Open for almost 2 decades now I would say that this is one of the best toy stores in all of Los Angeles when it comes to collectibles and Japanese items specifically. Everything here is really quality and there are so many different genres so there is something to love for everyone. It's located in a small shopping center so there is a free parking lot attached in front. The man behind the counter who I interacted with was very polite and I enjoyed speaking to him, he also mentioned that they buy toys back from people they sell too, so it really is a community and shop. I would say pricing is fair and I was able to find some really unique one off items as well as some blind boxes. This is more for the collector and someone who can appreciate things versus children, however, there would be things for kids, too, it's just for those who can appreciate the items. I would suggest and plan to be back again. read more

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What a cute little store! I stopped by after grabbing coffee by the shop next to it. This place definitely has items for yourself, friends family or kids! I saw some really high quality figurines. The selection is pretty broad with things varying from Star Wars, the simpsons, hello kitty, minions, anime, etc. they have a lot! I ended up purchasing some cute anatomy organ stickers here! The service was great and the gentleman that helped me was very warm and welcoming. I assume he was the owner of the shop but he was kind, informative and answered any questions we had! read more

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I loved this little shop. Kind service, wonderful selection of figures, and high value items and collectibles. I'm so happy it exists and hope to visit again the next time I'm nearby. read more

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I usually review food but thought it'd only be right to give this small business the shout out it deserves! If you're a fan of blind boxes, figurines, and/or anime, Pop Monster is worth the visit! I am always warmly greeted by the owner and I always leave the store happy with a new blind box or other things that spark joy. The parking lot is small but I never have issues with parking. Highly recommend you check this spot out! read more

I'm happy with my purchase it is way to much variety so lovely good price and free parking read more

Pop Monster - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

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The owner of the shop was kind and attentive. Amazing variety of collectibles. Very clean establishment.

Great selection! Owner overheard me admiring some Snoopy figures and pointed me toward the Life in A Bottle blind box. They also had some Miffys and Yoshimoto Nara figures. Will come back! read more

Pop Monster - Snoopy Life In A Bottle blind box - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

I've been twice now, always leave a happy costumer. There is a 'wait outside' sign for you to wait to be let in, but every time I go we're led in within a minute. There's a good variety of figures depending on what you like. Some sofubi, resin, vinyl, blinds. Etc. when you buy used figures the owner will usually try to get you the original authenticity card or box if he has it, otherwise he lets you know before you buy. I haven't traded or sold in anything yet, so I can't speak on that very well. But so far I've felt what I've bought is fairly priced, and more convincente to get for me. I don't have to pay for shipping or wait for my order, and is also nice to be able to see it in person ahead of time read more

If you love Tokidoki this is the place to go! It's so hard to decide what to buy because they carry everything from T-shirt's, baseball caps, stickers, keychains, wallets, backpacks, crossbody bags, and totes. Here is a photo of some of my most recent purchases ... JuJube crossbody and pouch read more

Pop Monster - JuJube crossbody and matching pouch love the colors and print. Tokidoki fan - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

I stopped by Pop Monster and was pleasantly surprised! I was able to get some great wall art and a few blind boxes and had a great time just browsing and looking at all the different things that are offered. The owner was very kind and helpful and catered to all types of collectors. Definitely a store I will be visiting again! read more

My boyfriend and I discovered this place as we were looking for stores with blind boxes in the Torrance area. There is a good selection of blind boxes, collectibles, trinkets, and some posters as well. The display shelves along the back of the room contain items (including blind box figures) for sale, which you can purchase or trade for. I was able to get my hands on a Skullpanda item from a 2020 collection by trading a duplicate I recently pulled! The owner is a very sweet and kind and I will definitely be coming back! read more

Came here today in search of some Kaws statues for my little son. Although I also knew the trade-off would be the prices! And no they didn't have any but they did have a lot cool stuff to look at. I was able to buy me some really cool knotts stuff a miniature figure. But I really liked this store they have so many things to look at. Also if you like going to little Tokyo to buy little trinkets come here first if you don't want to drive too far. read more

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Very cute store with a wide range of collectible toys. Would highly recommend if you are in the South Bay Area.

