Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

For the discussion of Toho toys, models, figures and other collectibles of this nature.
Post Reply
User avatar
SpaceG92
Keizer
Posts: 9400
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:33 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by SpaceG92 »

_JNavs_ wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 11:46 am So i managed to snag Keizer Ghidorah for $84, waiting for him to show up now. But supposedly he's a bit warped, what do you guys think? Easy fix? Here's the pics:
Hair dryer, rubberband and fridge it. It WILL TAKE many processes to get right but you should be able to undo the damage at the very least, partly. Dunno about the wing though,

I heard some people stuffed the lower part of Ghidorah with newpaper to stop them from bowing in and some people rubber banded the legs to get them to stand up straight and many trips to the fridge to get it to set that position. Personally I never had Keizer but just parroting what ive seen other people do.

User avatar
Mac Daddy MM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5044
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

SpaceG92 wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:35 pm I heard some people stuffed the lower part of Ghidorah with newpaper to stop them from bowing in and some people rubber banded the legs to get them to stand up straight and many trips to the fridge to get it to set that position. Personally I never had Keizer but just parroting what ive seen other people do.
I've had one of my ex's hair ties around Keizer's legs for a few years now to keep them from splitting. They were warped when I first got it (from our local lord Arbok) years ago, and this trick has fixed it and prevented them from splitting again.


Quote of the Year:
plasmabeam wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:03 am Hear me out on this. What if Godzilla is actually Suko’s father? In GvK when Godzilla defeated Kong and they were roaring at each other, what if Godzilla inseminated Kong at that moment and that’s why they were screaming?

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15853
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

Mac Daddy MM wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:08 pm
Legion1979 wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 12:29 pm
Mac Daddy MM wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 10:40 am
I will NEVER support these types of sellers, lol.
Whats wrong with this particular seller? His prices seem more than fair.
Anything over $25 for a basic MMS is way too much. And this seller is then asking for $12 shipping, bringing a single figure to just under $50. Or buy the Battra and Megaguirus for $70, plus $12 shipping. So just over $40 for each. No f'n way is that worth it.
But...the only way to get a figure like this for $25 is through a Japanese site like Hobby Link Japan or Hobby Search, where the price is an exact exchange from the Japanese yen. And then aren't you paying to ship the item from Japan anyway? That's great if that's what you want to do. I've done it too.

But......

Reputable American dealers can't do that without losing money because they need to get the items here first. It's terrific you prefer to buy from overseas Japanese stores. Wonderful. But it's rather disingenuous of you to damn American sellers across the board because they're unable to meet the prices of Japanese web sites who don't need to have their products shipped halfway across the planet before they can sell them.

I've said this before, but not every seller is Xian Toys. Some are trying to do their best to supply American collectors these items at competitive prices.

User avatar
Mac Daddy MM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5044
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

Legion1979 wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:46 pm
Mac Daddy MM wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:08 pm
Legion1979 wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 12:29 pm

Whats wrong with this particular seller? His prices seem more than fair.
Anything over $25 for a basic MMS is way too much. And this seller is then asking for $12 shipping, bringing a single figure to just under $50. Or buy the Battra and Megaguirus for $70, plus $12 shipping. So just over $40 for each. No f'n way is that worth it.
But...the only way to get a figure like this for $25 is through a Japanese site like Hobby Link Japan or Hobby Search, where the price is an exact exchange from the Japanese yen. And then aren't you paying to ship the item from Japan anyway? That's great if that's what you want to do. I've done it too.

But......

Reputable American dealers can't do that without losing money because they need to get the items here first. It's terrific you prefer to buy from overseas Japanese stores. Wonderful. But it's rather disingenuous of you to damn American sellers across the board because they're unable to meet the prices of Japanese web sites who don't need to have their products shipped halfway across the planet before they can sell them.

I've said this before, but not every seller is Xian Toys. Some are trying to do their best to supply American collectors these items at competitive prices.
I've seen more than my fair share of the same dealers you're talking about sell brand new MMS releases like these for less or the same as an old 1990's vinyl with tags. If that isn't simply taking advantage of new collectors and general folk, nothing is. And a lot of these same people are also the ones that will go to Target and buy up new Playmates releases and then sell them off at a $10-$15 mark up plus shipping. I will damn every single one of these types of sellers and put them on blast every single time they're brought up.

