Glad I saw this today. Yesterday I was at a mall in Toronto and we parked outside the Toys r Us. Walking through it we were surprised to see housewares and other assorted items. Now I understand why. Though going to Toys r Us for records seems kind of strange!
I am in Ottawa and have a Toys r Us 5 minutes from my house. Love the fact they now have vinyl. They actually have some impressive titles, including Tone Poet jazz. I just wish they would organize better, by genre. Let’s not be snobs, this isn’t intended to be a replacement for a good record store, and if it gets younger people into vinyl, that’s good for the hobby.
In Edmonton Sunrise has a nice store in Londonderry mall. Been around for a few years. Can be pricey but if you take the time there are some good deals. And they have a great selection of CD and Vinyl box sets.
Great video as always, Frank - I thought it was weird when Barnes & Noble started carrying vinyl, so finding a record/CD/DVD section in a Toys R Us would be really weird. We don't have any freestanding Toys R Us stores in the area anymore - we used to have one just across the street before they went bankrupt, so at least you have the stores themselves again. I worked for Transworld in the 1990s, long before they rebranded all their various stores (Recordtown, Tape World, Coconuts, etc) to FYE and a lifetime (heh heh) before the sale to Sunrise, and we don't have any of them in the Boston metro anymore either. I sorely miss HVM - their Brattle Square store in Cambridge was one of the best - you could find literally ANYTHING you wanted there. Fascinating that one guy owns or has a stake in ALL of them now...have a great week, sir!
I got that Black Sabbath Vol. 4 and that generic looking Aerosmith record on The Sound of Vinyl. When the website first opened, they were running free or super cheap offers before shipping.
i noticed this section the last time i was in Toys R Us but never looked close enough to see the records. i saw rock shirts and dvds and thought it was a bit odd but hey, buy my kid a toy and myself a record!
Kind of like 2nd and Charles in the US. Toys, books, music, games, etc. They have used media too. Great place to find something you didn't know you were looking for.
That's wild TOYS R US selling music and movies!!! Here in the states there is a grocery store chain call Aldi's and they have started to sell albums. 👍🤘❤🇺🇸
HMV in the UK has some pretty outrageous prices…that being said they do 3 for £55 on a decent range of records. Independent record shops will always be my first choice…but I have a soft spot for HMV and was sad to see a load of their shops close a few years ago. More record outlets can only be a good thing?
Interestingly enough, I just picked up a vinyl that was sold out everywhere else by reserving it on their "The HMV Shop". Last copy. Prices look to be the same as Sunrise Records since Toys 'R' Us is owned by Doug Putman (Putman Investments) as well.
We have a Toys R Us here in Scarborough near the dvp and Lawrence. They have a similar HMV section inside that looks exactly like the pics in you video. The vinyl isn’t arranged by genre but it is organized by letter so that helps when I do my weekly drop by. I don’t agree on their prices though. I can’t justify some of the prices. I’m more likely to go downtown to sonic boom and save ten bucks. But it’s nice to have something local to look in. Also there is a sunrise at Scarborough town Center that sells vinyl.
Here in America, records were $8.98 in 1982. I have old Billboard Magazines and the prices were printed on the chart entry. I looked up Stevie Nicks' Bella Donna, and it retailed at $7.98 in 1981 and $8.98 in 1982. That equals to $29.29 in today's money. So $30 is about right for a single, $60 for a double.
Yeah i was shocked about this too out west. It sucks it's a small store within a store. HMV was always more organized, well stocked, more selections & cheaper prices than Sunrise. Then again Sunrise bought HMV few years ago so if it does come back as it's own store. It will go to shit straight away.
It sort of reminds me of the FYE experiance. Most likely they are aiming for the adults buying toys for their kids for birthday ir Christmas presents to also pickup some records for themselves... 😅
In Barrie Ontario here. The toys r us has a pretty frikken solid collection. Lots of blue note and tone poet stuff. Obviously id rather shop at one of the local record shops (shout out to BJ's Records and Nostalgia) but it was neat to see
I would be really happy if we still would have toystore. And putting them together with record store would be really cool. (Well there are some toy shops but not so big ones.
I heard that someone is going to try a record bar and bar food where you can buy vinyl,drinks and bar food inside the airport in Knoxville and Nashville.
Great video Frank! Thanks for the info. There's a Toys R Us not too far from me. It's in the same area called Park Place in Barrie. I'll have to go and check it out one day. Keep on spinning Frank 👍
I thought the records were expensive and the collection was kind of random - however, while the CDs were also random, a lot of the CD prices were quite good. Also got a hot tip from the FYE in my mall that ToysRUs sometimes has the Sunrise Exclusive versions of records as well - so at least it's a second place to check for exclusives.
i noticed that some of those albums were record store day exclusives that should be for independent record stores (brick and mortar stores) not big companies. very strange they had them.
I think they get away with it because of the Sunrise Records connection (same owner). Sunrise was a small indie record store chain, before they were bought and began popping up in every mall. Just a guess. But yeah, RSD should revisit this.
