500 Toy Stores in Eight Blocks, The Los Angeles Toy District.

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

Ahhh... The Toy District!! We where we were "Liked" and definitely "Followed"! Always good to start that Christmas shopping early!!!

[@ToyManTelevision]

There was some Russian hacking going on too. With a hatchet. Face, meet book! Now meet BRICK.

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

@@ToyManTelevision Yes.... Ever-buddy a "rushin" to get that shopping done!

[@annetterizzi1589]

Thank you guys so much for taking me on this awesome journey and making it so fun!

[@805ROADKING]

No Fire Codes broken there eh!! You were lucky to get outta there alive!!☺

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

Quite an experience! LOL!!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Ever been in snake country? Your safe, but don't stick your hand or foot anywhere you have not first put your EYES!Sort of the same here. Stay in the district and your mostly fine. DON't park on the street. Find a pay lot with a guy to guard your car. (Ive never been able to figure out stealing hubcaps. WHY? They are worth a buck? Two guys steal your hub caps, take them to the guys place in Watts who has all the hub caps in LA, That guy gives them $3.50 for a set of hub caps off a 2005 Tahoe. Then the guy with the Tahoe shows up and buys them back for $115.78. Why not just rob a bank? gezzzzzee people get er done!) ANYWAY, I digress. So you park in a pay lot and wander around And NEVER go out of the 8 blocks of the District. Cross the wrong street and you will need $100 bucks to ransom your life. THey take Visa, so its easy.

[@tomklock568]

And no unauthorized merchandise either :)

[@angelagarcia7476]

Lol I used to go there on my own all the time. Nothing bad ever happened. Obviously not in the middle of the night. 🤣 LA raised.

[@angelagarcia7476]

It's also Fashion District.

[@kerridillon3120]

I loved watching the interesting assortment of expressions on your faces...like bank tellers who have been tied up while the crooks are robbing the bank! LA definitely has "character!" I prefer my Orange County Fullerton area! Thanks for another blast of fun on Sunday...you two senior teenage delinquents!

[@ToyManTelevision]

It’s a weird place. Skid row. Legendary. Who would think there would be 500 toy stores there???

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

I really enjoy going to unusual places in LA! This one is one happenin' place!!

[@jabyrdlip]

off topic, but did you revisit Disney California Adventure? just saw a picture of the area that was suppose to have been taken on the 15th and still shows Mickey on the wheel. Any Update of that?

[@ToyManTelevision]

Yes and no. We didn’t get back (yet) and Mickey got a reprieve. Still there. Bet forever. Too much outcry over taking him down. 90 years old this fall!! Doesn’t look a day over 20. Or 30. How do you tell the age of a mouse?

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

We really need to get back to Disney and California Adventure... Prolly not this Christmas.. As I have Jury Duty! I guess I need to stick close to the Salty City!!

[@jabyrdlip]

@@karynfelix-the-Cat I re-looked at photo and there is a big sign that says "Pixar Pier" so they may have changed everything be Mickey. Such a shame. Have fun on Jury Duty...

[@acox3527]

I was just down in the long beach ports dropping off medical supplies going to China via container. Speaking of toys you guys remember the dolls with the cute faces and hair and demples I think they were called cupie dolls.

[@ToyManTelevision]

YUP!! And check them out on Ebay!!!! They were 10 cents!!! A prize from a carnie... NOW geezeee.. 10 to 15 bucks!!!

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

Oh! I loved those! My Grandma loved them too.. and both my sister and I would get them for birthday presents when we were kiddos!!

[@Golden_Spike]

I visited the fabric district in LA a number of years ago with my costumer wife and Bjo Trimble (from Star Trek fandom). It was crazy, but I think you had more fun in your district than I did in mine.

[@ToyManTelevision]

It was weird and fun.

[@vincentcalvelli6452]

The Toy District is definitely an interesting location within Los Angeles to visit occasionally if you live in Los Angeles as I do.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Its not shopping so much as it an adventure!

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

Vincent Calvelli I had a blast there! I would go back there in a heartbeat!

[@vincentcalvelli6452]

Karyn Felix-Angell - next time in L.A. visit the Jewelry District lot to see there as well

[@stevemellin5806]

Very cool . have a great day

[@ToyManTelevision]

thanks. What a place. Sort of the opposite of Disneyland.

