While this guide is about Japanese pvc figures, all toys and collectibles are welcome in this thread. 1/6 figures, dolls, vinyl toys, mechs, and action figures, whatever you collect feel free to talk about it and post your collections here.
- Do not post anything NSFW
- Do not post or link to magazine scans
So you see an awesome figure that you just need to get. Where do you buy it? Stores can be grouped into 3 general groups: Japanese Shops, Western/Non-Japanese shops, and Preowned shops.
If it's a figure that hasn't been released yet, or was just very recently released, you can get her straight from a Japanese shop. It's not uncommon for figures to sell out before they're even released, so preordering is common, and mandatory for a lot of figures. Preorders for a figure will usually go up at least 3 months before release, but waits of 6 months or more aren't uncommon, especially with delays.
Advantages
- Cheaper - Japanese shops will always be cheaper than American shops (the only exception is Kotobukiya's Bishoujo figures)
- better selection
- available sooner
- more likely to restock sold out items
- many shops have a frequent buyer discount points program
- no prepayment required for preorders
- cancellations- some shops won't let you cancel through their website, or might only let you cancel for a few days after ordering. You can email them to request a cancellation, but doing it too many times can result in a ban. Not paying for an order once it's ready is sure to get you banned.
- unknown shipping costs - you will not know the shipping cost on preorders. Some shops will give you a shipping cost on in stock items, but not all will.
- potential language barrier
The most popular Japanese shop, due to their large preorder discounts discounts. They don't just have figures, but lots of other merchandise, including video games. They will not give you a shipping cost until the order is packed and ready to go. They also do not allow cancellations, but will do it if you email them about it. Also has a large selection of pre-owned figures, though these can be very expensive for popular items. And they also have a sale section where you can get some larger discounts on figures that didn't sell as well. They also have a frequent buyer points program, where you can earn discounts on future purchases, but this is very small, about 1%.
Hobby Search is another popular shop. Their preorder discounts are less than amiami, but their points program gives about 3%, and the have a more lenient cancellation policy. You can cancel any preorder within 1 week of ordering. They don't have a regular sale section, but will have seasonal sales with very large discounts (but very small stock). You will get a shipping cost for instock items before placing your order. My favorite part of their website is the way they group preorders and new releases by date.
Always more expensive than amiami, usually more expensive than hobby search, this is still a popular shop. The owner is an American, Scott Hards, so they probably have the best English customer service, though I've never had language problems with any shop. Their unique feature is their Private Warehouse which lets you group your own orders together for shipping, and can hold items for up to 60 days. Will occasionally have some good sales. Cancellations are easy.
Good site for books and music, but they have figures too. Prices are usually pretty bad though, about 5% off msrp makes them the most expensive option. I don't usually use them unless every other place is sold out, but at least they're still cheaper than American sites.
Like CDJapan the preorder discounts are a tiny 5%. But they charge street prices after release. What this means is that they're the easiest place to find new items that are sold out everywhere but at very high prices. On the flip side, if an item sells poorly, you're more likely to find it on sale here. They have the best sale section of any site, and I've bought tons of great figures here at a great discount.
I mainly use these sites for exclusive figures, though they're sometimes competitive in regular figure prices.
There's too many of these to list, but generally they are more expensive than Japanese sites. I won't buy from them unless the Japanese sites are sold out. But some people like them because of their customer service, better language skills, or they also buy a lot of western figures. If anybody has any recommendations they'd like added let me know.
http://www.kirinhobby.com/shop/
http://www.kidnemo.fm/
http://www.play-asia.com/
http://www.toylet.net/
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/
http://thegrandlineshop.com/ - One Piece only
http://www.animarket.com/
Sideshow/Hot Toys
http://www.sideshowtoy.com
So a figure is sold out everywhere, and it was released years ago. What are your options? You're going to have to buy from a preowned/used figure. This is where collecting can really get you in trouble, as you're not just buying new figures coming out, but catching up on years of awesome figures. I can get expensive fast.
