What does your local toy store look like?
Mini Q has mostly Japanese things like blindboxes, figmas, Figuarts, but there are a couple American-made figures.
>>5571286
theres a lego store by where i live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALis2zQEEcc
A new report on my local toy store. It's pretty packed with old school transformers, gi joe, star wars, etc. They recently closed due to new landlord and renovation but they're gonna have monthly sales at a local board game store with a big warehouse in the back until they find a new store to rent out
>>5571286
I have one about 20 minutes away, but I've never been.
I've never been in an independently owned toy store.
>>5571313
>bunch of old white guys
I go to other boards where the average age is 18-25 but I just now remembered how old the average /toy/ browser is.
>>5571286
That place looks like it sells gently used sex toys to new transgenders.
>>5571341
How poor do you have to be to buy a used sex toy?
I've looked around, but I've never been able to find any like that.
We've only got chains like the lego store and toys r us around here.
Other than that there's a toy warehouse, but it doubles as a magic / mask shop so I'm not even sure if it counts.
>>5571286
I live near Anime Jungle. I take that place for granted sometimes
There's a used game/comic/toy store right around the corner from me, but the dudes spread themselves thin to the point where they only have the basics of all 3, but nothing really noteworthy. It's a shame since it's such a good idea, but they executed it kinda poorly. Other than that I can hop on the train into Manhattan and deal with paying way too much at Midtown Comics, Image Anime or Toy Tokyo.
I want to thread jack this a little and ask who has the worst toy/comicshop in your city/country
This is Comics America in Winnipeg Canada. Holy fuck look at this guy's reviews. This guy is an insane jew literally an insane jew! 2.1 out of 46 reviewers on Google. A little more favourable on Facebook... But the dude literally attacks anyone who writes anything not 100% positive about his shop. Also he looks and sounds like vizzini from the princess bride.
during the week, it's relatively quiet. On school holidays and weekends it's packed with "quirky" teenagers buying shitloads of Funko Pop toys and talking about the Marvel movies.
Good selection and only place in the city that possibly carries every current major line. Prices are ass 90% of the time. Good if your too lazy to import or dont like waiting for shipping. Staff is very knowledgeable which is rare for most stores in the city. Pretty much only 2 decent import toy stores in the city but there's a lot of good comic shops with mediocre toy selections.
>>5571286
>Local toy store
>closest thing was "Gamezilla"
>used to sell japanese figures, gundam kits, Kotobukiya everything, Manga, comics, video games, warhammer, game merchandise
>had big tables set up for playing warhammer or other table top games
>was sweet
>Fast forward 3 years
>Sell video games
>No anime stuff left except overstock
>no toys that arent' FUMOPOP
>all warhammer/table top stuff gone
>Just a dozen computer with LoL/DOTA/TF2 on them
I fucking hate this world
Anyone in the midwest who could point me to some good toy shops?
Closest I've got is a comic store that does a bunch of toys. Not much in the way of modern Japanese stuff though.
>>5571337
That photo isn't really representative of the kind of people who would be posting on 4chan in the first place, dude.
There probably are some older guys here and there, but back when we did the /toy/ soldiers collage, it was plain to see that the majority of posters appear to be in their twenties or so. I think we have a lot of college students and just-out-of-college working folks here.
>>5571880
Sounds like an improvement to me, weeb.
>>5571286
Fantastic Toys in the Grainger Market, Newcastle.
Poor guy has like a million Power of the Force Star Wars figures which have been shelfwarming for over a decade. Another sad thing is a huge section of his shop is dedicated to Funko Pops, how times have changed.
This is where I buy all of my Neca stuff when it eventually arrives in the UK.
>>5571286
I've got two decent /toy/-related stores near me.
One is in Milton, WV and mainly sells '80s-'90s toys, and the other is in Ashland, KY and sells a mix of vintage and recent figures (mostly american) as well as a few Figuarts and stuff here and there.