Frank, thanks for spotlighting the Toys R Us new "record department"😅. Also, thanks to I-forgot-his-name who bought up HMV and FYE. Now I'm wondering if his Sunrise record shop would be in the mall down the street from me (actually 2 miles in bad traffic which feels like a day trip). Wal-Mart, also in my neighborhood, stocks LPs the same way - no dividers, no alphabetization, no classification, it's just if it fits in the racks...rack jobbers, they used to be called? Half the covers don't even have the prices on them and a few of them have been opened with the covers bent in corners, etc. I only hope the WalMarts in Canada aren't as trashy as the ones here. I don't know how possible this really is, but I'm wondering why record labels/companies aren't lowering the price of vinyl instead of constantly hiking them up. With very few places selling CDs these days, wouldn't you think that LPs would get a real boost out of a bargain price? It's very demoralizing having to pay $30 to $50 for a one-record set. Back in the old days, I didn't appreciate this, but audiophile pressings were basically going for half of what's being charged for regular LPs these days. I ignored most audiophile records back then and really regret that - it's partly because I had no idea what "half-speed mastering" meant at the age of 19 or 20, and I didn't like the symbol messing up the cover art. STUPID!!! Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for the good Toys R Us video.
I don't go to Barnes & Nobel as much as I used to, but they do have some reasonable prices on vinyl records. That's here in New York, I can't speak for anywhere else.
I was recently at the Mall of America location... I noticed the record section has shrunk a bit over the years at the locations I have seen (not sure of that's the case with all of them...).
@@Channel33RPMI knew someone that worked there 10 years ago and even back then they were talking about phasing out their music and movies section. I’d miss that annual Criterion Collection 50% sale
Love your videos! Toys R Us and vinyl seems like a strange combo, especially some of the choices they're stocking in a children's store. Enjoy your Sepultura and Megadeth junior!
That Aerosmith LP is worth having, nice raw versions of early songs. Seems like it was fairly cheap in the US, or I probably wouldn't have sprung for it myself.
@@Channel33RPM I initially paid $21.99 CAD, and it was cool to have at that price. Though it was an RSD title, I seem to recall they were available for quite some time later that year, having bought another one on behalf of a collecting friend. I would never have ponied up at that price either, but hopefully you'll come across it eventually.
Our local toysrus appears to have a much better curated selection, I expect you'll see the same as you'd see in a similar sized sunrise records as it's the same company just that Doug owns the name HMV there's days. My local one is also much better organized it may be down to the staff at the individual store.
You guys are lucky to have Toys R Us. They took ours! If they start taking in used records you better keep an eye on them. Did that Alice Cooper Schools out say $120.00?
AWESOME VIDEO FRANK. If there were any Toys R Us stores left in Chicago , Illinois USA ( Where I Live ) & it had a record section I would Definitely go & check it out. Your Video is beyond cool & it's neat to see a record section in Toys R Us. Very unique & cool. Take Care Frank & I'll Keep on Spinning. 👍🏻🪙👍🏻
I’d like to see it work but the prices are horrendous. Alice Cooper Schools Out for $120. C’mon! I have a Japanese copy paid mint for $40 cdn. Don’t think this concept will work sadly.
Prices are definitely up there, but in fairness, the Alice record is the deluxe version, which sell for US$90 at the Rhino store, so it's fairly close to list.
Where are these stand-alone TRU stores? Canada? In the USA I only see them connected to Macy's. I feel like there is a big hole in the market to fill with FYE closing, Best Buy doing away with physical media. Maybe I'm crazy, but I could see a successful chain of physical media stores for customers to browse and buy things on a whim.
I have an original picture disc of "Colour By Numbers" by Culture Club, with a Toys 'R Us price sticker on the sleeve. I was kinda surprised a pop album was sold by them, I assumed the only rekkids they carried would be kids albums.
Curious as to the rationale behind branding these sections as HMV as all the HMV stores in Canada were rebranded as Sunrise Records after the takeover - you'd think that they would just brand this section as Sunrise too. In the UK Toys R Us are also making a comeback and if they had these same sections branded as HMV in the store that would actually make sense, as it was decided that HMV had such a strong brand recognition there, they didn't rename all the stores as Sunrise, they just kept them as it was.
Happy Sunday! Our Mississauga Toys r Us was one of the first to add the HMV store. I did pick up Maiden Piece of Mind marked at 32.99 (about 6 months ago). When I went to the cash to pay they told me it was 36.99! I told them not to bother and the manager gave it to me for 32.99. Very happy to see the store with in a store concept but yes it needs to be more organized. I have also seen vinyl in Winners stores in Canada. Normally the big records, Beatles, Bon Jovi Pink Floyd etc. Sometimes $10 less than traditional record stores (29.99). Picked up Slippery When Wet and Let it Be.
That's not cool that they tried to charge you more. Seems to be in violation of the Scanner Price Accuracy Code, which Toys R Us is part of. No wonder the manager stepped up. www.retailcouncil.org/scanner-price-accuracy-code/
@@jambogeordie I went on a rant about this here in the comment section. I couldn’t think of the name of the policy but Frank did the research. It’s illegal what they’re doing.
