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Magic Pony
Categories: Shopping Toy Stores Arts & Entertainment Art Galleries Shopping Art Galleries Toy Stores, Art Galleries [Edit]
680 Queen St WToronto, ON M6J 1E5
Neighbourhoods: West Queen West, Trinity Bellwoods
(416) 861-1684
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 7 pm
Sun 12 pm - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Magic Pony
Review Highlights
"Having been to Kid Robot - we should really be proud of the..."
(in 3 reviews)
"Stuffed animals, books, cuff links, keychains, and..."
(in 4 reviews)
"But, little Japanese toys and books."
(in 11 reviews)
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Chad M.
This place is full of all kinds of wonderful things that I love - my needful things. Strange, cute, often rediculous items that I cannot explain why I must have them other than they strengthen my soul.
If you're into this stuff, next time you're in San Francisco, be sure to check out Super 7, Gama-Go and Kid Robot, all very similiar to this store.
The nice guy at the cash recommended Terroni for lunch which turned out to be amazing! -
Review from Kathy H.
Mississauga, ON
Updated - 12/6/2011
Came here a second time for a birthday present, the Doodle Calendar $16. It's been a year.... so I saw new blind boxes! New BIG blind boxes!!!! Some for less than $10 :) The cashier lady was really nice as well. I like her!
Complete new makeover, store is reorganized, and there's an exhibition in the back which was really cute :)
I really like the designer chairs series... and I wish that ALL minifigures were keychains! If so, I wouldn't mind buying them pricey things!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/30/2011
omg it's soooo adorable here! they sell the CUTEST things and they keep it so organized.
I picked up… Read more »
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Review from Lauren M.
11/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place has REALLY cool stuff, but who can afford it, seriously!!! Wow. I want to buy stuff here but the prices boggle my mind! What are you crazy people buying here?
Great for window shopping though.
Amazing novelty items. Barbapapa Medival playset?!?! Hell yeah! And Pacman Moleskins too.
If I was a rich hoarder I'd be all over this place! -
Review from Jason S.
8/21/2011
Perfect little store to shop for a gift for your wapanese (see urban dictionary) friend or family member. I particularly enjoyed browsing through their framed prints and original artwork.
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Review from Avitania B.
Toronto, ON
7/24/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Instant love! If you're into modern pop art, vinyl figurines, Japanese kitsch, and/or the following names mean anything to you:
Giant Robot
Kozyndan
Tokidoki
KidRobot
Takashi Murakami
Gama-Go
...then hie thee to Magic Pony! They've got a ton of fun books, t-shirts, art prints, accessories, and vinyl figures to peruse and ogle. I eat this crap up with a spoon, so Magic Pony is practically nirvana to me. They have a decent selection of blind box toys and a large display case with hand-crafted and one-of-a-kind items. Not only is this shop filled with all sorts of cool stuff, the staff has always been kind, helpful, and knowledgeable every time I've been in. Love this place!Listed in: Toronto Favorites
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Review from Stella N.
Toronto, ON
8/10/2011
A few years before, I had started collecting some re-ment toys they sold, and I got A LOT of things. I was obsessed, playing with the little foods even if they did nothing but look cute. I then found other things to spend my money on, and stopped. I stopped going to magic pony, unless I was around the area and with someone who liked it too. I got trinkets every few months, and one day I noticed they changed locations.
I had to look in and see if I could get another doughnut package, just because I missed the excitement I had whenever I opened the boxes, not knowing what I'd get. I went to where all the other miniature things were, and they weren't there! I was devastated. Where would I get my fix had I wanted it again? I asked about it, and the person there could only say, "yeah, we stopped selling those".
I looked around and saw some other toys I had mild interests in; the key chain foods, the cactus dogs, the ugly dolls, and of course, the other miniature things. It was still a pretty cool place, but I didn't like anything else enough to spend whatever the price tag was. I was pretty sure they would sell such things for cheaper at say, Pacific Mall. I even found other packages which I had been interested in as well, for almost half price.
I guess I still like the place for window shopping, but not enough to crack open my wallet. I need the doughnuts to make me want t open it, and then I end up getting more things. It's how I shop at these types of places.
Magic Pony is still an adorable place I find, with things I might treat myself to every now and then. I still love gazing at the little odds and ends they sell, just not at the price tags.Comment from Kristin W. of Magic Pony 8/23/2011
Hi Stella, Thanks for the awesome feedback on our shop. I… More » -
Review from Deanna W.
