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Ambassador Toys
Category: Shopping Toy Stores Toy Stores [Edit]
2 Embarcadero CtrSan Francisco, CA 94111
Neighborhood: Financial District
(415) 345-8697
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 7 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
About This Business:
We are a family-owned business that has been a Bay Area landmark for the last ten years. Our specialties are classic, imported, Waldorf-inspired, wooden… read more »
21 reviews for Ambassador Toys
Review Highlights
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"500 mini-stuffed animals from Germany." In 3 reviews -
"A great alternative to the big box stores." In 3 reviews -
"...found elsewhere, good selection of Thomas trains, and many..." In 3 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Susanne R.
San Diego, CA
5/21/2012
Fun, fun fun! Great learning hidden in toys; good selection. What I loved is the FREE, yes FREE gift wrap! I went in for something for my step-granddaughters and came out with something for me....glow in the dark stars that I'm going to put in my bedroom. Fun fun fun!
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Review from Maria Anna J.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2012 6 Check-ins Here
If you're looking for a specific toy that most places do not carry then you'll probably find it here at Ambassador Toys. I usually make a monthly trip here to buy my 3-year old a monthly present or two. I love their extensive toys and book collection. You can find old and new favorites here.
Ambassador can take up my whole lunch hour just because there's so many things to check out. Good thing I only have one hour or else I'll be in there longer. Check them out, customer service is great and they wrap your purchases for free:-) -
Review from Nicha K.
Alameda, CA
Really nice...! They lent us their space for a photo shoot and put up with 8 kids and parents running around the store for over an hour! The store is well organized with lots of great toys to pick from. Not to mention free gift wrapping!
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Review from Mariela D.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I may be a grown up, but I still can't pass Ambassador Toys without taking a peek inside.
Reminiscent of pint-size FAO Schwartz, Ambassador carries all the classic toys - new and old - to bring joy to the hearts of kids of all ages. While other toy stores focus on big-box brands and video games, Ambassador has stayed true to what toys were meant to be - Barrel of Monkeys, Legos, board games, and oversized plush animals. It makes my heart giddy with excitement.
There aren't many stores in SOMA/FiDi that you can shop in for kids, so if a child you know has an upcoming birthday and you've been slacking on gift shopping, Ambassador will save the day. And Papyrus is right next door so you can find that perfect card and wrapping paper :) -
Review from Liz K.
San Francisco, CA
3/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
A small, local toy store that we found surprisingly fairly priced. We had to get a certain box of legos in a rush and called ahead to see if they had it. When we arrived (very close to closing), the man working there took us to the legos we discussed over the phone. He helped us examine which box to get based on the pieces inside the different kits, even counting the number of pieces with "eyes" on them, which was a specific requirement we had for the kit we needed to buy. He was patient and helpful in looking for the lego pieces we needed.
Although we had to get the lego box that day for something, I later checked online to see what the pricing penalty was for our urgent needs and was shocked to see that we got a a fair price for the box we bought. We paid $60 and the cheapest source I could find within a reasonable distance was the bad boy, big box BabiesRUs for only $7 less but required us to drive out of the city to Colma or San Rafael. Not even really that much of a mark-up and incredible convenience to be able to buy toys in the city...and to support a dying breed of brick-and-mortar, independent toy stores. "Happy, happy, yeah, I did not contribute in a harmful way today" dance. -
Review from Chris L.
Philadelphia, PA
12/9/2008
I will never shop at this store again.
I wanted to support a local toy store so I decided to go here to pick up gifts for an adopt-a-family thing I'm doing for the holidays. Admittedly, I didn't go in until pretty close to closing, but I still had eight minutes left which was made perfectly clear by the sales clerk who upon me entering blurted, "You have eight minutes left.". Three minutes later they did the exact same thing to another customer who entered. How welcoming.
I asked where the Star Wars and Barbie toys were and they pointed me in the general direction. After browsing the Star Wars legos I was hoping they may have a bit more so I went to the front and asked if they had any additional Star Wars stuff. The clerk walked to the back of the store and then pointed as if I was an idiot and didn't say a word.
Knowing that they were closing soon I quickly grabbed my stuff and went to the register to pay. At this point I noticed that they had a ton of different gift wrapping paper and asked if they gift wrap and was then greeted with a cold glare that lasted about five seconds before they finally asked what kind of paper I would like. Clearly, they didn't want to wrap anything at and since at this point I just wanted to get the hell out of the I took my stuff and left.
When shopping at Toys R Us is a better shopping experience you've got a serious problem. I'm all for supporting local businesses, but if a local business treats its customers like garbage and is overpriced then what's the point? -
Review from Dave S.
8/19/2006
I can't think of a better toy store to buy a last minute stick pony for Bay to Breakers or a rubber snake for the San Francisco premiere of Snakes on a Plane. Well done Ambassador Toys you have met my obscure toys needs.
The staff is super friendly and helpful. Most importantly they will not ask you to explain what you will do with that stick pony.Listed in: Born to Shop
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Review from Jay H.
2/17/2006
A cute toy store that emphasizes cultural distinctions in their toys. They carry books, dolls and other children's toys from various cultural backgrounds.
They are very helpful and their inventory is varied and high quality. They carry educational toys and stuffed animals and all sorts of things that children would love to have.
Definitely check it out if you want something more in a toy.
The Marina location closed so check out the West Portal or Two Embarcadero store.Listed in: Back in the day when I was…
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Review from Norris T.
