Barring some unforeseen need for shelving in the next few days, I made one last trek to a Toys R Us on Saturday afternoon -- Store No. 8919, according to my receipt -- in advance of its closing forever.

By this time next week, the long-running toy chain will be no more as bankruptcy will be the final chapter of this story that began back in the 1940s. It will end a run that clearly had its share of successes -- and mistakes -- but one that has left an indelible mark on pop culture and kids everywhere -- and probably their parents' pocketbooks, too.

I don't wanna grow up ...

Jogging my memory a bit, I've been to Toys R Us stores in probably five states -- that's not a lot as I didn't really grow up as a true Toys R Us Kid, meaning we had to drive a couple hours to find the closest one when I was younger and most in my toy prime. But this particular store? It just might be -- actually, I can pretty much guarantee this -- it is the first Toys R Us I ever visited. When? I'm not sure when the first time happened but those same doors I walked through today were the doors I walked through long ago looking for 1988 Donruss baseball cards and other "bargain packs" all those years ago. It's definitely where I first bought a Jose Canseco Baseball Card Kit and it's where I first discovered The Conlon Collection in baseball card form. (The price was right and the history there is still priceless today.) It's where I'm sure I bought a few NASCAR diecasts in the more recent past, too, as we would visit relatives on vacation and I'd hit all the different stores in town looking for cards and whatever other interesting toy or collectable piqued my interest at the time.

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It's all your fault, Nintendo.

The hottest (though seemingly non-existent) toy of the holiday season has been without question the NES Classic, a miniature modern-day version of the old Nintendo Entertainment System pre-loaded with 30 different games from the heyday of the 8-bit platform.

Buzz knew this would be big the day it was revealed months ago and I've checked chain stores multiple times a week in the time since its arrival last month seeking that Shangri-La Shelf where the Classic sat at its posted price of $59.99 -- not the massive amounts more allegedly being paid on eBay. (Sure, some of those "sales" aren't legit -- many of them in fact -- but some of the lesser high-priced sales wouldn't shock me since I'm sure the NES Classic has caused angst for other people out there.)

There was a side effect after all this aisle-walking and checking out video games like I hadn't done in years, if ever. It made me do something I never would have predicted months ago.

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