‘Crime Runs Wild,’ San Francisco Store That Inspired ‘Toy Story’ Closing Over Violence in the Streets

We all have an iconic toy store from our childhood. For some of us, it was Toys R Us, and for others, it was the independent toy store down the road. But either way, when you walked into that store, there was a sense of wonder and happiness that we’ve been trying to recapture ever since.

Related: Why Would You Do That to ‘Toy Story?’

That store was Jeffrey’s Toys on Kearney Street for those in downtown San Francisco. Jeffrey’s Toys opened in 1938 as Birdie’s Variety Store, named for its founder, Birdie Luhn. However, after World War II, the store transitioned to selling only toys to accommodate the baby boom in San Francisco and around the nation.

The store has been in the Luhn Family since it opened and remained Jeffrey’s Toys in 1953 after Birdie and her husband, Morton’s, youngest grandson, Jeff. The store expanded to four locations over the years, but the iconic San Francisco location is the only remaining one until now.

The Luhn Family announced this week that Jeffrey’s Toys was closing at the end of February. The family said that increased violence and crime in downtown San Fransico will force the oldest toy store in the city to shutter.

Attorney Ken Sterling told the San Francisco Chronicle: 

The store has been struggling for a number of years, due to the perils and violence of the downtown environment, inflation, the decrease in consumer spending and the demise of retail across the world. The family is saddened it has come to this and we’ve explored all other options to try and keep the business going. The leadership of the City of San Francisco and the Downtown Association let crime run wild in the once vibrant and fun downtown experience.

But this toy store has a special connection to Pixar’s Toy Story franchise. Mark Luhn, the current owner and grandson of Morton and Birdie Luhn, allowed his son and his friends to close down the store for research. His son, Matthew Luhn, was a story artist and writer for Pixar in the mid-1990s. The movie they created during their playtime at Jeffrey’s Toys would eventually become Toy Story (1995). 

Matthew Luhn said:

During ‘Toy Story,’ we would have my dad come to give us ideas. And when we did reference for almost all the ‘Toy Story’ films, we always went to Jeffrey’s Toys. My dad just closed up the store and said, ‘Just play, have fun and let me know if you need anything.’

Related: Tim Allen Proposed Radical Changes to Next ‘Toy Story’ Installment

Jeffrey’s Toys joins a long list of other retailers fleeing downtown San Francisco due to the rampant crime. Gap, Whole Foods, Old Navy, and even Disney have closed in recent months. In and Out Burger just announced it was closing its San Francisco location due to the violence problem.

Sadly, the inspiration for the Pixar classic Toy Story will no longer be around to inspire the next generation of writers and animators due to the rising crime in the area.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.