Golden Apple Learning Store

Isn’t it amazing how one bad experience can completely ruin your feelings about a business. I have always liked the Golden Apple very much but today my experience changed my views. I feel bad because I know that The Golden Apple is going out of business and I had gone in today to make one last visit. While there I spoke with the gentleman who I believe is the owner. He is always very friendly and he told me that they might re-​open a new location in the future. I was excited and looking forward to visiting that new location. By the time I left the store I realized I would NOT be visiting the new site, if there ever is one.
The lady who handled the transaction behind the counter was rude, condescending and argumentative. I don’t know if she woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but from the sounds of a few other reviews some poor, unfortunate other customers may have had some interactions with this lady. I’m thinking this snarky attitude she had must be her normal demeanor… too bad! The first gentleman (very nice) who handled my check-​out made an error on my transaction so she had to come over to fix it. She was SO rude the whole time and scoffed at me when I paid with a card for a $ 5.42 transaction. That one was for my classroom and I always use a credit card so I can get reimbursed from my school account.
The second transaction which she re-​rung but never explained that she had voided out the first one, so when I asked her if the first one had been cancelled out she got snippy with me. She also rudely said she needed a card which was sitting right there on the counter in front of her. It was such rude delivery that I couldn’t figure out what this lady’s problem was. She took so long to handle to entire situation so when my almost two year old started getting fussy and then full blown crying, I said, «Well, she is almost a terrible two and she can be a little naughty sometimes.» This lady, very rudely states «SHE’S NOT NAUGHTY, SHE’S INDEPENDENT!». Then I said, kind of with a giggle, «No, she’s a bit naughty from time to time.» «NOT NAUGHTY, INDEPENDENT!» she argued again. She kept repeating it over and over. At this point the other customers in line were getting uncomfortable and I just wanted the whole experience to end. Never an apology for the mistake that was made, not a kind word, smile or thank you for your business. This is not the kind of customer service that should be working with the direct public. I so badly wanted to go back in and return the items I had purchased. I also had spent more on another transaction for my daughter’s friend’s bday party this weekend. I would have gone back and returned the items and complained in person if my two girls weren’t with me.
I did decide to call and make a verbal complaint but the gentleman who answered really acted like who couldn’t give a crap. He’s probably fed up from undoubtedly other complaints he’s received about her.
I sincerely hope that if they do open a new location that this lady is let go or if she is part of the foundation of this organization they may want to re-​think having her work with the public. Perhaps she can handle the bookkeeping. Either way it is disappointing because I plan on taking my business elsewhere even if they do open locally again. :(

Both store workers were super nice.
However, I don’t have a kid and clearly didn’t know what I was buying. The lady behind the cash register couldn’t tell me the strengths and weaknesses of the reading comprehension books at the different grade levels, but said that kids in the area are typically more advanced than one of the books I picked up. I was in the store buying a book for a friend and clearly I went there for a reason instead of my friend. I did not get the help I needed and in fact thought I wasted more time talking to the lady. The trip in and out took 45 minutes buying one book.
The reading comprehension book (bout a ½ inch), cost around $ 19. They’re pricey, but do have different price ranges depending on the book publisher. $ 10 and $ 14 were the prices of the two other books I was looking at.
Now that I know what series to look at, I probably will buy from Amazon for a smoother transaction and effortless experience + do research online.
Meh.

I’ve been back many times since I wrote this and have had nothing but good experiences– I have not seen the woman in originally found so challenging. I think this is an excellent local store with great quality educational toys — a way cut above a big box store.

We fully support local stores and always start locally looking for birthday gifts or toys for the kids. I have been to Golden Apple a few times over the years usually looking for educational or teacher supply materials but have also gotten toys or gifts for my family here. I have found the staff odd but ignored it in the past. This time I had 3 kids to shop for and I started out looking on my own but was approached by a salesperson who offered her opinion on what I was purchasing. She has been a longtime employee or maybe the co-​owner because I have seen her many times before. After considering her (at times condescending) advice I ended up seeking her out to finalize my purchases. There were at least 3 other people who could have rung up people the one person standing behind me but she apparently had run out of goodwill for me, and abruptly went to the other register and left me standing there to figure it out for myself. I wish I had just dropped all 60 plus dollars of items right there and walked out. It is true their prices are indeed high as others have noted, and stock often patchy. To earn customers loyalty on the premise of being a local store, there must AT LEAST be superior customer service. I will not be returning.

It’s tricky finding good, educational toys, but in this respect, the Golden Apple excels. I always get a lot of help picking things out, but no my last visit I was amazed at how knowledgeable their staff are regarding the books they sell. Turns out, they read them all, so I could really pick out something I’d be sure my daughter would enjoy. I just described what she had enjoyed and had recently read and got some great recommendations. I really appreciate the service surrounding their product offerings and highly recommend it to people like me who are never really sure what children want, but really want to ensure their toys are fun, decent quality and certainly educational in some sense.

What an excellent place! Not just to shop, but also for the other services they offer, like birthday party celebrations. I just celebrated my son’s 7^th birthday and we had a group of 10 kids total, John incredibly engaged all this kids of different ages (10 – 11 y/​o) into all his very organized activities. My son and friends had a fantastic time. 1.5 hours in a clean setting and organized, fun and engaging activities! I highly recommend them!

I was amazed at this store which is put together with so much thought. The layout is inviting, comfortable but not overwhelming even though they have a wonderful selection of products to choose from. The staff is very knowledgeable and gave me great recommendations for scientific toys for my 4 and 7 year old. I’ll be back!