This place is so nicely taken care of! I bought 2 statues and the gentleman working very nicely wrapped everything by hand. They also have a lot of unique things! Definitely solid for anime! read more

Pop Monster - Big display case - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

This store has a little bit of everything but overall seems more geared towards collectibles/surprise/blind boxes. I found some things a little overpriced, even considering the fact that they were imports, but this store is definitely good for a gift you may not be able to find in a typical Japanese goods store here. Of course there are the typical Ghibli goods and the popular anime stuff (saw some Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Free!, One Piece merch, etc.). There were so many franchises available and lots of Tokidoki merchandise. There is even a small K-Pop goods section where I saw some BTS goods that some of my friends would love. And for figurine lovers and collectors, there are plenty of display cases showcasing what's available for sale, from superhero Labbits to idol girl figurines. My friends ended up getting a Pokemon terrarium and Rilakkuma blind box. $15 each for a small little figure set they could assemble. Totally worth it if you can't find such goods online and aren't going to Japan anytime soon. Even local artists' goods are sold here, which makes this store even more awesome. From note cards to art books, pins, and stickers, it's really great to see a local store carry local artists. Highly recommend for something that you might not be able to find online because it looks a lot of the stuff is imported from Japan specially. Pop Monster really has a little bit of everything! read more

Wow what a fantastic unique collectibles anime store! I dropped in to purchase gifts for grandchildren, and found a truly amazing collection. The children ages were 3-11, all bright art loving children. Mr. Lee, the owner, helped me find something for each child. Pokémon themed gifts for each kid, and such interesting items they will LOVE! Here in Torrance we have some wonderful unique shops but this one is super special. Thank you Mr. Lee!!! Consider me a frequent shopper for all the kids in my life! read more

Such a cute charming store! Neat selection! If you love Kawaii collectibles this is the spot for you! You can even trade! The owner is such a nice man. He loves what he does. Ill definitely be back! read more

I always go here for anime figures to display in my room. They have a awesome selection of figures and a lot of clothing items too. I recently bought a nendroid from here and it is so cute! read more

Pop Monster - Kenma Kozume nendroid - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

Let's face it, I'm barely an adult so there's still a large part of me that loves and wants pretty much everything in Pop Monster. I'm so sad that I discovered this store after I left California because they carry a large selection of Tokidoki which is pretty scarce outside of LA as far as I know - and as I learned last year, I do not have the patience to stand in line behind 2,000 people cooler than me for the Warehouse sale. They also carry it at Saks 5th Avenue but their selection is hit or miss. I really enjoyed browsing here and found about 100 things I wanted - miniatures, hoodies, stuffed animals, you know - necessities. A reservation for lunch limited my shopping time, so I settled on a Tokidoki Roma crossbody handbag with rose gold hardware, Tokidoki for Barbie t shirt, and some stickers. ありがとうございま Pop Monster! また近いうちにお会いしましょう read more

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Tokidoki and Marvel Comics Unite!!! cute shirts!!! u can get them here. http://marvel.com/news/all.10353.marvel_fashion~colon~_marvel~and~tokidoki_team_up read more

After Isabel F. got me hooked a few months ago in San Fran and made me a believer in these Kid Robot "blind box" treasures a visit to Pop Monster was much over due. I knew they carried Kid Robot goodies so I came in and found just that as well as tons of other fun stuff. Super cute tees, mini buttons and wallets and other collections. They didn't have the particular blind set I was looking for but they had other ones that I took a liking to. The guy working was totally cool and we had a good laugh at one of the newer zipper pull collections that features little critters wearing different chonners. I browsed the small space and went back and forth between items before I made my decision. The guy working did not pressure me once and stayed behind the counter the whole time doing some paperwork and singing some tunes. He was super friendly and reminded me to sign up for their email list. I will return here for sure whenever I get the itch to be surprised by the unknown of a Kid Robot blind box. I'm pretty stoked that I can find Kid Robot treasures from this cool local business as It beats going all the way out to Melrose for sure. read more

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Support this awesome independent mom & pop shop full of mainstream collectible animes, variety of blind boxes, and vinyl art toys, including artwork from our local artists!! They have cool things here for stocking stuffers. Tokidoki, Domo, Gamago, Totoro, Hello Kitty x Ugly Doll, Bruce Lee vinyls and more. T-shirts, coffee mugs, usb flash drives, key chains, art prints, books, hand bags, stationary, stickers, plush dolls, watches, and jewelry. I bought a Tokidoki usb flash drive, Julie West vinyl doll, Gamago coffee mug that changes picture when adding hot liquid in mug, and Spirited Away's No Face Kaonashi plush doll! They have a cool collection of vinyl dolls not for sale on display you should check out. Seriously, some of the artwork on the vinyl dolls are amazing! If you're looking to dress up your living space with some unique art prints, you're in the right place! read more

