One of the best tip I've ever seen about Mandarake is that if you choose to buy only from the Sahra store, they'll actually list the shipping quote up front. Sahra is the warehouse rather than a storefront. As such, it makes it a bit easier to budget and avoids "surprise" shipping costs. Granted, Sahra doesn't have everything but but knowing how much shipping is up front is a pretty good trade-off especially if you have a tight budget. But the big con IMO of buying from Sahra is that since you can find out the shipping cost upfront, it makes it a lot easier to make impulse buys :D
yeah that's true, I did notice they list the shipping costs during checkout!! I feel like their shipping prices are super high, but as you mentioned, it did stop me from impulse buying a few things in the past 😋
@@JoanneOfArc Yup their shipping pricing is pretty high but I usually try to cram in as many figures or items into the order as possible to bring down the shipping cost per item. Even with the higher shipping price, it's still significantly cheaper than buying from US sources a lot of times. Not to mention very little chance of a bootleg. My last Mandarake order from last week was around $325 shipped but it included like 7 figures, two artbooks, and a scale model. If I bought all of that from the US, it would have been closer to $500! EMS pricing is starting to come down now I think for Mandarake. Last week EMS was only like 1000 yen cheaper than DHL for my order but I checked today and it's now ~13,000 yen cheaper ish.
@@dangman4ever wow $325 for 7 figures + merch is awesome!! Nowadays it seems like every scale figure is around $200 shipped haha I'm super happy to see EMS becoming more affordable too!! I finally won't have to pay everything sea parcel since DHL was way high for me 😁
I love Amiami specially when their Pre-Owned prices are very low for highly sought after figures. But just as you mentioned, they go pretty quick once updated. It took me MONTHS just to get my hands on a (A-Condition) Mai Sakurajima Bunny figure for roughly $300 because you have to calculate the approximate time they update their catalog and then constantly be refreshing your screen and be quick; not to mention when their server gets overwhelmed with other buyers doing the same thing at the same time, by the time you try to check out the figure it’s already been sold. It was really really frustrating but perseverance pays off.
woww $300 for that figure is a steal these days!! And yeah I was on right when they refreshed the preowned section on AmiAmi last night/this morning and the server bugged out while I was trying to checkout and the figure in my cart sold :'(. But totally, there's always next time! 😁
Yo DTTC in the house. I was influenced by your Mai 1/4 bunny video too. And as fate would have it a couple of days after watching it, the Aniplex Mai popped up in AmiAmi's pre-owned drop. Guess who's a few bucks poorer now... lol.
Every time I've tried to buy something even extremely small from Mandarake, like less than $20 USD, they hit me with $60 to $80 worth of shipping fees. I'd say that's my biggest con of shopping there.
oh totally, DHL shipping from Mandarake is not pretty. Recently, though, I think they may have reduced shipping costs. I bought a nendo and DHL shipping was around $15 USD! My Jeanne Flare figure was like 9K EMS which was cheaper than AmiAmi's EMS estimate for me.
Same bought a medicom Ajin action figure for 80$inkl. Shipping...and suddenly dhl charged 70$ shipping/custom fee...so i contacted dhl about that and they said i must pay 40$ not 70$... still this day i don't know were that price came from!🤷🏾♂️ Ps: i bought Figures triple that price and hadn't such high custom fees!
@@alexbenedikt yeah I'm sure it must feel really bad to get hit with customs! 😫 - definitely one of the downsides of having to buy mostly foreign goods!
@@JoanneOfArc yeah but i must deal with it... and the proside is i got collectibles(mostly 1/12 and 1/6 even 1/4) that never ever come to my country😅🤷🏾♂️😂
Hello JoanneOfArc. Your video was extremely informative and helpful. This was my first purchase with Solaris Japan for a rare T-600 bust. Your discussion on shipping and the additional cost that may ensue helped clear some of my confusion. I saw a statement on the Solarius Japan website that stated "Due to the size of this figure, additional shipping costs for FedEx Freight (~2000+ USD) will be necessary since this item will be too large to ship with normal mail carriers." This appeared after I made my purchase a few days later. I reached out to them and waiting for reply. However, I think the ~2000 is in Yen which is like $14.00 bucks + my paid USD! So no worries yet. Again, thank you!
I used Solaris Japan for the first time recently, for a Shinsou Hitoshi (My Hero Academia) prize figure. He arrived shockingly fast, the box is in mint condition, and he looks great. My only negative was that the scarf was slightly squashed out of shape (but I fixed that, kinda, by hooking it on the end of one of his hands and keeping it like that overnight, so it didn't bend back), and also, his hair is such a dark shade of purple it looks black in most lighting, to me. I still love him, though. I also preordered a Yuru Camp Nadeshiko nendoroid but its a while before she'll come over, and I got her for a good price.
that's awesome! Sucks to hear about the scarf, but glad you were able to mostly get it looking better! And yayyy I'm so excited for the Yurucamp merch coming out later this year :D
Another great video Joanne. The item condition descriptions on those Japanese sites is so picky. They will list box that has a mark you can barely see as heavily damaged. I have bought a lot of preowned figures and am always amazed at the good condition.
thank you!! And that is so true! One of my Levi figures from Mandarake said "box heavily damaged" and I expected it to be dented in or something haha. It came looking brand new though 🤣
Thanks for the info joanne i don't mind long video's i actually love those no presure😊 Also great figures Well done and as always a great video keep it up👍
omg, i recently got into figure collecting (my poor mum) she only buys off amazon so all i have are bootlegs… i like to window shop tho but SOLARIS JAPAN!!! you say it can be mega expensive but some of these pre owned nendoroids on there for like.. £21 is shocking compared to any other site ive been to! i hope the shipping isnt too bad.. are bootlegs often seen on solaris japan? the only times i can actually get figures is christmas and my birthday because they are a little expensive 🥲 i love your channel and recently subbed! keep doing what you dooo!!
Great video, especially for anyone who is a beginner! It is worth noting Mandarake's auto translate isn't great so you'll find even more by putting names/series in using Japanese instead of English just like with Buyee. :D
@@JoanneOfArc there is a big collectible store locally here where I live and the lady that runs the anime area in the back orders a ton of fantastic figures and nothing is up priced, it’s hard not to buy a new figure every time I visit 🥺
right?! I was so blown away by it haha. The danganronpa nendos are so accurate to the characters, I'd highly recommend (but hopefully at better prices!) 😄
I just got into collecting like a week ago (been into anime since the early 90s), your channel has helped me find so many useful sites and things to look for. That Levi is so detailed. Awesome video. Thank you for all the info!
ooo yay welcome to the hobby!! 😁 And I'm so happy to hear the info has been helpful :D It took me some time to figure out how to navigate through and budget for everything, but it's been amazing to see the collection grow!
@@JoanneOfArc Thanks! Agreed budget is tricky to say the least. I just saw an Ainz and Albedo figure from Overlord for pre release that I was positive I was going to buy. They just announced the price at over 2000 usd O.o guess imma sit that one out lol.