[@JerkRice]

It is fun to find those places where you have an insider to know about.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Weird fun place.

[@wayned1807]

Good old downtown Mexico City er LA. Hasn't changed a bit since I was there in the 70's. I remember going downtown to buy a wedding ring at a building that was full of diamond dealers. Was half the price compared to the local jewelry store but the experience wasn't worth it. Never felt so out of place. Scary for sure.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Yes! It’s nuts. Toys. Good stuff jewelry whatever. But presented like garbage. Toys stores on skid row!

[@ronniedavis3713]

This was a funny video, You two looked like fish out of water while driving around that part of town.

[@ToyManTelevision]

There was the smell of fish now that you mention it. IT was really fun. DIFFERENT but fun.

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

Ronnie Davis Yeah.. We needed a box truck, loaded with toy rockets!

[@KassandraTovar]

I love going here when I travel to LA. My family and I will walk around 3-5 hours every time we go.

[@ToyManTelevision]

And while it’s in Skid Row it’s safe.

[@yanyant-q1l]

nice any collectible toys though? monchichi?

[@aeonjoey3d]

Underrated video and channel, superb work!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Thanks!! I was surprised more people didn’t get a kick out of the toy district. I put it on my top 10 things to do in LA. But then I’m weird.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Lynne Waugaman how is the toy district harming the planet?

[@PeachyFennec]

Hey you should visit the Belmont shore model railroad club in San Pedro, CA! They meet on Tuesday nights, we'd love to have you down sometime!!

[@ToyManTelevision]

We need to make a club trip. We have seen so few clubs there. Back in the 90s I was living in Hollywood and thought I’d like to join a club. Went to about 10 and barely scratched the surface.

[@PeachyFennec]

@@ToyManTelevision We'd love to have you over! For more information check out our site and email our president so we can be sure to put on a good show you for! www.belmontshorerr.com/

[@jorgel.fernandeziii8278]

I’ve added a ride on the California Surf-Liner starting up north as far as it goes then, head south ! I want to check out California especially the surf liner and Los Angeles where I have a cousin that lives there ! But as for right now, it’s in my bucket list ! 🌊🐺

[@ToyManTelevision]

I’m thinking the 4014 will be on that track soon. Hope so.

[@BurtReynoldstash]

Loved the Mexican shop

[@ToyManTelevision]

What I find interesting is this whole thing is right in the middle of Los Angeles is famous skid row. And yeah we felt completely safe walking around there. Much of crime is perception. Where are you safe? Where are you in danger? It has more to do with what you are doing and much less where you are.

[@candleflame4355]

Greta video, that area pretty much sums up cali.. hope you miss the flames as well, btw do you have any videos on the UP gtels?

[@ToyManTelevision]

Did you see our fire video last Christmas in Ventura? This is like that on steroids. Speak daily with Ed and the steam crew. WOW are they going FAST. They will be putting the front engine back under the loco soon. Boiler tests in a few days.

[@KandRCustomModels]

Any train shops?

[@ToyManTelevision]

Probably. Didn’t see any. But I’ll bet there is most anything if you know where to look

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

There were some toy trains... plastic kiddie trains.. along with plastic cars.. Barbie kitchens.. and baby doll stuff. Things like party favors. If I were looking for a real train shop..it would be anywhere but there! But... One never knows! The little boy or girl who gets a cheap plastic train as a toddler from the Toy District, might just grow up wanting the "real" thing to model! My very first train was a cheap plastic Choo-Choo... Powered by a balloon!

[@ritaloy8338]

The Toy district is a sight to see. I have been through there!a few times. This is place is a great place to screw around. But Downtown Los Angeles is just more than just toys,. You have the garment district, and wholesale food.

[@ToyManTelevision]

And China Town. Really fun, not your usual LA trip. No roller coasters. No linen tablecloths. Something like valet parking though... "HAY KID! I'll give you $5 to watch my car while I run in here for a few minutes". "Make it 10 and your registration sticker will even still be on your license plate when you get back! Deal?"