I was at that polo park store a couple months ago and was told once they get settled it would be easier to scan for records. I was at the toys r us on pembina hwy this past weekend and the records are still all over the place. Bring a yoga mat if your looking at the lower bins and some voltaren rub for the back.😖
I like that I can now buy premium Hot Wheels and Greenlight cars plus ABBA CDs at the same store. They also sell manga, which I've been into for over three decades, but the manga I read seem to be too niche for the HMV mini-store in my local Toys R' Us in Ottawa to carry.
a band called The Warning are doing some dates in Canada in October, if they are playing near you, it would be a good idea to go and check them out. The Warning, from Mexico, three sisters playing kickass rock
I feel the idea has merit. Toys r us is a physical media store. Be that toys, Vinyl, DVD. I agree the the section needs more organization and theme to the area. That's one of the failures of toys r us in general over time. Shopping there should be an experience. All my local Toys R Us are gone. I miss the good days of the store and occasionally visited far after the best days but I always wanted to stop in hoping to find something cool. I want Toys R Us top give me a reason to want to go back. Give me the magic of yesteryear and make new memories for young kids. Add a little classic Disney magic or Chuck E cheese style flare from the 80s. Give me music and throw in some guitars to play too. Maybe a snack and or coffee shop. Hell add a divided section with a Toys R Us day care. Let the day care kids play with the new release toys to motivate parents to buy the toys. Throw in a splash of hot topic. Time to innovate. And we can use some new marketing. I wanna play like a Toys R us Kid.... again
I saw this in my area (Gatineau) and when I walked in and saw, I immediately knew it was done by Sunrise records (the way the displays were done gave it away). And yes I agree that it could be sorted better. Also the Sunrise in my area has this bad reputation of not taking better care of the merchandise being sold (damaged records, wrapper ripped, etc ...).
That's not true anymore. Snoop Dogg bought Death Row and the rights to the entire catalog. He's also been negotiating deals to get the masters to the artists so they can be paid accordingly for their work.....which they were not when the big bad boogeyman owned it.
I wrnt to check out 4ks and wasnt impressed. The prices are too high and hmv used to have sales, which i didnt see. Shopping local for ny records is the way to go. However, ive read they price match for amazon, but cant confirm.
My buddy and I spent about 4 hours digging through 2 (of the 3) Winnipeg locations (Regent and Pembina). I spent $250 CAD, after tax on 5 albums and was quite pleased with the overall selections available. Compared to any B&N in the States, ‘ol man Frank should be happy as US prices are insane, not that I don’t disagree pricing is out of control everywhere! The cons for me were having half their inventory on the floor in the under bins.. that s/b for overstock.. as older man Todd’s knees don’t work like they used to! Also, the CD display and prices were beyond stupid. I don’t think they will sell any cd’s as currently advertised. Oh well, it’s nice to have a few more locations to visit. Welcome back His Master’s Voice to Canada’s music scene.
Greetings from next door (Regina, SK). I think our ToysRUs has an "interesting" approach - they file record by artist FIRST NAMES - and even post a sign saying so. Result: All "John's" in J section I couldn't decide it it was idiocy or genius. Til I got to the T section, with all the "The'.....'s". well that answers the question. Sigh. Anyhow, prices are *slightly* better than Sunrise here, but only bcs the later is using the UK model an just stiffing the customer - good example, the recent "now playing' introduction series - $20 USD for most titles in the US.....and $27 CAD at Universal Canada on line, but each over $40 CAD at Sunrise. Its actually cheaper for me to buy from the USA and pay postage than get it here (assuming I buy a few titles). At this rate, I'd just as soon Sunrise go out of business. Bitter? No, just fed up. The only reason Sunrise stayed in business was that they specialized on vinyl (much like UK HMV). As a thanks vInyl buyers, we now get gouged. Nice. Anyhow, thanks Franks for a great video!
I am not sure about the Toys R’ Us, but I am finding more and more places selling records…Here in Michigan, one of my favorite places is the bookstore 2nd & Charles, where I’ve gotten some good deals on vinyl…Some of the gaming stores (There’s one called Media Reload) have been selling vinyl…I’ve seen vinyl at the antique shops, thrift stores, flea markets, record shows, etc. I’ve seen vinyl in stores like Big Lots, but I also try and support all the local record stores…Sometimes, you see vinyl shops or booths popping up at various tourist attractions, too…Or comic book stores…Since you’re in Winnipeg, Frank, have you thought of showcasing more of the local record shops on your channel? I know about Winnipeg Record & Tape Co., but what about Into The Music, Argy’s Entertainment, Planet Of Sound or Old Gold Vintage Vinyl? There is the Vinyl Vault, McNally Robinson book store and Vinyl Experience in Steinbach to the south…There’s Pete@Thirsty’s Flea Market, Mulvey Market or the Winnipeg Punk Rock Flea Market, too…What about the Manitoba Music Show at the Caboto Centre? There is probably more cool vinyl around you than you realize, but it could be fun to showcase more of these types of places…
I've done a handful of episodes about record shopping in Wpg... Edmonton too (when we lived there). I'm sure it's something I will do again in the future.
The Reptile House ep by The Sisters of Mercy in the Metal Section. I think not. At least our HMV has dividers, plus the genres are correct too. The prices are not expensive. The Alice Cooper 120.00 Can. Dollars equals around £65.00. Cheaper than Amazon. 40.00 Can. Dollars equals £22.15. That is reasonable too.