You know how you can sometimes spend hours at the library? Well, you can sometimes spend hours at pop monster too! It's not one of those places where you can just hang out though. This place is like a Japanese toy heaven! All kinds of cool and nifty figurines. There are even cool books you can get lost in, nice looking t-shirts, and skins for your ipod, ipad, itouch, ieverything! Love this place. :) Feel free to buy me a giftcard to here. Thanks! If you're reading this, what happened to my MUNNY! You know who you are! read more

If by some act of god you've managed to find this obscure hidden place and haven't been killed by the oncoming traffic on Crenshaw, then you've arrived at Southbay's very own pop-culture-art-thing store (even after working here, I still don't know how to describe it to people). If you've got money to spend and an addiction to vinyl, off-the-wall art, and all things unique and all around weird, this is your place. Sure, you can probably find a lot of this stuff in places like Metro Park or Urban Outfitters (sometimes a bit pricier out there), but what sets this place apart is the tight knit community it has successfully created through art shows, trading events, raffles, spontaneous give-aways and even just appealing to the curious passer-by. The number one tip I can offer when shopping here is to stop and get to know the people behind the counter on your next visit. The best part about working here was seeing familiar friendly faces. The owner, Mr. Lee, is one of the nicest guys you'll meet that empathizes with local artists with mutual passions. Come out to his events and he'll definitely treat you right. Trivia: About 90% of the store's fixtures were designed and hand built by Mr. Lee himself. Also, pay attention to the Matrix Kubrick figures in the glass case next to the back room (if they're still there). Trinity moves! I swear! Every time I looked at that case, she'd be rotated in a different position even though I'd be the only one in the entire store for hours. There, I said it. Pop Monster is haunted. read more

Love coming here for the huge selection of blind boxes and everything else. All sorts of collectible art toys and figures, the owner is very friendly as well. read more

This is the type of local store where I wave the "Support your local merchants" banner. The owner is a very gracious guy, and you can't help but root for him and his store to succeed and stay open as part of the community. As I always tout, if you don't support your local merchants, and opt to save pennies and a few bucks on the internet, you're really missing out on the humanity of the retail experience with stores like this who enhance the shopping experience. It's one of those places that you'll find unique gifts for others and a few quirky things for yourself. If into artwork, the low-brow culture scene, vinyl toys, Asian designer figures, etc. then this is a good store. What makes them "fan friendly" is the set-up they have for those who collect the "blind box" randomly packed figures that's been popular the last decade, and they allow customers to use their store space to sell or trade amongst each other. read more

Thank you so much for making us feel welcome and by letting two groups walk through your store. There were so many cool items to choose from including hats, shirts, action figures, and many more cool stuff. read more

Amazing store....a lot of anime, uglydolly hello kitty and tokidoki. I have purchased many things from this place. My recent purchases are my hubby's collection of Tokidoki skate decks, which are hard to find. I have purchased shirts, bags, magnets, stickers, blindbox...... Owner is very nice and this is why I keep coming back for more. Always a large selection of "hard to find" gifts. read more

Pop Monster - Tokidoki Skate Decks - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

As we are still amid COVID19, we called to make an appointment to go to the store today. The owner was courteous and careful upon arrival with complimentary gloves to wear inside. All the Toki Doki merch was stocked and displayed so nicely. It has been such a great experience to still be safe and still be able to come inside to check out the store. read more

In my search for one location, I came across this one. Unfortunately, with the traffic that was rushing behind me, and no means for a quick turn, I drove around the block (maybe more) just to get into a full circle to end at Pop Monster. I like monsters. Not the ugly, gross ones, that freak you out in disgusting drooling manners, but rather the cute ones that lie on your bed trying to be scary but it's just not working because their oh so cute. Anyway, Pop Monster is not only about cute little monsters, it is the home of the creative arts, plastic figures, and graffiti arts. Like, I saw a wallet and plastic figure from Sam Flores. i like that guy's work. And, the ever so popular Tokidoki. It's all themed to catch your attention with all sorts of Japanese Pop Culture, but you'll also find American pop culture hidden in the cracks. C'mon, The Simpsons little figures. There is an artist who displays his or her work every two month or so, and I hopped on to their mailing list, and the kids who work behind the counter are just as nice and fun. Skateboards are on display too. I haven't been to Giant Robot or Munky King (at least not yet), but Pop Monster is the closest thing I've been to that allows me the simple pleasures of escaping the real world and into a world of colorful designs. read more

