Wonderland Superstore is my favorite toys store in Hong Kong. While you may get better prices on…read moreToy Street in Sham Shui Po, Wonderland has it all in one place. The minor higher prices keeps the cheap toy collectors away and items are actually in store. Their selection of action figures, Chogokins, hobby kits and Transformers are very good. I love their wide aisles and store displays. Service is always friendly.

Interesting fact - up until the age of 9, I was a part time resident of Baker Street. No, not the…read morerelatively new part of Baker Street near Whampoa Gardens, it was the other end of Baker street near Chatham road and the funeral parlors. Small, dinky overcrowded apartments in the old downtown core of Kowloon, close to light industrial shops (making aluminum fixtures is a thing there), and shops catering to the funerary industry - you know, coffins, flower arrangements, stuff like that. A dinky 300 square foot, one bedroom apartment were the home for 8 - the place for gramps, aunts and uncles. Before my Cantonese chef father decided to immigrate to the US, I used to stay with grandma at the old apartment during the weekends. At least by then most of the family have moved stateside to seek a better life. Being Hong Kongian means that we are born to run - we are mostly immigrants, and because of the modest beginnings and tight quarters, we all aspire to climb as quickly as possible, either through hard work, higher education, or both - the outward looking, open minded, creative, polite and hardworking Honker folks that we are today were underpinned by the blood and toil of those before us. I think that partially, that success was due to the rich assortment of toys that we have access to when we were young. Just think about it - we were taught since an early age to share, and that we are constantly bombarded by the latest trends in Europe, Japan and the states. We were mostly denied green space and fresh air, and at some point, our imagination will have to kick in to fill the void. You need toys to allow for a healthy outlet to your imagination. Back in the old days toy stores and stationery stores were pretty easy to come by - nowadays, you pretty much need a Facebook group to track their comings and goings - most places fail, some survive while others thrive. Take, for instance, Wonderland (this is their HQ/flagship store in Hung Hom near the MTR stop). It's a toy store, stationery store, and a place to pick up a bag of potato crisps. They can sell you that 800 HKD Authentic Lego set, a 500 HKD Gundam model from Japan, a 70 HKD TinyHK city bus (which looks like the real thing running on the road today, and everyone in HK has ridden a bus), a 30 HKD F-Toys trade model that you can build and put in a cabinet, all the American Girl models that you can shake a stick at, and you can certainly go inside for a notebook and a color pencil set to doodle upon. Basically, there is a thing for every price range and can fit anywhere. Hell, I've been to 3 Wonderland locations, and both me and the missus both agree that the pricing and breath of selections for toys and stationery is second-to-none when compared to the poor selections stateside (well, Tai Yuen street is close but it's not a one-stop shop). I've happily purchased plastic model building supplies, notebooks, model kits and TinyHK items in the store and bought it back stateside with me. For a high functioning adult with a high stress IT job, some of those items I got provide me with seemingly endless joy...and let's face it - joy and fulfillment of nostalgia or homesickness is the primary function of any great toy store, and Wonderland is a great toy store. I'll come back here again and again.

Now this is probably something of an age revealer- I used to (and admittedly still do) love Tomica…read moretoy cars. Actually I loved all sorts of toy cars- be it matchbox, majorclette (think that's how you spell it) or even hot wheels- if it had four wheels and a die cast shell I would have it. Now I was the nerdy type, not the cool kids who crashed them and built massive jumps, I bought little houses, road signs and everything in between to make it real. Now Tomica was always my favourite- their cars were always better built, had suspension and they had the details that nerds like me would love. Moreover, they also had a series of towns and shops that you could use together with your cars and that way I had my eyes set on collecting every last piece of tomica toy there was out there. This continues to this day. Today I'm not so mad- not after you get into real cars anyways. The thing is you still retain that 4 yr old part of you that yearned for Tomica's new collection every year. The fact is that its difficult to buy these nowadays because a lot of shops just don't sell them. Hung Hing is probably where all the enthusiast go because they have the best and biggest selection I have seen and finally I have spotted my types there: people in their 30s looking for toy cars. Its our little enclave and little spot where we can all salivate over the new no. 12 or 134. Look no further if you are looking for tomica- its actually the cheapest in town too.

i have a confession to make. i'm a grown ass man that loves little toy cars. word is bond, i can't…read moreget enough of these things. i'm particular about the models i buy and i've spent way more than i should have on ebay (with hong kong sellers no less) on more than one occasion. i figured while i'm in hong kong, might as well cut out the middle man and go straight to the plug. yelp pointed me here and i was super not disappointed. thank god i rolled here with my cousin cause i would have literally spent the entire day in this little (actually it appears to be 2 little) store fronts. they had tomicas galore. selection was displayed as best they could in such a cramped (by american standards) shop. staff was friendly, helping track down the models i was interested in. i dropped about $150 on little cars but i would have spent about 1/3 more (before shipping) if i copped these on ebay. i really had to fight the urge to come back down here on another day (without my chaperone, ahem, cousin) but i only had one suitcase. i'll be back...

