Can get Japanese figures incl on Yahoo Auctions Japan for lower than eBay prices

[brettnj]

I've done considerable posting on the topic at the Animal Toy Forum, primarily in the Kaiyodo thread, since that company's figures are what I collect.

But here's a paste from the classified section there:

Hey.

Over the past few months I've found sources in Japan for all new Kaiyodo (the only company I collect) Capsule Q releases, a number of aquarium's set's figures, and the Aquatales 30th Anniversary large polyresin figures--as well as new figures from other manufacturers. Now one of my sources is buying on Yahoo Auctions Japan for me.  This means that I can get pretty much anything.

My goal, and so far I've uniformly achieved it, is to beat eBay prices, sometimes by more than half, even though I am paying more for figures than the dealers.  An example, I sold more than a dozen Kaiyodo prehistoric marine life sets, with and without the variant, always for less than anyone on eBay.  Made $4 per set doing so.

If you are interested, please send me your e-mail address.  I send out group mail whenever a new set is announced, when it is released to remind buyers who haven't preordered, and when my source has secured and shipped them to me.  And I send individual mails when I ship to my buyers.

I save money by having my sources hold and combine orders, so shipping to me is minimized, and I divide the shipping total by the number of figures to determine what percentage each person pays.  The result is a nominal shipping fee.  And I too hold and combine orders, and charge actual shipping to my buyers.  I'm even combining packages to multiple buyers in other countries to save them money.  As I make so little, I ask buyers to cover any Paypal fees.

I can get you anything new myself.  As for YAJ, that source and I are happy to buy for others, with buyers adding $2 each for him and me and $1.64 bank fee per figure listing for a total of $5.64 extra plus covering all shipping (again, nominal to him, nominal from him to me as it will be part of a much larger order, and actual shipping from me to you).  This shows you how little money I'm making.  Still, in virtually all cases even the resulting price will be better to far better than eBay's, and these are often figures you can't get on eBay for fair prices or at all.

Unless you don't enjoy waiting, in almost all cases there is no longer any need to pay the (so often insanely) artificially inflated prices of eBay sellers.

I'm already obtaining the vast majority of figures from long-time wants lists for about a dozen members here.

Links to Kaiyodo figures on the site are:


ANIMALS
http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=%E6%B5%B7%E6%B4%8B%E5%A0%82+%E5%8B%95%E7%89%A9&auccat=&aq=0&oq=%E6%B5%B7%E6%B4%8B%E5%A0%82+%E3%81%A9%E3%81%86%E3%81%B6%E3%81%A4&ei=UTF-8&tab_ex=commerce&slider=0

DINOSAURS
http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?select=06&ei=UTF-8&p=%E6%B5%B7%E6%B4%8B%E5%A0%82+%E6%81%90%E7%AB%9C&auccat=0&tab_ex=commerce&slider=0

AQUARIUM
http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?auccat=&p=%E6%B5%B7%E6%B4%8B%E5%A0%82+%E6%B0%B4%E6%97%8F%E9%A4%A8&tab_ex=commerce&ei=UTF-8&fr=auc_item


Please request the Japanese characters for other brands so that you could search the site efficiently and I will post them here for all to see.

Please ask general questions about this here as well, so others can see the answers.

For new/pending figures and sets, just inform me. For older/sold out figures, please search YAJ and send names and links of figures you want, as well as maximum bids if dealing with auctions (as opposed to fixed price listings). If not found, please send names and photos.

Thanks.
Brett

[tyrantqueen]

What advantage is there to using your service over Yahoo's own proxy service?

[brettnj]

I don't know anything about the proxy services but from what I've been told by more than collector, including some I know are members here, it is more expensive using them than buying from me.  Perhaps I can get one of the members who is buying from me and who knows about those services as well to describe their costs.  I hope I made mine clear above.

Asking now.

And I can also get figures from other sources and combine in one order.  Maybe pick an auction or just a hypothetical amount and tell me what it would cost you to buy it on YAJ using a proxy?

Sidenote:  I'm not really new here.  Left or was somehow removed (Can't recall.) and rejoined after Kaiyodo started producing again last year.  And I successfully did this for several years with Dinotales and other figures before production on those stopped, selling to a number of prominent members here then as well, always beating the best eBay prices.