If Toys Are Us sells records I would assume kiddie records. I wonder if the kiddie record labels I knew as a kid like Cricket, Peter Pan & Wonder still exist.
I shopped at every store this guy owns and it's the same problem each time to varying degrees. The store down the street is cheaper. Toys r Us, 1:4 times they're the same price or better than the comp. BBB actually wasn't too bad on a single item because of the 10% off coupon but I've never walked out of there with a cart. Sunrise, I legit can't remember buying anything from them. Maybe a Christmas gift.
Records seem to be a bit better value in the US. Here, I was paying around $9 for a record or tape in the late 80s. According to the Bank of Canada inflation calculator, CAD$9 in 1990, is equal to CAD$18.53 in 2024. So here, our increases have been greater than the rate of inflation, unfortunately. Of course, there are a whole bunch of other factors involved. Supply, demand, exchange rates, etc. It is what it is, I suppose.
I’m not a fan of Sunrise Records since they were bought out by Doug. They won’t do special orders for you, will only reserve for you if it’s an item they get in and they get in very few copies. And will only reserve it for you for 3 business days. They also don’t get in every new release that comes out so it’s hit or miss if they’ll have it or even be able to get it in. Also they have a store policy that the sticker price on the item may not be the correct price. If you take it to the cashier you may pay more for it which I find odd and isn’t right at all. They can basically charge you whatever they want. That’s my little Sunrise Records rant. The stores were much better when they were franchises and independently owned.
I payed $5.99 for my vinyl of Cheech &Chong Up in Smoke in 1979 side one was good, unfortunately side 2 the grooves were way off centered making Rock Fight and Earache My Eye wow up and down in pitch. a bad omen of things to come in the future 1980's
The Toys R Us near me has their HMV Shop vinyl organized pretty good. Yours was a mess. At least when I go to mine,, it’s alphabetical and makes some sense
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I love finding vinyl anywhere… but I was surprised to stumble upon them at a toy store
What about cds 💿 they should be right next to records too
Glad I saw this today. Yesterday I was at a mall in Toronto and we parked outside the Toys r Us. Walking through it we were surprised to see housewares and other assorted items. Now I understand why. Though going to Toys r Us for records seems kind of strange!
I honestly didn’t know ToysRUs still existed. Kinda thought they went the way of Blockbuster and the Dodo
Blockbuster still exists... in Bend, Oregon.
Toys r us is starting back up again!! Many new stores USA and other places!!
I am in Ottawa and have a Toys r Us 5 minutes from my house. Love the fact they now have vinyl. They actually have some impressive titles, including Tone Poet jazz. I just wish they would organize better, by genre. Let’s not be snobs, this isn’t intended to be a replacement for a good record store, and if it gets younger people into vinyl, that’s good for the hobby.
It definitely could be organized better. To your last point... yes, 100%.
Or to distract dads while their kids go crazy toy shopping.
In Edmonton Sunrise has a nice store in Londonderry mall. Been around for a few years. Can be pricey but if you take the time there are some good deals. And they have a great selection of CD and Vinyl box sets.
Toys r us, is making a comeback in the USA!! Inside Macy's stores, airports, cruise ships, and some flagship stores too!!!!!
any customers?
They really need someone to file A-Z ! What a mess 😆 🤣
Indeed... some additional organization would go a long way.
But if the selection is small there is no point... Rock is rock.
Plus people are going to mess them up anyway. Whats the point? @@ilj1259
@@ilj1259that’s true too theg need to make a huge cds 💿 and records section for a lot of options and not too small like target 🎯 and Walmart 😅😊
Vinyl at Toys R Us? We’ve seen it all now. Thanks for checking it out for us Frank!🙏🏻🎧
I worked at a Toys r Us in Christmas 1997 season. I loved it. I did reshop, I put back toys in their original places.
Great video as always, Frank - I thought it was weird when Barnes & Noble started carrying vinyl, so finding a record/CD/DVD section in a Toys R Us would be really weird. We don't have any freestanding Toys R Us stores in the area anymore - we used to have one just across the street before they went bankrupt, so at least you have the stores themselves again. I worked for Transworld in the 1990s, long before they rebranded all their various stores (Recordtown, Tape World, Coconuts, etc) to FYE and a lifetime (heh heh) before the sale to Sunrise, and we don't have any of them in the Boston metro anymore either. I sorely miss HVM - their Brattle Square store in Cambridge was one of the best - you could find literally ANYTHING you wanted there. Fascinating that one guy owns or has a stake in ALL of them now...have a great week, sir!
I also think it's interesting that one guy bought all these 'dying' (dead?) brands, and is trying to make a go of them.
I got that Black Sabbath Vol. 4 and that generic looking Aerosmith record on The Sound of Vinyl. When the website first opened, they were running free or super cheap offers before shipping.
Very strange. Yeah I didn't know any stores existed at all anymore. I'm in South Florida and they're all permanently closed here.
Toys r us, is back!!!! They are making a comeback in the USA!!
as long the prices keep goin up il stay away from any stores ,its too bad
I hear ya. 99% used vinyl for me. The prices will not be going down.
