Subject:
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Western Mass, Lego, and More
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.loc.us.ma.spr
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Date:
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Mon, 6 Jan 2003 23:21:51 GMT
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2216 times
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Well it has been over a year since I posted in a .local group here on
Lugnet. I thought I would post again to maybe entice others in my area to
say hello. So, I just read every post ever made to this group! Heheh, well
there have only been 9 posts since Sept 1998 in .loc.us.ma.springfield. I
guess that makes me lucky number 10! Woo-hoo! :)
Seriously though, here are a few thoughts on building Lego and Western Mass:
First, to those outside of Western Massachusetts, this tiny realm that is
part of a geographically small state might seem insignificant. The distance
between my home and Boston (Eastern Mass) is probably less than between
neighboring cities in large states (like Texas). But despite our proximity,
the culture out here is somewhat different. Oh sure, we still pride
ourselves on Yankee Ingenuity, and we enjoy four distinct seasons, all of
which we complain about and love at the same time –so this is still New
England to any outsider. Yet, it seems that Western Mass is a forgotten
little spec on the globe even to the rest of the region.
Most of my family is in Central & Eastern Mass, and New Hampshire. It seems
to them the view of the world is something like this: (from east to west)
the Atlantic ->, Boston ->, Rte 128 ->, Rte 495 ->,
Worcester/Leominster/Fitchburg ->, the Quabbin Reservoir ->, Umass Amherst
->, the Berkshires ->, New York, -> a bunch of farm states, -> California.
They seem to think of anything west of the Quabbin yet still in Mass as
being either in Amherst or in the hills. Any Western Mass resident can tell
you there is more to this state than the populated eastern shores. Between
the central Reservoir and the Berkshire hills is a strip of land shaped for
millions of years by the Connecticut River and its tributaries: The Pioneer
Valley. And here in this valley we have quite a diverse number of
communities outside of the University and colleges.
Conversely, long-time Western Mass residents have a similar skewed view of
the rest of the state too. They know the difference between the Hill Towns
and the Valley, and they understand that a stroll through downtown Holyoke
is not a nature walk. But when they look east they can be as lost as the
easterners looking west. They see as far as the Quabbin, and maybe
recognize Worcester, but then often mistake everything else in the state as
being Boston. I tell co-workers my family is in a small town in
north-central Mass, north of Fitchburg, and they say, "Oh, you’re from
Boston?" I guess the mentality of secluded rural villages dies hard in a
place whose heritage goes back to colonial times.
So, knowing full well that my own statesmen would never understand where I
am from nor where I am going, I have settled comfortably into Greenfield, a
large town (or a very small city) in Franklin County. For any outsiders,
this is the northernmost of the Pioneer Valley counties. It is a mostly
rural place surrounded by small wooded hills, bordered by rivers, and
bisected by the junction of I-91 and state Rte 2. Not far to the north is
Brattleboro, Vermont. I work in Deerfield, a short drive to the south.
Another short drive from there are the schools of Amherst, the tobacco and
potato farms of the central valley, and the cultural center of Northampton.
And if one continues south through Hampshire County into Hampden County just
south of the Holyoke Range of mountains, they find the more populated cities
around Springfield. And of course, if we continue to follow either I-91 or
the River south, before long we cross the border into the home of Lego
Systems, Inc., the North American home of the Brick, Enfield, Connecticut.
Overall, that makes my home about an hour from all the ABS I could dream of.
But what of other AFOLs who might live between here and there? Are there so
few fans of the brick residing in the Pioneer Valley?
Well, just in case there are, and just in case they stumble onto this
newsgroup, allow me to update my experiences regarding the Lego hobby in the
area.
Okay, below is a list of Where to Shop in or near the Pioneer Valley for
Lego Toys. Do note though, I do not guarantee the completeness of this
information, and I also think that shopping via Lego.com or BrickLink.com is
best regarding selection.
Area stores (in no particular order), with locations and my comments:
TRU (Toys R Us).
Area Locations:
-Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, Holyoke, MA 01040, Tel: 413-532-8900.
-1686 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01129, Tel: 413-543-6555.
-Searstown Mall, Leominster, MA 01453, Tel: 978-534-4300.
-416 Southbridge Street, Auburn, MA 01501, Tel: 508-832-9598.
-1460 Pleasant Valley Road, Manchester, CT 06040, Tel: 860-644-7606.
PROS: TRU usually has the best selection. Some (including Holyoke) have
large model displays and hard to find sets such as Legends, Trains, and new
year releases.