This is a great place… a kinder, gentler toy and and teaching resource. I wanted simple wands for the DGD’s so they could turn us into frogs… I did not want flimsy, over decorated ones that fall apart almost immediately. For two bucks I got them sturdy ones that will cast many spells. I am a happy grandma.

Nice resources, quite pricey but we like to support local businesses. Service was poor and disappointing. Discount program does nit support speech therapists as we are not working in a school district. Service became even worse when it became known that we were nit employed by a school district. This should nit matter as we all have the same goal and that is to assist children. We will not return to this store except to possibly return the items that we purchased.

This place is great for parents and teachers alike. My mom was an elementary school teacher before she retired a few years back, so I remember coming here a lot with her when I was a kid. Now as a parent, I really enjoy the types of games/​toys/​educational stuff they have for all ages.
Their prices are on the higher side, but not out of control expensive like I remember Lakeshore being. I’ve also gotten great customer service here before.

I’ve been to this store several times & the customer service has never been exceptional. Some of the staff have been friendly in the past. But, today I was in there for 30 minutes and no one acknowledged me or asked if I needed help. This is a pet peeve of mine in regards to good customer service, but it was made worse when I saw staff approach several of my fellow customers & asked if they needed help. Needless to say, I placed all of my items back and left without purchasing anything. I could have tracked someone down so that I could get my questions answered, but I did not feel like giving myself good self-​service today. I think it’s amazing that a store can demand top dollar, but not deliver top notch service. The store has a lot of nice items, but I’m sure I can find them elsewhere.

I *love* this store! I’ve been here twice in the past week. The staff is v helpful and I found the toys that I was looking for (Marble run and I never forget a face). Toys R Us did not have them.
My friend, a teacher in the area, took me to this store cos she was looking for stuff for her classroom.

Well for the convenience of not having to drive to Lakeshore in Walnut Creek, I pay a little bit more!
They still lack in organization, but they try! And they are very friendly!

I went to Golden Apple for the first time about a year ago with my daughter (who was then, almost a year old) and we’ve been going ever since. Great selection of educational toys! I’ve never been a fan of toys that make a ton of noise and have no educational value, so this store is wonderful! The staff is very helpful and are always more than happy to talk to you about what toys are good for what age of child. My daughter loves going to Golden Apple now and play with all the toys. We easily spend an hour in there when we go. Also, they have story time every week. :)
Great store and worth checking out!

I have been a teacher for 7 years now. When I first moved to the tri-​valley area in 2004, I needed supplies to set up my classroom and all of my new colleagues pointed me to The Golden Apple.
Since then, I have been a huge fan and supporter of this store. I go to The Golden Apple for almost all of my classroom needs. This store is also an amazing toy store and I do most of my Christmas and birthday shopping here too. There is literally something for everyone at The Golden Apple.
The Golden Apple carries products that are unique, safe, and fun for kids and adults. They also have teacher and parent resources that can be used throughout the school year and the summer!
The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. I have always had a great shopping experience at The Golden Apple. With the new renovations that have been made, the store is now very easy to navigate and products are easier to find!
Support local business and shop at The Golden Apple!

I really like this toy store. It is well organized and toys are very high quality. The staff is reasonably knowledgeable (although while shopping for presents for my son’s second birthday, the salesperson kept suggesting items for ages 4+). The store also has lots of toys available to play with — a huge plus when attempting to occupy/​distract little ones shopping with you… also a bonus for trying-​before-​you-​buy.
But, here’s my issue (and the reason for 3 stars): it is insanely expensive. I bought a stuffed animal for my daughter here today and paid $ 27 for it. It was a really nice one… But I didn’t do my homework first. When I got home I searched for the product on Amazon and found it for $ 18 +free shipping and NO CA tax!
The store also sells Bruder trucks — pretty high end, with an almost $ 60 price. I just picked one up at TJ Maxx for $ 25.
Bottom line: go to the store, test drive the toys, but shop around before you buy.

Support local, shop at this store. I usually like to shop online using coupons and I don’t normally like to pay full price for stuff. But I could not help myself at this store. I ended up buying some items for my family. The items are a bit pricey but I figured I could justify the cost because I was supporting a local family business.
The GALS store is a lot of fun and I could totally get lost in there just browsing. I think it is a fantastic place to find educational toys and learning materials. I’m speaking as a non educator though, I have no idea if the materials are useful for teachers.
I could probably find the same items elsewhere for a cheaper price, but I really believe in supporting local businesses and so I will probably shop here again.

Golden Apple is very convenient. I find it useful for picking up little things I need when I don’t have time to travel very far. Staff are willing to order things you want, but usually I’d rather go explore Lakeshore in San Leandro. Golden Apple is smaller, so it doesn’t have the space to offer the same kind of selection.

I love this store! It’s a must for those who loathe plastic toys with batteries and love new-​fangled learning toys from international distributors, books, crafts, teachers supplies, and so many unique gift ideas for a child of any age. The staff is helpful, happy and knowledgable.

I love Golden Apple. They have everything I need for my classroom. I make my monthly stop there for room décor, reward charts, and classroom storage supplies. Whenever I go to Golden Apple, I have to make sure I don’t have anything else I have to do, because I could stay here all day long.
Minus one star because it’s not always the most organized store. I find myself crawling on the floor to look at borders almost every time I go.