[@lhsboyproductions3446]

Awesome video! Is there a model train district in Los Angeles :D Take good care of yourselves guys. :) Thumbs up! Greetings from Poland ,:)

[@ToyManTelevision]

HI!! Nope, this is really one of a kind. In America that is. I assume there are many places like it in the far east. This was started by serval guys from Hong Kong who rented a space in the most affordable part of LA, Skid Row. They each set up an area in a old defunct store, and soon a hundred other guys from Asia joined them spilling out into the street and other buildings. And as all the buildings were empty, homeless people camping in them, they were able to take over 8 square blocks. Cross the street and its all empty building and homeless people. A few years ago people from Mexico started opening shops and now it's mostly Mexican and Central American shops. BUT all the stuff is coming from China.

[@lescobrandon3047]

New York City had many model train shops in the 1930-1960s. True craft MRR stores are all gone from Manhattan Island. There are two left on Long Island though. As a model railroader, all of my equipment now are purchased through online companies.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Yup. You and everyone. Hard to have any "brick and mortar" store anymore. Hobby shops were always a tough business to be in. Don't I know it too. Back in the 70's it was mail order stores killing the hobby shops. Now the internet. Often the stores pay about the same as you can get online. We used to get 40% on most things. Now you may get 10% on big stuff and 40% on paint and glue. Hard to pay the rent on 40% of the price of a tube of Testors cement.

[@lescobrandon3047]

In the 1950’s, my model railroader uncle used to take me to Willis train store in Mineola, Long Island, NY. The old gentleman who owned it was an encyclopedia of MRR information. His son still runs the company in a different location next to the Mineola Diner. Because I am modeling in On30, there are few items that I buy there, mostly going online instead.

[@iannarita9816]

Not a retail but I think China has a manufacturing district in Guangzhou(?). Rapido Trains talks about it in one of their videos. Kader and another company expanded there out of Hong Kong in the 1980's

[@pbyfr]

Interesting, remind me of the old electronic market in Akihabara, Tokyo: only super specialized shops, but not really wholesalers either! I have nothing against Chinese goods, IF they are sold at the real price and not 10 or 20 times more like on Amazon. But were all these nativity scene goods also cheap? Seems good quality on the video.

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

pbyfr The Nativity items are okay... and like anything.. Depends on how they are taken care of. I have a paper parasol that I paid $5 bucks for years ago, at a car show. Still looks great! But most people buy something like that to use at the event, then it ends up in a dumpster. The things sold here are more like party favors.. Sold cheap enough that one can always buy more!

[@pbyfr]

@@karynfelix-the-Cat Thanks for the info

[@greguzar8233]

Adventure is where you find it. Sort of a once will do you for a lifetime visit. I kept thinking, Fire. A curious trip only the Toy Man can make interesting. Greg and Jeanne.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Its quite a place.Weird, scary at times, not boring. They say travel broadens the mind. (travel to good food places broadens more than the mind) HUM. May not need to go very far.

[@ToyManTelevision]

It was fun! An adventure. Sort of like being Shanghaied without the getting knocked out part. A great Frat haze would be to take the new-bees to the toy district and drop them off with no money. NOW find your way back to North Hollywood. Bye.... Most would survive. At least 90%. Ok perhaps 89%. The survivors would be stronger for it. HUM... This could be "Surviver Island" season 14. This weeks challenge is find something that looks just like Barbie but costs under 50 cents. 52 cents and your kicked out of the district. 39 cents gets you immunity.

[@ToyManTelevision]

We want to do Chinatown. Just interesting and fun. Again, not Disneyland. But interesting and FUN!

[@tomklock568]

Yep this is pretty crazy. Haven't been down there for many years.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Max weird.

[@tedrobinson5743]

Well she did mention mexico. Boyle Heights is right there also. Killer mex,Salvadoran food been Excellent for 30+yrs very nice people ah so many different foods within a 1/2 hr of there. Thai most excellent I delivered to over 600 restaurants and 250 oriental markets. I worked for a Thai food importer/ anything Asian for 3yrs A Very Good Experience. You 2 Have way to Much Fun!!!!!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Yup!! So much of our family is Mexican. Karyns first husband was from Mexico. So lots of family! New for me but FUN and exciting.

[@erikaquesada4917]

I wish that you video will be a little bit mre slow and show the toys in detail . Prices etc

[@lescobrandon3047]

I live on Long Island, NY where there are no toy stores that I know of.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Theres one in Hicksville, need to knock on the door 3 times. When the little window opens say "Santa sent me" They don't have much. Totally Hicksville.

