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Ambassador Toys
Category: Shopping Toy Stores Toy Stores [Edit]
186 W Portal AveSan Francisco, CA 94127
Neighborhood: West Portal
(415) 759-8697
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 7 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
56 reviews for Ambassador Toys
Review Highlights
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"Love the free gift wrapping." In 5 reviews -
"They a huge selection of the cutest stuffed animals." In 5 reviews -
"...they don't carry specialty board games like Space Munchkin." In 5 reviews
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56 reviews in English
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Review from gwynnie p.
San Francisco, CA
12/14/2011
THIS IS A REALLY GREAT TOY STORE. They also have books and games to expand the mind.
it is as near perfect as you can get. -
Review from H. G.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2012
I called to get some information about a specific toy I'm looking for. I know that it comes in a wide variety of styles and models and price ranges. I wanted to know what they had in stock before traipsing across town.
The woman who answered could not have sounded less interested. She could have described the products that she carries that fit what I'm looking for. She didn't.
I had to ask specific questions, to which she answered "Yes" or "No". I felt like I was interrogating a hostile witness who didn't want to be on the stand, didn't want to answer my questions and certainly didn't want to help me achieve my goal.
Bottom line: you have a choice about where you spend your money; spend it somewhere else. -
Review from Mo M.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2011
Old School Toy Shop! Need to find the perfect gift for a child or pre-teen? They have a wonderful assortment of toys, books, craft projects and gifts. It's a nicely curated selection of items, well organized by age and types of toys. Seasonal displays inspire creativity, and you just get the feeling they love toys and kids!
You can find most of the items elsewhere at lower prices (10-20%), but you'll miss out on the sweet neighborhood feel, accessibility, free gift wrapping and kids' play table that will keep your little ones entertained.
Tip: it's an excellent grandparent/grandchild excursion! -
Review from Eric A.
Burlingame, CA
2/11/2011
This place has not changed since 2004. Same set up, just about same arrangement of toys/stuffed animals.
I came here to find a stuffed koala, and I found one. Up high in the corner, and about 4 inches tall. They have 4 foot giraffes and sharks, why no love for koalas!?
Anyway, its a cool spot to find some random toys and stuffed animals. Expensive to say the least, but you get what you pay for now a days. -
Review from Teddy B.
San Francisco, CA
12/24/2007
Ambassador Toys is a throwback to when toys didn't require a USB connection or 1 gig of RAM. If you don't mind throwing down some Jacksons or Benjamins, then you can purchase some nifty toys here such as a glamorous $65 Barbie doll, educational toys, finger or hand puppets, collectible dolls, a giant 3' x 3' chess board and many other contemporary and old fashioned toys. One of two locations in SF, Ambassador was "founded in 1997 with the idea to promote understanding and respect for cultures around the world through the beauty and creativity of toys, books and music."
In the back of the store is a darkened room for space exploration toys. There's a black light in there to illuminate anything white, such as stars, planets, moons, eyeballs and teeth. It's there that I saw a little boy demonstrating his jedi skills with a light sword to his Mom I'd Like to Friend. I had purchased the same exact sword for a Halloween prop a few months earlier. 'Tis the season, so I asked the mom...
Me: I have that same exact sword. I'm not using it anymore, and I'd be happy to give it to you.
MILF: hmmm
Me: Come out to my car and I'll give it to your son. IT'S IN MY TRUNK.
MILF: no...thank you...
Me: It's no trouble. IT'S IN MY TRUNK.
That conversation didn't go so well. Good grief, I felt like a fool! She's probably searching for me on http://MegansLaw.com -
Review from Meg T.
1/5/2010
Though Ambassador is spacious they tend to never have what I go in looking for.
One time it was panda items, another it was a small stuffed sheep (or sheep like things) and another it was space saucers and glow in the dark items (though I did end up purchasing glow in the dark stars in the end).
