I was in grade school when Tamiya became popular like a bat out of hell. Some anime, I totally…read moreforget the name, was responsible for popularizing it. If there was ever a country that was good at making shows that popularized merchandise it was Japan. Anyway, at its height, a Tamiya was to kids as cars are to grownups. Not that you could actually ride on a Tamiya mind you. Anyway, if you wanted really good parts, then the only place you could ever go to was Lil's. I used to ask a lot of my classmates where the would get their parts and most of them would point me towards Lil's. I'm surprised that this still place still stands. Walking right by it filled me with a certain sense of nostalgia and a desire to get back into an old hobby. I wonder what else they're selling in their store today?

I admit that I was a bit surprised that a store like this still exists. Sure there are plenty of…read morehobby shops out there that still exist. However, only a few such as this one still exist. Courtside is a hobby card store that sells NBA cards, YuGi-Oh, and Pokemon and that's about it. Usually, a hobby store would run a wider gamut of hobby cards like Magic the Gathering, which is probably the most popular trading card game in the country. These things are a rare sight nowadays. I appreciate that it still struggles to survive and sell items which only has a small market. I mean I used to love playing Pokemon as a kid. Back then, it was all the rage. We'd bring these things to school despite the hazard of being caught using them. Seeing this place instilled in me some sense of nostalgia. It made me take a walk down memory lane.

I'm so thankful that someone's concept of a hobby shop included most of my favorite things to play…read morewith, including pets! Unfortunately, this branch of Hobbes and Landes doesn't sell pets per se (there is another store along High Street that does), but they do have a lot of pet accessories that will suit your pet's happiness. They are pretty much one of the few stores that are sure to have a good collection of LEGOs, which brings me back to my childhood. Although they lack a few of the newer Technic models, the rest of the LEGOs have enough variety to satisfy any kid. I also browse through their collection of board games, since they also carry board games that are a bit different from the more famous Monopoly and Game of Life. I enjoy looking through expansions of Dominion and the Settlers of Catan, as a possible birthday gift for a board game newbie. Aside from all the hobby items, they also have a mini frozen yogurt stand inside the actual store, so you can watch your kids play with the LEGOs while the adults enjoy a few scoops. This is a definite stop-over for me during any walk along High Street.

One of the shops in Bonifacio High Street that I always visit even if I'm not going to buy anything…read moreis Hobbes & Landes. There's just so much to see inside! Almost half of the store is dedicated to Lego sets, which is seeing a bit of resurgence nowadays. They've got the coveted Simpsons model house as well as plenty of Star Wars themed ones. The other side of the store is where I usually hang around. This is where you'll see rows upon rows of board games for sale. They're more expensive than other board game places, but there always comes a point where they're the only store which has a particular game in stock so you're forced to buy it. If the weather is particularly hot or you're just waiting for your kid to finish looking around, you can go to the back of the store and have some frozen yogurt. Hobbes & Landes is definitely the best place for kids and the kids at heart.

Build City is basically a toy store that specializes in everything that requires a sort of hands on…read moreapproach to building something. There are models. Then you have Lego and who in this world or in their right mind doesn't love Lego right? Heck you even have those insane thousand piece like puzzles which you think is too difficult or just plain borderline insane to solve. It's fun walking into this kind of store. When I grow up and have a kid I fully intend to get him something from this store. Toys like these are often underrated and are actually good for kids. It helps stimulate their brain and promote and instill in them some sense of creativity and foresight. If you're a parent who wants to raise your kid right, then I strongly suggest that you get them something from this store. I don't think you can go wrong with doing so.

With board games making comeback, are you wondering where you can buy your own? First stop for most…read moretabletop gamers would be Neutral Grounds. Boardgames, Magic the Gathering and other LCGs (Living Card Games) are readily available, and they sell gaming accessories like dice, protective card sleeves, containers for small game pieces, and figurines (for games like Dungeons and Dragons). Some of the bigger branches (like the one in Centris Walk) have a gaming area too! Their staff are pretty familiar with most of the games they carry, so you can ask them about expansions and other editions of the game. If the game you want isn't available, you can leave your contact number with them, make a reservation, and they'll inform you when they get a copy. No down payment needed but if they message you be sure to confirm your reservation right away, or they might have to sell the game to a ready buyer!

