T.G.&Y. Stores:Gone but not forgotten

[Generals64]

I remember going to TG&Y near downtown with my grandmother, it was where Linwood and Western intersect, I think there's a bank there now.
In my teen years, I went to the one on Shepard Mall.

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That store was called the 6th & Western Store...Still had water coolers and fans when they closed and demolished the building for the bank's parking lot. I have pictures but don't know how to put them on the web site...

[Generals64]

How many of you GUYS remember entering the TG&Y model Car Contest? Did anyone ever really win? I worked for them and never had anyone ever pick up their models or their trophies....

[ms7168]

I worked in Store #410 in Edmond at 15th and Broadway in 1973 and early 1974.
Our store was the second largest in the chain. The one on SW74th was largest.
My department had records, books, magazines, cameras and film and film processing.
They opened a new store at 2nd and Bryant during that time. There was also a small store on N. Littler and about 2nd.

[Generals64]

I worked in Store #410 in Edmond at 15th and Broadway in 1973 and early 1974.
Our store was the second largest in the chain. The one on SW74th was largest.
My department had records, books, magazines, cameras and film and film processing.
They opened a new store at 2nd and Bryant during that time. There was also a small store on N. Littler and about 2nd.

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I helped set up the Sporting Goods in that store around 1965...I worked at the 74th st. Store and just about every other one in the state. I ended up in the Buying Department in OKC...Miss that chain...and I think everyone else does...

[ms7168]

We also had a Humpty Dumpty Grocery store connected to our store.

[Generals64]

We also had a Humpty Dumpty Grocery store connected to our store.

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That was quite an agreement with most of the landlords (Henderson Properties and Goldman) to get Humpty and TG&Y together. When allied foods began to falter Fleming stepped in and most of the stores in the OKC area became independent stores like Crest Foods....

[Generals64]

At a meeting today (Southside Memories) TG&Y became a large topic. A bunch of older folks remember things that happened in their youth. Funny how the guys admitted (Now) about stealing model cars, eating candy off the penny candy aisle. Stealing a Dart? Bet that was hard to conceal. However, it brought back memories of the old TG&Y toy Aisle....Darts, Yo-yo's, Tops, marbles, Model cars (1.25 each) Slinky, Gyroscopes, Barbie and Ken dolls. How many out there remember the Erector sets?...Tinker toys....Lincoln logs,.....Fort Apache "featuring Rin-Tin-Tin". some day let your hair down and remember what it was like to be a kid and browse through a TG&Y stores....Wal-Mart doesn't have the toys we played with as kids now....

[oneforone]

While I may be a greenhorn southsider compared to some you. Some of my favorite memories are shopping for Hotwheels with my Grandpa the SW 44th & High and the 12th & I-35 store in Moore that had entrances at the back and front of store. He would take his truck in for an oil change or tires while we waited we browsed the aisles.

My favorite store was the SW 74th and Penn store where my parents would shop. I remember when the shopping center with Tan & Tone was the automotive center and the garden center was back behind Wendy's. Mom would go to the garden center to buy plants every year.

That area at 74th and Kentucky has changed many times over the years. I remember when OG&E had an office in that strip center that ran from the Curtis Mathes store around the fence line to Ketucky.

[gen70]

I remember those stores well. I worked for T.G.&Y. (Central Repair) in the late 70's.

[grantgeneral78]

how about the fishing contest put on by tg&y , pee wee division junior division, senior division, and they gave away fishing poles for biggest bass biggest crappie and biggest catfish.

[Generals64]

how about the fishing contest put on by tg&y , pee wee division junior division, senior division, and they gave away fishing poles for biggest bass biggest crappie and biggest catfish.

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You make me really feel old now. I was the one that put that contest on for TG&Y....My Gosh, that was a long time ago....Did you win anything ?

[grantgeneral78]

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You make me really feel old now. I was the one that put that contest on for TG&Y....My Gosh, that was a long time ago....Did you win anything ?

No i was beat out by some punk kid...grrrrr

[FRISKY]

The fishing contest doesn't ring any bells, but I do remember buying a ton of fad "collectables" like Rat Fink, Monster models, Baseball Cards and Styrofoam gliders that have long since disappeared, but are probably worth a fortune now.

[Generals64]

The fishing contest doesn't ring any bells, but I do remember buying a ton of fad "collectables" like Rat Fink, Monster models, Baseball Cards and Styrofoam gliders that have long since disappeared, but are probably worth a fortune now.

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Wouldn't have thought of the styrofoam gliders in a million years. Remember the gliders that had a rubber band and a propeller...Wind it up and watch it fly....then break.....Lots of tape and glue. I was thinking this morning about TG&Y and how we use to call it the dime store....then the family center...Now, all the variety type stores are called "Dollar" stores the cycle of economic change even hits the little variety stores....From a Dime to a dollar store...

