Hi from Hong Kong

[Bladestorm]

Hi Guys and Gals,

I'm Lisa (yeah - I'm a chick yo!), originally a kiwi, but consider Sydney home (lived there for over 15 years and still have a house waiting for me back there).
Due to husband's work we are currently living in Hong Kong which is the reason I started collecting. Always loved Transformers as a kid but parents would never let me have them. Then re-discovered them here in HK when my darling hubby brought me Year of the Horse Optimus a year or so back... loved the figure so much I needed to collect MORE!
I find it hard to walk past all the cool Transformers stuff I find here!
Because I could spend thousands of dollars in one day/store I do try to only collect Optimus (but admit I also have a real weakness for Ironhide and Jetfire as well).

I've been on TFW for a while so a few of you might know me from there...

Curious if anyone has ever relocated back/moved to to Oz and taken their MIB/unopened collections with them. Would like to know what I might be in for with customs/etc when the time comes...

Look forward to joining in!

[Dinkydarth]

Welcome! Man, a chick TF collector! A rarity! HK must be paradise for you! Last time I was there, I returned with 2 suitcases of TFs and gundams... mostly deluxe TFs, and didn't have any issues with customs. Not sure about the higher end stuff but I can't imagine it being an issue...

[drifand]

Well if it's megatron, it's going to be opened.

I am not worried about misb status, I only worry for my toy. I have brought most of my tf collection from Singapore to Perth .

[liegeprime]

Welcome to Ozformers!!

Other than gunformers (MP Megatron) most Transformers won't get stopped or detained by customs. You just have to declare properly when sending thru parcel boxes what's in it - e.g. Plastic transforming toys. otherwise they might open to check if you just put plain - toys. coz it could be wooden toys and that is a no no.

[kaiden]

hi and welcome to the forums - thats such a cute story :P

[griffin]

Most of the people I've known who have moved in or out of Australia, have ended up leaving behind their collection with relatives for when they can afford to ship it, or if they ever come back... as it would be an expensive process (and risky if you have rare and fragile items, that could get broken or lost).

As for Customs, only things you have to worry about is the gun-formers (like Megatron and Browning) and the declared value on your boxes.
If you insure them, you may need to keep the declared value on each box to below AU$1000, or else you may get taxed as if you were importing a purchase. So either declare less and insure it at that lower amount, or, don't pack too many expensive items together and declare/insure the full amount.
As for the Sealed items, there shouldn't be any need for Customs to open them unless they set off a drug detector or looks like replica weapons on the xray (like Megatron).

[Sam]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

My wife and I were from HK but moved to Australia and currently staying in Mongkok to see some relatives.

Can i ask where you get your TFs in HK from? I went to the Newtown Plaza TRU shop, Yata dept store, Sino, Siu Maan (CTMA centre) and In's Point but there's not a lot.

Only place I haven't been to are the Wan Chai shops which I prob won't be going to due to time constraints.

Enjoy your time on these forums. :)

[Bladestorm]

Thanks for the welcome guys.

Dinkydarth - If I was back in Oz we'd be neighbours! ;)
I don't have any gunformers in my collection (closest I come is a Kidslogic Megs which doesn't transform) thankfully.
I guess I am wondering if because I have a fair few never opened Transformers if I'll be hit with GST or something for importing them even though I will have had the toys for years and they won't ever be intended for sale...
When we move back we will be moving a whole household so they'll be shipped in a container along with everything else (including my kids own opened toys) as opposed to my suitcase (except for a handful of my more fragile/special figures).
I've been contemplating whether it might be easier to start bringing one or two figures back with me each time I visit Oz, but then I have to worry about storing them in my in-laws garage... first world problems ay? :)

I actually will open the boxes to display the figures eventually. It's just that here in HK space is limited living in an apartment and I'd rather keep most of them wrapped up until I can crack them open back in Oz.

[Bladestorm]

Hey Sam,

Welcome back to Honkers!

