So HLJ is getting worse and JP shipping is getting out of control so I've decided to ship out my PW just to get it done before I have to start paying fees on them. Just asking if anyone has experience doing the same, did you bite the bullet and ship all at once or is it better to split them up?If you're wondering mix of mainly model kits, but also a few figures like figmas and nendos.And I guess anyone else pulling out of importing because of this?
>>11672257I feel like combining doesn’t help as much as it used to. Four figures I already paid for I think will cost me like $100 to ship with Hobby Genki FedEx in spring. So it feels like you are basically having to pay shipping for each item in your order rather than it being combined. Praying prices go down or new options come by then…Amiami ECMS has been about $60-70 shipping for three figures. Single figure seems to average about $35 on most sites. I'll try shipping my HLJ pw next month but I’m scared because whenever I tested their prices in checkout, their calculations seemed very fucky and more than they should be for some reason. I am not quitting the hobby because I guess I kind of have a spoiled child mentality where if I want something, I have to have it no matter what. Currently trying to stick to Genki and Ami as much as possible because I think they might have lowest rates. Staying away from Nin Nin which is too much. Might switch to US sites for some things where importing would be more expensive.
>>11672284>Four figures I already paid for I think will cost me like $100 to ship with Hobby Genki FedEx in spring.That's kinda crazy>USok that might change a thing I'm from Europe and HLJs calculations puts me at like 120 euro for the whole warehouse, again models so light but still, also need to pay vat on that which will probably be as much as the shipping.>Currently trying to stick to Genki and Ami as much as possible because I think they might have lowest rates.Yeah been feeling the same, but I've started to stick with local stores that are getting preorders for a lot of stuff and if they don't work out I know they will return the money no sweat but yeah if you don't have that option it's rough.
>>11672287>EuropeSo shipping from Japan is crazy expensive everywhere now? Damn they better lower their rates if they don't want my gaijin ass trying to immigrate over there.
>>11672289It's not the craziest but it's getting pretty bad since we generally have to pay import tax too, just not worth it honestly
>>11672257>And I guess anyone else pulling out of importing because of this?Nope but these will be my last purchases at HLJ. Their shipping and tarrifs costs more than the other sites I use for some reason.Also play around to see if you can split ship or bulk them all for ECSM since the shipping+handling is much lower.
>>11672257I am planning to stop using HLJ once my preorders come in. I have quite a few items in storage ready to ship, and the remaining items were SUPPOSED to release late 2025, but many got delayed. No problem, I will simply wait.I am slowing down on buying overseas purchases because of shipping and tariff prices for sure. It has got to the point where I am paying nearly the same price as shipping as I am for my purchases (sometimes possibly more). Thankfully I bought basically all the older figures I want. My only new purchases are the occasional Godzilla fiures and random collectibles (which I use middle man sites to buy for me, not HLJ).
Oh fuck I just preordered something on HLJ because ai haven't used them in over a year or two and its price was cheaper by 2000 yen there. Hope I dont get fucked.
Are there any good proxy countries that have comparatively cheap shipping from Japan where the customs don't take issue with 18+ merch? Particularly if I intend to reship form there to Europe. Is Korea not viable?
>>11672257I once shipped an order JUST when the new restrictions were happening early last year. It was sent out for shipping, but stayed in transit for like a week. Lucky for me, the order was shipped back to HLJ and I was given credit for the shipping cost. I later tried again when they announced DHL was available again. And I paid extra for tariffs too.
how and when do you pay for the tariffs? is it emailed to you by HLJ or what?
>>11672421Mine was added in checkout
>>11672421I posted it in the figmanuts fred. It is at checkout.
>>11672257I did 6 of 8. Adding either of the other 2 doubled the shipping. That's how I logic'd it out.
>>11672257I stopped using HLJ, not being able to cancel anymore is just shit.
Tariffs in general have made me barely want to buy imports anymore. so much of what I'm interested in has had chinese KOs with similar quality anyway, and I'm burned out on anime girls. I have more fun with Pokemon Blokees and 3P Transformers and the occasional Sentinel mecha KO or other high end brand KO than most JP imports,prices have already gone up too high for the dwindling quality. Figuarts, figma, all those were really impressive in like 2012-2019, now outside if some like SHFSS they underwhelm. I was winding down before, but with tariffs it's like why do I want to pay another $100 on figures I'll be disappointed in?
>>11672257I'm also in the process of trying to ship out my stuff, mainly because I fucked up and need to get it home before fees since cash is tight, I already asked them to cancel some stuff and they were nice enough to do so, but I honestly should've asked for more but I'm unsure if I should ask again, don't want to risk getting my account banned because I still have a lot in my private warehouse.
>>11673001just ask them, worse thing that happens is your account gets banned and they ask you to ship everything, if you're really hurting you really don't need HLJ anyways, it's turning into shit
So are we at the point were you're better off just waiting for western retailers to stock imports?
>>11673091Maybe. I imported SHF Rei and paid like $85 total and got her early. US sites have her for $90 and still don't have her in stock. So importing was better because still a few bucks cheaper and earlier. However, I am looking at Figma Privaty who is $100 on BBTS and $85 on amiami. Importing her will cost more than buying from BBTS. I guess it's case by case. Kinda want to just switch to US because it will be less headache not having to worry about surprise charges or packages being opened or damaged or sketchy couriers stealing your shit. I wish Kappa Hobby had a pile of loot like BBTS and didn't make you pay upon ordering instead of when items came in stock because they have the best prices.
>>11673091Batch shipping is still cheaper but its way more expensive than it was 6 months ago, and of course most stores don't actually let you batch ship. The real wallet killer is stores like goodsmile who are filling out the paperwork correctly, I just paid $48 in tariff for 1 figure from them where I paid less than that for 3 figures from hlj.
>>11673112Why not ship to a mail forwarder's warehouse in some country that's not affected by tariffs? Many of them will hold your stuff for free for about a month and you can combine shipments from multiple stores into one. Buyee and the like can do this too but you'll be fucked by Japan's local 10% sales tax + tariffs, which is why I'm thinking it might be best to ship to another country first.
>>11673116there is no country that doesn't have tariffs for the u.s. it automatically starts at 10%
>>11673091me personally yes, I costed out what Snail Shell's Kitsunebi Senki Honoka would roughly cost from Amiami compared to my local store.for me, post the shipping and import taxes it would land at roughly 140 usd (I am not American so its not what you would pay) and locally they'd sell it for 150 with free shipping, and the local store is easier to work with in case of issues, so yeah local stores from now on, I'm only gonna use Mandarake and maybe Amiami for in stock second hand stuff from now on and even then that will be rare.
