[ Check out more Geek Shopping Guides here ]

Overseas travel is now back in season, and with it comes the reliving of the tourist experience: eating, sightseeing, and shopping. It’s all about having fun in a foreign land, and for geeks, part of the joy-seeking process involves expanding their toy collection.

Hong Kong, having recently reopened its borders, is a popular destination in the region that draws many visitors for more reasons than one. Mong Kok, in particular, has grown into a shopping darling for toy enthusiasts and collectors over the years, with anime and Western pop culture merchandise all available within a stone’s throw away.

While most of the stores there sell similar items, each has their niche specialty to offer. Here are five places of interest to check out on your next trip to Hong Kong, which span the streets of Mong Kok to other areas beyond.

1) In’s Point

Address: Wing Kiu Building, Nathan Rd, Yau Ma Tei

Don’t be fooled by its shabby facade – In’s Point is a treasure trove for toy brick fans. Best known for its LEGO selection, it houses a fair number of independent stores that sell the latest, hottest, and most popular sets at competitive prices. That’s saying a lot, because LEGO in Hong Kong is the world’s cheapest, likely due partly to its tax-free policy.

Gunpla lovers can also get their kit-building fix here, as long as they are ready to fight their way through the crowd, and more so during weekends and public holidays.

2) CTMA Centre

Address: Sei Yeung Choi St S, Mong Kok

CTMA Centre isn’t as bustling as before, so do temper your expectations if you’ve swung by prior to pandemic times. It still plays host to a handful of gems, however, with collectibles and figures from Western properties, such as Marvel and Transformers, mainly dominating the space. Toy Hunters and Superman Toys are two of the more prominent storefronts, impressing with Hot Toy premiums and an intricately-crafted Akira action figure – among others – respectively.

3) Sino Centre

Address: 582-592 Nathan Rd, Mong Kok

Beneath the lively, colourful veneer of Sino Centre lies a mini anime and video games paradise. Where the first two floors are home to gaming titles, the two stories above are dedicated to a wide range of anime collectibles that run the gamut from small gacha figurines to large-scale models.

The highlight for non-anime enthusiasts, though, is the Hot Toys – Secret Base outlet located on the 20th floor, which features a jaw-dropping collection of premium figures from the Marvel, DC, and Star Wars universe. Sino Centre’s offerings are easily the most diverse of the listed names, coming highly recommended for those looking to get their hands on anime and game-related goodies.

4) Hot Toys – Rebel Base (Harbour City)

Address: 3 Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui (Ocean Terminal)

A relatively new addition to Harbour City, Hot Toys – Rebel Base officially opened its doors last year on 22 December, and serves as a convenient and quick-buy option for Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and DC Comics fans visiting the area. Apart from majestic life-size statues and large-scale figures, the store also sells adorable COSBABY mini-collectibles and blind boxes.

5) PlayMaxx

Address: 100 Nam Cheong St, Sham Shui Po

A cosy, welcoming space located at Sham Shui Po, PlayMaxx will appeal most to designer toy collectors. While niche, some of its offerings feature familiar pop culture icons, including the Xenomorph and Toy Story’s ever-adorable Alien, which rounds off its collection to one that’s formidable, menacing, and cute at the same time. A bonus head-turner, but not for sale: a glorious bust featuring T-800, the protagonist of the Terminator movies.

It’s good to know the heart of the toy scene still beats strongly, despite the blow dealt by the pandemic. Mong Kok, as a breeding ground for LEGO, pop culture collectibles, and video games, acts as a one-stop solution, but there are other places of interest to check out elsewhere, too, if time or distance is a concern.

For those looking for generic options, or something for the younglings, the Toy Street at both Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai (just search “Toy Street” on Google Maps when you are in the area) are lined with plastic guns, toy cars, soft toys, and what-have-yous – who knows, keep your eyes open, and you might even stumble upon a geeky find.

[ Check out more Geek Shopping Guides here ]

The post Geek’s Guide To Toy Shopping In Hong Kong 2023 appeared first on Geek Culture.