Hunting for TF's here kind of depends what you are looking for. CTMA is ok but unless you want Kidslogic stuff their TF's are thin on the ground. Marvel seems to be their flavour of the last 6 months.
Same applies to Sino at the moment too. I've found HK Island side seems to have a better range of TF's (and believe it or not cheaper(!!)) at the moment, although 12 months ago it was Mong Kok that had all the juicy stuff.
Wan Chai market has 2 shops that carry a decent range of authentic TF's. Freeway Toys - first toy shop on your left as you enter the markets from the MTR end has a lot of the newer stuff and Japanese imports. Problem is they inflate their prices a little (and if they know a figure is popular they inflate it a LOT) and don't negotiate. They know me by name and STILL won't come down in price for me!
Further down on the right is a set of 2 shops both owned by the same guy (can't remember it's name) - one of the shops is mostly cars, the other is a wide range of toys. They have some nice older TF's stuff but you have to look deep into the store and the glass cabinets to find the TF stuff as only the newer stuff is on the front shelves. They did have a few Encore TF's as well as some Alternators, Pepsi Convoy, etc, before Christmas. They won't negotiate on price either but are generally reasonably priced to start with given the vintage of some of their items. In terms of their modern stuff, their combiner wars were HK$20-30 cheaper/piece than Freeway toys for example.
Another place I've seen a few nice Japanese TF's at recently is animate in Wan Chai... they do have a store in Sino but I get the impression it is more books.
The problem is there are so many stores to hunt through here... my local toy shop for example has a nice range of the Japanese Go! collection on sale at the moment and a couple of the Metroplex's as well as a fair few Masterpieces, including Ultra Magnus at a VERY nice price compared to online.
TRU are pretty pathetic at the moment with their Transformers, although if you want Breakout Battle it was on sale for HK$599 at the Taikoo branch the other day. Hasbro tend to use the Causeway Bay store for most of their TF promotions so that and the Harbour City one tend to have the best range, but as I say - at the moment the pickings are pretty pathetic.
Pity you're pressed for time or I would say let me show you around a few of the worthwhile places. Maybe next time if I'm still here!

Good luck with your hunting!


Hi and welcome to the forums.

My wife and I were from HK but moved to Australia and currently staying in Mongkok to see some relatives.

Can i ask where you get your TFs in HK from? I went to the Newtown Plaza TRU shop, Yata dept store, Sino, Siu Maan (CTMA centre) and In's Point but there's not a lot.

Only place I haven't been to are the Wan Chai shops which I prob won't be going to due to time constraints.

Enjoy your time on these forums. :)

[Trent]

Hello and welcome :)

[leej84]

Hi bladestorm and welcome to the forums.

I'm actually heading to hong kong end of this month, just wondering where to head to for some third party and masterpiece stuff?

[Bladestorm]

Hey Lee,

Thanks for the welcome! For both 3rd party and Masterpiece it depends what you are after and how much time you have to hunt.
Masterpiece is very popular here so some of the figures sell out fast and become impossible (eg MP-10) or expensive to find. Some of the smaller car MP's are easier to get (with the exception of Wheeljack and Bumblebee).
3rd party depends what you are after as different stores specialise in different things. However one thing to remember with 3rd party stuff is some places here require pre-orders and won't sell direct over the counter (Kidslogic, Hot Toys, Prime 1). Got any specific 3rd parties/MP's in mind? Would help me direct you to more specific locations/stores.
As a general rule Wan Chai markets have your current/recent Hasbro/Takara Tomy stuff and some of the vintage stuff (but always look through ALL the toy shops with TF's first before buying to find the best price.). Mong Kok tends to have more of the 3P stuff (although thin pickings right now). And a word of warning, no matter what anyone tells you virtually everything in Sham Shui Po is fake, so be wary of Transformers if looking there (unless you are after KO's). As a general rule whilst most places in HK tend to sell the real stuff ALWAYS check for authenticity on an item in any street store toy mall store you go to as some do mix real with fake and it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you can be more specific as to what you're after I might be able to narrow your search or offer up some of the shops off the beaten track that may have what you're after...


Hi bladestorm and welcome to the forums.

