Anime Figurines Thread

[roxybudgy]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

Which one is the one that costed you $300?

Checking my eBay history, Yoko cost me $385.80 plus $21 postage (AUD). So roughly $400 x.x

Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann - Yoko Littner - 1/8 - Bounty Hunter Ver. (Alter)
http://myfigurecollection.net/item/4329

That one was my favourite Yoko figurine out of all the ones that were released. I found the other Yoko figurines a touch too "slutty" for my taste.

Second most expensive was the Volks Holo, which from memory was around $300 AUD http://myfigurecollection.net/item/10454

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

Man, it's probably will take some major development if i want to become devoted as you. The shipping costs has been my biggest worry, so only hopes that there would be a myfigurecollection network in Australia any time soon.

Yep, I used to use EMS for everything and it would vary from $20 to $30 extra for shipping, which on hindsight seems insane considering that some of the figurines themselves cost around $80.

I use registered SAL now, contemplating using unregistered SAL to save a few dollars.

But I can't imagine ever spending that much on a figurine ever again, IRL responsibilities take some priority >.<

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by roxybudgy

Checking my eBay history, Yoko cost me $385.80 plus $21 postage (AUD). So roughly $400 x.x

Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann - Yoko Littner - 1/8 - Bounty Hunter Ver. (Alter)
http://myfigurecollection.net/item/4329

That one was my favourite Yoko figurine out of all the ones that were released. I found the other Yoko figurines a touch too "slutty" for my taste.

Second most expensive was the Volks Holo, which from memory was around $300 AUD http://myfigurecollection.net/item/10454



Yep, I used to use EMS for everything and it would vary from $20 to $30 extra for shipping, which on hindsight seems insane considering that some of the figurines themselves cost around $80.

I use registered SAL now, contemplating using unregistered SAL to save a few dollars.

But I can't imagine ever spending that much on a figurine ever again, IRL responsibilities take some priority >.<

But at least you do pay for the valuable one so it's all good.

I don't think i will go too far on collecting figure to be honest. Collecting is a sport for me: collect the most cool looking or valuable one, while paying for the most optimum price. With that reasoning in mind, considering where are we living, collecting figure already failed at the first stage for me as the shipment costs would make everything I buy 30-60% more expensive.


The only up side is: i'm not as attentive on minor thing. So i kinda wished for more faulty products that ends up being rejected by typical collectors (maybe due to a bit sloppy paint, or inaccurate detail, or a hated/ controversial character) hence see a sharp drop in price.

Btw, a very important question:
Generally how steady is the stands, and on the design of the whole figure. This one for example:
http://myfigurecollection.net/pictur...f=item%3A26961
The weight clearly was shifted onto one side, wouldn't it eventually start to break the part, or bend the frame? Or have they already consider that when they designed? Maybe it's not a good idea to keep the figure outside of the box for too long?

[Lord of Fire]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

Btw, a very important question:
Generally how steady is the stands, and on the design of the whole figure. This one for example:
http://myfigurecollection.net/pictur...f=item%3A26961
The weight clearly was shifted onto one side, wouldn't it eventually start to break the part, or bend the frame? Or have they already consider that when they designed? Maybe it's not a good idea to keep the figure outside of the box for too long?

The stands are usually specifically designed to make the figurine stand with relative ease, even on one leg. However, I learned the hard way that keeping it in a safe place that you can't easily bump into is a definite must. I had a figure break, because I accidentally knocked it over. Given how much money they cost, having them break is the last thing you want.

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by Lord of Fire

The stands are usually specifically designed to make the figurine stand with relative ease, even on one leg. However, I learned the hard way that keeping it in a safe place that you can't easily bump into is a definite must. I had a figure break, because I accidentally knocked it over. Given how much money they cost, having them break is the last thing you want.

OK, on bedside is a no go then.... my early morning search for alarm clock tends to be messy

[Revan21]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

Btw, a very important question:
Generally how steady is the stands, and on the design of the whole figure. This one for example:
http://myfigurecollection.net/pictur...f=item%3A26961
The weight clearly was shifted onto one side, wouldn't it eventually start to break the part, or bend the frame? Or have they already consider that when they designed? Maybe it's not a good idea to keep the figure outside of the box for too long?

Eversince the top companies use metal poles for these, they stand just fine. Never heard anyone complain about their Strike Witches figures made by Alter.
This method has not been around for that long, we will know how useful they are after another couple of years.

