For anything remotely related to skateboarding, We Legendary is the place to go. They are one of…read morethe very few retailers in Manila who has a legitimate Nike SB account. This means that if you want a pair of sneakers from the Nike SB line like Janoskis, Kostons, and limited edition Dunk SBs, you'd have to go through them. For the more limited pairs, a queue is definitely involved so go to the store a bit earlier than you'd normally go unless you have an uncommon shoe size. To complete your whole skate ensemble, they have shirts from popular brands such as Emerica, Thrasher, and Chocolate. If you actually do skate and not just buy skate accessories because they look nice (I won't hold it against you), We Legendary has everything you need to tear up the streets. They sell a variety of skate decks, wheels, Allen bolts, and bearings.

Chaser is that small kiosk in Market! Market! selling rollerblades, foldable bikes, penny boards…read moreand helmets. They also sell outdoor gear like waterproof bags that are good for camping; down to phone cases and frisbees (even for your dogs). They also sell parts for your gear. I stumbled upon this shop because I saw they were selling rollerblades for P2000! I was nostalgic about it. It was a childhood favourite to play outside with my rollerblades. They also come in different colours. If they sell one in neon yellow and black, I'd definitely buy it right away! That's exactly the colours I had when I was a kid. The penny boards start at P3500 in various colours! BGC is a skate-friendly place - well at least in some places. So it's no wonder you'd find some enthusiasts by the store looking for parts or wanting to buy themselves a new board. Chaser is located at the 4th floor of Market! Market! It's near Big Apple Spa, Proline and the number of stalls selling CDs and computers.

Let it be known that I do not skate. I mean, yes, as a kid I did own a skateboard which I used to…read moreperilously roll down our street, but that's more like asphalt luge than skateboarding. However, there was a brief 2 week period where my sister tried to learn to skate, and I had no choice but to accompany her on her quest to by a longboard. That eventually brought us to Skate of the Nation, a small and unremarkable looking shop in an area beginning to get some buzz. The shop itself, well, there's not much to say. It had skateboards, surfboards, and a bunch of other related... stuff. Normally that would suggest that the place is junk, but for something like boards, it sort of works. That nonchalant simplicity fits perfectly with that particular scene, and the laid back shopkeeper exudes that same vibe. The only hints of color come from the cool boards, just how it should be.

For a straight dude, I love bags. I've never understood how some of my friends can go out of the…read morehouse without carrying a backpack or messenger bag. I mean, where would you put your chargers? What about your tablet, your books, your umbrella? Yes, these things are always with me, and I guess that's why over the years, I've invested in different kinds of bags in all shapes, forms, and sizes. Among my favorites are my Herschel Survey Backpack, my Eagle Creek messenger bag, and my big Muji messenger. The last one I bought in Tokyo, but the other two I found at Bratpack. They've got a good selection, bags that aren't cheap but aren't too expensive either. Good, imported brands, ones that you can take on rugged outdoor trips (not that I go on many of those) but also make you look cool as heck in a semi-corporate setting such as most advertising agencies. Save for my trips out of the country, I don't think I've gotten a bag from any other shop.

I can compare Bratpack to a department store - having a wide range of brands to choose from. Now…read morefor Bratpack, it's very particular in the sense that they offer a lot of sporting / travel gear. You're sure to see a lot of backpacks around, it's really their top selling item. I like passing by this store to see all the beautifully crafted backpacks. They also have footwear such as Sanuk and Fitflop. You can really spend hours inside Bratpack just checking out the different brands inside. This is usually the go-to place for girlfriends or moms when they need to buy something for their boyfriends or sons. The style of their merchandises is very hip and trendy. This place surely caters to the young. The prices here are not too high compared to the prices found in the US. I notice a lot of people enter this store whenever there is a world wide occasion like Christmas!

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?

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?

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.

Build City is basically a toy store that specializes in everything that requires a sort of hands on…read moreapproach to building something. There are models. Then you have Lego and who in this world or in their right mind doesn't love Lego right? Heck you even have those insane thousand piece like puzzles which you think is too difficult or just plain borderline insane to solve. It's fun walking into this kind of store. When I grow up and have a kid I fully intend to get him something from this store. Toys like these are often underrated and are actually good for kids. It helps stimulate their brain and promote and instill in them some sense of creativity and foresight. If you're a parent who wants to raise your kid right, then I strongly suggest that you get them something from this store. I don't think you can go wrong with doing so.

For a long time, getting copies of board games here was very hard. There weren't a lot of…read moredistributors selling for one, and you do find someone selling, chances are the inventory's a bit sparse. For this reason, Gaming Library stepped up to provide a service to gamers in Manila. Hans, its founder, would ship in popular and in demand games and hold monthly board game meets where one can play for free. Once the plan took off, people started asking for game titles he doesn't have or is sold out already so Gaming Library added an option to order games from the US and have it shipped to here. The difference is price in negligible so everyone wins! Keep in mind that the orders are usually shipped by balikbayan box so the timetable for it to arrive here is at least one month. If your EQ is horribly low, ordering here wouldn't be the best of ideas for you.