Their customer service is a little too hands off for me, especially with a store that size and they usually only have one person staffing the counter, a big difference from Growing Up's three person team.
They have great window displays, but frankly after a few times of never finding what I need, I notice the display and keep on walking.Listed in: SF Toy Shops
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Review from stephanie i.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2009
Thought I'd get a jump start on holiday shopping so I ended up in Ambassador before Thanksgiving. Yes. Before. Madness I know.
In my effort to do the majority of my shopping at local businesses I went in there with my list in hand and I wasn't coming out until I had a gift for each little kid.
Their selection of infant/toddler toys is very nice. They seem to have a host of cool educational toys for little ones. There's also a nice balance of the mainstream toys (BatMan stuff etc.) Though if I had to guess, I'd say that their selection was a little limited on the StarWars and Transformers gear. Perhaps my timing was off or I just didn't see the right displays. Pricing seemed, average - not a great deal, but not expensive. And hell if it means I don't have to battle the insanity of Target or ToysRUs... I'll pay the extra bit.
But to be honest, none of that mattered the minute I heard the three words that any busy woman loves to hear... "complimentary gift wrap"! And not cheesy gift wrap. We're talking gift wrap that you'd actually be happy to present to the recipient. That did it for me. I'll be back again.Listed in: kids birthday parties
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Review from Prima D.
San Francisco, CA
11/25/2006
what a delightful store. I found little ratty/mousy finger puppets, rubber and plastic dinos, super high-bounce balls (some were clear with insects and dinos inside -- neato !!), and Curious George odds and ends. love it to death ! $35 later, I came out with a small bag of goodies. unfit dog mommy me, I wanted to give Prima Dachshund a ball to play with. boyfriend goes into a tizzy, she could choke on that, the rubber will get stuck in her intestines, yadda yadda yadda. Mr. Pet Protector even resorted to calling me a ditz. hmmmph ! you would think I was giving the dog a loaded .45 to chew on.
so here's what: a grand store full of fun but pricey items. just don't give anything to your pooch, lest you incur the wrath of overprotective dog daddy. note to peta weirdos: do not pm me, I will block you and have you deleted. -
Review from Lola L.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2008 1 Check-in Here
This is by far one of the coolest toy stores in SF. I remember always going here after bunch to browse at all the toys hoping that one day I'd have a reason to buy every toy in here. Sometimes I cant help but pickup a doll and fix it's dress and comb her hair. I mention this because when I was young I wasn't into dolls or barbies.
So as it turns out the theme for my nephew's b-day is Thomas the Train. With this in mind I remember the wall with rows and rows of Thomas the Train toys! All the little 'train' friends with build-able tracks. A lot of the stuff aren't your average "toys" they have educational 'how to build' toys, books and stuffed animals. The prices are reasonable the sales people were helpful and were amused by me being obsessed with finding Thomas the Train toys. -
Review from phillip w.
San Francisco, CA
4/27/2009
Ambassador toys has been around for quite some time, i'm surprised that all these other toy shops are being shut down but this one is still up and running..
There is a wide range of toys and gizmos in this store, curious george, sesame street, legos, playmobil, etc. They also have a room in the back for the glow in the dark stuff.
What was pretty cool, well i thought so was this bill nye the science guy recycling center, you basically mash up old newspapers and water or something and u mix until it becomes this mush and you put into a mold and there you go, recycled paper! I thought it would be a great gift for kids who like the whole science and environment thing... or maybe i'm just a geek -
Review from Liz S.
5/8/2007
I love this toy store as it does not rely solely on trademarked characters to sell product - the toys there actually have a purpose, often to teach, and i am a definite fan of learning through play. Have you ever been to a Disney Store? Ahhhh, that place makes me want to run away screaming. I know it's a cult, and you can't tell me otherwise.
Ambassador Toys is the opposite kind of store. It's partially like an old-fashioned toy store with a lot of wooden toys and Madam Alexander dolls, and partially like a modern learning-center kind of store with Baby Einstein and intricate puzzles. You will find the occasional Barbie or Bart Simpson to be sure, but they do not predominate the assortment.
