Hong Kong Toy Hunt
After the culture and history of Shanghai, we were treated to a few days of shopping, eating and galavanting in Hong Kong. Truthfully, I did not know what to expect from HK as the last time I was here, I was about 12 and I was with my folks.
We were given two days to wander around this city of lights, sounds and cars driving in the wrong side of the road (or so my Brit buddies disagree) and while some went to Disneyland and that huge Buddha place, and others went shopping in the stores not found in the Philippines (HMV, H&M etc.), I decided to indulge in two of my favorite past times: exploring a city alone AND toy window shopping.
Hong Kong opened my eyes to a whole different level of toy window shopping. The toy scene is absolutely CRAZY. (Think a whole building dedicated to small stores specializing in specific toy sets: LEGO, Transformers, GI JOE, Marvel, DC, Anime etc.) This was ten times the awesomeness of Shoppesville and Virra Mall combined!
Thanks to the ultra-reliable and organized HK Metro (in the future I hope that our MRT will be just as efficient and actually get you somewhere.. aside from just stops along EDSA), I was exploring the city in no time.
Here is my list of the top five toy stores in Hong Kong in no particular order:
1. In’s Point
How to get there: Yau Ma Tei Exit D, beside HSBC
Toys Available: A good mix of Marvel, DC, Lego, Transformers, GI Joe, Anime
If you only have enough time to hit one spot, In’s Point should definitely be at the top of the list. THE place to buy Marvel Universe and Marvel Legends action figures with three floors of shops featuring a great mix of American and Japanese toys. Think Shoppesville Toy Center… but on steroids, whey protein AND nitro-tech hardcore. Definitely my favorite place as I made the bulk of my purchases here. Shops generally open at 4pm and close at 8pm.
Also known for being a USED toy heaven, I scored a half-dozen rare MU’s buried under piles of generic toys. Come armed with patience and extra dough.
2. CTMA Center
How to get there: Yau Ma Tei Exit D, three blocks after In’s Point
Toys Available: A whole lot of anime.. and Hot Toys
Truthfully, this building wouldn’t be special if not for the fact that it contains the official distributor of HOT TOYS in Hong Kong. Hot Toys are the ultra-realistic figures that you see in Rockwell and Bonifacio High Street that cost upwards of Php10,000 pesos due to how real it looks. Well here, figures go at very good prices. (Some at 60% of prices locally.)
3. Sino Center
How to get there: Yau Ma Tei Exit D, in front of CTMA Center
Toys Available: A whole lot of anime, one Marvel shop and sex toys!
The building that was once a haven for pornographic tape trading and sex stores has been transformed into a mini-greenhills full of cellphone stalls, anime shoppes and well.. pornographic tape trading and sex stores hahaha. In this whole building there is but ONE shop that sells American toys but I choose to mention it specifically because I was able to buy an MU Sentinel figure for Php2,000.00. Compare that to Php4,500.00 here in Manila! If you happen to see the store, look for Franky, the friendly shop owner.
4. Toys R Us Harbour Center
How to get there: Tsim Sha Tsui Exit L5
Toys Available: Same as the regular Toys R Us here in Manila but with more exlusives.
A haven for figurephiles, Toys R Us Harbour Center has the biggest inventory of Hasbro (Marvel, Transformers, GI Joe) exclusives outside of the United States. I was able to score the GI Retaliation figures a month before release here and the exclusive X-Men First Class Set which is apparently only available in TRU HK and Singapore.
5. Toyzone
How to get there: Causeway Bay Exit E, Causeway Bay Commercial Building
Toys Available: CLASSIC Toys.. think 90’s and early 2000 toys!!
Finally, the MOTHERLORD of all Toy Stores. Toyzone, located at the 16th floor of the Causeway Bay Commercial Buildling, is Jerusalem and Mecca combined for all toy collectors. With unopened toys spanning the past 20 years, it’s like you went in a time machine and got transported back to the days of Nova Fontana. Remember those old Star Wars toys? How bout Micro Machines? Lord of the Rings? Old school X-Men, WILD Cats and Ghostbusters? Yep, they’re all here. Prepare to spend 2 hours just gawking at all the classic childhood toys available and another hour looking for money to buy absolutely everything that you want.
The gates to Paradise.
Part Toystore, Part Warehouse. All-Awesome!
Old school Marvel toys with 4 articulation points!
Toyzone is also a haven for Tamiya!
Old and New GI Joe figure convention!
Lord of the Rings!
Aisle full of classic Star Wars toys.
More Star Wars!!
Two more rows of Star Wars collectibles!
Transformers mixed with Spawn figures… Yep!
Pictured below are the toys that I got from 2 days of toy hunting in Hong Kong!
Not pictured are 2 brand new and 3 used MU’s that I got hours before my flight back to Manila!
I LOVE Hong Kong!!!
P.S. I know it’s totally unrelated, but if you’re into freaky-yet-totally-awesome AUTHENTIC Buddhist tattoos, there’s one at In’s Point.
