What restaurant/store balloons do you miss the most?

[Blueballoondude89]

I really miss the Blockbuster balloons. I snagged a bag in 2011 when a location near me was closing. Was able to blow up a good amount before the rest of them degraded. I’m guessing those were some form of Pioneer?

But I REALLY miss the TGI Fridays ones. Really upset that those have been long gone since 2004. Those were definitely Tuftex. I saved a deflated one from my birthday in 2002 and been keeping it in the freezer. I really want to find a pic of that Stripes the Zebra!!! I’m so happy those were double sided 12 inch, not dinky little 9 inch. Fridays used to go all out for those. But nooooo. They had to get rid of them. A restaurant near me had 9 inch Tuftex balloons, even as recently as 5-10 years ago. Was able to snag a little baggie before they closed for good.

I used to get the 9 inch Unique/Amscan from Applebees but no way I’d do that today. They came out with different colors about 15 years ago (sadly not here though) that were a minty green and a light pink similar to Unique. But they were clearly some sort of Pioneer since it had the drip on top. I got some on eBay but they’re gone now. I also liked the shape of the newer ones. Plus the print was slightly different.

Anyone have similar stories?

[Loonorm]

The large, soft balloons that you would find at Toys-R-Us at the checkout counter! Would always pick up as many as I possibly could. I would even ask for uninflated balloons if they didn’t have a lot that were blown up already. Those were fun!! Chuck-E-Cheese too had some nice balloons, until they went to mylars.

[Blueballoondude89]

The large, soft balloons that you would find at Toys-R-Us at the checkout counter! Would always pick up as many as I possibly could. I would even ask for uninflated balloons if they didn’t have a lot that were blown up already. Those were fun!! Chuck-E-Cheese too had some nice balloons, until they went to mylars.

The only CeC balloons I ever got were the plain ones on sticks, circa 1992-93. I never got the helium ones. Never had a Toys r Us one either. but they looked like Pioneer/BSA.

I miss when Old Navy had the balloons on sticks too. I snagged a few of those.

[Seasider]

In the UK restaurant called La tasca used to do the best helium
Balloons as giveaways, and tgi Friday used to be a great place for them too!

[BalloonFun]

The large, soft balloons that you would find at Toys-R-Us at the checkout counter! Would always pick up as many as I possibly could. I would even ask for uninflated balloons if they didn’t have a lot that were blown up already. Those were fun!! Chuck-E-Cheese too had some nice balloons, until they went to mylars.

I was able to get only a few of the big, round TRU balloons that were on sticks, and I was able to get those un-inflated. Those were really fun balloons!!!

[Blueballoondude89]

I wish Trader Joe’s still had them—organic supermarket here in the States. So many different colors! I can’t tell in any pics if those were 9 inch or 11 inch. I’m guessing 9 inch. But definitely Qualatex! Of course by the time the only Trader Joe’s around here opened, they had done away with the balloons. I know they were more for the kids but it was still fun!

[dawgbone818]

Got a couple from a car dealership once several years ago. Had 2 friends attempt to blow to pop them. The rubber was very thick so both had a tough time trying to pop them.

[Seasidelad]

In the UK I miss the clothing store Republic, each sale they had balloons on sticks in yellow and red think they were 12’.

Do miss the TGI Friday’s and in the 90’s McDonalds balloons were ace.

[Tracy]

In the late Jurassic Era, when I worked as a stockroom clerk at Albertson's Supermarket, they would occasionally do balloon promotional handouts. So we'd have bags of 100 of these Albertson's branded balloons, and those balloons would wind up everywhere. I think they were probably 11" and I have no idea who made them (I was 15 at the time!). But they were pretty reliable and I may have liberated one or two, or 20, or 200, or more... during my time there

[RLMI]

I miss Toys R Us balloons. In Australia, the stores used to have clusters of inflated balloons at the counter,and you could also buy uninflated ones. Usually inflated by pump by the staff but I did once see the ladies behind the counter blowing the balloons up with their breath. The inflated size varied from normal to tight with a small neck.

Pizza Hut is another place that used to have balloons on a stand at their entrance. Some were blown till they had big necks and usually didn't last long in the hands of the young diners.

McDonald's also occasionally had balloons filled with helium and these were maybe 9 inch, usually underinflated.