Brett

[DinoLord]

I've bought from Brett before and look to do so again. It's certainly more convenient than attempting to navigate proxy services

[tyrantqueen]

I use proxy services and I don't have any problems with doing so at the moment. Maybe I can consider your help if it offers a better deal. Thanks

[brettnj]

TQ...

In case you miss the edit above, are you able to pick either an actual YAJ listing for a figure or just offer a hypothetical example, say a $5 figure with $2 shipping within Japan, and tell me its ultimate cost to you?  Or is it more complicated than that?

I've been told I'm cheaper.  I don't know it's the case.  I'm fairly certain I'm easier, and more customer service oriented.  I look out for things for my buyers that they can't find, for instance.  Yesterday I referred someone to a not terribly priced eBay auction for a figure he's long wanted that I've not been able to find (albeit after only searching for two weeks).  It was BIN so he might well have missed it and I obviously gave up a potential sale to help him.

Also as I added above, I can combine YAJ orders with other source's orders.  And I can search other outlets.

In about a month, my long-time want list was reduced to 3 figures--a giant salamander from the Kyoto Aquarium set and the extremely rare SCUBA divers from the Kaiyodo Sea of Egypt Exhibition from 2009. If anyone has those, btw, I am happy to take them off your hands...

No, really.  Happy to...

Thanks.
Brett

[tyrantqueen]

I'll use my recent Tyrannosaurus rex as a example for the amount I paid.

The item cost $154.20, and on top of that I paid $17.34 as proxy fees.

I waited about a week for the item to arrive at their warehouse. It then cost me $10.40 to cover the domestic shipping, and then another $35.66 to ship the item to me in the UK.

I did have to pay $66 in custom fee charges, but I wouldn't count that as part of the proxy service.

How does this compare?

[brettnj]

Well, it doesn't at all yet really, because I'm buying virtually all small figures for people.  I'd have to address a large piece when the time comes.

But a $5 figure with $2 shipping within Japan would cost:

$5 figure + $2 shipping to my buyer = $7 subtotal + $4 ($2 each for my source and me) + $1.64 bank fee to make payment = $12.64 before shipping to me and to you.  The shipping to me would be close to $0 because it is coming in a very large package.  Shipping to a US buyer would be about $1+ for a total rounded up to $14.  What would that figure cost you with a proxy service?

The buyer knows all of this before buying and if this amount isn't less than an eBay price, he could choose eBay.  But, not that it's relevant to our discussion, I have gotten figures at this price that would cost $20+ and $30+ each on eBay.  Since most people started with sending me their want lists and I did the searching, checking eBay prices along the way, it's not happened yet as far as I know that my price wasn't better.  Now, with so many buyers, I have them search and send me links.

That said, and also an aside, I'm getting figures that sell for those high ($20+, $30+) amounts on eBay from other sources as well so have sold many, especially newer ones, for as little as $7 each.  So while an equivalent transaction on YAJ might cost you a little less going with us, we might be able to get you the same item for considerably less elsewhere.

As for your scenario, assuming the shipping within Japan to the Proxy is what the auction states and not more, basically you're being charged $17+ for the proxy service.  Once this is known to us, we'd charge (albeit just a few dollars) less.  We'd ship directly to you, and charge you the actual cost of shipping to you in the UK. I'm not sure if that is what the service is charging?  I have no idea if you'd have to pay customs, though writing low values and checking the gift option, which I suppose the service can't do, helps. 

It's a new kind of transaction for us, but I assume you'd make out quite a bit better.

For those not considering proxy services, just as an FYI, I just looked at eBay and see that I've gotten figures for buyers for around the $10 area for ones listed on eBay for as high as $80.

Thanks.
Brett

[stargatedalek]

so you specialize in the "up to $30" price range?
because thats perfect for me

on another note, thanks for the links, I'm not especially well versed in Kanji

[SBell]

I've known Brett for a long time, so I can 1) vouch for him and 2) comfortably mention that, for low-ish price figures, I've worked out the math as best as I could.

