Be Ba Bo

Compared to the cheap mass produced gimmicks you will find in the toy section of a modern department store, Be Ba Bo is like time traveling back into the 1950s to do your shopping. Maybe more like a 1950’s advertising poster, an embodiment of wholesome family values.
I do not have any children myself (aww c’mon, give me another 10 years would you?), but I went there to shop for a friend’s daughters 4^th birthday. Now, I wouldn’t suggest that there was a competition to see who bought the best gift, there definitely was no competition, but I also definitely won. There is just something great watching a kid play with a real toy made from wood. Shame on the loser who bought her a crappy plastic horse thing.

This place is amazing! Yes I admit is is quite expensive — or at least in comparison to what you pay for your plastic toys — but it is totally worth the visit. I came here when my best friend fell pregnant with her first child. Being european I was desperate to find a decent store which would offer some amazing toys and bits and bobs for the little one. For me this meant wooden. For some reason i fail to see many kiwi kids play with wooden toys and i think I know why. because not many places sell them and the ones that do it is usually very pricey — probably because it is rare here and imported from overseas. Wooden toys are so good though — easy to clean and last forever!
Be Ba Bo really delivers though. I bought up as much as my mothers wallet would allow! Amazing wooden toys, cute little bibs and rattles, and all in lovely colours too, none of the tacky predictable bright pink and crayon blue — yawn. No at Be Ba Bo i was impressed. And so were my friends, they all took the shops details down when i told them where i’d gotten the gifts from.

If you are a rich (and potentially pretentious) Europhile with a cool child or baby then you should probably hit up this weird and very awesome shop. I only went into this place because it’s on my way home from work, but I certainly did not regret it.
Anonymously nestled on the way out of Ponsonby, Be Ba Bo is a kind of boutique toy shop where you can pick up all sorts of charming Germanic, Scandanavian, French, and Spanish fare. You won’t find Barbie or Ken in this place, instead you will be greeted by a large rendering of the Eiffel tower, constructed out of some sort of obscure, German, meccano stuff. The place is absolutely awash with whimsy, and is certainly a haven for those of us whose interest is peaked by calm, clean, design. I adored the armies of little wooden figurines clothed in vibrant felt and woolen hairpieces.
If I ever have a baby, I’ll be certain to make it save up its pocket money so as to splash out on a terrific little something from Be Ba Bo.