Play Imaginative

Singapore's first designer toy company moves to SCAPE

Since 2004, Play Imaginative has been Singapore’s representative for the designer and character toys market. The company brings many popular franchises to the country but more impressively collaborates with famed artists to create their own original figures. End last month, the Play Imaginative shop moved to the new SCAPE. We paid the place a visit this weekend. Click here to take a look inside.

We first learned of the company last year when they exhibited at the Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention. With Yan purchasing one of their Project Singa lions as a gift. Play Imaginative does have an online store but their permanent shop is now located on the second floor of SCAPE, just opposite the Warehouse (aka the AKB48 Singapore Theater).

The new Play Imaginative store at SCAPE.

The store carries an unusually large amount of merchandise, which can get a little confusing for first time visitors. But take your time to look around and you’d find it cramped full of cute plastic creatures.

Display outside.

Singapore's step into the designer toys market.

We spotted some familiar brands like Tofu Oyako and Gloomy Bear, which were at last year’s STGCC along with their creators. The shop boasts an expanded inventory that I didn’t see at the fair though.

Being homegrown means the stuff here is more affordable than most imported designer toys.

Play Imaginative works with popular brands to make their own original toys. Which means most of the toys here you see are exclusive to the local company. You can get unique designs not found anywhere else, for rather affordable prices as far as designer toys go. For example, a single Tofu figure starting from just SGD$7. But of course, rarer limited edition pieces scale accordingly in price.

Spongebob Squarepants x Tofu Oyako.

More Tofu Oyako.

PI Exclusives.

かわいいね

Project Singa's Singa Lion. Better known as the Courtesy Lion.

Friendly shop staff.

Play Imaginative also imports some other products not of their own making such as the popular Bearbricks and Carebear licenses. Fans of the pop artist Simone Legno will be pleased with a selection of tokidoki brand goods and apparel, of which they are the local distributor for.

tokidoki apparel.

And bags.

Apart from toys, there’s also a large amount of stationary featuring their tie in brands. In this case, I’m probably not part of the intended audience but it seems there’s a market out there of people looking for designer stationary. You’ll find notebooks, mousepads, plastic folders and calenders featuring all the mentioned brands so far.

Lots of tie-ins with already famous or popular identities.

They also carry some of the more common brands.

Play Imaginative’s convenient new location in Orchard Road will definitely make it more accessible to its youth and toy aficionado audience. For more information, you can find Play Imaginative’s official site here.