Damn, I thought Toys "R" Us went under years ago.
Same. They did in the UK anyway....
ln Canada they were bought out
It did everywhere but canada
@@VitoC. Canada: Keeping the dream alive.
i noticed this section the last time i was in Toys R Us but never looked close enough to see the records. i saw rock shirts and dvds and thought it was a bit odd but hey, buy my kid a toy and myself a record!
Ha! Yes... check out the toys and get some music!
Sunrise here in Newfoundland and I have to say...I love the store
Wow.... I never knew that they had vinyl. Great vid as always. Have a great week.
Thanks, you too!
Kind of like 2nd and Charles in the US. Toys, books, music, games, etc. They have used media too. Great place to find something you didn't know you were looking for.
Nice video. Toys R Us closed down in my town years ago along with HMV.
That's wild TOYS R US selling music and movies!!! Here in the states there is a grocery store chain call Aldi's and they have started to sell albums. 👍🤘❤🇺🇸
That's a pretty impressive variety of music for a toy store!
HMV in the UK has some pretty outrageous prices…that being said they do 3 for £55 on a decent range of records. Independent record shops will always be my first choice…but I have a soft spot for HMV and was sad to see a load of their shops close a few years ago. More record outlets can only be a good thing?
I agree... more shops are a good thing. It's nice to see HMV still around. My wife worked at one back in the day.
Interestingly enough, I just picked up a vinyl that was sold out everywhere else by reserving it on their "The HMV Shop". Last copy. Prices look to be the same as Sunrise Records since Toys 'R' Us is owned by Doug Putman (Putman Investments) as well.
British HMV = Her Majesties Vinal?
We have a Toys R Us here in Scarborough near the dvp and Lawrence. They have a similar HMV section inside that looks exactly like the pics in you video. The vinyl isn’t arranged by genre but it is organized by letter so that helps when I do my weekly drop by. I don’t agree on their prices though. I can’t justify some of the prices. I’m more likely to go downtown to sonic boom and save ten bucks. But it’s nice to have something local to look in. Also there is a sunrise at Scarborough town Center that sells vinyl.
I always take my granddaughter to my HiFi room(she is 5years old )! Show her my HiFi system, and what is CD's,as well as vinyls!!
Here in America, records were $8.98 in 1982. I have old Billboard Magazines and the prices were printed on the chart entry. I looked up Stevie Nicks' Bella Donna, and it retailed at $7.98 in 1981 and $8.98 in 1982. That equals to $29.29 in today's money. So $30 is about right for a single, $60 for a double.
@jtmichaelson in 1969 33 1/3 cost $3.33 at K-Mart, so I never purchased 45s.
Yeah i was shocked about this too out west. It sucks it's a small store within a store. HMV was always more organized, well stocked, more selections & cheaper prices than Sunrise. Then again Sunrise bought HMV few years ago so if it does come back as it's own store. It will go to shit straight away.
HMV is still pretty good in the UK.
It sort of reminds me of the FYE experiance. Most likely they are aiming for the adults buying toys for their kids for birthday ir Christmas presents to also pickup some records for themselves... 😅
In Barrie Ontario here. The toys r us has a pretty frikken solid collection. Lots of blue note and tone poet stuff. Obviously id rather shop at one of the local record shops (shout out to BJ's Records and Nostalgia) but it was neat to see
I did a video about this a couple weeks ago. Found the prices to be crazy!
I would be really happy if we still would have toystore. And putting them together with record store would be really cool. (Well there are some toy shops but not so big ones.
I heard that someone is going to try a record bar and bar food where you can buy vinyl,drinks and bar food inside the airport in Knoxville and Nashville.
Great video Frank! Thanks for the info. There's a Toys R Us not too far from me. It's in the same area called Park Place in Barrie. I'll have to go and check it out one day.
Keep on spinning Frank 👍
didn't know toys r us was even a thing anymore. I used to love that store
Seems to be coming back.... maybe? It's definitely not the same as it once was though.
I thought the records were expensive and the collection was kind of random - however, while the CDs were also random, a lot of the CD prices were quite good. Also got a hot tip from the FYE in my mall that ToysRUs sometimes has the Sunrise Exclusive versions of records as well - so at least it's a second place to check for exclusives.
i noticed that some of those albums were record store day exclusives that should be for independent record stores (brick and mortar stores) not big companies. very strange they had them.
I think they get away with it because of the Sunrise Records connection (same owner). Sunrise was a small indie record store chain, before they were bought and began popping up in every mall. Just a guess. But yeah, RSD should revisit this.
