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Myplasticheart
Categories: Shopping Toy Stores Arts & Entertainment Art Galleries Shopping Art Galleries Toy Stores, Art Galleries [Edit]
210 Forsyth St(between Stanton St & Houston St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighbourhood: Lower East Side
(646) 290-6866
- Nearest Transit:
-
2 Av (F)
Bowery (J)
Bleecker St (4, 6, 6X)
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 12 pm - 7 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
About This Business:
We are open 24 hours a day 365 days a year with a pharmacist on duty at all times. We have a full surgical department carrying durable medical… read more »
28 reviews for Myplasticheart
Review Highlights
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"This place PWNS (yes I said pwns) Kid Robot." In 5 reviews -
"Toast, and Domo blind boxes." In 5 reviews -
"They have a great selection of Urban Vinyl and Designer..." In 4 reviews
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Alex S.
Frisco, TX
5/23/2012
I'm trying to not sound like a broken record after snooping through some of the other Yelp reviews on here but it's tough. Small store? Check. Outrageous selection? Check. Possibly the friendliest staff to ever work a vinyl toy store? Check. You would have to go out of your way to find some way to take MPH down a few pegs and if you did that, chances are good you got so wrapped up in your warped mission that you misunderstood "MPH" to be referring to the posted speed limit wherever you are while reading this.
Anyway, I've ordered from this place quite a few times in the past and I guess I built it up in my mind to be this sprawling palace of colors, toys, unicorns playing the guitar and a koala circus troupe performing thrilling acrobatics at the drop of a hat. In reality, it's a small (no, really small) white-walled room. That's it. You could easily walk right on past it if you didn't know where it was. Actually, you could probably walk right past it even if you did know where it was. But once you're inside? Boy, Skippy, you better set aside some time to take it all in (which sounds kind of oxymoronic given how minimal it all is but work with me here).
A gallery of an artist's work was being set up on the right wall and a couple of stools were immediately to the left. A playful dog was running back and forth on the floor but not disturbing anyone - quite the opposite: the little guy was a charmer, able to "play dead" whenever someone made that universal "gun" sign with their hands. But I was on a mission for alleviating my wallet of its precious monetary population and there was no time for doggie tricks. Well, maybe a few minutes...
But back to the business at hand: MPH has a lot of stuff in it. For as small as it is, there is a (perhaps literal) ton of stuff to take in. You've seen their online selection and while that runs the gauntlet from Kidrobot to Medicom to customs and everything in between, there's also a display case of some individual items that, as far as my knowledge goes, are not advertised for sale online. And these are items you won't see in most other vinyl shops - an Eric Merrill Dunny from the 2007 Tattoo series? It was there until I scooped it up since I never managed to track one of those down before (not that I was trying but seeing it there right in front of me made it a lot easier to fish in my pocket for my wallet).
Quite a few larger pieces can be yours for the taking, including a few KAWS pieces that continue to escape me with their popularity. And what vinyl store would be in business without the gateway drug that is the blind box? In a refreshing state of operation, there aren't too many blind boxes up for the grabbing. Sure, there are quite a few to pick from but unlike most vinyl toy shops that might as well just be blind box depots, these guys limit their selection and I think it's for the better. I'm not saying this is a vinyl toy shop for only "serious" buyers as there is legitimately something here for everyone's price range but it helps being able to spot the Crappy Cat blind boxes immediately instead of having to sift through boxes upon boxes of zipper pulls.
I briefly mentioned the staff but they need their own isolated paragraph, really. Probably the nicest folks I've ever bought from when it comes to a hobby that completely escapes far saner individuals. Kidrobot NY may have the recognition and Toy Tokyo may have the variety but MPH has sincerity to burn.
Sure, the place is smaller than your bedroom and maybe the "Not For Sale" case could be moved closer out from behind the cash register so patrons can enjoy the rare items the owners have managed to accumulate but at the end of the day you have a store that shows a little heart can go a long way. And if you read that previous sentence and rolled your eyes, I understand - I did the same and I typed the thing. -
Review from olivia s.
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hidden gem in LES. Kid Robot, move over! MyPlasticHeart has yet to disappointment with the vinyl toys they offer :)
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Review from Derrick L.
