By far the most frequent question emailed to me is \u201cWhere do you get these toys?\u201d\u00a0 While it may have been the most common question asked of me it\u2019s also been one of the hardest ones to answer.\u00a0 There are many options out there in the import toy world but it can be very hard to find a vendor that covers all the bases.\u00a0 Some vendors communicate well but have unreasonably high prices.\u00a0 Other vendors have seemingly great prices but inflated shipping prices that ruin the advantage.\u00a0 Some vendors seem great but then abruptly go out of business leaving you more than a little irritated (I\u2019m looking at you Amenbo!) or don\u2019t accept your preferred means of payment.<\/p>\n
I don’t have one site I go to and most the sites I do use can be found by Googling the exact name of the toy you’re hoping to purchase near the release date. If someone wants to sponsor me, I’m all ears!<\/p>\n
Looking for vintage toys?\u00a0 If you\u2019re in the states the best way to find them is to join Macross, Robotech, or other toy communities and scour their \u201cFor Sale\u201d sections for great second-hand deals.\u00a0 Networking among these circles can be a great way to also find stores and collectors near you willing to part with some of their classics.\u00a0 The next best thing to do is scour eBay but the general rule is Buyer Beware so be sure to familiarize yourself with what you\u2019ll be buying on this site.\u00a0 I try to include helpful hints to second-hand buyers in my Durability & Build section.\u00a0 Finally, the most expensive, but often most fruitful for vintage items, option is Yahoo! Japan auctions.\u00a0 These auctions can only ship within Japan though so you\u2019ll have to hire a Japanese company to act as a proxy for you and they will charge you a hefty fee (usually a percentage of your max bid price).<\/p>\n
One final note, Toynami is an American company so shop around your local toy stores to pick up their goods.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t make very much sense to have those items imported.<\/p>\n
So, where should you go to buy toys like the ones featured here?<\/p>\n
www.ebay.com<\/a><\/p>\n