Toy story

Chew on This!, By Ralph Cosentino

A few weeks ago I picked up a new magazine at the grocery store. I have always loved my magazines and was so sad to see so many go over the last few years. Oh, the delight of a night at home sitting on the couch with the TV on flipping through Southern Accents, Domino and, if only briefly, Cookie.

I loved you House and Garden.

I will never forget you, Gourmet.

Thankfully there are still a handful magazines left. I could not resist this one- I think it was some InStyle spin-off with a family twist. About 5 years ago there there seemed to be about six different parenting magazines you could buy at the Whole Foods check out. Now there are maybe two.

But I digress. Sadly, I threw this magazine away already (this is the new me- the old me would have kept it stacked in a pile for months, okay, maybe years) but I was surprised to see that in an article about the best toy stores by city, Rotofugi was listed for Chicago.

The Rotofugi building. Another beautiful morning in Chicago...

A little back story. Chicago is known for its grid system- its streets are in a grid- with a few diagonal streets that make for these 6-way intersections. A few blocks from us there is one such intersection with this wonderful vintage building and a first floor storefront that had been vacant for years. I used to pass this everyday when I walked to work and always thought what a great space it was.

Then Rotofugi arrived, about a year ago. I was intrigued. An entire store of strange little figurines based on characters from Japanese comic books, I thought. I assumed it was some international chain dedicated to these 'toys' and the hipsters and trekkies that loved them.

It turns out that it is owned by a husband and wife who live here in Chicago and it has quite a cult following itself. Its toys are mostly vinyl figures in all shapes and sizes. I suppose one could 'play' with them like dolls or GI Joes, but there are no building blocks or train sets or princess costumes here. I might even call it an 'adult toy store' as most of the cute figures have some morbid or cryptic bend to them but that label is a bit misleading too, no?

I lean much more toward Beatrix Potter than Ugly Dolls...

and yet, these are kind of funny

Oh, and the name? A combination of the molding process- Roto-something, and the couple's dog: Fugi. Once again, I was completely off base.

No room for an original Jeff Koons on your lawn (or in your budget)?

Not to worry! You can easily find a space on the shelf for these little pups.

I was browsing through The Selby a few weeks after my initial visit to the store and came across Pharrell Williams decked out house.

Who, you ask, would spend $8,000 on this?

(image via The Selby)

"I would!"

I was most fascinated when I looked on line and saw that Rotofugi received 5 out of 5 stars on Yelp after 139 reviews- people love this place!

Chia pets are so 90's. Everyone could use this clever little planter.

Life-sized Siamese-twin evil Bert and Ernie. For he who has everything...

These remind me of Ms Pacman. We had a Ms. Pacman table at the student center in college. She loved eating ghosts.

These were my favorites

Okay, I liked these too

I almost had to get that little Stewie doll for Jack. I resisted.

You can view the entire collection, I was told, here.

I am definitely going to try to make it to one of their gallery openings before we move. While we may not have a place for their wares in our lives, they certainly filled a void that could just as easily have turned into a mattress store. And for that, I am thankful.

Xoxo,

Jenny