Let the Magic Lab “doctors” mend your favourite toys
by Maggie Suen
Situated in Tsim Sha Tsui, the brightly coloured Magic Lab provides a wide range of soft toy repairing services, including fixing broken limbs, replacing missing eyes and adding stitches. They can also give your bedtime buddies a makeover by inserting new fur and re-stuffing them to help them regain their original shape.
The brothers, who learnt to fix toys when they were young because their parents couldn’t afford new ones, will first examine the soft toy’s condition in a consultation session with the customer to decide on the cost and length of time needed for the repair.
All the toys are then cleaned by hand using pressurised hot steam reaching 155°C. The process is effective in removing dust, mites, and even the eggs of mites. Compared with washing, it is a drier method and involves no chemical detergents. It also better preserves the shape of the toy and minimises the risk of allergies. After cleaning, a soft toy can again be as fluffy and bright as it was before.
Often the brothers wear white coats and masks like real doctors because of the large amount of dirt that come out of the stuffed toys.
The Lo’s understand that they are not only repairing toys, but also the unique childhood memories of their customers, some of whom are unable to sleep without their bedside companions. After a booking is made, the owners may keep their toys at home until a time slot opens up for treatment. And they are also notified as soon as the repair is completed so they can pick up their toys immediately.
Some toys are beyond repair, but you can make a new plush pal at Magic Lab. You can choose the size, colour and texture of a teddy bear, and even put in the cotton yourself using a special machine.To give it “life”, you can insert a voice-recording machine, or a special device which mimics a pulse. The whole process does not require any needle work. Finish off with a birth certificate specifying its name and personality – and a new friend is born.
Magic Lab is located at Unit 926A&B, 9/F, Star House, 3 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Call 3791 2869 or search “magiclabworkshop” on Facebook for details.
Edited by Natale Ching