I buy many gifts here, for all ages of kids. They do a nice wrapping job and the staff is young and helpful. It's fun to shop the different sections - at any given time, there might be a pirate section, an outer space room, or shelves devoted to DIY projects for kids. The layout is well done and you can spend as long or as little time in there as you please.
And best of all, (for the most part) - no batteries required. The sound of a child playing quietly with a well-made, thoughtful toy - that is the stuff that dreams are made of. -
Review from Paul K.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2009 6 photos
It' was my friend's kid's B-day the other day. I was scrambling to buy something for the kid and decided to stop by Ambassador Toys in W. Portal. I've been there once before. It's a decent size, friendly neighborhood toy store.
The selection was good there for both boys and girls. There was an educational section which has games & kits with science, math and language themes. There were also plenty of dolls, stuffed animals, doll houses for little girls. Lego, Thomas trains, cars and swords for the boys.
Both times I've been here, they were very helpful in suggesting ideas as I have no clue what to get for kids. They also will gift wrap for free if you tell them it's a gift! Now that's great service. -
Review from Gil S.
7/27/2007
Wow, one of the best toy stores I've ever seen. I wish my own childhood had been more like this.
It's floor to ceiling full of fascinating, beautiful, fun, interesting, real, well-made, heartfelt stuff. Not handmade, just very solid. The store is small but there's a huge supply of everything, books, puppets, dolls, models, board games, plushies, activity toys, stickers, play tools, a rocking horse on springs. There's even a glow in the dark room in the back for your stick-on stars and cool science stuff. Mostly for young kids, say 1-10. Things for boys and girls, concentrates on keepable stuff and has stuff from different cultures.
The only thing it's light on is sports/active stuff, big brand promotional/logo things, clothes, violent/gross stuff (unless you count weird sticky plastic ooze) and electronics but maybe that's good. You could raise a kid to adulthood, the right way, without ever setting foot in another toy store.
Don't go in if you're over 20 and don't have your own kid. They might just find you crying in the corner.Listed in: Five star for sure
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Review from Moira K.
San Francisco, CA
8/28/2007
Great selection of wonderful toys and books (one star for each). Horrible service. The woman was so rude to me I will never spend any money in that shop again. Considering its one of the last toy stores in SF, I'm a little bummed.
The woman was on her cell phone making plans for later that day (standing at the register). Me with 1.5 year old in tow, brought in a toy that was a gift for his birthday that broke as we took it out of the box. I had put the toy away since it was a little too advanced for him and didn' t save the receipt.
She finally gets off the phone, offers to help someone who just walked up while we had been standing there for a good five minutes. Then tells me "We don't carry that toy in here!" and snarls her lip at me. I ask that it may have been a few months she says in a louder voice "We don't carry that toy!"
my 1.5 year old, the broken toy and myself will NEVER spend another dime in that shop. I understand it had been a while, but she really didn't need to be that rude about it. -
Review from Ellen S.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2007
Warning: Their website says they are open until 8 PM, but I just called their West Portal store, and they said they closed at 6 PM. Phone first to make sure they're open before driving over.
(I've never been there, so I don't know how they are otherwise.) -
Review from Eric M.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2007
Awesome awesome awesome.
In an age where 90% of toys are plastic Chinese gizmos doled out by big box multi-nationals, Ambassador Toys is old school. You won't find a wall of Barbies and Bratz and Robots With Guns. You WILL find a million coloring books, wacky art supplies, kites, hand-made puzzles, and a surprising variety of games for such a small space.
Prices are, as you'd expect, a couple bucks more than at the big boxes, which is as it should be. If you have a kid's birthday party to attend, or if you're just looking for a treat for your inner child, Ambassador is your buddy. -
Review from GIR ..