I'm actually heading to hong kong end of this month, just wondering where to head to for some third party and masterpiece stuff?

[leej84]

Thanks for your reply bladestorm.
Nothing really specific with the masterpiece and but third party would be like the more popular dx9, mastermind creations, fans toys etc etc figures, just want to check out the shops to see what they have and their prices compared to taobao before I pull the trigger on anything. I'll be heading to China after hongkong so I have an option to look for stuff on taobao.
Any particular shops in wanchai and mongkok I should look out for? Or should I stick to inns point and sino?
Thank you.


Hey Lee,

Thanks for the welcome! For both 3rd party and Masterpiece it depends what you are after and how much time you have to hunt.
Masterpiece is very popular here so some of the figures sell out fast and become impossible (eg MP-10) or expensive to find. Some of the smaller car MP's are easier to get (with the exception of Wheeljack and Bumblebee).
3rd party depends what you are after as different stores specialise in different things. However one thing to remember with 3rd party stuff is some places here require pre-orders and won't sell direct over the counter (Kidslogic, Hot Toys, Prime 1). Got any specific 3rd parties/MP's in mind? Would help me direct you to more specific locations/stores.
As a general rule Wan Chai markets have your current/recent Hasbro/Takara Tomy stuff and some of the vintage stuff (but always look through ALL the toy shops with TF's first before buying to find the best price.). Mong Kok tends to have more of the 3P stuff (although thin pickings right now). And a word of warning, no matter what anyone tells you virtually everything in Sham Shui Po is fake, so be wary of Transformers if looking there (unless you are after KO's). As a general rule whilst most places in HK tend to sell the real stuff ALWAYS check for authenticity on an item in any street store toy mall store you go to as some do mix real with fake and it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you can be more specific as to what you're after I might be able to narrow your search or offer up some of the shops off the beaten track that may have what you're after...

[PROVOST]

http://i.imgur.com/5xTYkAp.jpg

[Sam]

Thanks for the tips Lisa!

I did end up making a short trip to Wan Chai this arvo and bought some figures. Held off on MP Magnus due to space issues (already posting a 20kg box back separately).

Wab Chai has some really nice stock and it was worth checking out all the prices before buying (one shop had Arcee for 298hkd while another had it for 228).


Hey Sam,

Welcome back to Honkers!

Hunting for TF's here kind of depends what you are looking for. CTMA is ok but unless you want Kidslogic stuff their TF's are thin on the ground. Marvel seems to be their flavour of the last 6 months.
Same applies to Sino at the moment too. I've found HK Island side seems to have a better range of TF's (and believe it or not cheaper(!!)) at the moment, although 12 months ago it was Mong Kok that had all the juicy stuff.
Wan Chai market has 2 shops that carry a decent range of authentic TF's. Freeway Toys - first toy shop on your left as you enter the markets from the MTR end has a lot of the newer stuff and Japanese imports. Problem is they inflate their prices a little (and if they know a figure is popular they inflate it a LOT) and don't negotiate. They know me by name and STILL won't come down in price for me!
Further down on the right is a set of 2 shops both owned by the same guy (can't remember it's name) - one of the shops is mostly cars, the other is a wide range of toys. They have some nice older TF's stuff but you have to look deep into the store and the glass cabinets to find the TF stuff as only the newer stuff is on the front shelves. They did have a few Encore TF's as well as some Alternators, Pepsi Convoy, etc, before Christmas. They won't negotiate on price either but are generally reasonably priced to start with given the vintage of some of their items. In terms of their modern stuff, their combiner wars were HK$20-30 cheaper/piece than Freeway toys for example.
Another place I've seen a few nice Japanese TF's at recently is animate in Wan Chai... they do have a store in Sino but I get the impression it is more books.
The problem is there are so many stores to hunt through here... my local toy shop for example has a nice range of the Japanese Go! collection on sale at the moment and a couple of the Metroplex's as well as a fair few Masterpieces, including Ultra Magnus at a VERY nice price compared to online.
TRU are pretty pathetic at the moment with their Transformers, although if you want Breakout Battle it was on sale for HK$599 at the Taikoo branch the other day. Hasbro tend to use the Causeway Bay store for most of their TF promotions so that and the Harbour City one tend to have the best range, but as I say - at the moment the pickings are pretty pathetic.
Pity you're pressed for time or I would say let me show you around a few of the worthwhile places. Maybe next time if I'm still here!

