Back in da' day, Vegas (where I grew up) didn't have a Target or a TRU. So, my toy hunts were limited to Mervyn's, the rare occasions when you'd see figures in the department stores, and going to the grocery store every week. I'd look forward to telling my mom I'd meet her in produce, and head right for the toy aisle. I'd continually check for figures with new cardbacks to show up at Alpha Beta (where we shopped), then continually check every week for the next several months to see what the figures actually looked like. Then, if the figure looked cool, trying to get my parents to understand this was what I REALLY wanted for the next holiday (and usually not getting it). My fondest memory was seeing that a Dog Handler was coming out, and then finally a few months later actually finding Mutt (not to mention how much begging it took for my mom to buy that figure).

Today, I had to go to the grocery store on my own, while the wife stayed home with sick kids. While shopping, I did my usual pass through the toy aisle, just to see if anything was there. Well, as I go by, not only did they have the new Star Wars comic packs, but they had 25th Joes! Looking back at me were three Bazookas (damn - no BATS). Now, Bazooka has never been a favorite character of mine. I never wanted him as a kid, and wasn't a fan of him in the cartoon. However, I have looked at his 25th incarnation a few times, and he had started to slowly grow on me. But there, today, on a Saturday afternoon, I couldn't pass it up. A new Joe figure, for almost the same price as Walmart ($6.99) - I finally broke down and got him. It's been a long time since I've ended up walking through a grocery store with a action figure in my cart. It was pretty cool.

that feeling you got right there is what its all about dude.....very cool to hear you made a dip back into childhood

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Very cool story.

We didn't get TRU in Tucson until 1987. Like you, I shopped at Mervyns, and back then, JCPenney and Sears had decent toy sections. I first encountered G.I.Joe at an Osco Pharmacy, which also had generous supplies of Star Wars and Masters of the Universe at the time.

yeah, I miss seeing toys while wondering around stores my parents drug me to, it was a nice distraction.

A kmart in this little shopping center down town used to have a few bravestar figures. I looked at them for months and months, didn't know anything about them.

And I guess someone was watching, because I got them for Christmas, even though I didn't ask. I didn't have the heart to tell my parents I really wasn't into them, I was just really bored at the pitiful little mall we went to.

But then, again, it was damn cool that they had paid attention, so maybe its better I didn't say anything.

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I got a little of the spark of excitement feeling today when I went to Target to pick up the Conquest and Rattler. I had to go to a Target we don't shop at and I decided to hit their toy aisle since I was there. They had the refresher wave of Jet Pack Duke, HISS Driver, etc. It was really nice seeing full pegs and I felt like a little kid again flipping through them looking for "that cool looking figure". I grabbed the "from the comic" tagged Rock 'n' Roll for my MOC collection and left the rest for the kiddies (I had everything on pegs so I didn't feel the need to splurge). It was a very cool feeling.

My girl and I hit Target every couple of weeks and when she's trying on clothes I sneak away to check out the toy department to see what's new. Its always interesting to see her expression when I come back with the cart and a few "extra" items. Luckily she's very cool about my hobby. These trips remind me of going to T.G. & Y. and Sears and Children's Palace and places like that as a kid only now I can buy what I want without asking permission (okay I have to ask my girl but she always says yes).

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Hah i remember when the Wetmore Walmart plaza had a Lionel Toy store. I can remember seeing 100's of joes on the pegs there.

wish i had pics, it was magnificant.

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