I empathize with how hard it must be to run a physical toy store in the age of instant delivery to…read moreyour door. So I took my six year old here for that old Toy Store magic. Didn't really deliver. Lego with all sorts of cobranded Disney movies but no just... Lego. A staff that wasn't very helpful in knowing whether a game was a deck building game or strategy game. Those old school little balsa wood planes? Drones I seem to see everywhere? Nah, none of that. Oh well, just hard to really do physical retail when literally every thing and every piece of information is in a browser. They came up in conversation as having some sort of Pokemon night. Sounds neat so I checked the web site. There's literally no information. So I called the store. And got a recording or phone tree or something that's not very helpful. Not really looking for cobranded marketing doofers. Not really looking for "STEM" lazily slapped onto schlock.

Fantastic selection of toys, prices, indie and mainstream brands. I was especially happy about the…read morevariety for both my 2 year old, and 10 year old. We love the Jellycat brand of stuffed animals and they have a great selection. I had to stop myself from immediately draining my bank account, I will be back for my Christmas gifts and gifts for others very soon. This is our new favorite toy store (and we have been to many across the country!!)

If you're a teacher, you likely already know about this place and have been here numerous times. I…read morereally like this place, even though I have no children and teach college students. I tend to shop here for educational items for relatives and friends' children. The staff is very friendly and patient, even when you have no idea what you are looking for. The store is well lit and well organized, so you know relatively quickly whether the item is available. The have undoubtedly the best selection of educational materials for all ages of any store around. That said, they are rather pricey and it is easy to blow through whatever budget you may have had walking in. I would suggest shopping here last, as many things can be found at Target, Amazon, and other outlets. If there is something in particular, especially harder to find educational aids, then this is your place. Just prepare to spend accordingly.

So I do a lot of shopping for my classroom.... and I buy much too much stuff, and have a lot in…read morestorage, but I always will end up using it at some point. Lakeshore is a really good place for the items that are rare. Special board games, art supplies, and even classroom decor (no where sells that stuff anymore!) have huge presences throughout this place. Lots of variety, very colorful store in general (it actually is too bright in here sometimes), and lots of unique and innovative products that aren't found in any other store. I definitely get more for a buck at WB Mason, and probably shop there three times as much as here, but this is the place I get things that are fun, useful, and normally for activities that are memorable for kids. Staff are always friendly and definitely search out the clearance tags here, they are a goldmine! Make sure to bring the 20% off coupons they send out and are sometimes on their website. In closing, great place for teachers to shop for any classes from Kindergarten - Grade 8. Don't expect the lowest prices, and I would never suggest buying crayons or pencils here. They will be lots cheaper online or at Staples down the street. 4 stars for Lakeshore. Located in Newton on Needham Street (technically, it's on Industrial Place). Exit 19A off Rt. 128, turn right at the HomeGoods (Industrial Place) and the store is the last storefront on the right side of that side street.

old, outdated + DIRTY! miserable staff…read more I suggest going to Henry Bear's Park just around the corner!

This store is a gem in the middle of Wellesley . They have a huge variety of toys, and the workers…read moreand super friendly . They even gift wrap for you free of charge, which is huge. I recommend 1000 times.

Expensive but a nice mixture of old and new. Very clean and well organised. Woman behind the…read morecounter was very kind, polite and greeted everyone that came in.

Great store for unique gifts. Absolutely a hidden gem and one of the rare local storesread more

An absolutely charming, little gem of a children's store in Davis Square…read more I was drawn in by the fun and colorful window display/artwork. The fabulous display continues throughout the store, creating a very enjoyable shopping experience. The selection of clothing, books and toys are well curated for ages ranging newborn to small children. I had a lovely chat with the owner who was both friendly and helpful with my shopping needs. She let me know about a clothing sale they were having and provided fun facts about the books I was browsing. (Local authors sold here) I was pleased to see good Spanish book options, and ended up purchasing one as a gift. Many of the items here seemed to be "earth friendly", made with good materials at a reasonable price. I will be back to shop for gifts in the future!

The owner has great suggestions for just what might work for you. The shop is well stocked with…read moreclothes, some small toys, books and more.

