Legions of bargain hunters showed up at Toys R Us stores Thursday morning expecting to find liquidation sales in full swing, but were disappointed as many locations displayed signs that the liquidation sale has been delayed. Previously stated to start on Thursday morning by company lawyers and TRU representative Amy Von Walter, Toys R Us has postponed the start of the sale.

While a definitive statement has yet to be released, a company spokesman is guessing the liquidation sales could start tomorrow (Friday, March 23). When the sale does start, it’s expected to be extremely fast. The sale will last no longer than 60 days and many stores could be complete within 30 days if stock moves quickly.

Here are a few tips to take advantage of discount prices:

1. Use gift cards now. Consumers with Toys “R” Us gift cards and “Endless Earnings” e-cards will be able to redeem these forms of payment until April 15 at TRU or Babies R Us locations. After that, your gift card becomes a worthless piece of plastic.
2. Return unwanted items now. TRU locations will accept returns on products purchased before the liquidation for the next 30 days (around April 20). All purchases made during liquidation sales are final; no returns, no exchanges.
3. Use your smartphone to research price points. Liquidators will often set discounts based on the MSRP, not the store’s regular sale price. In the early days of the liquidation, the sale price could actually be higher than normal.
4. Timing is important. Liquidation sales typically last 8 to 10 weeks, but this sale will be much faster. Discounts will probably start at 20% (rather than 10%) and stock will likely start to dwindle in week 2, week 3 when discounts hit 40%. If you wait to week 4, the item you want may already be gone.
5. Check the product thoroughly before purchase. You can’t return anything, so check to see if all parts are included. Also, use a credit card. If the product is damaged, you can usually dispute the charge and get your money back.
6. Move your gift registry. If you are going to be a parent soon, move your Babies R Us gift registry to a new retailer before the end of April. Look at options at Target, Amazon and Walmart for similar product selections.

Best of luck on your Toys R Us bargain hunting. Let us know in the comments below if you scored any truly spectacular deals.

Toys R Us can’t figure out how to go out of business correctly

Related to Toys R Us ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization issues, the toy retailers has made a decision to shutter roughly 20 percent of retail locations within the U.S. If you are searching for toy deals at those locations, going-out-of-business sales will start in February and continue though April 2018.

3 tips for shopping a liquidation sale:

• Use your smartphone to research price points. Liquidators will often set discounts based on the MSRP, not the store’s regular sale price. In the early days of the liquidation, the sale price could actually be higher than normal.
• Timing is important. Liquidation sales typically last 8 to 10 weeks, usually starting at 10% off. Week 3 & 4 are often when stock starts to dwindle, mainly because the discount will rise during those weeks. If you wait to week 6 & beyond, the item you want may already be gone.
• Check the product thoroughly before purchase. Most liquidation sales have a “All Sales are Final” policy, which means no returns. Check to see if all parts are included. Also, use a credit card. If the product is damaged, you can usually dispute the charge and get your money back.

Here’s the full list of stores closing by April:

ALABAMA (2 stores)

Tuscaloosa 2600 McFarland Blvd. East AL

Birmingham 335 Summit Boulevard, AL

ARIZONA (6 stores)

Yuma 801 W. 32nd Street AZ

Paradise Valley 12801 North Tatum Blvd. AZ

Scottsdale 9139 Indian Bend Rd. AZ

Tucson 4619 N. Oracle Rd AZ

Scottsdale 7000 E. Mayo Blvd AZ

Mesa US 60 and Signal Butte Rd AZ

ARKANSAS (1 store)

Little Rock 2616 S. Shackleford Rd AR

CALIFORNIA (27 stores)

