Need recommendations for a few must-visit stores. In London Fri-Sun, but have only limited time to do my thing. Mostly interested in places offering skullbrainy things to skullbrainiacs and the like.

Well sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there aren't any stores selling SB, RxH or Gargamel etc. We have Playlounge, Orbital and Forbidden Planet but that is 99% 'western' vinyl made by the usual suspects.

99% is being a bit kind.
Aside from in peoples houses, you won't find anything in London...
A sad admission...

Well, color me 'pushead'! I believe I just have to take a couple of alien chickens there and show them the Tate, the Tower, or even take them to the Circus...
If they behave themselves, I might just introduce them to the queen! Big wheels in the sky? Keep on turning!

Kinda sad about westy vinyl only, but I'm still looking forward to London!

Thanks!

There is a post in this thread about things to do in London that's worth checking out.
I'm too lazy to find it right now
Actually there maybe 2.

London is amazing - so much to see and do - that it makes up for the lack of decent eastern vinyl!!!

Yeah, the nearest place to London that sell's the monsters is Artoy'z in Paris. But they only really do Secret Base.
You should fell really sorry for us Londoners . Saying that, you should feel sorry for the whole of the UK(get that in before i get pulled up by all the non-Londoners ) .


Actually, depending on when you are here, there's a really big production of Ben Hur on, from the 17 to the 20 of sept. It's got horses, Chariots and Romans and looks pretty impressive(if a bit corny).

I toyed (see what I did there ) with the idea of trying to set something up to deal with Eastern stuff...talked to a few people with stores already etc.

Biggest problem was there's just not the demand to justify it, sad as that is to say. Then with the fluctuating FX rates you'd probably end up losing money on every single piece, or jack the prices way up.

So for retail stuff you have Tokyocube and I guess the rest of the time other web stores.

This is one of those catch 22 situations.
Without people being exposed to it, there won't be an interest.

Again, something I considered when looking into it but right now it's not a viable option. There's a reason, for example, that every single 'vinyl' toy store also sells Uglydolls, because they know they will sell to the casual buyer/tourist and that can subsidise the other stuff they sell to the more 'collector' crowd.

Would that be the same with kaiju? I dunno....I also looked at the idea of collectors renting cabinet space to put spare pieces in, kinda like storage but on display to show people the type of stuff out there, with the added option of selling any spares or unwanted pieces. So a mixture of new and old pieces.

And this shop wasn't going to be a full-time thing, probably Saturdays only or something!

Even with the recession getting a physical space costs too much - West End is out of the question, Camden's too pricey, Brick Lane too. In reality it would have to be a part, or sub-section of an existing space somewhere I think....that was the original plan it never quite worked out sadly.

Yeah, London is such a sad place to toyhunt. Very surprising actually.

Paris is not really better. But remember that toys are only for kids around here
Artoyz is OK, but nothing to make a fuss about. They have a small book section and some exhibitions too. I think that Bwana Spoons made an appearance this year there if I am not mistaken (didn't go). Look at their website, you'll have a good idea of what to expect there.

A fun place to go in Paris is Luluberlu. But it's much of a museum than anything else. They just charge too much (upon release, expect around japan price x 4) and rarely have any piece of vinyl (unless it is Grendizer or any series that aired in France).
I almost forgot to tell that the sellers are just taking themselves for the toykings and do not even care to talk to the customers.
Maybe not such a fun place to go finally...

I concur - no Jp vinyl in London - apart from at the Houses of LoSK.

Is this still the case, 1.5 years later? My wife and I are taking a trip to London & Horley in 2 weeks, and that would be an excellent excuse to pick up some Japanese vinyl. So, any stores?

The UK has pretty much nothing at all, in away I like that but it would be good not to pay $30 postage for something that cost me $30

I think everyone here from the UK have thought about opening a store of some sort but I really don't think it would work here yet.

Not the answer you wanted I know, just enjoy all the other crap you can do

Sad but true.
It's too niche and there just aren't enough people into it to support an actual store.
There a KR store, I think... Not sure.
And a couple crappy attempts at "urban vinyl" knocking about off Carnaby St, but hardly worth the bus fare to check.

Still nothing of any note...just the same two stores selling stuff: Playlounge and the KR store. You're better off sightseeing TBH.

I've been back from my trip for a couple weeks now. Had a really awesome time and did all the touristy stuff, and also talked the wife into a trip to Piccadilly Circus, and from there we hit up KR, and more importantly Maharishi. KR was pretty disappointing, especially seeing the prices, but MHI's prices were super good. I still wish I could have found some place to pick up some Japanese vinyl, but that'll have to be another trip another day.

And another city

Still nowhere to find stuff in London for the record.
Everyone is suffering, KR has gone now too, shut down last week... whatever you think about them it's a shame that there's pretty much nowhere left to see anything.

The UK still suffers from a dearth of any notable sort of toy scene. This year's Toycon was a big step forwards but I'm still sore on that one since they sold all the tickets without necessarily notifying the mailing list &c.
If anywhere in the country would have some community it would be London, especially since toy artists putting on gallery shows is not that rare but sadly still there's nothing aside from individuals.

opening a store would work fine but just not solely selling sofubi, which to be honest doesn't really happen anywhere outside of Japan. The hang gang offer the UK sofubi sort of but no brick and mortar site yet. but as everyone has already said, plenty to do in london to keep your self occupied,

last time i was in london nobrow had a couple jim woodring Lorbo stuff, but thats the only bout of japanese vinyl ive seen there.

Nobrow is a good example of the sort of place that could become a good outlet for kaiju/sofubi in a UK context. Amongst all that they publish and the range of illustrators they work with surely there's potential for some figures? Playlounge is great but only carries any Japanese style toys occasionally at best.