As for "ordering around the globe and waiting for them to arrive", I just bought all three new MMS releases and 7 more Ultra 500 figures and they will be here by next week. And I didn't overpay a single penny.

If your business model means you got to resort to selling new MMS releases for $45-$50 SHIPPED, then you shouldn't be in this game.
Last edited by Mac Daddy MM on Fri Sep 23, 2022 4:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.


Quote of the Year:
plasmabeam wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:03 am Hear me out on this. What if Godzilla is actually Suko’s father? In GvK when Godzilla defeated Kong and they were roaring at each other, what if Godzilla inseminated Kong at that moment and that’s why they were screaming?

User avatar
Executive Hamster
Gotengo Officer
Posts: 1735
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2020 1:12 am
Location: Jacksonville
Contact:

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Executive Hamster »

I dont know, Ive bought a lot of stuff from this guy. One of the better sellers. I dont mind the prices.

User avatar
Mac Daddy MM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5044
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

Executive Hamster wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 7:18 pm I dont know, Ive bought a lot of stuff from this guy. One of the better sellers. I dont mind the prices.
And yet you complain about needing a living wage, lol.


Quote of the Year:
plasmabeam wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:03 am Hear me out on this. What if Godzilla is actually Suko’s father? In GvK when Godzilla defeated Kong and they were roaring at each other, what if Godzilla inseminated Kong at that moment and that’s why they were screaming?

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15853
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

MM probably would have lost his damn mind if he was around in the early 90s and had to start paying $25 for new Bandais after Pony Toys - who were selling them for $15.50 - stopped getting them, with no other way to get them short of a plane trip to Japan.

User avatar
Mac Daddy MM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5044
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

Legion1979 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 8:02 am MM probably would have lost his damn mind if he was around in the early 90s and had to start paying $25 for new Bandais after Pony Toys - who were selling them for $15.50 - stopped getting them, with no other way to get them short of a plane trip to Japan.
See , that's the thing. This isn't the early '90s. This is 30 years later, where conventions and local nerd shops aren't the only option anymore.
Last edited by LSD Jellyfish on Sat Sep 24, 2022 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.


Quote of the Year:
plasmabeam wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:03 am Hear me out on this. What if Godzilla is actually Suko’s father? In GvK when Godzilla defeated Kong and they were roaring at each other, what if Godzilla inseminated Kong at that moment and that’s why they were screaming?

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15853
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

Again, you're being disingenuous.

It's good that there are large Japanese sites where you get these things for the cheapest possible price. Horray. I've used those sites too. They're great.

But you seem to be painting all American sellers who can't meet those prices in the same terrible light. I agree with you that the scumbags who overcharge for Bandais and say shit like "HLJ is already sold out, I may not be able to get these again, you'll regret it if you wait for G-Fest" should be ashamed of themselves. Their business practices are disgusting.

But the dealers I support are sites like Showcase Daikaiju, a small site specializing in the niche business of selling kaiju related toys at the most affordable prices they can. Their prices are so low the other sellers hate them and use terms like "Robin Hoods" and "undercutters". I dont agree with lumping them with the guys who are mainly out to rip you off.

Your preferences for the Japanese sites doesn't mean we shouldn't support the reputable, customer friendly American ones or that what they're doing should be frowned upon. You support the Japanese sellers. Fine. But you don't need to start going on about scalpers and rip off artists every time someone mentions a seller than can't meet the prices you prefer to pay.

User avatar
Mac Daddy MM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5044
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

