#flashbackfriday: My Saturday Toy-Run of Yesteryear
A plate of Char Kway Teow (extra black, more "ham, mai hiam"), or a bowl of pork rib x prawn noodles ("mee pok tah mai hiam"), washed down with iced tea (or sometimes Sugar Cane with Lime), completes my lunching on a Saturday afternoon, and now armed with an empty backpack, wallet exploding with spending cash (of course standby ATM card), and a sole determination to sate my toy-desires by filling up said empty backpack (twistedly satisfying, IMO) - and I was ready to begin my Singapore Saturday Toy-Run!
DISCLAIMER#1: I started off being a fanatical 1/6-hobbyist, while gradually nursing a growing desire for "art toys"- known then as "urban vinyls" - hence there will be loads of reference to 1/6th in this post :)
*Resuming regular bloggery*
The first leg of the trip started at YELLOW BOX TOYS in Golden Mile Tower. Well famed for it's loose parts and accessories for 1/6th-scaled figures, Andy, Jordan and the guys also made their own headsculpts (in the vein of Hong Kong 1/6 designers like Jason Siu etc) and also had tailored fashion clothing in 1/6-scale, quite a number of which I still own and enjoy till today!
Add to the mix were "urban vinyls" from Hong Kong, teasing me from the shelves! Looking back, I kick myself for not picking up the Threezero "Rat" still in bag LOL … Although, I have to say, I gave my Michael Lau "cherry" to YBT for when they had a small corner shop in Beach Rd Army Market (before moving to GMT), when I bought my first grey "Prototype LamDog System" (which I regrettably sold) and subsequently my OG TATTOO (which I still own).
( YBT pics via Yellow Box Toys and Kamel Liow circa 2002 )
Next stop is a few bus-stops away down Beach Road to Shaw Towers, with the little corner shop owned by "Bunny" (we know him as Bunny, I've called him "Bunny" but never really did know his real name lol), featuring 1/6 loose parts, and assorted vintage toys, including toys from 80s and 90s (I actually had an eye out for a 1/6-ish Michael Jackson figure for the longest time hahaha). I'd always marvel at the displays and checked out the vehicles! One of the few spots which had active displays of motorbikes in 1/6 (I was a fanatic collector back in my "prime") and as well mixed brands including Action Man etc. I really liked the eclecticism offered as eye candy, and looked like how my own toy shelves (if I had any) would look like :)
A skip-n-hop across the road and down to the open basement one level, was TOYWORKZ - where there were a nice mix of 1/6 figures (Medicom & Hong Kong brands etc), HK designer toys, and Transformers. I remember my first ever purchase was a 1/6 Yamaha scooter won off Ebay, which led me to this shop! My other memorable purchases there include Kai and Merra 1/6 from Medicom Toy (I waited for a "sale" then, I admit ;p).
( U-Toys Pics via Kamel Liow circa 2002-03 and 2004 )
Everybody looking fresh-faced and nubile LOL
Next shop-stop was a MRT-ride away from City Hall (further up the road's walk from Shaw) to the Sommerset MRT station, then crossing over to Emerald Orchard (right next to Mid-Point Orchard), across Specialist Shopping Centre. Jerrick & Paul's ULTIMATE TOYS was one of, in fact my favouritest of toy-haunts - where we'd often have closed-doors auctions, and trades in the staircase (sometimes bootleg DVD salesman would pop by too *cough*), and we were even chased away by the building's security too!
Too many folks (sometimes 20+ of us) thronged the small corridors and used the toilets next to the nicecustomerless peaceful nail-spas and leg massage joints … after which we might proceed to the basement Burger King at Mid-point, or the cafe to sup and gawk lecherously at the ladies (eerrr… NOT ME! I gawked at the toys! Srsly).
