Online TF shopping - where is the best place to spend your bucks?

Well, after a few years abscence, I rejoined the Transformers Collectors Club and I can assure you that it is definetly NOT the best place to spend your bucks online. Surley communication, an uninspiring club exclusive toy this year and a Figure Subscription Service that you join up for and then find out no longer functions (and when I enquired about it was told I should have known that it no longer functioned because they put up the end date six months ago (the report of which resides in an old news archive that no new member like myself would bother to fully read through before joining) :mad:). Should have spent my $80 at Robot Kingdom or BBTS instead :(

I mostly use ebay and RobotKingdom for my Transformers shopping.

ebay is, well ebay, I've had some good experiences and some bad ones like we all have.

RobotKingdom are good, I've used them without any major issues before, one time they didn't have one of the items that I ordered but a quick email and they refunded me the money for the figure no questions asked.
I'll also note that even though I have selected Air Mail each time they have upgraded it to EMS at no extra charge.

I've used HLJ once only for some Gundam model kits, they arrived quickly and safely packed, no hassles dealing with them so I'd use them again.

I have just started using BBTS, haven't received anything yet but I've made an order using their "Pile of Loot" system, it seems like a great way to save on shipping as well as allowing me to spread out my purchases over time.

After reading about some of the other stores mentioned here I'm also thinking of trying out AmiAmi and HobbySearch, though they don't seem to have much in the way of transformers atm

Have used BBTS and yahobby and didnt have a problem with them

Ebay havent had a problem yet just annoying when you come a across a cheap "buy now" figure but the dare shipping cost compared to similar figures from same country/area

Dont know if its old news or not but a couple of days ago came across ToyRUs (US) now do international shipping

Well I'm glad that TRU didn't get any votes as the best online store, considering the Masterpiece Soundwave debacle. :mad::(


I spent a frustrating morning trying to order from the hasbrotoyshop.com. They wont deliver to Australia and need an American credit card (cheers to Ultra Marginal for the info). What I've subsequently found out is that they wont even accept a payment from an aussie paypal account, even if you provide an american billing and postal address :mad: :mad:

Very frustrating these american online stores don't want to take our money :mad:

Anyone know why BBTS always seems to get the latest waves after everyone else?

I ended up canceling my Springer/Blitzwing order at BBTS and going with Amazon. Sandstorm has been on shelves for a long time and they haven't gotten him yet. Now the IDW wave is showing up at US retailers and BBTS hasn't got them yet.:mad:

EDIT: Well just found Sandstorm on Amazon, cheaper to buy from them than to have it added to my POL at BBTS. Another canceled order BBTS.:mad:

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Originally Posted by DELTAprime

Anyone know why BBTS always seems to get the latest waves after everyone else?

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You could email them and ask them?

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Originally Posted by DELTAprime

Anyone know why BBTS always seems to get the latest waves after everyone else?

I ended up canceling my Springer/Blitzwing order at BBTS and going with Amazon. Sandstorm has been on shelves for a long time and they haven't gotten him yet. Now the IDW wave is showing up at US retailers and BBTS hasn't got them yet.:mad:

EDIT: Well just found Sandstorm on Amazon, cheaper to buy from them than to have it added to my POL at BBTS. Another canceled order BBTS.:mad:

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Originally Posted by UltraMarginal

You could email them and ask them?

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I did that earlier this year in regards to why their Generations Grimlock was taking so long. When I get home from work I will try and find the email and put it up. However if memory serves it was much like the response I got from TRU, they listed a multitude of reasons without giving me the specific one. I think the main point of it was that the way they keep prices down is that they get all the stock in cargo containers by sea from China, which means that they often do not know the specific date that items will show up and/or they may be behind other companies in getting products.

I'm wondering how long they are going to be as well. I've got the 3 triple changers and the IDW wave on order with them, they all say 'arriving July' but they are fast running out of time - could well be pushed back to August. :(

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Originally Posted by UltraMarginal

You could email them and ask them?

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I doubt they will answer but I guess I could try.

My sources:

BBTS
RK
Swindle's Salesyard
Australian Retailers
TFSource
HLJ
eBay

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Originally Posted by BigTransformerTrev

[...] the way they keep prices down is that they get all the stock in cargo containers by sea from China [...]

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I'd imagine this is the case for most retailers in the US. I suspect the real issue may be order volume. BBTS is a relatively small supplier compared with the likes of TRU, Walmart, etc. so they're probably last in line to get their stock allocations from Hasbro.