TaoBao

[BlueKrono]

Same question with TaoBao - anyone have experience buying from them? It looks like they have a good stock of stuff, especially PNSO, and really good prices. However, the site is only in Chinese, which is kind of a pitfall for me. It says they offer "agents" who will help you with English for a "small" fee. Don't know what it would end up being going through an agent and with shipping on top. Has anyone actually done this? There is also a site called TaoBao Focus that allows you to buy stuff from TaoBao in English, but as an off-brand site I'm wary, and reading some of the fine print is kind of sketchy as well. Has anyone ever made purchases with either of these two methods?

[BrontoScorpio]

Hi ,BlueKrono.

I bought there 2 times through an Agent.
( Actualy was looking for some rare Japanese stuff ... )
A nice Tutorial of how to buy : http://www.howtotao.com/buy-from-taobao/#Consolidation
and a list of TaoBao Agents : http://www.howtotao.com/best-taobao-agent-reviews/

I myself used one of the more simplest Agents http://www.taobaotrends.com/

I brows TAOBAO for items I like - then I add the Taobao-url to my agents shopping basket.
then I mark those items in the shopping basket that I would like to become my next order.
In every step of the way you can ask questions about the item to your Agent ( English, by mail - or through their website )
the good thing about this particular Agent is that I pay the fee for the whole order ( consists of several items ) - so I don't pay fee for each item.
If I remember correctly - fee was 10% - which is something to die for compare to the Japanese agents.

Pay attention that in most cases the TAOBAO item page consists of several items - and you need to be careful of which one of them you actually put in your basket. ( I can elaborate ... ).
You can use Google Chrome for inline immediate translation - even though I find this attribute not really necessary for me.
I just use copy-paste into Google Translate.

The word for Dinosaur in Chinees is :  恐龙 ( Hope the fonts pass the forum ) :
so, to look for a PNSO  : 恐龙 PNSO
link : http://world.taobao.com/search/search.htm?_ksTS=1485334834456_340&spm=a21bp.7806943.20151106.1&search_type=0&_input_charset=utf-8&navigator=all&json=on&q=%E6%81%90%E9%BE%99%20pnso&cna=MFcPEcy3eXYCAVJRqUKt9aqX&callback=__jsonp_cb&abtest=_AB-LR517-LR854-LR895-PR517-PR854-PR895

Pay attention that prices are shown in CNY which is about 1/6.9 of USD.

Have fun.
And no - I'm not chinese, don't know a word in this language ...

[BlueKrono]

BrontoScorpio - Thanks for the advice. What did you mean that some item pages consist of several items? I'm looking to buy just one large PNSO dinosaur. I see many listings for it, but they all look identical, and all are about $40.

[Flaffy]

If you see a seller who's called pnso恐龍大王 (name can be found under the listing next to 3 orange stripes.)
That is PNSO's official store, which usually offers the cheapest prices and the most reliable source.
If you click on pnso恐龍大王 it should take you here: https://shop130898803.world.taobao.com/shop/view_shop.htm?spm=a312a.7700714.0.0.RjzG8Y&user_number_id=2649660120
Then you know you're buying from PNSO.
The link below is for all of PNSO's current figure choices from their store. Luxury rex has yet to be added.
https://shop130898803.world.taobao.com/p/rd201298.htm?spm=a312a.7700824.w5003-15284098789.3.aJ2bQO&scene=taobao_shop

[BrontoScorpio]

Hi,
... "some item pages consist of several items .. " - I'll explain :

Look, for instance, at this item page : http://world.taobao.com/item/527934552039.htm?fromSite=main&spm=a1z10.1-c.w4023-1975823768.2.zl8jza
This seller offers several large PNSO dinosaurs to buy.