The hobby seriously changed for me, when the shop moved … excuse me as I observe a moment of personal silence to acknowledge the passing of an era …
*Resuming regular bloggery … Thank you for your collective patience*
( View more Action City @ The Heeren pics here by Wind Koh, circa 2006 )
A walk down the street (up Orchard Road direction, actually), and up on the 5th floor of The Heeren, was ACTION CITY - who were (and still are) the main distributors for Hot Toys, and also where we'd find loads of Medicom Toys goodness. We'd spend much time gawking at HT's military-themed figures and operators (before the advent of movie licenses) and lust at the weapons and insanely awesome detailing and paint-apps … but sometimes the BE@RBRICK sales of extra loose pieces tempted me beyond the 1/6th-hobby … :p
Crossing the street then led to Mandarin Hotel, and in the basement was "SpiralZone" (Name TBC) - yet another toy-shop selling 1/6th, from boxed figures to some loose parts … but their "speciality" were hand-made dioramas and furniture sets. They moved subsequently to Specialist Shopping Centre for a short while too ...
There was a time when further down/up the road was TOYBOX at Paragon (I think) - where I remember the prices were "high" and not much of a place I'd venture to often, except for that one time purchase of Michael Lau's Crazy Children #1-#5 for an insane amount of $1K, when I first strayed from 1/6 and started down the "urban vinyl"-path spurred on by my new addiction to Hong Kong vinyls …
Sometimes I would venture to Wheelock Place for DOLLS INC (used to score my Blythe loose pieces there, don't judge me), and I faintly remember a comicbooks shop in Pacific Plaza - moved from Lucky Plaza - with toys to look at too (the owner constantly boasted about his 10K sales that one time from an Indonesian client, which he drove to the airport after his purchase hahahahaha).
( TFH pics via The Falcon's Hangar )
The next shop-stop would be the last; Far East Plaza - where EARTH-X, TOYQUEST and THE FALCON'S HANGAR lay await amidst shops totting fashion and music. Many a times was spent lusting at toys beyond 1/6th at Falcon's (also known affectionally as "The Bird Shop"), including KAWS (which I've always regretted not buying), Star Wars … and I've walked away with assorted toys thru the years, including G.I.Joe boxed and accessories sets, and the later few Michael Lau Crazy Children #s, after I'd "betray"" my 1/6-allegiance, and given into the dark-vinyl-toy-side … MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA
And THAT was my near-weekly Saturday toy-run route, circa the mid-2000s - where the number of toyshops held the most enriching fun for myself personally, and having a regular salary truly helped being the constant "enabler" for my addiction to plastic crack! Ending near early-evening, my comrades and I (yes, I most times picked up fellow toy-hunters along the route!), we would part ways and indulge in a taxi-ride home for dinner - backpack filled with toy-goodness, feet weary from the adventure, heart's desires satisfied … for that week, anyways :)
The route did not last for too long tho, as shops gradually closed, or moved, and thy toy-run remains but faded memories and blogpost now.
- Yellow Box Toys is still in operation.
- Bunny's shop has closed, but he now has a table at China Square Central flea market on Sundays,
- ToyWorkz has closed shop.
- Ultimate Toyz is now moved to CSC as a permanent tenant, named as "U-Toys".
- Action City is no longer at Heeren but has stores islandwide at other malls.
- Spiral??? has closed shop.
- ToyBox has closed shop.
- Falcon's Hangar has since moved to Waterloo Centre for years, and I had only visited them only not long ago, and blew my wad on Attack on Titan Nendoroids and Tiger&Bunny S.H.Figuarts... *sighz* ;p
- Earth-X has closed and is now a e-retailer.
DISCLAIMER#2: And while there were quite a few more shops in existence at that time period, they were not necessary on my Saturday Toy-Run route (I have other routes, like my weekly "Comicbook-Release-Day Run" and "Sunday ToyHunts" MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA)
[ READ: Iron Bridge Market / for #toyhuntbkk 2014 ]
These days, "toy-runs" are essentially at China Square Central, the only "run" being through the 3 floors, from basement one up to two, an escalator-ride away, all within the air-conditional mall, and reprieve from toys-overload include the coffee shop in the basement - actually loads of coffee joints has spouted up since - or outside where folks and friends could lightup a cigarette.
