Toy Joy says everything straight in the name - a store for of toys that will fill one with joy. A proper Yelper might give a lengthy description about with a list of the variety of toys crammed into the shop - all I say is go in to wonder around and discover for yourself. They have classic toys and weird ones, a fun place to be. I found a really odd card with emergency medical procedures in old sketch form on the front and sent it to my sad friend in the mail with the caption "in case of emergency" without a return address. She called me and said it made her feel better, so maybe if you need a random gift to cheer up your friends this is the place to go. Also got a stuffed Llama whom the manager of the place we ate for dinner named Yama, she is very huggable and can also stand up on her stuffed legs which makes her a really perfect stuffed Llama. (As I am reading this review to edit I see I wrote "wonder around" instead of "wander around". Still applies, keeping it) read more

Fascinating toy store. I felt something. It was a feeling like when Kevin from Home Alone 2 goes to Duncan's Toy Chest and soaks in all sorts of marvelous toys. Except here, they're marvelous AND STRANGE toys along with gadgets, trinkets, and accessories. You'll find all sorts of gag gifts that will tickle your mind, your friend's mind, your friend's friend's mind, and have everyone in your community talking about how weird you are. I'll give you an example. So I have this friend (true story, I'm not referring to me) and he wanted a pregnant lady with fetus keychain because all the other yelp reviews talked about it. I asked the staff and unfortunately, they said their supplier discontinued the production despite popular demand. So for my friend, I had to settle for the next best thing. Why there's a plush baby fetus in the soft plush basket. After communicating the disheartening and also uplifting news, he was sold and that's how Toy Joy sold me 2 plush baby fetuses. Since giving the 2 prenatal kids to my friend, I have no idea how he's raising them. There's so questions. Where are the kids now? Are they doing well? Will they go on to have a great social life and bright future? We may never know. Anyways, this is a medium-sized store jam-packed with whatever you are intending or not intending to look for. Enjoy at Toy Joy! -------------------------------------------------- QUICK TIPS: -------------------------------------------------- # Toy Joy is one of those places that make you go "oh yeah, let's keep Austin weird"! # Unfortunately, they don't have the pregnant lady w/ fetus keychains that's popular with other yelpers. The staff told me their supplier discontinued them years ago. # But hey, why not go for the next best thing? A plush baby fetus. Yes, there's other stuff too in case that doesn't float your boat. read more

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While Nine Inch Nails plays softly over the speaker, A woman discusses how much more well behaved downtown dogs are than "other dogs". Who are you and what have you done with my Toy Joy?! The parking? Yeah, there is none now. The really fun people watching that went on while in Toy Joy? Uhmmmm.... Well, if by "fun people watching" you mean Chad and Tiffany and their dog dressed in the latest outfit for the season, yeah, sure. It doesn't feel the same, has some of the same stuff... but, Toy Joy, you've gone from being my really cool friend I love to hang out with, to the total poser I can't stand. A single tear falls from my eye as I mourn the loss of one of my favorite friends. read more

Unfortunately, I only heard about TJ's through a friend (not on Yelp! *pout*) But I absolutely loved the eye candy and neat offerings here. The cool (and funny) hand written notes that are plastered on every nook and cranny that's open to curious people had me busy for at least 30 minutes just reading those things alone! The family & I supported the employees' salaries for at least a week on our last visit so that should hopefully pacify us for awhile to come. :) On a side note, the employees had such a great attitude and even greater sense of humor! That's the stuff that'll keep me coming here at every Austin visit. read more

I hadn't been to Toy Joy in at least five years so it was nice to revisit the store and see how much the stock is changed. While many toy stores specialize in vintage toys, Toy Joy has a wide selection of vinyl figure blind boxes and plushies from Japanese brands, like San-x and Sanrio. They have a policy in place that if you open a blind box and don't get the figure you want, you can exchange it with another one that's at the counter which is pretty nice. One note to make about the plushies is that they are the North American versions and not the Japanese versions (if you're concerned about the design/quality). Otherwise, it's a great place to check out, if you're into new and/or old toys! read more

So, I was glad to find out the other day that I was not the only one who thought that "Toy Joy" was some kind of really kinky sex toy shop when I first saw it. It was dark, people, it was dark. Anyways, it isn't a kinky sex toy shop. Instead, it is an eclectic mix of toys for adults and children and is meant to be enjoyed by all ages. Plus, if you are waiting for someone, it is one of the most enjoyable places to waste an hour of your time. Try it out - you'll like it. read more