@@derrickconroy5209 yeahh I was actually looking at that one too! I told myself I'd preorder if it was like 1K max...but it's double that so I'm (probably) not going for it haha
@@JoanneOfArc I didnt even see the release date until today. I had no idea the wait for some of these figures can be in the years. I have a lot to learn lol
I've browsed the internet to find trust-worthy websites that sell authentic anime merchandise and I've come across several including amiami, solaris japan, aitaikuji and crunchyroll but I still haven't bought anything from the ones I have mentioned- and, the reason I mentioned them was because numerous people have reviewed them and recommended them as well. So, as soon as 2023 is here, I can't wait to officially label myself as an anime figure collector. P.S I have a fair share of figures, already and I even bought my very first nendoroid two weeks ago- It was kakashi {anbu edition} despite it being €70.00 I absolutely love it! 😌💜 It was a nuisance to pose but I eventually figured it out 😅 Edit- Thank you for your informative advice! 😌💕
Happy to see a new video from you and so soon :) Believe it or not but i actually bought a Nendoroid figure, an older one called Merissa Seraphy, she has a nice pumpkin worn around her waist like a dress, i really like it, she works really well for a Nendoroid. The downside is that she does not have her stand and a little ribbon that is supposed to be on the pumpkin dress is missing, also the package is a bit beaten up and worn. I got a good deal on it so i am rather fine with the missing parts and the condition it is in, gonna try to find a new stand and fix a ribbon for it myself, make it from scratch and fix her up, a fun little project :) I guess watching your videos have made me open up to Nendoroids a little bit more, i would for sure not have gotten this new one if it was not for being inspired after watching your videos :) i dig the Danganronpa figures, by the way a collection of three of the Danganronpa games was announced for the Switch today, happy to see them on there, it is about time some of those games make it onto the Switch. Yeah, the Levi figure(s) are cool too :) Some good advice and pointers, good video, even i found some helpful tips, especially when it comes to a place where i can get info on how to spot and figure out what is the real deal and what is a bootleg, something that has become real problem.
ahh yayy so happy to hear that you got a nendoroid!! The pumpkin dress sounds so really unique and cute! Hopefully the project to get her ribbon and stand is a fun one :D and yesss I was so happy to hear that Danganronpa is finally getting a Switch version and also a new game as well! Hopefully it means more merch in the future haha. I'm glad to hear some of my info was helpful! It's true that bootlegs are turning into a bigger issue and I hope this info helps people from being tricked into buying them!
@@JoanneOfArc She is very cute and unique, the right kind of cute, i am very picky about certain things, i know what i like and when something works and here it does :D I have many ideas on how i can approach fixing the ribbon issue for her, so many ways to do it, maybe i´ll share how it turns out in the future somehow. I think it will be fun and do think i can make it look rather good. I hope there will be more Danganronpa stuff, it might become more available and more affordable if it happens, i do hope so. It was very helpful and positive, i also enjoyed it as i always do. Looking forward to the next video from you.
Oh, I used buyee before, pretty good and easy to use proxy, I bought a final fantasy popcorn bucket(so freaking cute, the chirp sounds it makes is adorable) which is only sold in universal studios in japan, I got it for cheap on there(Then again I won't be able to find anywhere else as I will never go to universal studios in japan). I also bought a few other things, I payed I think around $20 shipping which is very reasonable as it was shipped in a giant box which was a combined of all my orders. Solerisjapan is also nice, usually the stuff I look for on there are almost always overpriced so I tend to avoid solerisjaoan. for pre-orders solerisjapan and amiami are both the best as they usually give great discounts on them.
I am surprised you didnt talk about Yahoo Auctions, which for me its the best place to find REALLY cheap pre-owned and sometimes even sealed rare figures.
I haven't had much experience with Auctions so I didn't really feel comfortable talking about it here! I understand the basics of it, but it also sounds like there are a lot of factors involved such as bidding, trusting sellers, how to spot fakes, botting, etc 😱
@@JoanneOfArc honestly, yahoo auctions dont have many bootlegs, when it is usually its described as "overseas" on the title. And about sellers basically just have to see if they have enough good feedbacks.. Its really not complicated but it can be very addicting XD
i not yet try order from other site but i use Mandarake for several times..it easy to use but to bad they cannot combine item from other brunch...so you need to pay shipping cost for each brunch..
Your right about ridiculous spending. I just went on Amiami to pay for the 'third' pre- owned figure this month (total 38,636jpy) and thought id just type in 1/4 bunnys. To Love Ru darkness Mikan Yuki (orange costume fishnets) was there pre- owned. It was my original bunny want, probably only bunny want, did i spend another 24,500jpy on the spot (minus p+p)? Of course i did 😥 Cut my hands off somebody!! Good work on your channel keep it up.
lool oh no haha 😂 - at least it's a figure you've been looking for! I do know what you mean though! I always have to browse even if I know it might lead to some unintended spending 😅
Is solaris a good place to shop for pre order figures that just came out? Plus are there shipping method really trust worthy and arrives as picked? Like if you pick the 3-7 day shipping does it come in 7 days?
I had such a hard time convincing myself to preorder the Beelzebumon and Behemoth G.E.M. figure because the price was so high, but then when it released it and I had the money to splurge it was sold out everywhere. 😅 I searched and searched for the first few months it was out and took a chance on an Ebay auction from an online pawn shop seller, and managed to win it for a little less than the retail price. It was sooo stressful and I never want to go through that again. 😅😭 Super happy with it but ouch my wallet, will probably never buy one that expensive again! It is now the holy grail of my collection. 😂
I really like looking at Solaris Japan, but I have to agree with the price fluctuation. A nendoroid I was after was £135 and I thought it was a bit expensive for a nendoroid. I missed out on it because of being indecisive but now it is available again a month later and its £185 ;-; Generally though for nendoroids in my experience, Solaris is pretty fair and better than eBay (bootleg risks) and Mandarake (waiting for stock).
Omg its only been 6 months and you're collection is already pretty big lol! I have the same Monomi nendoroid she's so cute, I got her preowned (like new) on ebay for 60 USD which is a nice deal since she seems so rare. Just be careful cause I heard they have arm problems where the peg detaches and gets permanently stuck in the hole.
yeah I went too hard on my collection tbh haha. I'm trying to keep the rest of my year light 🤣 And ahh thank you for the warning! I'll have to be super gentle if I ever want to swap out for new gestures
I've only bought from amiami once so I was wondering how good mandarake is I've heard so many good things about it was thinking of picking up a nendroid or 2 is it really that good?
Another Levi!! 🤩….I need to use mandarake more often. I’ve only used it to setup an alert for ultimate Madoka but nobody wants to let her go as I never get any alerts 😂
I've seen ultimate Madoka a few times on Mandarake! I think if the item sells super fast, it might not send you an alert or if the shop makes a whole new listing instead of reusing the older one, it won't alert you. I check a couple times a week just in case haha
@@JoanneOfArc I completely understand. I'm always on the lookout for 1/4 Bunny Mai as well. I saw her earlier this week for around $320 there too but I didn't have the money to buy her ☹
@@Echo11Niner whaa that is such a good price for her, but it's still a lot of money to just have on hand for figures so I totally feel you there! I'm sure she'll pop up again in the future 🙏
I was trying to use buyee couple of times but couldn’t find anything until you mentioned write whatever I’m looking for in Japanese lmao thanx a bunch 😊 also I’m looking for my grail if anyone find it can you please let me know High Standard Statue "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part7 Steel Ball Run" Gyro Zeppeli Araki Color Ver.
Thanks for doing one on buyee. I notice they are almost identical to Neokyo. Is there a reason you use one over the other? I don't use proxys very often, but neokyo has an auto translate feature which saves a step for me. Keep up the great videos!
ooo I haven't tried Neokyo so I can only speak on my experience with Buyee (who I've been using for months now)! It's very interesting to hear that they have an auto-translate for the search menu! All the descriptions on Buyee seem to auto-translate from what i can tell :D
@@JoanneOfArc oh awesome. I'll check them out next time I'm looking for one of my grails. Sent a FR on MFC. Toprharley. I look forward to your next video.