[@gmmeier321]

Used to be tons of toy stores and hobby shops when i lived there as a kid. Brick and mortar specialty stores are now gone unless its a really unique one whose content is either local or not available online.

[@iannarita9816]

Train World on MacDonald Av in Brooklyn. They also have a store in Nassau County(I forget the town). TrainWorld does a lot of internet business, it was an outgrowth of their mail order business.

[@lescobrandon3047]

ian narita - Originally, Trainworld was on Sunrise Highway, Lynbrook. The owner was a gent named George until he passed away and the building was sold. I was in Scale O back then and was a member of the Long Island O Gauge Society with a huge layout on Atlantic Avenue, Lynbrook in the basement of an apartment building, 1949 - 1989. We had train shows a few times a year, especially Christmas. It had four mainline control cabs, one yard cab. There also was an On3 layout included. All rails were steel spiked to wood ties. Most of the equipment we brought in each operating system was New York Central except for me who soiled the railroad with my PRR stuff. Because it was cab block control, we often heard a shouted “Who’s got my train!” As someone would forget to neutralize a block. Lots of fun until we got evicted by the management because they wanted to add apartments. We did get room in an unused classroom in a church school in Garden City until they too dumped us and we disbanded. There are other clubs on the Island, but mostly Lionel, N or HO.

[@gardenrailroading]

Did you get to see "Angel's Flight"? Just wondering if it is still running.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Haven’t done it. Really need to. Still running. We have ridden several funicular railroads but this little one is legendary

[@gardenrailroading]

we stayed in the hotel at the top level and rode it a couple times in 2013. Definitely worth it if your in the area again.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Sounds like a plan!!!! THe'rs a hotel up there? Is it good?

[@gardenrailroading]

Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza. It was OK, a little expensive, however not bad on the off season times.

[@gardenrailroading]

we need to check out the toy district, I had no idea it was there.

[@samaravalle6178]

What time does toy district open?

[@ToyManTelevision]

Not sure…

[@jerrybuttner9224]

Were where that store exactly? At 8.01 in the video where they are selling all the squishes

[@ToyManTelevision]

Not sure of the exact location of that store. Many of the stores there have those. All in the Toy District in Los Angeles. We bought some of those “water bead” squishes. We even bought a bag of water beads and tried making one. Really simple

[@thomasbeck9075]

Great video it reminds me of chor bazaar

[@ToyManTelevision]

Where is that?? There are several small street markets in Paris. Flowers. Books. Birds. Not like this! This is just weird. And huge! 500 stores. Cant even find them all.

[@thomasbeck9075]

@@ToyManTelevision it's a thieves market in India on KZbin the channel is bald and bankrupt's it blew my mind at the junk it was like huge city blocks of nothing but junk

[@ToyManTelevision]

YUP!!! THATS THE TOY DISTRICT!! Sounds like a place we would like to see. Chor bazaar

[@gunnyu.s.m.c8606]

definitely interesting to say the least😁

[@ToyManTelevision]

It’s strange and yet fun. Juts weird to see toys displayed like that. .

[@rogerflores1217]

Adress?

[@ToyManTelevision]

It’s in downtown LA. Skid Row area. The Toy District is a 12-block area in eastern Downtown Los Angeles, bounded by Los Angeles Street on the west, Third and Fifth streets on the north and south and San Pedro Street on the east.

[@rosa3418]

What streets are the toy stores on??

[@longbeachhippy694]

June 1 2021. Just was recommended this video. I live here in LA and santee alley is awesome. Just about anything and everything you want. Busy and bustling erea.

[@ToyManTelevision]

It’s a strange place but dang we love it!

[@rohnerw]

Interesting. But they don't seem to sell the most important items! Where are the trains and train related items. Toy overload! On an aside, and you may have posted this somewhere else and I missed it. How is Steve doing? Is he up and around? Did his surgery go well? I have been hoping and praying so.

[@ToyManTelevision]

I think there may have been trains somewhere. As long as they sell for s dollar. Steve is great!!! I’m going to post on the community tab in a few but we all went out to lunch! He’s walking well. On sticks, but walking. No model building,he’s building a jig saw puzzle. Sort of easygoing. No getting up and down. Anyway soon back up there to build.

[@rohnerw]

Wonderful, wonderful news!!! So glad Steve is doing well! Thank you for the update!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Hes doing GREAT!

