Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Where to buy Gunpla/Plamo (and Figures!)

There are many places on the internet to buy models, but since there are so many places, it can be hard to know what places are legit or have good prices. This post will go over places that I have purchased from or know people that have purchased from them. Personally, these sites have given me satisfactory to amazing results.

Although I originally wrote this post with model kits in mind, many of the stores are great places to get figures as well since they do stock both.

Since a lot of online stores are based in Japan, I will separate the Japanese and US based stores.

 

Last Update: 9/7/13

 

Shipping Methods:

EMS: Express Mail Shipping
Fastest and most expensive shipping method. Includes tracking, delivery confirmation, and insurance for up to 20,000JPY. Estimated delivery time is 4-7 days.

FedEx
Price calculated by volume as opposed to weight. Can be cheaper than EMS, has the same services and estimated delivery time as well.

DHL
A little cheaper than EMS, has the same services and estimated delivery time as well.

Air Mail
Never used this service but it includes tracking(?), delivery confirmation, and insurance up to 6,000JPY. Estimated delivery time is 1-2 weeks.

USAL: Unregistered Surface Air Mail 
Slowest shipping method. No tracking, delivery confirmation, nor insurance. Has size and weight restrictions. Estimated delivery time of 2-5 weeks.

RSAL: Registered Surface Air Mail
Exactly the same as SAL except with tracking, delivery confirmation, and insurance for up to 6,000JPY. Costs about 500JPY more than USAL. Well worth the peace of mind, in some cases.

 

Useful links 

  • Japan Post - For tracking and price calculation 
  • Hobby Search's EMS and USAL Shipping Rate Charts
  • Fig In Stock  - Receive email notifications for the search terms you select on Mandarake and AmiAmi preowned. This is a great way to find rarer figures or models, as well as score some good deals. Use the search term that you would normally use to find the item on the respective site. For more search terms in Japanese, check the Mandarake section. This is by far one of my favorite tools as it has helped me score some great deals as well as find some figs that are hard to come by.

Japanese Sellers:

Online stores based in Japan, while international shipping costs can be high, the base price is a lot lower. These stores don't have the price mark up that many US stores have. I cannot think of a Japanese online store that I have bought from that does not accept Paypal, so rest assured, paying won't be an issue.

AmiAmi
In my mind, AmiAmi is the most popular of the "Big 3" for buying new models. Lowest prices of the Big 3 and very good packaging. Shipping prices are a bit higher than the others of the Big 3 but not by much. Offers EMS, Air Mail, RSAL, and USAL. They have a points system, which is good for frequent buyers. I have been shopping here the longest out of the sites listed in this post. I really like them. The only downside is cancelling. They can be flexible with cancelling preorders but they will ban your account if you do it too much in a short amount of time. Occasional cancellations are fine as long as you are polite.

Hobby Link Japan (HLJ)
Second cheapest prices of the Big 3, and quite popular among the Gunpla community due to the types of shipping they offer and their private warehouse. They offer EMS, FedEx, and USAL. The private warehouse service they offer basically lets you store and choose when to ship out your items after you have paid for the item. Another nice feature is that HLJ lists the size and weight of item on the item's page and in the checkout menu, the price of shipping is show. The combination of these things are very good for optimizing shipping prices.They also have the easiest cancelling methods for any type of order. Orders can be cancelled anytime before you are invoiced through the My Account menu or by email if you do receive the invoice. Only downside is that processing times can be slow.

1999.co.jp AKA Hobby Search
AKA Hobby Search
Last of the Big 3, not as popular with the Gunpla community as far as I know. While they are pretty average as far as prices go, they offer the most magazines and art books out of the Big 3, which I quite like. They offer EMS and USAL. They have a points system as well. My last resort if I REALLY want a new release and everywhere else is sold out. They list the item's dimensions and have the best picture sets as well.

Mandarake
I love Mandarake. They sell "second hand" products - literally, items that have been previously bought and owned by another individual. By "second hand," that usually means minor damage to the box; runners will always be sealed. And I mean minor. It's usually a bit of damage to the corners or border. For figures, if there is any visible damage to the item, it will usually reflect in the price. Since the items are "second hand," the prices are lower than any of the Big 3. They have many different physical storefronts throughout Japan, so items can only be combined with items from the same store. There is a 500JPY fee for any order less than 5,000JPY. They offer EMS, DHL, and RSAL. They have very good customer service as well. When making an order, you can also ask in the comment section for a quote on the cost of each shipping method.
Note: When searching, for best results, use Japanese, although sometime English can net different results. To get you started: バンダイ  (Bandai), ガンダム mg/hg/rg/pg (Gundam mg/hg/rg/pg), ガンプラ (gunpla), プラモ (plamo), ROBOT魂 (Robot Damashii), コトブキヤ (Kotobukiya), HMM, ゾイド (Zoids).
Use Google for anything else.

