This store is AWESOME. Every square inch is packed with vintage treasures -- the kind of stuff you don't just stumble across, you quest for. I was visiting from out of town and headed to Powell's for some used books when a fuzzy memory hit me: Wasn't there a killer vintage shop I used to buy PEZ from back when I lived in Oregon? No way it was still around, right? One quick search later... it's still alive and kicking -- and I was literally 500 feet from the front door. Fate. Destiny. The Collectible Gods smiling upon me. Inside? Same owner I remembered from decades ago. That alone blew my mind. The inventory is unreal. Every one of my fandoms -- PEZ, Hanna-Barbera, Godzilla, King Kong, classic monsters -- all crammed into this cozy, nostalgia‑soaked cave of wonders. I could pretend I tried to play it cool, but who am I kidding? This place fed my soul. Did I buy more than I should have? Absolutely. Do I regret it? Not even a little. Prices are firm, but honestly, they're fair -- and half this stuff you never see in the wild anymore, even on eBay. If you love vintage collectibles, this shop isn't just a stop -- it's a pilgrimage. P.S. Please don't tell my wife what I spent. read more

Such a neat toy store! Tons of old toys! Great place for collectors to find their treasures! read more

See all

The knowledge Michael and Billy have amazes me. Long time customer, and always a great experience!!!

Very friendly service. Front windows are covered, so there's minimal natural light and air. Kind of musty inside. Small space, tight quarters and while it's easy to get around the store by yourself, if there are more than two or three people, it feels too much and claustrophobic. A lot of figurines with other random, vintage items. Since a lot of the items are in display cases, and it's packed in tightly, it's difficult to see all of the inventory in some areas. I appreciate this store, especially the quality service, but unless you're looking for something really catches your attention or very niche, I found it hard to make a purchase. read more

Insane selection, so much variety but curated with impeccable taste. Super friendly and knowledgeable customer service. Keshi fiends assemble. read more

I don't have childhood with this type of toys but still visit it out of curiosity but was amazed at how bad the store it, it is badly run down the space to walk inside was so cramped that even felt suffocating, employees seem to be annoyed by my present and constantly eagle eyes me from behind, everything is secure in glass btw and personally the price is outrageous even if it's sell as old collection read more

Why do people come to stores like this with vintage toys? My answer would be to connect with things we loved from our childhood that we are nostalgic for. This would mean at some time we were allowed to have good memories at a toy store when we were kids. Unfortunately this location doesn't really seem to be kid friendly at all (I brought my 1 1/2 year old and wife with me as we were visiting). The owner and his employee both were very snarky, rude and really seemed genuinely annoyed at the presence of an actual child in their store full of childhood items. They had no problem being nice and respectful to another 40-50 something collector in the store with no family members but we seemed to not be what they wanted in their store. I looked at a generally big boxed item priced at $34 but worried about getting it back to CA in one piece. I asked if they ship which they responded yes. The one guy in the suit said about $16 and when I took it to the front of the store the owner billy priced the shipping at $46 and I asked my wife what she thought and if we could fit it in our luggage. My wife asked how much for the shipping to which billy responded "more than the item costs". The other employee also discouraged my wife from buying a $15 Mickey Mouse figure that we wanted to buy for my son as a memory of our trip. I really don't understand the mentality of being so rude to customers that you discourage them from even purchasing at your store. The only thing I'm sad about is that I purchased anything from them (I bought 2 games I needed). I'm a collector of both toys and video games and will confidently say these types of people are what's wrong with the collecting community. I watched a toy store near you to find this store but will recommend to anyone near this store or visiting from far away like myself to not shop here or encourage such "business". read more

Rude staff, high prices, don't enjoy being eagle eyed in the store while browsing in the store. Store has a mildewy smell. If you are travelling by car, there is very little parking in a 6 block radius. Left without buying anything. That's OK. Everything in the store is also on EBay from other sellers. read more

