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

  1. #1

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

    As we all dig into the past and search the future what about the places of employment that many of us had in our younger years? T. G.&Y. memories anyone?

  2. #2

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

    I remember the first job (that really paid) was at the TG&Y Store in the Airline Shopping Center....I made 85 cents and hour and all the chocolate candy I wanted....Wouldn't waste my time eating chocolate now. I think that was why they didn't say much when we would "sneak" a handful.
    This time of the year we would begin getting ready for the Holidays as would every other Variety store in town. My stories a long and eventful as I worked for them for a long time...How about the Rest of you guys? Anything you want to share?

  3. #3

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

    Yip, everytime I got paid my allowance for working, my dad would take me to TG&Y and I would spend my money on a Star Wars figure and Star Wars trading cards. Good memories.

  4. #4

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

    During the summer of 1968 I spent a week working for Manpower at the TG&Y warehouse near the State Capital. The variety of merchandise was absolutely staggering, from shotgun shells, to lacy panties; from paint brushes to "Necker Knobs" with bikini clad photo inserts. I remember climbing up on bags of fertilizer and napping after lunch, out of sight of "the man." All of this for a buck fifty an hour.

  5. #5

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

    How about the toys that were available that we wish now we had saved?..For instance the plastic army men...1959 Barbie Dolls, Chatty Cathy, that old Radio Flyer Wagon or a Fanner 50? I found a Fanner 50 on the ground not long ago...still have it to.

  6. #6

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

    My family always called T,G,&Y "Toys, Guns, & Yo-Yos" ... because they sold them all.

    When I was 7 years old I stole a plastic ring from T,G,&Y. Afterwards, we went to Sonic and my sister saw it a told on me. My dad took me back the next day and made me appologize to the manager and give it back....

    Memories.

  7. #7

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

    I worked at TG&Y from 1982-1984. Made my way all the way up to assistant floor manager. Used to catch shop lifters. One guy stole five VTRs. Put them all in a shopping cart and walked right out the door.

    During deer season, we had to move workers from fabric to sports just to fill out deer tags. This was at the Del City store, store 1001, 1401 Howard Drive. I used to work a full shift, which was open to close, take an hour for lunch and drive around town, like I owned the strip. It was fun until I figured out I was only making $4.50 an hour...

    I quit that job to work at Sound Warehouse!

  8. #8

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

    Quote Originally Posted by Platemaker View Post
    My family always called T,G,&Y "Toys, Guns, & Yo-Yos" ... because they sold them all.

    When I was 7 years old I stole a plastic ring from T,G,&Y. Afterwards, we went to Sonic and my sister saw it a told on me. My dad took me back the next day and made me appologize to the manager and give it back....

    Memories.

    Awwww yes - the years spent trying to figure out what it stotod for.....what a bummer to learn it was actually the first initial of each owners' last name, lol......it was certainly the "funnest" 5 & dime store around...

    Generals64 - GREAT thread!!

  9. #9

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

    I never worked at TG&Y, but I grew up across from the family center at May and Britton. I learned to ride my bike in their parking lot, I loved the small carnivle that used to come there every year, and I bought a lot of 45's and hot wheels there. But my favorite memory of the store was the "help" beacons that they had in the store. If you had a question, or couldn't find something all you had to do was find the beacon and flip a switch triggering a flashing light on a pole. My brother, my friends and I used to play fireman/policman in the store and would all push empty baskets around waiting for the next "alarm" to go off. Whoever got to the flashing beacon first was te hero. Looking back I have to laugh at all the times we would all come running through the store with our baskets/rescue vehicles to the surprise of some lost or questioning customer. I'm surprised we never got banned from the store.....lol.

  10. Default Re: T.G.&Y. Stores:Gone but not forgotten

    My memories of T.G&Y. are from the store in Frederick, Okla. Seems like we were in there every day. Most of the 45 records that I have are from there. Paid about 75 cents apiece for them. I also remember buying shoes there. No Nikes, Adidas, or Reeboks. You just looked through that big old bin until you found your size. Then you would untie them and try them on. they had everything--I think that's why I have such a fondness for Walgreen's--it kinda reminds me of that place.

