This is one of my favourite stores to shop for the children I love. I know that they won't be…read moregetting a duplicate from someone else, and that what I buy them will spark their imaginations and be used in play for years. Not only are the toy and game selections both unique and well-made, but the staff are very knowledgeable about their offerings and make expert suggestions on what items are good for different age groups. They have also been polite and friendly on every visit. This store never fails to delver on every level.

If you are a rich (and potentially pretentious) Europhile with a cool child or baby then you should…read moreprobably hit up this weird and very awesome shop. I only went into this place because it's on my way home from work, but I certainly did not regret it. Anonymously nestled on the way out of Ponsonby, Be Ba Bo is a kind of boutique toy shop where you can pick up all sorts of charming Germanic, Scandanavian, French, and Spanish fare. You won't find Barbie or Ken in this place, instead you will be greeted by a large rendering of the Eiffel tower, constructed out of some sort of obscure, German, meccano stuff. The place is absolutely awash with whimsy, and is certainly a haven for those of us whose interest is peaked by calm, clean, design. I adored the armies of little wooden figurines clothed in vibrant felt and woolen hairpieces. If I ever have a baby, I'll be certain to make it save up its pocket money so as to splash out on a terrific little something from Be Ba Bo.

The Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop is something of an institution in the precious little world…read moreof children's bookstores. I go in there on a fairly regular basis, as I teach at an intermediate school, and every single time I find myself swept up in these soft and powerful waves of nostalgia and quiet charm. I simply can't imagine a way in which this store could be improved. There is nothing tacky. No trying to cash in on the latest sweeping pre-teen literary phenomenon. The Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop simply presents it's undying asset and doens't feel the need to dress it up or patronise their punters in any way. It's just books for kids and things like that. The shop is warm and inviting and they have a great selection, including a wide range of Aotearoa New Zealand Authors. The shelves are loaded with potential for learning and cerebral stimulation. It's one hell of a children's bookshop.

The word that would best describe this shop is quality. As soon as you walk in you can feel a good…read moreexperience waiting to happen. Right from the get go there is something to please everyone. There's an awesome train table set to keep the kids occupied and a little cornered off play area for those run-away toddlers. So easy as that... chuck them in there and you're left on your own to explore the store. There's so much going on here every inch and corner is packed with goodness. From educational books about dinosaurs and planes to the classics like Dr Seuss. There's also toy figurines and fairies which would be sure to put a smile on any child's face. The prices seem pretty reasonable for such quality goods. None of this two-dollar-shop crap here. Just gifts you would be proud to be giving away!

really not a great experience. The stock is old and not just that, defiantly the most expensive toy…read morestore in Auckland. bought a thomas wooden rail way set from them not only was it over priced i found later when i saw the same set sold in other toy shops, some of the set was broken. gave me a lame excuse that they have to send it back to the supplier... in that time my kids have not thomas wooden rail way to play with even though we paid a lot for it. Advise DONT GO HERE

Now this is a real mom n' pop business if ever I've seen one! It is a unique family owned and…read moreoperated business in Devonport, that has been bringing joy in the form of toys to the young and the young at heart for years. Nothing like crappy toys that you can buy from the Warehouse and the like that fall apart after a minutes worth of playing time, these are quality made, some even handmade. It's so cool to see actual proper wooden toys, I thought they had died out completely and been replaced by plastic carbon copies. From educational toys, to puzzles and dolls, to novelty items and plenty of silly stuff, this store has all you could need toy wise. I buy all my presents for my nieces and nephews here exclusively.

Oh my... The owner has appalling customer service skills. I went in today and was very…read moredisappointed. My one-year-old touched a book and he jumped straight at me: "Your baby touched this book. She cannot do that". Er... "Hello" or "please" would have been nice. I totally understand that he wants to keep the goods spotless (and they are), but I don't like being treated that way. Needless to say I won't be back.