It's definitely better then having plastic pegs for poses like this. My Nanael (and I heard for many others too) simply fell on her face on her own after two years being on display

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by Revan21

Eversince the top companies use metal poles for these, they stand just fine. Never heard anyone complain about their Strike Witches figures made by Alter.
This method has not been around for that long, we will know how useful they are after another couple of years.

It's definitely better then having plastic pegs for poses like this. My Nanael (and I heard for many others too) simply fell on her face on her own after two years being on display

On positive note, at least she still looks nice laying flat to the ground, unlike most other figures.

Considering that most hard core collectors have glass display cabinet for figure. I wonder when will the company started to produce figure that will look nicer when positioned in lower shelf (or higher shelf). Basically means they will look and pose upward rather than side way. Or maybe multiple stands that allow the same figure to pose toward a higher/lower POV for example

[Revan21]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

On positive note, at least she still looks nice laying flat to the ground, unlike most other figures.

I already fixed her up,
put a metal rod in her leg and base, replacing the broken plastic one

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

Considering that most hard core collectors have glass display cabinet for figure. I wonder when will the company started to produce figure that will look nicer when positioned in lower shelf (or higher shelf). Basically means they will look and pose upward rather than side way. Or maybe multiple stands that allow the same figure to pose toward a higher/lower POV for example

Nendos, figmas and any other posable action figures are fine for that

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by Revan21

I already fixed her up,
put a metal rod in her leg and base, replacing the broken plastic one

Nendos, figmas and any other posable action figures are fine for that

They are not the same!!

Nendos, well there is no point to look at them from afar anyway. On figma, how do people stand those horrible joint!! It's still a mystery for me (....hope you are not one of those figma collectors).

Action figures are probably the closest, but too few selection, and too expensive too

Edit: On the Nanael , did you have to manufacture/ made it yourself?

[Revan21]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

On figma, how do people stand those horrible joint!! It's still a mystery for me (....hope you are not one of those figma collectors).

No, I have the same opinion about them.
I bought three but sold them off shortly after.
I never pose my action figures, which is not a problem for the nendos because they are cute to look at anyways, but figmas lose their sole purpose if you don't 'play' with them. And I do not need those horrible joints on a fixed pose figure, I rather buy a regular PVC then.

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

On the Nanael , did you have to manufacture/ made it yourself?

Not myself,
I asked a friend to do it who has experience with these kind of repairs.

[roxybudgy]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

The only up side is: i'm not as attentive on minor thing. So i kinda wished for more faulty products that ends up being rejected by typical collectors (maybe due to a bit sloppy paint, or inaccurate detail, or a hated/ controversial character) hence see a sharp drop in price.

It might not be what you are after, but there are a lot of cheap bootlegs out there. I wouldn't condone supporting/buying bootlegs, but lets face it, bootlegs are never going to go away, and I guess they fill a section of the market that wants a cheap figurine of their favourite character.

I own two bootlegs: one was a birthday present from my brother, Nendoroid Saber Lily, he bought it from a local anime/manga store in Perth, and the other, also a Nendoroid but of Yoko Littner, which I won off an eBay auction. The price? 1.99 euros. Yeah, I should've known, too good to be true.

From a distance, both Nendoroids look ok, but up close you can see that the quality is not so good, and I found that the parts sometimes don't fit so well together (Yoko's head keeps falling off >.<)

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

Btw, a very important question:
Generally how steady is the stands, and on the design of the whole figure. This one for example:
http://myfigurecollection.net/pictur...f=item%3A26961
The weight clearly was shifted onto one side, wouldn't it eventually start to break the part, or bend the frame? Or have they already consider that when they designed? Maybe it's not a good idea to keep the figure outside of the box for too long?

I think limiting how long you keep a figurine outside of its box would be a good idea. I've been collecting for roughly 8 years now, and I have a few items that seem precariously positioned, but so far none of them exhibit any warping. Except one: my Bottle Fairies figurine where the character stands on one leg. I've pretty much had that on display for years without ever putting it back in its box.

I read online that you can fix it by soaking the figurine in warm water, then bending the plastic yourself, but I'm worried that I'll mess it up.

Also, when you do display your figurines, dust is a major nuisance. My very first figurine was a Alicia (from Aria) prize figurine, and I don't have the box anymore so she's been eternally on display. Over time, light exposure has faded her colour, and dust built up over the years has made her "furry". I have attempted to use a paint brush and dampened cotton buds to clean off this "fur", but it's just caked on. Not to mention the bird poop from my pet lorikeet D:

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by roxybudgy

It might not be what you are after, but there are a lot of cheap bootlegs out there. I wouldn't condone supporting/buying bootlegs, but lets face it, bootlegs are never going to go away, and I guess they fill a section of the market that wants a cheap figurine of their favourite character.

