This is where wallets come to die.
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1450 No. 1450 [Edit]
I think we work best as otaku when working in solidarity, as a community, so we aren't taken advantage of.

That said, I have started this thread to see what we can teach each other about collecting animerch like figs, plush, swingers and other collectable merch, and how much we SHOULD be paying for these kinds of things.

When we make a purchase, we talk about the purchase we made, how good the seller was, how much we payed for it, where it shipped from, how prompt the shipping was, and if we feel that we were ripped off or the merchandise was bootleg. Also, before making a purchase, discussing the pros and cons of buying from that retailer.

I would like to start off with a purchase I have been putting off until Friday, when I have money for it. It's a Miku Gift Nendoroid plush:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MUBAKA/ref=ord_cart_shr

This was $45 last week, then $54, until hours ago, when the price went up to stupid levels. I am NOT paying that much for something that was just below $50.

So, I looked at my options:
First would be buying the "like new" one for $45, which I am afraid of risking.

Second is buying from PlayAsia:
http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-91-77-d-49-en-70-3jq9.html
My issue there is, do I trust them? Is there a chance that I will get a bootleg, printed-on-eyes, gigantic chin, needles-still-imbedded-inside sweatshop piece of crap? Is PlayAsia dependable?

Second option is from eBay, which has been selling this thing straight after buying from Amazon.com. This is the cheapest I can find:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350479592252&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en#ht_2549wt_698
Also afraid if Singapore is as retarded as Hong Kong with this kind of thing.

My main question is: Buy "like new" from Amazon or buy from PlayAsia?
>> No. 1451 [Edit]
Play-Asia is completely dependable. I've never heard of anyone having a bad experience with them.
>> No. 1452 [Edit]
I always buy on eBay. Great place once you learn who to navigate it. First rule is to NEVER buy from a dealer that isn't American or Japanese. Get a Japanese one when possible. And if it's too good to be true, it is. There are VERY rare exceptions (I got a steal for Rei by WAVE from a Chinese seller), but don't risk it unless you are 99% sure the guy is legit (Google is your friend). Also, ALWAYS look through the negative reviews to see if there are reports of fakes. Ask for pictures of the actual product you will be receiving if worried. If the seller refuses, end all business with them. They have no reason to refuse such a simple request.

There was a list of sellers who were confirmed for authentic or bootlegger that I used which I lost. I will try to dig it up again.
>> No. 1453 [Edit]
>>1451
Seconding this, although I've only bought from them twice and one of my packages that I ordered was pretty beat up on the outside (the actual product itself was in good condition though, so fuck it) I'd say my experience with Play-Asia has been pretty good.
>> No. 1455 [Edit]
Most ebay sellers are legit tbh. Just check seller's feedback and see if there is anything suspicious. Myself I've bought four items from ebay(all from different sellers) and all of them came in time, expect one is still being shipped, but I am 99% it will come here.

Ebay is great place to find items that are sold out.
>> No. 1456 [Edit]
>>1451
>>1453
Agreeing with this, Playasia is my favorite place to import games and figs from. I've bought shitloads of stuff from them, I have some coupons if you want.
>> No. 1457 [Edit]
>>1452
I've bought a lot of stuff from HK sellers on ebay since theyre almost always the cheapest. Bootlegs are only a concern for some figures (nendoroids, figmas, certain statues etc.)
>> No. 1458 [Edit]
What a good Idea OP. I would say there's 2 types of "stores" obviously. The auction type, like eBay, and the Merch store type, like playasia or something like HLJ.

I myself usually buy things on eBay. The reason being because 99.99 percent of the time, the feedback will reflect what the seller is like, whether he sells bootlegs or not, etc. I never import from Hong Kong just because of bad experience and lack of authority eBay or customs has over them.

In the U.S. and Japan, if you ask a seller whether a figure is bootleg, they must answer honestly, or will have to pay for the return shipping and return your money if it is bootleg. I'm not sure where this rule is stated, but I know it exists on collectibles. And if a seller explicitly states they don't sell any bootlegs in a description, it's because it's true. I don't know why, but it is like that.

For this specific case, I'v never used Amazon, so i don't know if it works as an auction type or merch store type, but I recommend getting things like plushies at eBay or maybe at a convention if you can.

Edit: For example, some of you may know that Clayz Konata 1/8th scale figure of her in school uniform, with the cat and cornet in the figure? The lowest price on eBay is usually 130 dollars plus shipping, just because the figure is so rare. Yesterday I won an auction that an american seller was having for the figure because his store ran out of business. I ended up winning the figure for 31 dollars plush 10 shipping.

Yep, completely legitimate figure, for 90 dollars less. eBay has some great deals if you stalk it once in a while.

Post edited on 23rd Aug 2011, 2:34am
>> No. 1459 [Edit]
>>1457
Precisely. I'm a big figma fan (pretty much all my small collection consists of), and I'm even considering getting a nendoroid. My next purchase will be at Hobby Search. The place seems to have good deals for guaranteed authentic figures.

