Most people resort to online shopping when it comes to toy-collecting. Hey, they're not just toys…read more They're "the" toys. I may not be much of a figure collector, but I have a bunch and I love them enough to understand how an avid collector feels. What I love about toy shops like these is how most of them interact to the customers. If there's something you want to buy that aren't anywhere to be seen locally, you can contact them and they might be able to order a piece just for you. That's how it usually works for the rare pieces, as far as I know. Now, Hobbypro Central is one of the places to go to if you're into Magic cards. My brother was interested in joining Magic: The Gathering tournaments and didn't know where to begin at first. So word of advice: ask the hobby shopkeepers.

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?

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.

When I lived in various parts of the Metro from the late 80's to the late 90's, I'd always make my…read moreway to the Makati location. Even now in 2024 I find myself there buying some kits while on vacation. Found a few kits that were cheaper than in the US, since I'm here might as well take advantage. Staff was always helpful and knowledgeable, they knew what was on the shelves.

Nice convenient shop for scale modellers, there are selection of Academy Tamiya, Hobbyboss,…read moreTrumpeter, Airfix, Dragon models I've remember. Some RC car parts are also available (I'm not a RC guy) Recommended.

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.

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?

this mall is AWESOME! we were staying across the street at the Vivere. we must have visited this…read moremall 3 different times. so much to see and do here. we had our 3 kids so they enjoyed the amusement park and trampoline parks. the food options ranged from fast to fine. very big so it's easy to get lost. we highly recommend.

What i love about this mall is the seats in the 3rd floor, my favorite part in the mall is the h…read moreand m wall in the third floor, there's a trampoline park I could highly recommend, there's a ton of fun stuff in the mall, mini trains, roller coasters, go carts, the water gardens, hell naw there's even a freaking shooting range, my 1st favorite mall, highly recommended to visit.

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.

There was once a time that I was hanging out with a friend of mine from Alabang Hills Village. We…read morewere smoking in his car just chilling when it suddenly hit him that he had yet to buy his girl a Christmas present. He was flustered. Panicking, the man dragged me along to Alabang Town Center to help him find a gift for his lady love. We went from one store to another. He had absolutely no clue about the kind of gift that he wanted to give his girl. I advised him that the least he should do is give her something that she could use. We ended up at Gourdo's of all places. Gourdo's just sells a lot of stuff that's related to cooking and baking. We ended up getting here a cookie cutter. I forget the pattern, but a year or so later I can distinctly recall here giving us a batch of cookies cut out in the shape of the cookie cutter that we bought that day.

My version of heaven would probably have an area that's a mixture of Gourdo's, Kitchen Elf, and…read moreChocolate Lovers. Basically, it will be a baker's heaven, with every ingredient, equipment, and packaging I could ever dream of for my kitchen, there for my taking. Unlike Kitchen Elf and Chocolate Lovers where I regularly (read: OFTEN) buy stuff, Gourdo's is more of a special occasion kind of thing. Why? Well, let's just say I need to save up for most of the products they offer. They have, for example, my dream Kitchenaid mixer (in mint or fuschia, please) for Php 27,000. They also sell a wide variety of Wilton products that are proven and tested when it comes to baking, but come at hefty price tags, too! If you're on a tight budget like me, I recommend that you visit Gourdo's during the holiday season (starting November). They're generous with sales toward the end of the year. Last year, I was able to score some Wilton frosting tips and a jigger/shaker at discounted prices!