Mindzai Flagship Store

Big things come in small packages!
Small little shop but it has so much! There are so many different types of miniature figurines that it’s hard to stay away. From Ninja Turtles, to Marvel, to Heroes of the Storm, there’s something for everyone!
The service is also amazing with an owner who is clearly very passionate about what she does.

My girlfriend and I are in love with this place. You should go! Why, you may ask.
Okay, we first saw Mindzai’s stand at the ‘Night It Up’ event at the Civic Centre a few months ago and we saw the Mystery Pops for Heroes of the Storm. We grabbed one of their business cards and saw that one of their locations was literally across the street, behind a restaurant I’m at pretty frequently. With all the construction going on Highway 7, I’d recommend turning west off of Warden (one street south of Highway 7, behind the Hilton Hotel). Take a right before the traffic light and take the second left into that parking lot. The Mindzai store itself is located on the south end near the middle.
Mindzai specializes in their toy painting. What you do is pick a toy model that’s on their shelf and you paint it however you want. This is a great thing to do as a couple because then you can give each other your work! It’s best to lightly pencil in what design you want and go over with paint and sharpies after. Fear not, they provide you with everything you’ll need. The different toys you paint range in pricing, then you need to pay an additional $ 15 per person for the materials (which is what they refer to as a Workshop). Just make sure you leave a lot of time to do these. My girlfriend and I both took between three to four hours to do the Do-​It-​Yourself painting both times we went.
They also offer a lot of mystery toys (mostly from Kidrobot and Pop!). Every few months, they hold trading parties in which you can gather in the store and trade so you can get a full collection for whatever toy set you’re going for. The trading parties themselves are very crowded with people who are looking for particular items. People don’t always come with items that are being sold at the store either — I’ve seen people bring the Minion collectibles from McDonalds and Nintendo amiibos. So if you go to these trading parties, take anything that can be collected — I’m sure you’ll find a fit.
The owner, Shan, is super cool. She started my girlfriend and I well on our way to make sure our toys came out nicely and give us a few small tips to help us along. She takes several trips downtown so expect her stock to be plentiful until something gets discontinued. If you’re lucky in that you’re collecting what the owner is, she’ll trade from her own collection. My girlfriend actually got the Sadness from ‘Inside Out’ model that she wanted and traded her for a different random box, in which my girlfriend got the model she wanted.
This store is a must-​go for anyone interested in either painting a small toy figure or collectors for Pop!‘s mystery toys. They don’t tend to be overly busy, the owner’s super cool and they usually have plenty of stock. Take a visit and try it yourself!

Japanese toy enthusiast? Must visit for the variety of toys, plush, and clothes. I visited the flagship store in Markham and had a nice chat with the owner. I was there specifically for Tokidoki unicorns and she recommended a number of great toys for my kids.
The toy workshop is another great idea for birthday or art parties, dates, or a place to just let your artistic juices flow. Buy a blank toy and spend 2 hours decorating it. When done take a picture of it in their photobox. Your own masterpiece. If only I had more time and my kids were with me to make something. Check out @mindzai on Instagram #madeatmindzai for inspiration and creations from other artists.
Paid with my purchase with Unilocal coupon, pay $ 20 for $ 25, save 20%.

Brought a wagjag deal and went here to try it out. The store is cute and we had a good experience. The figures are made out of plastic. You pick one and pick any type of design you like then pick colours and start painting. The owner is super helpful and very friendly.
I wouldn’t go back — it’s one of those been there done that but not interesting enough to go back — since I don’t collect like figures. But if you want to come here for a date or birthday party or get together with friends it’s good. I would recommend it.

What a cute experience :) I love the owner (Shan)! It was nice talking to her and getting to know how the store got started; she collabs with the famous graffiti artist Skam, and they also have a store downtown.
I totally did not know there’s a discount with Unilocal check-in’s for this store. but regular price is still very reasonable, $ 15 to use the paint and equipments (which were designed by themselves!) — but the toy that comes it with small, I upgraded mine for an extra $ 10. I’ve seen these empty toy figures in Dollarama but it’s the experience that makes it a premium. There are lots of cool collector toys in the store and they also have these toy exchange sessions where if you buy those toy mystery boxes and don’t like what you get, you can put those up for trade with other toy collectors. Neat concept, first of its kind in Toronto!