My girlfriend and I came here with one purpose: to find a weird birthday present for our friend's birthday. We had no idea what we were looking for, but we somehow knew Toy Joy would have the answer. Sure enough, after browsing the store we found the perfect gift. It was a locally made bar of soap. And trapped inside the soap was a small doll figurine, with the eyes smeared across the face. Weird and useful...it was perfect. At the checkout, the staff graciously wrapped the present up. "Wow you did a really good job wrapping the present," I remarked. The guy smiled and said "Yea, I'm proud to say I did do a good job huh." lolls The staff is the reason why I keep coming back to this place; they really care about their customers and make sure to put a smile on their faces. Thanks Toy Joy for keeping it weirrrrd. read more

Toy Joy - Nicely wrapped present, courtesy of Toy Joy. - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place has things for adults and kids and there is pretty much something for everyone here! The staff loves their jobs and are super funny and helpful. It may take you a while to check everything here out as there is so much to see! It is a great place to look around and just explore even if you aren't up for a purchase. Prices are reasonable and they have some super classic toys as well as the newest craze. They also have a ton of hilarious gag gifts. Some popular Japanese brands can be found here too. Enjoy! read more

Hello Kitty sunshades for your car. Samurai bobble-head dolls. Tiny puffer fishes the size of your fingernail. Giant plastic cockroaches the size of a small dog. Darth Vader finger rings. Red rubber duckies with devil horns. These and much, much more are available at Toy Joy. The variety of toys, books and other miscellany squeezed into this little store is absolutely mind-boggling, and must be seen to be believed. Every cubic inch seems to be covered in stuff. Even the ceiling is pressed into service -- I particularly love the suspended hula hoop display with large inflatable fish swimming through! Today my son and I came in to browse. As usual I lost all track of time in this store. The little guy found me exclaiming over some Star Trek stuff and reminded me that it was time to go. He led the way out, but had to keep coming back for me as I was easily distracted. He actually sighed out loud when I made a (final) stop to look at the cute bento boxes. If this keeps up, I shall be forced to come without my son if I want to spend any decent amount of time at all in here. After ten years' worth of visits, I still can't enough of Toy Joy. read more

A bit overpriced, but a nifty shop, this is a shop like no other I've seen and of all places in the city of Austin. You will find toys for all ages here, literally, from Japanese creations, creatures and vinyls to board games of all editions and barbies up the walls. That or as Lanie L said, hello kitty kingdom surrounding you in every direction. This place is fun, and there's no mean ol' staffer to discourage you from poking and prodding at the toys, playing around a bit and having some fun. There's also a healthy selection of candied goods here. Once you do manage a selection you will find yourself amazed at their FREE gift wrapping! Awesome wrapping, great staff, great place. read more

I love this store! You can't help but smile when you walk in the door. Shelves and shelves of toys, collectables, accessories... you name it, they have it. This placed is packed with a plethora of items to make your inner child happy. I especially like the rare finds and unusual items that you never knew you had to have. Stop by and wall down memory lane, find a new guilty pleasure and have fun! This is Toy Joy! read more

This place is a winding magic box of tangible, imaginative coolness. It has been a great source of wonder to me when I was a curious college student, and even driving by post-college I can smell the strawberry-flavored quirkiness of the Hello Kitty sector and the carpet-box, seasoned conglomeration of the actual toy store. It's a pretty neat wonder to behold, an overwhelming smattering of colors and toys all over the walls, ceilings, and shelves. Dig the clear boxes of small trinkets, cheap rings, handwritten paper signs, index of board games, and tables and shelves of categorized gifts. One of the best secret santa gifts I've ever bought was picked up here (A Darth Vader head tin lunch box), and their array of hello kitty compacts, alarm clocks, keyrings, phone trinkets, vegan soft-serve and free tea refills are pretty neat. There's some pretty great books of all kinds of hobbies and topics. It's definitely a must-stop for a gift-searcher for any age. Even baby clothes, toys, and books for toddlers. Great small section of wind up music box players, stuffed animals, science kits, and toys like yomegas and frisbees. Dig to the max! read more

Toy Joy - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

MY FAVORITE TOY STORE EVER!!! They always have the best things, the atmosphere is great, and the workers are just awesome!! Super helpful and friendly! read more