I own two bootlegs: one was a birthday present from my brother, Nendoroid Saber Lily, he bought it from a local anime/manga store in Perth, and the other, also a Nendoroid but of Yoko Littner, which I won off an eBay auction. The price? 1.99 euros. Yeah, I should've known, too good to be true.

From a distance, both Nendoroids look ok, but up close you can see that the quality is not so good, and I found that the parts sometimes don't fit so well together (Yoko's head keeps falling off >.<)



I think limiting how long you keep a figurine outside of its box would be a good idea. I've been collecting for roughly 8 years now, and I have a few items that seem precariously positioned, but so far none of them exhibit any warping. Except one: my Bottle Fairies figurine where the character stands on one leg. I've pretty much had that on display for years without ever putting it back in its box.

I read online that you can fix it by soaking the figurine in warm water, then bending the plastic yourself, but I'm worried that I'll mess it up.

Also, when you do display your figurines, dust is a major nuisance. My very first figurine was a Alicia (from Aria) prize figurine, and I don't have the box anymore so she's been eternally on display. Over time, light exposure has faded her colour, and dust built up over the years has made her "furry". I have attempted to use a paint brush and dampened cotton buds to clean off this "fur", but it's just caked on. Not to mention the bird poop from my pet lorikeet D:

Bootleg... as the fake one? Have to doubt too much on quality if that's the case, and what i want often is the one with really fancy looking pose anyway (which is very unlikely to have a fake version).

Dusts...Ah.... If anything that my room is not lacking, then it's dust. Looking at the dusts cover on my desktop and i do have to fear for my health

Would those air filters help?

[Revan21]

I would never buy a bootleg intentionally, unless I wanted to use it as a resin kit and make something else from it's parts. The difference in quality is usually huge, and most bootlegs do tend to bend after a short time.

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

The only up side is: i'm not as attentive on minor thing. So i kinda wished for more faulty products that ends up being rejected by typical collectors (maybe due to a bit sloppy paint, or inaccurate detail, or a hated/ controversial character) hence see a sharp drop in price.

You can also check the mandarake stores for those. Just like in the pre-owned section at AmiAmi, many stores are selling figures at a lower price, because they have been opened, the figure was on display in a glass cabinet within the store, or the box has some slight damage, so die-hard collectors from Japan do not go for such items, but they are more than suitable for anyone.

I once saw a GSC Hatsune Miku from the first release, being selled for a quarter of the retail price, just because she had a tiny green spotof paint on her thighs, underneath her skirt

[iceyfw]

figinstock worked for once and mayuchi is finally mine! and i second mandarake for used figures. now i wonder if wairu translations is dead or not. last update was dec 2013

[risingstar3110]

The way i see it, Mandrake is still more expensive than AmiAmi used stores. And it seems they did suggested on "ordering at your own risk" when shipping internationally so do contain that extra worry

Could be a good alternative through.


On another hand, i notice only a handful figures have price increasing like mad over time. Any idea what could cause it? I means i know the whole suppply and demand thing. But this one for example is 5x times the released price, and the only possible reason is... it probably was well made and released back in 2008?

[iceyfw]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

The way i see it, Mandrake is still more expensive than AmiAmi used stores. And it seems they did suggested on "ordering at your own risk" when shipping internationally so do contain that extra worry

Could be a good alternative through.


On another hand, i notice only a handful figures have price increasing like mad over time. Any idea what could cause it? I means i know the whole suppply and demand thing. But this one for example is 5x times the released price, and the only possible reason is... it probably was well made and released back in 2008?

YMMV on ordering in general from mandarake. i had a rotten experience with the nakano store location. i had a long turnaround of almost 3 business days to get an invoice to pay, and then another 2 business days just to ship the item out! best part is the item description said unopened, box little damage. look what i found when i took the figure out of the box. the best part is i e-mailed them about it with the picture and part of the reply back was "The products used unopened goods, is a symptom of degradation are common ". LOL interpret that however you want. the utsunomiya and complex akihabara locations on the other hand have been positive so far.

you answered your own question about figure prices. the best made figure of a character will always have a high demanding price to pay for, and if it's a bloody few years old and still popular, then prepare your wallet. this yukiko figure made by alter is a great example. she is the best made figure so far in many peoples eyes. the only problem is she was an exclusive figure and she was made in 2008. now she hovers around 18,000yen unopened. i still can't believe there has not been a better yukiko figure made in the last 6 years than the one made by alter. sometimes i just want to slap myself thinking what was i doing back in 200X or 201X when i could have bought a figure for cheaper on release date.

also yoko by alter 30,000yen unopened. made in 2009. good thing i never liked gurren lagann. i can see why people like the figure so much though compared to the rest of the yoko figures.

