Comments (2) Best Place to Buy Vinyl Toys - 2008

Kidrobot

Do you know the difference between a Dunny and Smorkin Labbit? If so, the ultrafabulous new Miami Beach Kidrobot store/gallery is the perfect place for you. Founded in 2002 in San Francisco by visual artist Paul Budnitz, Kidrobot is the shop to buy limited-edition vinyl toys. There are only three other Kidrobot stores worldwide — two in California and another in New York City. The Miami shop, which opened this past November, is a treasured destination for vinyl toy collectors around the globe. The store's unique appeal lies in the fact that many of the playthings are specially numbered editions made by world-famous artists such as Shepard Fairey and Frank Kozik. Some of these limited numbered toys are highly valued by collectors. Even the prestigious Museum of Modern Art caught the Kidrobot bug, getting hold of 13 rare vinyls for its valued collection. So now is your chance to snag that pink plastic, cigarette-smoking rabbit (the $4.99 Smorkin Labbit) or a specially designed glow-in-the-dark Dunny ($9.95). And yes, these toys are made for grownups, so it's okay to want one.