It seems Japanese shops such as this one are growing like mushrooms!…read moreI would rank this one as my second favourite, the kitchen section in particular has lots of pretty soup bowls and pans and steamers. As mentioned in my fellow Yelpers's reviews there are also the stationery and bathroom sections and lots of random cute thingies no one needs... But oh they' so cheap so why not?!

This place is pretty awesome, hidden in an obscure location, you almost miss it. Thankfully for the…read morevibrant orange and black sign to mark the narrow entrance you begin your decent into the lower depths of Queen Street to find yourself in a rather large store that I could not accurately categorise. This is because there is a lot of stuff here, stationary, the gift bags and paper section is great, Hello Kitty and Snoopy are well represented here. There are aisles of all kinds of things for your home, a massive chopstick section, Hello Kitty cling wrap, food bags and plasters. Interestingly a big range of nappies and other baby things. It is fun just to look around, there are some odd things here too, especially in the bathroom and cleaning sections. Good fun I say, you'll walk away with things you didn't need but make are entertaining none the less. (Hello Kitty keeps my food fresh now).

Right on Queen Street beautiful Christmas windows & The only ones we saw in Auckland. They were…read morebeautifully done, music played at the puppets moment. The store was closed. We went inside looking for luggage and passed beautiful clothing and housewares. Santa was keeping Children busy. Luggage was around $1,000 so we moved onward

This was a wonderful find! I was in desperate need of socks, ha ha! My brother was looking for a…read moresweater and they were very helpful in pointing out where they were. There were several reasonably priced ones. Everyone was so kind and helpful.

This store is filled with European wooden toys, infant toys, wooden dolls houses, designer…read morebackpacks and lego! 'Bebabo' is similar to the NZ brand 'Seedlings' that sell wooden educational toys. Obviously better for the environment, sustainable, hard-wearing and hip. I have shopped here a lot to buy lego and gifts and are little more pricey than other places, however they gift wrap and give you personal service! Yah! Also, after spending $500 they reward you $20, better than nothing I suppose! Bebabo have great toys that last, that is why I keep going back!

I can't believe they still exist! They went out of business in the states, but here's One still up…read moreand running in New Zealand! This one was attached to a shopping mall, so ran like a department store, like a sears in the states . It was a smaller scale compared to the ones that used to be freestanding back home . It was pretty nice with a wonderful selection of household goods and clothing . It reminded me a lot of the ones we had back home in the early 2000s. The prices have definitely gone up though ! They had a similar selection of what they used to have at their old locations, but at a more modern price haha!

Kmart is the anchor store for this Westfield branded mall! Never in a million years would I assume…read moreKmart being an anchor store for a mall. As an American, Kmarts are almost all shuttered in the US. I've heard that Kmart in New Zealand and Australia are considered nice, in the way that Americans see Target as "nice." I'd say this target is maybe 1/2 or 1/3 of the size of a US Kmart. The main section seems to be for clothing, and then home decor items. I noticed there were quite a bit of items for social media, like ring lights and phone stands, and colourful strip lights. I noticed most of the items were house branded / generic items. I'm not familiar with the quality of these items but they were on pretty much everything. There isn't much of a snack section or toys or practical items for the home that I saw. Visited February 2023

Most times I enter a toy store, I lie to myself and say I'm looking for something for my little…read moresister.It's not true. It never is and everyone knows it, including me. But this time I had a legitimate excuse. I had a mission and even the usually inattentive staff noticed me. My partner has never played Snakes & Ladders! While Toyworld is generally suited to children under 8 (Barbies and trikes and Lego and what ever the latest movie merchandise is), they do stock a range of board games and the very fun Nerf guns. The staff members know their product well, though they frequently stay behind the counter or quietly stock their shelves. And really, what kind of person can resist a twinkling sale sign in the window of a giant yellow toy store? For now, I have to convince my girlfriend how extreme Snakes & Ladders can be...