This would be a good time to talk about
From Good Smile Company's website:
Q. What is a bootleg figure?
A bootleg figure is a copied figure of poorer quality, made or sold illegally without permission of Good Smile Company or the legal trademark holder. They are also called fake figures, fake products, or counterfeit figures. Some bootleg figures have no similarity with any official figures but still illicitly make use of the manufacturer logo or trademarks. Good Smile is against any bootleg products and cannot offer any support for them.
Unfortunately, bootlegs are something we have to deal with. Figures are valuable, making them tempting target for Chinese bootleggers. Sometimes they go after expensive out of print figures, but recently they'll make bootlegs of figures that are still widely available. Bootlegs are easy to avoid by sticking to reputable shops like the ones listed above. The best resource I've found to find out if something has been bootlegged is to check on http://myfigurecollection.net/, they'll also have pictures of bootlegs so you know what to look for.
BEWARE OF AMAZON AND EBAY AND CONVENTIONS. These places are rife with bootlegs, if a figure is listed as being counterfeited on http://myfigurecollection.net/ I would avoid buying from these places. Though even if it's not listed as being counterfeited I would just avoid these places as much as possible. It's just too risky. Especially amazon, where you don't even have pictures to rely on. MFC has a forum listing known bootleg sellers at http://myfigurecollection.net/club/139/discussions/ and you can try linking specific auctions here for advice from other members. Amazon and Ebay prices are also often terrible, and if they're a lot cheaper than other stores you have to start wondering why. If it's too good to be true...
Good Smile Company's by no means comprehensive list of bootlegs
Mandarake is special. This is THE place to get an out of print figure that's been bootlegged without having to worry about whether it's the real deal, because it is. They are a retail chain of stores that solely deal in preowned otaku items of all types, like doujin. If you're looking for a rare figure, mandarake is your best shot at getting it for a decent price. The downside is it will be preowned, but most preowned Japenese figures are in very good shape. I've bought dozens of them and haven't had any major problems with any of them. If there's any real damage to a figure beyond quality control issues they will be listed in the description. Inventory moves quickly though, and new stuff is added and sold daily. It can take weeks or months of checking before an item you want finally pops up, but the hunt is part of the hobby. I would much rather wait for a figure to show up on mandarake than to just buy it for a ridiculous price on ebay and risk getting a bootleg. Mandarake has a couple of bad points though. Since they're a retail store it's possible somebody will buy your item before your order is ready. They also charge a 500 yen handling fee for orders under 5,000 yen. And they only do registered sal, so that's 410 yen more than unregistered sal. You also can't combine shipping with items from different stores. It can also be hard to find the item your're looking for in English. You will often have to search by the english character and company name, but those are easy to grab from myfigurecollection.net. But despite these negatives they're a great store.
Last year amiami started selling preowned figures too. Generally they're more expensive than mandarake, but not always. But they have a good selection and get new stock in dailyi. I buy preowned items from them often, and they're always in great shape. I prefer them over Mandarake for cheaper items like figmas and nendoroids because there's no handling fee and you can get unregistered sal, both of those combined will save you 910 yen over mandarake.
This place is kind of like Amazon in that they have 3rd party sellers and don't sell things themselves. I have only bought from them a couple of times, but haven't had any trouble. Like Mandarake I have better luck finding items searching with Japanese names. Bootlegs are possible, but being in Japan they are less likely than ebay. These 2 shops have good reputations and should be safe though.
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/auc-terraformer/
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/surugaya-a-too/
They're a preowned retail shop like mandarake. I've never used them, as their prices and selection don't seem to be as good as mandarake. But if you're looking for something, might want to check to see if they have it.