All our childhood toys, games, cards and collectibles under one roof! Love this place. My friend is a regular Star Wars nerd and comes out here 2-3x month to add to his massive collection. I grab any missing Garbage Pail Kids they may have for my collection. read more

Billy Galaxy - Toy Stores Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Talk about a blast from the past! Every aisle is flowing with nostalgia, and I felt like a kid in a toy store. Wait, this is a toy store! What I loved most about Billy Galaxy was finding toys I recalled as having seen or owned as a kid, and in addition discovering toys I had no idea existed! The gentleman who assisted us was super helpful. Almost immediately as we stepped in the door he was offering to open cases and show us items that might pique our interest. Yes, a lot of these toys are behind glass and hyper-collectible, but it was great to see that in the end they know their items are for sale and customers will want to inspect the merchandise prior to purchase. Smart business! In the end, the nostalgia inducing He-Man Castle Grayskull playset was too good to pass up, and I am happy to report it's found a home among my daughter's barbies and my old Star Trek toys. Thanks Billy Galaxy! read more

The final word... I'm in from LA. Have very close friends I visit up in Portland a few times a year. I am a toy collector for the past 25 years. Auctions, shops and ebay. I know toys, I know prices and I know all too well the idiosyncrasies a vintage toy store can present. The people I've encountered at Billy Galaxy are neither sweet little baby angles riding down from heaven on cotton candy unicorns nor are they dirty trolls crawling out of a toilet in the back of a Taco Bell. At least on the days I've been there, they've been...fine. Helpful enough. Nice enough. Basically the same as you get at any comic book/toy shop I've ever been to. Some dude stuck behind the counter making $7.50 an hour. Is what it is. Most owners of vintage toy shops act as though you're in their private home trying to steal their collection. I didn't get that. I was shown everything I wanted to see. I didnt' ask to see 20 different items. I kept it to ones I was interested in spending $$ on. As far as the prices go they range from good to excellent. It is a very competitively priced store. If you think you are going to go on ebay and get a better deal you are WRONG. LIke I said, I know my toys and I KNOW my prices. My collections runs from early 1920's to present day JDM. Japanese Domestic Market. I scored in here! I got a late '80's LCD JDM handheld game. I've been wanting one of these in mint, working condition for the last 10 years but have not pulled the trigger 'cause of the price and difficulty of sourcing a JDM version. $45.00 Mint condition, loose, frist gen r2d2...$27.00 Goin' back for more today. :) read more

Last time I went in here, these guys acted super annoyed and didn't even say hi. I looked around for a minute, very slim pickins. nothing had price tags. I saw a black hole twiki figure and asked how much. Billy Galaxy goes "twiki? hmm 90 bucks" and then I left. you can find him all over ebay for half that price. good luck to this establishment, sounds like they have some diehard fans due to their media presence, but this place is not friendly and their selection is scant and overpriced. i don't recommend any collector shop here unless the owner has already deemed them worthy of respect. read more

Amazing posters! Toys you once thought lost, found at last! Incredible comics you've forgotten about! And hostile assholes! I fell in love with the place the moment I walked in. Pity the owner and employees are shitty assholes. I was told "you can look just fine with your eyes, not with your hands" when I asked to see a rare board game on a high shelf. When they're not saying something rude, they're not saying anything at all. Not even a "hello" when you talk into the door. I kept going a few times despite the initial poor experience. I've since moved and often think about the stuff I wanted to buy there and didn't because I was too proud to give it up to the smarmy asswipes behind the counter. Good thing there's eBay. Get fucked, Billy Galaxy! read more

I fell in love with my wife all over again when we visited Billy Galaxy. See, I'm a child of the 80s. It was a great time growing up with amazing toys and TV shows, and even into my 30s I haven't let go of all those wonderful memories. So stepping into a place like Billy Galaxy gives me all the warm and fuzzies. My wife and I perused and wandered and I pointed to things that excited both of us because we used to have them as children. But when we came to the He-Man toys, that's where my wife made my day. "I had that as a kid, but mine broke," I said. "Which one, the Thunder Punch He-Man? You should get him." Not only did she know how much it meant to me, but she knew this toy's name. That's love right there. Mind you, she's a brilliant person and her brain has infinite storage capacity far beyond that of mere mortals, but still, it's the thought. And it was incredibly touching. We left without He-Man, but almost bought a near-pristine lunch box from the same era. If you're a toy or memorabilia collector, I would whole-heartedly encourage you to check this store out. read more