Queens, NY
10/7/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I think I've found another favorite place to buy vinyl figures!
They have a great variety in such a little store. The workers are all so nice. I must have bugged them like 5 times and every single time they helped me out and with a SMILE no less. AMAZING! They are one of the only places to sell some of the items that are on display. This really helped me out since I was looking to complete some of my Dunny sets. The blind boxes are similar to all other places. The cost is maybe a couple cents difference. The location is a little hard to find and you might pass it by accident. But it's totally worth it! Definitely swing by for a visit. I'm sure you'll end up leaving with something for your room or office! -
Review from Chris I.
Mililani, HI
6/26/2011
I'm in NYC for a few weeks this summer, so there are several places on my "must see" list. As a fan of art and designer toys, I definitely had to hit up myplasticheart.
Located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, myplasticheart is a combination designer toy shop/art gallery. It's a small store, but it packs quite a punch, with a wide variety of the latest in artist-designed toys. myplasticheart specializes in "blind boxes," which are sealed boxes that contain random toys (of varying rarity) from a specific series. They also have a great selection of larger figures/toys, as well as a number of kaiju (Japanese monster) toys.
Their display cases are filled with all types of toys, many of them being samples of what you can get in the various types of blind boxes. They also have several cases of "not for sale" toys, which shows the owners' passion for these arty collectibles.
While the vast number of toys, brands, and artists can be overwhelming for a new collector, the owners of myplasticheart are more than happy to offer their knowledge of the subject, as well as answer any questions.
Part of the wall space is dedicated to an art exhibit (the two times I went were during the "Ghost in the Machine" and the "Monkey in the Middle" shows). These displays of contemporary art are worth checking out, even if you don't intend on making a purchase at the store.
Overall, myplasticheart is an excellent NYC destination for fans of contemporary art and designer toys. Just be careful of the designer toy scene - it's can be an expensive hobby, and it's easy to get hooked! -
Review from Albert K.
Gainesville, FL
7/20/2011
I've only had the pleasure of using their online store, but MPH is everything I've come to expect from a top notch online retailer. Their site design is clean and easy to navigate, and their customer service is as good as I've ever seen.
When I first placed my order through them, my shipping address mysteriously did not have a city in it. As I had already punched in my credit card numbers and confirmed the order, I panicked as I thought my package would be sent out into some purgatory of undeliverable mail.
I immediately looked for the support/customer service portion of the site, only to have my eyes drawn to the real-time chat option. I typed in my issue, hit send, and settled in to wait. I had a response in less than a minute, and my problem was solved in less than five.
The chat was certainly quick and helpful, but what I really loved about the experience was that they didn't automatically assume I had done something wrong. I fully expected to have to prove that yes, I had typed in my shipping address and that yes, I had entered all the information into the correct fields. Instead, the employee took down my order number, looked it up in their system, and honestly explained that they weren't sure why the city wasn't showing up on my end but that they had the correct address on file and that the package would be shipped correctly.
I've only placed one order through this site so far, but I highly recommend it and it remains at the top of my list for similar purchases in the future. -
Review from Solomon C.
Queens, NY
2/14/2009
i feel i shouldn't give it five stars because i'm not in the loop on the urban toys scene but I like MPH's staff better than Kid Robot and Toy Tokyo
The staff is awesome! And when I mean awesome, they're friendly and talk to you like they're your pals. You don't get the weirdo, antisocial, i-don't-talk-to-u-unless-u-r-like-me, skater dude attitude like at Toy Tokyo nor the trendy superficiality of Kid Robot, these are cool guys.
If you've ordered stuff online, you probably want to visit the store just to see where your stuff comes from and the type of people that handle it. Makes me rather spend my money here than other places. -
Review from Beth P.
NY
2/18/2008
Beautiful selection of one-of-a-kind collectibles and limited edition figures/toys. Amazing for gifts; from small little silly somethings to art pieces. They had the limited edition Fatima figure that is calling my name.
Much more appealing as a store/gallery than KidRobot or other places selling similar items.
New show opening next week that I will for sure want to check out.Listed in: L.E.S. BEST
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Review from Ron C.