Frank, thanks for spotlighting the Toys R Us new "record department"😅. Also, thanks to I-forgot-his-name who bought up HMV and FYE. Now I'm wondering if his Sunrise record shop would be in the mall down the street from me (actually 2 miles in bad traffic which feels like a day trip). Wal-Mart, also in my neighborhood, stocks LPs the same way - no dividers, no alphabetization, no classification, it's just if it fits in the racks...rack jobbers, they used to be called? Half the covers don't even have the prices on them and a few of them have been opened with the covers bent in corners, etc. I only hope the WalMarts in Canada aren't as trashy as the ones here. I don't know how possible this really is, but I'm wondering why record labels/companies aren't lowering the price of vinyl instead of constantly hiking them up. With very few places selling CDs these days, wouldn't you think that LPs would get a real boost out of a bargain price? It's very demoralizing having to pay $30 to $50 for a one-record set. Back in the old days, I didn't appreciate this, but audiophile pressings were basically going for half of what's being charged for regular LPs these days. I ignored most audiophile records back then and really regret that - it's partly because I had no idea what "half-speed mastering" meant at the age of 19 or 20, and I didn't like the symbol messing up the cover art. STUPID!!!
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for the good Toys R Us video.
I don't go to Barnes & Nobel as much as I used to, but they do have some reasonable prices on vinyl records. That's here in New York, I can't speak for anywhere else.
I was recently at the Mall of America location... I noticed the record section has shrunk a bit over the years at the locations I have seen (not sure of that's the case with all of them...).
@@Channel33RPMI knew someone that worked there 10 years ago and even back then they were talking about phasing out their music and movies section. I’d miss that annual Criterion Collection 50% sale
@@Channel33RPMI use Barnes and noble online all the time.
I saved over 150 dollars just this year with the points from my membership
$40 for an LP. In Australia, that's cheap...!
Went into one in Hamilton...vinyls were expensive and cd's were a mess!...can't see it lasting long. But applaud the idea.
Love your videos! Toys R Us and vinyl seems like a strange combo, especially some of the choices they're stocking in a children's store. Enjoy your Sepultura and Megadeth junior!
Thanks!
That Aerosmith LP is worth having, nice raw versions of early songs. Seems like it was fairly cheap in the US, or I probably wouldn't have sprung for it myself.
I'd love to get it... I will keep an eye out for a better deal.
@@Channel33RPM I initially paid $21.99 CAD, and it was cool to have at that price. Though it was an RSD title, I seem to recall they were available for quite some time later that year, having bought another one on behalf of a collecting friend. I would never have ponied up at that price either, but hopefully you'll come across it eventually.
Ok, the vinyl thing has clearly jumped the shark now.
They price match with Amazon and don’t seem to care what pressing it is so you can get a fairly good price.
Cool... good to know.
Our local toysrus appears to have a much better curated selection, I expect you'll see the same as you'd see in a similar sized sunrise records as it's the same company just that Doug owns the name HMV there's days. My local one is also much better organized it may be down to the staff at the individual store.
That's good to hear (about the netter organization of the section).
You guys are lucky to have Toys R Us. They took ours! If they start taking in used records you better keep an eye on them. Did that Alice Cooper Schools out say $120.00?
Yes.... $$$$$$$
It was the deluxe version (and that's MSRP).
AWESOME VIDEO FRANK.
If there were any Toys R Us stores left in Chicago , Illinois USA ( Where I Live ) & it had a record section I would Definitely go & check it out. Your Video is beyond cool & it's neat to see a record section in Toys R Us. Very unique & cool.
Take Care Frank & I'll Keep on Spinning.
👍🏻🪙👍🏻
Thanks!
@@Channel33RPM - 👍🏻🪙👍🏻
I think I paid 15 bucks for the Aerosmith at Walmart here in the US upon putting it in discogs It was showing as a record store day edition
I’d like to see it work but the prices are horrendous. Alice Cooper Schools Out for $120. C’mon! I have a Japanese copy paid mint for $40 cdn. Don’t think this concept will work sadly.
Prices are definitely up there, but in fairness, the Alice record is the deluxe version, which sell for US$90 at the Rhino store, so it's fairly close to list.
Where are these stand-alone TRU stores? Canada? In the USA I only see them connected to Macy's. I feel like there is a big hole in the market to fill with FYE closing, Best Buy doing away with physical media. Maybe I'm crazy, but I could see a successful chain of physical media stores for customers to browse and buy things on a whim.
Options for physical media are getting more and more limited... especially catalog movies.
I have an original picture disc of "Colour By Numbers" by Culture Club, with a Toys 'R Us price sticker on the sleeve. I was kinda surprised a pop album was sold by them, I assumed the only rekkids they carried would be kids albums.
Curious as to the rationale behind branding these sections as HMV as all the HMV stores in Canada were rebranded as Sunrise Records after the takeover - you'd think that they would just brand this section as Sunrise too.
In the UK Toys R Us are also making a comeback and if they had these same sections branded as HMV in the store that would actually make sense, as it was decided that HMV had such a strong brand recognition there, they didn't rename all the stores as Sunrise, they just kept them as it was.
Good question.
Happy Sunday! Our Mississauga Toys r Us was one of the first to add the HMV store. I did pick up Maiden Piece of Mind marked at 32.99 (about 6 months ago). When I went to the cash to pay they told me it was 36.99! I told them not to bother and the manager gave it to me for 32.99. Very happy to see the store with in a store concept but yes it needs to be more organized. I have also seen vinyl in Winners stores in Canada. Normally the big records, Beatles, Bon Jovi Pink Floyd etc. Sometimes $10 less than traditional record stores (29.99). Picked up Slippery When Wet and Let it Be.