Good luck with your hunting!

[Bladestorm]

For those kinds of 3rd parties I'd probably look in Sino. I haven't been into Ins Point recently but it didn't have much even the last I was there. Similarly aside from the Toy Hunters shop in CDMA I don't think you'll find much 3rd party TF's. I wouldn't even bother with Superman Toys as they haven't had Transformers other than the bearbricks for well over 6 months (and they're really rude - especially to this short fat non-chinese chick).

As I mentioned earlier - for the new/recent/modern Tak-Tomy and Hasbro stuff - walk the toy shops in Wan Chai market with particular focus on Freeway Toys (the first shop on the left as you enter the markets from the Tram/MTR but expensive) and the toy shop on the right further down that is right next to a toy shop loaded with cars (can't remember the name - keep thinking something Hing Toys but could be wrong). Also as I mentioned shop around BEFORE buying.
I was going to recommend a place near me for MP's but went there last night and unless you're after Soundwave his shop has sold out of everything - which is impressive given 2 days ago he had 10 MP Ultra Magnus' in stock along with Smokescreen, Prowl and a few others filling one of his glass displays.

Good luck with your hunting!


Thanks for your reply bladestorm.
Nothing really specific with the masterpiece and but third party would be like the more popular dx9, mastermind creations, fans toys etc etc figures, just want to check out the shops to see what they have and their prices compared to taobao before I pull the trigger on anything. I'll be heading to China after hongkong so I have an option to look for stuff on taobao.
Any particular shops in wanchai and mongkok I should look out for? Or should I stick to inns point and sino?
Thank you.

[Bladestorm]

Haha - sweet Sam!
Glad you got some goodies. And that you heeded the shop around first advice.
If I'd known you wanted Arcee I could have given you one straight out of the case cheaper as I got a case of that wave to get the fembots for my daughter and have spares. Never mind. :)

See what I mean about the temptation of not spending $$ in these stores?
Wan Chai is like crack when they get their new figure shipments. ;)



Thanks for the tips Lisa!

I did end up making a short trip to Wan Chai this arvo and bought some figures. Held off on MP Magnus due to space issues (already posting a 20kg box back separately).

Wab Chai has some really nice stock and it was worth checking out all the prices before buying (one shop had Arcee for 298hkd while another had it for 228).

[griffin]

For anyone who needs it, I did up some maps a year ago of the main toy locations in HK I wanted to check out (http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/hkjp1.html) (at the top and then scroll down to halfway to "Sunday 10th"... warning, the page is pic-heavy) which was from fan HeroicDecepticon (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=11556) and my own searches.
And if you want to read through a few pages, there is this topic as well (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=2602).

[leej84]

Thanks griffin. I'll have a read of those pages :)

[Bladestorm]

Oh gosh Griffin! You need to come visit again so I can take you to some REAL cantonese food and show you around... I've tried KFC once in the 6 years I've lived here and it is grosser than gross! Your trip doesn't sound like much fun with all the confusion of the MTR lines n all. :/

CDMA has a lot of empty shops at the moment, and quite a few of the smaller shops on the same road still have signs but have disappeared.
Sino is definitely the best place, especially if pressed for time, to go on the Kowloon side... even if just to see the Hot Toys showroom! But something to remember about these malls is to not bother going until after 1 pm as most places don't open until midday at earliest. In fact, some shops don't open until 5 pm!
Whereas Wan Chai is normally up and rocking by 10.30 am and the computer/anime malls close by to Wan Chai are normally up and going by about 11.30 am/midday.
That's one thing that bugs me about living here - most shops don't open until 11 am so you can't get an awful lot done in the mornings...