Usually if a shop sells in Yen, there would be a conversion to USD when you finish checking out. This would happen through the bank/credit card which can trigger fees if your card doesn't support free international transactions. Hope that helps!
I ordered a Miku from Crunchyroll store and I was disappointed she's kinda wobbly in her stan and her hand has a terrible paint job but If you see her from far she looks amazing!!!! not sure if I recommend buying from Crunchyroll store
I would get in touch with them or the manufacturer. It’s more the manufacturer’s fault than Crunchyroll since they only sell and not make the products.
yeah I would agree with NealQu here! I've had issues with some nendoroids not fitting in stands, etc and they come from all different stores - even from the Good Smile store directly. Reach out and see if they can send you a replacement! :D
yeah they're awesome!! It's true, AmiAmi preowned is wayy competitive. I tried to buy something just last night right as the preowned section went up and my account kept bugging out and someone else snagged the item :(
Solaris has been my worst enemy yet, ordered a nendoroid released a year ago, and its been 2 months without any shipping notices, and I even went with express shipping 😔
I don't think it's too common but I think they do it in case you shop on places like yahoo Japan auctions - they take the winning bid automatically from your account I believe. Once you authorize and buy whatever it is you're looking for, you can always go into your PayPal settings and disconnect Buyee (which is what I do between purchases). Hopefully that helps!
Joanne of Arc Thank you ! Just wanted to double check before I bought some nendos on mecari Thank you for helping us find these rare collectibles / figures .
How do you know if an item from Buyee is legit or not ? Cause I’m looking at two nendroids and the seller stated that he bought them off Amazon, so I’m not sure if they are legit or not
if they post pictures, I have a whole section in the Buyee portion of the video going over how to spot bootleg figures! If there aren't pictures (and not just stock ones from the official listings), I'd skip buying them
@@brianplasse5743 I think the counterfeits are user-generated so not all bootlegs will be captured. Def still compare the product pics to official ones and pics of the box as well before buying!
haha no it isn't. It's derived from the historical figure Joan of Arc (or Jeanne d'Arc)! One of my friends helped me come up with the name a long time ago after he connected my first name (Joanne) with who he was studying in his history class at the time (Joan of Arc) 😄
@@JoanneOfArc I'm not sure how they are doing it, but in about 60% of my orders from Nin Nin Game I didn't have to pay any customs. Which is opposite to GSC or Solaris Japan where I have to pay customs for 100% of my orders. And that's a big difference. Otherwise Nin Nin Game is one of my main sources for my most wanted older rare nendoroids (most of my "normal" nendoroids are from pre-orders from our local shop), their prices are similar to those on Solaris Japan, but as I said before, without paying customs it's a bit better. Of course it may be different in your country (I'm from the Czech Republic, sorry for my English).
@@ForMiSoft ah yeah I've been lucky since I haven't been hit with Customs at all yet from any site! Maybe it's to do with being in the US, haha. Not paying the additional customs fees does sound nice though and I'm glad you're able to avoid it through Nin Nin game and local stores! Your English is great 😄
The Levi is amazing! Two for the price of one! And the design is very elegant overall. Thank you for bringing up Mercari! I was aware of Buyee (I've used them before) but not Mercari. I'm looking for a figure that was released in 2010 and it's nowhere to be found on Mandarake, Solaris or AmiAmi but there are currently two listings of it on Mercari... However I'm not sure I wanna pay the prices they're currently asking for ahaha...
Yess the Levi was a happy surprise! I love shopping on Mercari Japan through Buyee! I think the listings are mostly done by independent sellers or small shops so prices can fluctuate a lot! If the prices aren't good now, there might be some in the future for cheaper 😄I hope you're able to get it at a good price!!
Sometimes there will be re-releases for very popular nendoroids that aren't marked as "Limited". Otherwise, I've had pretty good luck on the pre-owned market through Mandarake, AmiAmi pre-owned, Solaris Japan, or on Mercari Japan! Be careful of the potential high prices though 😱
@@JoanneOfArc Thank you for telling me 💓but how would we know if there will be a restock in the future tho ? Cause I plan to buy in the future as the currency in my country here is like $100=RM 423.25 . And I worry that if I were to buy it in the future the nendroid/figures will be sold out
@@misu_rose6552 Of course! And unfortunately I don't think there's really a way to know when something will re-release in the future. I just pay attention to figure announcements such as the Won Hobby showcase that GoodSmile hosts and from figure company social media accounts.
Woot woot! Love this video! Buyee is amazing!!! Gah now I got more competition on Buyee! Ehhe omg Levi is hella hot and you have two of him! Soo cute when they’re sitting on each other! 🤣 gotta keep looking at those sites religiously! Great tips! FYI I got that Kenma nendoroid for higher than that price cause I needed to complete my collection and he’s so cute! 😍 rip wallet indeed!
ahh thank you so muchh!! 💕 and yay glad to hear you're also a Buyee user! Ahh I've been looking for Kenma too and I'm glad you were able to pick him up (even if the price was higher 😂)...one day my wallet may allow it! 😁
@@JoanneOfArc yeah! Buyee girl!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 omg it’s cause you spend on other figures but I’m sure you’ll find a Kenma when your wallet is full the next time! 😏
Wow I like them flowers. They're back and matches the big one ;) Among these, I have already bought used harder-to-reach figures from Solaris Japan, AmiAmi. I was already looking for stuff in Mandarake but I didn't find anything good yet, should try longer time searching ... Buyee is not ok for me. I know what you ment in the end of clip. Not long ago I acidentially hit buy button for one figure and was in trouble because of that months pay bills for preorders, etcetera ... lol xp
thank you!! Trying to switch up my backgrounds a bit at a time haha :D Yeah it can take some time to find a figure that you're looking for on Mandarake and also a bit of luck too on when you check! For real, same here haha. A few months ago I just bought wayy too many in-stock/preowned items and then was hit with preorders too that I forgot about. Now I keep track of everything just in case! 😅
Nice. Also be strict in your choice. It even happened to me that I was monitoring the monthly expenses, and then due to delays in making the figures (pre-orders) a lot of bills were accumulated at once ... Huh not pleasant surprise xp. Btw: I do like when you are telling meaningful things in polite tone in those not too long clips ;) Keep doing good stuff :)
@@jocman7339 definitely!! this hobby can get pretty expensive and when coupled with delays and real-life bills too...rip wallet for sure 😅 and thank you!! I do want to remain honest in my feedback but I know my experience can differ drastically from other peoples' :D
I've seen it pop up occasionally on Mandarake for 30K yen (still expensive but it's under $500). Here's the link if you're interested: order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1172208803&ref=list&keyword=Tae%20takemi&lang=en&deviceId=1 you can set up alerts if it pops up in the future!
