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Boy, this isn't the easiest place to get to when you're a visitor and on public transit. http://www.TheBus.org led my ototo-san and I on a merry 10-block goose chase.
But it was a beautiful feeling when we set foot inside the store. Sugoi! Totemo sugoi desu! It was like being in ONE GIANT DEALER ROOM at an anime con. You know how sometimes, an anime character has stars instead of eyes? That was me. Towels, wallets, patches, figurines, cosplay costumes and accessories, games, manga and anime. Kakkoi!
I mainly looked at stuff that isn't available at home, like the FMA patches, the towels and other novelties. I did not find an iron-on patch of the SOS Brigade logo but at least got my FMA patches. I nearly bought a messenger bag but then thought "BAKA! What do you need a fourth messenger bag for?"
And I very nearly walked out of the store with an Edward Elric alchemist watch, ring and tags. A steal of a deal at $25...until you touch the metal used for the pocket watch. Flimsy. I'd kill it if I accidentally took a corner too closely and hit a wall.
The staff weren't particularly friendly, especially when you compare them to the other stores I visited during my trip.
Some of the DVDs looked suspect. As in bootlegs. HINT: legit versions say "Region 1" for North America. "Region-free" is a bootleg.
Some of the figurines, cosplay accessories and DVD's seemed overpriced.
They need more smaller sizes (kids', teen, women's) in their t-shirt section.
Omg.
I was straight blasted into my days of macross, final fantasy, transformers...right when you walk in u are taken back by the specialized cosplay items hanging on display for purchase.
Now this was a first. Just a week from sdcc and I was still blown away how some fans are flat out nuts on picking up eveything connected to their character, take for instance an matrix of leadership necklace they had here that was so precise in detail.
Craziness.
You can find many hard to come by items but at a pretty steep price.
Are you an asiaphile? Do you have to get your fix of all the foreign import games that you simply can't find at the local Gamestop?
I STILL order stuff online from this place because it has sooo much there.
Need a top load NES?
rare ds games?
the japanese colored Ds?
Taiko drums (before they came more to America)?
Looking for really rad rhythm games that never made it stateside like Para Para Paradise?
There. There. There. All there.
The shop also has figures, plushies, cos gear and knives amongst other video game schwag.
The only downside is the shipping. My ex bought me a rare import game that took over a month for them to get it to San Diego.
Good place for kids, but hey adults that dont have lives go there too. People love video games.....consoles from japan...go here. you can get a regular dsi for 169.99, but if its from japan its like 225 or so.
Has anyone seen that stupid halloween costume contest winners on their door right before you go in. Look at some of the older people in it. I say its pretty pathetic, but i do give them props dressing up like that in front of a lot of younger kids and teens.
So i go there for my ds stuff, um...boyfriends stupid gundam thing. He has like a whole collection. i think i spent over 500.00 for gundam crap. I love korean dramas and they have a good selection of them. oh and cant forget the huge poster things hanging from the ceilings. some of them which i think is not kid appropriate.....
"Toys N' Joys", Oh, they sell toys alright, but, not that kind. I know the store's name can be misleading, but this place is all about the Japanese anime. Kids and collectors from around the island flock to this gem of a store. The gamers who work here, live, eat and breathe video games. You need a gift for a 4 yr old girl? They got you covered. You need a gift for a 48 yr old male? They can hook you up with that mid life crisis also.
Check out Toys N' Joys for an incredible selection of new & used games, pokeman, naruto, godzilla, star wars, inuyasha, bleach, macross, hello kitty, totoro, action figures, collectibles, t shirts, bags, notebooks, trading cards, scroll wall art, airsoft guns, jewelry, c.d.'s and also Korean, Japanese and Chinese DVD's.
If you're into this type of stuff, or need some omiyage for friends and family, look no further.
If Toys N' Joys looks familiar, it's where they filmed the scene from the t.v. show "LOST" where the Korean guy shops for a big giant panda.
-1 star price
But you won't find a selection greater than this anywhere.
Toys in the front:
Anime, hidamari no tami, Mario/Yoshi plushies, messenger bags, Pokemon, energy drinks (Bawls = caffeinated Ramune-esque godliness), Nintendo DS and accessories.
Joys in the back/middle:
Knives, weapons, ninja-star things, guns, hentai-esque dolls.
I want that 6 foot tall Yoshi doll that resides in the front of the store! =D
Great variety
Heaven for Japanophiles
A smidgeon pricey
I stopped by here twice! It has almost everything you would try to win on eBay or Yahoo! Japan auctions, haha.