If you are ever tired of driving all the way to Sawtell Rd. to go to Giant Robot I prefer Pop Monster. Their T-Shirts are a lot cheaper than GR and they have many miniature vinyl toys, as well as everyone's favorite, Ugly Dolls. And for those Japanese enthusiasts they also have Domo Kun and Gloomy Bear plush dolls and stickers. What I found very interesting was this Mechanical Music Box Set they sell, it allows you to make your own music box melodies. I find that very original. They sell millions of other things not only from Japanese artists but from American Artists as well as Camille Rose Garcia and Craola. Not to mention they also sell zines there. So if you have the time you should check this place out, it's pretty cool. read more

Pop Monster - Storefront - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

Was hanging out at my brother-in-laws place her in Torrance and kids at the house were driving me crazy so I needed to find a place to hang for awhile. Found this place on yelp so gave it a try. Took me 20 mins to get here. Upon entering the store, they have a lot of cool pop culture stuff that you probably can't find at most places. They also have a display case of stuff people in the community can sell their stuff too. I thought that the prices were listed on the stickers but they are just identifiers for the people and which item they want to sell and how much. I would like their to be a standard on pricing or something, but it's pretty much people asking for $30 bucks for some duplicate $10 figure they opened up in a blind box. The owner was nice to me so I don't know what other reviewers are saying. He talked to me for a little bit and told me to take my time and browse around. He seems to be very involved in keeping a community based store and involving the locals. Pricing was, I felt like the majority of his products were over priced by almost double retail cost. For example, his marvel Keychain and blind boxes were priced at $10 when you can pick up the same items at target or Ugly Cases store 5 miles away for $6. Can't say that I would go out of my way to come here again unless I was in the area when there are other options to get the same things for less. read more

Pop Monster - Just came back from Hawaii and enjoyed this statue. I hope it doesn't haunt me in my dreams in revenge for all the shave ice I just ate - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

I can't believe I have never written a review for this place!!! This place has amazing toys and adorable things anyone can possibly find! Having a hard time finding a gift for someone? Trying to decorate your place? Come here! They have stuff you won't see every day at another store! PS - They have Hello Kitty stuff here, too! The guys who work here are super nice and helpful, too! read more

Pop Monster is the Giant Robot for the South Bay. What they lack in space, they make up in variety and overall flavor. Their interior design rivals any designer toy store from Kid Robot to Munky King. They have a decent assortment of extra-fresh toy culture/coffee table books and a myriad of awesome stickers from artists like Frank Kozik and Tara MacPherson. Their T-shirt selection is something to behold, plus they're reasonably priced. They carry items you might see advertised in Giant Robot and other street culture mags that are never found in shops; like laptop gels, Gama-Go wallets and art billfolds. They also sell limited edition art prints that are signed and numbered. Pop Monster also carries, a variety of Lomo Cameras, anime inspired jewelry pieces (if I were a chick, I would so get the Astro Boy celly-charm) and different toy series from Unipo and Bearbricks to the awesome Vivisect Playset. So there it is, another designer toy hub for the South Bay. It's nice to know that collectors in the South Bay don't have to drive up the 405 to get their toy fix anymore. The LOWDOWN ("I Got My Visell Here" Remix) Minus 1/4 of a star for not carrying the French Dunny Series. Really, I'm just nitpicking. Minus 3/4 of a star for hiring from the same late teens clone-pool that supplies Giant Robot, Union and American Apparel. Seriously, kids, a little "Hi" goes a long way in the realm of customer service. Oh wait, I forgot, having customer service isn't cool anymore. Plus 2 stars for not being as far as Melrose or Sawtelle. Plus 2 stars for being almost everything a designer toy store should be. (4 stars) read more

Ugh! I visited Pop Monster about 2 hours after visiting Kid Robot. Talk about a difference. First of all, they don't carry the Ninjas which is what I was looking for, second, it seemed like they only carried 2 or 3 of everything, so it shouldn't even be considered a store....perhaps a garage sale. I really want to give them more stars, because the staff is super nice, but in yelp speak, I would have to agree, "Meh. I've experienced better" and that better....is Kidrobot. read more

