02/27/07

best toys in town

by sarapork

The best part about shopping at Wacko is that when I am done I have to run to Home Depot and build another shelf on my wall. The Toys here are the best finds in town.

• Pros: best toys; art gallery
• Cons: I need more money

11/20/06

Groovy Store

by jlevicke

This place is a blast from the past, I could spend hours looking around. It's a real sensory overload and my foavorite place to shop for off the wall stuff.

10/21/06

One of a kind store!

by goodfellamikec

One of the signature stores of Los Angeles. Wacko carries everything from incense and lava lamps to Tiki art and great toys. The crown jewel is the bookstore. This ain't Borders. Wacko carries books for the discerning reader: cult, film, classics, photography, death, and anything else. The staff is courteous and knowledgable; lots of fun. Parking on Hollywood Boulevard is possible, but your best bet is the neighborhood streets.

• Pros: Extensive selection, great staff, top atmosphere.
• Cons: Sometimes pricey, but the money will still leave your wallet.

A Hollywood trifecta of all things cool--tchotchkes, books and art.

by Contributor

In Short
Whether you're in the market for a glow-in-the-dark dashboard saint, Dirty Girl bubble bath or outsider art from the Deep South, this cavernous shop is the place to come. The staff is just as eclectic as the merchandise. Billy Shire oversees the gallery, and staffers will happily help you with everything from the pricey, mixed-media tableaux of Madonna and Child and flirty vintage Chinese posters to va-va-voom girlie cake-toppers and Coop's naughty "devil girl" stickers.

05/16/06

Best novelty gift-shopping in LA

by amiegleed

Whever I need a gift for a friend (or myself), I head to Wacko. There is literally something for everyone--an impressive selection of books on high- and lowbrow topics, a stunning array of tiki barware, fine art, collectible toys, cards and stationery, wrapping paper, party favors; the list goes on and on. I always take my out-of-town guests here, as it is a guaranteed good time!

• Pros: Unique, Fun, Inspiring
• Cons: Parking, Sometimes crowded

05/14/02

Hollyweird Cool

by taradelis_citysearch

Wacko used to be a little more hipster when it was on Melrose. Now it seems like everyone and their mother shops there, especially around the holidays. The prices are a lot higher than they used to be as well, and I miss the cats that used to sleep in the store all the time. That hall of mirrors was a classic as well.

In any event, the goods are still good. It's still a great place to find artsy hardcover books, windup desk toys, lava lamps or peruse the lowbrow art in La Luz de Jesus gallery.

• Pros: home of weird stuff, good gifts
• Cons: parking problematic, overpriced goods, too popular now