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Categories: Party Supplies, Home Decor [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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After learning the Mythbusters crew sometimes shows up here, I insisted we shop at Fantastico for a friend's Mexican fiesta-themed party with the glimmer of hope I'd have a run-in with Grant Imahara.
Sadly, no Grant, but more Mexican fiesta-themed options than you could ever imagine. Would you like some tiny novelty sombreros? What, those you found aren't tiny enough? Here, look in this box: *tinier* sombreros.
That was the beauty of Fantastico. The multiple options available for every single party theme were absolutely mind-boggling. Not only were we thrilled to find everything we needed in less than 5 minutes, but we also got distracted by other themed displays and somehow stayed a full hour. Like others have said, we found ourselves brainstorming for other parties to throw, just so we could come back and buy all the cool stuff we discovered.
The store itself, however, was cavernous, kind of dusty, and frankly almost creepy in its manufactured cheer - as in, this is the place in your nightmares where a deranged clown jumps out from behind a stack of boxes and chases you. Of course, if this is what comes to mind at a party store, perhaps you should party more to take the edge off. And this shouldn't stop you from the thrilling shopping experience that is Fantastico.
Great parking. Easy to find. Tons of stuff. Maybe try the Star Wars aisle for a Mythbusters sighting.
I shouldn't have chosen such a unique theme for my BF's birthday party. The theme was underwater/trojan. And it was tough to do. No wooden horses, no swords or breast-plates. But they did have decorations for practically every other theme possible.
Well, not exactly because my runner-up theme was communism. And the 2nd runner up was Ghengis Khan. Didn't see anything close to that at all.
But they had so much that I did not utilize. I should have decorated the patio umbrella like a jelly fish, with the ribbons and streamers.
I got some paper fish, seahorses, a plastic gangster necklace, plastic fish, paper lobster, and pipecleaners.
Oh, right. This place has the most amazing fake fruit!!! I got grapes to make a wreath for the BF. They look so real!!
I need some faux fruit. Not French? No big deal...I need some fake fruit. Limes to be exact. In my search, I called Williams Sonoma and the nice guy who I spoke with said, "We don't sell what you need, but I can tell you where to get it." You can figure out where this is headed.
So, I am off to Fantastico. Probably for fake fruit. Possibly for a margarita or pinata party??
I get there to find a huge warehouse full of party supplies. As I wandered around, I noticed quite a few items of interest from Christmas trees to ornaments and wreaths and on and on.
Finally, I stumbled across the mecca of faux fruit...aisle 4. I have never seen to much stuff. I had no idea they made this many fruits in plastic format. As I looked up and down the aisle for the limes, I didn't see them. Surely it is just me. I looked again.
Oranges, Lemons, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Santa Rosa Plums, Chiles, Jalapenos, Corn, Figs, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Squash, Red Apples, Green Apples, Bananas, Carrots, Onions...This place has virtually every fruit or vegetable known to man, but I cannot find the limes to save my life. Time to ask for help.
I get a nice guy from the front of the store to come back and help me look through the boxes and extra stock to find these crazy limes. This place is not 100% displayed as many boxes are sealed and have writing on the sides. As we stood and peered up at the rafters of boxes, he began saying he didn't think they had limes. Then, he remembered all of the sudden that a woman came in and bought 150 limes recently. She wiped out the entire stock. I laughed and asked when they might get more in stock. He said he would check.
A few minutes later, he returned to say that they were not going to order any more limes because they didn't sell well. What? Didn't they just sell 150 of them in one transaction?? There were hundreds of Oranges, Lemons, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Santa Rosa Plums, Chiles, Jalapenos, Corn, Figs, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Squash, Red Apples, Green Apples, Bananas, Carrots, and Onions sitting around.
Oh well. I guess I won't go back. Instead, I am going to go to Bloomingdales where they have limes in a display (and were probably the ones that wiped out Fantastico) to convince them to sell me a handful. Fingers crossed.
if you have an event coming up, take a trip to Fantastico first! They have a whole warehouse full of supplies....They have an extensive collection of baskets and silk flowers as well. I did see today that they were starting to put up Halloween supplies in case you want to shop for that now : /
I did not see any licenced party theme supplies, more of the generic themes like luau, mardi gras, and poker party supplies. A few items for first birthdays, and batchelorette parties.