Don't get me wrong - as a Stroke-survivor with challenged-physicality, I welcome the convenience and distance between them all! I have nothing to complain with regards to "choice", but the hunt right now is more contained, like an urban assault in a built-up area, than a search-n-destroy mission across a stretch of land LOL
[ READ: Pirom Plaza / #toyhuntbkk 2014 ]
The only "joy" of a toy-run these days, lay await outside of the country, with my recent Bangkok trip pops into mind (#toyhuntbkk), and Bandung in 2009 will always be memorable (thanks, Marine!). And of course the ultimate one-week toy-run in Hong Kong 2004, with Marc … and frankly, it is not just about the ability to spend … hell, who am I lying to, it is a HUGE part of the experience lol - BUT it is not the ONLY experience worth remembering … for the HUNT is a joy that needs to be experienced in person, and not writing nor reading about it online hahahaha
Window-shopping is such sweet sorrow…
Be that as it may, I hope to one day venture to Taiwan, Japan, and mos def a return to Hong Kong (but this time with mad$$$ ready to be spent MUAHAHAHAHA-yougetmydrift ;p). Everywhere else, seems so "far away" for me these days tho, but I continue to "wish" and "hope"... *smiles*
Writing a blog-post about my Saturday toy-run over a decade ago has left me with fond memories and a shake of the head for money spent on toys hahahaa … and it looks like the next toy-run for me will happen between September 6th to 7th at the annual Singapore Toy Games & Comic Con! Now I only just have to figure out (1) how to find more $ to spend, and (2) how to carry alla them boxes+toys by myself! LOL
[ READ: Bootleg Market in Chinatown / for #toyhuntbkk 2014 ]
YELLOW BOX TRADE (www/ Facebook)
@6001, Golden Mile Tower,
Beach Road, #01-24, Singapore 199589
THE FALCON'S HANGAR (www / Facebook / Twitter @tfhnews)
@ Blk 261, Waterloo Centre, #01-27, Waterloo Street
ACTION CITY (www/ Facebook)
@ Bugis Junction, #03-23
@ 313@Somerset, #04-04A
@ Jurong Point, #B1-86
@ Marina Square, #03-213/214
@ VivoCity, #02-38
DISCLAIMER#1: I started off being a fanatical 1/6-hobbyist, while gradually nursing a growing desire for "art toys"- known then as "urban vinyls" - hence there will be loads of reference to 1/6th in this post :)
The first leg of the trip started at YELLOW BOX TOYS in Golden Mile Tower. Well famed for it's loose parts and accessories for 1/6th-scaled figures, Andy, Jordan and the guys also made their own headsculpts (in the vein of Hong Kong 1/6 designers like Jason Siu etc) and also had tailored fashion clothing in 1/6-scale, quite a number of which I still own and enjoy till today!
Add to the mix were "urban vinyls" from Hong Kong, teasing me from the shelves! Looking back, I kick myself for not picking up the Threezero "Rat" still in bag LOL … Although, I have to say, I gave my Michael Lau "cherry" to YBT for when they had a small corner shop in Beach Rd Army Market (before moving to GMT), when I bought my first grey "Prototype LamDog System" (which I regrettably sold) and subsequently my OG TATTOO (which I still own).