If you have young daughters, walking down Li Yuen Street East is akin to entering Aladdin's cave…read more There are dresses, accessories, shoes and fancy dress costumes every way you turn, and, if you're looking for items from the movie of the moment (in this case Frozen) then Joy's Kids Land is the crown jewel. Seriously, I walked in with my toddler securely attached to my back in her carrier - thankfully or goodness knows what we would have walked out with - and was almost thrown off balance by the violently excited jiggling that started going on. T-shirts, dresses, fans, clips, lunchboxes, Elsa costumes, hats, stickers, drink bottles, bags (of many, many shapes and descriptions), pencil cases, chopsticks, clocks, mugs .... OMG, you get my drift. The Disney merchandising empire spans the globe and product from all over the world seems to find itself in Hong Kong (the stickers I bought were Korean) so the range is truly vast - and terrifying - but prices are pretty good here. My suggestion; go and get your little darling a surprise (or two), but go alone or you may never get out alive.

I have been coming here ever since I was a kid and I guess as natural progression I am now bringing…read moremy own kid here. This Toysrus is probably the oldest branch in Hong Kong and it has seen both the good times and the bad times. A few years ago toysrus was an expansion spree and they were opening up all over the place. Fast forward to 2014 and they have now decided to reduce themselves to the main locations and this shop has to be the daddy of them all. I say this because for the past 20 odd years its been in the same position and has remained just as big as I can remember it. There are now of course more diversification including a section devoted to toddlers- Babiesrus- this is simply another ploy to sell more baby related items which seem to be best sellers. The main focus is on kids and coming here you will always find stuff that you wish you had as a kid, dinosaurs, light sabers and huge electric cars for kids. The good thing with toysrus is that they always have stuff on show and you can play around with it for as long as you like. For lego lovers there is also a section devoted to the yellow brick and there is a full scale model of Hong Kong landmarks and a millennium falcon. A must see and your kids will be full entertained for hours on end. People keep saying that big shops like these are killing off small shops-they might be. My opinion though? The bigger the better and the cheaper the merrier.

So all the locations in the US are closed, so I was super excited to see this one here! It's…read moredefiantly worth stopping in. It's at the very end past all the kid's clothing stores.

Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. For two MTR Stations' distance, there is a…read morefamous Toy Street named Tai Yuen Street in Wan Chai. No matter how old we are, Tai Yuen Street can evoke our happy childhood memories. It is because every toy from the latest marvel heroes' figures, limited edition Japanese figures to Tin Toy are available there. Apart from toys, there is also a great place to pick up seasonal decorations. In the weeks before Chinese New Year, Halloween and Christmas, they sell festival decorations, party outfits, and accessories. In addition, many people in Hong Kong believe that good Feng Shui can attract prosperity and ward off bad luck. Feng Shui decorating can be found there. Honestly, there are just less than 10 toy stores in Tai Yuen Street, even it is known as a famous toy street. For someone who has a tight schedule during a business trip in Hong Kong Island, the location is perfect.

See, there are many things that I love about Hong Kong - all that density makes up for a diverse…read morescenery, and all that commerce means everyone is at each other's throats for your business. If you are a savvy shopper, you pretty much know where to go for certain things. I know that if you want remote control cars or airsoft guns, you hit Kwong Wa street (廣華街) - if you want Legos, you hit In's Point (現時點). If you want a crap-ton of Japanese figurines, you hit Richmond Shopping Arcade (皆旺商場) or Sino Centre (信和中心). If you like diecast display planes, you hit West Main trading (西幹線玩具) near Prince Edwards MTR. If you want diecast buses, that's 80M bus shop, which has multiple locations in the territory. If you got the money you can try hitting the spiral at Langham Place (朗豪坊) if you want to check out the latest fashion accessories from Shinjuku or Seoul. Me, I like collectibles - stuff like Rement food kits, F-Toys trade models, little double decker buses like the stuff that TinyHK (微影) put together. I enjoy collecting stuff like that for the display cabinet back in New York. Now, normally, you can hit Wonderland Superstores (奇趣天地) all over Hong Kong, but you could end up paying a lot, and their selection is often meh. That brings us to Tai Yuen street (太原街). If you know your Hong Kong history, you would know that Lee Tung Street (利東街) used to be right next door - it's a 3 block long street of little print shops and stores that were the go-to spot for doing wedding invitations. The Urban Renewal Authority of Hong Kong (市建局) tore that entire street down and replaced it with a shopping mall, which gentrified the place but also killed a crapload of those little businesses. The URA is not known for being nice and understanding to the little shop owners, and none of them were invited back. Basically, Tai Yuen is a peek at what that area looked like in the past, and frankly, the place is a freaking jewel. Just wait until past noon if you want to see stuff bloom here. First, check out the intersection with Johnson Road (where the Tramways run), the stalls in the middle sells all sorts of stuff like the Japanese fortune kitties. One of the stallkeepers there also has a really nice diorama of a Hong Kong Dai Pai Dong and a couple of buses, so thats cool. Then there's the toy stores. Well, there's really only, like 6, but if you have to choose one, check out Hung Hing Toys (鴻興玩具), which spans 2 storefronts and has nearly everything, from Gashopons, to Giant Robo figurines, to Legos, and to TinyHK/F-Toys/Rement figurines that I like so much. The others are still rather nice, but not as extensive as Hung Hing. You also got stalls with trinklets, bags, and stuff like that. Note that the usual crapload of cheap gaudy ugly Mainland products (ala Lady's night market) are kept to a minimum here. Next, continue down the block - wanna try some snake soup? Se Wong Sun (蛇王燊) makes a decent meal out of them. Now, if you continue on down, you'll hit the market area on Cross Street - keep an eye out for a classically Hong Kong treat - Smith's Orange Jelly candy (史蜜夫鮮橙花軟糖), which is made by Smith's Candy company (史蜜夫糖果廠) out in the New Territories. It's the flavor that most Honkers grew up with, and there are usually at leas one candy peddler with bags of candies and a scale. They sell them by the pound, and you can mix and match. Smith's makes an Orange jelly, a Melon jelly, and the classic nougat. Keep an eye out for the produce markets nearby. If you want a real Hong Kong treat, hit Cross Street until you get to Spring Garden Lane, and then look for Kam Fung (41 Spring Garden Lane) - it's a decent with fresh out-the-door Bolo and Cocktail buns, and one of the best pre-blended iced milk tea in the Central district. I hope you took photos, because this is probably as good as it can get in terms of outdoor markets. This is also about as good as Hong Kong can get.