For anyone who needs it, I did up some maps a year ago of the main toy locations in HK I wanted to check out (http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/hkjp1.html) (at the top and then scroll down to halfway to "Sunday 10th"... warning, the page is pic-heavy) which was from fan HeroicDecepticon (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=11556) and my own searches.
And if you want to read through a few pages, there is this topic as well (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=2602).

[griffin]

HK is somewhere I want to go back to, as is Japan, but my trip was only intended to be a quick 2-3 day recon of the areas I visited (HK, Osaka, Tokyo) to better plan out a decent trip later... and since I got sick in HK, I lost one of my three days there, which meant I didn't get to see or eat as much as I was planning. (the plan was to spend the third day on HK island for the toy stores there, so is something for next time)
As for the franchise fast food places like KFC - yeah, there wasn't any real desire to eat it for enjoyment, but more to see how it was so "eastern-ised", and had to report back to those here who would be familiar with the Brand, who would be amazed at how different it was.
The other thing is that I wasn't too keen to try a place without someone I trust letting me know that it was safe/clean... especially after that bad reaction on the second night to something I ate.

[Bladestorm]

Let me know when you come back through and I'll take you for safe/good food and a trip around some of the HK Island stores as I live right next to Causeway Bay.

I understand the quirky curiosity about the Asian-ised food chains. I had 2 cousins come over last year and they purposely ordered Mcdonalds delivered to their hotel for the novelty value of it. They raved about it for ages. LOL
The other thing they couldn't get over were the shopping mall car parks. I drove them to a mall and they spent over an hour looking and taking photos of all the cars before we even got into the mall - Lambo's Ferrari's, Porsche, Lotus, etc (a green version of Stinger lives up the hill from us). I guess I've been here so long I just take it for granted. It's only when my son will go "check it out mum - it's Stinger, It's Soundwave" do I take notice.

I sometimes blog about some of the crazy here because it is so hard for people back home in AU and NZ to understand... I often wonder how I will adjust when I eventually return to the normality of Sydney. ;)



HK is somewhere I want to go back to, as is Japan, but my trip was only intended to be a quick 2-3 day recon of the areas I visited (HK, Osaka, Tokyo) to better plan out a decent trip later... and since I got sick in HK, I lost one of my three days there, which meant I didn't get to see or eat as much as I was planning. (the plan was to spend the third day on HK island for the toy stores there, so is something for next time)
As for the franchise fast food places like KFC - yeah, there wasn't any real desire to eat it for enjoyment, but more to see how it was so "eastern-ised", and had to report back to those here who would be familiar with the Brand, who would be amazed at how different it was.
The other thing is that I wasn't too keen to try a place without someone I trust letting me know that it was safe/clean... especially after that bad reaction on the second night to something I ate.

[primetime]

Bladestorm, where / which is the Wanchai market that you are referring to that has the TF toy stores?

I was in HK last year and Wanchai market wasn't on my "shopping list".

Would appreciate it if you could clarify. I googled Wanchai market and it seems to be a wet-market/and a lot of the stores are gone? or is this outdated information?

[Bladestorm]

Wan Chai Market has 2 sections - the wet market, which is a cultural experience unto itself, and the local goods market (sometimes referred to as the toy market because of all the toy stores).
Both markets are connected. Combined they cover several roads, however the toy market only covers one road which is easily accessed when you either get off the Tram or exit the MTR (I think Exit A3. I go there on autopilot so don't take much notice). Edit: Ok - looked it up - Tai Yuen St is the name of the lane the toy market is on and A3 is definitely the MTR exit to use.
There are 8 to 10 toy stores lining the market behind the street stalls. Of those only about 4 are worthwhile visiting for Transformers, and one does a mix of fake and real so I am always dubious about recommending it. The rest tend to be legitimate sellers (but I always caution people to check just out of principle). Freeway Toys - the most expensive of the lot - is definitely officially licensed direct from Hasbro to sell Transformers/Star Wars etc as I've had heated discussions with them about their prices and they claim they stick to Hasbro's RRP because if a Hasbro rep comes visiting they could loose their distribution.