  11. #11

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

    I loved TG&Y. I couldn never quite understand why there used to be two of them inside Shepherd Mall, though. There was a big one down near the end of the mall closest to Sears, then there was a smaller store farther down.

  12. #12

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

    Quote Originally Posted by TaoMaas View Post
    I loved TG&Y. I couldn never quite understand why there used to be two of them inside Shepherd Mall, though. There was a big one down near the end of the mall closest to Sears, then there was a smaller store farther down.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The small store was an after thought. There was this one open building and the owners of Shepard Mall offered it to Ben Franklin. TG&Y bolted and picked up the location. It was a pretty good variety store but, since TG&Y was owned by the same people (Household Finance) there was an agreement that Ben Franklin (Franchises) would not be in an area close to TG&Y and vice Versa.
    The Family Center in that Mall did more volume per cubic foot than any store in the company. People will get in an uproar due to the store (#411) at S. Penn but notice I said Cubic ft not square foot. The Shepard Mall Family center had counters tied to the ceiling from Day One. Also, TG&Y used the small store for training managers to run larger stores.

  13. #13

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

    Quote Originally Posted by dances with cameras View Post
    My memories of T.G&Y. are from the store in Frederick, Okla. Seems like we were in there every day. Most of the 45 records that I have are from there. Paid about 75 cents apiece for them. I also remember buying shoes there. No Nikes, Adidas, or Reeboks. You just looked through that big old bin until you found your size. Then you would untie them and try them on. they had everything--I think that's why I have such a fondness for Walgreen's--it kinda reminds me of that place.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hey guy, lonf time no hear from:....The store was one of the original locations. Mr. Tomlinson was from Frederick. The company began (through Ray Young) in 1936 and they named the company after the three guys in order of their ages. Mr. Tomlinson (died 3-4 yars later)...Mr. Gosselin....and Mr. Young....I still have records from TG&Y with the original price stickers on them.

  14. #14

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

    Quote Originally Posted by westsidesooner View Post
    I never worked at TG&Y, but I grew up across from the family center at May and Britton. I learned to ride my bike in their parking lot, I loved the small carnivle that used to come there every year, and I bought a lot of 45's and hot wheels there. But my favorite memory of the store was the "help" beacons that they had in the store. If you had a question, or couldn't find something all you had to do was find the beacon and flip a switch triggering a flashing light on a pole. My brother, my friends and I used to play fireman/policman in the store and would all push empty baskets around waiting for the next "alarm" to go off. Whoever got to the flashing beacon first was te hero. Looking back I have to laugh at all the times we would all come running through the store with our baskets/rescue vehicles to the surprise of some lost or questioning customer. I'm surprised we never got banned from the store.....lol.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    So, you're the one...we try to catch you but just couldn't.....lol

  15. #15

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

    I spent many years with TG&Y and also, David Green (owner of Hobby Lobby) was an old TG&Y Guy.

  16. Default Re: T.G.&Y. Stores:Gone but not forgotten

    TG&Y!! Yes good memories!