That said, I have not used the YJA proxy service, so I can't speak for it. I am guessing, however tjhat for a 500Y (Y=Yen) figure, it probably works out similar.

In my excessive experience, JAUCE cost are as follows:

Funds deposit (3% of deposit amount--you have to put funds with them, generally through Paypal, to bid)
Item cost
800Y+3% of winning bid price (within 24 hrs, the next auction is 400Y+3%, and this 'discount' carries as long as each auction is won within 24 hours)
Japan transaction fee 300Y/seller
Japan postage 150Y-300Y (in my experience--I have never bought anything larger or expensive)
International postage--minimum 1200Y (more with special re-packing, etc).

So for your average Dinotales or ChocoEgg figure, which can often be bought for around 400Y (not the ones I look for, anymore, mind you--I've got almost all that I want!), you are looking at a final price of 400+812+300+150+1200=2862. Assuming you somehow transferred only the minimum, the total with transfer fee would be ~2950Y.

Obviously, some of this can be spread out by ordering from the same seller many times (within a short period of time--they have a habit of quickly doing the transfers and shipping so that you wind up paying out more than once), ordering a whole bunch to mitigate the international shipping, and only transferring funds once.

So I for one am happy that Brett has found a way to mitigate some of that. I don't mind a business trying to make money, I'd rather more of my spending go toward stuff instead of arbitrary fees.

[brettnj]

Hey Sean.

First, thanks for the kind words.

Then, am I right to understand that you're pretty much saying that the cost for the service would be three times the cost of buying the same figure from me?

'cause that's good info for me to have, and share...    ;  )

[SBell]

Hey Sean.

First, thanks for the kind words.

Then, am I right to understand that you're pretty much saying that the cost for the service would be three times the cost of buying the same figure from me?

'cause that's good info for me to have, and share...    ;  )

Compared to using, JAUCE, yes, if someone buys just the one figure. I know I have passed over auctions many times just because of the associated fees.

But I can't speak to other proxy companies.

[brettnj]

I posted in the animal forum several days ago but forgot to do so here.  Last call for this shipment. 

I have well over $1000 worth of small figures for buyers on their way to me in about a week, every one sold to them for less than eBay prices--often less than half of eBay prices.

There's a very small chance I could add to the existing order but in all likelihood anything pending will have to ship with the next.

Thanks.

[Alexxitator]

Hey again,

I noticed there is a Japan only edition of a Schleich t-rex (in gold). Could you paste that search too for me?
Currently I am happily browsing through the auctions for Kaiyodo's so I WILL be in touch shortly :-)

[Chad]

Hey Brett. Any way your contact can get the new Fukui Spanish dinosaur figures? I would definitely want those as I'm sure plenty of other forum members would.

[Roselaar]

Hey Brett. Any way your contact can get the new Fukui Spanish dinosaur figures? I would definitely want those as I'm sure plenty of other forum members would.

Seconded. Hell's yeah! 

[DinoLord]

Hey Brett. Any way your contact can get the new Fukui Spanish dinosaur figures? I would definitely want those as I'm sure plenty of other forum members would.

I've been thinking about those too. As long as they show up on YAJ Brett should be able to get them in, but I haven't seen them yet (perhaps they're too new?).

[brettnj]

My friend called the museum.  They are only available in one of the two museum shops.  They are not available in the museum's on-line shop nor will the museum ship--even domestically.  He has a search for them saved in YAJ, so if they get listed, he knows to go for them, and I'll know immediately.

They sell for 1620 yen, about $16.

[Fukuiraptor]

Hey Brett. Any way your contact can get the new Fukui Spanish dinosaur figures? I would definitely want those as I'm sure plenty of other forum members would.

Brett, if you can get this set of figures, please spare one for me.  I'm all for it 

[brettnj]

The Schleich gold t-rex is a TRU exclusive and my source picked up the only one his local store had for its cost of $36.

This means no increased YAJ price and no shipping (to him) or bank payment fees, so I'd want $10 for him for his trouble.  This is how I'll maintain a good relationship with him and gain access to more and more figures.  Alexxitator asked about it and has first right of refusal, but if he's not interested, if anyone is, please let me know.

Thanks.