CONS: Sale prices are rare at TRU. They can be excruciatingly busy during
holidays.
KB TOYS.
Area Locations:
-Hampshire Mall, Hadley, MA 01035, Tel: 413-586-4991.
-Eastfield Mall, Springfield, MA 01129, Tel: 413-543-1275.
-1505 W. Housatonic Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201, Tel: 413-496-3429.
-Greendale Mall, Worcester, MA 01606, Tel: 508-852-3441.
-Searstown Mall, Leominster, MA 01453, Tel: 978-534-6155.
PROS: Location might be convenient for some shoppers. Sales may vary.
CONS: Selection not on par with TRU. Usually small and crowded stores.
WALMART.
Area Locations:
-180 North King Street, Northampton, MA 01060.
-337 Russell Street, Hadley, MA 01035.
-1105 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01119.
-141 Springfield Road, Westfield, MA 01085.
-555 East Main St, Orange, MA 01364.
-555 Hubbard Ave./Suite 12, Pittsfield, MA 01201.
-830 Curran Memorial Hwy, North Adams, MA 01247.
-18 George's Field, Hinsdale, NH 03451.
-350 Winchester Street, Keene, NH 03431.
-69 Prospect Hill Road, East Windsor, CT 06088.
PROS: Occasional Sales. Reasonable Selection.
CONS: Sometimes slow to stock newer sets.
TARGET.
Area Locations:
-Holyoke Mall At Ingleside, Holyoke, MA 01040, Tel: 413-532-0240.
-90 Elm Street, Enfield, CT 06082, Tel: 860-741-2676.
-529 Lincoln Street, Worcester, MA 01605, Tel: 508-852-3094.
PROS: Occasional Sales. Reasonable Selection. Occasional hard to find sets
(such as blue tubs).
CONS: Few area locations. No larger size sets.
KMART.
Area Locations:
-2203 North Hampton St, Holyoke, MA 01040, Tel: 413-538-7655.
-1277 Liberty St, Springfield, MA 01104, Tel: 413-737-9122.
-480 West Street, Keene, NH 03431, Tel: 603-357-0259.
-546 Stockbridge Rd, Great Barrington, MA 01230, Tel: 413-528-9063.
PROS: Frequent Sales.
CONS: Selection inconsistent. Slow to restock after big sales. No larger
size sets.
AMES.
-All locations closed to bankruptcy.
MULBERRY TREE.
Area Locations:
-150 Main St. (Thornes Market) Suite 2, Northampton, MA 01060, Tel:
413-586-4027.
PROS: Good source of younger age group items.
CONS: Prices may be high. No advanced sets.
WILSONS DEPARTMENT STORE.
Area Locations:
-258 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301, Tel: 413-774-4326.
PROS: Occasional older (as in no longer available) sets may be found.
CONS: Fairly small toy department. Some product lines not represented.
LOTS FOR LITTLES
Area Locations:
201 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Ma 01002, Tel: 413-256-6823.
PROS: No information available for this store. Unsure if Lego available.
CONS: No information available for this store. Unsure if Lego available.
MAGICAL CHILD
Area Locations:
134 Main Street, Greenfield, Ma 01302, Tel: 413-773-5721.
PROS: No information available for this store. Unsure if Lego available.
CONS: No information available for this store. Unsure if Lego available.
SOMEDAY ISLE TOYS & TRAINS
Area Locations:
58 Wakelee Road, Dover, Vt, Tel: 800-685-2377.
PROS: No information available for this store. Unsure if Lego available.
CONS: No information available for this store. Unsure if Lego available.
Well, I think that is enough for one post. I’d be happy to hear from any
other AFOLs in Western Mass!
Cheers,
-Hendo
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Western Mass, Lego, and More
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| (...) *snip* Excellent synopsis, Hendo! While not a current W. MA resident, I did live in Westminster when I came out of my Dark Ages. We used to frequent the TRU at Searstown Mall and scope out LEGO finds some ten years ago. My wife bought a small (...) (22 years ago, 7-Jan-03, to lugnet.loc.us.ma.spr)
| | | Re: Western Mass, Lego, and More
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| (...) Eeek! You gave away all my secret shopping sites except for the KB ToyWorks in Westfield! Oops. Actually they're generally overpriced except for some weird closeout sale items they get from somewhere. Like those little ninja sets they got in (...) (22 years ago, 7-Jan-03, to lugnet.loc.us.ma.spr)
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