That's not cool that they tried to charge you more. Seems to be in violation of the Scanner Price Accuracy Code, which Toys R Us is part of. No wonder the manager stepped up. www.retailcouncil.org/scanner-price-accuracy-code/
@@jambogeordie
I went on a rant about this here in the comment section. I couldn’t think of the name of the policy but Frank did the research. It’s illegal what they’re doing.
They used to sell records at the grocery store when I was a kid.
Unity on blue note analogue reissue with Joe Henderson....not bad.😮
Never been to no Toy's R Us .
One was here at one time , it's an
AutoZone now . Someday maybe soon AutoZone sell Vinyl Records !!
Ha! You never know...
I was at that polo park store a couple months ago and was told once they get settled it would be easier to scan for records. I was at the toys r us on pembina hwy this past weekend and the records are still all over the place. Bring a yoga mat if your looking at the lower bins and some voltaren rub for the back.😖
$40 bucks for Phil Collins. What a deal!
I like that I can now buy premium Hot Wheels and Greenlight cars plus ABBA CDs at the same store. They also sell manga, which I've been into for over three decades, but the manga I read seem to be too niche for the HMV mini-store in my local Toys R' Us in Ottawa to carry.
New vinyl prices are up there, making Legos look like a better investment... but Legos are also pricey!
You almost have to lay on the floor to look at the bottom rows of cds. 😂
a band called The Warning are doing some dates in Canada in October, if they are playing near you, it would be a good idea to go and check them out. The Warning, from Mexico, three sisters playing kickass rock
Weird,yet they don't sell toy train sets like, Hornby,Bachmann etc.
Wow I thought all Toys R Us was a dead brand? Maybe just in the USA
Maybe it will come back in the US?
It's already happening! Both in the US and the UK they are planning loads of store openings in the run up to the holidays.
I feel the idea has merit. Toys r us is a physical media store. Be that toys, Vinyl, DVD. I agree the the section needs more organization and theme to the area. That's one of the failures of toys r us in general over time. Shopping there should be an experience. All my local Toys R Us are gone. I miss the good days of the store and occasionally visited far after the best days but I always wanted to stop in hoping to find something cool. I want Toys R Us top give me a reason to want to go back. Give me the magic of yesteryear and make new memories for young kids. Add a little classic Disney magic or Chuck E cheese style flare from the 80s. Give me music and throw in some guitars to play too. Maybe a snack and or coffee shop. Hell add a divided section with a Toys R Us day care. Let the day care kids play with the new release toys to motivate parents to buy the toys. Throw in a splash of hot topic. Time to innovate.
And we can use some new marketing. I wanna play like a Toys R us Kid.... again
I saw this in my area (Gatineau) and when I walked in and saw, I immediately knew it was done by Sunrise records (the way the displays were done gave it away). And yes I agree that it could be sorted better. Also the Sunrise in my area has this bad reputation of not taking better care of the merchandise being sold (damaged records, wrapper ripped, etc ...).
Did they _ever_ sell music? And if they did, I doubt they were competitive with all the record stores that were around back then.
The ones here never sold music back in the day. That's new.
Cool to have records, but prices are not OK.. some records could be cheaper..
Toys R Us where I live went belly up 4 years ago. So no records for me there...
The one in Edmonton looked very similar.
Looks like a Pink version of Walmart's vinyl/audio section. No hanging signage falling down though! It's a win for Dads
That's almost as bizarre as when Hasbro wound up taking ownership of Death Row records, which they still have.
Wow... I didn't know that. Interesting.
That's not true anymore. Snoop Dogg bought Death Row and the rights to the entire catalog. He's also been negotiating deals to get the masters to the artists so they can be paid accordingly for their work.....which they were not when the big bad boogeyman owned it.
It's crazy the price difference of Canadian vs US. Ya'll rate of pay (minimum wage) has to be crazy.
Oh man... I missed Zellers. The club house sandwich at the restaurant was A+.
Looks like someone checked Discogs and priced all vinyl at top dollar prices😮
I wrnt to check out 4ks and wasnt impressed. The prices are too high and hmv used to have sales, which i didnt see. Shopping local for ny records is the way to go.
However, ive read they price match for amazon, but cant confirm.
My buddy and I spent about 4 hours digging through 2 (of the 3) Winnipeg locations (Regent and Pembina). I spent $250 CAD, after tax on 5 albums and was quite pleased with the overall selections available. Compared to any B&N in the States, ‘ol man Frank should be happy as US prices are insane, not that I don’t disagree pricing is out of control everywhere! The cons for me were having half their inventory on the floor in the under bins.. that s/b for overstock.. as older man Todd’s knees don’t work like they used to! Also, the CD display and prices were beyond stupid. I don’t think they will sell any cd’s as currently advertised. Oh well, it’s nice to have a few more locations to visit. Welcome back His Master’s Voice to Canada’s music scene.
Also should add that today the LP’s were better organized in alpha order, not genre, except for soundtracks as the end.