Indio 42500 Jackson St. CA

Simi Valley 1189 Simi Town Ctr Way CA

Santa Clarita 26573 Carl Boyer Dr. CA

Covina 960 Lakes Drive CA

Puente Hills 1600 S. Azusa Ave. CA

Brea 2575 E. Imperial Highway CA

Westminster 530 Westminster Mall CA

Torrance 20120 Hawthorne Blvd. CA

Riverside 2550 Canyon Springs Pkwy S. CA

Yuba City 700 “A” Onstott Rd. CA

Folsom 2785 E. Bidwell St. CA

Pinole 1330 Fitzgerald CA

Pittsburg 4505 Century Blvd. CA

San Rafael 600 Francisco Blvd. CA

Brentwood 5461 Lone Tree Way CA

Fairfield 1400 Gateway Blvd CA

Emeryville 3938 Horton CA

E. San Jose 2179 Monterey Hwy CA

San Jose / Almade865 Blossom Hill Road CA

Fresno 3520 W. Shaw Ave. CA

Union City 31250 Court House Drive CA

Stockton 10640 Trinity Pkwy CA

Santa Ana 3900 Bristol Street CA

Corona 3665 Grand Oaks CA

Mission Bay 1240 W. Morena Blvd. CA

Mira Mesa 8181 Mira Mesa Blvd. CA

Vista 1990 University Drive CA

COLORADO (1 store)

Aurora 1150 S. Ironton CO

CONNECTICUT (4 stores)

North Haven 376 North Universal Drive CT

Waterbury 275 Union St. CT

Newington 3491 Berlin Turnpike CT

Manchester 169 Hale Road CT

DELAWARE (1 store)

Dover 1061 N. Dupont Highway DE

FLORIDA (11 stores)

Tallahassee 1625 Apalachee Pkwy. FL

St. Petersburg 1900 Tyrone Blvd. FL

Tampa 3908 West Hillsborough Avenue FL

Orange Park 6001 Argyle Forest Blvd FL

Altamonte Spring 708 West State Rd 436 FL

Boca Raton 21697 State Road # 7 FL

Port St. Lucie 10732 SW Village Pkwy FL

Royal Palm Beach450 South SR 7 FL

Kissimmee 2601 W.Osceola Parkway FL

Coral Springs 6001 West Sample Road FL

Kissimmee 3214 N John Young Pkwy. FL

GEORGIA (8 stores)

Albany 2601 Dawson Rd. GA

Smyrna 2955 Cobb Parkway GA

Alpharetta 6380 No. Point Parkway GA

Dunwoody 1155 Mt. Vernon Hwy GA

Douglasville 6875 Douglas Boulevard GA

Conyers 8160 Mall Parkway GA

Newnan 221 Newnan Crossing Bypass GA

Fayetteville 132 Pavilion Parkway GA

INDIANA (2 stores)

Indianapolis 3928 E 82nd Street IN

Greenwood 8800 US 31 South IN

IOWA (2 stores)

S. Des Moines 1211 E. Army Post Rd. IA

Des Moines 8801 University Ave IA

ILLINOIS (7 stores)

Highland Park 1610 Deerfield Rd. IL

Schaumburg 16 East Golf Road IL

Vernon Hills 295 Center Drive IL

Matteson 5001 Lincoln Highway IL

Bricktown 6420 W. Fullerton IL

Burbank 7750 South Cicero Avenue IL

Niles 5660 Touhy Avenue IL

KANSAS (2 stores)

Wichita 4646 W. Kellogg KS

Overland Park 8500 W 135th ST KS

KENTUCKY (3 stores)

St. Mathews 4900 Shelbyville Rd KY

Simpsonville 1155 Buck Creek Rd. KY

Lexington 1965 Star Shoot Parkway KY

LOUISIANA (1 store)

Slidell 137 Northshore Blvd. LA

MAINE (2 stores)

Bangor 6 Bangor Mall Blvd. ME

Portland 200 Running Hill Road ME

MARYLAND (1 store)

Clinton 8401 Mike Shapiro Drive MD

MASSACHUSETTS (6 stores)

Dedham 302 Providence MA

Millbury 70 Worcester Providence Tpk/Rt 146 MA

Holyoke 50 Holyoke Street MA

Bellingham 217 Hartford Ave. MA

Northborough 6110 Shops Way MA

Framingham Shoppers World Plaza,1 Worcester Ro MA

MICHIGAN (6 stores)

