Since I first found out that I could purchase Masterpiece figures from Amazon Japan to be sent to me in New York I was ecstatic. I only buy from Amazon directly and not any third party sellers. I knew the risks of having a broken item and paying to return it but you would get reimbursed. Thankfully I have had good luck with that. Also, most items arrive within 3 days.

I've gotten some fantastic deals. I got MP-43 Beast Wars Megs for $229 total when If I bought it from a US distributor it was about $320 and then you throw on taxes and shipping. I purchased MP-44 Convoy for $333 when it sold in the US for $450 without taxes and shipping. The savings and service were incredible. Also once in a while I would receive a little refund due to the low price guarantee since the price can fluctuate.

Then I received Arcee last month. The total was $131. For the first time since I started buying I was charged taxes which are 8% in New York. I chatted with Amazon Japan and they said since July of this year they were required to start charging taxes to certain destinations. So if I were to purchase it from BBTS or such and pay tax and $4 flat shipping it would work out to $165 and I would only save about $34.

If there is an issue with breakage or missing parts considering I used to save around $60 to over $100 by using Amazon Japan even if I had to ship it back and be reimbursed it was worth it. But for $34 not so much. The savings are less and if there are issues the hassle wouldn't be near as much to deal with.

So now we come to my next purchase, MP-52 Starscream. I pre-ordered him at $227.55 and taxes added will bring him to around $246. Purchasing domestically would cost me around $290. So now my savings are around $45 but would have been $60 if not for taxes to NY. Plus from the order details if there was an issue it would cost a LOT to send back because of the box size and weight.

Is it worth it anymore to go with Amazon Japan? I'm not sure depending on where prices go. I know when a new figure drops for pre-order it seems like Botcon registration again waiting for the page to go live. The quicker you pre-order the cheaper you get and you can see the price increase the longer it is up. Also you get a better chance at a lower price refund the faster you order.

The fast shipping and the savings are great but if trouble happens to have to temporarily eat the return cost could be bad. Besides what if the figure is one of those in high demand? Amazon Japan may not have any inventory left to exchange it for and the US distributors could be sold out. Then I have to pay markup on Ebay or elsewhere and any savings are flush with the cost or could be even more.

Anybody else buying their MPs from Amazon Japan, and depending on prices is it worth it to you? What amount of savings do you need? Just wanted to get another perspective on this.

 

Another issue is the currency changes. You really don't know what Starscream is going to cost when he ships in June because it will depend on how the Yen does against the dollar.

 

That's a good point. There are a lot of variables to take into account. But I am starting to think if the difference is $40 or less it might be a cheaper, safer option to get it here. But anything I save can just go to getting more TFs.

 

Don't understand why Amazon doesn't allow gift vouchers from one country to be used in another.

 

Japan is funny like that, most places dont even take American credit cards.

 

@figureguy it is funny that I realized the same thing once AJ started charging tax. There is also an issue where some pre-orders will not allow you to change payment methods. No idea what flags it or what doesn't since they cannot share that information with customers and not everybody will experience it.

I have since then changed over to buying domestically for anything I want to pre-order and not miss out on getting. Otherwise I only use AJ for items that I cannot get here or if it is a super discount (like I got MP-49 Black Convoy) for $100 off including paying tax on AJ.

 

I wish Amazon Japan did take their gift cards universally. I pretty much only get those for holidays as I know I will always use them. If I could apply them that would be great.

I only have a couple 3rd Party MPs and have bought them from TF-Direct (disclaimer: not recommending or shilling just mentioning who I used)myself. Now those are cheaper than Domestic Stores, free shipping and no tax. For instance I got Winged Dragon when it released for a total of $202 shipped. Transarts Leopard Commander is going to be $79 from them while most US stores with shipping and tax is about $40 more. I consider that a good saving for a less expensive toy.

I never have a problem getting the Amazon Japan pre-order in early as usually when BBTS shows it as 'coming soon' is right about near when AJ pops it up.

I had bought everything domestically up until I saw an article a couple years ago and when I saw what I saved on BW Megatron and Optimus I was amazed. But sending an item back considering cost and hassle might not be worth it anymore for a larger, more expensive toy.

I really was fine until I knew AJ was charging tax. I saw it on my invoice for Arcee but since I had pre-ordered Tigatron in the spring before it was implemented it didn't apply.

 

But don't you still have to tack on tax if you order it domestically?

 

I am not sure what you are referring to but I might have written something unclear. Yes, you definitely have to pay tax domestically which I understand completely. The one that gets me is that if I buy the a toy from Japan it's taxed but not from China.