My wife goes to Aldi a lot and she took a picture of some prints records that were there with those kind of weird
HA, Frank Zappa at Toys R Us, now that's epic 😂
Greetings from next door (Regina, SK). I think our ToysRUs has an "interesting" approach - they file record by artist FIRST NAMES - and even post a sign saying so. Result: All "John's" in J section I couldn't decide it it was idiocy or genius. Til I got to the T section, with all the "The'.....'s". well that answers the question. Sigh. Anyhow, prices are *slightly* better than Sunrise here, but only bcs the later is using the UK model an just stiffing the customer - good example, the recent "now playing' introduction series - $20 USD for most titles in the US.....and $27 CAD at Universal Canada on line, but each over $40 CAD at Sunrise. Its actually cheaper for me to buy from the USA and pay postage than get it here (assuming I buy a few titles). At this rate, I'd just as soon Sunrise go out of business. Bitter? No, just fed up. The only reason Sunrise stayed in business was that they specialized on vinyl (much like UK HMV). As a thanks vInyl buyers, we now get gouged. Nice. Anyhow, thanks Franks for a great video!
Get a few racks of clothing in there, a Skillet restaurant and you have yourself an old skool Zellers.
I am not sure about the Toys R’ Us, but I am finding more and more places selling records…Here in Michigan, one of my favorite places is the bookstore 2nd & Charles, where I’ve gotten some good deals on vinyl…Some of the gaming stores (There’s one called Media Reload) have been selling vinyl…I’ve seen vinyl at the antique shops, thrift stores, flea markets, record shows, etc. I’ve seen vinyl in stores like Big Lots, but I also try and support all the local record stores…Sometimes, you see vinyl shops or booths popping up at various tourist attractions, too…Or comic book stores…Since you’re in Winnipeg, Frank, have you thought of showcasing more of the local record shops on your channel? I know about Winnipeg Record & Tape Co., but what about Into The Music, Argy’s Entertainment, Planet Of Sound or Old Gold Vintage Vinyl? There is the Vinyl Vault, McNally Robinson book store and Vinyl Experience in Steinbach to the south…There’s Pete@Thirsty’s Flea Market, Mulvey Market or the Winnipeg Punk Rock Flea Market, too…What about the Manitoba Music Show at the Caboto Centre? There is probably more cool vinyl around you than you realize, but it could be fun to showcase more of these types of places…
I've done a handful of episodes about record shopping in Wpg... Edmonton too (when we lived there). I'm sure it's something I will do again in the future.
They had running wild that's pretty sick
I was surprised to see that one.
The Reptile House ep by The Sisters of Mercy in the Metal Section. I think not.
At least our HMV has dividers, plus the genres are correct too.
The prices are not expensive. The Alice Cooper 120.00 Can. Dollars equals around £65.00. Cheaper than Amazon. 40.00 Can. Dollars equals £22.15. That is reasonable too.
That's looks cool 😎
Cheers!
If Toys Are Us sells records I would assume kiddie records. I wonder if the kiddie record labels I knew as a kid like Cricket, Peter Pan & Wonder still exist.
Hey Frank. Well said. Cheers
Thanks!
Non here in the U.S. 😞
Crazy bro
A perfect example of why not to buy from these places. Real record stores care and curate their product. Support small business.
I shopped at every store this guy owns and it's the same problem each time to varying degrees. The store down the street is cheaper. Toys r Us, 1:4 times they're the same price or better than the comp. BBB actually wasn't too bad on a single item because of the 10% off coupon but I've never walked out of there with a cart. Sunrise, I legit can't remember buying anything from them. Maybe a Christmas gift.
“Where’d you get this brutal death metal album from?”
toys r us..
Bwhahahahahahahahaha!!
29 US dollars is exactly where prices should be according to the inflation calculator!
Records seem to be a bit better value in the US. Here, I was paying around $9 for a record or tape in the late 80s. According to the Bank of Canada inflation calculator, CAD$9 in 1990, is equal to CAD$18.53 in 2024. So here, our increases have been greater than the rate of inflation, unfortunately. Of course, there are a whole bunch of other factors involved. Supply, demand, exchange rates, etc. It is what it is, I suppose.
Hold tf up. Toys R us are back??
Not sure what to make of this but I'm from Canada and there is a toys are us nearby that
Never seen prices that high
I’m not a fan of Sunrise Records since they were bought out by Doug. They won’t do special orders for you, will only reserve for you if it’s an item they get in and they get in very few copies. And will only reserve it for you for 3 business days. They also don’t get in every new release that comes out so it’s hit or miss if they’ll have it or even be able to get it in. Also they have a store policy that the sticker price on the item may not be the correct price. If you take it to the cashier you may pay more for it which I find odd and isn’t right at all. They can basically charge you whatever they want.
That’s my little Sunrise Records rant. The stores were much better when they were franchises and independently owned.
That's crazy that they won't do special orders. At that pricing policy sounds really bad.
I payed $5.99 for my vinyl of Cheech &Chong Up in Smoke in 1979 side one was good, unfortunately side 2 the grooves were way off centered making Rock Fight and Earache My Eye wow up and down in pitch. a bad omen of things to come in the future 1980's
The Toys R Us near me has their HMV Shop vinyl organized pretty good. Yours was a mess. At least when I go to mine,, it’s alphabetical and makes some sense
Was this the one by Polo Park?
Yes.