I cannot believe the amount of customer service for a strictly e commerce store. I am just…read moreembarking on the cloth diaper adventure and was frustrated it was strictly online I decided to take a day trip and ended up here. Stephanie and Katia took time out of their day to answer my questions and help me find the diapers that are the proper fit for my family. I was blown away at how nice they were and how affordable their diapers were. They walked me through every step and made sure I knew what I wanted. Never once did I feel pressured to buy and I decided to buy from them because of the extra effort they made for me. I plan on extending my stash and exploring their website. I've also raved about them in all of my moms groups. Thank you guys again. You are amazing

The customer service at this merchant is deplorable…read more I contacted Thanks Mama regarding cloth diapers that developed holes. The diapers were advertised as covered by a 1 year warranty on the product page. The customer service representative initially replied that the diapers were still under warranty and asked me to identify which colors had developed holes so they could send replacements along with a postage paid label to return the defective diapers. I responded that I would need to return them all. The customer service representative then replied that they would not be able to honor the warranty since the diapers were purchased "so long ago." I replied reminding customer service of the current date which was within 1 year of the purchase date. Customer service replied confirming the date but now claiming that I need to send the diapers back to the manufacturer since more than 90 days had passed. I reminded customer service of their initial response, that I only need to identify the diapers that had holes and replacements would be sent. Throughout several subsequent responses with customer service and someone that stated they were the owner of the company, Helena, this retailer refused to honor the initial return offer to replace the diapers. Eventually, my e-mail responses were flat-out ignored. All of this is in addition to me having prior difficulty with customer service to have a quantity discount advertised on the cloth diaper page reflected in the cart upon checkout. The same customer service representative insisted the discount did not exist even though it was plainly displayed on the product page. In the end, I found the customer service agent to be clueless and uninformed and Helena (the "owner") to be rude and unconcerned with honoring customer service's promises. Overall, I would not recommend this retailer because "baiting-and-switching" discounts and bad customer service are inexusable.

Great variety of activities When you can go and n a get…read morepresents for a few children. That is so helpful and easy Popular toys are available. Lego s. Etc.

Oh what a wonderful place this is! It's a true gem in JP and the whole city of Boston, really. The…read moreselection is terrific- for a small footprint they're packed with toys for infants through adults, from bath toys to books to art and science kits, Lego, puzzles, games, dress-ups, sports activities, just allllllll the things. The front displays are so well done and the space is really inviting. There's a bathroom with changing table that is family friendly and means if you're in JP with kids you have a place to "stop and go right away" (a little Daniel Tiger reference for the parents). They gift wrap and sell balloons, so it is THE spot for birthdays and holidays. If you become a member, you get sweet discounts, and the 5th Sunday of the month also has special bonuses. Best of all, there's a sign in the window with 2 different names on it every day, and if one of those names is yours, big prize! Even if we aren't planning a trip to Boing, it's always a treat to check the names. The people who work at this store are friendly and really knowledgeable. You go in and say "I need to get a 7yo girl a $15 gift and she's into horses" and you've got 3 options off the bat. I've never had a gift from Boing go wrong, but even if it did, they do gift receipts! After Halloween, you can also donate candy and get credit to use in the store- perfect for kids who are allergic to half their candy and otherwise feel pretty glum with their trick or treat haul. Definitely worth a visit to shop or browse, there's something fun for everyone!

Went into Newtonville Books with an ice cream. A mouse ran across the floor and we gasped…read more Staff told us to stop "horsing around" and that ice cream isn't allowed. Good to know the store enforces stricter rules for customers than for rodents.

The vibe is super friendly. The staff is attentive and helpful . If they don't have what you're…read morelooking for they can order it for you , that's always useful . They have a large selection of lots of books in all categories. They have other cute things like candles , socks and reusable bags . The value is good for the environment and large selection. They have lots of parking metered or a lot filled with metered parking . So no worries on parking . Also don't be shy the vibe is very welcoming. Great value for your monies as well .

Even though I moved from the Waltham area, I've kept my comic book subscription at the Outer Limits…read morebecause the owner is the best! It's always been super-easy to update my subscription and I love discovering all the pop culture gems when I visit: used records, CDs, DVDs, Disneyana, games, toys, and of course comic books! All at reasonable prices. I love the bins of action figures; you never know who you'll find! Free handicapped parking can be found in the metered lot behind the shop on Chestnut Street. There are also several handicapped spots on Moody Street. Shop is handicapped accessible, though it is a pinch cramped in the back. I've been able to maneuver with a rollator and cane. If you need help navigating or reaching anything, the owner is happy to help.

I think I could spend hours in the Outer Limits comic book store looking at all the unique antique…read moreitems they have available. As a Disney nerd I was very excited to scan their vast amount of Disney collectibles. Statues, pins, books, comics, stuffed animals, die cast cars, you name it they have it. As soon as you walk in you can smell the paper, books and comics from wall to wall. The gentleman that works there was extremely nice and helpful with trying to find certain comics my oldest was looking for. It definitely let me walk down memory lane with some of the old comics they have available. The pricing is reasonable too, if I didn't budge well I'd leave that store with empty pockets but with a treasure trove of goodies.