Overpriced Figures in Stores: Better to buy Online

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

I went to a store today in Manhattan that just happened to sell Godzilla. According to reviews, they knew what they had and would make a fair deal, so I looked at Bandai's 1999 Gamera with Vanishing Fist. On eBay, you can find the same figure for a decent price of $40-$50. THEY WANTED IT FOR $150. What has society gone to? I looked at a vintage Showa Gamera and Gyaos from 1990s and said they wanted $100 a piece.Meanwhile, they are dirt cheap on eBay, etc.

[ZigraDude]

Sometimes, online shops can rip you off too. Toy Wiz has ridiculous prices for Godzilla figures.
http://www.toywiz.com/bluegodzilla.html
http://www.toywiz.com/gislandboxset.html
http://www.toywiz.com/mechagodzilla.html

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

That's why we are down to eBay, Tempting Toys, and Clawmark for good figures mainly

[leunames]

I went to a store today in Manhattan that just happened to sell Godzilla. According to reviews, they knew what they had and would make a fair deal, so I looked at Bandai's 1999 Gamera with Vanishing Fist. On eBay, you can find the same figure for a decent price of $40-$50. THEY WANTED IT FOR $150. What has society gone to? I looked at a vintage Showa Gamera and Gyaos from 1990s and said they wanted $100 a piece.Meanwhile, they are dirt cheap on eBay, etc.

sellers on ebay don't need to pay Manhattan retail rent of $500/square foot downtown.

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

I understand the expensive rent for stores in Manhattan, but the guy still had plenty of other crap in his store like Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR and Alien. I don't think he needs to put up those figures over 3 times than what they are worth. The store looked brand new and etc, and what was really sad was that they only had ONE figure less than $20 in that store, and that was Bandai Japan's 2007 reissue of 1954 Godzilla

[leunames]

I understand the expensive rent for stores in Manhattan, but the guy still had plenty of other crap in his store like Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR and Alien. I don't think he needs to put up those figures over 3 times than what they are worth. The store looked brand new and etc, and what was really sad was that they only had ONE figure less than $20 in that store, and that was Bandai Japan's 2007 reissue of 1954 Godzilla

well if we're thinking of the same store it just recently moved to that location in the past few months. Take issue with their prices but there's no denying that people are buying stuff. I only buy stuff from there that I absolutely can't find anywhere else anyway, which they actually do have.

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

I went to Toy Tokyo by NYU on 2nd Ave and East 6th

[Legion1979]

That's the only "Godzilla" store that's really around anymore in my area. I only go there for impulse buys since I agree their prices are high.

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

I thought that there were places in Chinatown. When I was ten I went there 5 years ago , I went to a store that had GMK Baragon, Mothra, SOS Kiryu+Godzilla, and more, yet I was stubborn and was looking for GMK Ghidorah and lost the chance of buying some good figures. Still wierd that they had only one cheap Bandai in stock unless the Japanese girl lied at Toy Tokyo

[howze01]

I looked at a vintage Showa Gamera and Gyaos from 1990s and said they wanted $100 a piece.Meanwhile, they are dirt cheap on eBay, etc.

OK, $100 might be a bit much but I haven't seen the Showa Gyaos and Gamera for "dirt cheap" in a long time. The Gyaos especially is a really hard to find figure with the tag. That was the last of the 8" Gamera's that I found and it took me about 10 years to find it.

That's why we are down to eBay, Tempting Toys, and Clawmark for good figures mainly

Really? Tempting Toys has some of the highest prices around. If you ask me, eBay is the way to go. I have only had 1 problem in the 100+ figures I have bought off of eBay. I have bought a few from Tempting Toys too. Their prices can be really good on some things and a bit on others. I do have to say that it IS nice to be able to go into a store and see some nice figures. I haven't had that experience since Outer Limits here in NJ closed up.

[leunames]

I thought that there were places in Chinatown. When I was ten I went there 5 years ago , I went to a store that had GMK Baragon, Mothra, SOS Kiryu+Godzilla, and more, yet I was stubborn and was looking for GMK Ghidorah and lost the chance of buying some good figures. Still wierd that they had only one cheap Bandai in stock unless the Japanese girl lied at Toy Tokyo

yeah toy tokyo recently moved there. There was another store around the corner from their former location called J1toy that had the contemporary bandai releases. They were priced ok.

