Happy Panda Toys

This store is great. We stopped in because I have a friend who is obsessed with pandas and panda things. The clerk was knowledgeable about his products and showed us items we would be interested in. I like that they carry local artists products as well as the fun little toys that I had no idea what you would do with them.

Whenever I’m in the Arts Factory I make it a requirement — and whoever I’m with’s requirement — that I visit Happy Panda Toys. As a casual collector of vinyl toys and a big kid at heart, this store makes my heart leap a little out of my chest whenever I visit.
The store may be tiny, but it’s filled with all kinds of collectible vinyl and plastic toys, as well as framed illustrations and clothing.
During my last visit, Happy Panda Toys had a variety of Tokidoki and Spray Can vinyl blind box toys, Munny figures, and Qee bears. They also had a few framed illustrations on display, one being a cutesy illustration of an Ewok which my friend and I simultaneously «awwed» over. One of my favorite toys has to be the furry-​looking Gremlin doll from the Twilight Zone episode, «Nightmare at 20,000 Feet» (I might just have to buy this for my desk at work). The fact that this store carries that doll automatically receives a star from me. (
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If you’re ever in the Arts District, consider stopping by this cool little shop and picking up a blind box toy or five.

Growing up in Hawaii, plastic vinyl and diecast metal toys from Japan were all the rage, way before Star Wars, Transformers, and G. I Joe.
Happy Panda Toys located in the Arts Factory has joined the updated roto-​cast vinyl collectible toy craze and carry cool items from Kubricks, Kid Robot, and the Godfather of Modern Vinyl Toy Movement, Jason Lau.
If you are a serious collector, it won’t come as a shock to you that some of these cool toys cost a pretty penny, and if you happen to be in the area, pop in and check it out, you just may end up getting something… ALOHA!!!
Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE-(228/365) «Not Your Typical Toy Store»

This is a fun little store in the Arts Factory that must have opened fairly recently, as I only remember it during my last two First Friday jaunts.
It’s a toy store in a location that looks like you’re walking more through a hallway than a store, but I have to give respect to ingenuity in making a business location like this happen. But it’s nice and well organized.
I’ve been in here a few times, and they seems to specialize largely in two things: Custom figures (like from the Munny series), and Kubricks. They actually have a pretty respectable variety of Kubrick figures, and the customs that they have cover a little bit of everything, from obscure, to original, to popular. Prices are collector’s prices, but I was tempted more than once by a few pieces.
The staff is really nice, and enjoyable to talk to. They will also switch out Kubricks with another figure if you don’t like the one that you’ve bought. I thought that was a nice touch, though I was cursed with a «lame» figure, and the display replacement wasn’t doing much for me either. But I appreciate the effort on their part.
I like the diversity of a store like this in a place like the Arts Factory. It really just gives the overall building just a little more «color» to it. It’s fun to just have in there, and you’ll end up stumbling into the store whether you realize it or not. The small room with the figures? Yeah, that’s Happy Panda, alright.
Definitely a fun diversion on your First Friday adventures.