Heroes Club / Art Of Toys
Category: Toy Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond840 Clement St
(between 10th Ave & 9th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 387-4552
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Thu 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Sun 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
11 reviews
Neighborhood: Laurel Heights
"I am a terrific auntie. I love all the nieces and nephews, and I have a different relationship with each one. I remember all of their…" read more »
13 Reviews for Heroes Club / Art Of Toys
The Heroes Club is so clean and well lit- unlike many other "collectable" shops I have visited- and believe me I have been to oodles! It is very easy to see what they have, and make out every last detail on the statues and action figures. (They are "action figures" NOT dolls!)
I especially enjoyed the japanese diaoramas and replicas of fine modern furniture. It made me long for the Barbie townhouse I never had, so I could decorate it in miniature perfection and pretend I live there drinking cosmos on my marshmallow couch waiting for Ken to call. *sigh*
So if you have a high falutin' geeky brother, father, or a Ken to call your own this could be the perfect place to find them a treasure relating to their favorite movie or cartoon. Be sure to ask if you dont see what you are looking for. All the cabinets behind the counters are stuffed!
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Calling this a toy store is like calling Ikea an antique dealer. This is not a toy store. It is an action figure & collectibles store. They do not sell toys for children. They sell investments and keepsakes for adults. If you are a collector, or are slowly becoming one, this place is a real resource. If you are (just) looking for toys, the pricing and the attention to detail might seem extraordinary.
Their custom figurines are very well done.
Tip: hands down, the best collection of Bruce Lee dolls that I have ever seen.
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This is not your average collectibles store -- this is something special, one of Clement Street's many quiet gems.
It specializes in figures from Japanese and Western Sci-Fi and Anime on one side of the store, and large poseable figures like GI Joe but with a specificity and accuracy most people familiar with action figures for men would be shocked by on the other.
As an example: instead of a generic US soldier with an ill-fitting uniform and inaccurate weapons, this is the place you'd come to pick up a figure of a CIA operator, Afghanistan circa 2002, complete with kaffiyeh, Oakley Razors, ball cap, and a M4 carbine and enough spare magazines to kick off the Apocalypse.
You can even buy a three foot long Bradley Armored Fighting Vehicle so your action figures can ride into your special little fantasy world in style.
They have moved away from the military theme for obvious reasons these days, but their offerings in all categories are still impressive.
The guy who runs this is cool, too -- my buddy and I started talking to him and he proceeded to show us a bunch of fan movies based on the Alien / Predator (my personal dirty little obsession) franchises, among other things.
A bad place to come on a payday. the only thing that keeps me in check is a small apartment and adult friends.
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Its true they guy here is basically the guy from the simpsons. But I enjoyed that on my visit. This guy is the definition of elite. But what is a toy or comic book store without a little bit of that right? well here its heaped on like gravy at thanksgiving. Thankfully I'm a toy nerd and I love gravy so it didn't bother me. i suggest the toy nerds come here and check it out because you will almost definitely find something to your liking. The rest of will probably get sneered at for asking the wrong question. Don't fret though.. just keep the simpsons guy comparison in your head and you will LOL yourself right out of the store.
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Haven't been here in a while. Don't care for the current window display, it seems that Godzilla has now been relegated to the back of the store...but
If I ever hit mega millions I'll own it all!
When it comes to vintage, contemporary, or even made-to-order toys, the very resourceful owner of this unique toy store is difficult to beat. If he doesn't have it in stock, he can probably find it for you. Definitely give him a call or visit his shop if you're searching for that rare and/or unusual toy.
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I have always wanted to find a place where you could find nothing but high end collectibles. That day did happen when my friend brought me over to heroes club. Heroes Club has a lot of hard to find collectibles and very limited edition figures that Heroes Club produces. The store owner Robin Kwok is a really easy going guy and a great guy know. He is really helpful and knowledgeable with your interest. Hey give Heroes a try and maybe you'll find something that you will fall in love with.
This the best toy shop it brings me back to my childhood.
The first time I ever walked in Robin Willams was making a purchase.
The store owner robin is a very friendly and out going person.
Heroes club is the perfect place to get all of holliday shopping done.
This store is the last of a dying breed.
If you go here alot you may encouner celebritys such as Robin Williams,Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg out of the blue.
If you buy a toy here someday it will be worth millions.
My geektastic boyfriend took me here on our first daytime date. Love! It's full of cool, high-end collectible stuff. Also, cute miniature food, and the occasion Blythe doll for the ladies.
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I have known Robin, the owner, for over 10 years and I have to say he as always been helpful with information (in rubut to the previous asshole yelpers review). It's the last true Japanese/Asain toy store left in the bay next to Kimono My House in Emeryville. If just going to browse or to buy, I would highly recommend taking a 1/2 hour or so to loose yourself in the awe striking displays. The 7 foot Tetsujin in the window is worth the trip alone... 5 stars easy.
Another Clement street find for the Asianphile. This store makes and carries custom built action figures as well as hard-to-find boxed editions as well. The Bruce Lee variations are a must see.
Once I stopped in the store to find that they had stocked the "Hero" [film] action figures - Zhang Ziyi, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, and Jet Li. Letting my wisdom get the better of me, I passed on buying them on the spot and I headed over the Good Luck Dim Sum to think over the potential purchase.
But with the movie release still fresh in my mind and the adolescent refusing to die within me, I finished my shark fin dumplings and walked back to the Heroes Club.
To my shock and disappointment, the "Hero" action figures were being put into a cardboard box beside an older man in his late 50's. I waited around to see if there were any more left since it looked like the guy was purchasing two of each. But what I wondered even more was, "Who would purchase all those boxed action figures?"
Quietly, the man turned around from the glass displays to pay at the register and it was Robin Williams. According to the store owner, Williams is a big action figure collector and he has amassed a huge collection on display in his own Batcave. I wonder if he has the original Mork.
Fortunately, there was one more set of figures left and I wouldn't let them slip away so fast.
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these guys are the original japanese/asian toy store, or what they call "models". Most of their stuff is not cheap. But they have the coolest figurs from Godzilla monsters to hong kong mafia. Geek heaven.....
there's this guy that works there (i think its the owner) thats a true asshole. super geeky ass hole. like the comic book guy on the simpson's but worse. i had asked him about a product (i am a toy distributor) and he gave me the rudest answer, "buy it or leave".
what an asshole! so i left... assholes!
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