I’m going to be coming up from the US for a week in a few days. (When I booked the trip back in May, Canada seemed a lot less… flammable :( ) For me, a big part of leisure travel is indulging nerdy fixations in shops that there are no local equivalents for, away from the rest of the family asking “you bought WHAT?” until it’s far too late to feel shame.

Any good suggestions for the following? (Extra points given for public-transit easy access; I enjoy a walking- and train-focused vacation)

  • Anime goods shop

  • Model-railway-centric hobby shop.

  • Electronics-surplus shops/long-lived computer shops that have backstock dating to the era of George VI. The sort of place where you might find a LS-120 drive, weird Commodore stuff, or a cache of ISA cards.

  • Neighbourhood-style coin shop (the sort of place that has albums for different series, and wouldn’t take offense if I’m looking in the $50 range rather than the $50,000 range).

On a related note, I’d like to try to get some of the 1968-1986-or-so nickel “Voyageur” dollars-- do banks typically have caches of them if you ask, or are they definitely something you’ll have to go to a coin shop for?

  • Rentlar
    4•11 months ago

    The only model train specialty store I can remember going to is George’s Trains in Markham (not easy to transit to)

    There are various hobby model stores dotted here and there which feature model figures, model cars, model boats and planes and other things in addition to model trains.

    Anime stores there are a bunch. Easiest one to get to might be Animax in Chinatown/Kensington Market area. If authenticity of products doesn’t matter as much Pacific Mall might have stuff, but it’s been years since I’ve been there last.

    I can’t remember any spots to entertain your old electronics and numismatist hobbies. Maybe others can help.