A special thanks to the following websites for helping me find these stores!
http://jpntoyacquire.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-toy-stores.html
http://www.chazrt.net/2011/08/hong-kong-toy-shopping-and-scores/
http://testicular-fortitude.blogspot.com/2009/01/toy-shops-at-ins-point-nathan-road-mong.html
http://smashing-bricks.com/2011/05/18/where-to-buy-lego-hong-kong/
We were given two days to wander around this city of lights, sounds and cars driving in the wrong side of the road (or so my Brit buddies disagree) and while some went to Disneyland and that huge Buddha place, and others went shopping in the stores not found in the Philippines (HMV, H&M etc.), I decided to indulge in two of my favorite past times: exploring a city alone AND toy window shopping.
Hong Kong opened my eyes to a whole different level of toy window shopping. The toy scene is absolutely CRAZY. (Think a whole building dedicated to small stores specializing in specific toy sets: LEGO, Transformers, GI JOE, Marvel, DC, Anime etc.) This was ten times the awesomeness of Shoppesville and Virra Mall combined!
Thanks to the ultra-reliable and organized HK Metro (in the future I hope that our MRT will be just as efficient and actually get you somewhere.. aside from just stops along EDSA), I was exploring the city in no time.
Here is my list of the top five toy stores in Hong Kong in no particular order:
1. In’s Point
How to get there: Yau Ma Tei Exit D, beside HSBC
Toys Available: A good mix of Marvel, DC, Lego, Transformers, GI Joe, Anime
If you only have enough time to hit one spot, In’s Point should definitely be at the top of the list. THE place to buy Marvel Universe and Marvel Legends action figures with three floors of shops featuring a great mix of American and Japanese toys. Think Shoppesville Toy Center… but on steroids, whey protein AND nitro-tech hardcore. Definitely my favorite place as I made the bulk of my purchases here. Shops generally open at 4pm and close at 8pm.
Also known for being a USED toy heaven, I scored a half-dozen rare MU’s buried under piles of generic toys. Come armed with patience and extra dough.
2. CTMA Center
How to get there: Yau Ma Tei Exit D, three blocks after In’s Point
Toys Available: A whole lot of anime.. and Hot Toys
Truthfully, this building wouldn’t be special if not for the fact that it contains the official distributor of HOT TOYS in Hong Kong. Hot Toys are the ultra-realistic figures that you see in Rockwell and Bonifacio High Street that cost upwards of Php10,000 pesos due to how real it looks. Well here, figures go at very good prices. (Some at 60% of prices locally.)
3. Sino Center
How to get there: Yau Ma Tei Exit D, in front of CTMA Center
Toys Available: A whole lot of anime, one Marvel shop and sex toys!
The building that was once a haven for pornographic tape trading and sex stores has been transformed into a mini-greenhills full of cellphone stalls, anime shoppes and well.. pornographic tape trading and sex stores hahaha. In this whole building there is but ONE shop that sells American toys but I choose to mention it specifically because I was able to buy an MU Sentinel figure for Php2,000.00. Compare that to Php4,500.00 here in Manila! If you happen to see the store, look for Franky, the friendly shop owner.
4. Toys R Us Harbour Center
How to get there: Tsim Sha Tsui Exit L5
Toys Available: Same as the regular Toys R Us here in Manila but with more exlusives.
A haven for figurephiles, Toys R Us Harbour Center has the biggest inventory of Hasbro (Marvel, Transformers, GI Joe) exclusives outside of the United States. I was able to score the GI Retaliation figures a month before release here and the exclusive X-Men First Class Set which is apparently only available in TRU HK and Singapore.
5. Toyzone
How to get there: Causeway Bay Exit E, Causeway Bay Commercial Building
Toys Available: CLASSIC Toys.. think 90’s and early 2000 toys!!
Finally, the MOTHERLORD of all Toy Stores. Toyzone, located at the 16th floor of the Causeway Bay Commercial Buildling, is Jerusalem and Mecca combined for all toy collectors. With unopened toys spanning the past 20 years, it’s like you went in a time machine and got transported back to the days of Nova Fontana. Remember those old Star Wars toys? How bout Micro Machines? Lord of the Rings? Old school X-Men, WILD Cats and Ghostbusters? Yep, they’re all here. Prepare to spend 2 hours just gawking at all the classic childhood toys available and another hour looking for money to buy absolutely everything that you want.
The gates to Paradise.
Part Toystore, Part Warehouse. All-Awesome!
Old school Marvel toys with 4 articulation points!
Toyzone is also a haven for Tamiya!
Old and New GI Joe figure convention!
Lord of the Rings!
Two more rows of Star Wars collectibles!
Transformers mixed with Spawn figures… Yep!
Pictured below are the toys that I got from 2 days of toy hunting in Hong Kong!
Not pictured are 2 brand new and 3 used MU’s that I got hours before my flight back to Manila!
I LOVE Hong Kong!!!
P.S. I know it’s totally unrelated, but if you’re into freaky-yet-totally-awesome AUTHENTIC Buddhist tattoos, there’s one at In’s Point.
A special thanks to the following websites for helping me find these stores!
http://jpntoyacquire.blogspot.com/p/hong-kong-toy-stores.html
http://www.chazrt.net/2011/08/hong-kong-toy-shopping-and-scores/
http://testicular-fortitude.blogspot.com/2009/01/toy-shops-at-ins-point-nathan-road-mong.html
http://smashing-bricks.com/2011/05/18/where-to-buy-lego-hong-kong/
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