5/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Awesome on the Lower East Side. This store has rare and one of a kind vinyls. Even some vinyls that I have only seen online and not in any other store in the city.It's the only shop of it's kind in the area. It's a bit small, but they maximize the space very well. I still think buying Vinyl Toys is a bit expensive... When they are blind boxed and are selling at an average of $10. I would buy a a larger statue for my desk at the office or my apartment.
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Review from John W.
East Elmhurst, NY
1/4/2007
Designer / Vinyl Toys... Gallery Space
On the heels of ToyQube, KidRobot, ToyTokyo and all the other Vinyl Toy stores in NYC (Yoyamart, Giant Robot, etc.). Comes myplasticheartnyc. Originally an online store, they recently opened up their physical location along with gallery in the city.
The store is a reasonably sized, about the same size as KidRobot, and it has a very good product selection. From KidRobot products, to alot of the lesser known popular vinyl figures around. The store has a great variety to keep you busy and to meet your needs. However, If there is something you can't find, you can always try to ask them to attempt to order the product for you. They have good prices and good customer service.
About once a month they will have an art show, where artists will display their new works for purchase. You can come mingle with the guests or with the artist themselves.
The store is a little out of the way to get here, but it is well worth the trip! -
Review from Irene Y.
2/15/2010
cute Japanese items, but limited selection.
Recommendation
*Store was small and did not entice me for long -
Review from Ariza S.
7/27/2010
My plastic heart is a neat little store run by the sweetest couple. They let us take our time to browse and were happy to answer all of our questions.
The store is narrow and so there are boxes on top of boxes of vinyls which may make finding what you want a little difficult. There were also a lot of pieces that weren't marked so we had no idea how much they were and felt bad for constantly asking. The selection is limited but anyone who is a fan of vinyls and collects toys will still be able to find something. -
Review from kaNO k.
Elmhurst, NY
12/23/2008
MPH is an awesome store run by awesome people, They have a great selection of western and eastern vinyl toys and accessories, such as designer wallets, jump drives and fancy speakers.
MPH also doubles as a gallery which hosts some pretty big names in the Toy/art scene such as Mad, Kathie Olivas, Julie West, Shawnimals, Sket one, Marka 27 and many others.
This is definitely one of my favorite spots in the city, I even know this one dude who works for the MTA and plays hookie from his job just to hang out there all day, its that good!!
~k -
Review from Steve B.
Cleveland, OH
1/8/2008
Four stars, only because I've only done mailorder through them. But they get high-marks for their "Keep It Ninja" Shawnimals show, and the fact that I've never heard a fellow toy nerd speak an unkind word about the place.
Thank you, MPH, for my lovely Super Wee Ninja and Zombie Pocket Ninja. -
Review from Raquel G.
Newark, NJ
5/24/2010
Love this store!!
The staff is super friendly and cool.
I am new to the vinyl toy scene and didn't understand the concept of "blind boxes" - I was just like "I want ice bat ... Thanks".
LoL - I'm surprised they didn't throw me out of the store
What they did instead is allow me to trade one of the duplicate blind box figures i bought (and opened in the store) for the "display" ice bat.
Pretty awesome customer service right there. -
Review from Richard G.
San Jose, CA
3/26/2008
I order from them on occasion and they take very good care of me.If you are a vinyl junkie wanting to get pieces when they are released,remember that on the west Coast they are releasedat 9 p.m. and midnight there timeso we have an advantage.
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Review from Keejoo L.
7/17/2009
This is def. one of the cutest stores in the city. Even though it is small if is packed wall to wall with tons of adorable items to buy. If this place was bigger I bet everyone from Kid Robot would flock here. Similar to Kid Robot it has the same familiar characters. This store has become my new favorite because of the few bins on the floor filled with numerous adorable stuffed animals. I could not resist buying this little 5-6in stuffed 'Joe the Egg' character. This place is something you must see if you love cute things! You will walk out with at least one thing.
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Review from lora c.
New York, NY
1/7/2009
What I love most about MPH are their exhibits. They always feature fresh artists and they have a great selection of toys both in-store and online. I actually stumbled upon them last year in the most roundabout way... If any of you guys read Gothamist, you'll remember that they always used the Shawnimals wee ninja plush as an image for the "staten island ninja burgular." So of of course, I thought it was the cutest thing and had to pick one up. The shawnimals website linked me to an MPH exhibit so I stopped by. I'm glad I did. Now my boyfriend is a proud owner of a ninja plush and I always have pocket pork! Aside from the plush toys, MPH is a fantastic place for vinyl toys too.
