Toys "R" Us may soon be no more in the United States.
We asked CNN readers to share memories with us and received more than 600 responses. People told stories about holiday shopping trips and beloved family traditions, and recounted what it felt like as a child to snake through aisles and aisles of toys.
For many, Toys "R" Us represents another time. People described eagerly flipping through the Toys "R" Us Christmas catalog at home, and waiting for sales people to retrieve video games from a stock room at the store.
"I'll never forget the paper slips you had to snatch and take to the counter ... in order to get your video game through a different exit," said Alejandro Rendon. "It was a ritual," he added.
Toys "R" Us was where people went to buy G.I. Joe action figures, Teddy Ruxpin dolls and Cabbage Patch Kids. It wasn't just a store, but a destination: A place where you could meet superheroes, the cast of Star Trek and, of course, Geoffrey the giraffe.
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Often, a trip to Toys "R" Us was an opportunity to spend time with family.
Adam M. of Austin, Texas, recalled going to the toy store with his grandmother on Saturdays. "My grandma was always patient while she waited on me to run from one aisle to the next," he said. "I'll always treasure the memories of those visits and time spent with her."
For some, it's a reminder of those they've lost.
"My father passed away when my daughter was two and a half years old," said Sheila Rabbitt, "but I will always remember celebrating her first birthday with him at Toys 'R' Us."
Many referred to their trips to the store as hectic, but fun. Betty O'Donnell described an annual "shopping frenzy" with her husband and children around Christmas. "[We] have awesome memories of the shopping experience," she said.
Some parents got creative in their efforts to protect their wallets. "Mother used to tell me and my siblings it was a toy museum, so she wouldn't have to buy us anything," said Christopher Rothschild. But "you can't hide price tags," he added.
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Toys "R" Us served as a reward for children who had earned good grades, or a place to cheer up kids who were having a hard time.
"A lot of my childhood was spent in operating rooms and physical therapy offices," said Shay McLaughlin.
"After every surgery my parents would stop by Toys 'R' Us and let me pick out a small toy," she added. "This made the whole process of surgery less scary."
People said they feel sad for kids today, who won't experience the giddy excitement that comes from running through a toy store's aisles and picking out the right toy. They added that shopping online can never compare.
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"I'll never forget the year my son got a gift card for Christmas to spend there, and he went up and down the aisles over and over," said Melissa Knauer. "He wanted to make sure he chose the perfect toy."
For those who came to the United States as children, Toys "R" Us served as an exciting symbol of the country.
Zoe Kasper moved to Pennsylvania from England when she was nine. "I vividly remember the first moment I saw a Toys 'R' Us in the distance after just a few days of living here," she said, "and feeling a moment of unmatched excitement at the prospect of being able to go into this store that seemed so uniquely American."
Bim Zulueta lives in the Philippines and remembered visiting a Toys "R" Us in Los Angeles as a child. "I have no words for the WOW factor I felt when I first entered the store," she said. "You will be missed, Toys 'R' Us."
— CNN's Shannon Gupta contributed to this report.