They have awesome Japanese toys, games, posters, collectibles, t-shirts, weapons, etc.
Here's some things to name: Japanese Gundams, Transformers, Final Fantasy, Anime, HENTAI (lol wtf), swords, Pokemon, Studio Ghibli, import video games, and lots moooooooore.
We were lucky we got parking right in front of the store. That might kind of annoy some who have to circle the area just to find parking.
This place is INSANE. It's packed with every toy under the sun, mostly things you would only find in an Ebay bidding war with teenage punks nicknamed "Butthead" and "WOWarrior."
But seriously, I can't believe how many "toy" swords they had delicately placed on the wall in the back. Someone has been watching Kill Bill a little too much, me thinks.
And the collection of "guns" and "weapons" was impressive to the point of frightening. These Hawaiian kids are amazingly well versed in the art of war. At least, in the art of war "toys." I felt like I was standing conflicted on the corner of "concerned" and "impressed."
I was fortunate and did not have the horrible customer service some have mentioned on previous reviews. However, I can see how crowds of kids and men-child peeps could overwhelm the staff. I was there on an off day, and there were dozens of people shoving towards the checkout counter.
When I asked for the latest version of Katamari, I was met with a kind smile, helpful information, and no attitude at all. In fact, they gave me their card, told me to call them in a week when they would be getting one in. They offered to ship it to me, if I was still interested at that point in time.
I could have easily spent my entire retirement at this store, mainly on Totoro music boxes and Star Wars memorabilia. It was like being taunted by the ghost of my ten year old self.
I had to physically grab something to pull me out the door before purchasing a shiny, black, vinyl Darth Vader head/backpack. Had I actually gone down that geeky path, I may never have recovered.
Toys N' Joys is a great niche store. If you're looking to sell or buy used video games or to purchase imported Japanese games and anime that are hard to find elsewhere.
My only gripe is that they tend to charge more for their consoles and games compared to other stores such as Shirokiya or Software Plus.
This store is amazing if you're looking for used video games and used video game equipment. It's the only place in town that will have a replacement power cord for a SNES, or an original gameboy for $10. Also the only place that will sell Japanese import games and systems, and trinkets.
They are a must go to place if you want someone to mod a game system for you also.
But remember that they only do refunds in store credit.
The prices here are too high. The service here is a little better than at the Pearl City Store where I encountered a guy who tried to rip me off and one guy who acts like you were bothering him. I no longer shop here because I found eBay. Now I can get my gamer fix without losing my wallet. I might also include that the parking attendant that handles parking at this store is not very friendly.
This place gets one star because it's independent and I hear good things about the owner... I will say again that I totally respect small businesses.
What I don't like about this place is that I cannot stand the employees there. Every time I've been there they have been just plain rude. Sure, I don't look like a typical gamer/geek, but I have my fetish buying tendencies, and I would honestly like to support a small businesses when I can.
I thought that I was the only one who experienced this, but I've confirmed it when I've gone in with friends that the guys/gals behind the counter can be straight out socially inept.
Toys and jerks, for sure. =P
I'm so glad that my brother introduced me to the store because it's great. It has all those little things that you can't find anywhere else in Hawaii (a common problem, since you know, it's an island). My brother is a huge gamer and I, a mini gamer, so we like to go here for fun. Seriously.
The Aiea one is fabulous too. Both stores are crammed to almost over capacity, trying to give the most merchandise possible to the customer.
Sad to say, I had a bad experience when the Blue Enamel DS Lite didn't ship when expected. Alex had contacted me to say that it would ship earlier this month (I ordered in on 1/25, they promised it would ship by 2/2) but it hasn't shipped. Come to find out, it's been backordered. Totally out of their hands (apparently there's some kind of DS shortage right now??) but it would've been nice to have a heads up about this. It was my best friend's birthday =(.
BUT I still love the store. Where else can you get wall scrolls for every goshdarn anime/video game? Well not every...but its quite the selection.
Damnit this shop really pissed me off. Some people seem to have had a good experience going into the store, and some people not so much. One thing's for certain-- their online shop SUCKS! The customer service is *disgusting.*
I was really excited about Toys N' Joys when I first discovered it and in the very beginning they seemed great. Their website lists lots and lots of items that are really hard to find elsewhere. Even though the prices might sometimes be a little higher, its better than NEVER having something you really want-- plus there is the occasional great deal to be found, too. The problem is that MANY of those items are difficult for THEM to find too! Just because it's on their website with a "Buy Now!" button beside it does not mean they have it in stock.
