There is a saying that really rings true for those of us who are super nostalgic; “Nothing lasts forever on this earth. But whatever is good, comes back every once in a while if you let it.” The key to that statement is “if you let it.” That is what my blog is all about. It’s about remembering those small moments or toys or places or people that were a part of your life at one point or another but are now just footnotes that help make up the early chapters of the grand book we are writing. Sometimes, to write the next chapter, we have to revisit earlier moments to gain perspective and motivation or sometimes to just ground ourselves.
Our past is important and we should certainly embrace the positives that are a part of what has helped build our character. If not for the past, we would just look back to nothingness. We would have no lines on our faces, no scars on our bodies and no laughter in our soul. To be clear, there is a difference between dwelling on the past and honoring the past. I’ve tried to move on from bad memories, upsetting breakups and traumatic experiences but I’ll always hold on to the good times. There are many memories that I would love to go back and relive all over again. I really never wanted to grow up and am trying my best to keep from doing it today.
The closure of Toys R Us has sort of affected me in a way I can’t explain. I’m not depressed or anything but riding by that empty store is just a very weird feeling. Their slogan was, “I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid!” What are we supposed to do now that they are closed? Does that mean we have to grow up? I still went in the store quite a bit because I have kids of my own and there was a feeling that you just couldn’t get at other stores, at least locally. Other stores have toy sections but let’s be real; nothing compared to Toys R US, or even Kay-Bee for that matter, which is also gone now.
While I understand that the closure of this store was part of natural selection as we all continue our move to an online world, it is hard to lose something that was a big part of your past and not feel some sort of way. Another quote that hits a nostalgic person right in the feels is attributed to Buddha, who said, “You can only lose what you cling to.” That’s what “we” do. We cling to the tiny fabrics that make up the tapestry of our lives and each one means something to us. If you start pulling threads out of the overall work, things have a tendency to start to fray.
This isn’t just about Toys R Us. There are other stores, companies, or even entire industries that have vanished before our very eyes over the last 20 years. When it comes to true nostalgia, it’s not always about the mainstream like Transformers, Saved by the Bell, and Starter jackets. No, some of it is more personal and can affect special memories we hold in our individual minds far more than it may affect a larger group as a whole. There are a lot of people who are going to miss Toys R Us but the “why” is what is important. This made me start to think about a few other stores that have vanished over time that held unique memories for me. Some of these may still be in existence but are no longer a part of my region so I don’t have the personal link anymore. Some are just dust in the wind.
Sam Goody
I know that these are mostly FYE’s now but I remember a particular Sam Goody in the Albany Mall that was an absolute must visit for me every time I went there. For one, nobody buys CD’s anymore now that we all have digital music but I spent more money on CD’s and “Singles” during the mid 90’s than I have on just about anything else over my entire life except my kids and baseball cards. It is where I bought my first Deftones album and I even picked up some Deftones shirts there. They had it all; music, shirts, posters, games, you name it. They also had a pretty good looking clerk once that I tried to get a phone number from but it never really panned out. The FYE that is in the mall now has OUTRAGEOUS prices and just doesn’t have the same vibe as the old Sam Goody. That is one store that I miss more than any other in the mall, except possibly Babbage’s.
Big “B” Drugs
Going more local, Big “B” was the first chain drug store in Camilla that I remember. This was also the home of the oddball sports card boxes. You could get the mini 30 card box sets of Fleer’s Sluggers vs Pitchers and Topps’ Greatest Players. I spent a lot of time there when I worked at Movie Gallery (spoiler alert) and I never ventured too far into the store as the candy and sports card rack was near the front. That strip center in general used to see heavy traffic with the stores that filled it. The House of Music was the only local music store and of course, Movie Gallery was a nice anchor. The strip center has become a shell of its former self at this point and I don’t know that I have even entered the parking lot in the last 15+ years, though I ride past it all the time.
Piggy Wiggly
I am going local again but there are stories here too. This is a chain that is still surviving but I couldn’t tell you where a store is today. This was the local grocery store in Camilla before Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie and Harvey’s and was the closest to our house. Wal-Mart is the only store that remains now and it is even in a different location than the original that isn’t as nostalgic for me. Piggly Wiggly is where I turned my brother over in the grocery cart and got one of the worst whoopins of my entire life. He was sitting in the kid’s part of the cart, I took a turn too sharp and we toppled over. It wasn’t good. I also remember playing the “President’s Game” here and actually learning a little about US History in the process. Finally, this was where I picked up my first pack of cards way back in 1988. This was the store where it all started for me and it’s now a furniture store….Such a shame.
