Not every great toy store belongs to a billion-dollar corporation. Toy Tokyo in Manhattan's East Village has been the beating heart of New York's designer toy scene since 2000—long before Pop Mart existed. Walking in feels like entering a collector's personal museum that happens to have price tags.
Why Independent Stores Matter
Pop Mart stores sell Pop Mart. That is their job. Independent stores like Toy Tokyo sell everything: Medicom Be@rbricks, KAWS figures, Funko exclusives, Japanese imports, and yes, Pop Mart—alongside dozens of brands you have never heard of. The curation is the product.
This is where you discover the Labubu Box plush sitting next to a vintage Dunny, where a $15 blind box shares shelf space with a $3,000 KAWS companion. The range is the point. It teaches your eye to see beyond whatever TikTok is pushing this week.
The Shopping Experience
Cramped, chaotic, and wonderful. Shelves are packed floor to ceiling. The staff are encyclopedic—ask about any figure and you will get its full history, production run, and current market value. This is expertise you cannot get at a chain store.
What to Look For
- Store exclusives: Toy Tokyo regularly commissions exclusive colorways from artists. These are genuine limited editions, not marketing gimmicks.
- Japanese imports: Series that never officially released in the U.S., priced fairly with import costs factored in.
- Independent plush: Brands like Labubu Box that you will not find at Pop Mart. The staff can tell you which independent lines are gaining traction.
Explore Labubu Box online: shop now.