They accepted payment in full for an order of three expensive items. I received an email from them a week later saying that my order had shipped! I was thrilled. When my package arrived, it was only partially filled. There was no explanation nor acknowledgment of the incomplete shipment. According to their website, if an item is on back-order, an email is sent out to inform the customer. Since I didn't receive any such email I knew that couldn't be the problem.
I emailed them to inquire about this and got a prompt response saying that the remaining item would be shipped in 1 week. Two weeks later-- no shipment. I emailed to ask for an update and for a tracking number..... No response. More follow-up emails..... No response. Finally I get an email saying that the item IS indeed on back-order and that they had ordered more of them from Japan. Pffftt! Lots of luck with that-- the item was a limited edition run that was sold out already all over Japan and the U.S.! How ridiculous! I knew that if I waited for them I may as well just forget about it forever. I ended up getting it on eBay at an over-inflated cost. Boooooooo! :-(
In the meantime the email I received said they could give me store credit or a refund if I wanted to cancel. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and found something else on their website I wanted. I placed a new order.....nothing, no response. I forwarded the order confirmation email for the new order I placed, asking them if the item was in-stock and ready to ship...... No response.....I sent a follow-up email......No response..... I let the situation rest for little while and when no one followed up with me, I forwarded them their original "Your order has shipped email" asking them to be refunded for the unshipped item......No response..... I sent them a follow-up and got the same reply as before saying that the item is on back-order and that they had ordered more of them from Japan!!! Unbelievable!!! Are these people f*%king sniffing paint thinner!?!? SHEESH! I replied again telling them that I didn't ask for order status, and that I wanted a refund. They replied by saying they would send my request to their billing manager.
Three weeks later; no refund. I sent an email to Billing asking if they could kindly send a status update on the refund. The reponse I got-- "There is no update as it can take anywhere from 3 days up to 4 weeks for a refund to be posted to an account." WTF!?? I waited 4 more weeks (a total of 7 weeks), and still no refund! I asked for a status update again and 2 days later get a reply saying "I show the refund was done on 8/01/08." Seriously--- WTF???? I let them know that they are mistaken and ask them for some details-- last 4 digits of the credit card they refunded for example. 2 days later a different person emails me saying that my refund has been applied and I should expect it within 3 to 5 days. Ok so they just NOW submitted the refund? 7 weeks later? After they told me the saw that it went through on the 1st of Aug? So now I should finally get my refund on August 20-something for an item I ordered on the 9th of March!!! This is absolutely inexcusable and stupid. Seriously--- screw you guys! Do not order online from these losers!!
This place is freakn' awesome. The best place for video games and action figures. They have all the titles that Best Buy and Circuit City doesn't have.
Before they renovated, the store was much smaller, but they still packed the place full of stuff. And now that the store is bigger, it's still packed full of stuff, just a lot more stuff.
Hurrah!
They had a Wii. That's right, I had been psychotically stalking Best Buy in vain attempts to acquire one (which would have involved getting up R-E-A-L-L-Y early on a Sunday morning...no go for me) but Lo and Behold! Toys N' Joys just...has them.
And yes, you have to buy them in a bundle, and yes the bundle is overpriced...but not so much as to deter me from plunking down $50 extra to have a Wii and to not have to lie, cheat, and get up early on a Sunday morning to jostle with other people as strange as me.
Anyway, besides their in-stock-ness of my Wii the sales people were also very pleasant and efficient, and I am also excited about having an easy-peasy place to get presents for friends who love all things cute and useless (I seem to remember a lot of anime figures, but honestly I didn't browse too much- I was there on a mission). The store is a tad overwhelming as it is BURSTING with stuff to look at and want. The four stars is for the over-priced nature of the Wii and controllers.
Toys n' Joys is the ULTIMATE electronic game store! Located at 3632 Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki, it is full of every electronic game you can imagine. They have validated parking in the back of of Center Street.
They also have a store in Aiea (Westridge Shopping Center) on Kaonohi Street.
I bought the Nintendo DS Lite today along with the BrainAge and Brain Academy....Great for us older folks to "excercise" our brain...
The people were very courteous and helpful. I was very impressed with Alex Le, the Manager. He is a friendly, courteous helpful business person who understands customer satisfaction....
They are price competitive with all of the newest, coolest things you can imagine! Check it out....
This place has too much stuff. In fact my wife doesnt like to go in with me because theres too much stuf fon the shelves. Its got every cool thing you can think of. Gozilla actoin figures. Naruto stuff. Video games. Used video games. Higher end DDR junk. Weird Japanese coin machine toys. Trading cards. Asian videos. Hentai videos. Airsoft.