Arcades
So this really isn’t a store but they have certainly almost become extinct in 2018. Even the ones that are still around are makeshift arcades added on to amusement sites. When I think of an arcade, I think of a dark room with glow lights and carpet that has glowing squiggly lines on it. The arcade has Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Space Invaders and others like them. The whole setup is a visual smorgasbord. There are beeps and clanks in the machines, there is the sound of quarters dropping into slots and in the distance, there is the sound of an air hockey table banging around. This is where we went to congregate, show off and find chicks. The old-school arcade is one of the greatest creations known to man. You can still find them from time to time and one of the best is Twin Galaxies in Iowa, where they still hold tournaments and crown world records. Kids can have the video games of today; just leave me Mrs. Pac-Man and Paperboy!
Video Stores
There are several stores that could be listed here but Blockbuster and Movie Gallery are the two biggest that come to mind for me. I worked at locally owned “Video Superstore” and it may be the greatest video store in the history of ever! There was also a store called Videos Unlimited that was in the town I live in now but it is gone as well. While Blockbuster and Movie Gallery were the king and queen of selection, the small town video stores had all the character that I miss and if I ever hit the lottery, I will open one just for nostalgia sake. I don’t care if I have 1 customer per week, I just want to smell those VHS and DVD plastic cases again and look across the store at the rows upon rows of mediocre films that we loved to watch as teenagers. Sure, Redbox is convenient and Netflix is right in your home, but you haven’t lived until you spend a Friday night walking the aisles of a video store with your fingers crossed that your movie is in stock.
Upper Deck
Of course, there is a baseball card that is no longer around that was a big part of my youth as well. Upper Deck now has a hockey license and only produces those items, along with a multi sport set called Goodwin Champions. But back in the late 80’s-early 90’s, they were killing it in all sports. The baseball set from 1989 changed the hobby forever and I wrote about it here. But in 1991, the set was almost as strong but had forced the other companies to up their game with products like Stadium Club and Leaf, so they had competition.
The packs were pretty sweet – tamper proof foil like the years before but blue this season with pinstripes.
A staple of Upper Deck was the hologram stickers. These were full size team logos.
Here is the design of 1991 Upper Deck. As you will recall, 1989 had the base line on the right side of the card. 1990 had the base line across the top. This year had the base line running down the left side of the card. Upper Deck always had some unique photos too, like this Bert Blyleven.
There was only one notable catcher but it was one of my favorite ’91 Upper Deck cards when I was a kid. This Sandy Alomar Jr. was so colorful and I loved the photo.
The infield was stacked with young players and grizzled veterans. There were 2 future Bravos here with Fred McGriff and Andres Galarraga. Big Cat is rocking the Expos uni, which is always great. Paul Molitor was such an underrated player. By this point in his career (13 seasons), he had a career .299 average, was averaging double digit home runs and had multiple 40+ stolen base seasons. You can throw Alvin Davis in that underrated category as well.
The outfield is pretty loaded up too. Deion Sanders and Dave Justice were key cogs in the Braves outfield and lineup during the great run of the 90’s. And because this was the high series box, I landed a Bo Jackson in both Kansas City and Chicago. While I didn’t pull a Ken Griffey Jr., he did appear on this card of Ken Sr. And I will always see Kirby in that Twins uni but will never get used to seeing Strawberry in Dodger Blue.
The pitchers were pretty legendary in this set. Randy Johnson was getting started on a Hall of Fame career while Nolan Ryan was wrapping his up. This card of Nolan features a pretty iconic image of the Express. Maddux would soon discover that chicks dig the long ball so this bunt might have been one of his last. And the Braves got their fill of Scott Erickson, Jack Morris and Doug Drabek in the playoffs that year.
These cards are very memorable from the early 90’s junk wax era. Everyone remembers the Rickey Henderson and Lou Brock card, along with the 1917 White Sox throwback.
I only pulled two of the artist checklist. One was a sweet Chris Sabo while the other was a ho-hum Roberto Kelly.
These are some of the rookies and prospects that stood out in 1991. I didn’t pull a Chipper but I did snag a Mo Vaughn and Eric Karros. Steve Decker was a huge prospect for the Giants in ’91 but he didn’t pan out.