There used to be a store called "wah kue, co." on mott street that was awesome. I got many of my Bandais there and to this day regret passing on kamakiras, mothra larva 92 for $9.90 each. The store you're thinking about was probably the one on lafayette between canal and howard. they closed up a while ago. There aren't many places left in Manhattan that sell Godzilla other than misc comic and anime shops that have all the same stock of 6" figures.

And believe me, having grown up in Manhattan, i've had the time and ability to look for them all.

Outer Limits in NJ was another great store. They had Godzilla Forever figures hanging off of pegs. That store was amazing.

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

I thought that there were places in Chinatown. When I was ten I went there 5 years ago , I went to a store that had GMK Baragon, Mothra, SOS Kiryu+Godzilla, and more, yet I was stubborn and was looking for GMK Ghidorah and lost the chance of buying some good figures. Still wierd that they had only one cheap Bandai in stock unless the Japanese girl lied at Toy Tokyo

yeah toy tokyo recently moved there. There was another store around the corner from their former location called J1toy that had the contemporary bandai releases. They were priced ok.

There used to be a store called "wah kue, co." on mott street that was awesome. I got many of my Bandais there and to this day regret passing on kamakiras, mothra larva 92 for $9.90 each. The store you're thinking about was probably the one on lafayette between canal and howard. they closed up a while ago. There aren't many places left in Manhattan that sell Godzilla other than misc comic and anime shops that have all the same stock of 6" figures.

And believe me, having grown up in Manhattan, i've had the time and ability to look for them all.

Outer Limits in NJ was another great store. They had Godzilla Forever figures hanging off of pegs. That store was amazing.

I live in Brooklyn, and I feel the same way. I believe that there is a place not far from the cityn in long Island. It's called Kaiju Collectables (they have an eBay page). I got GMK Ghidorah($45) and Megaguirus(Was $85) from there. Is that place by Toy Tokyo's old location still around. I also think that the place i went to in Chinatown was on Elizabeth Street or something, but I do not know if they are around anymore.

[leunames]

I thought that there were places in Chinatown. When I was ten I went there 5 years ago , I went to a store that had GMK Baragon, Mothra, SOS Kiryu+Godzilla, and more, yet I was stubborn and was looking for GMK Ghidorah and lost the chance of buying some good figures. Still wierd that they had only one cheap Bandai in stock unless the Japanese girl lied at Toy Tokyo

yeah toy tokyo recently moved there. There was another store around the corner from their former location called J1toy that had the contemporary bandai releases. They were priced ok.

There used to be a store called "wah kue, co." on mott street that was awesome. I got many of my Bandais there and to this day regret passing on kamakiras, mothra larva 92 for $9.90 each. The store you're thinking about was probably the one on lafayette between canal and howard. they closed up a while ago. There aren't many places left in Manhattan that sell Godzilla other than misc comic and anime shops that have all the same stock of 6" figures.

And believe me, having grown up in Manhattan, i've had the time and ability to look for them all.

Outer Limits in NJ was another great store. They had Godzilla Forever figures hanging off of pegs. That store was amazing.

I also think that the place i went to in Chinatown was on Elizabeth Street or something, but I do not know if they are around anymore.

i went there last year that store is still there. Selection is quite poor though. That's literally 1 street over from the exact location where wah kue used to be.

[Legion1979]

The mid '80s through the mid '90s were the best times to be shopping for kaiju in NYC (Forbidden Planet, Zakka, Image) and the nearby Jersey area (Pony Toys, Outer Limits). Nothing today can compare to that.

[Godz]

I looked at a vintage Showa Gamera and Gyaos from 1990s and said they wanted $100 a piece.Meanwhile, they are dirt cheap on eBay, etc.

OK, $100 might be a bit much but I haven't seen the Showa Gyaos and Gamera for "dirt cheap" in a long time. The Gyaos especially is a really hard to find figure with the tag. That was the last of the 8" Gamera's that I found and it took me about 10 years to find it.

