Soap Plant Wacko

This place is a fantastic romp through alt-​culture, kitsch, etc. It has a fantastic book collection including some very cool art books and a GREAT kids section.

A great shop to spend some time in! The only reason it doesn’t get a 5 is because I was expecting it to be wackier and have more unique finds. The book selection was definitely unique but a lot of the smaller stuff was a bit gimmicky but not stuff I couldn’t find easily online.

I love this shop. The vibe is awesome, unique items to look at. Love bacon? There is bacon flavored FLOSS lol
They have a Art Museum that is so rad! They have an awesome collection of books too! (For you book worms) !!
They sell handmade soap, which is freaken cool! I got my mom the almonds soap and she fell in love with it! Left her face super smooth. Went back again and got something different for her, the oatmeal soap.
Love this shop! Oh and also, cool ass employees!

There are so many little gifts in here. The perfect place to go if you’re not sure what to get someone because you WILL find something here. An AMAZING selection of books in all genres from movies to tattoos and knickknacks galore. I purchased a cute little unicorn figurine from Tokidoki and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. There are novelty socks, mugs, ice trays in the shape of music notes, stuffed animals and even an art gallery in the back. I could spend a long time in here just looking through the books and trying to decided which cute and probably useless (but necessary) thing to buy. I’ll definitely be back to give this place more of my money.

I’m pretty jaded these days on buying «quirky» collectibles, kitsch items, pop art toys, retro, etc. or whatever is considered «weird» these days because there is just so damn much of it!
It’s like everything is arty weird and collectible that in my opinion it kind of devalues everything. Plus what with the internet and all it’s hard pressed to convince me that anything is as one of a kind, vintage, unique or whatever.
But all the pessimism aside I do enjoy this place. Why you might ask? Well the items themselves are plentiful, diverse, and fairly well priced.
The latter for me being the key. Unlike a lot of places, even within walking distance, I feel Wacko has a better self awareness of what they have and the prices for them. Sure some stuff might be more expensive than online BUT the other thing that makes me enjoy this place is the the space.
They have a small art gallery INSIDE the store and the walk down to the bathroom and even the bathroom itself is lined with weird and interesting art. That alone is pretty cool to me.
Again the prices although pretty competitive can be sometimes more expensive. The luchador masks for instance. By no means break your wallet, but knowing I can get them for like half the price down at Olvera street is something I take into consideration.
BUT you can get pretty awesome books that are surprisingly cheaper than I thought. In fact I got a book on luchador masks that was way cheaper than if I bought it online. So there’s that.
And yes I probably spend too much on luchador related items but unlike theses grapplers I admire I cannot mask my passion.

I really enjoyed this place but the miserable old lady in the front ruined my experience. I had never been here before so when I walked in I was instantly amazed by all the cute little knickknacks. Me and a friend walked down a few aisles and looked at some books. We were laughing at a book titled small penis or something like that when all of a sudden I hear «excuse me ladies are you 18 or over and have an ID with you». We both said yes and she grinned and asked us to show her while everyone watched us walk up to the front to give her our IDs. I had my ID in my wallet but it was visible so I didn’t take it out, but of course she asks me to take it out bc she «couldn’t see the date». When I take it out she stares at it and then blurts out my date of birth. I put it in my wallet and walked away and from afar I could hear her laughing. I was honestly so annoyed and embarrassed at this point I wanted to storm out. I didn’t want to give them my business but I found some really cute stickers and ended up purchasing them. While walking around I felt like all the employees were watching me and it made me very uncomfortable. @ the lady in the front, do you feel satisfied by embarrassing young adults in front of other people? You would expect someone who works at such a cool store to have some people skills. I will probably not be back anytime soon. Also, parking is horrendous around here. Hopefully you guys don’t have to experience such rude employees when you visit.

fun place… this would be a very dangerous store for me to visit closer to stocking stuffer-​buying time.
lots of different inventory…
One tiny complaint — there was a bit of a theme of indifference by the staff. One guy, sorry I didnt get his name — (he was a tiny bit older than the majority of staff members) was fun and helpful and kinda was in keeping with the tone of the material contents of the store. Everyone else seemed either to be unhappy to have me in their store, or unhappy in general.
Too bad — kinda took away from the general feel of the place.

I could spend hours in this unique shop, as well as my most of my paycheck. This is a perfect spot to purchase a gift for that person in your life who has just about everything. Unique trinkets, great books that are for the locals as well as art enthusiasts, cool socks, tshirts, POP figures, Tiki glasses, … you name it, they have it. It’s a store for kids that are grown ups.
Leave your large bags at the front cashier, and don’t forget to claim it on your way out. It’s happened to me. I guess thievery is common and this is their way of decreasing theft.
Prices are reasonable, staff is super friendly and helpful.
Street parking only.
Great place for stocking stuffers at Christmas time.

I absolutely love this place! been going to this store since 2003 and they have been consistent in offering the same great one kind products and books. This place is awesome! you will be able to walk out with something you are not able to find elsewhere, wether it’s an underground book or a work of art.