( YBT pics via Yellow Box Toys and Kamel Liow circa 2002 )
Next stop is a few bus-stops away down Beach Road to Shaw Towers, with the little corner shop owned by "Bunny" (we know him as Bunny, I've called him "Bunny" but never really did know his real name lol), featuring 1/6 loose parts, and assorted vintage toys, including toys from 80s and 90s (I actually had an eye out for a 1/6-ish Michael Jackson figure for the longest time hahaha). I'd always marvel at the displays and checked out the vehicles! One of the few spots which had active displays of motorbikes in 1/6 (I was a fanatic collector back in my "prime") and as well mixed brands including Action Man etc. I really liked the eclecticism offered as eye candy, and looked like how my own toy shelves (if I had any) would look like :)
A skip-n-hop across the road and down to the open basement one level, was TOYWORKZ - where there were a nice mix of 1/6 figures (Medicom & Hong Kong brands etc), HK designer toys, and Transformers. I remember my first ever purchase was a 1/6 Yamaha scooter won off Ebay, which led me to this shop! My other memorable purchases there include Kai and Merra 1/6 from Medicom Toy (I waited for a "sale" then, I admit ;p).
( U-Toys Pics via Kamel Liow circa 2002-03 and 2004 )
Everybody looking fresh-faced and nubile LOL
Next shop-stop was a MRT-ride away from City Hall (further up the road's walk from Shaw) to the Sommerset MRT station, then crossing over to Emerald Orchard (right next to Mid-Point Orchard), across Specialist Shopping Centre. Jerrick & Paul's ULTIMATE TOYS was one of, in fact my favouritest of toy-haunts - where we'd often have closed-doors auctions, and trades in the staircase (sometimes bootleg DVD salesman would pop by too *cough*), and we were even chased away by the building's security too!
Too many folks (sometimes 20+ of us) thronged the small corridors and used the toilets next to the nice
The hobby seriously changed for me, when the shop moved … excuse me as I observe a moment of personal silence to acknowledge the passing of an era …
( View more Action City @ The Heeren pics here by Wind Koh, circa 2006 )
A walk down the street (up Orchard Road direction, actually), and up on the 5th floor of The Heeren, was ACTION CITY - who were (and still are) the main distributors for Hot Toys, and also where we'd find loads of Medicom Toys goodness. We'd spend much time gawking at HT's military-themed figures and operators (before the advent of movie licenses) and lust at the weapons and insanely awesome detailing and paint-apps … but sometimes the BE@RBRICK sales of extra loose pieces tempted me beyond the 1/6th-hobby … :p
Crossing the street then led to Mandarin Hotel, and in the basement was "SpiralZone" (Name TBC) - yet another toy-shop selling 1/6th, from boxed figures to some loose parts … but their "speciality" were hand-made dioramas and furniture sets. They moved subsequently to Specialist Shopping Centre for a short while too ...
There was a time when further down/up the road was TOYBOX at Paragon (I think) - where I remember the prices were "high" and not much of a place I'd venture to often, except for that one time purchase of Michael Lau's Crazy Children #1-#5 for an insane amount of $1K, when I first strayed from 1/6 and started down the "urban vinyl"-path spurred on by my new addiction to Hong Kong vinyls …
Sometimes I would venture to Wheelock Place for DOLLS INC (used to score my Blythe loose pieces there, don't judge me), and I faintly remember a comicbooks shop in Pacific Plaza - moved from Lucky Plaza - with toys to look at too (the owner constantly boasted about his 10K sales that one time from an Indonesian client, which he drove to the airport after his purchase hahahahaha).
( TFH pics via The Falcon's Hangar )
The next shop-stop would be the last; Far East Plaza - where EARTH-X, TOYQUEST and THE FALCON'S HANGAR lay await amidst shops totting fashion and music. Many a times was spent lusting at toys beyond 1/6th at Falcon's (also known affectionally as "The Bird Shop"), including KAWS (which I've always regretted not buying), Star Wars … and I've walked away with assorted toys thru the years, including G.I.Joe boxed and accessories sets, and the later few Michael Lau Crazy Children #s, after I'd "betray"" my 1/6-allegiance, and given into the dark-vinyl-toy-side … MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA
And THAT was my near-weekly Saturday toy-run route, circa the mid-2000s - where the number of toyshops held the most enriching fun for myself personally, and having a regular salary truly helped being the constant "enabler" for my addiction to plastic crack! Ending near early-evening, my comrades and I (yes, I most times picked up fellow toy-hunters along the route!), we would part ways and indulge in a taxi-ride home for dinner - backpack filled with toy-goodness, feet weary from the adventure, heart's desires satisfied … for that week, anyways :)
The route did not last for too long tho, as shops gradually closed, or moved, and thy toy-run remains but faded memories and blogpost now.