Fantastico has everything! We pick all our wedding supplies here. Rght next door to the flower market.
I like this place, alot of things to choose from and the items are pretty cheap!! came in to look for ideas for baby shower favors. and sure enough, I found some stuff to put together.. the favor came out fabulous of course!!
So the other day I went out with a pack of friends for wedding dress day. Yeah one of my friends is getting hitched and a few of us decided to join her on the let's watch you put on poofy princess dresses mission. We arrived early for a fitting and lo and behold, Fantastico was across the street. Now I had never heard of this place before but one of the chicks in our group was super enthused and her energy was catching. Good thing to because really, this place is an explosion of happy crappy party fun time! Oh and a heaping helping of fake plants.
I'm telling you this was love at first aisle. We kept exchanging "oh no, THIS is what you need". If you need to fill a theme be it traditional (cowboy, casino, princess, cartoons, etc), a holiday (Christmas, Marti Gras, Halloween, probably Arbor Day) or over the top (magenta and black wedding bells anyone?--btw I can tell you where to get your matching wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses). This place will probably fulfill nearly all of one's party accessory needs. It's also a crafty DIY paradise. Seriously I haven't felt the itchy crafty need in awhile and I had it here almost as bad as when I was a preteen in Michaels. One of the ladies in our crew actually found some fake ivy to complete her kite project. The floor space is huge and takes the better part of the hour to really hunt through all the treasures and atrocities on the sales floor. This store is large enough to help you not only finish off your arts and crafts desires and party planning but also could help complete some of your decorating needs or create/ finish off a great costume. Reasonably priced, worth the time and smiles. Fantastico indeed!
I didn't even know the name of the store. As a matter of fact, I had this Angray Fantastico receipt in my pocket and couldn't, for the life of me, remember eating at a joint called Angray Fantastico. I love Italian food, so the thought of me missing out on the memory of going to a great restaurant two weeks ago really bothered me. It wasn't until today that I realized it was this great party planning/ random great stuff place that we stopped in on May 30th...it also wasn't until now that I realized that 'Fantastico' wasn't Italian (Eye-Taly-On, as dad would say). Whatever- my foreign language was in French anyhow. Como talle vous?
I was in the market for a large ceramic planter to transplant my beast in the dining room. My wallet was pleasantly surprised to find the perfect pot at Fantastico. We also bought these cute pagoda tea light holders for the backyard sitting area, because that's exactly what we need, more candle holders. They were 8 bucks and couldn't be passed up. We strolled through the place, all the while imagining the party we would throw just because we discovered this place. It seems as if they have anything you're looking for, and at a decent price. I love stumbling upon finds like this...that apparently everyone else knows about. I didn't see a lot of staff, but actually don't think they are needed, except to check you out, and there were enough on hand for that.
I grew up in Pasadena, where there's this amazing craft store called Stats, that I truly thought was so unlike any other place in the universe that I wouldn't have ever given Fantastico a glance had it not been for a coworker of mine getting a good idea in her head.
But then . . . we arrived, I knew exactly what kind of place I was walking into . . . and realized all of my crafty dreams _can_ come true here, too.
I can't wait to come back and stock up on wedding supplies!
