The toy store that inspired Pixar’s famous animated series Toy Story, the first movie of which was released in 1995, has decided to close due to thefts and death threats.
Jeffrey’s Toys in San Francisco cites rising crime and changing shopping habits as reasons for closing after 86 years
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It was announced that Jeffrey’s Toys, the oldest store in San Francisco, opened in 1938 and that the Luhn family, who founded and still run the store, have been facing various difficulties for several years and will close in February.
In a statement released by the family lawyer, the Luhns cited the danger and violence in the city center, inflation, a decline in consumer spending and the collapse of retail worldwide. The family said the store had been targeted by thieves and one of their employees had been threatened with stabbing.
Last year, San Francisco recorded a 14 percent increase in robberies compared to 2022, according to Mission Local.
A number of retailers closed their stores in the city, citing the threat of theft, and the loss of Jeffrey’s Toys, which will cease operations on February 10, was another blow.
Matthew Luhn, who co-owns Jeffrey’s Toys with his father, said the family pays $20,000 a month to rent their store in the Union Square area. But Luhn said the family is frustrated with the city: “We put our money in, we work hard, and we put our love into it. But it’s not reciprocated in our relationship with the city.”
Luhn worked on the first Toy Story movie at Pixar and said he often got ideas from his father.