However, in order for your agent to know which of them you want - you should point and press the small pictures at the right - until price is changing.
you also have small pictures at the left - but these are merely the items seller had to begin with, the ones available are the ones on the right.
when you move your mouse over the small pictures on the right - you can see the name of each item -
so, when you open this item page through your Agent website - you will need to select this particular name.

some agents are better interfaced with Taobao than others - But if you choose one that is not so much - then follow the guidelines I described.
Also, I think now Taobao is giving on his own shopping services to International buyers - but I think this service is still limited to several countries only.
It's all in the manual I pointed earlier.

[Flaffy]

I'd rather purchase from PNSO's official shop, not GK, had bad experiences with them.

[sauroid]

very helpful and informative posts folks. thanks.

[Dobber]

I guess I'm dense, this seems very confusing to me. I appreciate your effort, but I'm a bit lost. 

Chris

[yankeetrex]

There is a Taobao english site that is easier to navigate then a google translated version......I bought the Megalodon and the Triceratops PNSO for 56 dollars shipped. I have a working tracking number so im asssuming I did it right,haha.  Its not the easiest way to purchase, but it worked.

http://www.engtaobao.com/

[BlueKrono]

There is a Taobao english site that is easier to navigate then a google translated version......I bought the Megalodon and the Triceratops PNSO for 56 dollars shipped. I have a working tracking number and no need for a agent.  Its not the easiest way to purchase, but it worked.

http://www.engtaobao.com/

Of course I tried that site, but there's no way to search for something like "PNSO" or "dinosaur". How do you buy something that's not one of the advertised products on the home page?

[yankeetrex]

There is a Taobao english site that is easier to navigate then a google translated version......I bought the Megalodon and the Triceratops PNSO for 56 dollars shipped. I have a working tracking number and no need for a agent.  Its not the easiest way to purchase, but it worked.

http://www.engtaobao.com/

Of course I tried that site, but there's no way to search for something like "PNSO" or "dinosaur". How do you buy something that's not one of the advertised products on the home page?

You have to search the regular taobao site with the chinese translation of what your looking for and then copy and paste the URL of the item into the english Taobao site that you want to purchase in the search field.

[Flaffy]

All PNSO prehistorics on TaoBaoEng (PNSO's Official Store)
Luxury Tyrannosaurus: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/544389216424.html
Tyrannosaurus: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/530463300465.html
Huanghetitan: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/530621756945.html
Lufengosaurus: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/530531119837.html
Shantungosaurus: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/531325352637.html
Mandschurosaurus: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/531960179804.html
Euhelopus: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/531397327489.html
Chungkingosaurus: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/539022271021.html
Basilosaurus: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/539183356758.html
Megalodon: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/539139773409.html
Triceratops: [Currently Unavailable]
Minis: http://www.engtaobao.com/item/538909048395.html

[PumperKrickel]

deleted

[BlueKrono]

Yankeetrex and FlaffyRaptors - Thank you, those are both very helpful! If they don't accept PayPal do you think they'll just do a credit card?

[Flaffy]

Yankeetrex and FlaffyRaptors - Thank you, those are both very helpful! If they don't accept PayPal do you think they'll just do a credit card?

I'm not sure, haven't used TaoBaoEng before, if I remember correctly, they accept credit card, but not sure if it has to be an account from China/HK/Macau.

[yankeetrex]

They do take credit cards......a lot of very interesting stuff on the site if you have the time to look through hundreds of pages,lol

[Ikessauro]

How much cheaper are the items on TaoBao. Could anybody post a price comparison?

[spinosaurus1]

On taobao, the tyrannosaurus is $47 ( not sure about the shipping. Looks like you need to have an account to access more information) Whereas on ebay it's selling for $70. (With $45 shipping) depending on how much the shipping costs are, it does seem that Taobao is offering a very good deal. I'm a bit cautious since this is a site I never even heard before, but I'm looking into it.

[DinoLord]

TaoBao is the only place I've ordered PNSO from. However I have my relatives in China order and then they bring the figures over when they visit. I don't know how well the international site works.

[Ikessauro]

I ask because I ordered a few from Amazon before, but I'm not sure if they are significantly cheaper on TaoBao.