The Winnipeg hobby shop with one of the largest Funko Pop! selection in Western Canada

New toy store displays wall of Funkos Hollywood Toy and Poster may just have the largest selection of Funko Pop figurines in western Canada.

A Winnipeg hobby shop with an extensive selection of Funko Pops! -- cartoonish figurines of pop culture icons – is sharing its collection with South Osborne.

“It’s tons of fun to watch people super excited about their hobbies come rolling in here,” said Les David, owner of the Hollywood Toy and Poster Company, in an interview on Sunday.

“We can help them out, we can talk about what show they’ve been watching. It really is about the fun of meeting other collectors.”

For David, what makes South Osborne the perfect fit for his store is the neighbourhood’s deep sense of community and pride. He added that it’s also an area where people enjoy shopping local.

“Everyone very much shops local. I love the fact that not everything here is corporate-owned,” he said.

“Everything is a family-run business or operated business.”

Despite the popularity of online shopping, David said having a brick-and-mortar store is valuable as it provides a place where people can come and meet other like-minded individuals.

He noted it also gives collectors a sense of comfort knowing their purchase is an authentic collectible that won’t be damaged in the mail.

“Especially when you’re talking about stuff like the Funko Pops!, you want to look at it, feel it, touch it,” he said.

Hollywood Toy and Poster has about 1,000 different Funko Pops! from around the world, with a collection that ranges from comic book and anime heroes to film and television characters.

He said for the last six months the anime Funko Pops! have been some of the most popular. Other popular choices are characters from Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars and The Last of Us.

“It pretty much does follow the trends of what are people seeing in the theatre, what are they watching on TV, that sort of thing,” David said.

Hollywood Toy and Poster, located at 692 Osborne St., is open Wednesday to Sunday.