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A trip to China Square Central Mall ~ Anime Toys Galore and Flea Stalls

It was quite a long while since I had visited China Square Mall to look at Toys and other anime merchandise. Well, Sunday is the best time to visit this mall because most of the shops only do business for half a day on weekdays, given the empty crowds on a working day. The other reason to visit on a Sunday is because the usual 9 to 5 working folks display their wares in the form of flea stalls, selling anything from antiques in those Era when our grannies were still in their teens, T-shirts to Anime merchandise that appeals to Otaku like you and me. 

So you can imagine the capacity on a Sunday where the whole mall is filled with people of all ages, mostly Otakus in their 20s-40s. When I visited this mall a year ago, it seemed like there were about 500 people in the mall, but today, there were easily a 1000. I believe the surge of immigrants is one of the reason of the increase in numbers. In fact, it is normal to rub shoulders with the crowd or navigate your way like an awkward penguin. But I have no complains. It is better to have 1000 enthusiastic shoppers than to have 10 people in the mall. It only mean ANIME IS POPULAR here in Singapore! I do not mind the little inconvenience for the betterment of the Anime Culture.

Without blabbing too much, here are some of the pictures I took.

There were no clear path to navigate
 
 
 Uncle Ng's Shop. Uncle Ng has been in the toy business since they moved out from Clark Quay Mall in the early 2000s. Previously Clark Quay Mall was the place to go for toys enthusiasts. But when the lease was up, all of the toy shops were asked to move out. While some of them were scattered in different locations, China Square Central remains one of the "headquarters" where they meet each other once again to do business.


 This Mickey Mouse is about the size of your arm.


                         Joe Ledbetter's Terror & Magnus Designer Toys

 
 Designer Joe Ledbetter's Terror & Magnus Vinyl Toys ~ For those with deep pockets.







 These beautiful Maffy's Designer Phone Cases are going for just $4!


Some of the designer toys are going for a song...just $2!


                                          Truly a wonderful way to spend your Sunday morning

Although most of the shops are selling toys, they each have their unique character due to their different layout. I really enjoy spending my time here.




 Anime Figurines ~ Love it!


  Anime Gashapons in glorous packets. Some cost $20 while others can reach up to $55.



You are not browsing books, you are staring at anime boxes!

                     The One Piece pirates are on a mission in search of treasures...


 A flea stall selling...let me see..Astroboy, Doraemon, Lilo & Stitch, Ironman, Predator..etc. Just one of the many niche flea sellers.

                     Even if you are sleepy on a Sunday morning, this will surely wake you up....

                                                                     Two floors of heaven.


Some of the shops offer the public to rent their shelves for a nominal fee (around $50 per month) and sell their collection. If you have a lot of toys which you wish to let go, you can consider renting one. Do note however that traffic is only good on a Sunday and there are usually not many people going to the mall on weekdays.

Ah, the cute One Piece Pirates

Designer Toys. Anyone collecting those?







This wraps up my review on China Square Central. This is a place you should not miss if you are an Otaku or a tourist coming to Singapore for a visit. This ambience is wonderful and you can easily spend 2-3 hours scouring through heaps of anime merchandises and chatting with the friendly flea sellers. Remember to visit on a Sunday afternoon and extend a little patience because of the enthusiastic crowd.

Visiting Tokyo for anime stuffs? Visit our Travel Guide.




Written by Max

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