Ponies in London?

[FiddlePhan]

I'm flying to London tomorrow for 10 days and would love to buy a pony there.  Are there shops reachable by tube that might have some?  I suppose Argos is one although it'll be G4 but as long as it's a pony I'll be happy. 
Where are the Anniversary ponies sold in Europe or are they online only?  I'm headed to Paris and Copenhagen too.

Or any London folks with G1 ponies to sell?

[Silversnow]

You'll have to go to the most famous toystore in London called Hamleys, they'll surely have ponies although pricier. I was in Copenhagen a month ago and they have 2 toy stores but it's the same company, called BR. I couldn't find anything interesting for myself but they did have a lot of ponies and merchandise! If you're lucky they might have the 35th anniversary ones there too by now. They have been sold in France already so maybe you can get them in Paris.

Good luck and happy holidays!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Happy Shopping and have a safe vacation!

[FiddlePhan]

Thanks you two.  I'll check out those places.  It looks like three BR one has a shop around the corner from my hotel.

[aria_elwen]

I would say avoid Hamleys like the plague. It's overpriced. Nice to visit but that's it.

John Lewis and any Toymaster's for anniversary ponies. Toymaster, Argos, Entertainer or Smyths for G4 or any largish supermarket. There's also Forbidden planet... I think they do G4.
I don't live in London or go there regularly enough toy hunting to be of any further help.

[Sora]

I would say the same as aria_elwen. Hamleys is ridiculously overpriced and pretty much every time I've visited, they've got older stock that you can find at a fraction of the price elsewhere.

I also echo Forbidden Planet, especially if you're into collectables in general! Of all the shops in London, FP is one of the best for toys and adult collectables (like the more expensive action figures). I think it's one of the only shops I really bother to visit in London these days. The other shops I like have closed down

[Taffeta]

I live in London! I am on a train right now but will write a proper response later. In the meantime Hamleys is somewhere you visit but they are expensive...more regular toy stores are Entertainer and Smyths. The retros have been seen at John Lewis in some areas and ditto Toymaster affiliate stores. I know of 2 on tube lines but I haven't seen retros at either yet.

Sadly all my trade ponies are not in London with me

Ok, editing for detail now...toy stores as in normal shopping places are not really in central London except Hamleys. Many of the following are in outer zones.

Entertainer has a store in the Westfields Centre (nearest tube stations - Shepherd's Bush and White City, the centre is massive and fits between the two stations on the Central Line).

There is also an Entertainer at Wimbledon, right at the end of the District Line.

The only Smyths I have ever been to in London is a bit of a trek. By tube it would be to Highgate (Northern Line), then 43 or 134 bus to Colney Hatch/North Circular Road Tesco and a 10 minute walk up to the retail park. The big Tesco by the bus stop there also has a lot of G4 stuff. I haven't seen any retros there though.

Toymaster affiliates on the tube line (there may be others, these are the 2 I know):
Toy City (Wood Green shopping centre - Piccadilly line) - this one I used to go to a lot, it has a lot of G4 stuff. It didn't have the G1 retros when I was still living near there but I haven't been since I moved so they might have them now. I miss North London.

Toy Galaxy (Ealing Broadway - also Piccadilly line but in the other direction) - I haven't seen retros in this store yet, but they aren't meant to hit toymaster affiliates till the start of October.

There is a big John Lewis in zone 1 on Oxford Street. It's near Oxford Circus tube station (Central Line) and also there is a bus stop right outside it. You can get the bus from Oxford Street direct to Hamleys (I think it's bus 94) as well.

ToysRUs is long gone (:*(). It used to be up at Brent Cross (a really big store) BUT there is a John Lewis in the Brent Cross shopping centre (Northern Line to Brent Cross, 2 or 3 stops by 210 bus to the centre direct. I don't recommend trying to walk from Brent Cross station unless you like trying to cross really busy roads). I don't know if Brent Cross has retros because I no longer live in North London.

I don't know if any of that will help you but good luck and have a good trip! The weather here is very changeable at the moment so I hope you have both sunglasses and a raincoat!

[FiddlePhan]

Wow!  That's brilliant Taffeta.  Thank you so much.  And Sora, Forbidden Planet sounds like a place to go browse, not only Pony stuff.  Cheers.

[Taffeta]

Wow!  That's brilliant Taffeta.  Thank you so much.  And Sora, Forbidden Planet sounds like a place to go browse, not only Pony stuff.  Cheers.

Welcome

The John Lewis in Oxford St has ponies as of yesterday. Mostly Bluebelle. So if Bluebelle is your thing, this is the shop for you...

[glitterball]

Yes, I echo Taffeta's super response:

John Lewis would be the most convenient for you to travel to as a tourist as it is close to many other central London attractions -

where abouts will your hotel be?

[Carrehz]

Definitely check out Forbidden Planet! It's an amazing wonderland of cool stuff *w*

[Taffeta]

Definitely check out Forbidden Planet! It's an amazing wonderland of cool stuff *w*

I'm pretty sure there's a FP somewhere around Cambridge Circus in central London. I know it's on the 38 and 19 bus routes which run through Piccadilly (the 38 also runs through Victoria) but I am not sure how near a tube station it is. It may also be on the 14 route I think, which runs from Fulham and that area. I think it may be between stations...maybe Holborn and Piccadilly. I tend to avoid the tube if I can, though...

[FiddlePhan]

Thanks again everyone.  I was able to get to Forbidden Planet, John Lewis, Hamley's and then in Copenhagen, BR Toys (they gave me two packets of free LEGO).   

[glitterball]

Awesome!

Did you see ponies in Hamleys?

(It's the one place I haven't had a chance to check!)

[FiddlePhan]

Glitterball, Hamleys(near Oxford Circus) was the only place I actually was able to find ponies in London.  It was a small selection of the ones with scenes printed on their sides but I just wanted a pony that was from London so it was ok.     
At Forbidden Planet they had a Gashapon toy machine with Italian figures for one Pound.