  17. #17

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

    Here's a good one:..........for your dollar's best buy try TG&Y....The Golden T brand was a brainstorm of Hue Weirsig (now deceased) who was the promotional manager of the old time Stores.....He later bought the Oklahoma City Boat Show program and had it for many years. He was way ahead of his time. Mr. Young (Y of TG&Y) passed away a few years ago. He (Mr. Young) also was way ahead of his time. Through the years there have been many former employees to head up companies throughout the United States. That bit of trivia out of the way, let's go back to the fun stuff.....The number one selling candy item in the chain? Doublemint Chewing gum.....the number one selling toy? 19 cent plastic race car and then Barbie moved in. I can still remember the smell of the fresh Roasted Spanish Peanuts and Cashews...How about the popcorn machine raring to go. I remember on Saturday the Popcorn machine was usually turned on before the entire lights. Most generally there was a theater in the Center and this just enticed everyone to go to the movie.....awhen I first started working for them (1962) I was astonished that we could eat however much candy we wanted....it would take a .357 magnum to my head to get me to eat candy now. I guess they knew more than I thought they did. When I got my first store I did the same thing to the employees...after a while who would want candy?
    For the guys:.....Remember the baseball cards and football cards with the nasty tasting gum in there? But, I got the first Alan Ameche....Baltimore Colts card on the block....My best friend still up to today reminds me how I cheated and looked in the package.....

  18. #18

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

    Used to be that there was a Safeway and TG&Y (and maybe a Treasury Drug) on just about every major intersection in OKC.

    I grew up within walking distance of two; 63rd & Meridian (small) and 63rd & NW Expressway (Family Center). And then there was another small one at 50th & Meridian.

    I loved the small ones because I would go poke around them while my parents were grocery shopping at Safeway.

    What a weird assortment of candy, toys, sporting goods and record albums... A real treasure trove for a kid.

    But of course, looking back, the places were really, really junky. The last of the dime stores.

  19. #19

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

    We had a TG&Y in Fairview in the '80s. My ex-brother-in-law's dad ran it. We called it Toys, Gifts, and Yo-yos. It became a Bargain Time when TG&Y closed; today, it's an Alco.

  20. #20

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

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete Brzycki View Post
    Used to be that there was a Safeway and TG&Y (and maybe a Treasury Drug) on just about every major intersection in OKC.

    I grew up within walking distance of two; 63rd & Meridian (small) and 63rd & NW Expressway (Family Center). And then there was another small one at 50th & Meridian.

    I loved the small ones because I would go poke around them while my parents were grocery shopping at Safeway.

    What a weird assortment of candy, toys, sporting goods and record albums... A real treasure trove for a kid.

    But of course, looking back, the places were really, really junky. The last of the dime stores.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    I forgot about the one on 63/Meridian. I ran the one at 63rd and N.W. highway (family center) was kinda proud of that stores appearance. It was fun though as a kid to go and see anything that might be new in the stores mix. I remember trying to find out when they (the stores) got their warehouse shipments and be there to help (probably got in the way) and would always get a "Free" bag of PopCorn. I would also (during the summer) help the guy ( I was young then) pull the magazines. They would pull the covers for returns and then throw the actuall magazine and comic books away.....Good trading material...Thennn......I found some Playboys
    in the mix in his truck...he gave them to me....talk about trading material for Comic Books, baseball cards,Marbles...just about whatever I wanted....New tires for my bike......Life was fun with TG&Y around.

  21. #21

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

    Quote Originally Posted by Generals64 View Post
    I spent many years with TG&Y and also, David Green (owner of Hobby Lobby) was an old TG&Y Guy.

    Hence, the "buy cheap" & build an empire mentality.....

  22. #22

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

    When TG&Y was bought by McCrory's it was a sad sad day.

  23. Default Re: T.G.&Y. Stores:Gone but not forgotten

    At a TG&Y my brother taught me that you can go to a cashier, say you're lost, and they'll page your mom over the loud-speaker, causing embarrassment.

  24. #24

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

    random links and pics:
    T.G.& Y. STORES



  25. #25

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

    The note in the above picture inset is about a gentleman by the name of R.D. Finnigan. Mr. Finnigan was quite a character. He was very calm in demeanor and yet was a bear about things being done right. his son (Rick) ending up in the traffic department for the company years later. I remember being with him going to Midwest City one time and he showed me a piece of property he said he didn't know if he had made a good buy or not but he andother TG&Y manager bought the land for I think it was $40.00 and acre....We all know that spot as I240 and Sooner road.....Hmmmmm you think.....I believe he sold it a long time ago however....

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