POP MONSTER is my new crush, or boy toy if you will. After moving back from the BAY area, I didn't think I could love again, but here came Pop Monster to steal my heart and sweep me off my feet like the Pop Monster he is.... I kept eye balling this place every time I happened to drive by while visiting friends for Happy Hour at Claim Jumper or watching my bro play a softball game at Wilson Park. Even though it is in in a small discrete plaza off of Crenshaw, the sign jumps out at you (naughty lil' Pop Monster). I had a hunch there was something in the store that I would like to decorate my new place and office. (Since I work with kids, I wanted an urban kid theme to go with my office.) Well, after driving back from one of my bro's games with some girlfriends, we decided to pop on thru.... OH YEAH... Urban Girl Orgasmic sensational! I have been to shops with collections of kid robot, tokidoki and other urban art knick knacks and art prints and books, but this place was ALL 'BOUT IT 'BOUT IT! (disclaimer though, I am not an officianado of this stuff, so there are probably other better stores, but this was the best variety of selection that I have found). They had awesome urban art prints/books, tees (girls and guys), stuffed toys, vinyl toys, gel skins for phones and lap tops, jewelry, stickers, collectible mini vinyl toys, watches, cell phone attachments and the list goes on. Okay, so I also love the artist SAM FLORES (from New Mexico but based out of SF these days). They had a rare print of his with a girl in the jungle (which I have yet to find online or in any store). I LOVE this print!! It was pricey (by my standards) but oh so worth it. They also carried some of his clothing designs from 12 Grain. My other friend was also wetting her panties when she found out they carried a lot of Upper Playground stuff (from SF). My other friend picked herself up a lil' toki doki doll. The store staff member (Hung? sorry, can't remember his name) was extra helpful and sweet. He hooked us up with some free store stickers (extra cute and was like the cigarette after my orgasmic experience). I can't wait for my next rendezvouz with you Pop Monster.... I can be your sugar mama but I just got a save up a bit more before I can afford to keep up with you.... read more

I saw this store about last year, but never got around to going in until a few months ago. If you're into artsy and couture things and live in the South Bay, this is a really good place to get your fix on vinyl toys, blind box toys, art books, plush dolls, robots, graffiti, Kid Robot, Toki Doki, Gama Go, Upper Playground, Thread less, Squid fire ,Lomo cam. It's very similar to Japan LA, Happy 6, and Giant Robot, so if you live closer to those stores, I wouldn't recommend driving down all the way to Torrance since they pretty much sell the same selection of merchandise. Although... to promote foot traffic, they do hold monthly events like DIY Munny designing contests, artist signings, clearance sales. As much as I love this place, I try to avoid going here too often because I can easily get trapped here for hours looking at stuff and trying to figure out what to buy. Things can get a bit pricy too. The staff is friendly and knowledgable with the exception for this one guy who seems to be working there just to be there. The other two workers I've met are more friendlier, know the products and inform you of what's going on (as far as sales, events, and what's coming in and when). Locating the establishment is a bit tough because it's small and easy to miss. Also it's a hard to get into the plaza if you're heading south on Crenshaw Blvd because of on coming traffic and it's an unprotected left turn. The parking lot is rather small and the store is right next to an Indian restaurant, so it can get pretty full if you go during the restaurant's busy hours. read more

Good alternative to Giant Robot for those who live in the south bay. What makes this place stand out even more is that it is in Torrance. A city not known for its culture or alternative culture. A landscape filled with Targets, Costcos, and Gaps, this store is like an alternative haven. Having lived in Los Angeles proper for a while now, where stores like this are plentiful, this store is a great addition to this town. I said it, town. Torrance needs more of these independent stores as there is a little hipster in every suburbanite. read more

Adorable little place with tons of unique trinkets and toys. I was on my way to a gift exchange and didn't know what to do so I stopped in and was happily surprised by all the neat little things they have here. I ended up buying some cool items for the gift exchange and for myself! Definitely stop in if you're in the area & looking for something different to gift to a friend or for yourself! read more

It just sucks bad it's so small and not a good place for people who like to collect go to the mall for that service sucks

I take my daughter here to get her Tokidoki fix. Pros - Great Selection - Friendly & Knowledgeable Staff - Competitive Prices Cons - My wife and daughter love this place read more

