ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected

Blindsided: A ToyCyte Investigation – Part 3: Toy Stores

All this week, ToyCyte has been having a conversation about blind box toys: Are they a marketing strategy or a fun experience? As designer toys travel from toy company to toy fan, they pass through a middleman: the toy retailer. In this segment of our report, we’ll hear from the proprietors of our favorite toy stores. Toy retailers are an eloquent and gregarious bunch who are also collectors and members of our community. Rotofugi, Ningyoushi, Toy Tokyo, Shoparooni, Red Hot Robot, Lulubell Toy Bodega, Wizard Sleeve Toys and hometown heroes, The Sausalito Ferry Company all gave their two cents (sometimes more) for the story.

Continue reading...

Ludwig Van Lulubell: Kozik’s Black Bust Exclusive

Amy from Lulubell Toy Bodega just sent over a sneak peak of their colorway of Frank Kozik’s Ludwig Van: A Clockwork Beethoven bust. While some cleverly viral t-shirts are proclaiming that “Obama is the new black,” you could make the same claim for this figure. Lulubell is the exclusive retailer of the prized black (absence [...]

Continue reading...

Charactics Hedora

I think I’m somewhat educated about Godzilla, but I’ve never heard of Godzilla vs. Hedorah. I’m not familiar with Hedora the smog monster, but I like this kaiju by Charactics. Anything Godzilla has the nostalgia factor, and Hedora is cute in an ugly way. I think I’m on a monster-kick after seeing Hellboy 2. Hedora [...]

Continue reading...

Godzilla Ya Canico Cat

I know all the other toys are frumpy step-sisters compared to the Comic-Con exclusives. This vinyl cat isn’t an exclusive, but I want it. The Godzilla Ya Canico Cat is the mascot for Godzilla Ya, a famous toy store in Tokyo. The 6″ vinyl figure is made by US Toys. Each cat comes with a [...]

Continue reading...