I was in grade school when Tamiya became popular like a bat out of hell. Some anime, I totally…read moreforget the name, was responsible for popularizing it. If there was ever a country that was good at making shows that popularized merchandise it was Japan. Anyway, at its height, a Tamiya was to kids as cars are to grownups. Not that you could actually ride on a Tamiya mind you. Anyway, if you wanted really good parts, then the only place you could ever go to was Lil's. I used to ask a lot of my classmates where the would get their parts and most of them would point me towards Lil's. I'm surprised that this still place still stands. Walking right by it filled me with a certain sense of nostalgia and a desire to get back into an old hobby. I wonder what else they're selling in their store today?

I admit that I was a bit surprised that a store like this still exists. Sure there are plenty of…read morehobby shops out there that still exist. However, only a few such as this one still exist. Courtside is a hobby card store that sells NBA cards, YuGi-Oh, and Pokemon and that's about it. Usually, a hobby store would run a wider gamut of hobby cards like Magic the Gathering, which is probably the most popular trading card game in the country. These things are a rare sight nowadays. I appreciate that it still struggles to survive and sell items which only has a small market. I mean I used to love playing Pokemon as a kid. Back then, it was all the rage. We'd bring these things to school despite the hazard of being caught using them. Seeing this place instilled in me some sense of nostalgia. It made me take a walk down memory lane.

When I lived in various parts of the Metro from the late 80's to the late 90's, I'd always make my…read moreway to the Makati location. Even now in 2024 I find myself there buying some kits while on vacation. Found a few kits that were cheaper than in the US, since I'm here might as well take advantage. Staff was always helpful and knowledgeable, they knew what was on the shelves.

Nice convenient shop for scale modellers, there are selection of Academy Tamiya, Hobbyboss,…read moreTrumpeter, Airfix, Dragon models I've remember. Some RC car parts are also available (I'm not a RC guy) Recommended.

Compared to its neighboring businesses in the area, Wellmanson presents itself like a glittering,…read moregolden boutique staffed by well-dressed ladies in blazers and pencil skirts assisting you in buying stuff you likely don't really need. Sure you might have just come in to get a pair of nice pliers or leatherette cord to make accessories with, but you will be bewildered with the wealth of other DIY craft items and supplies and gift items in general. Where else would you be able say "Look at these beads!" and "Check out this dog hair trimmer!" in the same breath? They have mini water fountains, and toy brick sets, and thighmasters and who knows what else. They're like a mini-mall oasis in the middle of Quiapo. The place is somewhat labyrinthine in structure, and while it is fun to look around and see what the next room holds, it does get confusing if you're really looking for something specific. Their payment system is also a bit of a pain--though professional looking, it's a little cumbersome to line up to get your items priced, *and then* have to pay for them in a separate line. Also, there are these curious pulley baskets that have ropes leading to dark holes in the ceiling... You know if you're going to browse through stores in Quiapo and DV and its nearby areas that you're just getting into a trap, because if you think you're window shopping without buying anything, you're kidding yourself. Wellmanson knows this for a fact and has set out to have you do exactly that.

Hear ye, hear ye, passionate beaders. Feeling a bit crafty?…read more The whole stretch of the street where Wellmanson is located is full of shops selling beads and whatnot! Villalobos Street is the place to be if you are looking for new craft projects, specially accessories. It's the disneyland of crafter's everywhere. I've lost one whole day just going through each one of he shops in there, checking out the craft supplies and beads. Wellmanson's my favourite store so far and the biggest I've been into among the ones on the street. I've never seen so many craft supplies in one store. Beads of all kind and sizes are found there, prices ranging from very cheap to expensive ones like the swarovski. I went here one Saturday afternoon and it was packed with manangs like me :p They have ready made accessories like necklaces, watches and bracelets... but the best part of the store for me is where they sell the raw materials. Twines, nylons, charms, beads.. the whole nine yards of it. They even have those hooks for earrings and locks for bracelets, of different sizes, color and shapes. They also have those organizer where you can keep your beads inside, pattern boards, tools like pliers. I enjoyed myself too much shopping in there :)

With board games making comeback, are you wondering where you can buy your own? First stop for most…read moretabletop gamers would be Neutral Grounds. Boardgames, Magic the Gathering and other LCGs (Living Card Games) are readily available, and they sell gaming accessories like dice, protective card sleeves, containers for small game pieces, and figurines (for games like Dungeons and Dragons). Some of the bigger branches (like the one in Centris Walk) have a gaming area too! Their staff are pretty familiar with most of the games they carry, so you can ask them about expansions and other editions of the game. If the game you want isn't available, you can leave your contact number with them, make a reservation, and they'll inform you when they get a copy. No down payment needed but if they message you be sure to confirm your reservation right away, or they might have to sell the game to a ready buyer!

