Post by adamdarko on Sept 16, 2018 14:21:54 GMT -5
Hello everyone. First off, I'd like to apologize if this has already been done but I didn't see anything digging around on here. Anywho, I was thinking of compiling a list of all the independent/local toy stores that everyone frequents, really, anywhere around the world. I know when I travel, one of the first things I do is look up the local stores around there. I was thinking that it would be great to have a pre-existing list and know what I can expect. I have quite a few I can comment on, both around me in Cincy, OH and also from other places I've visited. I'll list a few now and add more if this is something that anyone else wants to contribute to. And if this has been done, just let me know and I'll get this deleted.
Colorado:
Denver
Mile High Comics(Mega-Store) - 4600 Jason St, Denver, CO
What they have - First off, they have 3 locations but I only went to the Jason Street store, which is the biggest comic book store in the US. So, they got comics, so many comics. But they also have big action figure and collectible sections. They only had a few wrestling related toys but lots of Marvel/DC stuff, along with Star Wars, Transformers and MotU. For those who have never been, it's located in what seemed like an industrial park/area so it's easy to think you might be lost but just follow the directions and you can't miss it.
Kentucky:
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Comics 2 Games - 8470 US-42 Florence, KY
What they have - Of course comics and games but they have a massive selection of Pops and Marvel Legends, along with higher end collectibles. They also have pinball machines you can play. I've never seen any WWE stuff here though.
LOUISVILLE
The Great Escape - 2433 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY
What they have - Toys, comics, cds, dvds, and albums. A little bit of everything here and it's been one of my favorite haunts for years now. As far as figures, they have quite a bit of loose stuff along with MOC or in package items. I even remember buying a Misfits onesie for my niece there years ago.
The Zone Comics and Toys - 285 N Hubbards Ln Suite #200, Louisville, KY
What they have - Comics and action figures, both MOC and loose, but mostly MOC. They also carry high end collectibles. They have a small selection of mostly new wrestling items.
OHIO:
CINCINNATI
The Toy Department - 6600 Dixie Hwy Unit Y Fairfield, OH
What they have - A little bit of everything, WWE figures, Pops, Marvel Legends and LOTS of old school toys like GI Joe, TMNT, Star Wars, Transformers and MotU. My personal favorite in town. Mostly everything there is MOC but they have a pretty big selection of loose figures, both in bins and in glass cases. Zack and Curt also made a stop there.
Saturday Morning Heroes - 11119 Reading Rd, Sharonville, OH
What they have - This is a very small shop in downtown Sharonville, about 15-20 minutes north of downtown Cincy. The owner is a super nice guy and if you give him a heads up, he'll try to track stuff down for you. They carry a small selection of wrestling figures and items, both new and old, and that sums up the shop as a whole. Lots of both MOC and loose figures and a great place to look for stuff from the 80's and 90's. My worry is this shop won't be around in the long term. They went from being open all week to now just being open on the weekends. I hope they succeed though.
Transfan2's Shop N' Look - 5100 Pleasant Ave Fairfield, OH
What they have - First and foremost, they are a Transformers shop but they also carry a lot of higher end collectibles and toys. No WWE stuff in my 2 visits there but worth a trip if you're looking for comic book/movie/monster figures.
Queen City Comics - 6101 Montgomery Rd Cincinnati, OH
What they have - Mostly comics but they do have a good little selection of figures and toys. They do have some WWE stuff, but very little and it's usually older stuff like Jakks figures. But if you're looking for the obscure, it's not a bad place to check out.
House of Plastik - 834 OH-125 #310, Cincinnati, OH
What they have - I've only been in once but it was mostly loose action figures and dolls. They had a few WWE things but mostly older stuff and seems like they may have been a DX fan or bought a lot from one. Pretty small but a decent little place.
TimeWarp Cards and Comics - 4601 Eastgate Blvd #658, Cincinnati, OH (Eastgate Mall)
What they have - If you're into NASCAR and Magic the Gathering, well I have the perfect place for you! Never seen anything like it but you'll find tons of NASCAR merch along with all your card gaming needs. They do have a good selection of figures, mostly Starting Lineups and DC/Marvel stuff and they have a pretty big Pops section too. I've never come across any WWE stuff there though, aside from the Pops. They have some higher end collectibles they keep in cases as well. Oh, and comic books, they have a lot of those too.