I have been buying on and off for a good 6-7 years or so but not avidly - until I started my downward spiral into the rabbit hole just about December last year. So, like you, these past few months were a steep learning curve for me in knowing the ins and outs of buying figures. I agree that Solaris is pretty much the place that has that rare preowned figure that one wants, but I do think their prices can be a tad ridiculous - so one needs to weigh the pros and cons of either biting the bullet or go all zen and be patient for a potentially cheaper price at AmiAmi (or Mandarake). One other site with rarities is Jfigure dot com, ran by a chap in Tokyo and like Solaris, his prices are a bit up there but he guarantees that all the figures are genuine, and looking at the rare items he has on sale, one may argue that it may be worth spending one's moolah if one cannot wait. I did try the Buyee route from your previous recommendation but I just realised I didn't try the Mercari option as YJA was a bit hit and miss (probably due to the rarity of the item I wanted). Just one more place I'd recommend if one is used to Buyee from the perspective of knowing how to spot for bootlegs is Amazon Japan, but one would need a forwarding address in Japan (eg Tenso) or go via Buyee. Most older figures can be found at the market place and you need to use Google Translate to figure out what condition the figure is in. Not all figures will have photos unfortunately so one needs to look at the feedback rating of the seller. You can tell if the stuff isn't likely to be genuine when it is too cheap, or you need a few weeks for the figure to be "ready", or the seller's shop address is outside Japan. I have thus far been happy with my Amazon JP purchases if I missed anything on AmiAmi. Sorry for going on for a bit... ^^
ahh this is amazing!! thank you for sharing your experiences and I'll have to check out Jfigure since it's one I haven't heard of yet! 😄Deff agree that the Solaris prices can be really high (my nendos from this video are overpriced and I've seen it come and go for cheaper on other sites, but I'm glad I have them in the end!)
@@JoanneOfArc oh I forgot to mention. it was interesting that you mentioned Derick/DTTC Reviews wrt the 1/4 B-style Bunny Senpai figure because I too changed my mind. And just to illustrate your warning to new collectors about watching the budget, a few days after watching DTTC's "regret purchases" video I got lucky at an AmiAmi drop a few days ago as I snagged the Aniplex version and I have to say that I paid more for her than my 1/4 Chika B-style preorder ( T_T)＼(^-^ )... but it's sooooooo worth it. My wallet is saying otherwise, though.
@@kudomaharizu ooo that's amazing that you were able to pick up the Aniplex Mai!! And yeah preowned and in-stock figure shopping can get really dangerous fast 😅
#JoanneofArc, you are so sweet. I love the content of your channel because it's so amazing, and I really enjoy watching your unboxing videos, but it's really hard for me to focus on them without admiring your beauty. You leave me breathless every time I see your pretty face and hear your soothing voice. You have the prettiest eyes that I've ever seen. You are so amazingly beautiful, and I really have a crush on you.
In my experience Solaris Japan sucks. They are heavily overpriced and did not provide any actual help after they sent a damaged product and box (even though I bought the premium shipping protection).
@@JoanneOfArc I haven't They've done it with practically every order I've got from them this year that I paid last year If the postage changed due to inflation that isn't my fault If they've had the order for months without contacting me and insist on extra for postage I ain't paying
@@JoanneOfArc not your fault but I still have 1 ordered and I'm half expecting the same again, I won't be using them again They had the gal to say that its only because its a preorder when they've done it with an order I place on one that was out for months
One of the best tip I've ever seen about Mandarake is that if you choose to buy only from the Sahra store, they'll actually list the shipping quote up front. Sahra is the warehouse rather than a storefront. As such, it makes it a bit easier to budget and avoids "surprise" shipping costs. Granted, Sahra doesn't have everything but but knowing how much shipping is up front is a pretty good trade-off especially if you have a tight budget.
But the big con IMO of buying from Sahra is that since you can find out the shipping cost upfront, it makes it a lot easier to make impulse buys :D
yeah that's true, I did notice they list the shipping costs during checkout!! I feel like their shipping prices are super high, but as you mentioned, it did stop me from impulse buying a few things in the past 😋
agree w/ the shipping price. so much so i sometimes find the DHL price to be less than EMS(^^)
@@JoanneOfArc Yup their shipping pricing is pretty high but I usually try to cram in as many figures or items into the order as possible to bring down the shipping cost per item. Even with the higher shipping price, it's still significantly cheaper than buying from US sources a lot of times. Not to mention very little chance of a bootleg. My last Mandarake order from last week was around $325 shipped but it included like 7 figures, two artbooks, and a scale model. If I bought all of that from the US, it would have been closer to $500!
EMS pricing is starting to come down now I think for Mandarake. Last week EMS was only like 1000 yen cheaper than DHL for my order but I checked today and it's now ~13,000 yen cheaper ish.
@@dangman4ever wow $325 for 7 figures + merch is awesome!! Nowadays it seems like every scale figure is around $200 shipped haha
I'm super happy to see EMS becoming more affordable too!! I finally won't have to pay everything sea parcel since DHL was way high for me 😁
SAHRA shipping quotes are consistently higher than their other stores in my experience.
I love Amiami specially when their Pre-Owned prices are very low for highly sought after figures. But just as you mentioned, they go pretty quick once updated. It took me MONTHS just to get my hands on a (A-Condition) Mai Sakurajima Bunny figure for roughly $300 because you have to calculate the approximate time they update their catalog and then constantly be refreshing your screen and be quick; not to mention when their server gets overwhelmed with other buyers doing the same thing at the same time, by the time you try to check out the figure it’s already been sold. It was really really frustrating but perseverance pays off.
woww $300 for that figure is a steal these days!! And yeah I was on right when they refreshed the preowned section on AmiAmi last night/this morning and the server bugged out while I was trying to checkout and the figure in my cart sold :'(. But totally, there's always next time! 😁
story of my life too ^^
Cup of Jo 🤣 I'm glad I saved you from the quarter scale Mai. Huge thank you for the shout out my friendo! 😁😁
☕️☕️🤣 and yeah of course!! Happy to support in any way 😁
@@JoanneOfArc Thank you thank you 🙏 You have mine as well 😁😄
@@DTTCReviews 😁😁🙌
Yo DTTC in the house. I was influenced by your Mai 1/4 bunny video too. And as fate would have it a couple of days after watching it, the Aniplex Mai popped up in AmiAmi's pre-owned drop. Guess who's a few bucks poorer now... lol.
@@kudomaharizu lol glad I could help 😝 I need to hunt one down now too!
Every time I've tried to buy something even extremely small from Mandarake, like less than $20 USD, they hit me with $60 to $80 worth of shipping fees. I'd say that's my biggest con of shopping there.
oh totally, DHL shipping from Mandarake is not pretty. Recently, though, I think they may have reduced shipping costs. I bought a nendo and DHL shipping was around $15 USD! My Jeanne Flare figure was like 9K EMS which was cheaper than AmiAmi's EMS estimate for me.
Same bought a medicom Ajin action figure for 80$inkl. Shipping...and suddenly dhl charged 70$ shipping/custom fee...so i contacted dhl about that and they said i must pay 40$ not 70$... still this day i don't know were that price came from!🤷🏾♂️
Ps: i bought Figures triple that price and hadn't such high custom fees!
@@alexbenedikt yeah I'm sure it must feel really bad to get hit with customs! 😫 - definitely one of the downsides of having to buy mostly foreign goods!
@@JoanneOfArc yeah but i must deal with it... and the proside is i got collectibles(mostly 1/12 and 1/6 even 1/4) that never ever come to my country😅🤷🏾♂️😂
@@alexbenedikt yeah that's awesome! Always look at the positive side 😁
Hello JoanneOfArc. Your video was extremely informative and helpful. This was my first purchase with Solaris Japan for a rare T-600 bust. Your discussion on shipping and the additional cost that may ensue helped clear some of my confusion. I saw a statement on the Solarius Japan website that stated "Due to the size of this figure, additional shipping costs for FedEx Freight (~2000+ USD) will be necessary since this item will be too large to ship with normal mail carriers." This appeared after I made my purchase a few days later. I reached out to them and waiting for reply. However, I think the ~2000 is in Yen which is like $14.00 bucks + my paid USD! So no worries yet. Again, thank you!
