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[TMBounty_Hunter]

Revamped guide to make it less of an essey and easier to read and find what you want guide (version 4.0)

Twitter feed for deals: http://twitter.com/eputty
Groupbuy info: http://forums.redfla...urchase-866240/


I'll list the stores by area, but for now ill only add the ones I’m really familiar with. I live right in the middle of Toronto, and only go to where TTC can get me within an hour. If you live on the outskirts and know good stores, please post to help the guide grow

Downtown Toronto

AnimeXtreme
315 Spadina Ave. Unit H.
Supplies: Some basic modeling supplies. Tamiya and Mr. Color paint.
Model selection: Bandai, Kotobukiya
Prices: 1.3-2 times yen


Silver Snail
Queen street
Supplies: None
Model selection: Bandai
Prices: 1.6-2 times yen


1,000,000 COMIX
531 Yonge St.
Supplies: None
Model selection: None
Tons of anime stuff


Dragon Hobby
612 Gerrard St E
Supplies: Most basic modeling supplies and much more. Aqueous Hobby Color, Tamiya, Testor/Model Master paints and a few bottles of Mr. Color.
Model selection: Bandai (mostly old stuff), Tamiya (tons), some resins and vinyl kits that look like HK recasts.
Prices: 1.8-2.5 times yen


Aura Model Shop
10 Dundas St. E Unit 308
Supplies: Most basic modeling supplies. Mr. Color and Tamiya paints.
Model selection: Bandai (lots), Hasegawa, Kotobukiya, Tamiya.
Prices: 1.4-2 times yen



West

Sculpture Supply Canada
345 Munster Avenue.
Supplies: They carry all sort of goodies like Apoxie Sculpt, Super Sculpie, Smooth-On silicone and urethane mold materials and casting resins as well. Tons of other stuff too.
Model selection: None
Apoxie Sculpt 4lb Natural color:
June 2005 = $35.95
January 2009 = $42.90  



North York

HOBBY HOME
100 Steeles Ave. W
Supplies: Most basic modeling supplies and more. Tamiya and Testor/Model Master paints.
Model selection: Bandai (maybe 10 kits or so), Tamiya(tons). Fairly small selection overall for mecha, mostly an R/C store.
Prices: 1.8-2 times yen


Centerpoint mall

Unit 1-10
Smart Maple
Supplies: None
Model selection: Bandai
Prices: 1.6-2 times yen


Cyber City Comix
1025A Steeles Ave West
Supplies: None
Model selection: Kotobukiya
Prices: 1.1-1.3 times yen


Plastic World
1140 Sheppard Ave. West, Unit 8
Supplies: Gigantic sheets of styrene, all sorts of resins and solvents, PVA mold release, Polytek brand silicones and just tons of stuff. They also have the awesome The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook



East side

Advance Hobbies
4142 Sheppard Ave East
Supplies: Most basic modeling supplies and more. Mr. Color and Tamiya paints. Also small selection of Tamiya enamels and Aqueous Hobby Color.
Model selection: Bandai, Hasegawa, Kotobukiya, Tamiya. Fairly small selection overall for mecha, mostly an R/C store.
Prices: 1.2-1.5 times yen


Pacific Mall
4300 Steeles Ave. E

Gundam Base
Unit #: ??? (almost at the very north end of the east-most isle)
Supplies: Most basic modeling supplies. Mr. Color and Tamiya paints.
Model selection: Bandai (lots), Hasegawa, Kotobukiya, Tamiya.
Prices: 1.4-2 times yen


Market Village

Unit: B 21
Smart Maple
Supplies: None
Model selection: Bandai
Prices: 1.6-2 times yen


Unit: A 20-21
One's
Supplies: Tamiya paint
Model selection: Bandai
Prices: 1.6-2 times yen




-------------------------------------------------------------In Memoriam (copied over from previous versions of the guide)-------------------------------------------------------------


I’ll start with my favourite, Omake Hobby CLOSED DOWN , unit 212A in Chinatown Center at 222 Spadina Ave.
They have gundam models and also stock up in gachapons and hard to find Japanese toys and memorabilia, Hard Gay stuff for example. What makes the store above the rest however is the atmosphere created by the owner, Eric Francisco. He’s always there to help you find what you need or if you just wanna chat about things new and old, or even sit down for a game of Halo or Tetris Attack. Great store, great people.

