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

[BigTransformerTrev]

Though I have to give a thumbs up to transformerland . I have bought of the guy's website for years and never had a problem. Shipping is fairly priced, always willing to negotiate, well stocked (though the popular stuff goes fast) and great communication.

I bought a G1 Fizzle from Transformerland a month ago and when I got him he had not been transformed in a few decades and broke with the merest touch. That said, I contacted the seller and he sorted it out for me.

[CHILENO20]

I bought a G1 Fizzle from Transformerland a month ago and when I got him he had not been transformed in a few decades and broke with the merest touch. That said, I contacted the seller and he sorted it out for me.

Ouch. Hope he sorted it all out for you dude.

[Iriorne]

I've used the following:

Amiami - Good prices if you can find an item they have stock of. Their catalogue seems to be full of items that have long since sold out so it can be frustrating trying to work out what they actually have on hand. Dealt with their customer service once and they seemed ok.

HLJ - Have ordered model kits from them in the past with no issues.

Robot Kingdom - Cheap prices, cheap shipping. Have heard some people have had problems with items not being reserved correctly but most people seem pretty happy with them.

TFSource - Prices seem like they might be a tad on the high side but not too bad. Shipping is quite expensive, though. Customer service is very helpful though it emails occasionally disappear into the aether. Good responses to 2 out of my 3 emails to them. In my one experience with them, they can be a bit slow to ship new items (MP Soundwaves didn't start shipping for nearly a week after other stores.

BBTS - Prices seem more or less the same as TFSource. Heard good things about their customer service. Shipping costs are substantially lower than TFSource. For an equivalent service (USPS express) on identical items, BBTS charges $35, TFSource charge $70.

Toys'r'us (US) - Very cheap compared to Aus retail and reasonable shipping.

Anime-export - Limited stock but prices can be quite a bit lower than else where. I have the MP cassettes on order for $35 each ex. shipping, which is half what they're going for elsewhere.

Ebay - Really depends on the seller. Postage can feel like a bit of a rip off sometimes but should be ok if you stick to high feedback sellers with a returns policy. Worth contacting a seller to see if they can reduce postage at all. Have had excess postage refunded once, which was a nice surprise.

I've not used Captured Prey but they're getting a lot of good rep over Quake Wave. Prices are slightly lower than BBTS but shipping seems to sit about halfway between TFSource and BBTS (for the same item and service as above). Customer service is very good, by all accounts.

Also heard good things about a site called chimungmung, but again I've not ordered anything through them.

I'm happy to use any of them again, it just depends on who has stock and at what price.

[BigTransformerTrev]

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) ). Should have spent my $80 at Robot Kingdom or BBTS instead

[DarkHyren]

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

[ohmic12]

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

[BigTransformerTrev]

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


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

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

[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.

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.