I bit the bullet and bought a Chika Fujiwara B-Style figure on eBay yesterday.
Yeah, I like to live dangerously. 😂
oooo hopefully it comes with no issues! I'm waiting for mine to slowly cross the ocean 😂
I used Solaris Japan for the first time recently, for a Shinsou Hitoshi (My Hero Academia) prize figure. He arrived shockingly fast, the box is in mint condition, and he looks great. My only negative was that the scarf was slightly squashed out of shape (but I fixed that, kinda, by hooking it on the end of one of his hands and keeping it like that overnight, so it didn't bend back), and also, his hair is such a dark shade of purple it looks black in most lighting, to me. I still love him, though. I also preordered a Yuru Camp Nadeshiko nendoroid but its a while before she'll come over, and I got her for a good price.
that's awesome! Sucks to hear about the scarf, but glad you were able to mostly get it looking better! And yayyy I'm so excited for the Yurucamp merch coming out later this year :D
Another great video Joanne.
The item condition descriptions on those Japanese sites is so picky. They will list box that has a mark you can barely see as heavily damaged. I have bought a lot of preowned figures and am always amazed at the good condition.
thank you!! And that is so true! One of my Levi figures from Mandarake said "box heavily damaged" and I expected it to be dented in or something haha. It came looking brand new though 🤣
we buy a lot at Mandarke online, but 80% of the shopping we do at Ami Ami! we love that site!
Yess!! I'm pretty much the same haha 😄
Thanks for the info joanne i don't mind long video's i actually love those no presure😊
Also great figures Well done and as always a great video keep it up👍
thank you so much, I'm really happy to hear that!! 😄🙌
omg, i recently got into figure collecting (my poor mum) she only buys off amazon so all i have are bootlegs… i like to window shop tho but SOLARIS JAPAN!!! you say it can be mega expensive but some of these pre owned nendoroids on there for like.. £21 is shocking compared to any other site ive been to! i hope the shipping isnt too bad.. are bootlegs often seen on solaris japan?
the only times i can actually get figures is christmas and my birthday because they are a little expensive 🥲
i love your channel and recently subbed! keep doing what you dooo!!
That background has improved a lot it looks so much better👍🏻
ahh thank you so much!! I'm still in the process of building out this room but slowly it's moving along 😅
Very helpful video. Mandarake and Solaris Japan are just the best 🙌
Yay I'm happy you think so! I love shopping on Mandarake a little too much haha 😅
@@JoanneOfArc Me too, I have to rethink my monthly collectible budget 😁 but collectibles are just so cool and pleasing 😥
Very informative! Glad i watched your video! Nice collection at the back there! 😃👍
yay thank you so much!! 😄🙌
Great video, especially for anyone who is a beginner! It is worth noting Mandarake's auto translate isn't great so you'll find even more by putting names/series in using Japanese instead of English just like with Buyee. :D
thank you!! and oo I'll have to try that as well! :D
@@JoanneOfArc Hopefully it’ll help you find more uwu
@@LiahsFigures thank you, I hope so too!!🙏
I’ve recently started getting into collecting figures I had bought a few in the past but now I have to make a conscious effort not to go overboard 😅
welcome to the hobby and that's really good to do! Don't be like me and get sucked into the glorious world of buying too much too fast 🤣
@@JoanneOfArc there is a big collectible store locally here where I live and the lady that runs the anime area in the back orders a ton of fantastic figures and nothing is up priced, it’s hard not to buy a new figure every time I visit 🥺
@@SebastianTinajero oh dang that sounds kinda awesome haha. I've yet to buy a figure in person!
Love the info! Appreciate all the video you dropping 😀
ahh thank you so much Laziee!!! 😄🙌
that's why i will preorder the figure immediately and i have been doing that with some kamen rider and dragon ball figuarts
Niice!! 😄😄🙌
OMg, was not expecting that levi figure to be a two for one! also loved the monokuma and monomi nendos aswell!
right?! I was so blown away by it haha. The danganronpa nendos are so accurate to the characters, I'd highly recommend (but hopefully at better prices!) 😄
I just got into collecting like a week ago (been into anime since the early 90s), your channel has helped me find so many useful sites and things to look for. That Levi is so detailed. Awesome video. Thank you for all the info!
ooo yay welcome to the hobby!! 😁 And I'm so happy to hear the info has been helpful :D It took me some time to figure out how to navigate through and budget for everything, but it's been amazing to see the collection grow!
@@JoanneOfArc Thanks! Agreed budget is tricky to say the least. I just saw an Ainz and Albedo figure from Overlord for pre release that I was positive I was going to buy. They just announced the price at over 2000 usd O.o guess imma sit that one out lol.
@@derrickconroy5209 yeahh I was actually looking at that one too! I told myself I'd preorder if it was like 1K max...but it's double that so I'm (probably) not going for it haha
@@JoanneOfArc I didnt even see the release date until today. I had no idea the wait for some of these figures can be in the years. I have a lot to learn lol
@@derrickconroy5209 oh yeah and plus delays could potentially make it a really really long wait! 😫
I just want to say all of these websites are freaking amazing for diecast collecting too… mandarake, buyee especially
Thank you for the detail explanation on buyee!
of course!! I hope it'll be helpful :D
Damn, that Levi with the coffee mug figure is amazing! You really have an eye for amazing figures.
I've been really lucky to catch them when they go up! :D
great vid!
so many steals on mandrake
thank you!! And yesss Mandarake has some awesome deals pop up pretty frequently :D
I've browsed the internet to find trust-worthy websites that sell authentic anime merchandise and I've come across several including amiami, solaris japan, aitaikuji and crunchyroll but I still haven't bought anything from the ones I have mentioned- and, the reason I mentioned them was because numerous people have reviewed them and recommended them as well. So, as soon as 2023 is here, I can't wait to officially label myself as an anime figure collector.
P.S I have a fair share of figures, already and I even bought my very first nendoroid two weeks ago- It was kakashi {anbu edition} despite it being €70.00 I absolutely love it! 😌💜
It was a nuisance to pose but I eventually figured it out 😅
Edit- Thank you for your informative advice! 😌💕
Best of luck on your collecting journey!! ☺️
@@JoanneOfArc Thank you! 🥰
Happy to see a new video from you and so soon :)
Believe it or not but i actually bought a Nendoroid figure, an older one called Merissa Seraphy, she has a nice pumpkin worn around her waist like a dress, i really like it, she works really well for a Nendoroid. The downside is that she does not have her stand and a little ribbon that is supposed to be on the pumpkin dress is missing, also the package is a bit beaten up and worn. I got a good deal on it so i am rather fine with the missing parts and the condition it is in, gonna try to find a new stand and fix a ribbon for it myself, make it from scratch and fix her up, a fun little project :)
I guess watching your videos have made me open up to Nendoroids a little bit more, i would for sure not have gotten this new one if it was not for being inspired after watching your videos :)
i dig the Danganronpa figures, by the way a collection of three of the Danganronpa games was announced for the Switch today, happy to see them on there, it is about time some of those games make it onto the Switch. Yeah, the Levi figure(s) are cool too :)
Some good advice and pointers, good video, even i found some helpful tips, especially when it comes to a place where i can get info on how to spot and figure out what is the real deal and what is a bootleg, something that has become real problem.
ahh yayy so happy to hear that you got a nendoroid!! The pumpkin dress sounds so really unique and cute! Hopefully the project to get her ribbon and stand is a fun one :D
and yesss I was so happy to hear that Danganronpa is finally getting a Switch version and also a new game as well! Hopefully it means more merch in the future haha.