I only really go to either one to pic up somewhat older Transformers I don't wanna get raped on eBay to buy (early-mid 2000's figures, mostly).
>>5572486
Man, poor Paul. He looks so defeated. Last time I was in, there was so many Funko boxes just sitting on the floor waiting to be unpacked.
>>5572511
I never talk to him, he always seems either indifferent or depressed.
Mostly just stares blankly at his iPad when I come in to browse his Neca stuff.
What does he like/collect?
Do you think running a toy shop has killed his passion for the hobby?
>>5572534
No idea. I usually just ask if he has any idea when the new NECA shit is coming in and if he has any more Small Solider Kenner toys.
Try and strike a conversation with him. He doesn't bite :^)
>>5572545
>No idea.
o-oh.. I assumed since you know his name you might know something about him.
>I usually just ask if he has any idea when the new NECA shit is coming in
What's his usual reply? The dude in Recent Relics just says 'I don't know, the suppliers never tell me anything' which seems to be true for most UK shops who stock Neca products, including Forbidden Planet.
>Try and strike a conversation with him.
2shylol
>He doesn't bite
He might if I ask him how long he's had those POTF figures :^)
Nakama Toys in Chicago, it's just northwest of downtown. Has everything from gashapon to gunpla/plamo kits to figuarts to RAH.
>>5572559
You should buy some of his POTF. Also, I only know his name thanks to old people who talk to him loudly
>>5572573
>You should buy some of his POTF.
I did when I was a young lad.
Now I've been spoiled by the superior nippon and their super detailed & hyper-articulated figures.
This was probably my favourite :^)
>>5571286
Damn son, you in my old stomping grounds. I haven't been able to find anything even close to Mini Q where I'm at.
>>5572572
How are the prices? I've never seen any places around Chicago that sell japanese toys aside from that one store in chinatown that sells overpriced gunpla and has the PG WZC with the box so faded you cant even read it.
>>5572534
I would be depressed too if I was reduced to selling Pops because the good toys didn't sell. I never even got to open a shop but the runaround with conventions has all but killed my passion for the hobby. The distributor catalog comes in, I get excited, realize none of it will sell, order one for me from BBTS, and then when it comes in can't be bothered to open any of it. That's why we don't have independent toy shops here. Rent is so high and the customer base is either very small or very poor.
>>5573288
how come Japan doesn't have this problem?
>>5573290
Not him, but Japan has a much larger consumer base per area that collects figures. Likewise with countries such as Hong Kong.
It's also why other countries aside from Japan have their own Tamashii Webshops.
>>5572447
If you think a store that sells videogames at a 10% mark up to Walmart/Gamestop is good?
The few times I've gone in since then there's a bunch of 300 pound+ Manchildren playing LoL on the computer, and the place smells worse than a locker room since none of them have showered in months.
I don't care so much about the lack of anime stuff, but it was nice having a local place that sold Gundam/Koto models, and I could buy modelling supplies. Now if I even want a fucking $4 pot of model paint I have to buy it online.
Technically not how they look currently. The renovated and moved into a bigger space but its like two feet away from their old location.
>>5573320
Japan is also much closer to where this stuff is made (some is even made there, unlike the US), so they aren't killed on shipping. Prices are seriously at the point where making them here would probably come out cheaper given an honest (not supply side) analysis.
>>5572678
Usually around retail, a lot of their bluefin stuff may be slightly below. Figmas can be either or.
Welp, this thread inspires storytime.
I live in the Midwest, so there's fuck all for that kind of store here. Any kind of culture of any kind that isn't meth, redneck supplies, or bud lite isn't really welcome here.
About 60 miles away there used to be this store called the Book Barn when I was growing up. To me it was like Nerd Mecca. They sold toys of all kinds, comics, tabletop rpg stuff, minis, vintage video games, lots of imported stuff ect.
It was a cliche Comic Book Guy kind of star. It was dirty and dingy, always blaring music, the kind of place my straight laced parents didn't like me going in lol.