Wan Chai also has 2 shopping mall style places to visit with stores that sell a mix of computer/console/anime/bb-gun stuff, and there is also an Animate (which is also in Sino) that sometimes has few items not found in the other stores... They had Tak-Tomy Jetfire for HK$425 which is the cheapest I've seen him so far.

If any of you boys are popping over, let me know and I'm more than happy to show you around if I'm free. I live on HK Island but I do go over to the dark side (aka Kowloon) a fair bit as I deal with Kidslogic and Herocross...


Bladestorm, where / which is the Wanchai market that you are referring to that has the TF toy stores?

I was in HK last year and Wanchai market wasn't on my "shopping list".

Would appreciate it if you could clarify. I googled Wanchai market and it seems to be a wet-market/and a lot of the stores are gone? or is this outdated information?

[primetime]

Many thanks for the detailed explanation Bladestorm will definitely check WanChai on my next HK trip.

Out of curiosity why do you refer to Kowloon as the "dark side"?!:confused:

Ahh, I looked this up a bit more - I know Tai Yuen St - it was already on my list just didn't go there as I thought it was mostly "kids" bric brac type toys there are some TFs but I was more into the Sino/Richmond/CTMA/Ins point type places.

[Bladestorm]

Kowloon is known as the dark side because if you live on HK Island you need to 'use the force' to get there... LOL
It's a Hong Kong colloquial term as Kowloon is often a mysterious, tempting, sometimes hostile place and in many ways quite different to Hong Kong Island. It may be a legacy of the seedy old Walled City days, but I'm not sure. It's just a term those of us who live here use when referring to Kowloon. Unfortunately I can't think of an Oz equivalent for it. People who live in Kowloon refer to themselves as living on "the dark side". Those of us who live on HK Island refer to visiting Kowloon as going to "the dark side".

Sino/CTMA, Ins Point are definitely where to go if your agenda is the 3P stuff.
3P is less common and slightly more expensive in most places on the island.
Tak-Tomy/Hasbro stuff is slightly cheaper (at the moment) on the HK side...


Many thanks for the detailed explanation Bladestorm will definitely check WanChai on my next HK trip.

Out of curiosity why do you refer to Kowloon as the "dark side"?!:confused:

Ahh, I looked this up a bit more - I know Tai Yuen St - it was already on my list just didn't go there as I thought it was mostly "kids" bric brac type toys there are some TFs but I was more into the Sino/Richmond/CTMA/Ins point type places.

[Sam]

Kowloon is known as the dark side because if you live on HK Island you need to 'use the force' to get there... LOL
It's a Hong Kong colloquial term as Kowloon is often a mysterious, tempting, sometimes hostile place and in many ways quite different to Hong Kong Island. It may be a legacy of the seedy old Walled City days, but I'm not sure. It's just a term those of us who live here use when referring to Kowloon. Unfortunately I can't think of an Oz equivalent for it. People who live in Kowloon refer to themselves as living on "the dark side". Those of us who live on HK Island refer to visiting Kowloon as going to "the dark side".


Naw, I think it's just that some HK islanders are too lazy to go to the Kowloon and New Territories side. The 'furthest' some of my friends are willing to go to is Causeway Bay. ;p

[Bladestorm]

That's so true Sam. I have friends who live in Pok Fum Lam who think going to Causeway Bay is like going from Sydney to Wollongong! (For those who don't know Pok fu lam is about 10 km drive from Causeway Bay).

People think I am crazy trekking all over HK and Kowloon all the time but this city has some amazing sights off the beaten track on both sides of the harbour that are worth the effort.

btw: for those visiting soon I was in the big Toys R Us in Tsim Sha Tsui (Ocean Terminal/Harbourside) today and the current stock are as follows: loads of MP Grimlock (HK$1199) and Sunstorm (HK$799). Loads of then and now Grimlock. A few Linkin Park Soundwaves. Quite a few Barnyard Battle sets (still on sale for HK$599), a ridiculously large number of Slog and a few AoE Grimlocks. A sparse collection of various Combiner Wars and a few remnant AoE figures, some of the RID one step changers and not much else...


