Toy Stores in Providence, RI

“There are so many types of toys here! I was only browsing because I was there to pick up a preordered children's book. The fun part is they have some toys out for your kids to play with. Also, there was enough room to push my baby carriage around.”

“Brought my son here for his 3rd Birthday to say farewell to his binky. The employees were all so sweet and caring, they made sure to keep him smiling through the whole process.”

“Excellent store, well laid out and accessible to all kids 0-99! The staff were helpful and patient with everyone. We really enjoyed that there was a sensory spot for anyone who was overwhelmed by the store. Great job as always Lego!”

“Hasbro gets five stars out of me for a toy line and property they acquired through their acquisition of Tonka in 1991: MASK. MASK was created and sold by Kenner. The white-and-blue Kenner logo and/or name was on the MASK toys, boxes, etc. Kenner became a subsidiary and division of Tonka in 1987. The MASK toy line ran from 1985 to 1988. So, for the majority of its production run, Kenner (or Kenner Parker Toys) was the main owner and manufacturer of the MASK toys. Not Tonka, not Hasbro. I was such a big fan of MASK that, when I was a kid, I wrote a letter to Kenner asking if they'd make new MASK toys. I got a letter back in the mail from Hasbro explaining how they had ultimately acquired Kenner and that there were no plans for new MASK toys. I was about nine then and I think that was my first exposure to mergers and acquisitions. Ha. MASK is one of the more obscure and forgotten franchises of the 80s. It's not surprising because they had to compete against juggernauts like GI Joe and Transformers (also Hasbro properties). MASK was like a hybrid of GI Joe and Transformers. You had good guys (MASK: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand) and bad guys (VENOM: Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem) who wore masks - each mask had a unique special power - and drove/piloted vehicles that transformed into battle machines. Pretty awesome. Like many toy lines from the 80s, MASK had a cartoon TV series to help sell the product. To this day, I remain impressed with the level of detail in the toy design, both in look and in function, as well as the wide variety of vehicle types. Every vehicle - from sports car to motorcycle to tanker truck to ATV to F1 race car to dune buggy (I could go on) - looked like a miniature version of its real-life counterpart. The little action figures, which could fit perfectly into the vehicle seats, resembled the characters on TV, complete with distinct masks that fit over their heads. However, most impressive was the ability for each vehicle to transform as depicted on the show. Some true engineering work went into these toys. I'd love to learn more about the history behind MASK, its creation by the folks at Kenner (now Hasbro), and where and how exactly the toys were made. As a diehard MASK fan, I have to admit that the show hasn't held up well over time. It was definitely made for kids in the 80s. The toys are something I still treasure. As the saying goes, I'm not sure Hasbro would make them the same way today if they were to ever release a new line for MASK. While curious, I probably wouldn't be into it. Obviously, nostalgia plays a role in my biased opinion. In the 80s and 90s, other Hasbro toy lines that I was a fan of, to varying degrees, included Battle Beasts, the aforementioned GI Joe and Transformers, GoBots, and the official WWF action figures. The Hasbro WWF Superstars were hilarious.”