Journal · HomBom Toys
Notes from the toy shop
Choosing, washing and keeping soft toys, written on the Upper East Side.
Jul 2026Buying soft toys on the Upper East SideHow a small 1st Avenue shelf gets chosen, what a short range means for you, and how ordering online from a shop you can walk into differs.Read →
Jun 2026Reading the label on a soft toyAge grading, small parts, flammability and washing instructions are all on a tag most people cut off. What each part of it means.Read →
May 2026Sensory plush for babies: what the features are forCrinkle panels, soft rattles, mirrors and contrast patterns are not decoration. A short explanation of what each one gives a baby, and when.Read →
May 2026What weighted stuffed animals actually doWeighted plush is popular and widely oversold. Here is what the weight does, how much of it is appropriate, and what nobody can promise you.Read →
Apr 2026How to wash plush toys without ruining themWashing a soft toy is easy to get wrong once and impossible to undo. Cool water, a pillowcase, no heat, and a few exceptions worth knowing.Read →
Apr 2026Choosing a first stuffed animal: what actually mattersSize, filling, seams and washability decide whether a first soft toy lasts a year or a fortnight. A practical guide from the counter on 1st Avenue.Read →