Vintage toys available in Cartoon House range from small Kewpie dolls for NT$400 to tin wind-up robots that cost NT$10,000 each or more. In addition to going on toy hunts during her trips abroad, Hsiao brings back women’s clothing from Japan, Hong Kong, China and South Korea. Many of the dresses she sells look like they stepped out of the pages of a Japanese zakka magazine — cotton prints abound, as well as small flourishes like crochet collars, pin-tucks and lace-lined sleeves. The store also carries tote bags embroidered by Hsiao and quilted purses that she and her mother work on together.
“My mom is already very old and she’s not in the best of health. We wanted to find something productive for her to do, and she just happens to love quilting,” says Hsiao. “Sewing takes a lot of patience, but I studied fashion design, so it’s one of my passions.”
Clothing and accessories fill most of Cartoon House’s crowded shelves and racks, but it’s clear that Hsiao’s particular joy — and the heart of her store — are the cabinets filled with decades-old toys and figures.
“Toys can make your life more joyful. I think people who like design and art tend to be attracted to collecting toys,” says Hsiao. “It’s something that people become very passionate about, because toys are so cute and loveable.”
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