For more reading check out Moro's guides on MFC. They really helped me out when I started collecting, and they cover more stores than I do. (I also stole the logos from there)
http://myfigurecollection.net/blog/2196
http://myfigurecollection.net/blog/2212
http://myfigurecollection.net/blog/2253
http://myfigurecollection.net/blog/2276
http://myfigurecollection.net/blog/2296
A great part of the hobby is talking with other collectors, and reading about the never ending stream of money black holes. For that here's a couple of my favorite sites.
Ohnoraptors tumblr (potentially nsfw)
She searches all the japanese blogs and sites so you don't have to! Uploads constantly throughout the day, I don't know how she does it. But this has become my go to source for new pics, as she seems to beat everybody. She also answers questions from people and has a great sense of humor.
Frequently updated, but slower on new pics than ohnoraptors, but with more info, links, and editorializing. They do some reviews too.
Destructoid sister site. Like Plastikitty they have news and reviews. They also cover western figures and vinyl toys.
Tentacle Armada (potentially nsfw)
Doesn't update very often, but has some fantastic reviews when it does. And I love the site's motto "Things that make me happy." Isn't that why we collect?
My Figure Collection
Massive database of almost every known Japanese manufactured figure. Great site to keep track of your collection, look up tons of pictures of figures and entire collections, read about comments or problems with figures. If I'm trying to find certain releases by a It's really a great community resource, and there's a neogaf group too!
They also have a classified ads section that I would personally stay away from. Prices aren't good, and I've read way too many stories of users scamming other users. At least on ebay you can do a paypal chargeback if you get scammed.
This site is a godsend when trying to find sold out figures. It will let you set up alerts for when shops restock items, or when mandarake or amiami stock a preowned item.
Kotobukiya's bishoujo line is gateway drug for a lot of collectors, getting a lot of people interested in the hobby, and are very popular. Based on the artwork of Shunya Yamashita, they put a Japanese twist on American characters in a way that really works. They break a lot of the rules for figures. They're mostly based on Western characters. The first line was based on female Marvel comics characters, which later expanded to DC comics, Mass Effect, Star Wars, and other American movies. Though the current Tekken figures and upcoming Street Fighter figures are of Japanese origins. They're massively produced, meaning they're often available for months or years after release, (though most eventually do sell out and skyrocket in price), they're well distributed in the US, and because of this they're the few figures I would recommend buying from Amazon or even Ebay. As far as I can tell they've also never been bootlegged, even though some of them sell for well over $250. You can usually buy them on amazon for free super saver shipping for around, $50 and sometimes less. Do not buy these from Japanese shops as you'll just end up overpaying. Patience is a virtue, and you're better off waiting for amazon to stock them.
Trading Figures
These are small figures, usually less than 3 inches tall, that come in blind boxes. Buying a box will not guarantee you a full set, and you're supposed to trade your doubles to get the ones you're missing, hence the name.
Prize Figures
These figures are prizes in Claw crane/UFO Catcher machines. They aren't meant to be sold in retail, but shops will sometimes make preorders available in very limited quantities. Mandarake is a great source for these once they're in the wild.. They are cheaper than regular figures, usually around 1,000-1,500 yen, and as a result are noticeably lower quality. But they can be a cheap way to grow your collection, and some can still look pretty good.
Exclusive Figures
Exclusive figures are figures that are sold exclusively through a company's online shop or at events. They can be unique figures, but often they are recolors or variants. They usually aren't available to order by people outside Japan, and you don't get any preorder discounts and always sell for MSRP. Collectors hate exclusives because they are so much more expensive than most other figures, and because of their relative rarity can be very expensive to buy after release. Good Smile Company is one of the few shops that will make exclusives available to buy outside of Japan, but they only ship by EMS, making things very expensive.
Where can I buy this figure that was released years ago and is sold out everywhere?
If you want it fast and don't mind paying a lot, plamoya.com, amazon or ebay will almost always have any figure in stock, usually at ridiculous prices. You also need to be wary of bootlegs on amazon and ebay (not on plamoya). So this is not my preferred choice. If you don't mind waiting so you can get a much cheaper deal, make frequent searches on amiami or mandarake until it pops up. Or better yet, setup an alert on figinstock that will send you an email when your item is in stock. And remember to search on mandarake with both English and Japanese names.