I'm glad to hear some of my info was helpful! It's true that bootlegs are turning into a bigger issue and I hope this info helps people from being tricked into buying them!
@@JoanneOfArc She is very cute and unique, the right kind of cute, i am very picky about certain things, i know what i like and when something works and here it does :D
I have many ideas on how i can approach fixing the ribbon issue for her, so many ways to do it, maybe i´ll share how it turns out in the future somehow. I think it will be fun and do think i can make it look rather good.
I hope there will be more Danganronpa stuff, it might become more available and more affordable if it happens, i do hope so.
It was very helpful and positive, i also enjoyed it as i always do. Looking forward to the next video from you.
@@Heavymetalrille thank you so much!! and please do share the results of fixing the nendoroid ribbon :D
Another Saturday made
Ahh thank you jron!! ☺🙌
Awesome video!
thank you so much!! :D
Thank you for the tips! Your videos always make me want to get some nendoroids!
nendoroids are the best! 😁
@@JoanneOfArc I feel like I NEED to get one now haha
@@angelocfajardo haha def only get ones of your fave characters or you'll end up with too many like me 🤣
Oh, I used buyee before, pretty good and easy to use proxy, I bought a final fantasy popcorn bucket(so freaking cute, the chirp sounds it makes is adorable) which is only sold in universal studios in japan, I got it for cheap on there(Then again I won't be able to find anywhere else as I will never go to universal studios in japan). I also bought a few other things, I payed I think around $20 shipping which is very reasonable as it was shipped in a giant box which was a combined of all my orders. Solerisjapan is also nice, usually the stuff I look for on there are almost always overpriced so I tend to avoid solerisjaoan. for pre-orders solerisjapan and amiami are both the best as they usually give great discounts on them.
Awesome displays
Thank you!! ☺
I am surprised you didnt talk about Yahoo Auctions, which for me its the best place to find REALLY cheap pre-owned and sometimes even sealed rare figures.
I haven't had much experience with Auctions so I didn't really feel comfortable talking about it here! I understand the basics of it, but it also sounds like there are a lot of factors involved such as bidding, trusting sellers, how to spot fakes, botting, etc 😱
@@JoanneOfArc honestly, yahoo auctions dont have many bootlegs, when it is usually its described as "overseas" on the title. And about sellers basically just have to see if they have enough good feedbacks.. Its really not complicated but it can be very addicting XD
@@unibell3298 ah that's awesome, thank you for the info! I'll have to check it out :D
Thanks for sharing😊 surely will check all of them..
yayy glad to hear it :D
another great video
ahh thank you soo much!! 💕
i not yet try order from other site but i use Mandarake for several times..it easy to use but to bad they cannot combine item from other brunch...so you need to pay shipping cost for each brunch..
Yeah, thats my downside too, but I try to keep my orders from the same shop if possible to combine them together.
yeah that confused me at first, but at least it keeps me from ordering too much haha 😁
Your right about ridiculous spending. I just went on Amiami to pay for the 'third' pre- owned figure this month (total 38,636jpy) and thought id just type in 1/4 bunnys. To Love Ru darkness Mikan Yuki (orange costume fishnets) was there pre- owned. It was my original bunny want, probably only bunny want, did i spend another 24,500jpy on the spot (minus p+p)? Of course i did 😥 Cut my hands off somebody!! Good work on your channel keep it up.
lool oh no haha 😂 - at least it's a figure you've been looking for! I do know what you mean though! I always have to browse even if I know it might lead to some unintended spending 😅
Is solaris a good place to shop for pre order figures that just came out? Plus are there shipping method really trust worthy and arrives as picked? Like if you pick the 3-7 day shipping does it come in 7 days?
I had such a hard time convincing myself to preorder the Beelzebumon and Behemoth G.E.M. figure because the price was so high, but then when it released it and I had the money to splurge it was sold out everywhere. 😅 I searched and searched for the first few months it was out and took a chance on an Ebay auction from an online pawn shop seller, and managed to win it for a little less than the retail price. It was sooo stressful and I never want to go through that again. 😅😭 Super happy with it but ouch my wallet, will probably never buy one that expensive again! It is now the holy grail of my collection. 😂
aww although it was a stressful experience, I'm glad that you were able to pick up your grail!! 😄
Nice collection im going to try to buy some one piece collection thank you for the tips 🙏
I really like looking at Solaris Japan, but I have to agree with the price fluctuation. A nendoroid I was after was £135 and I thought it was a bit expensive for a nendoroid. I missed out on it because of being indecisive but now it is available again a month later and its £185 ;-;
Generally though for nendoroids in my experience, Solaris is pretty fair and better than eBay (bootleg risks) and Mandarake (waiting for stock).
oof yeah Solaris prices fluctuate soo much!! I would almost never trust eBay but Mandarake is one of my faves! Especially if you set up alerts :D
Omg its only been 6 months and you're collection is already pretty big lol! I have the same Monomi nendoroid she's so cute, I got her preowned (like new) on ebay for 60 USD which is a nice deal since she seems so rare. Just be careful cause I heard they have arm problems where the peg detaches and gets permanently stuck in the hole.
yeah I went too hard on my collection tbh haha. I'm trying to keep the rest of my year light 🤣
And ahh thank you for the warning! I'll have to be super gentle if I ever want to swap out for new gestures
Buyee is the best and has best prices.
i tried to use buyee but it keep got error and i cant find anything , even the menu i pick the category in the menu also show error
I've only bought from amiami once so I was wondering how good mandarake is I've heard so many good things about it was thinking of picking up a nendroid or 2 is it really that good?
I'm buying an old Haruhi Suzumiya figma from Solaris Japan after watching this video I feel less worried about it being a bootleg.
Do all of these ship worldwide? (E.g. Philippines)
I’ve been searching for these figures
I hope you're able to find them!!
The Levi reminds me of the recent Roy "Fullmetal Alchemist" Figure
oh yeah I can see it! the chair that figure comes with also looks super nicely detailed haha
Another Levi!! 🤩….I need to use mandarake more often. I’ve only used it to setup an alert for ultimate Madoka but nobody wants to let her go as I never get any alerts 😂
I keep seeing her on Ami Ami the moment they update their preowned for about $140. Not always but every once in a while.
I've seen ultimate Madoka a few times on Mandarake! I think if the item sells super fast, it might not send you an alert or if the shop makes a whole new listing instead of reusing the older one, it won't alert you. I check a couple times a week just in case haha
@@JoanneOfArc I completely understand. I'm always on the lookout for 1/4 Bunny Mai as well. I saw her earlier this week for around $320 there too but I didn't have the money to buy her ☹
@@Echo11Niner whaa that is such a good price for her, but it's still a lot of money to just have on hand for figures so I totally feel you there! I'm sure she'll pop up again in the future 🙏
@@Echo11Niner I actually never thought about checking Ami Ami. And $140 is a good price. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll make sure to check
I use the 2k yen coupon for a goodsmile saber thanks!
