Wacko
Categories: Toy Stores, Cards & Stationery [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hollywood4633 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323) 663-0122
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Thu 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
5 reviews
Orange, CA
"Simply the best Hobby shop around. I live one hour away and still take the time to drive there, even with inflated cost of gas. It is the…" read more »
208 Reviews for Wacko
I even know the place from back in the old days when they were on Melrose. Just the best. And most original, fair priced stuff.
Crazy that I live just a few minutes away and I had no clue that such an amazing treasure trove was just on my doorstep. LOVES it. Only been once but I plan to go back and do some serious shopping.next time. It's got everything from original artwork to candles and incense to books to actions figures and the list goes on. It's literally endless. Anything kitschy, eclectic, that can be used as a gag gift, even down to skincare items can be found there. I could spend hours just perusing the aisles. Really awesome place, no reason to feel unwelcomed , it's very inviting and the staff seems really cool. Great prices also.
Now that you're done reading my review....WALK, RUN, DRIVE LIKE A MADMAN, OR even SKIP(if you'd like) over to Wacko....you won't be disappointed! :]
** shout out to zoie for taking me there yesterday. love ya, chica!
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Great place to get lost. A lot of people don't know that it's actually also an Art Gallery. Every month they have openings and feature art from anyone you've ever heard of to some undiscovered guy down the street. GREAT selection of purses, lunchboxes, rosaries with knives, you name it. FANTASTIC toy selection. The staff is SUPER laid back and easily approachable if you're looking for something or need to order something specific. Ask for Trisha (hot-t-t-t-t-t multi-lingual) regarding books, and Amoreena (hot-t-t-t-t-t wicked dresser) if you're interested in the art. I love you wacko :)
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One of the reasons I love LA.
This place is a toy store for grown-up kids that refuse to grow up! Great eclectic books, art, chackies, just fun stuff. The art gallery is great and the old fashioned candy is just what the doctor ordered. You need cheering up? Get yourself some Sea Monkeys. If you get bored with them they taste as good as they look...
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This is probably one of my favorite shops in LA. I spend hours wondering around in their mini art gallery and even longer trying to decide what vinyl toy to add to my collection. From books to air fresheners, this place is definitely the one stop shop for any ones birthday. The staff are very helpful and just a little wacko themselves.
You can get lost in this place. A eclectic selection of books and art and thingies to play with. I like the art book selection if you can't wait for Amazon then this is the place to go. I also like all the thing abob gifts that you can grab up and fun post cards. The place is always busy and the only down fall is if you need help locating a book its hard for some one to know what they are selling you from behind the cash wrap.
One of the rare 5 stars!
The only store for really really eclectic items I get for gifts, home, moreover ME!
Where else I can get a tiki shot glass set, a photo book on lucha libre and a bust of Mao! I usually end up spending 45 min to an hour just browsing, drooling, etc. This is one of the spots I'll go to once I win the lottery.
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Do you have someone who has everything and are at a lost on what to get them? Head over here like i have in that situation plenty of times before. Wish i could tell you what they sell, it just a whole bunch of awesome.
Looking for a wind up granny on her walker toy, care bare lunch box, crazy Japanese stationary, a laughing Buddha paper holder?
Wacko was a totally great find, I was taken by a friend and it was a fiesta for my eyes. From fun books, to awesome toys, to cute-makes-me-so-happy stationary, to the best hipster bags to everything my heart desires.
It is a great place to buy gifts and everything you don't need but want really really badly; it's a great place to knock out hours on a Saturday afternoon in Los Feliz.
From a girl constantly thirsty for Cabbage Patch Dolls, Hello Kitty and Garbage Pail Cards, it's nice to know that I can still go somewhere to get my fill.
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amazing selections of books, toys, arts and an okay selection of music.
Vintage porn-film posters. Hard to find limited edition toys and memorabilia.
If you can't find it on ebay... you can probably find it at Wacko.
Let's face it, sometimes you need a book of 40's crime scene photos, a Mexican Luchadore mask and a KISS-shaped incense holder, but you only want to stop once. Well, this place might be able to hook you up. And here's a last second impulse buy for you. What is it? Why it's tarot cards made of gum, silly!
Those of you with friends who fall into the, "you'd like to get them a present while expending zero effort and forethought in doing so," category, and let's face it, this is ninety percent of people, would do well to come here. Over the years this place has kept me tenuously associated with numerous people whose names I can barely recall. Tons of books, sculptures, action figures, pirate flags and wind-up robots densely packed into a brightly-lit store with an art gallery inside it.
What's a reasonable price for a squeaking rubber cockroach? That's right, you have no idea and neither do I. So don't bother shopping around, just get the one Wacko has.
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incredible book selection. i also enjoy the art gallery.
i love all of the pop culture stuff they carry!
two thumbs up!
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Wacko: your go-to shopping destination for Dia de los Muertes merch and Todd Macfarlane action figures.
The place is really fun, they have a great selection of books on all matter of off-the-wall subjects, and the art gallery is great.