Muskegon 5363 Harvey Street MI

Traverse City 2620 Crossing Circle MI

Lansing 5900 W. Saginaw Highway MI

Grand Rapids 4923 28th Street South East MI

Ann Arbor 3725 Carpenter Road MI

Ann Arbor 3725 Washtenaw MI

MINNESOTA (4 stores)

Minnetonka 14100 Wayzata Blvd. MN

Blaine 170 89th Ave. MN

Woodbury 8236 Tamarack Village MN

Richfield 900 West 78th Street South MN

MISSISSIPPI (2 stores)

Meridian 1003 Bonita Lakes Circle

Bass Pro Dr. MS

MISSOURI (4 stores)

Columbia 1901 Bernadette MO

Cape Girardeau 201 Silver Springs Rd. MO

Bridgeton 5590 St. Louis Mills Blvd MO

Chesterfield 220 THF Blvd MO

NEBRASKA (1 store)

Omaha 3505 S. 140th Plaza NE

NEVADA (2 stores)

Las Vegas 2150 North Rainbow Blvd. NV

Spring Valley 7020 Arroyo Crossing Parkway NV

NEW HAMPSHIRE (1 store)

Nashua 29 Gusabel Avenue NH

NEW JERSEY (12 stores)

Phillipsburg 1280 Rt. 22 & St. James Ave. NJ

Eatontown 137 Route 35 NJ

Bridgewater 100 Promenade Blvd. NJ

Union 2700 Route 22 East. NJ

North Brunswick 909 US Hwy 1 South. NJ

Burlington Rt. 541 & Cadillac Road NJ

Cherry Hill 2135 Route 38 NJ

Wayne 7 Wayne Hills Mall NJ

Paramus 545 Route 17 South NJ

East Hanover 98 Route 10 West. NJ

Elizabeth-KidsWo 900 Center Drive NJ

Mt. Olive 50 International Drive South. NJ

NEW MEXICO (1 store)

Albuquerque 45 Hotel Circle NM

NEW YORK (15 stores)

College Point 139-19 20th Ave NY

Union Square 24-30 Union Square E NY

Sayville 5181 Sunrise Hwy NY

Massapequa 5214 Sunrise Hwy NY

Henrietta 2335 Marketplace Drive NY

Amherst 1569 Niagara Falls Blvd NY

Kingston 401 Frank Sottile Boulevard NY

Glens Falls 708 Upper Glen St. NY

Latham 221 Wade Road Extension NY

Yonkers 2700 Central Park Ave NY

Middle Village 66 Metropolitan Ave. NY

Westbury 1350 Corporate Drive. NY

Commack 108 Veterans Memorial Highway NY

Williamsport 461 Lycoming Mall Cir

Greece 1530 Ridge Rd. West NY

NORTH CAROLINA (3 stores)

Asheville 801 Fairview Road NC

Durham 7001 Fayetteville Road NC

Durham 3300 Westgate Drive NC

OHIO (4 stores)

Western Hills 6251 Glenway Ave. OH

Dayton 2661 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd. OH

Mentor 7841 Mentor Ave OH

Dublin 3610 West Dublin-Granville Rd. OH

OKLAHOMA (3 stores)

Oklahoma City 1119 SE 66th St. OK

Fort Smith 5609-E Rogers Ave OK

Norman 560 Ed Noble Pkwy. OK

PENNSYLVANIA (7 stores)

Horsham 100 Welsh Road PA

Erie 6680 Peach St. PA

Monroeville 3700 William Penn Highway PA

Exton 104 Bartlett Ave. PA

Ross Park Mall 2003 Cheryl Dr. PA

Washington 301 Oakspring Road PA

Beaver Valley Route 18/Valley View Dr. PA

RHODE ISLAND (1 store)

Warwick 300 Quaker Lane

SOUTH CAROLINA (1 store)

Columbia 254 Harbison Boulevard SC

SOUTH DAKOTA (1 store)

Rapid City 450 E. Disk Drive SD

TENNESSEE (2 stores)

Memphis 7676 Polo Ground Blvd. TN

Nashville 5731 Nolensville Rd TN

TEXAS (8 stores)