I didn’t pull an Aaron autograph but I did load up on the Baseball Heroes cards. Those 70’s Milwaukee uniforms were hot!
These cards deserve their own segment and comment. The first was the Hank Aaron hologram. I searched for this card like a 1/1 Trout back in 1991. This is a sweet insert!
I was a huge fan of Jose Canseco in 1991 so I was blown away by this card of his twin brother, Ozzie. At the time, I had no idea that Ozzie was playing so I thought it was an amazing card.
Though I didn’t pull the Chipper RC, I did pull what was considered THE ROOKIE CARD of the set in 1991. This Todd Van Poppel was on the cover of Beckett and highly sought after in the hobby. I actually think this card is better than any I have pulled so far in 2018 Topps Inception.
This was one of those “retirement cards” from the junk wax era. This was as hot as Gregg Jefferies’ 1989 Future Stars for a while. This would have been a huge box in 1991.
The first of two Hall of Fame RC’s is this Jeff Bagwell. Bags was a hot rookie and he turned out to have a stellar career. I pulled 5 of these in the box!
The other Hall of Fame RC I pulled was this awesome Frank Thomas. Though he and Bagwell both had cards in 1990, this was their first Upper Deck cards. This is a very special card for me and one that I will slide right into my current PC.
1991 Upper Deck is a classic set from the junk wax era and had some great individual cards that are memorable. The Ozzie Canseco, Todd Van Poppel and Kevin Maas cards were so hot when this set came out. Some other players turned out to be the long term guys like Chipper, Bagwell and Big Frank but this set really covered the spectrum of hot rookies and solid veterans. The design was typical Upper Deck and the only change from year to year was the base line on the card. Boxes can be found relatively cheap now with this one costing me $12.95 and regardless of the odds, there is a chance to pull a Hank Aaron autograph if you are extremely lucky. I really like this set better than 1990 but not as good as 1989. I’d give it an overall “4” on the Dub-O-Meter and would lean closer to a “5” than a “3” on the scale. What do you think about 1991 Upper Deck?
J-Dub
Scoring Scale
1.Let me be the sacrificial lamb so you don’t have to buy these cards. Just read the post and thank me later.
2.There is worse but there is much better – not worth the effort though.
3.Middle of the road – I wouldn’t talk you into buying these but I certainly wouldn’t talk you out of them.
4.You should probably go out and buy a box and enjoy the rip – I did! It has some downside but worth the ride.
5.Stop reading and find a box to buy and get to Breaking! What are you waiting on?
On the last day I was so tempted to run through with a cart and rake stuff into it like the kids from the shopping spree contest commercials. You mentioned Piggly Wiggly in the article as well. My local independently owned Piggly Wiggly store is closing next week. I’m pretty torn up about it, but not for nostalgia reasons– it’s my favorite lunch spot in town. The deli serves has the best damn fried chicken you’ve ever had, and they have real southern sides like greens, sweet potato casserole, succotash, and fried okra. Sure, there’s a KFC and a Bojangles, but one can only eat so much cole slaw that was made by a machine halfway across the country. Like Joni Mitchell sang, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
Wasn’t there a shopping spree gameshow one time on Nickelodeon? Kids had like 90 seconds to fill their cart? Winn-Dixie, Harvey’s and Piggly Wiggly have all closed around us. We have Publix left, which is a great store but we have no options.
I love the 1991 UD Baseball design. As for TRU… I’ll miss it too. I only went in there a few times a year (usually to buy a gift card for a present), but every time I did… I enjoyed walking around and checking out their Lego and video game section.
If I had a nickel for every dollar I spent at Toys ‘R’ Us, I’d have close to $5o0. And that’s on Legos for my children/grandchildren alone. Forget all the board games, bicycles, stuffed animals, etc. That place was like a vacuum cleaner when it came to my wallet. I would take the long way home if I had to pass the corner of Milestrip Road and McKinley Parkway. Otherwise the kids would be losing their minds asking if we could stop to just “look.” Look my butt. It’s impossible to leave without appeasing them with something, because then I’d have screaming children with no sense of tempo. Kids can never scream in unison.
I always thought Geoffrey the giraffe was a strange representative. What did he bring to the table? With the long neck he would probably be a better mascot for a dildo factory.
Oh yeah, baseball cards. They were nice too.
Carl