[Revan21]

Also, Japan just raised their taxes on all imported products, and it just so happens that all anime figures are made in China. And the Chinese wages has also been increased recently.
These two add another 1-3000yen to the price of each larger scale figure

[iceyfw]

Originally Posted by Revan21

Also, Japan just raised their taxes on all imported products, and it just so happens that all anime figures are made in China. And the Chinese wages has also been increased recently.
These two add another 1-3000yen to the price of each larger scale figure

it's going to get worse maybe in october 2015 as japan is getting another 2% tax raise that year and month. i put emphasis on the word "maybe". i mean what can another 2% tax raise do?
i'm not an economist so i can't foresee the financial economy for japan and its imports. it would be the death coffin for many maybe when new price figures show up next year after the tax raise. i've already seen people limiting their purchases or giving up on figure collecting for a bit on MFC after the tax raise in april.

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by iceyfw

YMMV on ordering in general from mandarake. i had a rotten experience with the nakano store location. i had a long turnaround of almost 3 business days to get an invoice to pay, and then another 2 business days just to ship the item out! best part is the item description said unopened, box little damage. look what i found when i took the figure out of the box. the best part is i e-mailed them about it with the picture and part of the reply back was "The products used unopened goods, is a symptom of degradation are common ". LOL interpret that however you want.

I learn a bit of Japanese back in uni. So I know their use of grammar and vocabulary. Let's me try to interpret the message to you

"Symptoms" here could be 症状. While "degradation" could be 劣化. If you put both of them into context it basically means: "We honestly don't give a f*ck, so screw you"

Originally Posted by iceyfw

you answered your own question about figure prices. the best made figure of a character will always have a high demanding price to pay for, and if it's a bloody few years old and still popular, then prepare your wallet. this yukiko figure made by alter is a great example. she is the best made figure so far in many peoples eyes. the only problem is she was an exclusive figure and she was made in 2008. now she hovers around 18,000yen unopened. i still can't believe there has not been a better yukiko figure made in the last 6 years than the one made by alter. sometimes i just want to slap myself thinking what was i doing back in 200X or 201X when i could have bought a figure for cheaper on release date.

also yoko by alter 30,000yen unopened. made in 2009. good thing i never liked gurren lagann. i can see why people like the figure so much though compared to the rest of the yoko figures.

It can't that bad isn't? I means China wages increase could simply means production may move elsewhere(finger-crossed for Indo, near here). While tax should affect every other product too

[abc0716]

Originally Posted by iceyfw

figinstock worked for once and mayuchi is finally mine! and i second mandarake for used figures. now i wonder if wairu translations is dead or not. last update was dec 2013

Wow, congrats on getting this figure, I'm also looking for her (despite the priority is not high). How much did you spent on her anyway? (Since I'm not really know about its aftermarket price)

By the way, I just PO-ed this figure on 'Big in Japan', gonna be my first transaction with them.

Spoiler for preview picture:

[iceyfw]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

I learn a bit of Japanese back in uni. So I know their use of grammar and vocabulary. Let's me try to interpret the message to you

"Symptoms" here could be 症状. While "degradation" could be 劣化. If you put both of them into context it basically means: "We honestly don't give a f*ck, so screw you"

and they lost my business because of it. there were other similar cases posted on MFC for inaccurate item description and most of them received a refund discount off the invoice price or a coupon code for their next purchase. i didn't get get anything.

Originally Posted by abc0716

Wow, congrats on getting this figure, I'm also looking for her (despite the priority is not high). How much did you spent on her anyway? (Since I'm not really know about its aftermarket price)

By the way, I just PO-ed this figure on 'Big in Japan', gonna be my first transaction with them.

Spoiler for preview picture:

the going rate is 8,000yen opened and 9,000yen unopened. i got extremely lucky considering old Hobby Japan magazine figure exclusives do not get listed as unopened. i paid $112.41 USD after shipping + paypal foreign transaction fee. i always make Hobby Japan exclusives my priority if i am just in awe with one of their figures. it just gets harder to find and the prices rise after a good amount of time has passed. the tari tari figure looks great on picture. i'll be hoping phat got their QC straightened out since Caster was released back in jan 2014. people were not very pleased with the sloppy paint jobs.