The clerks were the RUDEST I have ever encountered. When I entered with my coffee cup, I intended on standing at the doorway while my daughters explored the store. He demanded I stop drinking, and put the cup on the counter. I said I'd just wait here at the door and not go in, and he insisted I stop drinking and put it on the counter. I said 'come on kids, let's go shop somewhere friendlier.' As my girls and I left the store he followed us out, and pointed out that NO FOOD OR DRINK is allowed in the store. Then he called me a dick. In front of my children. Lucky for him my kids were with me or it would have ended...differently. Don't shop here, they're rude, overpriced, and eBay will soon put them out of business anyway. read more

why is it that portland gets to have all of the fun? first i find they have ground kontrol which is a classic bar that has the best old school 80's arcade and pinball games. and now i find billy galaxy and they have the best pop culture memorabilia around. so many of the classic toys i had growing up it's really scary. a walk inside is like a quantum leap back in time to a taste of innocence and all of the toys i loved playing with. if you had it growing up i'm pretty darn sure that billy galaxy has it, had it or will have it in the future. come in and see the best collection of vintage toys, classic video games, comic books, memorabilia and so much more. they are also looking to buy as well so dig up those toys in the attic and bring em on in and make yourself some money. i sure wish i still had my huge assortment of toys so i could sell them. ok who am i kidding? i would so love to play with them all over again. this place brings back so many memories for me its like being a kid all over again. i even looked through a few pop up books. i used to love pop up books so much. that is just the tip of the iceberg my friends! here is a list of things i was so happy to see at billy galaxy. pez smurfs storybook records lunchboxes wind-up toys strawberry shortcake g.i. joe atari 2600 games thundercats viewmaster masters of the universe gobots star wars transformers that is only a very small sample so you have got to see it to believe it. i wish i could name every single thing they have in that fun shop but there is a limit on how much one can type in a review. i had fun here and i know you will too! read more

Billy Galaxy - Toy Stores Near Me - Portland, Oregon

It's a great collection of 80s-90s toys. The prices are outrageous and the employees are extremely rude. The store is tiny and hard to walk through. It's more of a nostalgia childhood museum then a store. read more

One of my most vivid childhood memories is listening to records on my faux denim suitcase record player. Strawberry Shortcake and Friends was always on rotation, and the perfect theme music for overdramatized Rainbow Brite vs. He-Man battles. Billy Galaxy is literally STUFFED full of childhood memories. All the old-skool 1960's-1980's favorites: G.I. Joe, Rainbrow Brite, Barbie, Jem, Strawberry Shortcake, He-Man, plus tons of comics, lunch boxes and records, to name a few. I couldn't believe my eyes. I found things that I had as a kid that I totally forgot about. Walking through here is pure, nostalgic fun. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Flipping through the records I found that Strawberry Shortcake and Friends picture vinyl that I so loved as a kid. It was twenty bucks, and totally worth it. read more

Some of the toys were a little (or a lot) pricey, but I assume that goes with the antique, vintage & old-school toy-trading experience... E did have some great finds, though -- and great prices. The overall selection was a bit overwhelming (for me, but E was totally blown away). They truly have some of everything -- from Care Bears to Star Wars to TMNT... They have loads of lunchboxes, and even the original Atari consoles (with joysticks & paddles)! The guys working in the store were totally friendly and helpful -- we'll surely be back. read more