I actually live pretty close to Pop Monster, but work next to the Giant Robot store so I've never really found a reason to exactly go in. A lot of my friends were fans of this store on Facebook and I had to buy a birthday present in a hurry so I decided to go in and check it out. Surprisingly the guy at the front desk was really friendly, usually when I walk into these smaller stores I get a smile or a nod, but he offered to hold my helmet while I browsed, and even though he had a laptop out didn't ignore me completely for it. He even held my other selections while I spent a good 10 minutes looking around, which was an awesome boutique bonus. As for their selection, it was pretty great. I love that they carry threadless t-shirts, and have mostly all the new tokidoki stuff that comes out (what usually brings me to these pop stores to begin with). They also have everything really well-organized and easy to look without pulling out everything and feeling like you just destroyed the place. Now, the best part was their back wall. They have a 'downward auction', not sure if it's temporary or not but it was surprisingly fun. Every week the prices of some of their SALE items drop (anywhere from $5 - $10) and basically people snatch them up or wait till they're cheaper. I think they only decrease a certain amount before they stop, but it's a genius idea to keep people coming back every week. I stop by once every few weeks just to check out the selection back there. read more

If you love to collect toy and anything cool. This is your place. They have many great cool toys and collectables. It's a must go if your into things like this. Great service and even better selection. read more

Pop Monster - Had a good day. - Toy Stores Near Me - Torrance, California

I live in Orange County, but I was raised in San Pedro. Anytime I'm anywhere near my hometown, I have to pay a visit to the little monsters of pop at one of my favourite stores... PopMonster. This is perhaps the coolest toy store I have ever been to in my life. It is pricey, but the fun collectibles you buy are totally worth it in the end. Their selection makes you want to dance. I personally mostly go for the UglyDolls, but I know they also carry Threadless tees, Tokidoki bags, gelaskins for iPods and laptops, and some truly beautiful art books and prints. You would expect the art books to be really overpriced, seeing as how it's a tiny specialty art store, but the prices run about the same as you'd see at Barnes & Noble. They also have a TON of miscellaneous things. Keychains, pins, robot pencil sharpeners, Star Wars and Hello Kitty flash drives, I could go on and on... It's a toy store for the hip little geeky kid in all of us. Oh! Also: Everyone who works there is super-nice, helpful, and patient. Five stars, without a doubt. read more

This is such a cool store !!!! They have the such a great selection of Tokidoki and anime toys. The store owner and his son is the best. They are so nice. read more

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went to pop monster for the first time today. its a great store and full of variety. I loved the Ninjatown and Domo and Threadless shirts. Lots of great books, dolls, stickers, t-shirts, and toys. Would definitely recommend Japanese toy enthusiasts to check this place out. Very similar to Giant Robot and Kid Robot but with more variety read more

This store was a cute and nerdy explosion. It was definitely worth the drive for me just to check out all the tokidoki and kid robot things. The walls are lined with some cute/disturbing vinyl figures and awesome but pricy art prints. There was kpop playing throughout the store. The girl behind the counter was very friendly and knowledgeable, I'm certain she's memorized all the different vinyl characters. I wanted to buy everything but it's an expensive hobby. I'm not sure what kind of art style these things would be considered but you're definitely buying mini art and not so much toys; my bad ass unicorno with sharp pointy bits says so on the box. read more

Hands down, my favorite spot for some retail therapy! I can always count on Pop Monster to have cute goodies for me to buy. They carry a lot of Kid Robot stuff, but they also support items by local artists too. read more

I'm still in love with this place!! I went for Christmas to buy my boyfriend a bunch of goodies and of course, as usual, I bought a bunch of stuff for me!!! I love you POP MONSTER! read more

This is a cool store for fanboys and fangirls like me. A lot of Japanese based merchandise are sold here, like Nintendo, Studio Ghibli, lots of Anime, Pokemon, and more. They have plenty of action figures, accessories, books, apparel and more. They also sell plenty of Tokidoki products here, such as bags and shirts. I bought a few Tokidoki items here, which are properly package and sold at the same price advertised online (yay for saving on shipping fees!) It is a small store, with a somewhat small parking lot which isn't too busy (always a few spots open). I'm glad there's a store like this in the South Bay so I don't have to drive the extra miles to LA/Little Tokyo! I'd definitely recommend this place for cool gifts, especially Tokidoki items. read more