I love a good toy store and Toy Joy's fun selection does not disappoint. for how small the space is, they have a wide range of products and I have a great time looking through everything!! however, my issue is with some of the workers at the register. I have been at this location several times and have bought a blind box item each time (at least 3 times) in the last year. I noticed a certain coldness from some of the workers before that stood out because it was strange to think someone working in a toy store would have an attitude like that and it wasn't like I was there right before they were supposed to close. finally, I went last night and had a very positive interaction with the worker! he even told me about the blind box trading deal that they have in the store - if you open your blind box there and don't like what you get, you can trade with what they have in the case if you would like! I love this idea, but was annoyed that in the several times I've gone in the past the colder workers did not bother to inform me of this deal. maybe it's a new thing they're doing, but just be aware that this is a thing if you're met with a distant attitude! read more

What a fun place. They should have a slogan such as "You'll be happier when you leave than when you arrived". It's not really a toy store as Big Larry thinks of toy stores, instead it is kind of a mega-chachka mall where you can get anything Kitsch. From goofy figurines to wooden boat models, old time candy and just about anything you can put in a pocket of your out of date cargo pants. They don't have FAO Schwartz style toys nor glue sniffer plastic models, but if you are looking for a bendable Pope or a doll dress, this is your place. You'll know it by the multiple garishly colored polypropylene hand-chairs outside. Those things are awesome. If I coulda figgered out how to check a couple as luggage, Big Larry would have done so. The place is loosely organized by a Dewey Decimal system for goofy items, so you can find things like stuffed animals or plastic rodents easily, but it is much more interesting to browse the place row by row and gawk at the amazing collection of stuff the owners have managed to amass. The staff obviously enjoy themselves tremendously. I think it would be so much fun to wake up every morning and look forward to going to work at such a delightful place. You may not buy anything, but then again, you may find that perfect gift for eccentric Aunt Sally. Check it out. read more

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We strolled in here after being told of a dishearteningly long wait for dinner. You can't help but be in a better mood when you walk into a toy store. A really nice girl showed me around and told me about neat items. They gift wrapped the things I bought for the kiddies for free which was pretty darn neat. There were a few toys from yesteryear which was fun too. The little guy on the counter that you can pull the pants off of was funny. The pregnant lady keychain was hilarious and disturbing all at once. Then of course there's the selection of ridiculous sunglasses for $9 which was impressive. I think it is a tad expensive but that's kind of to be expected. read more

Oh my, this is Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium in the real world! I actually didn't watch that movie, just the trailer, but you know what I mean. I walked in here because I was too early for brunch at Lamberts next door and was dazzled by the amazing toy store! It's simply unbelievable how big and diverse the toy selection here. Although I didn't end up buying anything, I had fun just by browsing this store. You'll find a lot of stuff here that you may not find elsewhere and the price is also reasonable, so whether you want to buy a toy or just want to check out a cool toy collection, go to Toy Joy! read more

Toy Joy - It's a paradise of toys! - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have been paying $10 for toys that fall apart before we leave Austin here for 6 years because my kid loves it. The staff has always been great, dogs and kids welcome... Until now. They have the rudest women sitting behind a table as you enter- here a direct transcript of our convo- "your mask isn't covering your whole face"- me "ok"(adjusts mask) "you need to use hand sanitizer before entering" me- "ok" squirt squirt "if you touch anything, bring it and sanitize it" me "ok" starts walking in "im not done- you need to listen to our rules" me "I did and now I want buy a toy real quick please!" "if you don't stand here and let me finish I am going to make you leave" me "BYE" read more

4.5 stars! I was psyched to go to this place and once I stepped inside, I died and went to my childhood heaven. I honestly probably spent a good two hours in this place (also because it was right before Christmas and the place was PACKED.. yowza..) The back part of the store seemed to be all hello kitty/totoro/anime-themed and as you went down the hallway towards the main part of the store, it exploded into glorious amounts of colorful adult toy fun (not THAT kind. sheesh.) Just as there was super duper awesome fun stuff, there was a lot of junk as well that I don't think anyone would really want- like all the stacks of the stupid finger puppets or random little plastic babies.. They're fun to look at, but I can't imagine anyone actually buying them. I geeked out over the Star Wars/Star Trek section and surely even scared my date a little bit. I had to control myself to not buy everything. "NO Lauren, you don't need a millenium falcon puzzle replica." "But! But! You NEVER let me get what I want!!" In fact, there was a large amount of geeky/nerdy items in the store. Made my heart happy. To make this place cooler, they accept the Go Local Austin card AND after my date's purchase of the card, they gave us vouchers for a free mini scoop of ice cream in the back (YES they have ice cream in the back.. WUT). I think the part that topped of the WIN of toy joy for me was the lolcats picture/message in one corner of the store, letting everyone know that security cameras were in place (see picture). I about bust a gut when I saw that. Only thing that bothered me was not everything was labelled or priced. They had tons of cute ornaments strewn around the store, but none of which seemed to be at a place in the store where they could actually be purchased, nor were there any visible prices. :o( I probably would've bought that sparkly caterpillar ornament, but I couldn't even reach it... I'd only take a half star off for this, though. You NEED to come here at least once before you die. Do it. Ceiling cat demands it. read more