This was very high on my list of things to see and do while in Hong Kong! I am a HUGE Hot Toys fan…read moreand have been collecting them for the past 5 years or so. As an avid toy collector, I can tell you that Hot Toys makes the best sixth scale figures in the world. Seriously. Check out the face sculpts and detailing in some of their creations! The level of detail and craftsmanship involved are quite impressive! Quite impressive, indeed! (Okay, obligatory Star Wars quote :P) Most of what you will see in the displays are sold out and, therefore, unavailable to purchase. It was a blast to see some of the best Hot Toy pieces ever made on display and beautifully posed to see! I felt like a kid in a candy shop here! Beware though, these beauties are NOT cheap! They range in price from the low $200's on up to $500- $800 plus for certain pieces! (Thanos with throne, Hulkbuster, etc). We picked up some Cosbabys as souvenirs and added collection pieces while we were here! You will find the Secret Base Hot Toy Store on the 20th floor of a Toy Store on Nathan Road. The closest train stop would be the Mongkok Station. This was a fun, fun experience while in Hong Kong!! 5 stars.

This address of Hot Toys is specifically the show room for quite possibly the best scale…read moremodel/action figure company, possibly on the planet. All those incredible Hot Toys you have seen on ebay, comic book convention sellers, mostly at a ridiculous markup, are due to this very company. Every major comic book character, or science fiction, got made into a scale figure with disgustingly awesome life like detail. Some of the pictures also don't do this justice. Conveniently located on an upper floor of a shopping mall, you can see some of the latest and greatest on display, and I believe they also take preorders. Please note that most of the new and pre-releases have to be prepaid and preordered upwards of several months in advance. If they have any unsold stock, it is luck of the draw entirely, but you can ask. That Godzilla Ultraman Bruce Lee action figure shop in San Francisco on Clement Street that is still carrying product from 15 years back? Ain't nothing compared to this. Bottom line, these are some expensive toys for big boys. Five stars just for the eye candy. I'm saving my moolah on food.

Toy street was super fun and a kids' (and kids at heart) paradise. I was able to shop for stickers…read moreand Sanrio products. It's a nice stroll, and wasn't crowded on a weekday afternoon.

Sham Shui Po is a shopping heaven in Hong Kong. Electronics, computer gadgets, accessories and toys…read morecan be found. I called Fuk Wing Street is the best just one reason. Although the Street is short, there's over 30 toy stores along the street. Some are selling brand-name goods at half the price of those in department stores. Furthermore, most of the shops have fixed prices for retail but still offer great wholesale discount when you buy in bulk. And Fuk Wing Street has some restaurants which are very famous in Sham Shui Po. I can sure you can grab enough food to eat there.

When I am wondering around the city aimlessly, sometimes my favourite thing to do is to go to a…read morebookstore. I can spend hours on end at a bookstore. Ceaselessly filling my head with inspiration and new ideas. It's my best way of spending an afternoon. One of my favourite bookstores is Bookazine. The one in prince building is a little smaller than usual. Their selection is also more limited. I had a few books I had in mind to buy, but they were all sold out! I didn't let that ruin my afternoon of wandering from shelf to shelf in the store. Nicely cuddling up in the children's section, I can literally enjoy previewing lots of books in a genre that I am interested. It is in moments like these that I decide if I want to get the paperback version or the kindle version or not get it at all. Decisions, decisions! Not only does bookazine have books but they have cool gadgets and new toys for kids. It's a great store to pick something up for kids or even yourself! Now back to reading!