Are you a late 20s/early 30s toy collector with a wallet as deep as your longing for the Good Old Days of GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Garbage Pail Kids? If so, get your ass over to Billy Galaxy. It's a small store packed with toys of varying age and price. Personally, I found it rather disturbing to be surrounded by all these relics of my childhood. However, the selection was great, most of the prices were reasonable (I guess I'll just never understand why anyone would pay $150 for a plastic Death Star), and the guy working there was pleasant and helpful. I have to admit, there's something compelling about this place. I almost walked out with a Rainbow Brite doll. read more

It's hard to put into words the overwhelming feeling of nostalgia that floods your senses when you walk through the doors of Billy Galaxy. My BF and I are 80's toys fanatics and collectors and this place is our Garden of Eden! They've got it ALL! Toys from cartoons long-forgotten still thrive here in splendor! I found an abundance of my favorites: Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, The Wuzzles, My Little Pony, Jem and many more! My BF gawked at the 80's G.I. Joe collection, Visionaries, He-man, Thundercats, and so much more. As avid collectors, we'd be tempted to just go crazy here being that all that we've searched for were housed right here in this tiny little space. But we try not to be too impulsive and look closely at the prices. Yes, they are kind of high, and yes, we'd find them cheaper on eBay. We did come away with items that we knew we couldn't find easily elsewhere and we couldn't be happier. Just being here was an experience in itself. We felt like kids again! We literally just hung out here for well over an hour. That's a LONG time to spend in such a little shop, but it was well worth it. It was more like a museum experience for us. Lots of Wow's, Oooo's, Aaaah's and Oh My God's (squealed in wonder, well Me anyway). The staff here doesn't bother you unless you have a question and didn't mind that we circled the place endlessly for so long. Just had to take it all in. We'll definitely be back. If you're a child of the 80's, you'll leave here hopping and skipping with a craving for cereal with milk and Saturday morning cartoons. read more

See all

Very high priced and quality is lacking. I would not consider this place unless u are extremely desperate to obtain one specific toy.

The primary reason for the trip other, than seeing a concert, was to buy back some of my childhood. I also wanted to buy stuff that my friends had but don't have any more. Now I have them! To quote Jessie from Breaking Bad....."who had it now bitches." The small is very small and narrow, however, there's a lot to look at. You will find yourself saying on more than one occasion, "OMG I remember those, I used to have those." The stuff in here is expensive, however, at fair market value. If you buy in person rather than the Ebay store it is cheaper. The people who mostly come here are those who have no children and can buy this stuff for themselves. In fact customers celebrate with each other the financial freedom of not having kids so that rare toys can be bought for themselves. The customer service was awesome. He was good about playing a trick on my best friend so that I could buy something that he wanted for Christmas right under his nose. I could tell that he really enjoys his job and his shop. I bought 2 mint in box vintage clean 80's Care Bear plush toy, a GI Joe and 3 Transformers. My best friend bought 4 Transformers and a few GI Joe's. Combined we spent $260. My only issue is the hours of operation. My best friend and I came straight from the Bolt bus from Canada so we had a few suitcases in hand, no logistic way of getting from point A to B before the store closed on the only day that we could come by and shop. He was nice enough to allow us in after some negotiation over our luggage made sure that he knew that it would be worth his while $$$ wise by helping us out. Best toy shopping experience thus far. read more

I don't want to grow up, I'm a Billy Galaxy kid. Man this place is so cool. It is literally like stepping back into my childhood and yelling out all over this store, OMG I used to have that toy and that one. My boyfriend said, the owner must get tired of hearing that, but hey his store rocks! I bought a small ET figurine to take back home with me. If I could, no lies, I'd buy 100's of toys from this store. But no room in my apartment. Maybe someday when I get my house???? read more

I love Billy Galaxy! From the second I walk in the door I am reminded of the cool toys I had as a child. I see Star Wars figures I had, G.I. Joe figures I had, Comics I had, and I wish I still had them because they are worth bucks now! Even the original movie posters I used to get for free from my small town video store and hang on my wall as a child can be found here. My old lunch boxes are here. I wish they would just give me all of my toys back! For a flashback to the 80's this is the place. It's like a museum in there. read more

