where does everybody get their stuffs from?
bay area stores or online?
like official merchandise from jump shops in japan and not fake merchandise.
i was just browsing and some of the prices are jaw-dropping for figurines and such.
Forums » Anything Goes
official anime merchandise...where to buy?
(17 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
-
I used to buy stuffs in Japan when I visited. Import merchandise is always pretty pricey unfortunately. Even in Japan the retail price of official anime goods aren't usually cheap to begin with.
What kind of merchandise are you looking for? Depending on what you want, if you're looking to pay less than the usual high markup I'd suggest Ebay or Amazon Japan.
Posted 2 years ago # -
cobaph
Member
I get my stuff from Paletweb, although that's mostly because I'm a Touhou person.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Gryph
Member
I usually look online. I saves time, gas, and lets you compare prices more easily than driving around.
I usually start with an item in mind, and searching for that item leads me to online anime stores. But if you just want to browse... there's Ebay, and Yahoo Japan's auction site. Amazon Japan is a good idea Anne, I didn't know it existed.
Here are some sites I found that seem to have a wide selection or lots of pics for browsing:
This one's more for models, but they have anime stuff mixed in too (a while ago they had display booth pics from the anime expo in Japan, and a toy convention in Germany; don't know if its still somewhere on their site).
http://www.hlj.comThis one's in Australia so be aware of shipping costs if you actually order.
http://www.tamarket.com.auThis one has a lot of pics and its in the bay area (Concord, I haven't been there though).
http://www.toyslogic.comThis is the latest one I found:
http://www.toylet.netAnd there's the stuff that comes up from just googling "anime shops" like animenation, entertainmentearth, etc. Hope this helps.
Posted 2 years ago # -
thanks a bunch everybody! =)
i bought something from play-asia and i'm considering buying from toyslogic.
/sigh...i'm still trying to track down a 9-poster set from one piece that someone bought at a jump shop in japan.
http://70.84.102.250/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26&p=104
doh...they should've built a jump shop filled with imported stuffs in the new people building.
Posted 2 years ago # -
holy smokes!!!
i hit the jackpot with amazon japan. nice tip.
tons of stuffs there.
/sigh...amazon japan couldn't ship my stuffs outside japan.
=(
Posted 2 years ago # -
Did you order some kind of special item limited to sale in Japan only? I've ordered manga and CDs before, and at least for most things I'm pretty sure they'll ship anywhere.
Posted 2 years ago # -
anonymouse
Member
For figurines and stuff you can try http://www.toyslogic.com, it's in the Bay Area in Concord. I worked there for like 2 weeks LOL.
Posted 2 years ago # -
shocktv3
Member
well.. japantown has a few options for you i think. i like going there every so often to satisfy my need for giant robots and other such wonders of the east.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Gryph
Member
In case your interested in seeing some up coming items, apparently some companies had an expo to show off their stuff. Here are the links to the pics:
http://www.hlj.com/megahobbyf09.html
The Bleach cookies look good enough to eat.
http://www.hlj.com/tamnatf09a.html
Some Gundam, Evangelian items among others... Is Saint Seiya that popular?
Posted 2 years ago # -
nice stuff there Gryph.
hehe ya i dunno about Saint Seiya...what's up with Kamen Riders and Pullips? they seem to be popular figurines.
thanks to the links i bought a couple of things from HLJ including a preorder of a Gurren Lagann Boota plush. the color of the non-import's plush wasn't right to me.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I guess it's my turn to throw out a link:
In a nutshell instead of insane gaijin markups AmiAmi.com offers nihonjin pricing + Registered SAL (SAL 2000gm or less + $7.00) or EMS to int'l customers and eliminates the need for a deputy service and it's associated fees to enjoy ichiban nihonjin pricing. A drawback is that orders cannot be cancelled (which is pretty standard nihonjin policy I think) and they might not offer everything in their inventory to gaijin. They still have a ton of the latest preorders and heaps of other stuff that you can buy. Payments are through Paypal.
EXAMPLE: 1/60 DX Chogokin VF-25F Super Messiah Valkyrie Alto Custom (NOV 2009 RELEASE)
Toys Logic = $215.99 + CA state tax + (USA domestic shipping) AVAILABLE 01/31/2010
http://www.toyslogic.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10307&products_type=1Hobby Link Japan = Y16,000 + (EMS ONLY) AVAILABLE NOW
http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN960342Hobby Search = Y15,200 + (EMS ONLY) AVAILABLE NOW
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10094267AmiAmi = Y11,720 + (EMS ONLY) AVAILABLE NOW
http://www.amiami.com/shop/?set=english&vgForm=ProductInfo&sku=TOY-RBT-0872&template=default/product/e_display.htmlAmiAmi shipping for this bad boy was Y4000 EMS @ 2000gm (too big for SAL small package).
Not all items offered by AmiAmi.com realize such savings relative to other webshops but they do have monthly "Figure Sales" (click top right hand box on home page) and can serve as another alternative for buying stuffs. AmiAmi.com has also been known to offer limited edition webshop exclusive items.
I freaking love this place! It's almost like a Hobby Link Japan "Free Shipping Sale" but the sale never ends!
Posted 2 years ago # -
cobaph
Member
Huh, I don't remember AmiAmi shipping internationally. Oh well. I guess it's win-win.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Yeah I just found out recently that they went int'l around the end of October. I actually shifted my preorders from Hobby Link Japan and Hobby Search to AmiAmi.
I tried out AmiAmi and I was pretty satisfied with the way that they packaged my stuffs: bubble wrapped item in a box stuffed with newspapers and packed tightly.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Well. Well. Well. I got a package from Toys Logic that I was going to give as a gift. The shipping box arrived with no visible damage. The item was nestled comfortably among newspapers.
But the item's packaging looked like they used it as a soccer ball or a dropped kicked football. It seems to me that the employees have a lot of time to enjoy intramural sports with customer packages or that Toys Logic buys "unsalable" damaged/prior-returned goods at pennies on the dollar and still sells them as if they were mint condition.
A Toys Logic order that arrives with the shipping box in waaaay better condition than the item's box is a total fail.
I can see why anonymouse only worked there for two weeks.
I'm done with Toys Logic.
Posted 2 years ago # -
HLJ is running another "buy one stock dump and get free shipping" promo yet again (4th time this year lol). Hmmm...They must have A LOT of stock to dump!
AmiAmi will keep offering Registered SAL shipping.
Hobby Search will add SAL shipping in JAN 2010. Hopefully it's the "el cheapo" SAL like HLJ offers. Great move IMO. Their prices usually run a tad lower than HLJ's prices. Lower than HLJ prices + Hobby search points + SAL and they might actually be able to compete with AmiAmi's Registered SAL shipped items. (I imagine that you can even throw in more savings by paying with a 0% currency conversion fee, Capital One credit card).
Posted 2 years ago # -
For those of you planning your preorders, I got an email today from Hobby Search about their SAL shipping starting in JAN 2010:
Dear Customer,
Thank you very much for your inquiry. The unregistered SAL will be available in January at HOBBY SEARCH.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely Yours,Atsu HAYASHI
Oh! And I crunched numbers and it seems that PayPal will give you roughly 97.5% of the USD/JPY market exchange rate. I hope that info helps when deciding to pay with either your credit card or PayPal.
Posted 2 years ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.
