Store

Quite simply, this is one of the most offbeat shops in Seattle, and also one of the city's most fun. Located in Belltown near jewelry and lingerie shop Fancy+Pants and gallery Nancy (owners of the whimsically named shops are good friends), Schmancy is a treasure trove of heavy-metal action figures, anthropomorphized household items and assorted beasties that seem to be directly imported from the weirdest dreams you've ever had.

Schmancy's selection of toys, created by local and international artists, isn't really for kids — unless your kids have achieved an early sophistication, or the sight of a pink teddy bear with bloodied claws doesn't set them off. These are art objects of the pop surrealism school in beguiling masquerade as toys, and even if your kids are old enough or mature enough to handle such nifty toys such as Jim Woodring's Imperial Newts , Kidrobot’s Gorillaz figures or SewDorky's all-felt doughnuts, you may be reluctant to part with them yourself.

Not one of the toys on Schmancy's shelves seems native to this universe, yet every one of them is loveable, in an alien-baby kind of way. If you find yourself in need of an offbeat gift for a funky coworker or a graduation present for a savvy fifth-grader, Schmancy has exactly what you’re looking for, plucked from the unexplored depths of your imagination.

By Geoff Carter
NWsource staff