Kid Robot rennovates, reopens

Uh oh.

Kid Robot has long been a must-visit every time Scoboco goes to Soho. Sometimes to buy,* much more often just to see what's new in the art and design of vinyl toys. (If you don't what I'm talking about, see here.) Yes, there are other good spots for get your toy fix: Toy Tokyo on 2nd Ave., near 7th St.; YoYaMart on Gansevoort, near Hudson, to name two. But Kid Robot has so far been our main supplier. Up until now... ?

The tiny Prince Street store (between Wooster and Greene) had been closed for rennovations for about a month, so Scoboco was thrilled this afternoon to see that it had finally reopened... and stunned to see that they've now given fully half of the space to their new lines of Kid Robot apparel, shoes and accessories, like bags and hats. And because of the new configuration (the toy display cabinets that used to jut out into the store's center are gone, replaced by benches, presumably for trying on shoes) I'd estimate that they lessened their toy-selling space (and so, stock) by at least 60%. For example, there's no more of the non-blind packaged toys that used to fill the back wall, and far fewer of those larger, big-ticket toys on display.

To be fair, the store looks pretty great. And obviously owner Paul Budnitz is betting big on the clothing as a way of extending the Kid Robot brand (a la Bathing Ape) much further that three-inch vinyl figures ever could. But, really, how many "urban" clothing stores are there in Soho these days, as opposed to places where you can buy Munny zipper pulls, Smorkin Mongers, Ice Bots, Kiiros and Dunnies? For serious design-y toy browsing—and buying—YoyaMart may be the new place to go.





* We're currently collecting Dunny Series 3, the complete set of which includes 17 three-inch figures, each designed by a different artist, such as Tokidoki, Tado, Mishka and Huck Gee. Like most collectible serie in the vinyl toy world, you buy these "blind," and so have no clue which figure is in that box you're paying $5.95 for... which means, yes, getting "doubles" and "triples" is definitely a problem. But when you get a new one... when you get one you've particularly coveted (the whole set is pictured on each box)... when you get a RARE one ... that is a sweet, sweet feeling indeed.