The new location in Kaimuki isnt so cramped, but just give it time....
I loved this place when I was a kid when it was Wholesale Outlet, and I love it now. Although some of the prices are kinda higher sometimes, especially with the big conglomerate stores coming and in offering deals all the time, I still go her, as it's a one-stop-shop for things that you can't get in a lot of other places.
I especially love it for the Goomba selection. That's right, the Goomba selection. I'm a major collector of Goomba paraphernalia and these guys seem to always get the latest Goomba items. There - I admitted to being a Goomba fan, and I'm a happier person for doing so!
So anyway, check this place out. Japanese toys all around and video games everywhere. You can't go wrong.
Due to HI's proximity to Japan, this place gets a lot of cool anime & manga related goodies. Whether its toys, models, stationary, clocks, cosplay costumes, tshirts, hats....this place has it all. They also sell DVDs for Japanese & Chinese movies, model cars, and BB guns. In NYC, we have places similar to this but nowhere near as good. If you're a fanboy or fangirl vacationing in the area, you must check it out! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Toys and Joys is one of the best places that grace the street of Waialae. It's been there back in the days in it's tiny nook and finally upgraded a few years back. Now they've got enough space to hold everything a gamer/anime fanatic would ever want. They've even got a section for airsoft and display swords too. Never had any gripes with them at all, although I do agree that customer service is a bit on the "ehh" side. got my Kon doll from here too....soo cute!!!
We bought our Wii from Toys N Joys the other day; needless to day....we haven't been out of the house in days. Although it cost ~$150 more than if we got it from ie. Gamestop, we just didn't want to wait. it came w/ 1 game marked w/ an orange sticker. y'know, it's all the games they're trying to get rid of. we bought the Wii play to get the extra controller, an extra nunchuck, and mario/sonic olympic games.
the young man who helped us looked like your typical gamer. kinda nerdy, w/ small underbite and lisp, glasses, etc. but he was calm, informative, and helpful. i ask lots of Qs, so i like it when people 1) know their merchandise, 2) are informative w/ their answers (not "uhh...it's just better"), and 3) are nice. he had this other lady asking a ginormous amount of questions while he was trying to help us, but not once did he get agitated. and believe me, she was annoying. ie. "what games do you think are good for 6 yr olds?" "umm, i think the Wii play would be good ma'am." "oh...you don't think the mario galaxy would be good? cuz even though he's 6, he picks up fast, yeah?" "umm, i don't think so ma'am. the Wii play would be a good place to start." "but you know, kids they pick up so fast, yeah?" she did this multiple times. it was Groundhog Day. ARGH!!! don't ask a Q if you don't want an honest answer. just buy the darn game you want to buy then!!!
the wait to pay for our stuff was long, but i guess this is a sign that the store is popular, right?
also, i've gotten Doraemon stuff here. i love that weird blue robot cat.
On the only rainy day during my vacation in HI my friend took me to Toys N Joys to look at the cool stuff they sold. I was thrilled to find toys that I wouldn't be able to find on the mainland. I picked up a set of Final Fantasy key chains that I couldn't find elsewhere which made me all giddy. It's a great store so you should check it out!
this is a great store for things that you see on ebay and are to impatient to wait for, BUT.....................the staff (especially the fat guy) you know which one i'm talking about.....needs to learn some customer service. If you feel like getting some verbal abuse then feel free to stop in at this store!
Toys n Joys is an awesome store, with everything including video games, japanese import dvd's, toys, figurines, bb guns, samurai swords...the list goes on and on. This is by far the best place for video games on the island...don't even bother with the fools at gamestop, etc. Huge selection of used games. Most times ToysNJoys has the best prices too! I preordered a Wii and when the morning came to pick it up they were well organized and we got in and out within 20 minutes, even though the non-preorder line was very long. The guys and gals that work there are friendly and helpful.
The prices there are ridiculous! I notice that their prices are like 5 dollars more for brand new games than at places like Circuit City. And Circuit City even has specials on them once in a while. So they are even cheaper. I've been to Circuit City and bought a premiere game for 5 dollars. If you want to see how ridiculous their prices are, check the glass case. You will find tons of games there that haven't moved in ages. Why? Because some dummy that thinks that they're collector's items has overpriced them. Whoever this guy is doesn't know the first thing about retailing. You can find these games on eBay for a whole lot less if you are willing to put in the time to bid on them. So the games just sit under that glass case taking up space.
Honolulu, HI
Category: Toy Stores
Honolulu, HI
Category: Toy Stores
Honolulu, HI
Category: Department Stores
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