Toy Joy - SECURITY KITTEH HAZ INSTALLD CAMERAS. SO HE CAN WATCH U SHOP. - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

You will find no finer toy store enjoyment. You just wont. Don't bother trying. From friendly, helpful and engaging staff to the random endless supply of stuff you never knew you wanted Toy Joy is the the most engaging place you can waste an hour in. (*At LEAST an hour!) You can get your Princess Diana paper dolls, a Rubik's cube, a zillion $1 toys - like rubber zombie finger puppets and awesome stuffed toys (Wild Things and Fraggles!), not to mention top of the line infant toys. And now they probably have the best Hello Kitty section of stuff in town. I spent about 20 minutes in that section alone this past Sunday! It is hard to believe that i have been visiting Toy Joy for almost 20 years now. (eeek! showing my age!) But it is also kind of a pride thing. (Yeah, i HAVE been here that long!) Every time i visit i turn right back into a kid and love the new discoveries! I also love the late hours, nothing like visiting toy paradise after a fun night on the Drag! Toy Joy is an Austin Institution and rightfully so. It's our very own FAO Schwartz of kinds.... Only an AUSTIN version - making it infinitely cooler. read more

Toy Joy - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

Toy Joy is an interesting little shop in downtown Austin that, as the name might imply, specializes in all sorts of toys. Japanese model kits, plushies and stuffed animals, little plastic dinosaurs, puzzles, pop culture knick knacks, if it could be considered a toy, they probably have at least a few of them in their vast collection. The prices really vary, as do the products, but given the fact that they carry many items normally only available online its certainly worth a look. read more

Toy Joy - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

Instantly loved Toy Joy... whimsical, self-deprecating and black lights in the back... What more could you possible want? I even learned about Disneystrology... read more

Toy Joy - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Was heading to grab a bite to eat and they weren't opened yet. Strolled by this place, glanced in the window and realized I better turn around. I felt like a kid again after walking in, tons of stuff to play with. Bought a cool head scratcher and a few other odds and ends. Played with rubber dinosaurs and trie don masks. Definitely some adult stuff here too. read more

Toy Joy - Unpacking more goodies - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

Oh the joy of Toy Joy. Toy Joy brings happiness to my life. You can find anything here, from plastic rats, giant octopuses and Godzillas, creepy plastic clowns, tiny babies and other weird creatures. I love going to Toy Joy because you can spend hrs looking around and filling your hands with novelties. My favorite part is the plastic bins full of cheap little vintage looking stuff and you will laugh at loud with the descriptions that the employees write on the tags. Toy Joy also has Vegan soft serve Ice cream and bubble tea. Do I need to say more? read more

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The Happiest Place in Austin - quote me on that. Try having a bad day inside of Toy Joy, go ahead, I'll wait. You can't. You can't have a bad day here. Toy Joy packs a lot of love in their small, downtown location. If there's a quirky toy you're dreaming of, this place has it. I was hooked when I went to their former, Drag, location, but the downtown location hasn't lost that Austin charm.. they may have gained some, because they don't have the charming building to fall back on. They have to be ontop of their game here and they are. It's seriously the happiest place in Austin. I just want people to continue to support this local toy store, becuase it's an ATX staple and just because something had to move, doesn't mean it's worth anything less. read more

Some people go to Toy Joy to get an Obama or Mao Tze Dong figurine. Some others satisfy their childhood obsessions of Hello Kitty or Choco Cat. I go to Toy Joy for their bubble teas. The past five times I went to Toy Joy were for that reason. For a toy store, they do a great job on their bubble teas. I usually just go for the plain Jasmine Green bubble tea. If you go, check out their new Edamame stuffed animals, err...., beans. They are cute, cuddly and hilarious. read more

OH this place truly is joyful! Full of so much to look at and everything you could imagine . For little kids and big ones, you'll find something here for everyone. I'm 48 and in love with the Japanese bags! read more

