Thank you to the team at five little monkeys who handled the Needoh drop last week so well. The…read moremanager Michelle and her staff even helped my daughter who was having blood sugar issues in line. They really worked to support their customers and uphold the integrity of the event despite MANY obstacles that were not their fault. I was super impressed. They also had a ton of new Needohs I was able to add to my collection and my daughter always loves shopping at their store- so she picked up a bunch of other items that day as well. Thank you team! You're appreciated!

We've been coming to Five Little Monkeys in Burlingame for well over a decade for their fun, unique…read moretoys. Prices range from fair to high, selection is abundant. Though our kids are much older now, we love to stop in for blind boxes, collectibles, and to scratch the incessant NeeDoh itch. Parking is almost always a challenge, given the area. Weekend visits require serious patience. The store can get shoulder-to-shoulder packed with large strollers in narrow aisles and tiny tots having very big feelings whose parents are doing what they can to regulate, some more than others, so there are def moments of chaos. As a momma who had 2 under 2 at one point, I've been there and hella get it. For my own sanity, we aim for off-peak visits to peruse in peace. As you can imagine, service is more attentive when the staff:customer ratio is more manageable. But the last couple visits, it's been fairly quiet in the store yet no greeting upon my entering, nor a welcoming vibe upon checking out at the register. So much so that I didn't bother to have them do the customary complimentary gift wrap for all the presents I picked out for my youngest. It was such a bummer to leave feeling icky for what is normally one of my happy places, especially as a long standing customer.

They had one piece and no pokemon. Retail at $12 / pack which is insane, but I just wanted to open…read moresome. Staff were super nice.

I've been going to Gator Games and Hobby in San Mateo for a while now, and it's been my go-to spot…read morefor card collecting. They carry a really wide selection--everything from Pokémon and sports cards to Warhammer 3000 figures and other card game essentials. It's definitely a convenient one-stop shop if you're into multiple hobbies. They also host game days, which is a nice touch. Depending on the card game, you can usually find matches going on and a community of players to connect with, which adds to the overall experience.

Reach and Teach is truly a local gem and one of the most inspiring shops on the Peninsula. They…read moreoffer a carefully curated mix of progressive books, educational toys and games, eco‑friendly products, and other high‑quality gifts you won't find in big box stores. Every visit feels like a treasure hunt--you'll discover something meaningful, fun, and thoughtful. The two owners are not only super friendly but also deeply civic‑minded, always ready to share knowledge and support community causes. Their passion for education, sustainability, and social justice shines through in everything they do. If you're looking for a place that combines heart, purpose, and great finds, Reach and Teach is a must‑visit.

The first thing you'll appreciate is the service. The owners are friendly and incredibly…read moreknowledgeable about everything they sell. Next, it's the selection. These aren't just toys, games, and books; they've got the best toys, games, and books curated for developing and broadening minds of all ages. They don't just sell what's hot, they sell what's good. I'm not sure who enjoys going more, my 4 year old son or me!

There is a variety of cool collectibles and action figures here. There are a lot of funko pops and…read moreblind boxes. Value was pretty good but depends on what you're looking for. Customer service was good, the guy behind the counter didn't hover while we looked at the toys. Nice spot to visit if you enjoy Comic Cons and collectibles.

I initially wanted to come here and talk about how I got overcharged by $300 at their booth at…read moreBubufest. But then I went down a whole rabbit hole of why you shouldn't do business with these guys. They are very shady business men. The owner, Nelson, is a reseller who uses bots to get items (Pokemon TCG, Pop Mart, etc) and resell for a profit. He opens the boxes and claims all the best value figures and cards, then sells the common ones to unsuspecting shop customers. Then when he has too many common figures and cards, he offloads them in the form of "conventions". It's the best scam: charge people an entrance fee and still overcharge people for common boxes that are worth much less online. This is why his cons are every 3 months. This is the best way to offload common figures while still making money off of ticket sales and up charges. You will not find any secrets or valuable cards at Fugitive Toys. The boxes and packs have all been resealed with the rare stuff already taken. If you want to resell your funkos, they will offer $1 or two, then turn around and resell for 6x the profit. Nelson is notorious for kicking out people from his conventions. Multiple people have come forward with talking about racial profiling and Nelson using poor excuses to kick people out of his conventions. See one story below. People have also complained that vending there is not worth doing there. Sales are slow and the vending prices to secure a spot are $300 to $700. That's a lot higher than more established conventions. Hype Con and Fugitive Toys are both also very disorganized when it comes to their schedule as well. At cons, their doors never open on time. At fugitive toys, they will close on random days without warning or note. Don't support any Hype Con hosted events, and definitely don't do business with Fugitive Toys. They're scam artists, and they need to be investigated.