Next stop is also in Chinatown Center, KiKiWai. They have a lot of anime merchandise, but not much in terms of hobby related things. A small selection of gundam and a few other IP kits, but that’s about it. Other stuff includes artbooks, Japanese and English manga, magazines, plushies, figurines, and everything down to coffee mugs, kinda pricey though. They also had an uptown location but they closed it this past month. Store hasn't been open for months, but still stuff in it, notes taped to the door, mail on the floor, fate unknown.....

A bit east of Pacific Mall, at 4390 Steeles Ave E is Market Village. Another location for Smart Maple (they’re near McDonalds) and also Yim Ha Hobby ( don’t have a card so I don’t even know if I spelled it right….) they have some older or hard to find models stocked. CLOSED

On Sheppard Ave there is a few stores. At Pharmacy there is a small plaza where there is a HUGE store for warhammer fans, don’t have the exact address but it will jump at you if you’re at the intersection. Gryphon is the name of the place I think. No longer there. Not sure if they moved or closed

KEITH"S HOBBY SHOP LTD. at 5205 Yonge St. They got almost every supply that you need to paint a kit that I know of. Tons of paint, masking tape, Exacto knifes, those snipper things, airbrushes, they even got Gundam Markers, and loads more. If you’re into ships, plane, or cars, or just need some supplies, that’s the place to be. MOVED TO SOME TOWN NORTH THAT I FORGOT

If we go west on Steeles we have RaceWorld at 248 Steeles Ave West, same plaza as Toys R Us. They have some paint supplies but mostly specialize in RC.[/s] STORE WAS NO LONGER THERE WHEN I WAS AT THE PLAZA A FEW WEEKS BACK


Last update 27/09/10

Edited by TMBounty_Hunter, 27 September 2010 - 08:12 AM.

[ice]

Hey "TMBounty_Hunter"  have you ran in too any predator kits up there?

[TMBounty_Hunter]

actual kits that you have to put together? no, sorry. ive seen only action figures.

record? hehe, i didnt have that in mind when doing this but when i update this thing, its going to grow quiet a bit.

[Kamui K]

bumped for my convinience...

http://www.hobbyfana...?showtopic=2657

My older sister sprung this on me and is begging me to accompany her to Toronto for a weekend vacation.
I really don't want to go since to me, painting time on the weekend is more precious to me than leaving one major city, just to go shopping in another major city sounds utterly rediculous to me.


But if I DO end up going next week, I wanted to ask around if there are any used manga/artbook stores around?

Not to insult Toronto or anything, but I doubt I'll find anything new in Toronto that I couldn't find in NY.  Unless it's from one of those random used book store kinda stuff.
I know there's a bookstore chain that carries used manga.  And they're not common in NY.  What's it called?  Bookmark?  Can't remember.

Man, I wish she'd pick a smaller, rural town.  Or some camping trip thing, rather than to go visit a city.
'

[TMBounty_Hunter]

sorry about the late reply and the newer topic being empty, im still slowly working on that, just too busy with too many things atm.

so you're coming here for the weekend of 27-28th? if so then you'll be here for the Canadian National Expo weekend. biggest convention in Canada, a con for anime, sci-fi, comics, horror, and this year also gaming. because of that all the stores in the city will have most of the staff at the con and some stores might be closed.

i donno about stores that sell used manga, but most of the stores that i have listed in the previous guide do carry english releases of manga, and Kikiwai carries the japanese manga and a load of artbook, but those are kindof pricy.



link for the Expo if you're intereted:
CNAnime
and another store that has a pretty good selection of anime and manga:
Silver Snail

[ThunderGod]

I guess I should've added a hobby shop called Toys^2 on this list.  It's in the same mall as the FantasyBox shop mentioned in the other thread.  To find it, you have to be 'inside' the mall section (not the movie theatre or mini golf place), it will be at the north-east section close to the food court.  Though FantasyBox mostly focuses on pvc merchandise exclusively, Toys^2 is a store of all sorts.  It has hobby paint, a few supplies such as putty, masking tape, tools..etc.  It has a few diecast model cars.  Also has pvc figurines large and small (though doesn't only concentrate on anime).  It has quite a bit of hollywood characters (eg. batman, superman, predator,robocop...etc.).  For actual model kits, it varies between small and large gunpla.  I didn't notice many resin kits though.  I'll have another look next time.