fantastico is as good as it gets! i heart fake birds, plastic babies, fake fruit, streamers, and confetti so to me this place is a party in itself. i actually shop here to make hair accessories and other fun accouterments (that can be seen here http://www.leatherette... ) and its my favorite place! if anyone knows of a place as good as this one in L.A. message me cuz i am heart broken there isn't one down here (i guess L.A. is only about fake people and body parts :/)
I cannot get enough of this place... at first glance, the size of the warehouse, the stacks of supplies, and the dust on some of the older items may belie the variety, selection, and great customer service. If you do not need anything NOW, just take the time to stop by and walk around... go up and down ALL the aisles. The store is huge, but organized. You have to walk around to get an idea of the variety of items... there is great suff everywhere (often stacked between things you don't need). If you are like me, you will get tons of ideas for future events, activities, and holidays. You could even have a "Christmas in July" party, as they carry ornaments year-round. "Papyrus" is great for greeting cards and wrapping paper, but go to Fantastico for your ribbon! You can buy 10 rolls for what you pay at fancy card shops. Friends and I have made centerpieces, displays, Easter Bonnets, Kentucky Derby hats, gift bags, party decorations, and all manner of costumes for events. Why buy a cheaply-made, yet expensive, Halloween costume at those seasonal stores? With a little creativity, you can find tons of stuff at Fantastico. The staff are quiet and unassuming, but very helpful, and they are always friendly when you approach them for assistance. If you buy "in bulk" (a dozen or more items, which is easy with things like LED tea lights), they give you a discount, too. Tchotcke-lovers, rejoice!
Oh the granny hats I could make replete with feathered birds, and juniper boughs and fake flowers! A veritable crafts disorganized maze of a wonderland, there's nothing this place doesn't have including LOL CAT NAPKINS (which bode well at tech geek bday parties).
They've got a whole greenhouse of plants of every variety, except they don't need water or light and will never grey. Dedicated aisles for every occasion. Cowboy and pirates gear, Star Wars paraphernalia up the wazoooo, candles in every size and color, piñatas - it's a one stop party shop!
But note: the candy's weak, so fill up yer donkey elsewhere. And though it's mad fun discovering what this place holds, it adds up mighty quickly.
Fantastico is right!
If you're looking to throw a party or find some inexpensive decorative touches to make your home more warm and festive for the holidays...this huge SOMA craft store is the place that will help you do it up right. Paper, beads, ribbons, candles, fake plants, fake birds, you name it...you will most likely find it here and at fantastic prices too. People will be dazzled by your creativity and ask where in the world you found all this great stuff. Fantastico!
OH. MY. WORD.
I was fascinated and repelled by Fantastico's...sketchy-ish location and dingy interior, but as I was taught never to judge a book by its cover, I opened my heart to Fantastico's, and it did not disappoint.
Our mission was to find decorations for our Enchanted By The Sea themed Prom, and they had EVERYTHING I was hoping for: fishing nets, gold coins, lucite "jewels", coral, shells, even a plastic Captain's wheel. (We ended up with a spectacular display!) If you're the type who likes to theme a party out, and theme it out well, Fantastico is your new best friend. Vegas theme? Garden theme? Luau theme? Pirate theme? Mardi Gras? Yep, I'm pretty sure they have something for you. They aren't exactly the cheapest place in the world (you'd have to order online to get better prices), but definitely less expensive than some of the party store chains out there.
And, like a true princess, I got super distracted when I got to the unusually large tiara section (usually reserved for weddings)...
I would call it more "Fantastic-eh".
One thing to point out from the beginning which I felt wasn't expressed in some of the other reviews is that the influence in this place is more on the DIY/craft aspect of decorating. With tons of plants, fake fruit, candles, paper, pillars, etc, I can see some pretty awesome stuff being created from some of the goods here.
For the rest of us who rely more on pre-made stuff, depending on what kind of party you're having, I felt Fantastico's was just average. They've got a ton of stuff for New Year's, 4th of July, Chinese New Years, 50's, kids and wedding parties but other than that I didn't feel that had much for other situations or parties. They also have virtually nothing in the way of costumes which I think is a slight shortcoming based on some of their competitors although they do have at least a minor selection of hats.
The layout of the store is not very customer friendly either. With virtually no signs and nearly as few floor employees, efficiently navigating the store and finding what you're looking for could take a decent amount of time. You kinda just have to walk around and hope you find what you're looking for. The customer service at the cash register wasn't terribly good either (we'll call it "fair"). The prices can also be a little high as well (1 fake lime = $4).
Overall Fantastico's is pretty good if you really have something creative in mind to make but for the rest of us chumps looking for pre-made stuff this store is best utilized when you're in a jam.
Fantastico!!!!