9/12/2009
As a kid, I once got into a infamous spat with my sister over an unicorn figurine she bought me for my birthday. "What you got me an ornament?! They just sit there and collect dust!" Luckily the passage of time can heal many things and stores like Magic Pony have helped to instill in me a love for all things that are related to art and inanimate objects!
Magic Pony is many things: an art gallery, book store, a toy store and a general all around great gift shop for those looking to please the quirky and eccentric collectors in our lives. Some of my favourite items during my the travels through here: darth vadar usb stick (we all need one of those!), cufflinks and jewellry by Toronto artist Hoi An-Tang, wooden pencil boxes, canvas tote bags and really cute vinyl/plush toys. They also have a good selection of graphic t-shirts, there was one dark blue number that had my name on it so I snagged it. Anything by the Japanese artist Nara is a favourite of mine, those irritated sleepy eyed girls of his hold a place in my heart!
Even if you don't plan on spending a penny here, it's worth a visit- you will find plenty of things to oooh and ahh over. -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
11/21/2008
Hell yes you're hot Magic Pony!
The Japanese toys and ironic books and pieces of locally painted art. The art gallery in the back has great, interesting stuff on sale with fabulous opening parties that are impossible to get into.
But for real, it is IMPOSSIBLE to go into this store, look around and not buy anything. The stuff can get pricey, but it's love. And last time I checked, love was pricey too. And totally worth it. -
Review from Jarek B.
Toronto, ON
6/24/2009 ROTD 7/3/2009
Favorite boutique shop in Toronto? Yes.
During my addiction to Kidrobot, Magic Pony was my weekly one-stop shop to get my fix for vinyl figures. Now that my need for these tiny little knick-knacks has subsided, I don't visit much anymore; however, my love for this little shop has not waned in the slightest. Magic Pony carries everything from designer-art toys to clothing to books to prints. The staff is very friendly, helpful, and willing to strike up a conversation. They carry the works of many underground artists from around the world and often hold exhibits to showcase their talents. MP is the best (and basically ONLY) place in Toronto to get an art-toy (KidRobot, ToyQube, TokiDoki) fix.
Bring the kids, bring your friends, bring the whole damn family. Magic Pony is RAD. -
Review from Chris P.
Definitely not what I was expecting this store to be, but in a good way. I can see why people have trouble walking out without buying something. I almost bought a print but since it would have been final sale I thought I should double check with the wife just in case our art tastes don't quite line up.
This place is Japanese toy store meets art gallery. Though I don't fully grasp the understanding of the Japanese toys, I still found myself wanting to buy a few things off the shelf. The gallery in the back was a little sparse but there was some good works to be found, if you're willing to spend.
The staff was friendly and helpful also. -
Review from Eric F.
Calgary, AB
11/8/2009
Absolutely adorable!
Stuffed animals, books, cuff links, keychains, and miniature grocery figurines - get your fill of Japanese kitsch in this convenient spot. I challenge you not to say "aww!" at least once while browsing here.
I found a tiny cookbook filled with cartoon animals and vegetables, written in French, directed to children ages 4-10, sponsored by the Quebec government. Strange but true, I think it will make a perfect gift. And there are certainly other small treasures to be found... -
Review from Patty L.
North York, ON
2/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
I love popping into Magic Pony whenever I'm down on Queen West. There is always something new and cool for me to add to my collection. They carry designer vinyl toys, UglyDolls, KidRobot items and cool artwork prints. They also have interesting jewelry and artsy items for your home.
They are one of the few places in Toronto that I can get authentic Gloomy Bear related merchandise, and for that I will always love them.
They also have a points card that you can sign up for so that you can accumulate one point for every $20 you spend in the store, and later redeem each point for $1 off your purchase. I don't remember what the initial purchase has to be in order to qualify for the points - offhand it's around $85-$100. -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
10/3/2008 1 photo
Magic Pony calls itself a "concept" store, what it is. In fact it is what happens when OCAD students decide to open up a store. The store has strange toys from Japan and Ironic gifts, but nothing very special in terms of things you can actually buy. At the back of the store is the "gallery" where there are about 20 or so mixed media prints which are done fairly well, but do reek of art school. The counter staff was surprisingly nice considering that I expected to be blasted with condescension, but perhaps the particular artist who was manning the cash register was learning that maybe a business degree would have kept her better fed. I wouldn't recommend this "concept" because it's a bad one and if you ignore the "concept" then all you are left with is a bad store.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Ciao H.
