Nerd Out at Everett’s BobaKhan Toys

Editor’s note: Originally published February 21, 2022. Republished December 8, 2022.

Let me be completely transparent: I do not usually shop at toy stores and (please don’t hate me) I have only ever seen bits and pieces of the Star Wars franchise. I do, however, love art and horror-themed Funko POP! figurines, I love watching my boyfriend nerd out in toy stores, I enjoy the creativity of toymakers, and I appreciate the love of toys in general.

All that is a lame attempt at an excuse for why I am just now discovering the awesomeness of BobaKhan Toys. They’ve been located at 500 SE Everett Mall Way for seven years and while I’m positive I’ve seen them in passing, I’ve never actually stopped by. So when we needed birthday gifts for a toy lover, we made BobaKhan our first stop.

Grrr … Don’t let him scare you away // Rachel Weatherholt

The store is much larger than I expected and there is a lot of stuff to look at and absorb. There seemed to be an incredible amount of staff on hand when we arrived but after they dispersed to help customers, I realized why: there is a lot of ground to cover! So many shelves full of new and vintage toys, collectibles, comics, and art, all at different price points.

When I visit a place that has a lot of stuff, I will start at one side of the entrance and work my way around the store methodically, not wanting to miss a thing. My initial path took me to the art section where I absorbed myself in prints and figurines from local artists. Before I meandered out of that section I grabbed a few prints and a bunch of business cards of other artists for review later.

Artwork by Shanna Duncan // Rachel Weatherholt

At BobaKhan you can find toys from all eras, for all ages: Star Wars, Barbie, G.I. Joe, Pokemon, Marvel, My LIttle Pony, Anime, Lord of the Rings. There are board games, comic books, trading cards, Lego, dolls, superheroes, stuffies, books, stickers. The selection is staggering and impressive. I’m fairly positive that there is something for everyone here. They will even try to get you the item of your dreams through their suppliers and contacts.

I wandered the shelves, identifying items I thought would make a good gift for our recipient. Eventually I caught up to my boyfriend who had buzzed through the art section and scampered off within the first few minutes. He was caught up in the excitement of finding toys he had played with as a kiddo but had managed somehow to pick up some items for the birthday boy.

This incredible store includes an art section // Rachel Weatherholt

During my wandering I was occasionally approached by staff offering to help me find things I might have been looking for. Everyone was exceptionally friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable. I spoke with one gentleman whose mother happened to be the artist of the prints I was intending to buy. He was very warm and personable and was excited to be able to help me get a particular horror-themed Funko POP! figurine from one of the locked cabinets.

Nerd out in the Funko section // Rachel Weatherholt

In between ringing up customers, the woman at the front desk somehow picked up that I was into horror themes and she didn’t hesitate to ask if I had seen a particular item. They really shared our excitement about finding new collectibles and it made it seem as if we were shopping with friends.

We left BobaKhan with a bag full of stuff, a completed gift mission, and plans to return.