6/28/2011 9 Check-ins Here
This place is hidden in the upper level of the embarcadero and I only found it because I was panicked for a last minute gift for a friends child. This place has all the cool toys I wanted when i was a kid. Yes the prices are high but here's the thing about your childhood toys. Their priceless! I got the kid a toy stethoscope and if she becomes a doctor I'm totally claiming credit for that. They even have onsite gift wrapping which is a blessing since I have no idea what I'm doing in that area. Great store and great staff who tell you exactly what they really think of a toy and not just "their all great." If you work in downtown and are stuck for a gift for someone I would give this place a try.
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Review from eliz s.
San Francisco, CA
9/28/2011
Awesome, if not expensive, toy store with a unique selection of toys not found at other stores, even other independent ones in the city. Lots of die-cast cars not found elsewhere, good selection of Thomas trains, and many international/foreign language books. Location at Embarcadero is kind of a pain if you're not in the city (=driving) but the 1 California bus gets you right there. Plus, they are open early on Sundays, which is great if you're stuck at home on a rainy morning with a bored kid and nowhere to go.
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Review from Wendy H.
8/9/2006
A good place to visit if you're in a rush to buy a toy. Toys are on the expensive side (you can probably get the same toy cheaper at TRU or Target). However, they do carry nostalgia toys (metal ducks or top anyone?)
I also got these little plastic cars for my kid (the tractioned kind. You sorta push it and it goes off by itself). Price wasn't bad. $4.99 for one but when it moves, parts of the car moves as well (can't find that at TRU!). -
Review from Sarah M.
Richmond, CA
8/1/2008
This isn't your run of the mill toy store. This place offers mostly specialty toys....thus, the prices run a bit high, but they have a lot of RAD stuff. Thomas stuff, Breyer Horse stuff, Star Wars stuff, baby stuff, books, games, puzzles....$500 mini-stuffed animals from Germany....yeah, all sorts of stuff, basically. This tiny place is filled to the brim with toys and there's a lot to look at, so be prepared to take some time to find what you need. If you're in a hurry (I usually am) the staff is very friendly/knowledgeable & are more than happy to assist you.
This is not a place for younger children, however. Simply because there are too many opportunities for ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION....so, if you bring your little one in here, you might not want to release them from your clutches until you're out of the store. -
Review from She-Ra ..
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2010
Granted, it's been a spell since I've played with a toy and I haven't bought them in a while, so perhaps I'm no expert and my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt. That said - I needed to buy a toy for Toys for Tots and this was the nearest toy store so I visited. I was horrified by the mark up on some of these toys ($20.00 for a starter set of legos? Board games like Hungry Hippos at $20+?) Some of the toys were just odd and I can't imagine any child wanting to play with the wooden vegetables or the dirty dishes you can pretend to wash. That said, the stuffed animals were super soft, the dolls were pretty, they had some cool looking spy toys, the staff was nice and they're local.
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Review from Victoria d.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2007
There is a safety issue with this store, but their door only opens halfway and kids can just dart out of the store and get hurt. They always keep the doors open and they dont do anything about it!
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Review from Jen L.
5/1/2006
A great alternative to the big box stores. While they still have some staples like Legos, I also like their selection of more unusual and educational toys. My nephews love the toys I get from here. Toys are geared for younger souls, from newborns to preteens. I believe gift rap is complimentary? Not sure though.
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Review from Delaine Z.
Fresno, CA
12/20/2008 1 photo
This is a great little toy store. Not a huge selection, and I don't think they carry the stuff ToysRUs does, but that's why l like it. TRU makes me crazy because you have to wander over acres of gawd-awful junk to find (or not find as is my case) the toy you wanted. At Ambassador, the toys are high quality and different. I bought a fabulous owl puppet there this past summer. The service is understated but good.
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Review from Buddy R.
San Francisco, CA
6/19/2007
Great place to shop for birthday gifts or christmas gift for you kids. To note, this is one of the few places in the City that carries kites and the Playmobil line of toys. Ambassador Toys also has gift wrap which is a big help. They only validate for parking on weekends, so heads up.
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Review from Eugene G.
San Francisco, CA
9/28/2006
Its funny how this store is now considered an 'alternative toy store' when most of their toys are from yesteryear. Tops you actually have to pump to get going... no it doesn't talk or give a light-show..... but it doesn't need batteries. I can't recommend this place enough for offering an eclectic blend of crafts, bath toys, puzzles, black light stuff, etc.... I LOVE IT!
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Review from Brian T.
Mill Valley, CA
3/3/2008
The prices tend to run a bit high, but they have a great selection of quality toys crammed into a small space. The service is always helpful and friendly and I nearly always find what I am looking for. Now, if they could find a way to fit everything in without me knocking things over with my bag...I would never take my son into here...much too dangerous for his quick hands.
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Review from Audrey P.
San Francisco, CA
12/14/2009
I love this store!
I always find a great toy for my son or birthday present. The toys are not your usual Target or Toy-R-Us, but specialty toys like retro robots, knights, dragons, playmobile, thomas, melissa & doug (love them!) and much, much more.
The staff is wonderful and always a pleasure. I sometimes stop in just to say hi and have a chat about my son and how he has enjoyed the toys I have purchased there. They are always welcoming.
I highly recommend this toy store! -
Review from frank l.
San Francisco, CA
11/13/2009
darn this place! my 4 year old son (whos pictures i had to take down due to the fear of stalkers) loves this place. his eyes get to the size of watermelons when he comes in here. it never fails that we leave with a new toy. the store is to his liking because he doesn't have to walk two miles in a warehouse type toy store to find what he likes. the selection is great, the people here are friendly and always answer questions with a smile. i'm getting into this "support the little store" theory. thumbs up as my kid would put it.