10/16/2008
When compared to America's Kid Robot and Giant Robot, this Canadian paean to the "toys for big kids" craze is pure MAGIC. Here you will find all manner of toys that Kid Robot helped make more popular--vinyl, plush, large, small, books, postcards, as well as a precious case in the front by the register featuring adorable jewelry by New York's top independent casters.
What sets Magic Pony apart from all other toy stores I've been to in the states is the airy space (when the store isn't so crowded), the loving presentation of the merchandise blending in seamlessly with the art, and the mind-blowing displays in the front window and back gallery. What makes me give this place a top rating is the service. You can tell the people who started this place and who work there love what they do. They love talking to customers, helping them with questions and giving them places to look further.
Set in the "Design" district of Toronto, take a walk down Queens Street West to this little gem, you won't regret it! -
Review from Heather L.
Toronto, ON
1/22/2010
This store is so great. A lot of the products are really out-there, but it really fits the specific niche market (I assume) they're after. Admittedly, I have only ever bought books there, as I'm not really a collector of Japanese toys, etc.. That said, there is always some lust-worthy, one-of-a-kind object in that glass case -- when you walk in, it's on the left -- that I always mean to go back for after some saving.
I don't find it pretentious. Maybe because something looks arty and cool, some people feel uncomfortable and therefore blame the "pretentiousness" of the store. Pffff! Silly. In fact, the staff are always very nice. I have been cheerfully offered fliers for their gallery openings more than once, and I'm not what you would call a "hipster".
I visit about once a season. From what I've seen: thumbs up to this cool concept store. -
Review from Amy M.
Toronto, ON
4/18/2009
Magic Pony is both concept shop and inspirational wonderland. It's one of my favorite haunts and places to stop in and take a look at both Canadian and international artists. Their shows and selection are always interesting and creative. It's a community within a city that sometimes feels - well- bland.
Having been to Kid Robot - we should really be proud of the Magic that the pony brings to our city. It's a stellar place to visit. -
Review from roberta c.
Toronto, ON
9/18/2008
It's hard not to love everything in Magic Pony! But it's such a scene! But, little Japanese toys and books! But, keffiyeh-clad hipsters! But, hilarious art! But, impossible opening night crowds!
Self-preservation tip: Avoid reliving high-school-loser anxieties by cutting show openings out of your diet and going straight to the lazy weekend visit.
Magic Pony, you curate a mean art show and you carry fun and funny merch. Thanks for the laughs, you get (almost) top marks from me. -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
11/27/2008
Magic Pony is one of the very few stores who reassure me that it is OK to still love toys. It's fine to have a figurine collection along the top of your computer monitor at work, and no one will think any less of you if you have a keychain of a donut with a cute little face.
Judge me all you want, I will find my home at Magic Pony! Not only do they carry all sorts of cute tiny toys and big stuffed animals, they have an art gallery in the back filled with pieces that usually go along with the toy or cartoony feel. There's a rack of t-shirts and silkscreened bags, a chair full of furry friends (fake, not real), and a table full of books that encourage you to make your own stuffed animals or just laugh at funny (and sometimes disturbing) cartoons.
If you're into quirky jewelry designs, check out the cash desk and you'll see more than just quirky -- for example, cufflinks in the shape of meat and mustache necklaces. They might be a little expensive but it's a price I'm willing to pay to bring cuteness everywhere with me.
But my favourite sections are by far their displays. Every once in a while, they'll change the huge installation out front, and that's when I'll know it's time to pay them another visit. Everything they do is over-the-top creative and beyond fun. Expect big crowds on weekends, because, how could there not be? This store rules. -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
12/2/2008
I am in my 30s, I still sleep with stuffed animals, and I think cartoon drawings are an art form. Don't shake your head, you non-believers. Judging from the 5-star fans on this here page, I feel like I'm in good company.
Magic Pony is a wet dream for nerds and designer types. Anything you get as a gift is sure to get you brownie points, at least from cool people up to the age of 40. Everyone else may just give you a strange glare and ask that you just grow up.
The art gallery is sometimes hit and miss. I echo Roberta's comment about self-preservation: I've only gone to one opening here, and was surrounded by uber-cool OCAD types with oversized glasses and tight jeans. At first I was kind of taken in by the novelty, and then I realized they were nearly half my age and all in large groups, to which I responded by stepping back, slowly, until I got out of the store. -
Review from Laura D.
