5 toy stores that aren't around anymore

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5 toy stores that aren't around anymore

lionel toy trains

Carlos Osorio/AP Images

Did you shop at any of these places as a kid?

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Selling toys isn't all fun and games.

The advent of e-commerce and changing consumer preferences have ensured that the business is as twisty and full of pitfalls as a game of "Chutes and Ladders."

Read more: 'Stranger Things'' new season features a slew of iconic stores that no longer exist

Certain retailers like FAO Schwarz or Toys R Us have doubled down on running a single flagship store or promised a comeback, respectively. So it's no surprise that some toy-store chains just didn't survive.

Here's a look at a few toy stores that aren't around anymore:

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Zany Brainy came onto the toy scene in 1991. The company lasted for a decade before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the wake of slow sales.

Zany Brainy came onto the toy scene in 1991. The company lasted for a decade before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the wake of slow sales.

Source: CNN

The Lionel Corporation was on the right track for decades, opening in 1900 and chugging along until the '90s. The company owned a number of toy store chains, including Lionel Playworld, Lionel Kiddie City, and Lionel Toy City. The company liquidated in 1993.

The Lionel Corporation was on the right track for decades, opening in 1900 and chugging along until the '90s. The company owned a number of toy store chains, including Lionel Playworld, Lionel Kiddie City, and Lionel Toy City. The company liquidated in 1993.

Source: The New York Times

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K·B Toys, also called Kay Bee Toys, first launched back in 1922 as a candy store chain. After WWII, the retailer pivoted to toys. The company shuttered in 2009, but it toyed with and later abandoned the idea of launching a second life as a pop-up-based chain in 2019.

K·B Toys, also called Kay Bee Toys, first launched back in 1922 as a candy store chain. After WWII, the retailer pivoted to toys. The company shuttered in 2009, but it toyed with and later abandoned the idea of launching a second life as a pop-up-based chain in 2019.

Source: Comic Book, The Los Angeles Times

Founded in 1964, Circus World packed up its tent for good in 1996, thanks to a merger with K·B Toys.

Founded in 1964, Circus World packed up its tent for good in 1996, thanks to a merger with K·B Toys.

Source: Me TV

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Founded in 1962, Child World fell into debt over the decades. Its financial struggles ended in 1992, when the company filed for Chapter 11.

Founded in 1962, Child World fell into debt over the decades. Its financial struggles ended in 1992, when the company filed for Chapter 11.

Source: The New York Times

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