Monkeyhouse Toys came about as an alternative to commercial toy stores. While out shopping for that special something for a nephew, the owner and founder, Mayra Baligad, came to realize, after going through rows and rows of mass marketed goods, that there was a void in the choice of playthings out there. With an appreciation for art and experience as a toy buyer for a high-end childrens store, she aimed to fill that void with out-of-the-ordinary gifts for precocious children.Searching and finding wondrous toys like wooden rockers and pull toys made from Keith Haring and Alexander Calder designs, big foam lizard puzzles inspired from MC Eschers work, urban vinyl, DIY Qees and Munnys, designer plush and lots of fun kitschy toys like Hindu finger puppets, fantastic fabric dress-up hats to look like King Tut, a brave knight or a scurvy pirate, she strove to find inventory that would encourage creativity and spark imagination in children. She turned to local artist friends like Marcel De Jure, of Cinnamon Roll Gang fame, who hand makes totally original other worldly dolls, mutant bags and an exclusive line of mutant diaper bags for Monkeyhouse; Gina Ramirez, local Echo Park gal, who does enchanting vintage inspired paintings; renowned cartoonist/illustrator, Frank Furlong, whose whimsical animal paintings grace the store walls; and acclaimed and elusive artist Amos, whose talent has brought wooden cars to a new level by making kid's first low riders; to enhance the inventory and bring in even more inspiration.The goal of Monkeyhouse Toys is to give kids a chance to express themselves outside of the standard, to open their minds to all sorts of art around them, and, especially, to have fun!
punks, skunks, mutts, the social elite, the lowbrow, the aesthetics, the soulful, the emotional, the deranged, the innovators, the misfits, the outcasts, the brave, the insecure, the talented, the meek, the open-minded, the enlightened and the toy enthusiasts of this world