Travel Back to 1996 With This Vintage Toys R Us Insert

Toys R Us had a massive footprint on kid’s lives in the 90s. It was the store version of the same excitement Nickelodeon brought to the TV. The retail giant started in 1948 as ‘Children’s Bargain Town’ in Washington D.C., and by 1957 changed focus to toys (rather than furniture) and it’s name to Toys R Us.

At its peak, Toys R Us had 739 stores in the U.S. and over 750 in other countries, with Japan being its largest overseas market.

Toward the end of the 1990s, however, Toys R Us faced major competition from stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, and Costco. In 2000, they signed a 10-year, $500 million a year contract with Amazon to be the new online retailer’s exclusive toy and baby product seller. While initially successful, it stopped Toys R Us from building its own eCommerce business, which ultimately was a massive mistake. By 2017 they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

But let’s forget about all that! It’s Christmas! It’s 1996! Let’s look at some toys!

1. “Where the Holiday Magic begins!”

Wait, Toys R Us used to be open til midnight? That had to be a holiday schedule, right?

2. “Nintendo 64: The future is here!”

Unfortunately, the full date on when the Nintendo 64 was available in the store is cut off, but we know that the console was first available in North America on September 1996, so we know that this was the first Christmas that it could have been gifted.

Also, that $199.99 price tag with inflation would be around $400 in 2024. The PlayStation 5 (current model) goes for around $450, so it’s in the same ballpark.

3. Sega Saturn

The Sega Saturn first became available in North America on July 8th, 1995, so while it was still very current, it was no longer the new kid on the block.

4. Sony PlayStation

Ah, the original PlayStation. Also released in 1995, this was still selling really well, but was not the hot Christmas gift that it was the year before.

5. Sega Genesis

Two things strike me about this Sega Genesis ad: It’s interesting to see a console (albeit a massive one) being advertised that was released 7 years before (1989), and that the games are so much more expensive than the Playstation or the Sega Saturn. At $59.99 in 1996, most of these games would be $118.80 in 2024!

6. Super Nintendo

Another classic console that had fallen out of the Zeitgeist by 1996 was the Super Nintendo. Released in 1992 in North America, it was four years old at this point. Similar to the Sega Genesis, it’s really surprising that the games were so expensive.

7. Game Gear

The Sega Game Gear, which landed in North American stores in April of 1991, was Sega’s answer to the Game Boy, AND it was in color!

8. Game Boy

The Nintendo Game Boy, which was six years old at this point, was still holding its own in the market despite Sega’s Game Gear having a color screen. You can see why it was still a viable option at 38% of the cost of a Game Gear and being a much more portable size.

9. “Strike Gold”