Naw, I think it's just that some HK islanders are too lazy to go to the Kowloon and New Territories side. The 'furthest' some of my friends are willing to go to is Causeway Bay. ;p

[Jetfire in the sky]

This is a great thread and having done mass toy hunting trips over there a few times in the last couple of years I agree with Bladestorm, unfortunately In's Point has a lot of KO MP's now being sold at original prices, and Original G1 items have skyrocketed.
One place I found and would recommend beyond anything else is Toyzone, it is on HD's guide but is a ripper (hard) to find when you see the front of what looks like (is) an industrial high rise.
They deal in all things awesome, lots of second hand toys, biiiig section of Transformers from all era's. Plenty of 3p stuff and much much more. And!! (there's more) as was my case I had already filled my bags with other TF buys I asked if they could send it home to Aus, no worries, they boxed it up for me there and I paid the postage price with the purchase. They were really helpful and you could tell they were people who loved their job.
The address is:
Flat B, 4th floor Wah Ha Factory Building, 8 Shipyard Lane, Quarry Bay. The nearest MTR is Tai Koo exit A1.
Bladestorm I'm heading over later in the year so might be good to have a catch up.

[Bladestorm]

I need to go to Toyzone. Shamefully that's the one place I've never ventured and it is literally 2 MTR stops away from me. My fear is if I walk in there I will want (NEED) to spend thousands of dollars as I've heard of a lot of people doing exactly what you did... and I live locally so the temptation would be too great! (Hubby has restricted my budget for TF's for this year already LOL)

For those of you visiting soon I was over in Mong Kok last week and here's a brief rundown of what is there as of January 2015:
CDMA - Superman Toys had Revoltech Optimus, Cloud Brawn and Magnificus (insane prices though) as well as Fewture Optimus and Grimlock. Be warned though these guys don't seem to stock Transformers regularly so finding stuff here is hit and miss.
CDMA - Hot Toys was the ONLY store that had MP Ultra-Magnus in their Toy Hunter Store for HK$1080 (everywhere else if you see him, it is their already sold pre-order stock).

Sino Plaza
Basement level - Animate had a few Tak-Tomy Transformers, DMK-03 (for HK$548) as well as MP's like Soundblaster, Streak, Prowl, Bumblebee and some Generations stuff but it is hidden on the back window of the store only visible by walking around the OUTSIDE of their shop.
Shop 115 was the only shop in Sino/In's Point/CDMA with YOTG Optimus (HK$838) and Soundwave (HK$938).

I'm gunna write some of this up on my blog, but in brief here are a few shops if you'd rather go direct to places than toy browse every store.

In's Point (don't bother heading here until after 4 pm as that's when many stores open and a couple don't open until 5 pm) Shop numbers are displayed on a sign sticking out above each door.

Shop 109 had DMK-03 for HK$520 (cheapest I've seen in HK outside of sales)
Also had MP Bumblebee for HK$430 (but no coin or face mask)

Shop 137 (check boxes as some items are used but that is only written in Chinese).
Shop 122A
Shop 127 - Tokyo Station (opens LATE)
Shop 145 - Lots of Masterpiece Cars and older release Hasbro and Tak-Tomy Transformers
Shop 201 - It's just a display shop but so worth stopping to appreciate the TF's behind the glass.
Shop 236 - Lots of Encore, Red Bape MP-10 (HK$1480), Grey Bape MP-10 - really pricey though (and I was unable to check whether real/fake). Encore Optimus was HK$2280.
Shop 277 - Reasonable prices, most on display in the windows.
Shop 255 - Calibre Toys limited edition individually numbered Optimus Prime (HK$8000) and Bumblebee.
Shop 236 - Sporadic range of TF's (opens LATE)
Shop 268 - Transformers galore (only open 5 pm to 9 pm)
Shop 275A - Second hand and old Transformers
Shop 221 - Older transformers - including a heftily priced 20th anniversary Optimus Prime.
Shop 217 - worth visiting to appreciate the window display alone. Transformers heaven but prices range from reasonable to WTF depending on product (opens from 5 pm)
Shop 207 - had Revoltech Optimus (peterbilt robot mode) for HK$230 which was the cheapest I saw on the day.