Neutral Grounds has existed way before the tabletop gaming boom in recent times, so they could…read moreprobably have a big fat "Uh yeah, we were here first" sign hanging over their shops. Though I've always known them more as a place for Magic The Gathering cards and Warhammer models and their corresponding supplies: card boxes and sleeves, or paint sets and dice, I've seen them gain a little more steam with all the gaming places that have popped up all over the metro. I've noticed that the stuff they sell are a tad more expensive than you would in the gaming places, but not by much. And since Neutral Grounds is almost everywhere, getting a great game from them would probably be easier as well. This branch is particularly chock full of games that would probably be harder to come by in other branches, since it is in Virra Mall, Greenhills, and come now, how many people actually end up here, at the third floor of Virra Mall, Greenhills?

With more and more interest going into the "nerdy" or "geek" culture, comic shops and hobby shops…read morehave arisen to provide specialty shop services to the growing population. So, where would one go for both? One option would be Filbar's, which manages to sell comic books, cards and figurines of superheroes and occasionally favorite fantasy characters from Japanese Anime as well. With these shops scattered all over, one can imagine a network of these subcultures managing to tell each other about the latest small place where one can pick up a comic or a toy or even a card game that caters to their hobbies and interests. This branch of Filbar's in particular is conveniently located inside a mall and looks more like an open stall than an enclosed store thus permitting even girls like me to get in on the trend. The layout and location of the store diminishes any sense of hesitation that uninitiated yet curious passersby may feel and the general interest magazines displayed in the front portion seems to be an effective ploy to get any mall-goer to do the first step: check out the store. With Filbar's around, we can be comfortable showing our curiosity and openness for this new culture.

Anime was a huge part of my childhood. Most of my favorite television shows were anime - Card…read moreCaptor Sakura, Samurai X, Bubblegum Crisis, Flame of Recca, Brain Power and many more. My siblings and I would always rush to the television when we get home from school to watch our favorites. We even memorized the schedules by heart. We were that obsessed! We also learn a bit of Japanese, haha. I remember we would want anime merchandise but there weren't really any stores that only sold anime themed products or you'd have to go to Japan or ask relatives in Japan to buy you some for birthdays or the holidays. The only merch I had were collectible cards and a mouse pad, haha, sad! I'm not a huge anime fan anymore but my younger brother still is and I do appreciate it - sometimes watching some shows and having brother-sister time with my brother. I still find anime merchandise cute and awesome so I'd still buy some products. Comic Alley sells an array of products like hats, bags, jewelry, cards and jackets. The jackets are really cool and I'm not sure if Adventure Time is Japanese (I love that show!) but they have AT merchandise as well!

I sometimes avoid Comic Alley because it gives me painful flashbacks to my weaboo past, a time when…read moreI would devour anything that remotely looks like anime. But also because I know that I'll probably end up buying more merchandise than I can afford. Nostalgia can be a dangerous thing, and for someone who grew up in the 90s, anime was a very big part of my life. Almost everyone I knew who was my age has watched anime and has been a fan of something at one point. Flame of Recca, Cardcaptor Salura, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, Gundam Seed, Inuyasha, Naruto...I could go on, but I won't. Comic Alley was where I bought my first ever anime DVD (obviously I hadn't known I could torrent for free yet), and it was Tantei Gakuen Q, and I remember being so happy about it that I couldn't find it in me to be disappointed when there were no English subtitles. Now the selections at Comic Alley have grown smaller, but it remains a place where I can unlock the memories of my childhood.

I've always wanted a novelty store in Manila. It was often buying stuff online which was initially…read morefine but with shipping fees and added taxes, it can be a pain. Thank the novelty gods and goddesses someone thought of putting up Quirks! Quirks is a quirky person's Mecca. They sell a lot of unique and fun things like mugs with brass knuckle handles, skull shot glasses, sun jars, grow-your-own-crystals, waterproof world map printed laundry bag (all stuff I got from the store) and many more! I love going in and looking at everything. Too bad I can't buy the whole store! So many cool stuff to choose from. I've already bought a handful of stuff from them before for my family, friends and myself; and those gifts are always a hit! Definitely a store to stop by if you're gift hunting. They'll even give you a points card where you can gain points each time you buy an item and get something for free!

With a storefront that says 'Quirk novelties & curiosities' how can you not be curious what kind of…read morequirky items you can find in this place! Obviously I went in for a look because it's always cool to give unique gifts or funny novelty items to your friends and family. I was a bit disappointed for two reasons. The first reason is the assortiment, there is really not that much to choose from, you can browse through the entire store within 5 minutes. Second of all, the quality of the stuff wasn't that novel, unique or funny or innovative. Items I saw were kinda boring e.g. Desktop putting stationairy set, greeting cards, billfold leather thingees, travel adapters, funny touch pens for your tablet etc. The only really cool thing was the smartphone projector, which was only a bit more than a 1000 php. So very average, 3 stars.