I couldn't find that list of confirmed eBay bootleggers. Something must have happened to that site. It was two years ago, and I had a feeling the place would go under. So instead here is a link to a thread discussing bootlegs, which as a link to a site that has a rather large blacklist of anime music CD bootleggers. The link inside this link will probably be of more interest, since the discussion is about sellers at Anime Expo. And maybe others, I only lightly skimmed the thread.

http://www2.anime-expo.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=13571

>>1458
I've never trusted Amazon (and thus never bought from them). I'm not sure why, it just seems like it would be easier to bootleg there, maybe? I'm just suspicious of the place when it comes to anime figures.
>> No. 1461 [Edit]
>>1459
Amazon has worse punishments to its users when they do something wrong. Also almost never see anyone from outside the US selling on Amazon, so there's that.

I see so much worse daily on eBay, to be honest.
>> No. 1462 [Edit]
>>1461
I got banned once on ebay for selling counterfits of an item I never clamed the item to be, made sure to specify who the maker was and everything, even listed it in a fitting category for for the make, (the make which they said it was a copy of has it's own)
It was complete BS, but they have a "we don't care" policy.
After doing a lot of reading up on it, I learn that the only way to clear the ban was to wait it out, or contact the guy that reported my stuff as bootleg and convince him.. that he's a fucking blind moron.
I ended up waiting it out for a month or so, and to be able to resell again, they made me take this stupid tedious and insulting as hell test thing, most of which being questions that just say not to sell copyright bs, heavily implying I did so, and should feel bad for it.
What pissed me off the most about it, was that ebay completly ignores the ass tons of people that sell bootleg stuff out of china (like figs)
but aperinly, they only allow the copyrights holder to report items or some crap like that, meaning people that should get banned and forced to do that shit, don't, because copyright holders of Japanese things aren't going to be reporting anything on ebay any time soon.
What's more, I tried looking into ways of blocking chines sellers from search results, since almost all their crap is bootleg, and I found many of ebay users want and ask for the same thing, but it seems the guys running ebay are stupid duckweed's about it that wont put an end to it.
in looking that up, I leaned that many hongkong sellers pose as being British.
so you may want to keep a eye out.

>>1455
I'm sorry but that's very far from the truth, maybe western sells, but scams and ripoffs are everywhere on ebay.
You say you're bought four items from ebay from different sellers?
Try 250+
I've bought items which sellers never shipped, I'd wait two months, get nothing, ask where the item is, and in the case of the last time this happened, they replied by just saying they aren't going to send it and would send a refund, two weeks latter, no refund and I had to open a dispute case about it.
I remember one close call a few years back, I bought a game off this guy selling bunch of new games for decent prices, and the games were legit and all, but once he got a decent feedback score for it, he sold a crap-ton of em and never sent em out, closed his account and ran off.
There are people out there they'll sell you a photo of an item you think t=you're getting.
people that sell you info on where to buy an item you think you're buying.
the list goes on and on.

I've also had half a dozen people buy my stuff but never pay for it.
>> No. 1466 [Edit]
>>1462
I know what you are saying, and it just goes to show how much eBay has changed since it came about. I guess the major thing is all the sellers who took advantage of the customers, and this made eBay's policies drastically change from being balanced to the "customer is always right" mentality.

However, my experiences with Hong Kong sellers were as follows: Order one Nendoroid, payment was accepted but the order never shipped. The seller de-registered (or was banned) and my order was never shipped.

Got refunded through a paypal claim, which I used to buy another nendo, which ended up being a very smelly bootleg. So that ended my dealings with China.

UPDATE ON MY DECISION: So the less expensive plush has been re-listed, turns out it was a typical "if I put only x in stock, people will buy faster" lie.

I also contacted the seller of the like New Miku, and she said that it was an impulse purchase and she ended up buying two. It may be a bit dusty and is missing the original tag. Also her name is Katherine. The good one, with a K.

While I like the idea of adoption I am torn between buying a new one for ten dollars more or buying an opened one for less, but having her as an adopted plush. What should I do?
>> No. 1467 [Edit]
>>1466
you could always try to pretend the used one is new.
>> No. 1543 [Edit]
Hey guys. i need some advice please. I fell in love with this great oreimo poster, and see a couple of sellers, but am a bit wary about buying from overseas. Here are the options:

1. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Little-Sister-Kirino-Ruri-OreImo-Anime-39-Poster-188-/290586092420?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLV
I%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D2748573704600468685#ht_2051wt_1106

From Australia supposedly and around 14 dollars.

2. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oreimo-Aru-Majutsu-no-Index-poster-long-anime-/370511438521?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%
3D63%26clkid%3D2748669778515317286#ht_958wt_1037

From osaka, but for 24 dollars

3. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oreimo-ore-no-imouto-To-aru-Majutsu-Index-poster-Kirino-/180720988689?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3
DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D2748680334536312366#ht_760wt_1037

For around 21, from Taiwan

4. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Little-Sister-Kirino-Ruri-OreImo-Anime-39-Poster-188C-/200645381054?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DL
VI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D2748695173659945664#ht_3610wt_1270

For 9.45 flat, but from Hong Kong.


I want ot avoid getting a blurry poster and such, that is why I am not sure which country would be best to choose (obviously Japan, but its so damn expensive) Any advice bros?
>> No. 1544 [Edit]
>>1543
I know seller from Taiwan is trustworty. I've bought one poster from him before and it was fine.

Also note: is the first item actually same item than in others? Others are double sided posters, while in first link there is no mention about being double sided.
>> No. 1583 [Edit]
Does anyone know if there are online sellser besides Mandarake that are willing to 'lower the price' when they ship. It would be really useful as I thi nk import taxes are quite high (~20%).
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