Neutral Grounds has existed way before the tabletop gaming boom in recent times, so they could…read moreprobably have a big fat "Uh yeah, we were here first" sign hanging over their shops. Though I've always known them more as a place for Magic The Gathering cards and Warhammer models and their corresponding supplies: card boxes and sleeves, or paint sets and dice, I've seen them gain a little more steam with all the gaming places that have popped up all over the metro. I've noticed that the stuff they sell are a tad more expensive than you would in the gaming places, but not by much. And since Neutral Grounds is almost everywhere, getting a great game from them would probably be easier as well. This branch is particularly chock full of games that would probably be harder to come by in other branches, since it is in Virra Mall, Greenhills, and come now, how many people actually end up here, at the third floor of Virra Mall, Greenhills?

I found this place just by wandering around Trinoma looking for a suitable gift for myself (yeah,…read more'cause I deserved it). I took a look at the store and decided to see what they had. I really couldn't contain my glee at seeing The Big Bang Theory and Chuck shirts! I'm a huge fan of both shows, even if Chuck is already finished (*tear*). However, the prices were rather expensive for a student like me. I mean, who would buy a simple T-shirt for more than P1,000? Okay, fine, I succumbed to the temptation. In my defense, they had a Buy 1 Take 1 promo! Up until now, I'm still waiting for them to have a promo such as that again. By the way, they don't limit themselves to TV Series shirts. They also have other collector's items or gift items such as playing cards and poker sets, telescopes, Swiss Army knives, etc. So if you like those kinds of stuff then maybe you'd like to drop by!

I have to admit, the only reason I heard about this branch is because people were referring to it…read moreas Funko Pop heaven. When I finally went to see for myself just what all the fuss was about, it was pretty obvious they weren't kidding. When you head inside, the first thing you'll probably notice is the floor to almost ceiling shelves stocked with nothing but Funko Pop figures. This is probably the most complete collection of Funks I've ever seen. If there's one in particular you're looking for, I'm sure you'll probably find it in here somewhere. But that's not all they have. They also have a good collection of both action figures and anime figurines so there's bound to be something for any kind of figure collector. Apart from that, I've also seen a good bunch of keychains and a rack of shirts and jackets. As far as collectibles are concerned, this is probably one of the best stocked hobby stores I've seen where they don't just focus on one type of collectible but have a bunch of different ones. I probably wouldn't say this is a place where you can find more obscure anime but it's definitely somewhere you can try to take a look.

Unprofessional, disrespectful and rude! If I could rate them 0 stars I would, the attendants was…read morevery rude. my friends and i entered and started browsing and talking about comic books we liked when all of a sudden we heard the attendants behind the counter say "wala yan, magpapalamig lang yan" (they're just here to cool off, they wont buy). we got annoyed, paid for our comic books and just left. we've bought from this branch multiple times before but we're never going back there again.

Believe it or not, Filbar's has been around since 1979. I remember going here with my dad and my…read morebrother -- both comic geeks -- when I was very young. It made such an impression on me that I found myself going there years later to feed my own nerdy needs. To categorize them just as a comic book store would be a big mistake. While bulk of their products do include comics from big wigs like DC, Marvel, Vertigo and more, they do have so much more than that. Graphic Novels are among the many things you'll find here. We'll technically speaking, it can fall into the comic book category as well. What I love about Filbar's is that they carry works by local artists. I was extremely impressed that they have Arnold Arre's collected works for Mythology Class and it's priced at less than P500. For someone who has pored over every page of Mythology Class in my college days, this is really a gem of a find. When famous Pinoy inker and local graphic novel legend Gerry Alanguilan came out with Elmer in 2011, this was my first place to look for a copy. Thankfully, I did get my hands on one. They also have a lot of comic-inspired shirts, posters and bags. Of course, they have collectible toys, too. I've been looking into collecting Funko POP lately and of course, they would be my top pick for sourcing my first ever piece. I can't wait to get my hands on that Dancing Groot Funko POP. Filbar's keeps the fangirl/geek in me alive!

I've always wanted a novelty store in Manila. It was often buying stuff online which was initially…read morefine but with shipping fees and added taxes, it can be a pain. Thank the novelty gods and goddesses someone thought of putting up Quirks! Quirks is a quirky person's Mecca. They sell a lot of unique and fun things like mugs with brass knuckle handles, skull shot glasses, sun jars, grow-your-own-crystals, waterproof world map printed laundry bag (all stuff I got from the store) and many more! I love going in and looking at everything. Too bad I can't buy the whole store! So many cool stuff to choose from. I've already bought a handful of stuff from them before for my family, friends and myself; and those gifts are always a hit! Definitely a store to stop by if you're gift hunting. They'll even give you a points card where you can gain points each time you buy an item and get something for free!

With a storefront that says 'Quirk novelties & curiosities' how can you not be curious what kind of…read morequirky items you can find in this place! Obviously I went in for a look because it's always cool to give unique gifts or funny novelty items to your friends and family. I was a bit disappointed for two reasons. The first reason is the assortiment, there is really not that much to choose from, you can browse through the entire store within 5 minutes. Second of all, the quality of the stuff wasn't that novel, unique or funny or innovative. Items I saw were kinda boring e.g. Desktop putting stationairy set, greeting cards, billfold leather thingees, travel adapters, funny touch pens for your tablet etc. The only really cool thing was the smartphone projector, which was only a bit more than a 1000 php. So very average, 3 stars.