- Yellow Box Toys is still in operation.
- Bunny's shop has closed, but he now has a table at China Square Central flea market on Sundays,
- ToyWorkz has closed shop.
- Ultimate Toyz is now moved to CSC as a permanent tenant, named as "U-Toys".
- Action City is no longer at Heeren but has stores islandwide at other malls.
- Spiral??? has closed shop.
- ToyBox has closed shop.
- Falcon's Hangar has since moved to Waterloo Centre for years, and I had only visited them only not long ago, and blew my wad on Attack on Titan Nendoroids and Tiger&Bunny S.H.Figuarts... *sighz* ;p
- Earth-X has closed and is now a e-retailer.
DISCLAIMER#2: And while there were quite a few more shops in existence at that time period, they were not necessary on my Saturday Toy-Run route (I have other routes, like my weekly "Comicbook-Release-Day Run" and "Sunday ToyHunts" MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA)
[ READ: Iron Bridge Market / for #toyhuntbkk 2014 ]
These days, "toy-runs" are essentially at China Square Central, the only "run" being through the 3 floors, from basement one up to two, an escalator-ride away, all within the air-conditional mall, and reprieve from toys-overload include the coffee shop in the basement - actually loads of coffee joints has spouted up since - or outside where folks and friends could lightup a cigarette.
Don't get me wrong - as a Stroke-survivor with challenged-physicality, I welcome the convenience and distance between them all! I have nothing to complain with regards to "choice", but the hunt right now is more contained, like an urban assault in a built-up area, than a search-n-destroy mission across a stretch of land LOL
[ READ: Pirom Plaza / #toyhuntbkk 2014 ]
The only "joy" of a toy-run these days, lay await outside of the country, with my recent Bangkok trip pops into mind (#toyhuntbkk), and Bandung in 2009 will always be memorable (thanks, Marine!). And of course the ultimate one-week toy-run in Hong Kong 2004, with Marc … and frankly, it is not just about the ability to spend … hell, who am I lying to, it is a HUGE part of the experience lol - BUT it is not the ONLY experience worth remembering … for the HUNT is a joy that needs to be experienced in person, and not writing nor reading about it online hahahaha
Be that as it may, I hope to one day venture to Taiwan, Japan, and mos def a return to Hong Kong (but this time with mad$$$ ready to be spent MUAHAHAHAHA-yougetmydrift ;p). Everywhere else, seems so "far away" for me these days tho, but I continue to "wish" and "hope"... *smiles*
Writing a blog-post about my Saturday toy-run over a decade ago has left me with fond memories and a shake of the head for money spent on toys hahahaa … and it looks like the next toy-run for me will happen between September 6th to 7th at the annual Singapore Toy Games & Comic Con! Now I only just have to figure out (1) how to find more $ to spend, and (2) how to carry alla them boxes+toys by myself! LOL
[ READ: Bootleg Market in Chinatown / for #toyhuntbkk 2014 ]
YELLOW BOX TRADE (www/ Facebook)
@6001, Golden Mile Tower,
Beach Road, #01-24, Singapore 199589
THE FALCON'S HANGAR (www / Facebook / Twitter @tfhnews)
@ Blk 261, Waterloo Centre, #01-27, Waterloo Street
ACTION CITY (www/ Facebook)
@ Bugis Junction, #03-23
@ 313@Somerset, #04-04A
@ Jurong Point, #B1-86
@ Marina Square, #03-213/214
@ VivoCity, #02-38
