No matter the age, we live in a society where it is socially acceptable for an adult to collect…read moretoys with no judgement whatsoever. Big Boys Toy Store enables any toy lover or collector not only a chance to purchase the most popular toys in popculture, but also add rare toys! The great thing about the staff at Big Boys is that they are incredibly accomodating, and best of all they understand the obssession! Tell them what toy you're looking for and they'll tell you if they have it or if not whether you can pre-order it. They have clearbooks filled with different items that are not on hand at their stores but available for order if it indeed what you desire. And if what you are looking for is not included in stock or in the pre-orders file, they have been known to source it out for you. Just ask nicely lol!

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.

My two-year old daughter loves watching Disney Collector, a popular Youtube channel for kids (and…read morekids at heart) talking about the latest toys (mostly from Disney). My daughter has been watching these Magic Clip Disney Princesses over and over that I know she really wants to have at least one. I wanted to get her one, but the local toy stores didn't carry that brand. I thought I had to resort to buying online or asking a relative from the States to buy for me, until I recently discovered a Toys R Us branch in the new Robinson's Las Pinas. This place is relatively smaller compared to other Toys R Us branches, but they have a wide selection of toys for every boy and girl. I liked that they have the Disney Magic Clip collection available, and my personal favorite, the Shopkins Collection (yes, we saw it on Youtube). At first, it was my daughter wanting to buy these little thingamabobs, but I ended up being the one collecting them. They're so cute! Okay, back to Toys R Us. I like this branch because it's not too crowded. My daughter can take her time buying or looking at any toy she wants while I keep my eye on her. That's also a downside though, because it adds another thirty minutes to our mall time.

I actually chuckled out loud when I saw a Pope Francis felt plushie here months ago. I would never…read morethink of hugging the pope to sleep or having him on my bed (the horror!!!) but I guess some folks dig it. And some folks would also dig having a Manny Pacquiao plushie. I just, can't... NOPE. Anyway, other than those types of felt plushies, I do like some of Pop Junk Love's products. They're a small kiosk here in Town and they're into the whole DIY, arts and crafts thing. I was surprised to see a Pusheen plushie! Though I'm sure they have infringed on copyright here (Pusheen is actually known first as a blog with freaking adorable GIF's of bouncy cats before it hit Facebook stickers). I would still much rather order Pusheen stuff online because I would really rather support the original creator and his/her efforts. What I really liked are their papier mache cat figures! *Adds to list of must-have cat lady house decor*.

Pop Junk Love used to be an online store, gaining followers on Instagram through their cute…read morehand-made stuffed toys and knick-knacks. The owners/designers can get pretty crafty and creative with their designs, and they usually stick to whatever is trending in the Philippine market. Lately, they have produced Manny Pacquiao stuffed toys to support the recent fight of Pacuiao and Mayweather. Before that, they also made Pope Francis dolls to commemorate Pope Francis's visit to Manila. Now, they are growing steadily, especially with their pop-up store located at this branch. It's actually great that they are getting the recognition (and expansion) that they need, and that these sisters absolutely love what they are doing. I remember getting a Scrabble pillow to match my girlfriend's initials. The process was pretty painless, and I really like how everything turned out. Now it'll be even easier that they have a physical store, and you won't need an internet connection to complete your transaction.

This place is another long standing store in Alabang Town Center. Despite catering to a niche…read moremarket, it's been able to stand the test of time. The name of the store basically says it all. The store sells teddy bears of a wide variety of different colors, sizes, and themes. Heck, the store even has a bear that would make me feel small. Just looking at this place sort of fills me with warm fuzzy feelings. I remember back in high school that this was the place where a lot of people found gifts for their girl friends or girlfriends. After all, something cute, fluffy, and big is usually a good thing to give to a girl as a gift. If you have no idea what to give your girlfriend or a girl friend then I recommend this place. It's the play it safe option. On the one hand, you can't go wrong even if the gift might be underwhelming, on the other hand she might just enjoy a humongous teddy bear as a gift.

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.

Update this listing as your business is closed! Wasted my trip to the Megamall. Spent an hour…read morelooking for the shop that was there and only found out when I called to owner who says he closed the store and only sells on Lazada! Don't try to find this place as it isn't there!