San Francisco, CA
12/17/2007
I know what Ambassador Toys likes
I know what kids want
I know what Ambassador Toys likes
Toys like
Ambassador Toys likes
meeeee (and my credit card)
Great neighborhood non big chain toy store with good selection and free holiday wrapping. Prices aren't fire sale internet bargain basement low but c'mon, the toys are not that pricey anyway, and supporting the little businesses in SF is what its all about.
Now I bet you can't get that Waitresses tune out of your head :) -
Review from Cassie J.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2009
Great little toy shop in the area. You won't find any video games here This place specializes in educational gifts and computer games, puzzles, train sets, board games etc. They a huge selection of the cutest stuffed animals.
I always enjoy coming here to get presents for my little cousins, as well as to look around to remenisce days gone by.
Great place to shop for little ones. No need to step into Toys R Us or Walmart. Prices aren't much higher here, but it's worth it supporting the local businesses on West Portal. -
Review from Cade P.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2010
It's a cute little toy store--mostly geared for children up to teens--but it has something for everyone. There are plush stuffed animals, the supremely awesome sort (and pricey) to kid science projects and learnin' toys to games along the wall and in the back.
It's brightly lit, super clean, on a nice corner in West Portal, and is just what toy stores ought to be. For the kid in your life or the inner child in you that's running out and about, I'd stop in and check it out!
I only give it a 4 star because the few prices I did check out, they seemed a bit outrageous--but keep in mind, that was not a scientific study or full inventory price checks--just a couple items I did inspect. Take this note with a grain of salt. -
Review from Teresa N.
San Francisco, CA
3/25/2008
Good selection of toys and puzzles! Love the free gift wrapping! I feel like a kid again whenever I come in here. VERY helpful staff that will point you to other stores if they don't carry an item.
Only downside is that they don't carry specialty board games like Space Munchkin. -
Review from Monique H.
San Francisco, CA
11/22/2007
What an awesome toy store! Every time I visit "Ambassador Toys", I find myself in the store for about an hour each time just looking through the massive array of different toys,books,collectibles and other fabulous products they offer.
I have three children of my own,so I do try to go when they're not with me only because it always ends up a nightmare trying to get them out of there because they want everything, which I won't buy them.
I will say it's not cheap.You do pay a few dollars more for most things. I know this because I have compared books there to the same books I can buy at "Ross" or "Borders",so look around. If you're looking for something more original or a collectible, this is the store for you. If you just want to buy a plain dress up costume,book, or doll, stick with one of the cheaper and larger stores.
Happy toy hunting! -
Review from Denise Q.
3/26/2007
Oh, this place is a nice change from the mass produced toy chain stores (though I will admit I like those too). But anyway if you're looking for a good toy store with unique toys that aren't going to be featured in the Toys R Us ad this week then look no further.
The toys in here are unique, some hand made, and sure to delight any child, and many adults. There are some popular mass produced toys also like the Mr. Potato Head I purchased yesterday, but all in all the toys are unique.
The store, just to let you know, with it's old fashioned feel doesn't carry alot of video games and electronics, but who cares? You wanna be known as the aunty or uncle that brought the cool puppet set, not the game they are done with next week when the makers of those games release another one next week. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Santa Monica, CA
11/12/2009
Ambassador Toys in West Portal always seems to help me out in a bind. I had to find a couple of last minute educational, but messy, presents for my nieces. It was a very specific request and I wasn't really sure what kind of cool gifts I would find, but the people at Ambassador Toys were super helpful. The girl working picked out several gift ideas for me to choose from. I ended up buying a really cool plant gestation kit and a pirate archeology buried treasure thing. Both were in the $15 range which was perfect for my budget.
Best of all, my aunt was impressed at how cool the gifts I got were and she ended up ordering more of the archeology kits.
I worked at a gift wrapping kiosk during winter break once and hated it. I refuse to wrap presents, so it was AWESOME that they offer free gift wrapping! -
Review from Dom L.
