How much cheaper is it to buy the toys in Japan?

[danster69]

Has anybody bought Macross toys in Japan? Is it cheaper than getting it online? Im going to Japan and im hoping to buy the 1/48 1J with fast packs and the MPC Prime.

[mister_e]

According to what I've heard/read, the 1/48's without FAST packs retail for under $100 US in Japan (according to monkey-nugget in this thread), whereas they typically go for around $130-$160 US at most online retailers.

[gnollman]

Depends on current exchange rates... now, not as good as it was a year ago...

Still, current exchange will buy you a 1/48 for between 135 and 140 USD.... and Fast Packs between 50 and 55 US. But then, the dollar has been trending weak against the yen for quite some time, now....

So, about what you'll pick them up for here in the States, but you don't have to pay shipping... but those are awfully big boxes to fit in your luggage....

Edited December 28, 2003 by gnollman

[mpchi]

Cheaper in Japan for sure, but not a whole lot. You can basically check the price in places like HLJ. Toys are sold at that standard price through out Japan. So if the VF-1J is lets say 19800yen, then its 19800yen everywhere. So you basically save on the shipping & import mark-up. There are toys stores in Japan that does go lower than that standard 19800yen, maybe like a 10-15% discount sometimes (seen very often on ads in the back section of HobbyJapan mag). If you happen to find those shops, then you'll save a bit more. But remember, both VF-1J w/FP and the MP Prime are big items with big box. Make sure you have room for them & don't mind carrying them around for a while.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Two words: NO SHIPPING

[jonwayne]

if you buy from shops in japan, you'll have to pay for 5% tax. no tax if you buy online.

[JsARCLIGHT]

If the Fed and State Government has it's way soon all internet purchases in the US will have to charge sales tax... several companies are already doing it. Japan's 5% sales tax is nothing compared to Saint Louises' 7.55%... and a few other states/cities in this great land of ours have even higher taxes.

Also look at it this way:

Purchase in Japan of $100 plus $5 tax for a total of $105

That same item bought for $100 from Japan online with no tax but a shipping cost of $25 = $125 plus about a week wait (if not horribly longer) to get it.

That same item imported to the US by a store or person and marked up a bit to $120 plus $12 shipping in the US = $132 plus you still have to wait sometimes up to a week.

Any way you stack the deck an imported product will always cost 10% to 30% more than if you bought it in the land of origin unless the company making the item just really loves to stick it to their own people. The only way the numbers ever "balance" is if the parent company making the product releases the item internationally at a fixed price point (meaning it is the same "price" everywhere). Throw regional dollar fluctuations, exchange rates and possible trade tarriffs on to that and you get a very clouded international exchange figure.

[nhyone]

That same item imported to the US by a store or person and marked up a bit to $120 plus $12 shipping in the US = $132 plus you still have to wait sometimes up to a week.

mpchi mentions the possibility of 10 to 15% discount. I wonder if anyone use that to their advantage? If this is a persistent offer, it will be possible to offer the item at the same price as Japan-based online stores! Of course, no one will do this because they can charge higher...

[nhyone]

Any way you stack the deck an imported product will always cost 10% to 30% more than if you bought it in the land of origin unless the company making the item just really loves to stick it to their own people.

Is this so?

I know that the retail prices in Singapore are similar to that of Japan. Since this is inclusive of shipping, the retailers must have a cheaper source.

HK should be even cheaper, I believe.

Could it be that the toys ship straight from China?

I wonder about Malaysia and Taiwan.

[LePoseur]

I buy all my 1/48's off TRU-Japan's website for 9,999 yen a pop, except the 1J w/ armor which was 14,999. Although I did get a second Max for about 7,000 when they had the sale price but, of course, that's special, as it's the only 1/48 at TRU to get a mark down to my knowledge.

The only problem is "When are you coming?" Right now is a good time as the re-release 1S and Hikaru 1A are still around, but the 1/48's have a tendency to disappear, as do most toys, either because they sell out or the store needs to allot the shelf space to the next flavor of the month. Also, just don't expect shelves overflowing with Macross or you'll be disappointed.

BTW, JsARCLIGHT is right on the money, anytime you have to buy an item in one country and then ship it to another expect a price increase. It's not evil, it's just economics... then again, maybe economics is evil.

As for Singapore and Hong Kong, and this is just speculation, the reason I guess they can offer a lower price than other countries outside of Japan is that the toys sold their never see Japan. Instead, they enter the market directly from China, meaning A) less shipping cost and B) never having to enter Japan, AKA the land of unbelievably inflated prices.

Edited December 28, 2003 by LePoseur

[JsARCLIGHT]

I know that the retail prices in Singapore are similar to that of Japan. Since this is inclusive of shipping, the retailers must have a cheaper source.

When you speak of Singapore you might as well lump it an most of S.E.A. outside of the Austrailias as the same entity. Almost all toys nowadays originate out of China anyway so technically Japan is considered to be the second step on the train and anything between China and there could be seen as the same "market of origin" price wise.

But you have to think outside the obvious here, in my mind the true intent of this thread was rather "geocentric" meaning "how much cheaper are things in Japan compared to half a world away in the states or in Europe?". 3000+ miles between origin and point of sale can impact a price point like an atomic bomb.

[Zentrandude]

in a way its cheaper to buy online than buy in japan if you live in the us. you have to buy a plane ticket which is like $600+ buy all your valks and hope its under the limitations to bring it back. then get stripsearch cuz the customs found a gunpod in your pocket and you have to explain it then the guys loading your luggages lost the luggage holding all your valks. spending hours and hours tracking it down. finaly finding it and see its been smashed, covered in gease and oil, opened, stolen parts of one valk and completely stolen the others and being sold buy that guy outside the airport next to the vending machine. then you relized you forgot your car keys in russia where they have to reroute and delayed a day.

wash rince and repeat all above too your return.

[LePoseur]

Hehe, more than you know. On my last trip back home to the states I brought some bandai reissues and an Iron Giant figure for my friends. Man, you shold have seen the looks I got as that hunk of metal went through the detector. Only when my wife asked "What the heck do you have in there?" and I just said "Toys" did the guards' faces look like they had just solved a riddle and let me pass. But for the amount of time they held me and stared at the monitor, I swore I was going to have to unpack all the luggage we'd brought.

[indigofx28]

pm'd ya