That's why we are down to eBay, Tempting Toys, and Clawmark for good figures mainly

Really? Tempting Toys has some of the highest prices around. If you ask me, eBay is the way to go. I have only had 1 problem in the 100+ figures I have bought off of eBay. I have bought a few from Tempting Toys too. Their prices can be really good on some things and a bit on others. I do have to say that it IS nice to be able to go into a store and see some nice figures. I haven't had that experience since Outer Limits here in NJ closed up.

Somebody at G-Fest this year had about 15 of those Gaos figures for $30 each. No tag, but still in great condition, I picked one up.

I agree that Tempting Toys is a bit much. Clawmark can be as well though on some things. My buying preference is

1 - Chibi Goji Toys
2- eBay
3 - Clawmark

[leunames]

The mid '80s through the mid '90s were the best times to be shopping for kaiju in NYC (Forbidden Planet, Zakka, Image) and the nearby Jersey area (Pony Toys, Outer Limits). Nothing today can compare to that.

All those NYC stores are still here today, but of course shadows of their former selves and in zakka's case, they've moved so many times their selection shrinks more and more each time.

Children of Paradise was aptly named. That store was heavenly. Also a vintage toy shop in the west village that had a killer collection of hawaiian and standard bullmarks (Hedorah, Megalon, Anguirus, MG, Gorosaurus, assorted Godzillas) and several Marusan Gorosauri. Went back there the following month....all gone.

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

I think what also screwed up my visit there was that I was looking for a cheap Bandai Gigan(showa), Gamera(Hesei), and Gyaos(Hesei), which I thought would be in stock saying how many there are out there. Still wierd how their only cheap toy ws 1954 Godzilla, and they stated that they were out of stock on all the other cheap figures. I understand that they would not have Revoltech Baragon, Y-MSF Megalon, and Ultra Act (0r good Bandai) Gomora I wanted, but that was sad how they had no cheap Movie Monster Series figures. Are there any better places in the city instead, or is Toy Tokyo the real last one? How bad was the Chinatown place's selection and would they have those figures or could I find those figures in NYC?

[leunames]

I think what also screwed up my visit there was that I was looking for a cheap Bandai Gigan(showa), Gamera(Hesei), and Gyaos(Hesei), which I thought would be in stock saying how many there are out there. Still wierd how their only cheap toy ws 1954 Godzilla, and they stated that they were out of stock on all the other cheap figures. I understand that they would not have Revoltech Baragon, Y-MSF Megalon, and Ultra Act (0r good Bandai) Gomora I wanted, but that was sad how they had no cheap Movie Monster Series figures. Are there any better places in the city instead, or is Toy Tokyo the real last one? How bad was the Chinatown place's selection and would they have those figures or could I find those figures in NYC?

Chinatown is really lacking now. THe one on elizabeth street had about 2 pegs for figures when I went, all dominated by x-aliens from Final Wars. YOu could try image anime but i haven't been there in years. Zakka in dumbo also has a small section for Godzilla figures, and I guess they are moderately priced (purchased the 8" SOS GOdzilla from them last year for $29). Other than those you would be hard pressed to find cheap figures for "cheap." Honestly I would order those figures online. They are easier to find, less expensive, and even with shipping it could turn out cheaper than paying tax and subway fees.

Since you're in BK check out zakka. the store proprietor is really nice, and his memory is sharp as hell. the last thing i bought from him was when I bought the super big scale meltdown godzilla in 1996. I went last year and he still remembered me and asked if I still collected Godzilla toys. may not be cheap anymore and the selection may be small, but sometimes it's good just to have a conversation.

[GodzillaXGomoraFight]

Thanks. I could probably check out the placein dumbo or zakka. The only thing is that I doubt that they would have Revoltech Baragon, Ultra Act Gomora, or Y-MSF Megalon since even on eBay mojority of them are all in Japan, Hong Kong, or Singapore. By cheap, I meant about $15-$20 a piece for Gigan, Gamera, Gyaos

[JVM]

Frankly, ALL Godzilla toys are overpriced to some degree, especially if you're a young up-and-coming collector. And really, just look at the Bandai Creation figures. Those pieces of shit go for a good $20 online, but they're not even worth the $12 most stores sell them for.