I can totally picture the Fanta girls - covered in paper mache with disco balls hanging from their orange outfits, parading around this store, squealing.
"FANTASTICO!!! ( girlish giggle) FANTASTICO (pulling at the tight orange shorts which are riding up their...)!"
Fantastico is pretty fun though. It reminds me of those kitchy, craft stores in New Jersey, which I adored visiting when I was younger. With a big cart in tow I'd shuffle through the aisles, throwing big balls of string, streamers, and tacky Christmas decorations into the cart . My mom would trail behind me, taking everything I just put in the cart - back on the shelves.
Fantastico is a welcoming haven for all those looking for balloons, streamers, disco balls, cheesy (though some are quite adorable) fountains, fake flowers, candles, glitter, ribbon, colored paper, halloween decorations, christmas decorations, candy, and well all of that stuff that you really don't need, but
" that would so work for that room...during....well...the holidays....about three months from now....yeah...."
have to get.
Also the salespeople are very friendly, and as of now (Holiday season could be a WHOLE different story) the store is easy to navigate and practically empty.
"And well..."(noticing out of the corner of my eye the Fantastico girls huddling together)
"I guess the Fanta-stico girls say it best..."
(Fantastico girls create a conga line and are now donning feathered headdresses with glitter taped onto each individual feather. They shimmy while conga-ing, and smiling, throughout the store - winking at entering customers and shrieking at the top of their lungs...."
"FANTASTICO is FANTASTICO (giggle, giggle)!!!!"
I feel like singing 'Your Body is a Wonderland' when I walk in here. (Don't hate on John Mayer, and don't think any less of me cause I just said that. I also shop at Abercrombie, what now?!) This store REALLY is a wonderland of sorts.
They have everything in here. Like, anything ridiculous. Want Disco Balls? They got 'em, in 5 different sizes! Ribbon? They have a whole aisle dedicated to the stringy stuff. Fake flowers galore. Train sets. Candles. Vases. Blingy Gold Bowls. Chinese takeout boxes (in a wonderful range of colors). EVERYTHING you guys. And a lot of it didn't seem that expensive.
So yes it's a great place. I noticed that when I came here today, they painted the building so there currently isn't any signage. Make sure you don't miss it. Like I said, it's a wonderland for the coolest crap ever. Screw the other party stores, this is your one stop shop.
Fantastico has aided my crazy Martha Stewart inspired crafts since I was 4...yes,my mother and I watched Martha and when I was 2 decided a puff pastry turkey was necessary! Damn you Martha!lol
Anyways, back to Fantastico, they have everything a crafter,party planner, and Martha watching gal could want.
For Thanksgiving this year I went to Fantastico to buy a styrafoam wreath so I could make the "ever so simple and elegant" cranberry wreath.....well yelpers, thanks to Fantastico, and many many hours of poking cranberries with toothpicks, I had a gorgeous cranberry wreath for my door.
Just today I went to buy a Christmas wreath for my building's front door so we could mat ch the rest of Nob Hill snobbery....yes, our wreath is going to wow every passerby. Thanks to Fantastico, (and putting my Martha watching on restriction), I am the happy owner of a pre-made Christmas wreath...Gorgeous!
Fantastico also gave me some ideas for my birthday party...I'm turning 25 and plan on having one big old party, with decorations, themed of course....so, let's just say, in June I'll be updating this review with all the craziness that will be my birthday party planning/decorations.
Fantastico is also super cheap, and the staff are very friendly and always willing to give you ideas, or help put your crazy ideas into reality.
been coming here for years. They have everything party. period.
We needed some New Year's Eve decorations and stuff. It turns out that the Mythbusters shop here. I love them, so now we shop here.
Rows and rows of statues, decorations, favors, paper, fake plants, and other assorted goodies for once-a-year use. The prices are much better than at Party City or other commercial establishments.
Oh.
Ah.
Dance.
Party Wonderland.
yeah.
yeah.
Dance.
Party Wonderlaaaaaand!
(I found romance when I start to dance in Party Wonderland!)