Love this place! The book selection is amazing. And they have alot of fun, corky, weird stuff there.
This place is truly a hidden gem
Perfect place to waste an afternoon in. And there's even an art gallery inside! When I needed a to buy a ton of whacked out Jesus paraphernalia for a friend, this was my first and only stop.
My only gripe is this place can sometimes be a little pricey. I'm from Chicago where we have a place very similar called Uncle Fun. So I can't help but compare the two; and price is the only area where Wacko falls a little short. Every now and then I feel like I'm overpaying, but given the vast array of merchandise to choose from, it's a small price to pay.
160 out of 199 reviewers gave 5 stars, that explains all.
So artsy, so unique. I can spend hours here. I think there's a reason
they don't have chairs inside the store... if they did, people wouldn't leave.
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Wacko is GREAT. Honestly, the ultimate store for buying really unique gifts that the receiver will truly Love...and for buying yourself a little something to make you smile! The book selection is truly amazing...so many avant garde art titles that I could literally spend days looking at them all. If I had more money, I certainly would have bought nearly every book they sell by now.
There is also a pretty amazing gallery in the store that features paintings/art pieces by some great and up and coming artists. I've seen work by many quite famous 'low brow' artists, such as Tim Biskup, for sale there.
Only one warning when it comes to Wacko...be prepared to spent AT LEAST an hour perusing their enormous selection of off beat merchandise!
Have one of those friends who always have the coolest hard to find things and now you have to get that person a gift? WACKO.
Seriously this place has some really great stuff. A good friend of mine is now a criminalist and I found the perfect gift for her. A crime scene book! YEAH!
I dig this place.
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So I wanted to be a good girlfriend and get my boyfriend a great present for his new place. What could I get him? A George Foreman Grill (because let's face it, it's a must have for all single guys), a year's supply of air freshner (because sometimes guy's apartments do get a little smelly) or something really cool from Wacko. I'd heard so many great things about Wacko I decided to try it out. Boy am I glad I did!!! Wacko is like a freak wonderland. I saw so many freaky, cool, off the wall things in there. I was like a kid in a candy store. I know I spent over an hour looking at the books alone. They have a great assortment of candles, knicknacks and unusual novelties. Their book selection is the bomb. I ended up getting him some cool candles and a couple of coffee table books. There is this one book, "Everything You Know About Sex Is Wrong" is amazing and he loved it. Thank you Wacko for helping me pick out a great housewarming present!
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Common sense is obliterated here. We spent about an hour and a half perusing their completely off the wall, wonderfully weird collection of stuff that you want to want to drop your hard earned cash on, but really have no practical use for. For example..
$2 shiney cutesy sushi and hamster stickers
$5 underwear refrigerator magnets
$12 coffee table book of tiny, pixelated celebrities
$0.30 doremon plastic figurine
$10 Jesus action figure
$40 warhol-esque lucha libre messenger bag
money I saved by begrudgingly saying to myself, no.. I don't really need that even though it's AWESOME: $69.30
telling all my friends about new favorite store of ridiculousness: priceless.
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Seriously wacko, this is the most interesting shop I've seen in LA, kind of like an Aah's but times a hundred. The books are fascinating, the toys and such are totally unique, and the artwork inside is quite good. The prices are standard, so don't expect bargains. If you're looking for an interesting gift for the edgy hipster or the artsy type, you could do no wrong here. They even have unique (in the truest sense of that word) gift-wrapping paper and cards to seal the deal.
I take away one star because it smelled like incense inside. There's nothing I hate more than incense (except maybe B.O.)
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I love this place; I don't frequent it enough, but if I did I'm sure I'd be broke! So many books on art, photography, design, tattoos, pop culture, subcultures and everything in between. I can be in here for hours. I guess my only complaint is that the sections are kinda tight so browsing books & toys can get a bit awkward if you're there on a crowded day.
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I love this place for many reasons. Here are a few..
1. The perfect place to find that cute quirky gift to impress someone with, especially if they love the Nightmare Before Christmas.
2. It reminds me how much i don't know about what the hell people write about. i.e. ' Where to find the best napkin in the world.' -I just made that up, but I am sure its there.
3. They sell the gum that looks like cigarettes
Go here for everything including the kitchen sink.
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I love Wacko's.
Whenever I'm stumped over what gift to get for a friend, no matter what the occasion, I come to Wacko's.
The specialty book section is impressive. The toys are vintage replicas or pure kitsch. There's art, postcards, stationery, home accessories, tchotchkes, purses/bags, & a ton more.
If you're looking for that little gift you can't find at the mall, head over to Wacko's - it's fail proof.
This store is one of a kind. They sell all of the craziest, unique, wacky toys that you won't find anywhere else. If you got buddies out of town visiting you, take them here!
Oh, and just be careful if you bring younger kids in here. They have a lot of adult material and adult artwork, so if you're not comfortable with that, then take precaution!