Legion1979 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:44 am
But you seem to be painting all American sellers who can't meet those prices in the same terrible light. I agree with you that the scumbags who overcharge for Bandais and say poop like "HLJ is already sold out, I may not be able to get these again, you'll regret it if you wait for G-Fest" should be ashamed of themselves. Their business practices are disgusting.
See, that's where you're misreading me. I'm not saying ALL of them are like this, but there's a hell of a lot more of them than there are not. Vampire Robots, for example, is an excellent US dealer. Showcase Daikaiju is pretty solid as well, even though they are also selling these new MMS releases for $30+ while putting a "sale" mark on them etching out $39.99 and acting like $32.99 is a bargain for what are $20 wal-mart toys. Keep in mind, they're selling G-Store exclusives for a mere $10 more if/when their "sale" ends on the new trio. So at least they're only jacking up the prices on the new basic MMS and not EVERYTHING else.
But the dealers I support are sites like Showcase Daikaiju, a small site specializing in the niche business of selling kaiju related toys at the most affordable prices they can. Their prices are so low the other sellers hate them and use terms like "Robin Hoods" and "undercutters". I dont agree with lumping them with the guys who are mainly out to rip you off.
Agree to an extant. I actually didn't read this until I had my prior response typed out. They are especially great at getting decent prices on G-Store exclusives without using Buyee or another middle man, and don't jack those prices up too much. But I won't use them for basic MMS releases.
Your preferences for the Japanese sites doesn't mean we shouldn't support the reputable, customer friendly American ones or that what they're doing should be frowned upon. You support the Japanese sellers. Fine. But you don't need to start going on about scalpers and rip off artists every time someone mentions a seller than can't meet the prices you prefer to pay.
You also don't need to defend these sellers every time I bring up the fact that you can just as easily buy new basic release MMS for half the cost of every US seller by just ordering from a place like HLJ.


Quote of the Year:
plasmabeam wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:03 am Hear me out on this. What if Godzilla is actually Suko’s father? In GvK when Godzilla defeated Kong and they were roaring at each other, what if Godzilla inseminated Kong at that moment and that’s why they were screaming?

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15853
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

I support Showcase because the owner is a friend of mine, he's easy to communicate with, he'll hold items for you, he never misleads people about availability and he always restocks common items. And he pisses off the other guys.

User avatar
Mac Daddy MM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5044
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

Legion1979 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:59 am I support Showcase because the owner is a friend of mine, he's easy to communicate with, he'll hold items for you, he never misleads people about availability and he always restocks common items.
Yeah, it's a pretty solid place and they get back to you after you message them pretty quickly. I've used them a few times for some stuff. Got the G-Store MechaGodzilla and Gorosaurus from them, along with some other things that I honestly can't remember lol. But I have them bookmarked. They are, indeed, a great place for certain items. And if the upcoming Varan is, indeed, a G-Store exclusive, there's a solid chance I'll be getting that from them too.

If you can't tell, I firmly believe in shopping around. I think I'd be an extreme couponer for these things if that was a thing.
And he pisses off the other guys.
Shouldn't you love me by now?


Quote of the Year:
plasmabeam wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:03 am Hear me out on this. What if Godzilla is actually Suko’s father? In GvK when Godzilla defeated Kong and they were roaring at each other, what if Godzilla inseminated Kong at that moment and that’s why they were screaming?

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15853
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

I didn't buy last years 1991 Godzilla as soon as it became available and I missed Showcase's second restock. I ended up getting it on the third restock at the same price it was in November, when most other dealers would have started raising the prices and began hyping how tough it would be to find by G-Fest.

I laughed when Biollante came out in 2018 and certain people were saying "You are NOT going to be able to get this at G-Fest!" Not only did EVERY dealer have it in July, it was available until recently at extremely fair prices, even on Amazon.

User avatar
Executive Hamster
Gotengo Officer
Posts: 1735
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2020 1:12 am
Location: Jacksonville
Contact:

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Executive Hamster »

Mac Daddy MM wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:40 am And yet you complain about needing a living wage, lol.
Complain isn't the right word here. Everyone should have a living wage, its common sense. Complain implies I'm whining about something that isn't important or isn't that big of a deal, but people are literally starving in this country. I'm very lucky, and am well aware that not everyone has the privilege to spent $30 out of each weeks check on Godzilla figures, let alone the $100 I usually a lot to myself. BUT I digress.

To me, its not that big of a deal. Plus I'm way too impatient to wait around for some sort of a sale or discount or cheaper listing to go up.

User avatar
miguelnuva
Justiriser
Posts: 18346
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 6:32 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by miguelnuva »

Price and value is determined by how much somone is willing to spend, no one told people to me to spend $40 last Christmas for the playmates Gorosaurus but my nephew is just getting into Godzilla and he really liked the dinosaur and seeing his face playing with Gorosaurus and Godzilla made me happy.

Scalpers are not good for the community as a whole but at the same time no one held a gun to my head and made me make that purchase and I did wait for regular price for my Gorosaurus later.