Was I crazy when I decided to make my bouquets, boutonnieres, and floral center pieces? Yes, yes, and yes!! But Fantastico was a one stop store to get all my supplies (expect the flowers). Everything I purchased was super cheap. They had plenty of ribbon colors and vases to choose from. If you're planning a wedding and trying save $$..you'll definitely want to drop by.
Holy shit!! This is the king of all party supply stores. This is the place to go for party supplies,… Read more »
This joint is great!
Wall to wall, floor to ceiling, jam packed with party "stuff" galore. I love to throw a good theme party every now and then, and this place is a must visit for anyone looking for party "stuff".
A few things that caught my eye as I whizzed through the aisles.
- Disco balls of various sizes
- Fake plastic 1.25ct diamonds by the bag full
- More silk and dried flowers than you'll ever need - ever.
- Gang loads of vases to put your dried and silk flowers in
- Pinatas... though I didn't immediately see Spongebob or Nemo... (joke)
- Ribbon... ribbons and more ribbon
- Swathy, drapy, sheer fabric for accent schmacksent
- Handsome fake rooster, almost life size. Maybe go back and get it so I can put it on my night stand. -sexxxy-
Hope you have as much fun in there as I did.
This place was heaven sent for my party needs. It's like a Chinatown trinket store on steroids . . . but more useful. I was looking for disco balls to wear on my graduation mortar board cap (Don't ask). A family member suggested I go here.
I walked into the place doubting that I would find said disco balls. It had plenty of beach, Halloween, Christmas and wedding stuff. But then the shimmer of the various sized Disco balls caught my eye. And life was good.
Loved this place. Drove past it, wondered what the hell?, mobile yelped, what's up. Now I own a be-sequined Santa hat and some disco ball tree ornaments. They also have a wall of tiny, tiny hats if you'd rather.
This place has EVERYTHING party related. For my wedding, we came here for ribbon and BOY do they have a great selection and lengths. We saved $$ by coming here for that specific item. Too bad my fiance and I went to the store 45 min before they closed because I could've spent two hours just browsing each aisle. :)
I don't really want to rain on anyone's parade here, but man, I can't stand this place. I love kitch and tackyness as much as the next lady-- but this space just doesn't do it for me. Maybe it's because I've woken up at like 5am to run to the flower mart for work and spent three hours walking amongst the classier stalls just adjacent to this place, but everything here is just wrong.
Tissues and ribbons? Floral Supply Syndicate has better. Vases? Western Wicker. Flowers? Torchio/Brannon. I mean, Maybe it's because I come with a floral eye instead of a theme party, but this is just a waste of space.
And it's overpriced and dusty.
Just sayin.'
This place came in pretty hand for some last minute items we needed for our wedding. It's pretty huge, though the "wedding" section isn't gigantic. Still, you can find lots of things you might need. Prices seem to be moderate and of course, it's right off the highway but warning: the place only has a couple of parking spaces out front and parking in that part of town [i.e., the Whole Bay Area!] is problematic. Don't get yer car towed like we did :)
You will have a mental breakdown if you try to plan a party in San Francisco and you don't know about Fantastico. It's ok, I was you once! I went to every 'party supply' place in the yellow pages (pre-yelp; hey look, I have no nostalgia for the yellow pages!) and even scammed a ride to Target, and NOTHING.
I almost gave up and then the tooth fairy (read: I can't remember) tipped me off about this place. Who knew there were aisles and aisles of tacky and classy and colorful party supplies? They have everything you need, and plenty of things you do not understand.
I love Fantastico's! You can find all DIY wedding items under one roof. Prices are also reasonable (much cheaper than Party Warehouse & Joann's!).
I bought a big bag of iridescent grass for gift baskets and I'm still using it. You can say I got my money's worth!
Fake Trees!!!
We have this sun-well that we put real trees in that died (because there is no sun) and decided we need some fake trees. We went to Fantastico to look over their selection and I thought the trees looked pretty good but that they were expensive. Then a miracle happened! I spoke with the manager and not only could they make custom trees for us, it's actually cheaper!
So we are getting two 7 foot trees (medium "bushyness") for only $100 each (believe it or not, that's cheap).