Which mall you ask?  First Markham Place located on Hwy. 7 (between woodbine and warden).  You'll probably notice the large stores like Home Depot, Chapters first though.  There's like 2-3 other plaza complexes all beside each other, so First Markham would be the most eastern complex.  Parking can get annoying though.

On a side note, while I was browsing the Smart Maple they have in this mall yesterday, I notice they were playing Suzumiya Haruhi music through their store speakers...      Everything from bouken desho desho to god bless and ending theme.  Looks like Haruhism is still alive.  

[KC Toys Shop]

We are an Online Anime shop based in Toronto Canada.
www.kctoysshop.com
check us out  

[lexesbenz]

I wish there was a bridge across lake ontario so I wouldn't have to go from syracuse all the way around, Its only like 44 miles across from Rochester, lol

[obsessed-with-gundam guy]

okay I have lived in the toronto for a couple of months going to university of toronto, and I have some extra stores where you guys could go and my comments on a few.

Grey region 550 yonge street. From the outside it looks like just a comic book store but it has a suprisngly good selection of modelling supplies. It has all the basics, glue, Tamiya paints, various knives and saws for modelling and some scratchbuilding stuff.  In the basement they have a very large suggestion of models of cars, ships, planes and tanks.

Anime Extreme- Prices for models generally suck. There really REALLY expensive there from what I've compared it to. They have a very good selection though. But then again the price thing. He's chargin what, 49 bucks for an 1/100 infinite justice? lame....

Silver snail: decent model kit selection. they expanded on this and have quite a few mgs' and some pg's. prices are pretty good as well.


Here's my new favorite store though is Kuramae Hobby with a deal which I'm not sure you fellow modellers know about it. Kurama is a store located on spadina in the chinatown mall.  there's a good deal there. Basically if you pay 50 bucks anually, you'll be able to buy any model kit FOR ONLY THE YEN PRICE.  Let me put this in comparison for you. One guy there bought the Master grade f-91 which normally cost around 55-60 bucks. He got it for 32 dollars. not bad!

Also I believe in good customer service and this guy kick some serious ass. He's one of the nicest and friendliest  guys I've ever met. Hell half the people who go to shop there stay for a quick game of halo or something. I'm pretty much buying all my kits there now.

[KC Toys Shop]

We are having a special of 10% off on all of our in-stock items.  The special ends December 8.
Please email us to receive this special offer. =)

www.kctoysshop.com

[Darkblade48]

obsessed-with-gundam guy, on Nov 4 2006, 02:08 AM, said:

Here's my new favorite store though is Kuramae Hobby with a deal which I'm not sure you fellow modellers know about it. Kurama is a store located on spadina in the chinatown mall.  there's a good deal there. Basically if you pay 50 bucks anually, you'll be able to buy any model kit FOR ONLY THE YEN PRICE.  Let me put this in comparison for you. One guy there bought the Master grade f-91 which normally cost around 55-60 bucks. He got it for 32 dollars. not bad!

Also I believe in good customer service and this guy kick some serious ass. He's one of the nicest and friendliest  guys I've ever met. Hell half the people who go to shop there stay for a quick game of halo or something. I'm pretty much buying all my kits there now.

I believe the owner (Eric) changed the name of the shop to Omake Hobby (that is, if you're talking about the store that I think you're talking about).

They had a booth at CNAnime (or "Fan Expo" as it's been unceremoniously renamed), but weren't at Anime North 2006.

By the way, I also go to the University of Toronto, we should meet up sometime

[Yamisword]

HEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY COOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLL I'M ALSO IN UT!! and i'm looking for ppl who wish to start a hobby club next semi or next year or something........

[obsessed-with-gundam guy]

Gah I suck with names so no wonder I messed it up.

Sure I'd meet up with you guys, just gotta coordinate a time in place. It's gotta be in january though as I'm going home for christmas right away.