This place is like Heaven for me when I got in. I was here for once a month ago after I saw an ad card from nearby business, the gal was extremly nice. I brought a figures that is currently sitting in my office, too bad they only accept cash for that purchase (I think it was because that was a 3rd party sales) They have all sort of staff inside, figures, tees, toys. Must visit if you like to collect figures read more

This is THE BEST toy store in the WORLD. The workers are very friendly and helpful and the owner is super cool, while the collection of art and toys is unimaginable and reasonably priced! If you want to look for a great gift for someone, you'll always find something new at Pop Monster. Don't forget to sign up for their newsletter to get the latest update on sales and events. read more

Sososososos cute I love the figures here, blank, colored, and imported. It's awesome it's a nice cute store with a lot of nicnacs. Mostly I love the colored figures, one day hope to buy one read more

Unique store and amazing prices! Truly a hidden gem that I wish I could have found sooner. Will definitely be back! read more

I usually buy my Simpsons Kid Robot boxes at Urban Outfitters, but they ran out there, so I decided to check out Pop Monster. They didn't have them either, but I'm glad I stopped by. They have really cool stuff, way beyond the crap of UO. They had items from my favorite artist, Sam Flores, which seems to be rare in SoCal. I really liked their merchandising set-up and for being such a small store, you can find yourself spending a lot of time there. I'm making my purchases here from now on to support the independent. read more

Holy crap! I love this place. Do you want to see a grown dude look like a kid in a candy store? well just come here. That grown dude would be me. They have so many cool toys and collectibles. Must stop self from buying everything here... no more space in display case. The owner there was very helpful without making me feel uncomfortable. You won't get run arounds/ or vague answers when you ask specific questions about collectibles. Here they actually know their stuff. One thing I am always after is the Android toy series and the person there even told me to get on their email list. I got an email for Android series 3 on the day they had them available. I thought this was really cool and really customer friendly. Needless to say I was there as soon as I could. Great place to get gifts. One thing: I do wish the place was bigger. Interestingly weird thing about me: when I come here that 80's song "Pop Music" pops in my head except I change it to "pop, pop,pop monster LOL For those too young to know the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HaAOCGb3bw read more

Great place to shop for unusual gifts. Everytime I go in here I see something new that I love. They have t-shirts and lots of Asian inspired gifts and collectibles. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Tokidoki, Hello Kitty, Kid Robot. Ugly Dolls etc. read more

The owner is very nice and he keeps bringing in new products.

There are really interesting and cute stuff to see here! Whether you're into japanese stuff or not, this is a nice place to just look around. read more

I'm not into anime or manga so heres my review. It's a small store located across the street from Torrance crossroads. I didn't know this place existed until I yelped it. Came to grab a present for someone who loves anime. In my opinion there's small selection of goods here. A little pricey too. I got 4 pins and 1 keychain for over $20. Honestly I support small businesses like these but the only problem is small selection. read more

I can't go in here without buying something. I love their awesome Tokidoki and Hello Kitty selection. I pretty much have all of the stationary they carry. They have tons of different stuff for every type of person. This place also has some great customers. You'll always run into a super geek or hot Asian anime fan here. The dude at the register is really nice and helpful too. read more

8/4/12 Love love love this store!! I think this is why I don't come very often..it's a bit far away from me but we try to get down there every so often...they have the cutest and coolest unique toys, accessories, vinyls...The staff and owner are so genuinely nice and extremely helpful...I always end up picking up something from here... read more

When visiting friends and family in Long Beach I'm just about equidistant from LA and Torrance, but after reading other's reviews and combining it with the knowledge of the overall crappiness of LA traffic, I headed to Pop Monster. I couldn't be any more pleased. They had tons of great product, but a great shopping experience depends on employees. Ariel was the staff member who helped me and she was super helpful, polite, knowledgeable, and fun. It's hard to get all of that in one ya know ;) Thanks for turning me on to wooden art toys Ariel! At the end of the day (2 trips - I'm obsessive okay?), I walked out with a wallet that weighed the same as before - hooray for plastic! - and a stupid grin on my face. read more