[@FutureRailProductions]

Wowzers. I want to go now!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Fun day out. Finish off with a hot dog at Carnies. .

[@Jcgirlie619]

Hi do they sell any legit toys? Or are they are knockoffs?

[@buddyblair8878]

Tonage, holy crap,toy overload. And traffic ouy vay.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Mostly people on foot. Some on feet. Lots of big beat to crap trucks. U hauls. Thousands of people living in cardboard boxes, but on the next street over. BUT what a bunch of just plain STUFF.

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

Yeah... Cant' tell if it's just traffic.. or parking! The same either way!

[@nakisha1213]

Where is this?

[@ToyManTelevision]

LA. Skid Row. Main and third street area. Something to see!

[@scottfirman]

Its interesting to see but all the RC cars you showed were Toy grade, not hobby grade. Meaning impossible to buy parts and not really worth fixing. The avaerage RC car starts at $349. There is a place simular to that in Detroit, its called Market Alley and you can buy one of anything, as long as its one CASE . I delievered about 12 cases of those flavored cookies that have creme filling, they remind me of syrofoam. Wafer cookies I believe they are called. The sold in Chocolate, straeberry and vanilla flavor. I got hired by a fly by night company to deliver cases of them to Detroit and Chicago. The place I got them from miscounted and I ended up with 4 cases left over. I ended up bring them home. Turned out they were all expired but you could break open the cases and still sell them individually. I was giving those things away after a while. I to this day still cannot stand eating them. We must have ate thousands of them. I cannot remember how many came in a case but it was thousands. Thanks for reminding me. Oh, I actually had a guy jump on my truck in Detroit and try to rob me, I slammed on the brakes then sped up, throwing him off the truck, he was about to smash my side window out with a pipe. I drove through three traffic lights to get away from that area before I slowed down.

[@ToyManTelevision]

HOLLY CRAP!!! But Yup!! Thats just like "Skid Row" in LA. The weirdest thing in LA, (We think) is the "marble" effect. It's like normal thats been stirred into a marble cake. Million dollar homes on one street, people in tents on the next.Then back to million dollar homes, then warehouses. As you stand there figuring it out a kid shoots you because you are wearing a blue coat. BUT you sort of figure it out and you are fine. In the District there is safety in numbers. But if you cross the street, there are few people around and the ones who are are shooting up right in front of you. AND all they see is a wallet with a life support system attached. Just 100 feet from where we were shooting.

[@ToyManTelevision]

I had a bolink car years ago. Cost 200 in the 80s. Man was it fun. And fast. Also had a Associated gas powered 1/8 scale Dodge Challenger. Cost about 350 in the 70’s. But top speed about 50 mph. Blew its gears all the time. Fun. But expensive to but and operate.

[@scottfirman]

@@ToyManTelevision I looked them up. You can STILL buy them. I was amazed. As I tell my viewers. Leave vintage RC cars alone. They look great on the shelf, you will not be running one long, simply because parts are not available. I snagged a brand new in box Vintage Radio Shack RC car for my grandson. When he gets old enough, its his to do what he wants with it. Dated 1977, I am sure he will think it an antique. I just picked up a Kyosho RC nitro powered helicopter this summer. I was greatly excited at buying my first RC " Nitro" helicopter but was quickly warned parts are no longer available. So I didnt listen to my own advice. I will fly it a few times and store it until the RC museum says they want it I guess. lol.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Those early helicopters are HARD to fly. I always told people it's just like standing on a basketball. Sure you can do it. Over time you can even get good at it. BUT the first thing that will happen is you will fall on your but.

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

neat :) 1st comment

[@ToyManTelevision]

What a fun place... A bit scary, a lot weird, mostly fun, and something you will never forget.

[@garypearsall1589]

Interesting but no thank you. Thanks for sharing although.

[@ToyManTelevision]

If someone opened a hobby shop here and sold brass locomotives, they would be sold by the pound. Like you say, no thanks... BUT not boring.

[@johansjr]

Be Careful going into MEXICO .....

[@ToyManTelevision]

Sadly right now it’s the Mexicans who are afraid of us! They don’t have a lot of pandemic down there and they’re really afraid of Americans bringing it

[@yanyant-q1l]

looks more like just cheap toys