JAE Collectibles is another nerd's store. By that I mean, everything inside it is something only a…read moredie hard fan of comics and such would ever appreciate. There are so many different toys in there. It's a small place, but man were they able to cram so much stuff in there. I mean, looking at all the toys in that place made my headspin. If you're a Pinoy and you find it difficult to find a collectible, I strongly recommend that you visit this place. I mean, crap words can't just begin to express the number of stuff in there that I like and the obscene and unhealthy amount of cash I want to splurge in that place and on the toys that I want to buy. So there you have it, if you're a nerd who really wants to buy limited edition collectible figurines and such, then this is the place that you want to go to.

I miss this place! I wish it's still open!…read more This is our go to gift shop back in the days

A visit to Greenhills will never be complete without going to Regina Gift Shop…read more When I was a kid my parents would remind me that it's a gift shop meaning I went in to buy gifts for other people. I believed that lie until I was about ten. I guess that was to prevent me from buying all the awesome goodies this shop has to offer. Sorry, parents. I'm buying gifts for myself. They have everything! And I really mean everything. They have all my childhood candies next to a stand of plastic balloons. You know, those little tubes which you squeeze until this substance comes out which you blow into with the use of a little stick. There's a shelf with plates, spoons and forks and knives, cups and lunchboxes. And in the center, you'll find notebooks, stickers, pens, art materials, cellphone cases and the occasional sex toy. Speaking of toys, they do have toys for babies and children and adults who collect toys. Not into those things? They have bags, clothes and hats too. I remember being dragged here by my mom whenever I needed a costume for school. "You're only going to wear it once anyway. But it at Regina," she'd say. Don't get me wrong, their clothes don't break after one use. They have cool socks and hats. And sometimes if you're lucky, they have sell Christmas stockings. I can't remember everything they sell at this shop. So it would be great if you have a look for yourself. You won't be disappointed and you'll leave with lots of loot.

More popularly known as "BF Ruins", the Good Shepherd Bazaar has become a permanent fixture and…read morelong-time favorite local haunt amongst southside folks. It's a popular "tiangge" where you can get these four things: Pirated DVDs/Music CDs, cheap clothing and shoes, mobile phones/accessories, and cheap food. It's not glamorous nor is it well-ventilated, but on days outside of the holiday season, it's a pretty relaxed place to go for some light impulse shopping after work, or a place to get some cheap, quick snacks in BF Homes. Although on holiday season, beware because this place becomes a cramped, sticky labyrinth, but still is a convenient place to get some last-minute gifts. Back when the internet wasn't such a thing and DSL connection was still unheard of, my favorite stall here would be this seller of rare/hard-to-find/indie pirated DVD's. But now, I just go here for cheap clothes and to grab some veggie snacks at Feng Ling, the cheap Malaysian & Singaporean food place, which serves tofu, veggie balls, fried kangkong, and yummy green mango smoothies. If you're planning to drop by, do visit around 5pm to be sure that all the stalls are already open. They open late, and since there is zero ventilation system inside, it's better to go when the sun is out.

It has been called by many names: BF night market, The Good Shepherd Bazaar, Ruins. But most…read moreresidents from the south know it by the name that it was first called: BF Ruins. This interesting little one-stop-shop for everything has been inside BF Homes as far back as I can remember. Before Aguirre became a famous food strip, right at its corner with President's Avenue was the ruins of an abandoned old building. Some really cool merchants started pitching tents and setting up tables to sell their wares there. You'd find a lot of really cool vintage items and some stylish clothes that you won't get in malls. Over the years, it has developed more into a find-everything-here place selling DVDs, CDs, electronic gadgets, accessories, clothes for kids, swimwear, tshirts, gift items and toys. It is now a structure with a huge roof and several stalls. It was called The Good Shepherd Bazaar for a few years now and usually runs between 2pm to 2am. However, their selling time seems to have changed very recently and most stalls are already open by noon and close around 11pm. While shopping in the sweltering heat may not be a good idea in the summer, I often brave the traffic and the heat to go here because they still have the best selection of children's items. If you're looking for class A toys, they've got a bunch you can get from P100 to P200. For instance, if you buy Shopkins (those little plastic toys with faces) in the mall, a 5-piece set would cost you about P350. Here, you get the items with the same quality - since it's all made in China anyway - for P120. You can get a two-piece swim suit for a baby for only P80 and Gerber Graduates, which is not available in malls here, for P220. Pajamas for kids run for about P100. Oh, and they have a nice little food area where you can get some really cool snacks. They have kwek-kwek and tokneneng selling for P20 for an order of 5 pieces. Chicken skin is the bomb! They sell 5 pieces for P25.