Trader's World Flea Market - 601 Union Rd, Monroe, OH
What they have - By far the best flea market in the area, but it's about 30 minutes away from downtown Cincy. There are others nearby but none of them compare as toy hunting goes. There are 2 sellers who carry large amounts of WWE figures, but in most cases, their prices are pretty high. One is run by a younger guy and he's always been cool when talking to him. He has the best selection and has a markdown bucket with some deals(that's where I got my $10 MOC Tito). The other is run by an older guy and he charges the most by far and does not negotiate, at least not with me. For the most part now I avoid his stand because even if I find something, I know it's going to be way overpriced. There's also a booth with mostly Star Wars toys at good prices and a new booth with some WWE stuff, Pops and higher end collectibles. But there are WWE figures to be found in multiple booths there. They may have just a peg of figures or 1 or 2 hanging from a ceiling board, but from my experience, that's where the best deals are to be found there. And FYI, you'll have to pay $2 for parking to get into the market.
COLUMBUS
Big Fun Columbus - 672 N High St, Columbus, OH
What they have - A lot of stuff, from WWE figures, Star Wars, gag gifts, Obama and Trump bobbleheads and mix of MOC and loose figures. I love the store but be warned, it's in the heart of downtown Columbus so you'll have to pay for parking and the store is cramped, so if you're claustrophobic, this is not the place for you.
Packrat Comics - 3872 Lattimer St, Hilliard, OH
What they have - Mostly comics but it is a surprisingly big store with a whole wall of Pops and a good selection of Marvel/DC and movie figures. It's about 15 minutes away from downtown Columbus.
DAYTON
Toy FanAddict - 229 N Springboro Pike, Dayton, OH
What they have - Lots of loose figures and a lot of old school items, stuff from like the 50's-60's. They also have a nice selection of MOC or in package toys of all kinds. My favorite spot to hit when I'm in the area. Good place to find older WWE/WCW/ECW figures and even some newer ones. Last time I was there they had the purple and white jacket Savage DM for $75 MOC, which from what I've seen elsewhere, doesn't seem like a horrible deal.
Time Warp Toys and Collectibles - 20 W Main St, Fairborn, OH
What they have - The owner used to run a booth at a nearby flea market but recently opened a storefront in Fairborn, which is about 15 minutes away from Dayton. Big selection of action figures of all kinds and lots of WWE stuff, including signed photos and figures. Their prices run a little high but if you're looking for a particular figure that's fetching a lot online, it's a place worth checking out to see if you can find a better deal.
Colorado:
Denver
Mile High Comics(Mega-Store) - 4600 Jason St, Denver, CO
What they have - First off, they have 3 locations but I only went to the Jason Street store, which is the biggest comic book store in the US. So, they got comics, so many comics. But they also have big action figure and collectible sections. They only had a few wrestling related toys but lots of Marvel/DC stuff, along with Star Wars, Transformers and MotU. For those who have never been, it's located in what seemed like an industrial park/area so it's easy to think you might be lost but just follow the directions and you can't miss it.
Kentucky:
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Comics 2 Games - 8470 US-42 Florence, KY
What they have - Of course comics and games but they have a massive selection of Pops and Marvel Legends, along with higher end collectibles. They also have pinball machines you can play. I've never seen any WWE stuff here though.
LOUISVILLE
The Great Escape - 2433 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY
What they have - Toys, comics, cds, dvds, and albums. A little bit of everything here and it's been one of my favorite haunts for years now. As far as figures, they have quite a bit of loose stuff along with MOC or in package items. I even remember buying a Misfits onesie for my niece there years ago.
The Zone Comics and Toys - 285 N Hubbards Ln Suite #200, Louisville, KY
What they have - Comics and action figures, both MOC and loose, but mostly MOC. They also carry high end collectibles. They have a small selection of mostly new wrestling items.
OHIO:
CINCINNATI
The Toy Department - 6600 Dixie Hwy Unit Y Fairfield, OH
What they have - A little bit of everything, WWE figures, Pops, Marvel Legends and LOTS of old school toys like GI Joe, TMNT, Star Wars, Transformers and MotU. My personal favorite in town. Mostly everything there is MOC but they have a pretty big selection of loose figures, both in bins and in glass cases. Zack and Curt also made a stop there.