There's a reason this place is pretty much the number one rated spot in Los Angeles. It might not be as cool as visiting Venice beach, or a huge mansion perched on a pile of mud, but it is destination kitsch/novelty/pop culture shopping with gallery space and a nice architecture and planning book section for you new urbanists out there.
Do show some restraint because sometimes a place like this can help you find the perfect gift and sometimes it can result in purchases that seemed funny at the time, but leave you scratching your head the next day.
So much fun to visit, though, and so many cool (figurative) gems and conversation pieces.
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Going through the doors is like stepping into a new dimension. A dimension that is covered in flyers and weekly papers from all around town. One you step into those doors you're transported to a land that logic forgot. Inside you'll find shelves of coffee table books that will clearly make your guest wonder about your sanity. That will be beyond entertaining and interesting in every possible way.
Toys in the back that will make you question the ability of children to enjoy these... and also wonder how old the "kids" who want these toys are. Besides coffee table books, the general outline of the books here cover all sorts of the spectrum that you wont easily find elsewhere.
They often have Art on displayed in the back. A bit pricey but well worth looking at. If you want a little bit of everything and a very unique gift for a friend or loved one, Wacko is your one stop shop for everything strange and odd. The definition of Novelty is behind the doors of Wacko. Just be careful on how much you'll end up losing out in your wallet because of it.
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Billy has an amazing store and I ALWAYS find many things to buy when I go there. I bought a lot of great art in La Luz as well. You can buy the best gifts here, shit you can't buy in any mall.
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SOOOO FUNNN
ic an stay for hours....and we did
the toys are so cute and fun to play with
books are too interesting
art stuff is amazing
staff is wonderful
everything makes you either laugh, smile, or cringe
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Fun, exciting, mysterious, questionable.... Great Place to do some of the strangest and most interesting of shopping. Great knick knacks with plenty of books, toys, gallery art work, candy, everything... A must see in L.A. such a strange but awesome awesome store. my fav.
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One of the best places to find coffee table books.
I'm always lost in there for hours.
If you have someone that's always hard to shop for, you'll find something here no doubt about it.
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my eyes were raped by all the knick-knacks in this place the first time i walked in.
wacko's slogan should be: "if you want it, we have it."
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Great store for unique Christmas and B-day gifts. Great books, toys and stuff for the house that's off beat and hard to find. I especially love all the tiki stuff they have since my kitchen is Hawaiian tiki style decor. They have an art gallery in the back room with some cool work from local artists, photographers, and etc. I don't get over to WACKO much, but I always do at least 1/2 of my X-mass shopping there every year. Thanks to my Tattoo Artist Ex-Boyfriend from Los Felix for showing me the place 10 years ago!
You're a bit of a jackass, an old punker, maybe a bit morbid, and you wanna remind everyone that you're the artsy one. You're going to a birthday party, a housewarming thing, maybe Christmas shopping, and you hate the mall - so go to WACKO. Just go. Bring a hundred dollars and give yourself an hour - leave with two bags of ridiculous toys, campy kitchy nick knacks, sexy books, a unique greeting card and the confidence in knowing your reputation will be solidified. And I challenge you to leave without getting something for yourself.
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this store is pretty much the best store to get fun gifts for anything from housewarming parties, bdays... etc.
They have great nick nacks.. and very humorous stuff. Fun coffee table books as well.
GO THERE! they have different kinds of rubber duckeys as well :)
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This place is the cure for boring gift shoppers.
If you have settled into buying the ho-hum gift cards, you need wacko therapy!!
I've spent hours in there just browsing the books section alone, and you're sure to find something (silly and cool) for everyone (with a sense of humor).
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Such an odd store- where else can you find your tiki bar accessories, your rockabilly records, Saturday morning cartoon paraphernalia, books on interior design, pirates or erotica, and your voodoo supplies? Yes ma'am (or sir.. we don't don't discriminate) they have deer legs, alligator skulls, and raccoon penis bones in the Santeria counter in back.
There is also a great selection of stationary, purses, artwork, and soap.
My inner-nerd compels me to buy everything, yet I feel cool just for walking into the store. Paradox.
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It's difficult to spend less than an hour in here no matter whether it's your first time or your tenth. There's always something new to discovery in the books, kitschy gifts, or gallery. I feel like the buyers secretly reconned my apartment then filled a store based on my ecclectic tastes. Hey wait ...that's kind of creepy.
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Pretty cool place. Lots of stuff you would never find anywhere else. I went there looking for posters and was disappointed but if I had gone there looking for something wacky I would have been very happy. They also have some really cool art but it's pricey, as it should be.
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When I didn't know what to get the bf for valentine's day, Wacko had my back. Nothing says 'I Love You' like a Miller High Life poster and a Misfits clock. Needless to say, I am an awesome girlfriend and he loved his gift.
I challenge anyone to walk the kitsch-filled aisles and leave without an intense desire for some ironic action figure or amazing coffee table book. They have anything you could think of- even if you only have a couple of bucks to spend, you'll find something.
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