See all

Entering into this store​ is like going to my bedroom when I was 11 or 12. Their vintage comic book selection is amazing. How can such a place exist on or in this world? Toys, books, and stuff. Pop culture galore. Excellent. read more

So much fun!! Found a Dark Crystal movie poster. Wanted so much more. It's like a walk down memory lane. read more

The prices are outragous. Things that are bad list top ten 1. Very unhelpful 2. Knows nothing about products 3. Won't pull out Atari stuff to look at 4. $75 for a Ms.Pac Man Atari 2600 string mobile of cardboard 5. More of a vibe that says this of a place to look and if you want to buy pay big bucks 6. The owners find any and every customer annoying 7. The whole place is crammed and not much of a place to walk 8. They buy your stuff for nowhere near what it is worth and try to sell it for a fortune 9. Sometimes owner brings in his mutt 10. Not good selection of games unless board games is your thing. read more

We wandered through this store before a trip to Powells one day. I don't see how any child of the 80's could walk by this place and not peek inside. They had every collection of toys that I loved growing up: Star Wars, G.I. Joe, TMNT, He-Man. It was incredible. I laughed for the memories. I cried (well almost) about selling my huge G.I. Joe collection dirt cheap at garage sales as a teenager. I smiled at the thought of the Star Wars toys that are still in my mom's attic. I think I have mental block about the prices so many are bemoaning. I didn't notice because I wasn't really looking to buy. I'm not a collector, but I really enjoyed this walk down memory lane. And it made me feel just a little bit better about being a pack rat. read more

Best toy store in Portland hands down. This store carries all the 70's and 80's staples you would expect to find mixed among esoteric and long forgotten toy lines, bootlegs, foreign stuff (notable Japanese stock especially), vintage plush, girl toys, lunchboxes, boardgames etc. I have found several toys here I didn't know existed, and I am a real geek about this stuff so that is really saying something. Stock changes rapidly and there is always something new to find every time you come in. I only have a few complaints. First is that the staff are sometimes moody/aloof, though the nerdy ones always warm up for toy geekout. Secondly, the prices are often high compared to what you might pay on Ebay, etc. though you get the benefit of seeing stuff in hand, you'll find stuff you could never find anywhere else, and you are buying local. In all fairness there are some amazingly priced gems in the mix too and I hardly ever can go in without buying something. If you haven't been here and have any fragment of your inner child remaining, do your self a favor and stop by, if only for the guaranteed nostalgia. read more

The horrible treatment at Billy Galaxy prompted me to set up a yelp account and complete this review. I have never felt like such a waste of a shop owners time. Arrogant, unhelpful owner, and ridiculous prices ensure I will never shop here again. I would much rather make the three hour drive to Toy Stable in Tacoma. read more

The shop has good ideas..but.. 1. Horrible quality. Most of the toys or collectibles are damaged, the paint is fading or missing parts. Even there original packaging would be damaged or the colors are smeared and it also looks like they try to recolor it with markers. 2. The prices are overrated. Some of the valuable stuff would be less then 10$ but most of them are over 50$ or 100$ which you can buy on amazon less than that amount and they do have some modern stuff that is so expensive. There is a buzz and woody toys from toy story thats going for 60+ which again you can get amazon for less. 3. Very awkward service. The lady in front keeps asking me if i need help which is fine.. but its every 3 minutes she keeps asking me. The owner keeps staring at me or plays on his phone. Same goes to the lady in front. This place would have a great future but they do need a lot of work. read more