Saturday Morning Heroes - 11119 Reading Rd, Sharonville, OH
What they have - This is a very small shop in downtown Sharonville, about 15-20 minutes north of downtown Cincy. The owner is a super nice guy and if you give him a heads up, he'll try to track stuff down for you. They carry a small selection of wrestling figures and items, both new and old, and that sums up the shop as a whole. Lots of both MOC and loose figures and a great place to look for stuff from the 80's and 90's. My worry is this shop won't be around in the long term. They went from being open all week to now just being open on the weekends. I hope they succeed though.
Transfan2's Shop N' Look - 5100 Pleasant Ave Fairfield, OH
What they have - First and foremost, they are a Transformers shop but they also carry a lot of higher end collectibles and toys. No WWE stuff in my 2 visits there but worth a trip if you're looking for comic book/movie/monster figures.
Queen City Comics - 6101 Montgomery Rd Cincinnati, OH
What they have - Mostly comics but they do have a good little selection of figures and toys. They do have some WWE stuff, but very little and it's usually older stuff like Jakks figures. But if you're looking for the obscure, it's not a bad place to check out.
House of Plastik - 834 OH-125 #310, Cincinnati, OH
What they have - I've only been in once but it was mostly loose action figures and dolls. They had a few WWE things but mostly older stuff and seems like they may have been a DX fan or bought a lot from one. Pretty small but a decent little place.
TimeWarp Cards and Comics - 4601 Eastgate Blvd #658, Cincinnati, OH (Eastgate Mall)
What they have - If you're into NASCAR and Magic the Gathering, well I have the perfect place for you! Never seen anything like it but you'll find tons of NASCAR merch along with all your card gaming needs. They do have a good selection of figures, mostly Starting Lineups and DC/Marvel stuff and they have a pretty big Pops section too. I've never come across any WWE stuff there though, aside from the Pops. They have some higher end collectibles they keep in cases as well. Oh, and comic books, they have a lot of those too.
Trader's World Flea Market - 601 Union Rd, Monroe, OH
What they have - By far the best flea market in the area, but it's about 30 minutes away from downtown Cincy. There are others nearby but none of them compare as toy hunting goes. There are 2 sellers who carry large amounts of WWE figures, but in most cases, their prices are pretty high. One is run by a younger guy and he's always been cool when talking to him. He has the best selection and has a markdown bucket with some deals(that's where I got my $10 MOC Tito). The other is run by an older guy and he charges the most by far and does not negotiate, at least not with me. For the most part now I avoid his stand because even if I find something, I know it's going to be way overpriced. There's also a booth with mostly Star Wars toys at good prices and a new booth with some WWE stuff, Pops and higher end collectibles. But there are WWE figures to be found in multiple booths there. They may have just a peg of figures or 1 or 2 hanging from a ceiling board, but from my experience, that's where the best deals are to be found there. And FYI, you'll have to pay $2 for parking to get into the market.
COLUMBUS
Big Fun Columbus - 672 N High St, Columbus, OH
What they have - A lot of stuff, from WWE figures, Star Wars, gag gifts, Obama and Trump bobbleheads and mix of MOC and loose figures. I love the store but be warned, it's in the heart of downtown Columbus so you'll have to pay for parking and the store is cramped, so if you're claustrophobic, this is not the place for you.
Packrat Comics - 3872 Lattimer St, Hilliard, OH
What they have - Mostly comics but it is a surprisingly big store with a whole wall of Pops and a good selection of Marvel/DC and movie figures. It's about 15 minutes away from downtown Columbus.
DAYTON
Toy FanAddict - 229 N Springboro Pike, Dayton, OH
What they have - Lots of loose figures and a lot of old school items, stuff from like the 50's-60's. They also have a nice selection of MOC or in package toys of all kinds. My favorite spot to hit when I'm in the area. Good place to find older WWE/WCW/ECW figures and even some newer ones. Last time I was there they had the purple and white jacket Savage DM for $75 MOC, which from what I've seen elsewhere, doesn't seem like a horrible deal.
Time Warp Toys and Collectibles - 20 W Main St, Fairborn, OH
What they have - The owner used to run a booth at a nearby flea market but recently opened a storefront in Fairborn, which is about 15 minutes away from Dayton. Big selection of action figures of all kinds and lots of WWE stuff, including signed photos and figures. Their prices run a little high but if you're looking for a particular figure that's fetching a lot online, it's a place worth checking out to see if you can find a better deal.