[FRISKY]

What was the stuff called that was like chewing gum (although you didn't put it in your mouth) that was used to make blowup bubbles? It came in a tube with a plastic straw that you put the plastic "gum" on. After you blew up a bubble it would become semi-solid.

[grantgeneral78]

I know this is a little off the subject but OTASCO had the FLYING "O" bikes, and remember when tg&y carrier the 30/30 rifles and ammo and so did OTASCO

[Generals64]

What was the stuff called that was like chewing gum (although you didn't put it in your mouth) that was used to make blowup bubbles? It came in a tube with a plastic straw that you put the plastic "gum" on. After you blew up a bubble it would become semi-solid.

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Yeah and if you accidentally left on the bed and your dog started chewing in you got to clean up all kinds of Foul smelling dog poop. Plus, your mom got real mad at you for ruining the sheets....Had to stay away from that stuff.

[Generals64]

I know this is a little off the subject but OTASCO had the FLYING "O" bikes, and remember when tg&y carrier the 30/30 rifles and ammo and so did OTASCO

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Remember very well, we bought the 30/30 Marlins through OKL. Hardware. then, they and Miller/Jackson Co. began trying to carry every type of gun they could get. Sold many of them. I think Otasco carried a name of Western Field rifles and Mossberg Shotguns...... Sears had the Ted Williams Brand. One of our largest competitiors in the OKC market was the Gibson's store on N.W. 6th street. Glen Jones was the Sporting Goods Guru down there and he was "Good" at his job.....

[grantgeneral78]

OK trivia question...whatwere the color tvs made by zenith called back in the day at otasco and tg&y?

[Generals64]

OK trivia question...whatwere the color tvs made by zenith called back in the day at otasco and tg&y?

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Trick Question?????...TG&Y called their T.V.'s Golden T...But, I think there was a name on them before that. I know they had a Wagon named TG&Y's Radio Flyer...I still have one of them....and your Gyroscope.....Got me on the other....

[grantgeneral78]

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Trick Question?????...TG&Y called their T.V.'s Golden T...But, I think there was a name on them before that. I know they had a Wagon named TG&Y's Radio Flyer...I still have one of them....and your Gyroscope.....Got me on the other....

Finally I got you instead of you getting me......they were called chromacolor II

[Generals64]

Finally I got you instead of you getting me......they were called chromacolor II

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You're right.....Why aren't you at work today...the roads are iced up where I'm supposed to go...Four-Wheel Drive on the ice is no good.....O.K., I've got to redeem myself so, the name of the model company and the name of the glue/model paint was what?...Also, why did they pull the glue from just being sold on the counter???
Name of the toythat you could build skyscrapers with?....The sick boy (Prunepicker) should know this one first...

[grantgeneral78]

[QUOTE=Generals64;195260]------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You're right.....Why aren't you at work today...the roads are iced up where I'm supposed to go...Four-Wheel Drive on the ice is no good.....O.K., I've got to redeem myself so, the name of the model company and the name of the glue/model paint was what?...Also, why did they pull the glue from just being sold on the counter???
Name of the toythat you could build skyscrapers with?....The sick boy (Prunepicker) should know this one first...[/QU

I can see the tube it was red and white but dangit cant think of the name of it , the reason it was taken off kids were sniffing it to get high.

and erector set is what your looking for

[danielf1935]

One of my first pets was a small turtle that my mom bought at TG&Y, it had a small, plastic bowl/dish with s slide and umbrella, I think it lived a few weeks.

[Generals64]

One of my first pets was a small turtle that my mom bought at TG&Y, it had a small, plastic bowl/dish with s slide and umbrella, I think it lived a few weeks.

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Back in the early 60's you can't imagine how many of those would come in dead and boy was there an odor....No, there was a rotten smell. One time I ordered a bunch of Fish etc. direct from Florida...They were more than half of what we were giving from our normal supplier....I convinced another manager to go in with me and he could have the Parrot that came free with the $250.00 order. That was a lot of fish...The guy thought he was so cool...He wouldn't pay any attention to the instructions and that Parrott also bit his forefinger OFF before we could get a glove in there (I'm laughing right now). The parrot never was tamed down...I saw on the news a few months later about some sighting a parrott on the south side of town and they tried to catch it....Mean Parrott....My friend turned it loose and the guy (idiot) that tried to catch the parrott was looking to sue someone for his dr. bills....

We went fishing one time before work and had a minnow bucket full of Minnows left. So, in my ingenious way I put them in an aquarium and had a special of Silver Ghost tropical fish......3/$1.00....Sold them everyone boy did I think I had done good....About three days later people started coming in telling to be careful with thos Silver Ghost as they had eaten ALL of their high dollar Tropical Fish......First time I told this story.....