While I can't speak for the prices of their toy collection (which is incredible) as I'm not a big collector of toys, I will say this (and this is directed especially for newer collectors and impulse buyers)... DO NOT BUY COMIC BOOKS FROM BILLY GALAXY!!! Why? Many of their comic books, though vintage, are EXTREMELY overpriced. We're talking 10x+ the price typically. Many of the books they sell have been professionally graded and sealed by the CGC (a professional third-party grading service), but this is actually a scam to charge such outrageous prices -- a trend many re-sellers are partaking in, not necessarily just Billy Galaxy. Many of the comics that they sell are not issues worthy of being CGC graded and sealed away. Yes, many comic books out there are truly collectible and worth the price, but the majority aren't, especially the ones at Billy Galaxy. Many of the books sold at Billy Galaxy can be found online or at a real comic book shop for much much less and aren't sealed away in a plastic slab, so you can actually read and enjoy it without paying the $80+ price tag Billy Galaxy is charging. Seriously, some of these comics you can find for $5, but because they are CGC graded, Billy Galaxy is charging $148 (like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CGC-9-8-vintage-Uncanny-X-MEN-222-comic-book-WOLVERINE-vs-SABRETOOTH-Claremont-/350819216982?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item51ae746e56). This particular book isn't a key, important, or rare issue -- like for example Amazing Spider-Man #300, first appearance of Venom, which you can pick-up a nice copy for about the same price or less. The only way I can see Billy Galaxy doing this is to rip people off who don't know any better. I know they're a business and need to keep the lights on, but come on! What a bunch of jabronis... I live about 10 blocks away from Billy Galaxy and frequent it often, and don't get me wrong, it's an amazing store with a lot of rare finds, but their business practices when it comes to comic books is questionable. Seriously, don't get ripped off by buying these books. You have been warned! Be sure to read this article if you're thinking about becoming a collector or purchasing CGC graded books and you will understand what I'm talking about in terms of Billy Galaxy's shady comic book retail practices, aka "The Ugly": http://www.teako170.com/cgc.html read more

There seems to be a common thread amoungt the collectable toy community and that is they are neither friendly nor helpful. Billy galaxy is no exception to my perceived rule. They a have a spectacular collection but the staff (owner) created for me once again a very bad impression of the people involved in this trade. In short I would never step foot in this business again. read more

Super overpriced, and the staff is just a failure. When I was in the store, I found lower prices on my phone online for some stuff I was interested in - and they wouldn't even hear me out. Don't even try selling your stuff here, you'll get so lowballed it's insulting. Half a star if I could. read more

The girl who claims to be the shop's manager just sits in front of the computer all day and has zero PR skills. I'm not sure why is even employed. She has no clue how to deal with customers. The prices are ridiculously out of whack as well. Shop somewhere else! read more

I have to say, this was definitely on my top 5 merchandise shops to visit in Portland, since I consider myself a pretty big nerd/geek, but I was sorely disappointed by the quantity and quality of the vintage toys and the outrageous costs. This store was located right adjacent to Powell's Bookstore and I was hoping to see some Transformer toys, older Marvel action figures, maybe some Japanese collectibles, but there was a predominant He-Man collection, some star-wars toys, a few lunchboxes and posters. Maybe because I didn't have as much connection with the displayed action figures, but I was really unimpressed and found myself slouching down and leaving this store without finding anything to buy for myself or my brother. Sad. read more

What an amazing store! They had so many toys my brother and I use to have when we were kids. Castle Grayskull in the box, anyone? If you love movies, toys, memorabilia, you need to check out this spot. I had to get myself out of there or else I would have walked out broke. read more

This place was awesome. Really makes me wish I still had all that useless crap (I mean, priceless artifacts) from my childhood. As my boyfriend pointed out, it felt more like a museum than a store since most of the items seemed to have deteriorated beyond functionality and have become display pieces (rusty G.I. Joe lunchbox, anyone?) but they were still neat to look at. read more

I love hitting this place when I'm in Portland! It's like going back in time! One of the biggest collections of vintage classic toys I have ever seen! Every toy you can remember growing up, they got some part of it - weather it was the '90s, '80s, '70s, even '60s and earlier - all jammed in that tiny place. Huge collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe, smurfs, disney, california raisons, buck rogers, star trek, battlestar galactica, my little pony, rainbow brite, transformers, voltron, he-man / she-ra, strawberry shortcake, et, thundercats, gremlins, alf, fat albert, dungeons & dragons, dune, records, comics, garbage pail kids... read more