If you're like me, then you've often found yourself wondering where can I buy tons of crazy asain goodies without participating in the traffic cagematch that is the 405? The answer (at least for those of us who live the South Bay) is Pop Monster. A smaller version of Giant Robot, this place is chock full of Ugly Dolls, Threadless Shirts, Animation figurines, and other random kitsch that you didn't know you needed until you set foot in this place. Perhaps you hit a sudden creative streak and want to pick up a copy of Juxtapose and a quirky art print, or maybe you're more in the mood for a pair of earrings shaped like rain clouds and a usb dock shaped like a man. Whatever your fancy, it's worth taking a look inside. read more

I just recently found this place not very big but I really enjoy going in here! There is always the best merchandise and the people that work there are super nice, they arent pushy or awkward you might get in other stores, I am a huge tokidoki fan and I can always find what I am looking for there, I mean how can you go wrong with with vinyl or toys!? read more

I really like this store! Shop owner allows local artist to sell their paintings here! LOVE MANY! The shop has lots of items for sale featuring anime/manga/Disney and other pop culture characters! It did seem like some items were a bit over priced but others were right in line with other types of shops like this. He did have some very cool figures in the display cases in the back of the store! Definitely a place to visit when you're in the area! read more

Very cute. There were so many things I wanted to buy! They had tons of stuff. Figurines, keychains, t-shirts, backpacks and much more. I ended up buying a cinnamoroll keychain. I will come back, with more money to buy stuff! read more

Hello awesome pants, this is the type of store where you must walk oh so slowly in a very uniform order so that you don't miss ANYTHING, the worker was awesome, and the prices are pretty fair. They have some really rare stuff at this shop. A total must see! read more

I accompanied my brother here because he wanted to check out their stickers for his collection. It was a small funny art toy store full of colorful trinkets and things. They carried things from skateboard decks, stickers, toys, books, accessories and indie items from around the world. I was also told that they update their items frequently. read more

Yeah. I love this store. So many cool things in a small place. It's all organized nicely and I scored two awesome t Shirts (Japanese Speed Racer and a TKDK shirt). If you are a fan of Pop Culture, you owe it to yourself to "pop" in here! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself there) read more

Great staff, and an AMAZING selection of art, toys and clothes. Seriously, this place is awesome. Go check them out and spend money there because they need to stay open forever. read more

A little place with all sorts of urban vinyl, pop art, and clothing. The owner was nice and helpful. It's a bit pricey although many of the things in the start are collectable and harder to get. The average blind box being around $10 but they have a large selection of blind boxes from many different brands. The one really cool thing about the store is the customer shelves; one drawer has art prints from local artist, another 2 contain items that customers have put on sale ranging from tall wind-up tin robots to modern T.M.N.T kidrobot toys, and a trading shelf where customers put up some figures to trade for others and also a book of current trades. I also didn't mention the few preview cases of blind box toys and other things on display. over all this place is a really cool local store that is packed to the brim with things i wish i had. read more

We came in for Ugly Dolls but left with so much more! We LOVE Pop Monster. An incredibly fun (and small) store filled with tons of great toys, art, books, clothing, and of course, the ubiquitous Ugly Doll or two. The owner Mr. Lee is very nice, but what keeps us coming back every weekend is the salesperson Joanna, who's cheery disposition and helpfulness is rare in the world of retail shopping. Do yourself a favor and stop by for a visit. You won't be disappointed! read more

I came here last week looking for a gift for a friend. I found exactly what I needed and also found some stuff for myself. Customer service was on the better side. The lady at the cash register was really friendly and even asked if I wanted her to hold my selections while I continued to browse. All my questions were answered with a friendly smile. Will def. come back again. This place is full of cuteness. Every time you look at something new you see something different. Its like an eye orgasm. Can't wait til I come back read more

This is the coolest store ever! My friends and I have driven by a thousand time and decided to pop in, and we were glad we did! It has plenty of unique toys, books, clothing and accessories. I loved the large selection of Toki Doki items, but my friend picked up a rare Print from one of her favorite artist. The salesman, Hung was playing great music and was very knowledgeable. He didn't mind answering all with a smile. Go in, you won't regret it! read more