4/11/2010
Good little toy store, has most of the major toys that any child wants. Stocks some classics and other hard to find toys. Also stocks higher end toys that you would expect in this neighborhood. Service is hit or miss, some of the workers are super friendly while others, I wonder why they work in a toy store when they don't seem to like kids. Biggest, biggest negative is the prices. To me, not only do they not discount the toys, they seem to over price some toys. I mean that some toys have prices already printed on them (which is like the MSRP) and Ambassador puts their sticker over the price, and the price is more!
But overall it's a decent place, and when in the area, will occasionally let me son here to pick up a 'surprise' for himself. He loves the Thomas train table in the front and could play there for hours. -
Review from Amanda P.
Oakland, CA
8/1/2011
I can't describe how amazing this toy store is; has new, old, practical, nostalgic... Really, even practical stuff, go there just to see it!
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Review from Stefanie L.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2008
Really cute toy store that features traditional toys like horseys on a stick, swords, wooden trains, puppets, board games, barbie dolls and more.
It almost feels like Geppetto's workshop... you'd find Pinocchio on the shelf.. you'd buy him... and then he'd come alive when you went to sleep! :) -
Review from H. D.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2010
This is one of those places you go to if you're in the neighborhood, have no car, and ridonkulously desperate for a last minute kiddie birthday present. Because if you had a car, you would just drive your ass to the nearest Target rather than overspend your money here.
They do have lots of cool stuff, I won't deny that. But all of their toys are waaay overpriced, and they'll have cheap party favor-like toys you get at a 99 cent discount store that they try to sell you for $5. Everything I see, I KNOW I can get for half the price, because I HAVE seen them at other stores, for half the price. That's why I don't understand anyone who shops here. Do you not ever visit any other toy store? Do you have THAT much money to blow?
Another gripe is their free gift wrapping. I understand it's free, and I should be appreciative, but if they're going to wrap it like they did it blindfolded, then maybe they can just hand me some of the paper and I'll do it myself. Heck, a 4 year old can do it better. Obviously if I'm asking for it to be gift wrapped, and this might be a stretch so bear with me, but maybe, just maybe I'm actually going to be giving it to someone as a gift and I don't want it to look like i got some wrapping paper and tape and just hoped for the best. If I didn't care what it looked like I wouldn't have even bothered asking someone to wrap it for me. Ya know what I mean?
But they still deserve 2 stars because despite that ugly wrap job, I like FREE. In fact, I like free a lot. And the people who work here are fairly friendly and look hard working enough. -
Review from amelia c.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2009
Alright, so I'm rating this toy store mainly based on the Thomas the Train products they stock. Fair or not, that is my main criteria. I had hoped they carried at least the Trackmaster or Tomica line, but alas...my hopes were crushed.
OK ranting and raving about Thomas the Tank Engine all aside, I too am surprised this store has survived the last year of economic disaster. It doesn't stock a great variety of toys, and being smack dab in the middle of West Portal doesn't afford it extra points. Maybe Shaw's next door is sharing it's good vibes... -
Review from Ally L.
San Francisco, CA
12/24/2008
I love this place. I can spend an hour in here just looking around. But it gets kind of overwhelming when you're totally clueless about what you want to get! Too much stuff.... I don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing! But definitely come here for developmental and educational toys. Pricey stuff but good stuff!
Service is kind of eh. I was walking around in circles for the longest time but no one greeted me. -
Review from Mag N.
San Francisco, CA
10/8/2009
Well,they do have some good toys here.
But lets not stick it to the parents pricewise so more kids can have their toys.
Elementary. -
Review from Jorm ..
Oakland, CA
8/8/2007
I love this toy store. Like most places in West Portal, it's more a "neighborhood" place than a chain shop - so the fun here is going in with a vague idea of what you want and then browsing to find the exact thing you want.