Hard to focus, sooo mesmerized by shiny objects....gahhhhhh....
Seriously though, if you need some sparkle in your life or at your event, this IS the place to shop for it. The prices are fairly reasonable, but if you're crafty you can take ideas from here & go home & make that stuff on the cheaps. They've got everything (right now for Xmas & Turkey Day) for themed parties, weddings, birthdays, showers and graduations from decor to gift bags/boxes and plates/napkins.
When you live in Cleveland these types of stores are a dime a dozen, but in these parts it's practically a novelty.
The parking lot is super small FYI.
Caution enter at the risk of collecting a bag full of sparkly bizarre decorations. It is best to have a specific theme for your party, and or costume. The sheer variety of theme is itself worth a trip, it out weighs Michael's with out even bursting a gleam of sweat. The prices were with in reason it's no dollar store....... but as is mentioned you have to work for what you find, there is no clear or obvious organization to the crowded warehouse so expect to spend some time. I found someone right up front who was very helpful and guided us through to what we were looking for, he also was very familiar with the inventory of the flower shops surrounding which was very helpful. So if you are feeling like going over the top, and putting a personal touch to en event Fantastico is just the kind of store for you.
this place is da bomb if you are planning a wedding or an event. they have hundreds of spools of ribbons, tulles in all sorts of colors and width, tons of silk flowers, candles, vases, etc.. the downside is that many of the items are kind of cheesy, but it's still worth the visit. i just wish i found this place before i planned a friend's baby shower.
there's a section for wedding supplies like invitations, wedding guestbook, ring pillow, and the flowergirl's basket. i have a pretty defined idea of what i want these wedding items to look like so i didn't find what i was looking for, but i definitely bought lots of ribbons and tulles for the wedding. the price is really great too. the ribbons are in very generous spools and much cheaper than michael's, beverly's, target, etc.
I have been going here since I was a kid. It's amazing! It's gotten a bit priceyer since the 80's but is still worth a stop. Perfect for themed decor! The cement statues are a fantastico deal, they make pretty cool wedding gifts as well, I've given them to 2 people so far... and its lovely to see them in a front or back yard of people you love;0)
thanks to fantasticos i had the best last minute new year's eve party ever. it's disneyland for party planners, and if you need some ideas the helpful staff will gladly share.
they carry every theme and decoration you can think of and then some. it makes me want to throw a party every week.
only thing is, you may have to go through every stuffed isle to find the just the right item. don't breeze through or you might miss it.
If you have any kind of tendency towards OCD, are a librarian, or generally want things to be organized, you might want to pop a valium or two before you wander into this place. It's going to require some patience. There are some gems to be found in here, but you are going to have to dig for them. They need some serious help with signage in here. It took me a solid 15 minutes to figure out where balloons were. Once you do find what you need, the prices are reasonable and the selection is great.
This place is magical. My friend and I had to plan a bachelorette party last year and when we walked in we didn't have anything at all and when we left we had just about everything we needed. Be careful, this place is like a time warp. I could easily spend a few hours in there the next time I plan an event.
This place is huge! Without a Diddam's close by, I checked around for places to get supplies for my Chinese Mardi Gras Rat party. Fantastico had all the goods: beads, banners, posters, napkins, fake rats. I think the prices are pretty much what you expect, and it looks like they have every kind of occasion covered. I wished the Chinese New Year section was a little bigger, but I was able to get those supplies elsewhere. Will definitely be back for my party supply needs!
Traditional party central, everything from pinatas to pinecones: rows and rows of fake flowers, fake birds and fake fooferah equal REAL fun. You can amuse 10 kids with three party favors each and have change from a $10. Every color of napkins, streamers, stickers, Xmas lights year round . . . great prices on the 15-hour votive candles that will see you through the next earthquake power outage (I buy a box of 72 each time I go and shake my own lil' quakes).
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Party Supplies
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
Category: Shopping
Daly City, CA
Category: Party Supplies
Neighborhood: Noe Valley
Category: Party Supplies
Neighborhood: Excelsior
Category: Party Supplies
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