Rakuten
Similar to Amazon Marketplace, this is basically a place where various sellers can list their items in one neat location. Prices can be good to average. A good place to find special kits, such as magazine inserts or limited edition kits. They have a great points system and do special shipping events for international buyers.
Stores:
Surugaya-a-too: Amazing selection, as well as good prices. Their stuff is either new or slightly box damaged. They are slow to get your invoice to you, about 3-7 days, so email them after 4 or so days. On the plus side, once payment is received, they process orders extremely fast. I got a shipping notice in about a day after I paid. They only do EMS but their packing is very secure. Expect to get a lot of bubble wrap!
Auc-Terraformer: Awesome customer service, they keep you updated on every step of your order and are very fast to ship out orders. The selection of models is great and prices are very good. They offer EMS, RSAL, and USAL.

Gentei Kits
The best thing about this store is the parts services. Since replacement parts can only be ordered in Japan, this place is amazing for getting parts. It costs 180JPY per part and 380~JPY for shipping. Some larger or specialized parts will cost more. They also sell Bandai online exclusives. The favorite and only parts service of the English gunpla community as far as I am aware. Their packaging is great as well.

Nippon Yasan
Good for online exclusives. The shipping is a little higher than normal but the packaging is very secure.

Big In Japan
Great place to get online exclusives, Bandai or otherwise. They also have an amazing forwarding service. Basically if you need a Japanese address to ship to, they will receive you package for you and ship it to you all for the low price of 500JPY. Of course you will have to pay for the international shipping costs to get the package to your address. Repacking is also offered. Although, take note, you will need to make the order yourself, so knowledge of Japanese (or machine translation) is required to navigate the Japanese sites and make the initial order.

Yokatta Shopping Service
A proxy service that does all the work for you. Simply send them the link to the item you want and they will order it for you. Only costs 700JPY for normal online orders. 700JPY+10% of item's final value for auction orders. Repacking is also offered.

US Sellers:

Naturally the base price of US sellers will be higher due importing their stock but depending on the value of the Yen, amount ordered, and size/weight of the item(s), it can be better to buy from these sites. 

Hobby Wave
$12 flat rate shipping and good prices. They are also good for supplies such as spray cans and Mr. Color. I noticed that they do slightly adjust their prices based on the strength of the Yen, which is a huge plus.

Gundam Planet
$10 flat rate shipping. Prices are a little higher than Hobby Wave but the paint supplies are cheaper.

Tatsu Hobby
One of my new favorite stores. The selection on their site may not seem that big but if you email them, they are more than willing to try to get specific items for you. The do stock Mr. Color and Gaianotes, which is a plus as well. A lot of people in the Bay Area love these guys because of the ability to schedule a pick (they don't have a physical store front), which can save a lot on shipping fees. The owner is also a pretty cool guy.

KotoUS
Kotobukiya's official US site. I am really glad that Kotobukiya made their own site because they offer Japanese web exclusives here - the price is even the same as the Japanese site! Shipping prices are good. Again, really happy that Kotobukiya is making their products more accessable to the US.

Model Grade
Pretty good supply of popular models and a small selection of Mr. Color. Free shipping on orders over $150. They also offer group preorder deals through Reddit. They are located near Sacramento, California and offer free local drop off.

Kirin Hobby
A great site with a wide variety of figures and good supply of Kotobukiya models.

Plamo Hunter
An interesting site, they put their items in rotation at a discounted price. You have 20 minutes per item starting at the top of the hour. Some nice things can be found here such as magazines with exclusives or limited edition kits.

Big Bad Toy Store
Prices are bit on the higher side as far as US sellers go but they do stock Bandai online exclusives, which is very nice.

ROBOT4LESS
Decent store - prices are a bit high. I mainly like this store because it is located in California, so I get my shipment in a couple days.

Amazon Marketplace
A mixed bag. Prices can be good and shipping low but it varies a lot by seller and the time of year. Plenty of Robot Spirits and Frame Arms here as well, with decent price tags. Great option for those of you with Amazon Prime.

eBay
Again, a mixed bag. Most of the time it is resellers but occasionally good deals will pop up. A good eye and bit of luck can get you some really good deals. Probably the best place to get random lots of parts for kitbashing.

China/Hong Kong Sellers:

Samuel Decal (Old Site)
When you can't find official Bandai decals, or want custom designs or colors, this is the place to go. Send him an email to order - be sure to include what scale you want the decals.

Where to buy from?

If you are on the look out for the best prices, be sure to keep in mind the dimensions of the kit, weight, exchange rate, and shipping methods available. I suggest you look into local hobby shops as well.

I will add to this list as I try out more stores or hear recommendations, so be sure to come back and check! Bits and pieces of this guide has been added to /toy/'s Gunpla Guide. Check that out too!

1 comment:

  1. Wow, thanks for this golden info! Quite an education.

    ReplyDelete