Toronto, ON
12/30/2009
I had heard about Magic Pony from all of my friends in Toronto so after a couple years, I finally ended up dragging my butt out with a couple friends to go check it out. When we got there (it was sort of hard finding the place for us), I was really let down. The whole place struck me as being super pretentious and everything there was super expensive.
All of the Japanese merchandise that I was looking at was way, way overpriced for what it was. I love all sorts of stuffed animals and weird things but I just couldn't justify buying anything here because it was just way too expensive. I also felt like everyone in the store had a sort of a snobby attitude about it all too... like they were in the store just because it was popular and in fashion, as opposed to actually enjoying the merchandise for what it was. Maybe I was just there on a bad day? The staff seemed pleasant enough and were helpful when one of my friends had some questions about some of the books being sold.
I guess I'm just missing something here, since everyone else seems to like the place so much. I guess I just can't get past my first impression. I think it's great that they sell local artwork and support local artists, so that part of the store I actually do like... but the rest is just kind of "meh" to me. -
Review from Ashley K.
Toronto, ON
3/1/2009
I signed up for Yelp just so I could write a review for this place! It is my favourite store in Toronto. =)
Magic Pony carries a really wide array of unique toys, books and art products, including apparel, furniture, home decor and housewares. They also play host to a variety of interesting monthly art shows and unique artist opportunities like book signings and toy releases. They feature work from artists around the world, including a healthy chunk of Canadian work.
If you're looking for a gift for someone artsy or unique, or has a sense of humor that's slightly off-beat, Magic Pony is the place! Everything in the store is cute, colourful and highly collectible.
It's also a great place for designers to go to for creative inspiration, or for anyone who wants a brief escape into a strange technicolour world filled with robots and blobby monsters and food with faces. -
Review from Audrey W.
Toronto, ON
8/11/2011
Keeping it simple, fantastic store. Great products, great service, great gallery, great workshops. Just a happy place to be.
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Review from howard d.
York, ON
1/30/2011
Lots of cool and neat art and toys
You'll never know what you'll find in there so its best to check up on it often -
Review from Jimi S.
ON
12/11/2008
im going 5 stars on this for sheer gumption. sitting in the window presently at magic pony is hmmm...im at a total loss. even if i were to attempt to describe what the h this monstrosity is youd have no idea what the h i was talking about. well despite the fact that the last few sentences seem completely useless, lets just say that theres this colossal sculpture, like a psychotic persons treehouse that welcomes you inside.
okay. so upon entering there is a display case that hangs on the wall or maybe its just at about chest level in which are knickknacks, baubles, bibelots, curios, trifles, gimcracks, gewgaws, dew-hickeys and tchotchkes. i like the gewgaws best.
(sorry im going to have a personal giggle now. ha ha.)
all of the above is true - you could purchase, for example, a little box thats about the size of one of those little sample cereal boxes youd be delighted to get when you were a kid (and dare i say now if the opportunity came up) where youd cut along the perforated edges, open it up, pour a little milk in and presto! instant breakfast? well inside those boxes are not cereal but miniature stuff like the "snazzy kitchen set" with a small bin for drying small dishes. so stupid its great.
or one could get a completely white video arcade game sculpture that you could paint in any way you like, i think with paints provided. or perhaps youd like to keep walking and look at one their books in the back.
new paragraph indeed. there are books that are graphic novels, or graphic novel types. there was this book that made me think that no one has to ever be apprehensive about any idea they might have no matter how stupid they think it is because this one was up there. it was a story told through pictures and words of a short tale of a baby, a little girl and a bear - all of them, in the pictures, dolls they had photographed in situations they described. basically, theyre all out in nature having a good time, they spot a fairy, she grants them wishes, suddenly theyre surrounded with an endless supply of junk food, they gorge, they hurl and start again. end of story. (sound familiar?)
now there are a billion more things, artwork on the walls, more books and lots more gewgaws et al everywhere you look. there is a mix between stuff thats useful and stuff exists for no greater reason than fun, which itself is reason enough, lord knows, with all the stress we like to buy all the rest of the time.
and above all, anything you set your eyes on there is marked with a little fairy dust as it were, full of playfulness and joy. -
Review from Noel D.
6/1/2009 3 Check-ins Here
I have been a fan of Magic Pony for years. There may be similar shops in the city these days but when they first opened up they were one-of-a-kind. I have never had a problem finding something to walk out with. And now that they have a wall full of adorable figures for under 10 dollars it makes it even harder not to pick up a little treat for myself. The staff is always super-friendly and helpful. They also throw great opening parties with local and international artists. Plus, kids go bonkers for this store!