Hope this helps some of you.

There was quite a lot of stock in In's Point this time around however I did come across "opened" figures being sold mint in box and a couple of fakes (owners claiming Tak-Tomy had changed their packaging - pfft) so as I always caution - check the integrity and authenticity of the item before you buy.

I'm happy to offer "on the ground" updates about what I'm finding here in HK if anyone is ever interested. If any of you are ever coming to town and have time to catch up do let me know - If I'm free I'm more than happy to meet up, show you around, take you to safe food (or at least recommend places), abuse shop owners who try to rip you off in my limited Cantonese. ;)


This is a great thread and having done mass toy hunting trips over there a few times in the last couple of years I agree with Bladestorm, unfortunately In's Point has a lot of KO MP's now being sold at original prices, and Original G1 items have skyrocketed.
One place I found and would recommend beyond anything else is Toyzone, it is on HD's guide but is a ripper (hard) to find when you see the front of what looks like (is) an industrial high rise.
They deal in all things awesome, lots of second hand toys, biiiig section of Transformers from all era's. Plenty of 3p stuff and much much more. And!! (there's more) as was my case I had already filled my bags with other TF buys I asked if they could send it home to Aus, no worries, they boxed it up for me there and I paid the postage price with the purchase. They were really helpful and you could tell they were people who loved their job.
The address is:
Flat B, 4th floor Wah Ha Factory Building, 8 Shipyard Lane, Quarry Bay. The nearest MTR is Tai Koo exit A1.
Bladestorm I'm heading over later in the year so might be good to have a catch up.

[Sam]

The address is:
Flat B, 4th floor Wah Ha Factory Building, 8 Shipyard Lane, Quarry Bay. The nearest MTR is Tai Koo exit A1.
Bladestorm I'm heading over later in the year so might be good to have a catch up.

Thanks for the tip!

But mate, how the heck is one supposed to know an industrial building over at Quarry Bay has a toy shop? :)

By the way, I forgot to mention that the Toys 'R' Us in Olympic City's shopping centre (near the MTR station Olympic, surprise surprise) were selling MP Grimlock for $800HKD a couple of weeks back.

Pretty sure it was a promo price, so not sure if it's still available.

[Bladestorm]

Most HK Toys R Us still have MP Grimlock. The HK$799 special has finished though and he is back to HK$1100 with no freebies (before the $799 special he came with a free AOE Generations Leader class Optimus, or Grimlock.

As for knowing what to walk into... it is something you get used to in Hong Kong. Walk into the diviest warehouse and discover an amazing indoor soccer venue, or toy shop, or mall full of camera equipment. That's the crazy that is HK...


Thanks for the tip!

But mate, how the heck is one supposed to know an industrial building over at Quarry Bay has a toy shop? :)

By the way, I forgot to mention that the Toys 'R' Us in Olympic City's shopping centre (near the MTR station Olympic, surprise surprise) were selling MP Grimlock for $800HKD a couple of weeks back.

Pretty sure it was a promo price, so not sure if it's still available.

[crankcase76]

Welcome to the forum fellow cybertronian.:)

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd430/megatron84/5b9f8199-1027-434d-95c3-7cf0889bda74_zps12437763.jpg (http://s1219.photobucket.com/user/megatron84/media/5b9f8199-1027-434d-95c3-7cf0889bda74_zps12437763.jpg.html)

[leej84]

Awesome! Thanks for the tips! Im heading there tomorrow, can't wait

[Hursticon]

http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Webpics/6.gif

Greetings and Welcome to OZformers! :D
Glad you've decided to join us. :cool:

Any pics of your collection? - Whack 'em here (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=48) if you haven't already as we LOVE to see the collections of others. ;):)