Alen Yen's ToyboxDX

	March 20, 2002


CURRENT RUMBLE

OreGOKIN
Erik Sjoen
03.20.02

Recently my partner in crime (my wife) and I decided to head up north to Oregon for an extended weekend of snowboarding Mt. Hood and some well deserved R&R. Well, being the toy fiend that I am, and her being the understanding toy widow that she is, a quick Portland toy hunt was inevitable. In most cities we visit, the hunt takes about a half a day or so of stopping by toy or comic shops hoping to score a cool find. We usually do quick check to see if they have a little gem to scoop up or we window shop. But not Portland. I had Portland all scoped out.

I pre-printed mapquests (treasure maps) from the Portland airport which would lead us to point J, and then from point J to point B. These maps were safely stashed in my coat pocket when we touched down. Fifteen minutes later I was enroute. Destination J was Just Be Distribution. I had purchased newer items from them numerous times over the last few years and was extremely curious to check out their set up. Not many online vendors of Japanese toys have storefronts you can physically visit. Having Kimono and Hero’s Club in my back yard, I sometimes have high expectations. I have to say; this place is one of the few real JAPANESE toy stores in the country.

Katsu, Bwana, and Pat were great! These guys really know their stuff and are more than just retailers. They have some serious love for the toys as well as the pop culture. Some Japanese pop/guitar s##t was rocking as I walked in. The place has character. Just an ordinary window storefront, but inside lies the goods you crave. I just happened to be there when the mailman showed up with their delivery of the Afrodai A GX-08 SOC. The Mailman walks in. Katsu signs like a “No big deal” pro. Only a second passes and the loot is free. First thing they did was bust it open and admire the ol’ girl. They couldn’t even sell me one because all of the AfroD’s were pre-sold. Customer loyalty... Definitely my kind of guys!

Just Be Photos:

Second stop was Billy Galaxy. Bwana from Just Be, recommended that I talk with him seeing as how he travels to Japan yearly. Unfortunately I did not get to meet him. I was really looking forward to meeting Billy. He was out which was kind of a bummer. The girl working at the counter let me take some shots of the glass cases. Well, his cases were definitely a testament to his love of Japanese toys. These cases reminded me of the ads in the back of Figure-OH magazine. Vinyl, Chogokin, and some other cool vintage stuff.

Billy Galaxy Photos:

You can reach both retailers on the web: Just Be Distribution through the links section on this site and Billy Galaxy Online. If you are ever in the Portland area I highly recommend you stop by and check both of these shops out. You won’t regret it.

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