If you like Funko Pops, this is your place…read more Seems to have a lot of stuffed animals, Gunko Pops, and high-end weirder Japanese builds with robots that I've never heard of or weird Anime builds. It's better than having an empty space, but this place is pricey, and there was only one associate when I went. She was at the counter, so don't expect much help here.

Cute pop culture store in San Mateo Hillsdale Mall! Lots of merchandise from anime shirts, plush…read moreanimals, figurines, playing cards, and more. Wide selection to find gifts for a friend who's into anime.

I called in to place preorders on a couple of MTG x FF decks on Feb 19th and whoever picked up the…read morecall said they would write down my name and orders for when they set up the pre-order list up. Everything cool, right? Well, it turns out, no. I came in today since I was in the area to double check if I was on the list and was not. They completely forgot to add me in and the list was so long, it was highly unlikely I would get the decks I pre-ordered. They told me it would be best to go to another shop to order and was not at all apologetic about the mishap. In fact, there were no apologies made. I really wanted to support a local card shop but the lack of accountability and the poor customer service makes it very difficult to do so. I won't be back.

An okay stop for tabletop games and minis, but nothing that really wowed me. The selection is…read moredecent, and you'll find the popular titles and basics you'd expect, of course. Staff were polite and professional, but the energy felt pretty flat, which made the visit less engaging. It's fine if you're already in the area and need a specific item, but not a destination I'd go out of my way for.

Some places just become part of your story…read more I grew up coming here, and now I still stop in whenever I can. The nostalgia hits the moment you walk through the door. It's more than a candy shop -- it's memories, tradition, and community. Bring your family, bring your kids, and get a taste of old school Burlingame :)

Adorable shop nestled in Burlingame with a great selection of both toys and candy. Even better than…read morethat were the owners. They were so friendly and showed me a lot of kindness. Thank you both and we will be back!

love this place. Take the toys and clothing for my little ones there, and get ballerina dress,…read morepajamas, and hair pins in return. They also have a good collection of new things (puzzles, dress up games) if you have credits there so you have more variety to choose from. The people who work there are gold!

Excellent little store off the beaten path in San Carlos. I wish I had known about this place with…read moremy first two. Great selection of clothing, toys, maternity wear , dance gear (ballet tap etc). Looking forward to popping in every once in a while to shop for my latest child. Only drawback I saw was the kids books. They are not priced low enough to be a deal.

I was shopping in the store a few days ago and I heard three employees talking negatively about a…read morecustomer that was coming to buy needohs. They said she was a complainer and were going on and on about how she probably never set foot in the store before this. It was very unprofessional and made me feel very uncomfortable in there. There is a sign on the door that says to 'buy local' but this experience made me question continuing to shop here. This happened days ago but the experience has been on my mind so I felt like I needed to write a review about it. To prevent other customers from feeling uncomfortable.

I was very disappointed to see this business selling candy that looked like it had been opened and…read morethen resealed. That is a serious food safety concern -- sealed packaging is there to protect customers from contamination and tampering. Once that seal is broken, the integrity of the product is gone, and no one can guarantee it's still safe to eat. Seeing it back on the shelf after being resealed immediately made me question the cleanliness, quality control, and overall trustworthiness of this place. On top of that, the pricing is completely unreasonable. They are charging nearly $10 more than what the same candy would cost anywhere else. This isn't a specialty import or a rare find -- it's the same everyday candy you can buy for a few dollars at other stores. Combining questionable handling practices with massive markups is a bad look for any business. Customers deserve both safe products and fair prices, and sadly, this shop fails to deliver either.

Quick take: I wouldn't patronize this business…read more My friend and I sat at a community table outside of this business. We sat down to eat our lunch. Out of nowhere this aggressive lady comes up to where we were sitting and started mumbling and ranting. At first I didn't even realize she was talking to us. She was rambling and walking back and forth. She unlocks the door, goes in and comes back out in an aggressive manner. Totally unprofessional behavior towards members of the community. This person is unhinged. I do not feel comfortable supporting or recommending this business to anyone.

I'm leaving this review based entirely on the behavior of either the owner or an employee who was…read moreworking on 6/17. My friend and I were seated at a table directly outside the small storefront, eating lunch in the shade on a warm day. Out of nowhere, a woman came out and harshly chastised us for sitting there, loudly claiming we were blocking her door (we absolutely were not). She continued to berate us, saying things like, "Who in their right mind would think it's okay to sit here?" She unlocked the door, and continued ranting and she stepped inside. As she came back outside, she would not stop. The whole encounter felt aggressive and completely unnecessary. If she had politely asked us to move, we would have gladly done so, though again, we weren't blocking anything, and the table was already there when we arrived. For such a small local business, I expected more kindness and respect toward people in the community and potential customers. Unfortunately, based on this experience alone, I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this shop to others.