Through a $ 29 Wagjag deal, I came here for a 2-​hour toy painting workshop with my brother. For less than the cost of a single movie ticket, we had lots of fun thinking of how we wanted to customize our toys (he decided to paint a dog dressed up as Totoro, and I chose @George2Legs). Before donning black Mindzai aprons, Shan helped us pick our toys, giving us ideas on what we could do with each character based on their shapes. Then, we chose our snacks: either a small box of strawberry or milk chocolate Pocky or a full bar of Japanese Meiji chocolate in white, milk, or dark. Finally, a drink from the glass bar: a can of Brisk Iced Tea, Coke, a couple other canned soda, or a bottle of water. For an additional $ 1.50, I opted for an upgrade to a milky Japanese tea, though for the same price for the upgrade you could also choose a bottle of ramune/​Japanese marble soda.
Then, the fun begins! In a space considerably larger than their downtown location, this Mindzai has four tables available covered in plastic sheets. The splatters of dried acrylic streaks are evidence that many others have also enjoyed their experience. On each table are a set of colourful Sharpie markers, two Staedtler erasers, two pencils, and a drying rack made of thin pegs on a block of wood with clips at the end of each peg to hang on to your toys’ freshly painted limbs and heads (a plastic Lord of the Flies!).
Pick up a plastic artist’s palette, then squeeze your desired colours into the grooves to mix to your heart’ content. Colour tips: I found that mixing Buttermilk with the peachy shade creates a basic flesh tone, but squeezing the tiniest dab of darkened yellow made for a nicely warmed foundation. Other tips:
— Some colours are more popular than others, ask Shan if she’s got a new tube stored away if one is empty
— It’s warm inside — if you’re coming in during the hot summer months, dress like you would if you were going outside under some shade
— The bathroom has a super powerful flush — step away before flushing, that’s all I’m gonna say…
— If you don’t finish painting your toy that day, you can return to complete it for an additional $ 5/​session

Best variety of vinyl toys! Shan is so pleasant and so helpful, will probably end up becoming regulars :)

Vinyl painting was so much fun! We went with group of 12 but it’s also a great activity for couples looking to spend a quiet afternoon together! Loved the creative atmosphere and adorable vinyl figurines lining the shelves! Definitely coming back again!

Did a vinyl painting workshop with a big group. Really fun and good value. Workshop includes 2 hours, vinyl figure worth $ 10, drink and pocky. Owners are friendly and helpful! Would definitely come again!

Over three years ago, I made a tweet about breakfast and my love for waffles. Chris responded by suggesting that I would like Mr Toast. He was right! So, my love for purchasing Mr Toast plush toys began. Chris even suggested getting the game on iOS!
I am now a fan of Yummy World. Mindzai has the best selection of items. I have been shopping here since that tweet and have never been disappointed. I recently picked up my Yummy World goodies at the flagship store. The helpful person that day gave me a tip about parking. There is actually an underground parking lot. I wouldn’t have known had she not told me.
Mindzai also had a location in Toronto one of these days, I will visit it.
The flagship store is definitely worth a visit. I have been shopping online with Mindzai ever since that first tweet from the owner. Great products and customer service!

My favourite toy shop!
Great little store that offers an impressive selection of vinyl toys, both from prominent designers (Kidrobot, Loyal Subjects, Tokidoki, etc.) and local artists. I first found out about them through their downtown Toronto (Mindzai x Homebase) store.
The owners, Chris and Shan, are a really nice couple who will remember you and are as excited about toys as you are! Shoot them an email, and they’re quick to respond and help you with whatever your concern is.
You can also pay for a workshop session where you can take as much time as you like to sit down and paint your toys with a wide array of sharpies, brushes and acrylics. My siblings and I had a great time painting up our toys at their grand opening this past weekend.
Also, don’t forget to check your receipt for a coupon code that you can use on their website!

Great service, lots of figurines to choose from, and snacks sold at this store. Had a lot of time to paint my figurine and had a really good time. It’s a great place to find and make a special gift that’s one of a kind and personal.