I used to live in the area and enjoyed going to this quirky little shop to find cool little treasures. But after a recent visit I was left a bit soured on ever going back again. Although I would never claim to be a frequent regular to this establishment, I will say throughout the times I lived close to the area I would stop in from occasion and scoop up some cool stuff. I even brought my sister when she visited from out of state to this place and she ended up spending like $300 on books, clothes, and random stuff. WAY TO MUCH in my opinion but whatever. Usually this was my place to get unique or trendy gifts for my friends and family who were into the type of merchandise they sell, Tokidoki, hello kitty, anime and manga toys, etc. I live rather far from Pop Monster, in fact in the ass opposite direction up north in the Valley. I found myself in the south bay area recently for work and after a long day I decided to take a detour on my way home to go to this place and find some stuff for my gf's bday. Unfortunately this trip made me really not want to patronize this place again. I got to the shop around 645pm. I was looking around taking my time, the shop closes at 8 so I thought I had a reasonable amount of time left. I was wrong. After looking around a bit another customer in the store and I started talking randomly about a similar interest we had in sports. Nothing major, nothing loud, rude or obviously poor behavior. It honestly doesn't even seem like something worth mentioning had not for the owners reaction. While I was speaking to the other customer I noticed the owner kept glaring at me, at first I thought I was just imagining things since it had been a long day. But we were the only two in the shop. Then he came up to the both of us and asked if we came to the store to buy things or to talk? He said he wanted to close soon and we should either buy our things now and then continue the conversation or go outside and talk so he could close up. I was honestly taken aback by this.The tone although not straight up rude was definitely unprofessional and had hints of annoyance. Secondly it was like barely 715 at this point. I understand it can be frustrating if you are wanting to close or even if it were closer to closing and waiting for the customers to leave, but seriously... there was no need for this. Furthermore again I can understand a shop owner not wanting people to loiter at his shop, especially say teenagers or something, but we were both grown ass adult men! Although I don't expect him to know/remember I have spent plenty of money at his store before, this is not the attitude to have if you WANT people people to spend their hard earned money or time while there. His attitude just reeked of "my time is worth more than yours" and in retail I am sorry but this is really the wrong approach. Especially when it is a store of fun quirky merchandise. If anything I would think a store like this would want to foster a fun, social atmosphere where fans of this kind of pop culture have a sort of haven to interact with other collectors. I would think that would make people more enthusiastic and interesting in buying things. I don't know about the other customer but it got pretty uncomfortable quick. For whatever reason i sort of just laughed and said my bad and bought my purchase and left. I spent about $70 on two things. And for the record I think the stuff is overpriced. It's not exactly my interests so I give it some leeway that these might be the going prices but for some of the stuff in the shop I have seen elsewhere for far less. I wouldn't complain so much for the price gouging but it's far more noticeable when the owner is pushy for a sale. In hindsight I should have probably not bought anything at all after that. But the things I bought were things my gf ended up really enjoying. But after this trip and it made me really rethink ever going there again. The owner needs to value his customers more, especially considering most of the stuff he sells is overpriced and honestly could be found online. read more

I can't walk into Pop Monster without leaving with a massive amount of stuff. It's been really cool seeing the store slowly develop into the great local art institution that it has become. After you visit this place and leave with a handful of really great finds, make sure to jot down your info on the clipboard and get on the mailing list. You'll enjoy getting updates on recent arrivals, sales, art contests and tons of other stuff. read more

Owner was rude and just kicked us out without explaining anything about appointments. I had to figure it out later online looking at their site and seeing it all the way at the bottom. I saw two people come in without him even glancing at them. read more

Cool selection of Japanese Pop Culture. They have the usual anime stuff along with alot of other cool things that range from clothing to toys. I would compare this store with Giant Robot since they are about the same thing. If your into this kind of stuff check it out and buy me a domo t-shirt or something haha. They also still carry the mimobot flash drives that were kind popular a few years ago. Though they still cost alot here, more than i've seen them for around town. read more

Get your hard to find Japanese Pop Art gifts here! Just be prepared to spend some $$!!! Located in a small strip mall on Crenshaw Blvd, this is a great store for those who are collectors of anime, vinyl pop, and all things Japanese Pop Art. Great variety of gifts to choose from, as well as a great selection of collectibles. If you know what you are looking for, and the local Marukai, Mitsuwa, etc just doesn't cut it - this is your place. The store owner is very friendly and knowledgeable. read more