I’m sure this is a wonderful brick and mortar store, but my experience was online. I found a book I had been looking for on their website. Added it to my cart, plugged in my shipping and credit card info and hit purchase. Easy transaction. A few days later, I received an email from them informing me that the item was actually out of stock. They said they would contact me in one to two days to let me know the lead time. Not a problem, it happens. I even appreciated the personal notification. However, nine days later and two follow up emails to them, I still haven’t heard back about my order. Since then, I’ve found the book through another source, but I can’t pull the trigger on the purchase because Wacko Soap Plant has me in this transaction limbo.

Great Spot such awesome Down to earth employees and rare finds. I’ve bought gifts here, cards, books it’s just the go to spot for books & vinyl toys.

Wacko is my favorite place to find that hard to Shop for gift. I Love how you Can design your own fragrance with there essential oil’s and The art gallary is always fun.

A mixed hybrid of weird shit and magical exploration. It’s Wacko…
Toys, books, t-​shirts, sprinkled with everything else. I found an awesome Skeletor bobble head I had to buy. I also come here for Lucha VaVoom tickets. If you like weird you will find weird at Wacko. Check out the back of the store which features a mini art gallery.

Wacko Soap Plant blew my mind as I frolicked through the colorful aisles feeling overwhelmed with excitement. The owner Billy Shire refers to this place as «a pop culture toy shop with a punk rock attitude». I’d say he’s spot on.
This is a supersized better version of the stores Aahs and Spencers, but with much more flavor. I’ve never seen anything quite like it! The store is GIGANTIC so give yourself a few visits to see everything sold. Wacko sells eclectic items that include collectibles, books (the best selection I’ve seen), soaps, posters, games, boom boxes, magic tricks, funky lights, holiday items, and so much more. This is by far the best place to buy someone a gift for any occasion. Whether you have a purchase in mind, or just want to walk around for amusement, this place is guaranteed to capture your attention.
There are items that some will call junk, while others will call treasure. It’s a store filled with nonsense, and therefore to wrap this up, I felt this Dr. Seuss quote fits Wacko perfectly, «Nonsense wakes up the brain cells. And it helps develop a sense of humor, which is awfully important in this day and age. Humor has a tremendous place in this sordid world. It’s more than just a matter of laughing. If you can see things out of whack, then you can see how things can be in whack.»

My FAVORITE place to go to find the cutest, most creative gifts for everyone who loves anything creative & random things. They usually display Art from the Local Artists. I plan on getting something for my wall someday. This place is HEAVEN for me.

Yes yes yes. Wacko is the place that brings out my inner pack rat, crafter, and fifteen year out girl-​all at the same time. It is full of things I always see on the sites I love (Modcloth & Etsy), but everything is less expensive at Wacko! I wish I had more space in my suitcase, because what I bought just was not enough. Also, the paper goods selection had me weak in the knees. So many great wrapping papers and stickers makes it hard for me to make a decision about anything. Did I already mention their wall of coloring books? Oh, I didn’t? Yes, there is a WALL OF COLORING BOOKS. I could barely contain myself.
Do yourself a favor and just walk in here for a few minutes. That will turn into an hour, no doubt about it, but you will love every second of it.

This place has a little bit of everything, seriously. It even has an Art Gallery in the back!
I liked the vibes and misch mash of items — somehow everything still gelled together. They have everything from tshirts to books — pig masks to sage — miniature plastic babies to coyote knuckles. Seriously a girl could go crazy just exploring this place. I felt like at every turn there was something new to explore. A lot of it seems novelty to me and I wouldn’t buy a lot of it, but I’m guessing it’s on the shelves for a reason!

This place is nuts. You can seriously spend way too much time looking all kinds of gift type stuff you never knew was a thing! Plus there’s an art gallery in the back. Ran into Jason Segel while I was checking out the art.

If you’re looking for something quirky this is the place to go! It’s has all sorts of odd/​atypical books (Edward Gorey, Edgar Allan Poe, «The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts»), knick knacks, dolls, and a bunch of household items too. And it doesn’t hurt that they make their own soap, and house a great little art gallery (La Luz de Jesus).
I like to visit when the art gallery has a new exhibit. Most recently I came on a Sunday afternoon around 3:30pm. I managed to find parking on a neighboring street and walked a short distance to Wacko. It was a little crowded in the store, and may have felt more so than it actually was since the aisles are narrow, but nonetheless perusing this place was thoroughly enjoyable.
I ended up snagging some fig scented soap, and a little cat-​themed gift box for my sister for her birthday. I spent a little over $ 10 and have no regrets about my purchase, or my overall experience. I whole heartedly recommend checking this place out when you get the opportunity. It’s delightful.

This is one of the Greatest Places on Earth when you need that unique gift or that cool something-​something for yourself. Great items, great books, and a very nice staff.
Highly Recommended!

Awesome, my son and I could spend hours here and drop major money on stuff no one really needs but will make you smile and that’s what its really about anyways.
The staff is just as cool as the stuff they sell, the prices actually acceptable, the selection ENDLESS, it is the PERFECT place to get a gift for a wacky friend or relative, something amusing for yourself or just browse like we did yesterday.
I totally plan on coming back asap, some of the stuff was just too good to pass up.