West El Paso 801 Mesa Hills Dr. TX

Katy 9730 Katy Freeway TX

Allen 170 E. Stacy Road TX

Irving 7730 N. MacArthur Blvd TX

Lewisville 420 E. Round Grove Rd TX

Dallas Galleria 13710 Dallas Parkway TX

Hurst 1309 W. Pipeline Rd TX

Hulen 5800 Overton Ridge Blvd TX

UTAH (2 stores)

Ogden 4042 Riverdale Rd. UT

Midvale 1122 Fort Union Boulevard UT

VIRGINIA (2 stores)

Potomac Mills 14173 Crossing Place VA

Newport News 12153 Jefferson Ave. VA

WASHINGTON (3 stores)

Silverdale 3567 N.W. Randall Way WA

Everett 1325A S.E. Everett Mall Parkway WA

Spokane 6104 N. Division Street WA

WISCONSIN (2 stores)

Brookfield 18550 W. Bluemound Rd. WI

Madison 2161 Zeier Road WI

Toys R Us will close 20% of U.S. stores: Here’s the list

Quite possibly the ultimate in cubicle office warfare or teenage shenanigans, the Nerf Rival Zeus is a new motorized blaster that fires foam rounds at roughly 100-feet per second.

Available in both red and blue, the design is someone reminiscent of a blaster that could be found in Bioware’s Mass Effect; both the lettering on the side as well as the paint job.

Complete with a flip up sight as well as a safety trigger lock, Nerf included tactical rails on the sides of the gun to support additional magazines of foam rounds. Each magazine holds 12 yellow foam balls and can be popped out of the Rival Zeus with a single trigger release. It’s also an ambidextrous design, so it doesn’t matter if you are left or right handed when popping in a new magazine.

Firing the Nerf Rival Zeus can be accomplished by popping off single foam rounds at a time or holding down the acceleration trigger to unload the entire 12-round clip. With a 6-pound weight, there’s a certain heft to this Nerf Blaster, especially when the 6 C batteries are loaded into the vertical chamber along the top of the toy. Interestingly, the battery chamber has to be locked in with a screwdriver to prevent sliding back out.

Of course, since this is a new Nerf product, it’s going to be tough to pre-order at the moment. Toys R Us has pre-order pages up for both the red and blue models, but both are currently sold out with a delivery date of August 22, 2015. However, you should be able to find the Nerf Rival Zeus in stores after launch as well as on the main Nerf Store in the coming weeks.

For a video walkthrough, check out the YouTube video below as well as more product shots of the Nerf gun:

Shut Up and Take My Money: Nerf Rival Zeus Blaster

Delivering a preemptive strike to Target, Best Buy and Toys R Us, Walmart issued a statement this morning which indicated that the retailer will pricematch specific Black Friday deals from the three competing stores one week before Black Friday begins. Starting on November 22nd at 8 a.m., online and in-store shoppers will be able to snag early deals like a 50-inch LG television for $448 (Regular MSRP $600), Skylanders and Infinity Starter Packs for $37 (Regular MSRP $75) and the LeapPad 2 for $40 (Regular MSRP $79).

That’s the cheapest that we have seen the LeapPad 2, a particularly popular learning tablet targeted at kids between the ages of 3 to 9. Other deals can be found below:

• PS4 / XBox One Titles marked down to $49 (includes Call of Duty: Ghosts, NBA 2K14 and Battlefield 4)
• Little Tikes Cozy Coupe: $35
• Nerf Rebelle Crossbow: $12
• Monopoly Board Game: $5
• Hot Wheels Single Car: 0.60 cents

Also launching today, Walmart is starting to price match local brick and mortar retailers by offering gift cards to cover the balance of a lower advertised price. This is valid for both Walmart.com and in-store prices.

By undercutting some of the Black Friday deals at Target, Best Buy and Toys R Us, Walmart is putting themselves in the position to reduce the number of people that could shop at those rival stores on Black Friday. If you are interested in seeing all the Black Friday deals, you should check out Ben’s Black Friday Hub to see the latest ad scans as well as a curated list of the best Black Friday deals according to our expert editors.

Check out Ben’s Black Friday Hub!

Walmart to price match Target, Best Buy Black Friday Deals one week early