was a VOTC Luke in 2004. Our local store shut down shortly after that and I'm pretty surprised this hasn't happened sooner.

KB's glory days were definitely in the 1990's. I used to be able to go in there and find HTF figures easily. Yeah it cost a few dollars more but it beats overpaying for stuff online in the modern era. Like Nicklab said, when KB was about a dollar more expensive (competing with TRU) it was fine but the **** pretty much hit the fan maybe around 2000/2001 when the economy turned to crap and prices started rising.

I think the thing I'll miss most about KB is DoctorPadawan making fun of them and their overstock of 1990's Robocop toys in his Hasbro rants. :)
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Offline JediJman

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #26 on: December 14, 2008, 12:43 AM »
I won't miss KB Toys given that they've been extinct in Minnesota for years now.  What I do miss in general though is a toy shop somewhere at the mall.  I don't get how stores that sell just magnets or ties or socks seem to be able to make it, but a toy store can't?  I think they should have just relaunched the stores instead of closing the doors, but oh well.
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Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #27 on: December 28, 2008, 03:38 PM »
They're gone as of yesterday. Hard to believe.
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Offline solrac

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #28 on: December 29, 2008, 02:43 AM »
The web site is still up. and with great KB toys going out of business sales like $40.00 for a PS 2 The force unleashed game. can you believe they are in stock. aren't they $40.00 everywhere ??? ??? ???
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Goodbye KB Toys
« Reply #29 on: December 29, 2008, 09:31 AM »
That's a sale price for them.
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