I was trying to use buyee couple of times but couldn’t find anything until you mentioned write whatever I’m looking for in Japanese lmao thanx a bunch 😊 also I’m looking for my grail if anyone find it can you please let me know
High Standard Statue "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part7 Steel Ball Run" Gyro Zeppeli Araki Color Ver.
yeah!! I also tried looking for items in English but Japanese pulls up the best results! Hopefully you find the JoJo figure! 😁
Thanks for doing one on buyee. I notice they are almost identical to Neokyo. Is there a reason you use one over the other? I don't use proxys very often, but neokyo has an auto translate feature which saves a step for me. Keep up the great videos!
ooo I haven't tried Neokyo so I can only speak on my experience with Buyee (who I've been using for months now)! It's very interesting to hear that they have an auto-translate for the search menu! All the descriptions on Buyee seem to auto-translate from what i can tell :D
@@JoanneOfArc oh awesome. I'll check them out next time I'm looking for one of my grails. Sent a FR on MFC. Toprharley. I look forward to your next video.
@@brianwaterman8185 thank youu!! and added :D
Nice. I really want to try out some other sites like buyee. Side note I have akatsuki! One of the first figures I got. Never opened 😬
Yess definitely check it out!! And ooo so jealous! I've almost given up on finding her for a decent price 😅
hahaha the double Levi, even Levi is annoyed by Levi
true true 🤣🤣
Maybe my dream figure will be made!!
Yeah I hope so too!
14:06 This hurts because I recently went and bought a Monokuma nendroid but got a bootleg one
From SolarisJapan?
Can you use usa dollars or only 💴 yens
Usually if a shop sells in Yen, there would be a conversion to USD when you finish checking out. This would happen through the bank/credit card which can trigger fees if your card doesn't support free international transactions. Hope that helps!
is the coupon for registering only for Mercari ?
it's for any marketplace site through the buyee website
I ordered a Miku from Crunchyroll store and I was disappointed she's kinda wobbly in her stan and her hand has a terrible paint job but If you see her from far she looks amazing!!!! not sure if I recommend buying from Crunchyroll store
I would get in touch with them or the manufacturer. It’s more the manufacturer’s fault than Crunchyroll since they only sell and not make the products.
yeah I would agree with NealQu here! I've had issues with some nendoroids not fitting in stands, etc and they come from all different stores - even from the Good Smile store directly. Reach out and see if they can send you a replacement! :D
wow i never thought of that thanks
Buyee -Mercari and YJ my fave places. Amiami pre-owned is too competitive
yeah they're awesome!! It's true, AmiAmi preowned is wayy competitive. I tried to buy something just last night right as the preowned section went up and my account kept bugging out and someone else snagged the item :(
Solaris has been my worst enemy yet, ordered a nendoroid released a year ago, and its been 2 months without any shipping notices, and I even went with express shipping 😔
I've had some delays in my past orders as well, which is annoying! I'd reach out to customer service and see if they can give you an update
I have to authorize Buyee to use my paypal is that normal / safe ? Not sure if I ever had to do that when ordering online
I don't think it's too common but I think they do it in case you shop on places like yahoo Japan auctions - they take the winning bid automatically from your account I believe. Once you authorize and buy whatever it is you're looking for, you can always go into your PayPal settings and disconnect Buyee (which is what I do between purchases). Hopefully that helps!
Joanne of Arc Thank you ! Just wanted to double check before I bought some nendos on mecari Thank you for helping us find these rare collectibles / figures .
@@alfredofernandez6924 Of course!! I hope you find the nendos you're looking for :D
Buenos días una pregunta si están haciendo envíos a Ecuador
hola! Creo que la mayoría de los websites se envían internacionalmente, pero no estoy seguro!
@@JoanneOfArc y cual sería el sitio web más confiable si me podría decir porfavor
@@joseachina4896 hmm creo que amiami!
I don't own any anime figures but this video was still interesting to watch. 👍
Ahh thank you very much! ☺
How do you know if an item from Buyee is legit or not ? Cause I’m looking at two nendroids and the seller stated that he bought them off Amazon, so I’m not sure if they are legit or not
if they post pictures, I have a whole section in the Buyee portion of the video going over how to spot bootleg figures! If there aren't pictures (and not just stock ones from the official listings), I'd skip buying them
@@JoanneOfArc so if I look under MFC and nothing pops up for counterfeits I should be fine ?
@@brianplasse5743 I think the counterfeits are user-generated so not all bootlegs will be captured. Def still compare the product pics to official ones and pics of the box as well before buying!
Is your RUclipsr name a reference to janna da arc the jpop band hehe?
haha no it isn't. It's derived from the historical figure Joan of Arc (or Jeanne d'Arc)! One of my friends helped me come up with the name a long time ago after he connected my first name (Joanne) with who he was studying in his history class at the time (Joan of Arc) 😄
6 months?!? XD jeeeeeez. I have been going slooooow XD
Who is Derek on youtube?
his video is linked in the section I talk about him! His YT username is DTTC Reviews
The price fluctuation on Solaris is so annoying, Zero Two bunny figure went from 350 euros to over 700....RIP!
it does fluctuate so much!! 😭
I would add Nin Nin Game to the list, which is maybe a bit better than Solaris Japan from my experience.
oh interesting! I've never tried that site
@@JoanneOfArc I'm not sure how they are doing it, but in about 60% of my orders from Nin Nin Game I didn't have to pay any customs. Which is opposite to GSC or Solaris Japan where I have to pay customs for 100% of my orders. And that's a big difference. Otherwise Nin Nin Game is one of my main sources for my most wanted older rare nendoroids (most of my "normal" nendoroids are from pre-orders from our local shop), their prices are similar to those on Solaris Japan, but as I said before, without paying customs it's a bit better. Of course it may be different in your country (I'm from the Czech Republic, sorry for my English).
@@ForMiSoft ah yeah I've been lucky since I haven't been hit with Customs at all yet from any site! Maybe it's to do with being in the US, haha. Not paying the additional customs fees does sound nice though and I'm glad you're able to avoid it through Nin Nin game and local stores! Your English is great 😄
The Levi is amazing! Two for the price of one! And the design is very elegant overall. Thank you for bringing up Mercari! I was aware of Buyee (I've used them before) but not Mercari. I'm looking for a figure that was released in 2010 and it's nowhere to be found on Mandarake, Solaris or AmiAmi but there are currently two listings of it on Mercari... However I'm not sure I wanna pay the prices they're currently asking for ahaha...
Yess the Levi was a happy surprise!
I love shopping on Mercari Japan through Buyee! I think the listings are mostly done by independent sellers or small shops so prices can fluctuate a lot! If the prices aren't good now, there might be some in the future for cheaper 😄I hope you're able to get it at a good price!!
@@JoanneOfArc Thanks! I'll have to stalk the website, then!
What happens if a Nendroid is sold out ? Will there still be a restock ? T~T
Sometimes there will be re-releases for very popular nendoroids that aren't marked as "Limited". Otherwise, I've had pretty good luck on the pre-owned market through Mandarake, AmiAmi pre-owned, Solaris Japan, or on Mercari Japan! Be careful of the potential high prices though 😱
@@JoanneOfArc Thank you for telling me 💓but how would we know if there will be a restock in the future tho ? Cause I plan to buy in the future as the currency in my country here is like $100=RM 423.25 . And I worry that if I were to buy it in the future the nendroid/figures will be sold out
@@misu_rose6552 Of course! And unfortunately I don't think there's really a way to know when something will re-release in the future. I just pay attention to figure announcements such as the Won Hobby showcase that GoodSmile hosts and from figure company social media accounts.
