Ka-Pow Collectibles

Amazing collection of vintage stuff, I was blown away!

The USS Flagg aircraft carrier.
The vehicle Voltron from Matchbox.
The Shogun Warriors Godzilla.
These are but a few of the Holy Grails of toy collecting that have found their way into this tiny store and into the hands of individuals desperate to relive their childhoods and find a cheaper alternative to therapy.
After several failed attempts to make it out here, I finally found myself with a free afternoon to marvel at a tiny space packed to the gills with toys of all shapes, sizes, and conditions, from several decades before I was even born to the hottest imports from Hong Kong.
It’s enough to make a child (or man-​child) weep with joy.
Romeo Magdaluyo, the owner and proprietor, is a terrific guy who really knows his stuff. It was a pleasure not only to drool over his collection of vintage Star Wars vehicles and import Transformers, but to debate and discuss the merits and drawbacks of articulation on DC Direct figures. It’s an amazing way to stroll down memory lane and possibly score yourself that rare piece that will complete your collection or simply grace your desktop at work.
He’s always on the lookout for new inventory, so if you’ve got a collection that you’re looking to unload at a competitive price, stop in or make an appointment by email.
I wonder if they accept kidneys as payment…

Walking into! Ka-​Pow was like being time warped back to my childhood. To see all the toys, games and even comic books from when I was a little rascal, made me reflect back to a much more simpler time in my life.
Parking here can be challenging and the store is a tight squeeze. But, the walk and interaction with the owner or the staff is totally worth it. They’re all laid back and they know their toys.
I won’t comment on the prices as I didn’t buy anything — plus, how can you put a price on memories of good times?
I just know that your inner child, or the collector in you will find! Ka-​Pow to be a pretty cool shop.

I wish I could reference another of my reviews in this, but I can’t, so I won’t. I will say this. Kapow has it’s sh*t together in a big way. With thousands of vintage and contemporary collectible toys, I could have spent hours looking through everything. But I didn’t have to. Why? Because it was ORGANIZED. Other similar shops could learn a thing or three from how they run their store. All their toy lines are grouped together for easy access. And the guy guy behind the counter was über-​helpful and very knowledgable. I asked him for a particular figure I’m hunting for and he knew right away what it was and that he’d recently sold one. Sad face. They didn’t have it. But still, he knew.
I don’t have to write a lot about them because they run a tight ship. I like that. I might come back and bring friends. Great job, Kapow!
Oh, and also? They don’t have icky, chewed, gross toys that your little brother sucked on as a child. Their selections are curated so you’ll find nothing but the best. I saw a USS. Flagg in great condition. A He-​Man Sorceress that still has her feathers painted on, and a bunch of other awesome pieces. And now I’ve lapsed so far into nerditory that I may never be able to come back.

Walking down Belmont, you will happen upon a magical place where the toys of your childhood are all around you. You’ll see Teddy Ruxpin standing next to Voltron, who stands guard over Strawberry Shortcake and Jem. Its not something from your dreams, its! Ka-​pow! Collectibles.
My friend took me here a few months ago, after he had bought a working Teddy Ruxpin from the store, and I was very much impressed with the amount of collectibles displayed in this shop. As you walk in, you immediately are presented with a giant GI Joe diorama to the right in the front window, and a ride-​able Battle Cat from Masters of the Universe. Shelves line the store, four or five high, and you are unable to see the walls due to the amount of action figures or dolls on them, both loose and in package.
The prices are reasonably affordable for most things (there is even a $ 3 bin smack dab in the middle of the store, where you can find a multitude of awesome toys) and understandably pricier on the true collectibles — you’ll be able to find anything from a $ 3 Power Ranger action figure, all the way up to the $ 550 24″ Mattel limited edition Voltron.
The guy who owns the shop is always in and super knowledgeable about pretty much every line of toys from the 1970s to today. A collector himself, he is honest and really cool to just talk to – he’s even pointed me in the direction of online toy stores when he didn’t have the products I was looking for. And I just gotta point out the attention to detail taken to ensuring that all the right pieces go with the right toys — I was in once and they had just received a huge amount of loose Masters of the Universe toys and little weapons; the guys working that day had out the old 1983 catalog and were going piece by piece, making sure everything lines up correctly! That’s dedication!
I also enjoy the fact that alot, if not all, of the toys they have are from donations. Its really cool to think that these old toys that we get have basically been saved from either staying in a basement somewhere, or saved from the trash.
All in all, the only thing I can knock! Ka-​pow! on is the fact that they have SO MUCH stuff, I can never see everything, but that is no knock at all! This place is inner kid heaven, and I dare anyone to look in the window and their face not light up! I hope this establishment becomes a Lakeview geek fixture, right up there with Chicago Comics and People Play Games — only! Ka-​Pow! is leading the pack! A wholehearted recommendation indeed!

Great selection, low prices, friendly staff, no high pressure here browse at your leisure. If you do have a question the folks here do their best to give you an answer, Inventory runs the gamut. Try it you might find just what your not looking for. My favorite place to be.

What a cool little place! Found it randomly walking down Belmont. All kinds of memories came flooding back seeing toys I haven’t thought about in years. Kinda small/​cramped, slightly disorganized and the shortest business hours in the history of mankind, but it all adds to the charm of this place. I totally agree with the last reviewer, how can you not have any Jem stuff? In general, a lot more male-​friendly toys than female ones, but maybe the owner can change that? Girls want to nerd out too!

By the power of Greyskull, I was walking down the street minding my biz, doing my thing.
When all the sudden something hit me. As powerful as a Hefty bag full of vegetable soup hitting concrete.
I was in the presence of greatness.
Looking up I feasted my eyes on the greatest collectible and toy shop I’ve seen. Tons of cool toys and collectibles from the 70’s until 90’s. Star Wars stuff, Muppet, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, Vintage comic book hero action figure and old comic books, Alf stuff, Ghostbusters action figures and all stuff Ghostbusters (!), HE MAN and SHE RA!!! and their respective castles and enemies, and so much more cool stuff!
The owner’s nice. I like small businesses with unique concepts and merchandise as well.
It’s basically a store for you to find something that resonated with you when you were younger or treat someone younger with something cool from the past. They’ll probably love it too.
I hope he gets a great Jem collection going soon.
*Touches earring*
«Synergy.»

I love Ka-​Pow! Not only does this place have so much awesome stuff, but the owner is amazingly nice and helpful. He posted a Facebook picture of an item I loved and I called and he was able to hold it for me over the weekend until I got back into town. Great local business, Lakeview needs more like this! Go find that childhood toy your parents threw away and maybe even that super expensive one they could never get you for Christmas! :)

Great place to find vintage toys & collectibles, both loose and mint-​in-​the-​package! Voltron, Transformers, GI Joe, Star Wars, He-​Man, etc etc. They even carry some newer stuff, like MOTU 200x. The only downside to the shop is there SO MUCH stuff, that its hard to see what’s behind some precariously placed Lion-​O, and for fear of creating some domino chain reaction of a shower of toys, I avoid touching anything on the shelves. Needs a bit of organizing, but then again, its so much fun to dig through the loose figure bins.
Any time I’m in Chicago on business, I always stop in to see what’s new, and spend way too much time in there!