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Review from tamara w.
Irvine, CA
1/25/2007
I've never been there but I've ordered from them a number of times. They have a great selection of Urban Vinyl and Designer Toys. Most of the times i've ordered is because they are the "official tokyoplastic online shop" (btw, if you've never checked out http://www.tokyoplasti... before - do it!) and they usually get their limited edition figures before anyone else. It's a sickness... I can't help it.
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Review from gaelen h.
Brooklyn, NY
9/6/2008
myplasticheart has introduced me to Mr. Toast and Shawnimals+Ninjatown. And I'm so glad they did :D
I ordered something off their site recently, and was able to pick it up in the store. I totally appreciate this option since my local post office is horrible. But that's another review in itself. Moving on.
The staff is friendly, the store is quaint, there's always something great on the gallery wall. I love myplasticheart! It's always such a nice experience. -
Review from sal m.
Brooklyn, NY
10/5/2010
Super Awesome Store! Store is small and well kept. Many fun, rare designer toys on the shelves though limited selection. I also like the artists and artwork exhibited almost every month here. I've purchased an artist print w/frame. Very happy with it. Shop has a very chill vibe. I like that it's not pretentious like other stores, of it's kind, tend to be.
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Review from ronald s.
10/27/2009
If you are into the vinyl and the toys, this is like a mom-and-pop store compared to all the slick ones around town. friendly people, supporting the art and decent prices for the consumers. it took me a few failed attempts to get here - they had some weird hours and are in a funky neighborhood.
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Review from Jen Y.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2010
this place is pretty awesome. i think it's the best art toy store i've been to ever so far. the store is kinda small but they've lined the walls with so many awesome toys and blind boxes. and they still found room for some awesome art showings. the current show chris ryniak had some really nice sculptures and paintings but everything was sold out!
the people were super nice and helpful. plus, you could tell they love the toys they sell with all the cases full of toys they didn't want to part with. they still remembered the names of the unavailable toys, which is pretty amazing considering how much they had collected in their glass cases. so now, i can look the ones i wanted online =). if you like vinyl, wooden toys or plushes, this would be one of my top places to browse.Listed in: NYC!
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Review from Adam Z.
New York, NY
8/12/2009
Although not as big of a store as Kid Robot they def. have a lot to offer. I like their selection of blind box vinyls, collectibles and plushies. They have some different lines of collectibles including Teddy Troopers and Mr. Toast, and Domo blind boxes. I have gotten quite lucky with my blind box purchases here. Receiving rare figures in the Labbit and Potamus lines. The staff is quite friendly and helpful. Buy a Joe the Egg plush for only $6! woohoo
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Review from Dee C.
Flushing, NY
12/18/2009
Out of all the toys stores in NYC, this is the first one I go to when I'm looking to buy new toys. Their staff is super friendly, and will hold toys or keep the store open later and wait for me if I call ahead.
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Review from Chris C.
New York, NY
1/1/2009
This is my favorite vinyl toy shop in NYC. Great collection of stuff.
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Review from andy W.
Queens, NY
9/13/2009
This place PWNS (yes I said pwns) Kid Robot. For one its infinitely less crowded (which is good as its a lot smaller) and its selection is much much better. the owners are cool and you can tell they are into it as much as you are. they always have good music on and the art they get for display/gallery type shows is usually top notch. So if you like vinyl and hate crowds come here you'll thank me later.
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Review from Raquel L.
New York, NY
2/21/2010
impeccable, inviting staff. the stuff is "funky" and it's one of the only of its kinds in the city to invite artists and host shows. i've never felt rushed "just looking" and like one yelper put it, it's like the owners are my pals.
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Review from Sarah G.
New York, NY
8/31/2009
Even if your not into designer toys you will love the collection that they have there. They have a wide variety and a good representation of what is out right now. The shop owners are friendly and very knowledgeable. They are happy to help you find something along the lines of your taste. Even after purchasing cases of Dunny's the kids at Kid Robot rather pose than offer any help. You'll get better service at MPH even if you are just looking.