What's sad is that over time it got sold off, and corporatized. Now it's a chain called Vintage Stock that may as well be called scalper stock. They stock the same kind of merch but the vibe is totally different, very clean and scrubbed and perfectly big box.
I still find good deals there/get my comic subs there/ appreciate the outlet but it's all I have.
There's no such thing as a "local" toy shop around here, just Vintage Stock and TRU *gag*. About 90 miles in the other direction there used to be a local shop that opened for awhile but their prices were so sky high on everything they priced themselves right out of business (There are two Vintage Stocks in that town as well)
There is one small time card shop that mainly focuses on comics and magic that a guy does for kicks. One other small time comic shop that has a huge douche for an owner that is also very generously priced, and some guy that basically runs Diet-Vintage stock (though he has a dedicated game room and seems to focus on that) that is the same business model.
Only thing close to a true local shop is a guy that runs a flea market and he specializes in toys and games but he's so cliche scalper I can barely stomach to shop there.
ctd.
>>5573633
I'd love to have a local shop to support. What sucks is so many people that run these type of business have the justified cliche of absolute shit social skills so it's like trying to do business with a retarded gorilla wearing a Voltron T-shirt that think every item in their shop is made of solid gold. I guess in a way it created the monster and that's how we end up with chains like Vintage stock that are staffed by hipster teenagers that don't give a shit about and have very little knowledge about their stuff and the company's only interest is bottom dollar.
If I'm really hunting something hard and want the best price, I just hunt it online =\
>>5573637
In defense of those shops, seriously call the posted telephone number next time you see an empty storefront. Expecting upwards of $5K per month (plus utilities) in a town of 12K is nuts.
There's a shopping center near where I work ("city" of 49K) that wants $12K for 1/2 the space. Lost alot of shops over the years and slowly plastering over vacant slots to cover them up. A comic shop went in last year and didn't even last a year, slowly being taken over by sports junk (plaques, jerseys, etc).
Point is you _can't_ be a fun or reasonably priced shop with a landlord taker on your back like that. Even if you're optimistic enough to try (I'm not), it has to crush you and turn the relationship with customers into an us vs them situation.
>toys stores will soon only sell blind bags and pop figures
>tfw no local store
>>5574176
Yeah that's bullshit. I guess I can't pretend to know what rent was on the place that I say priced themselves out, but they really did have some pretty obscene pricing. Think TRU levels + about 20% for toys that are literally on shelves a couple miles down the road at Walmart for MSRP. Probably why so many people say fuck it and sell on ebay. Even with fees they still come out ahead.
>>5574206
I doubt it man. Pops are kind of on their way out imo. They've peaked and are running on fumes. The only thing propelling them is the hysteria that comes out with every new exclusive that they artificially limit numbers on....only for it to show up on Popcultcha 6 months later unstickered at retail. People are getting tired of that shit.
Any japanese stuff they sell is statues and marked up by x3.
The Star Wars stuff they have is Powers of the Force peg warmers and the Finns and Constable Zuvios they'll never sell.
The rest of the toys they have are a random assortment of super hero figures.
The only good assortment they have are gundam model kits.
>>5571708
Yo there's one girl in there that wears a Supreme hat that is a major fucking cutie.
>>5578154
I've heard bad things about the employees from that store on yelp.
I've never even seen a mom and pop/local toyshop that wasn't just shit like board games, and "educational" toys like lettered blocks and shit for toddlers.
On the other hand, there are plenty of local comic shops that sell toys, both modern and vintage.
I live in Minnesota/Twin Cities area, so there are plenty of comic shops like this. I used to frequent four or 5 of them, but all but two of the ones I frequent closed.
The closest one to me was practically just up the street, but they closed maybe two years ago.
I go to one called "The Source" and another one that I forget the name of off the top of my head. They're both pretty nice. The Source is like, 2/3 just Tabletop gaming stuff, but they have a lot of comics, and an ok-ish selection of modern toys.