Remember when you were a kid, and your parents would always buy you the G.I. Joes or My Little Pony or whatever - the exact toys you wanted - and they'd fall apart or you'd stop using them? But your aunt or uncle would pick up these weird toys that weren't on your list - things like hula hoops and kites and such - and those ended up being the toys that you played with for years and years?
This is where you buy those toys. They have a *few* major line toys, but it's really a place to find the less-common things. -
Review from Don N.
San Francisco, CA
8/27/2009
It's hard to find an honest to goodness toy store in the city so it was a pleasant surprise when I found Ambassador toys. I had to find a box of Legos, and this was one of the few places that had what I was looking for in stock. While other toy stores bill themselves as progressive enterprises with only the "cutting edge" (read overpriced kits that only an overprotected bubble child could love) Ambassador carries toys like I remember as a kid.
I found the service to be excellent, they were perfectly happy to gift wrap for me. My only knock against the store is its organization. Toys are sometime strewn about and are a bit hard to find, but that might be just a function of the store's relatively small space. Overall, I would recommend Ambassador Toys to anyone looking for a great toy for an equally great child (or adult). -
Review from Roger A.
Burlingame, CA
2/18/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I checked this place out.. alot of cool toys. Even though its price is a bit higher than normal, this shop had some unique toys worth the price.
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Review from susannah b.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2011
Nice-looking store, nice people working here, pretty good toy selection but the prices are RIDICULOUS! And I don't just mean a bit more than other places, I mean pretty much double. Went to buy some Lego for a gift. The kit my son picked out for his friend (Emperor Palpatine's Shuttle if you're interested!) was over $100. We were running late but it was still worth it to drive down 19th Ave to Target were it cost $56.99. I guess one goes here to avoid the plastic rubbish at Target that the kids are drawn to but oh, the prices....
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Review from LIsa L.
San Francisco, CA
10/23/2011
Great toy store - it's wonderful to be able to shop at a store that is nothing but a toy store... it fills a piece of nostalgia, and it's great to be able to support a small business. Love the free gift wrapping.
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Review from Eryn K.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2008
dear chick who works at ambassador toys,
i understand that in your off time, you are a cool hipster who pretends not to care about sh*t. however, during the daytime, you work at ambassador toys. which means you don't have to be a total bitch when i ask you if you carry "twilight turtle" for my 5 month old.
which you didn't.
4 stars for a wide variety of toys and for being a local small store, 1 star for working in the customer service industry and being nasty to a woman with a baby. i mean seriously, he's a baby! be nice! -
Review from Josie A.
Pleasanton, CA
10/27/2010
cool toy store, but I wish they had more toys for toddlers. went in here to get my niece a bday present and ended up with a stuffed animal and a drum set... both good buys, but I would have liked a larger selection.
they gift wrap for free and do a good job! -
Review from Tizzy A.
Alameda, CA
6/20/2010
This is a really fun store, filled to the brim with every kind of toy possible. I like that they have unusual toys like organic "green" ones, collectibles, science kits, as well as the usual toys like Lego etc. They had toys that I didn't even know were available (like a Mr Potato Head transformer!) and all the toys seemed to be of good quality. They also have some books, but not many. Things are more expensive than you would find at Walmart or online, but I like that the best toys have already been selected for me in one location, and I can go there to browse when I need to buy a present and don't know what to get. If you already know exactly what you want, by all means buy it online, but if you have no idea, spend an hour here and you'll have so much fun! I also like supporting local businesses and I hope that a store like this will stay around for a long time.
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Review from David G.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2008
Lots of great toys but a little pricey
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Review from Kristin D.
Milwaukee, WI
7/23/2007
This is such a great little toy store! They have fun, unique toys for children of all ages and interests. The prices are a little higher than what you'll find at a larger store but you get better quality and more unique finds. Plus, they are totally OK with kids trying out the toys prior to purchasing. They will even gift wrap for you! Oh, and they carry seasonal stuff that is super cute, like rain coats and galoshes for tots!