Where can I buy this figure that hasn't been released yet but preorders are sold out everywhere?
Amiami will usually open up orders for most figures after their release date as some people that preordered will end up not paying. They will also continue getting small amounts of new stock even weeks after release, but these always sell out fast. Setting up an alert on figinstock is a great way to catch these periodic restocks.
When is this figure going on sale?
We don't know. At most we might get a few days notice before preorders go up. If you really want to preorder something as soon as it's available keep on eye on figure blogs, or subscribe to the comments on MFC. While an up coming figure can go weeks without comments, there's usually a flurry of activity once a preorder date is announced. The prototype status of a figure is an indicator of how long before it'll be available for sale. If all we have is concept art, the preorder date can be 6 months or even a year away. If we have an unpainted prototype, the preorder date is still months away. Usually once we see a painted prototype it means preorders will come soon, but there have been waits of months between seeing a fully painted prototype and preorders starting.
What's the best place to buy a Kotobukiya Bishoujo figure?
Amazon, as long as it's below $60. With free super saver shipping and large discounts this is really the best place to buy a bishoujo figure that's not too old. Once it sells out here from the cheaper sellers, the price will start rising everywhere else. At that point I usually use shopping search engines to find smaller comic shops that might still have them for sale at MSRP. I've found figures for $60 that are nearing $100 on ebay. Once those all sold out, you can buy from ebay, as these haven't been counterfeited. Bidding auctions for bishoujos are common, and if you keep trying you can sometimes score a good deal. Also a lot of bishoujo figures aren't as popular in Japan and you can buy them preowned from amiami or mandarake cheaper than American sites.
It says this figure is "For sale in Japan only." Can I still buy it?
Yes. Ignore that warning, it is not enforced. If it's listed on a Japanese shop's English page you can buy it. Stuff that really can't be sold outside Japan won't show up on the English side of the site.
What figures have been released from [anime/game/manga/light novel]?
Search on MFC. It will list the origins of every figure, and will let you search for figures from the same origin.
Why hasn't my tracking # updated for so long?
Tracking #s are pretty useless outside of Japan. It's not uncommon for the tracking to not update at all once the item leaves Japan until after it's been delivered. They mainly exist for peace of mind and for insurance purposes.
How do they make these things?
The Goodsmile Company blog did a series showing how they are made. You can check that out here.
What is a garage kit?
Garage kits are unpainted, unassembled resin figures. They are usually sold in limited quantities at events like Wonder Festival. Sometimes a company will produce complete mass produced versions of popular garage kits, but this is not guaranteed.
When choosing a shipping method there's 2 main considerations, time and money. You can choose an expensive option and get your item within a few days, or choose a cheaper option and get it in a few weeks. From quickest to slowest these are your options.
Express Mail Service (EMS)
Top priority. Very quick, tracked, insured, and expensive. Some figures can only be shipped this way due to their box size. 2-5 Day delivery time.
Price range is 1,200 (.3 kg) to 14,000 (10 kg) depending on weight.z
Airmail
Fast, includes tracking, and insurance, but weight caps at 2 kg. Less expensive than EMS. Prices range from 940 (.3 kg) to 3,070 (2 kg). 3-6 Day delivery time.
SAL Small Packet:
Cheaper than both previous options, and takes 1-3 weeks to arrive. Also capped at 2kg and 90cm for combined height + width + length. Comes in two types, registered and unregistered. Registered is not any faster, but provides tracking and insurance for 410 yen more. Price ranges from 380 to 2,080, adding 410 yen for registered.
[Avoid this during the holidays unless you're ok waiting for over a month for your stuff. Due to the high volume of mail between November and January it's advised you choose EMS or Airmail unless you are very patient.
SAL Parcel
Worst method. Slow and expensive, don't choose this one ever.
]
