Wang Yuanyuan

WHO says toys are only for children? There are plenty of adults who collect toys, from doll houses to cars to action figures.

Collecting toys is not a cheap hobby, but you can still be a smart collector in a city like Shenzhen.

The best place to buy toys is taobao.com, the country’s biggest online shopping Web site, said Keith Qiu, a man who collects toys from movie tie-ins.

“Generally speaking, you can find most things on taobao.com relatively cheap,” Qiu said.

Qiu said that buyers did not have to worry about fake toys sold on shopping Web sites. “Counterfeiting is quite rare in the toy industry, particularly toys from movies. Sellers normally tell you whether the toy is pirated. But of course, if the asking price is suspiciously cheap, then don’t buy it,” he said.

A toy appearing on taobao usually requires demand among Chinese customers. “If some products are only distributed in foreign countries, it is normally difficult to find on taobao.com so you have to try eBay. But if the toy is sold around the world, the price on taobao.com is normally cheaper than those sold on eBay as most of the toys are actually made in China and the delivery cost is also cheaper,” he said.

The Animation City in Dongmen, Luohu District, is also a good spot for collectors. “There is a large number of small private shops here and their prices are about 30 to 40 percent lower than those at authorized retailers,” he said.

Toys sold in the Animation City are about 20 percent more expensive than on taobao.com, but it is more convenient and less risky when buyers can look at the toys before completing the transaction.

If your taste is more specialized, or you like things that are not popular on the Chinese mainland, then Hong Kong is a good place to go.

“Hong Kong has a long history of toy collection, so there is great variety. For example, if you like collecting figures for ‘RX Black,’ a science fiction TV series from Japan, there is a wider range of toys in Hong Kong than on the mainland. But prices in Hong Kong are normally higher than taobao.com or Shenzhen,” Qiu said.

Another good reason to go to Hong Kong is that you can sometimes find extremely cheap toys there. “Toy prices in Hong Kong are based on its popularity and collectibility. So sometimes you can find some which have high authorized retail prices on the mainland but are cheap in Hong Kong,” Qiu said.

Large department stores and shopping malls are not recommended by Qiu. “Unless they offer a 50 percent discount, there is no need to buy toys in these authorized stores. The period before June 1, which is the annual Children’s Day, the Kid Funland at The Mixc, Jusco supermarkets and Kingglory Plaza all offer 50 percent discounts, making it the best time to buy toys there,” he said.

TIPS

1. Collect information, such as its materials, price and value, about a toy on the Internet before buying.

2. Learn as much as possible from online retailers about the details of the toy.

3. Go to Hong Kong frequently to see the new arrivals and study the collection trends.

4. Not to buy toys at authorized retailers unless they offer at least 50-percent discounts.