@@JoanneOfArc aaaaa I see thank you so much 💗💗💗
I finally got my hands on a b style bunny figure cost me almost 400😫😫tho but hopefully worth it! I’m waiting for her to get here
Ohh snap which one did you get?? 😄
cool
thank you 😄
Woot woot! Love this video! Buyee is amazing!!! Gah now I got more competition on Buyee! Ehhe omg Levi is hella hot and you have two of him! Soo cute when they’re sitting on each other! 🤣 gotta keep looking at those sites religiously! Great tips! FYI I got that Kenma nendoroid for higher than that price cause I needed to complete my collection and he’s so cute! 😍 rip wallet indeed!
ahh thank you so muchh!! 💕 and yay glad to hear you're also a Buyee user! Ahh I've been looking for Kenma too and I'm glad you were able to pick him up (even if the price was higher 😂)...one day my wallet may allow it! 😁
@@JoanneOfArc yeah! Buyee girl!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 omg it’s cause you spend on other figures but I’m sure you’ll find a Kenma when your wallet is full the next time! 😏
@@l1ndo haha so true!! Thank you 🙏
Wow I like them flowers. They're back and matches the big one ;)
Among these, I have already bought used harder-to-reach figures from Solaris Japan, AmiAmi. I was already looking for stuff in Mandarake but I didn't find anything good yet, should try longer time searching ... Buyee is not ok for me.
I know what you ment in the end of clip. Not long ago I acidentially hit buy button for one figure and was in trouble because of that months pay bills for preorders, etcetera ... lol xp
thank you!! Trying to switch up my backgrounds a bit at a time haha :D
Yeah it can take some time to find a figure that you're looking for on Mandarake and also a bit of luck too on when you check!
For real, same here haha. A few months ago I just bought wayy too many in-stock/preowned items and then was hit with preorders too that I forgot about. Now I keep track of everything just in case! 😅
Nice. Also be strict in your choice. It even happened to me that I was monitoring the monthly expenses, and then due to delays in making the figures (pre-orders) a lot of bills were accumulated at once ... Huh not pleasant surprise xp.
Btw: I do like when you are telling meaningful things in polite tone in those not too long clips ;)
Keep doing good stuff :)
@@jocman7339 definitely!! this hobby can get pretty expensive and when coupled with delays and real-life bills too...rip wallet for sure 😅
and thank you!! I do want to remain honest in my feedback but I know my experience can differ drastically from other peoples' :D
I'll buy there because I want a figure of meliodas because on ebay the figures are expensive
nice, hope you're able to find him at a good price!
No matter where I look, I will never find Tae Takemi other than on Ebay for $500+
I've seen it pop up occasionally on Mandarake for 30K yen (still expensive but it's under $500). Here's the link if you're interested: order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1172208803&ref=list&keyword=Tae%20takemi&lang=en&deviceId=1 you can set up alerts if it pops up in the future!
solaris is best for sales but their default prices are hella overpriced.
I have been buying on and off for a good 6-7 years or so but not avidly - until I started my downward spiral into the rabbit hole just about December last year. So, like you, these past few months were a steep learning curve for me in knowing the ins and outs of buying figures. I agree that Solaris is pretty much the place that has that rare preowned figure that one wants, but I do think their prices can be a tad ridiculous - so one needs to weigh the pros and cons of either biting the bullet or go all zen and be patient for a potentially cheaper price at AmiAmi (or Mandarake).
One other site with rarities is Jfigure dot com, ran by a chap in Tokyo and like Solaris, his prices are a bit up there but he guarantees that all the figures are genuine, and looking at the rare items he has on sale, one may argue that it may be worth spending one's moolah if one cannot wait.
I did try the Buyee route from your previous recommendation but I just realised I didn't try the Mercari option as YJA was a bit hit and miss (probably due to the rarity of the item I wanted).
Just one more place I'd recommend if one is used to Buyee from the perspective of knowing how to spot for bootlegs is Amazon Japan, but one would need a forwarding address in Japan (eg Tenso) or go via Buyee. Most older figures can be found at the market place and you need to use Google Translate to figure out what condition the figure is in. Not all figures will have photos unfortunately so one needs to look at the feedback rating of the seller. You can tell if the stuff isn't likely to be genuine when it is too cheap, or you need a few weeks for the figure to be "ready", or the seller's shop address is outside Japan. I have thus far been happy with my Amazon JP purchases if I missed anything on AmiAmi.
Sorry for going on for a bit... ^^
ahh this is amazing!! thank you for sharing your experiences and I'll have to check out Jfigure since it's one I haven't heard of yet! 😄Deff agree that the Solaris prices can be really high (my nendos from this video are overpriced and I've seen it come and go for cheaper on other sites, but I'm glad I have them in the end!)
literally 1/4 rabbit hole? lol
@@JoanneOfArc oh I forgot to mention. it was interesting that you mentioned Derick/DTTC Reviews wrt the 1/4 B-style Bunny Senpai figure because I too changed my mind. And just to illustrate your warning to new collectors about watching the budget, a few days after watching DTTC's "regret purchases" video I got lucky at an AmiAmi drop a few days ago as I snagged the Aniplex version and I have to say that I paid more for her than my 1/4 Chika B-style preorder ( T_T)＼(^-^ )... but it's sooooooo worth it. My wallet is saying otherwise, though.
@@kudomaharizu ooo that's amazing that you were able to pick up the Aniplex Mai!! And yeah preowned and in-stock figure shopping can get really dangerous fast 😅
Just subscribe !
ah thank you so much!!
#JoanneofArc, you are so sweet. I love the content of your channel because it's so amazing, and I really enjoy watching your unboxing videos, but it's really hard for me to focus on them without admiring your beauty. You leave me breathless every time I see your pretty face and hear your soothing voice. You have the prettiest eyes that I've ever seen. You are so amazingly beautiful, and I really have a crush on you.
GOD BLESS U
YOU TOO 😁
only thing that annoys me from buyee is that appllying coupouns or using them is pretty annoying
yeah I can see that! They also don't apply to everything which takes some time to figure out (well at least for me lol)
In my experience Solaris Japan sucks.
They are heavily overpriced and did not provide any actual help after they sent a damaged product and box (even though I bought the premium shipping protection).
whaa that sounds horrible! I can only speak on my experience and it really sucks that they can't be consistent between customers D:
Was just curious about figures, but you’re beautiful respectfully m’lady
ahh thank you so much!! I hope you enjoyed the figures 😁
Oh tell the truth about solarisjapan
You pay for a preorder, pay for postage regardless of which time frame
Then they want more for postage
for real!! Haven't shopped with them since :/
@@JoanneOfArc I haven't
They've done it with practically every order I've got from them this year that I paid last year
If the postage changed due to inflation that isn't my fault
If they've had the order for months without contacting me and insist on extra for postage I ain't paying
@@snakedaemongaming6590 ugh that's so annoying, I'm sorry 😢
@@JoanneOfArc not your fault but I still have 1 ordered and I'm half expecting the same again, I won't be using them again
They had the gal to say that its only because its a preorder when they've done it with an order I place on one that was out for months
@@snakedaemongaming6590 yeah they charged me for extra shipping on two orders that were both already released as well :(
now to only have money lmao-
haha I feel you 😅