The other place is smaller, but I actually kinda like it better. They have a fair amount of vintage toy's and stuff too. They also carry some Hot Toys, Figuarts, and some other import stuff.
There's also a place in the Mall of America called Eagle Anime, where they have a lot of import figures and statues. I doubt this is some kind of chain or anything, since a couple years ago they started out as just one of the little kiosks in the walkways of the mall. I don't know how much they actually sell, but I always see people in there presumably buying stuff. It is a tiny store, but they've had an actual storefront for maybe two years now. And it is surprising, since I imagine having a storefront in the MOA probably isn't too cheap.
>>5571286
ayy, didn't think I'd see an Oahu based shop here
I live near a few card shops, never been because they're all fairly seedy, but I think they probably have toys. Play N Trade sells heavily overpriced MISB shit, mostly Power of The Force era Star Wars. A Japanese store in the mall has a handful of statues. Other from that my local toy store is Toys R Us.
>>5578211
>Supreme
>>5580493
Technically the closest is Rogue Toys but since I can't find a pic of the outside, this is the next nearest. Its pretty cool, considering its directly next to the Dark Horse offices. Rogue is mostly vintage 80s/90s toys and usually good prices too, where TFAW is new figures and comics.
>>5579476
There use to be a real sarcastic asshole that worked there a few years ago. The current employees are pretty nice.
>>5581183
I have a TFAW myself, its in Universal Studios CA. the prices are awful but their display and selection is pretty cool, except they also stock legos.
>>5571286
There's one that is full of a bunch of older toys from the 90's and 200's. Tons of McFarlane stuff. They have a pretty good selection of older stuff, but it's all overpriced. The people in there aren't really friendly and ignore you half the time. I don't know how they stay in business.
>>5586628
I think the one near me might be the original store? They have two up here in Oregon and the only other one is the one near you. The prices are kind of ok here, though it is kind of sketchy that they want full NRFB price for their Hot Toys figures, even though they are unboxed and sitting right in that front window next to the door. Some have even been sitting there over a year and are at the same price point. Everything else seems pretty average price though, considering that theres only one or two other stores in the area that have similar stock. For some reason most toy places here are vintage exclusive and are horribly overstuffed to the point of being impossible to navigate or browse because there's just too much shit. Rogue is the only vintage place that has actual shelving and racks rather than just piled boxes.
>>5586717
I can understand my tfaw's prices since theyre at the theme park. the theme citywalk, actually. there's another toy store in the same area that's pretty scalpy and sells bootlegs
>>5571525
>Comics America
Screw this place, it's such a cramped mess. I didn't stay long enough to notice the crazy owner.
Galaxy Comics is no better. Better layout, but the staff constantly ignore paying customers in favour of regulars who come in just to chat. Working the till WHILE talking with their buddies seemingly never occurs to them.
Raven or whatever it's called these days didn't suck, but apparently they moved across the city, which does suck.
>>5587851
Galaxy I agree you go in they look at you and that's it. Their prices are also ridiculous. It's not a horrible place and if they didn't charge an extra $20 for everything it would be much better.
Cobra collectables is what Raven used to be they are on Sargent now. It's a nicer shop compared to their last, but I would say about a good 50% of their stock is loose, no packaging just in bags. The owner is kinda scuzzy and I believe he does all the c4 cons.
The good I will say comic factory IV is probably the best around... It's just tiny, the owner prices things to move so he usually has decent new stock all of the time. And he is a nice guy willing to talk about whatever.
>>5587929
>It's a nicer shop compared to their last,
Hard not to be. That last place on St. Mary's looked like it was going to cave in on itself.
>but I would say about a good 50% of their stock is loose, no packaging just in bags.
I didn't mind that so much. Got a bunch of loose, cheap Beast Wars stuff there over the years.
>The good I will say comic factory IV
Never been there, somehow, even though work is about a five minute walk away from there. Should go one day...