Price is ultimately determined by how much the buyer is willing to pay. If Legion's friend is raising a figure by only $10 or $15 that's nothing, I'm paying to keep his business open and he's taking care of the hassle kf importing this figure from Japan.
Mothra vs Godzilla> Gojira

Shadow Area 1-0
Image Image

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15853
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

Yeah exactly. A smaller overseas business has to purchase the items and also pay whatever it costs to get big boxes of them across the ocean. Then they have to figure the math out when pricing them for the American market to incorporate those additional expenses AND make enough of a profit to keep the business running. A good dealer will do that and still try to be affordable. A bad one will try to convince you that twice the yen price is the best they can do.

I remember when the Godziban sets came out last year. There were dealers selling sets of three for TWICE what other dealers were selling them for.

User avatar
SpaceG92
Keizer
Posts: 9400
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:33 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by SpaceG92 »

miguelnuva wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:16 am -- taking care of the hassle kf importing this figure from Japan.
It's...not even really a hassle though :S Unless your saying waiting 3-5 days is a hassle. Even when using proxy bidding it wasn't really a hassle.
Legion1979 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:23 am Yeah exactly. A smaller overseas business has to purchase the items and also pay whatever it costs to get big boxes of them across the ocean. Then they have to figure the math out when pricing them for the American market to incorporate those additional expenses AND make enough of a profit to keep the business running. A good dealer will do that and still try to be affordable. A bad one will try to convince you that twice the yen price is the best they can do.
Basically this. Having worked receiving before and having to deal with oversea shipments, I can attest it is NOT cheap. Hell even shipping via freighter and waiting 6/8 months for you bulk order to arrive isn't as cheap as one might think and by then demand has died. Dealers usually buy them with expedited shipping or the middle of the road 1 week shipping to get them in while demand is still hot.

The way I look at it though, sadly once the profit mark up and additional fee's get factored in - it usually isn't worth it. It's just better to order from these sites yourself, do a big box and save a %. Yeah, its microing for something like 15/18% saved most of the time, but that adds up fast. I know when I did 5 shipments from YMSF this month I wish I waited to combine them down into 2. Would have saved me a considerable bit. #Not All places have that high of a mark up. I have this local place that was selling most normal sized "Godzilla" MMS for 22$. The deals are out there, you just have to know where to look - if they even exist in your area.

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15853
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Legion1979 »

Also something to keep in mind. I don't buy a lot of items. I've bought 5 Bandais from Showcase over the course of the last 14 months, and only two were purchased at the same time. So $30-$40 from a local seller once in a blue moon is truly not a big deal. MM, meanwhile, clearly goes crazy with bulk items on a monthly basis. So it depends on what your needs are.
Last edited by Legion1979 on Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Mac Daddy MM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5044
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

Legion1979 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:53 amMM, meanwhile, clearly goes crazy with bulk items on a monthly basis. So it depends on what your needs are.
Are you saying I have a problem?


I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!

This was a joke.


Quote of the Year:
plasmabeam wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:03 am Hear me out on this. What if Godzilla is actually Suko’s father? In GvK when Godzilla defeated Kong and they were roaring at each other, what if Godzilla inseminated Kong at that moment and that’s why they were screaming?

User avatar
_JNavs_
Keizer
Posts: 9647
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2019 7:59 pm
Location: New York

Re: Official Bandai (Japan) Thread 2.0

Post by _JNavs_ »

Mac Daddy MM wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:44 pm
SpaceG92 wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:35 pm I heard some people stuffed the lower part of Ghidorah with newpaper to stop them from bowing in and some people rubber banded the legs to get them to stand up straight and many trips to the fridge to get it to set that position. Personally I never had Keizer but just parroting what ive seen other people do.
I've had one of my ex's hair ties around Keizer's legs for a few years now to keep them from splitting. They were warped when I first got it (from our local lord Arbok) years ago, and this trick has fixed it and prevented them from splitting again.
Thanks guys! Okay so rubber band/hair tie around the legs and many trips to the fridge. As far as the wing goes, I assume that’d be the easiest part to fix, but also the hardest one to keep standing. Maybe I could stuff newspaper into the wings too?

Since it’s a rather old release it’ll probably be difficult finding figure fixes on YouTube.
____________________________ImageImage___________________________
Instagram: @Lord.Gojira

Post Reply