 

I still buy occasionally from AJ, but way less than I used to. My next impending purchase is MP-52, and yeah, I'm hoping and praying nothing is wrong with him. I bought MP Hound from them and when he started showing problems, I didn't have the available funds to cover the costs to return him. I would hate to have anything like that happen again.

 

I’m in the same predicament. Enjoyed everything AmJP had to offer until the new tax bullshit started. When the savings over domestic prices are in the $25 range, it’s barely worth the trouble. I have no answer for you, except that if we ever lose our ability to send back damaged merchandise to AmJP, then I’m done with the importing thing. That safety net and a slight lower price wins over (“BBTS” at domestic retail or “Chinese companies” at lowest price with no support). For years, I use to import from AnimeExport or HobbyLinkJapan before AmJP took foreign orders, and it felt risky every time. It also comes down to your cash flow and convenience. Back when people use to go to the cinema and watch movies, some premium theaters have comfy recliner chairs and charge nearly twice for a movie. The low cost option is to see the same movie a few weeks later at a plain theater with sticky floors. Unfortunately for me, I have a finite budget for this hobby so I need to manage what I spend closely.

 

I stopped. Saving $25 without a cancellation option turned out to not be worth the hassle after a while. What changed it for me was Hasbro Pulse. It was great while it lasted.

 

Actually, if you have a zero balance visa gift card, use that to preorder. If you decide you don’t want it, don’t update the payment method when the item comes in stock.

 

Oh no, don't get me started on the hypocrisy of Hasbro Pulse. Right now I collect 2 lines exclusively, Masterpiece and Generations Selects. The selects mostly due to the obscure figures and the closest you can get to the chug/legends exclusive paints before the 'universal' general releases. I pre-order through them and save a few bucks off distributor costs in the US. But this is what really gets me. You are Hasbro, you manufacture the product and have your own online store. Yet the figures come out on the site way after seeing them on other online stores. Heck, even my local comic shop which carries Selects had the recent G2 Megatron before Pulse shipped it out. Why would you not prioritize your fans, especially since you charge a 'premium' for some to join? I know simply it's quantity to retailers but come on. I understand the Takara selects being pushed back because of probably waiting for a few releases to ship at once to save money but the domestic ones are ridiculous. I am in no rush, mind you, just grinds my gears.

 

Winstobot, I totally agree with you about movies. If the wife and I go and get some concessions we can spend upward of $40. Usually unless it's a movie I am dying to see (not many) I wait for on demand. We have a sticky theatre I grew up going to but the stickiness is beyond standing in. Plus you can have any food you want, stop for potty breaks without missing crucial scenes, not have to leave your house in bad weather and watch your movie whenever you want. Heck, continue it tomorrow if you have to.

But I do agree. Once Hasbro Japan's discount is down to $30 or less that will be it for me. I dont' have necessarily a finite or infinite budget but just ration accordingly. It also saves shelf space in my display. But with the Masterpiece down to maybe 4 or 5 a year the cost of going domestic would be easier to swallow with no great discount.

 

Hint: pulse really isnt much better than HTS was

 

I was never happy with the quality of HTS. Pulse does seem to be trying a little harder, especially with the Japanese TFs being available. Their shipping might be slow but they do carry a lot of product from different lines. Plus I think this year they are supposed to be carrying store exclusives on the site, albeit in limited amounts. (so, about 3 earthrise Thrusts sounds right). The Haslab is a nice addition as so many people seemed happy with the Sail Barge and the upcoming Unicron (still waiting for another update though I have nowhere to put it). They could change a bit and I would like to see a member survey sent out to get the feel for what people think. Probably wouldn't implement some if not any of the recommendations but at least it would look good on paper. 

 

I think it comes down to three things - how much you actually save, what your experience has been with MPs and returns with AJ, and how much time you have to spend on this hobby.

Some of this depends on how much your currency fluctuates with the price of the yen, and how much in taxes you expect to pay.

 

Based on my personal experience I have never had an MP break/crack/stress fracture. Thank Primus for that!  I wouldn't know how the return process would be from AJ but with everything else in life YMMV. In NY I pay 8% so I know to look forward to that.

I suppose it might come to be a case by case basis depending on the savings. Delivery time has never been an issue as it's not a priority to have a figure in hand as soon as it is released, so long as I eventually have it. Heck, I think with Pulse they got Super Megatron Takara Selects 2 months later than most domestic retailers and I didn't care.

 

After DHL played kickball with my MP-44 package, bashing in the package box, I'm not taking the chance anymore.