Peter Kato, Manager of Toy Tokyo

How long has the store been in the business?
Were getting into the 5 th year now.

What makes this store different from others?
I guess a larger selection of imports from Japan and Hong Kong .

Are you a toy fan or collector?
I grew up with GI Joe and Transformers, right now I collect miniature PVC’s that's my hobby right now.

How did you get involved with Toy Tokyo ?
I came in as a customer looking for Christmas presents at the time and I‘ve just been working ever since and became the manager, its fun.

There is A LOT to look at!

What are collectors looking for these days?
Right now there are too many types of collectors, new collectors that want things that are hard to get, rare, limited edition, they don’t even mind the cost nowadays. Then others want something from nostalgia, something that they remembered growing up with so if they can’t afford the old thing they’re hoping that a re-issue will be made. Ever since a couple of years ago there’s been a boom of eighties nostalgia so re-issues have been very strong, Transformers, He-Man all the stuff that we grew up with.

GODZILLAS!!!!!

What kind of collectors come in here In terms of age and ethnicity?
Age range the strongest customers, the strongest buyers I would have to say are in their twenties late forties, it’s about income and if they have the money to spend it. Many of the toys are also geared toward them like something that they remember or something that they fancy. I also get a lot of children tons of children but mostly older generation collectors, people that have a job, have some extra income and want to make a collection and there are a lot of customers here that have beautiful collections.

Oh you’ve seen their collection?
Yeah, I have I’ve been invited to their homes so I’ve been able to see a lot of just incredible collections, that’s a hobby of mine too I guess just to look at people’s interiors.

One of the Best toy stores in the World!

What is the best selling item right now?
Best sellers right now, surprisingly something that people wouldn’t even grab on to when they first started coming out in the U.S. about three years ago is the mystery toys. The mystery toys are these random assortments of figures that come in a box. These plastic miniatures usually a figure or figurine are a random assortment, you can get one out of like 10 variety of a certain type so anything from Aliens to Marvel superheroes, to Japanese movie characters. They usually range about $5.99 per box, this year they’ve really caught on. There are still customers that are like you don’t know what your getting how is that fair? But for the most part people are hooked on to the whole gambling feeling of it, that lottery feeling of chance and they’ve been having fun with it. So that’s why that section is the largest. Actually it’s the one we stock the most and usually sells out the fastest.

Is that something made in the states or Japan ?
It’s from Japan primarily and some companies in the states have been inspired by that and followed suit but it’s mostly from Japan .

Cool ROBOTS!!

Does toy Tokyo attend toy shows?
The San Diego Comic-Con, the Javits Center , then there’s the locals the Big Apple Comic- Con, we used to go to Chiller. We don’t do as many shows this time around cause were focusing more on the store and the on-line business and when we do go to the show it’s mostly to buy and not to sell. It’s mostly to buy rare things that customers are looking for or advertising and promoting.

So you guys do a lot of online business?
Yes very much, we were kind of slow getting it up but when it finally did it generated a lot of business for us and a lot of press, so it’s cool.

Just Chillin'

Where do you think this business is headed?
I think more stores like Toy Tokyo, stores popping up, it’s the same anywhere what sells the most or what kind of toy store sells the best import, everybody is always interested in what the other guy has because everybody around you won’t have it, you want something different you want something that you feel is unique or special. When u ask where the business is going it’s hard to say but I know a lot more individual artists are getting a chance at making toys, 3D art in a sense. I know they’ll be an increase in that but I have a feeling the actual store itself will be a store/gallery kind of feeling, it’s going to increase in the city, I’ve already seen new small businesses opening up introducing themselves to the store, for example at the Queens mall there is a new place called Toy Cube you might want to look into that it’s a small store geared towards vinyl and things like that so I think that’s gonna be a trend.

In your opinion what is the best toy or toy line ever made?
My personal opinion? Well toy company, I think Medicom is like really really strong. Medicom has always been putting on a good variety of things that u really didn’t expect and the quality gets better.

Plenty of 12 inch Figures!

Like what?
I would have to say its stuff that I usually can’t afford myself but anything from the 12 inch line, the real action heroes’ line to jut the Kubricks in general, that’s always been fun, I would say that’s probably one of the strongest and most interesting things.

Any interesting stories where a frantic toy collector or celebrity has come in here looking for something?

Miniatures Galore!

Yeah yeah, there’s a whole bunch of crazy stories, lets see, there are always a lot of celebrity stories as well, one that I can think of is Audrey Tautou from the movie Amile. She came into the store and that was actually a treat for everybody, she was doing a film in the city and she just happened to walk in and we were all a little nervous thinking how do we just open it up and say hi, so I went up and she was right next to one of the Kubricks that were based on the movie and we said “isn’t that you?” and the greatest thing was that she looked at it and said yes and her eyes just lit up because she had no idea that there were toys made from the movie. You see the companies take the license from the movie they don’t take it from the actor and so she was excited. She was with her family, she translated most of what I told her to them. Then there were some exclusives on that same toy and she asked if we could get them and we said yes of course we’d try but she said she’d be back months later which is during Christmas either way we said yes, we got it early and had it up on the counter for the longest time just for her. After a few months we started thinking wow will she be able to return she’s a busy person and then she came back just like she said around Christmas time and it was a big surprise. It was really nice.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us.
All right, no problem.

Toy Tokyo Owner, Israel "Lev" Levarek

 

STORY BY ROBERT COVARRUBIAS
PHOTOS BY FRANK