click here<\/a>\u00a0and follow the instructions on the post.<\/p>\n\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/h3>\n360 Toy Group<\/h3>\n
In the early 2000s, New York’s Lower East Side was starting to flourish as a destination shopping area, as independent boutiques starting popping up everywhere. One of these shops was 360 Toy Group, which was founded by Bronx native Jakuan Melendez in 1999. Melendez noticed the booming market of vinyl collectible figures in Asia around that time, and decided to open his own shop in the LES on Eldridge Street next to Stash’s Recon store. The shop not only curated some of the most exclusive collectible art toys from all over the world, but was also instrumental in building the vinyl art movement in American and allowing it to gain recognition as a legitimate form of art. Check out this interview from the early 2000s showcasing Melendez in his shop.<\/p>\n