Forbes has posted a feature called The Next Chapter In The Toys R Us Story? Interactive Play Spaces.  There's a gift shop, but it's not a store - it probably won't be collector-friendly and it sounds like it won't be much of a retail powerhouse, either, if sales are not an emphasis in its floorplan.  These two non-stores will open in Atlanta and Chicago, and if any of you are going we would love pictures.   It's $28 for adults, $20 for kids, and they're asking manufacturers for sponsorship opportunities.  This ain't your daddy's Toys R Us, where $20-$28 would actually net you some toys to bring home.

Actual Toys R Us-branded stores are opening in Houston, TX and Paramus, NJ.

One of my friends described this play space as a paid Instagram experience.  

Via CSA: Toys ‘R’ Us moves to sell 284 properties. The actual stores owned by the former toy giant are about to go up for sale, which pours cold water on the hopes that the stores might reopen under the existing names. It could still open again some day, but the resurrection of the toy giant seems to just not be in the cards for the USA anymore.  While it's not impossible someone might use the name to open a new chain of stores in the distant future - or a catalog, or a web site - this is another nail in the coffin for the very reason many of us had a good reason to go on toy runs for so long.

Toys R Us will survive in Canada, and they have this exclusive Stormtrooper.  It's a lot like our other troopers with a stand and some flame accessories, and it's CAN$49.99.    A standard figure is CAN$29.99, so it's $20 extra for two painted flame pieces, a new blaster, a couple of black paint splotches, and a grey display base.   We'll post more about when or if this becomes available elsewhere.

Toys R Us has been having some problems, and as of today we're seeing articles like Toys R Us tells court going-out-of-business sales to begin immediately at all U.S. stores.   Tens of thousands of people are going to lose their jobs, and the domino effect is going to knock some toy manufacturers out of business, or into mergers, which will probably cost tens of thousands more jobs in the subsequent months. 

This is not a good week to be in the toy business.

This story is making the rounds everywhere.  Bloomberg's headline says it all: Toys ‘R’ Us Is Prepping to Liquidate Its U.S. Operations.

But what does this actually mean?  It's hard to say.  Will someone swoop in and buy Toys R Us assets like the brand name, the stores, or the inventory?   Will their other assets be sold off? What happens to their exclusives?  Is our collective childhood finally over?  Will those people be able to find jobs?

The 182 closing Toys R Us stores started their sales today.  The sign out front of mine boasted "Up to 30% Off!"  Another, "Nothing Held Back!" was a little less precise - it's worth noting that most action figures are 10% off but NECA toys were excluded.  Also excluded: select video games and books.

Last year Toys R Us announced some problems and mentioned they may close some stores.  Today, USA Today has a list of 182 Toys R Us stores to close by April - including the two I frequent the most.   Check the list to see if your store will remain open.

New at Toys R Us, the exclusive  Star Wars: The Black Series Action Figure - Rey (Jedi Training) on Crait has been revealed!  She's due in November for $34.99.  The figure is a new one, more or less, with added cloth elements and a display base.

According to CNBC: Toys R Us hires law firm as it explores possible bankruptcy filing.  The toy seller had some restructuring over the past couple of decades while some of its competitors started to loose its shine.   Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Sears and Montgomery Wards were a couple of power players in toys.   They're gone.  Then Kay-Bee and Kmart took over - which are gone, and not doing well, respectively.  

Hopefully it's no big deal, but toys are an increasingly tough sell as the speculator's market of the 1990s is over, modern children move to games faster, and collectors eventually fill their homes. 

Debuting at San Diego Comic-Con at Entertainment Earth's Booth #2343, the Toys R Us Exclusive 6-inch The Black Series Star Wars Commander Gree is looking fantastic - it's just one of several items on sale there, including stuff from Twin Peaks, Guardians of the Galaxy, Transformers, and Justice League.   Check it out, and get yours at the show!

The info just keeps rolling in!  Hasbro's PR department informed us that Commander Gree is coming to Toys R Us as an exclusive. When? We don't know, but the 6-inch The Black Series figure looks pretty sharp.

More information as we have it - and it's nice to see the prequels getting some love out there.

It's here too!  For $14.99 - and apparently not qualifying for the 20% off sale right now - the Star Wars Rogue One Cassian Andor and Stormtrooper Exclusive Figure Two-Pack is in stores now. As always, I found it in Phoenix, AZ and it was the last one at the store I visited.  Good hunting!

The set includes Cassian Andor from the U-Wing fighter (with slightly better paint), a redeco of the single-carded Stormtrooper, Sabine's zipline, and more.  That's a decent amount of plastic for $15.

Hasbro's PR firm sent us a note this morning to inform us that there's an Official Star Wars 2016 Collector Checklist!  Click here to grab it.

Since this is produced on the official timetable, you won't see some known-but-not-listed items like Wave 2 3 3/4-inch action figures, 2-packs, 6-inch figures, and so on.  But what is on here may amaze you - a bunch of exclusives we've not yet seen!  Read on to find out what you'll find in stores as the year goes on.

Hasbro's PR team kindly sent along a press release with many new and some neewish exclusives! More are coming this fall, but for now, here's a look at what you can expect on (or around) Friday, September 30. None of the 3 3/4-inch figure exclusives are listed here, but 6-inch, prop replicas, Nerf guns, and more await you after the jump.

Toys R Us will have an exclusive Black Series 6-inch set of Star Wars Droids during San Diego Comic-Con, but will not be at Comic-Con.  As I work for Entertainment Earth and will be working on the booth for the show, I reached out to me for confirmation - and I can confirm this item will be sold online.  (I also assume at stores later.)  The droids are identified as R2-A3, R5-K6, and R2-F2 on the packaging.

Entertainment Earth Booth #2343 will be selling a number of other items for Toys R Us as well as their own exclusives, including some other Star Wars and Hasbro items. Click here to see the droid item at Toys R Us' web site.