Iconic San Francisco Toy Store That Inspired ‘Toy Story’ Films Closing After 86 Years Over ‘Perils And Violence’ In City’s Downtown

[Sugar Cookie]

San Francisco’s oldest toy store, which inspired the Pixar classic “Toy Story,” is permanently shutting its doors after nearly a century in business with the city’s widespread crime and violence problem playing a significant factor.

Jeffrey’s Toys broke the news Friday it will be closing up shop at the end of February, marking the end of an iconic 86-year run.

“The store has been struggling for a number of years, due to the perils and violence of the downtown environment, inflation, the decrease in consumer spending and the demise of retail across the world,” attorney Ken Sterling told the San Francisco Chronicle.

“The family is saddened it has come to this and we’ve explored all other options to try and keep the business going,” Sterling explained.

Founded in 1938 by the Luhn family, Jeffrey’s Toys once had several locations across the Bay Area but has since dwindled to one final location in the Financial District of San Francisco.

Its founders, Morton and Birdie Luhn, had opened a five-and-dime variety store called “Birdies Variety,” but the couple rebranded the store as “Birdie’s Toy House” — exclusively selling toys after World War II, according to the shop’s website.

The store eventually transferred to their grandson Mark Luhn, whose son and current co-owner Matthew Luhn had worked for Pixar as a story artist and writer in the mid-1990s.

Signs of trouble first arose when the business saw a decline during the pandemic.

The family paid close to $20,000 each month in rent, and the cost of keeping the shop running became unattainable.

San Francisco’s rampant violent crimes also impacted the store’s staff.

Luhn told the San Francisco Chronicle that one of his former employees was pushed up against the shop’s wall and nearly stabbed.

Sterling blamed “the leadership of the City of San Francisco and the Downtown Association” for letting crime run wild in the “once vibrant and fun downtown experience.”

Luhn, who manages the toy store with his dad and stepmother, said they were “putting our money in, we’re putting our hard work in, and we’re putting our love into it,” but the local business was not getting any help from the city in return.

Iconic San Francisco toy store that inspired ‘Toy Story’ films closing after 86 years over ‘perils and violence’ in city’s downtown

Jeffrey’s Toys is only the latest of a long list of retailers to close its doors due to the crime epidemic that has a stranglehold on the city.

nypost.com

I think that today's kids are more into tech and toy stores are just obsolete.

 

[Metalfan]

The only people that are interested in toys anymore are collectors, it's usually guys with their gut and ass crack hanging out.