Best place to buy cheap plastic toys

Best place to buy cheap plastic toys Canal Street

Photo: Megan Crofford

Winner Canal Street
You won’t find Barbie knock-offs on Canal Street, but you might come across a Happy Barbi—a great big newborn doll—or the pretty-in-pink Lovely Baby that rocks from side to side, sings and boasts a pair of tiny flashing lights that are supposed to be taken for earrings. Recently at 310B Canal, the dolls were going for $10 apiece (hesitate for a second and prices come down). One block east, while tourists buy up the fake Vuittons, New Yorkers raid the mini malls for troves of tiny farm animals, Hello Kitty merchandise and quirky battery-operated toys—including play cell phones ($3) that say, “Operator, what number please?” in thick Chinese accents and a variety of battery-powered vehicles, which come in “every styles fully wonderful.” Trust us: It’s hard to leave empty-handed.
Canal Street between Church and Lafayette Sts

Runner-up Pearl River Mart
Even after its move to elegant new digs in Soho, Pearl River still maintains a basement full of fun, cheap knickknacks. Wind-up tin toys ($3 and up)— including boxers that duke it out, ice-cream vendors with bicycle-powered carts, and spinning space stations—are stamped with the face of new-era optimism, making retro playthings look dull.
477 Broadway between Broome and Grand Sts (212-431-4770, www.pearlriver.com)

And don’t forget…Happy Meals
With oil prices on the rise, petrochemical-based plastic giveaways might soon become a thing of the past. In the meantime, you can still head to McDonald’s or Burger King when your kid needs a quick tacky-toy fix.