Such a cool toy store selling the most random items out there. From your traditional toys, to board games, trinkets and tchotchkes. If you're looking for a creative or unique gift for a good friend or even someone hard to shop for, you can find something here. Some of the random items here: -Garbage Pail Kids figures -Bacon band-aids -Kites -Finger puppets -Robot toys -Coloring books -Anime keychains -Advanced puzzle cubes read more

Great store. If you're looking for Japanese gunpla specifically, this is a great place to get your fix. They regularly re-order, and they always keep a healthy amount of model kits in stock. They have friendly staff as well. read more

Even if you don't have a kid, this store is so fun to walk around. I noticed the employees were all super friendly and helpful with trying to find the perfect gift for someone. They have literally anything you can think of. From vintage candy to white elephant gifts, games, stocking stuffers....this place is packed from floor to ceiling with fun toys. *Return items within 10 days with receipt. All sale items are final. read more

Toy Joy - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Such a fun place to spend a little time taking in the "new" nostalgia and the cool, fun contemporary toys and gifts. The associates are nice and don't seem to care if you meander around for a while. Always something to buy... that's the tricky part. . A cool, revitalized Austin mainstay. read more

Top notch toy store, located in downtown Austin across from Violet Crown Cinemas. Small but packed with good stuff. Some notable brands--Melissa & Doug, Sanrio, Loungefly, Marvel. You can tell those selecting the stock items chose a good variety of high quality and unique items, a lot of things I haven't seen in more "standard" less niche toy stores like Toys R Us. They're also carrying a decent selection of the Star Wars stuff, which is now popular again because of the recent movie. A fun place to get either a large or small toy that's hard to find elsewhere. It's also fun trying on the dress up items and chatting with the staff. read more

Toy Joy - Horse heads - two friends - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

Summary- Just an awesome toy store with an awesome selection of old and new. Certainly a little cramped and pricey, but it's a city toy store, so deal with it. read more

I'm not going to lie...I love this place because my name is Joy. That's not the only reason why. Toy Joy is such a fun store. It's not just any toy store. They have every fun and unique toy under the sun. This place isn't just for kids. I find excuses to go to Toy Joy without the kids so I can play. I can say with certainty that I have made more purchases for myself then my children at Toy Joy. My most recent purchase was a pink unicorn wallet...all 40 year old women should own one. Got to Toy Joy it's a Joy!!! read more

Toy Joy - Thanks Toy Joy for supporting HAAM Benefit Day!! I love this place!!! - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

Store is pretty cool I have no gripes with the inventory but am annoyed by the employees they don't really have basic social skills and they are usually in the way or talking about something really really stupid. (No offense) at least they have the good sense to talk amongst themselves and not to me. You can shop here pressure free as they don't upsell you or even care what your doing as long as it doesn't inconvenience them somehow. One employee just sat there finishing their conversation for several minutes while I uncomfortably waited for them to finish roasting the customer that hadn't even left yet only for them to not say a word to me and having long painful pauses where they forgot to press the button on the computer. Check it out if your in the area but don't expect help or a welcoming vibe here unfortunately. read more

Fun shop, friendly staff! Will definitely be visiting again when I visit Austin in the future.

They wouldn't allow my 4 year old autistic son in the store without a mask. It's his birthday and we were going to let him go pick out a toy. The state mandate is for ages 10 and older, and studies have shown that children are VERY unlikely to spread it. My child again is autistic and CANNOT wear a mask. This is an ADA issue. Ridiculous. read more

This place is a lot of fun and put me in mind of a store I went to as a child though that one didn't just have toys. They have a very wide and varied selection of things which was really neat. Their prices are a bit on the high side for quite a few of their items that can be found elsewhere and on the net for much less. I have never understood the practice of charging customers for the privilege of shopping in their store and this seems to me to be one of them. Not saying the place isn't cool but it's not quite worth the hype. Though, I do not know of anyplace that one can even get vegan soft serve much less in as many applications as they provide. read more

This place ain't no Toys 'R' Us. Their selection is a lot more eclectic and a lot more fun. It's kind of like a bigger version of Monkey See, Monkey Do down in SoCo. They've got toys like The Avenging Pony, Einstein "action" figures and much, much, much more. The staff are really cool and happy to assist you and the prices aren't bad at all. They've also got more conventional toys like frisbees and such. In short, something for everyone. I personally bought an inflatable copy of Van Gogh's "Starry Night." read more

Great store full of everything from games, candy, costumes, puzzles, coloring books, etc. Nick-Nacs!!!! Please bring there dogs in the store. Neat store to check out if you are ever in the area. read more

Toy Joy - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

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