Mandarake!

[Megatran]

Tried buying TF toys on their online store on 3 different occasions in the space of 2 months with no success. The last being only yesterday. On every occasion I 'purchased' the items only to get an email the next day notifying me that they are really sorry the item is no longer available. They need to update their stock availability more regularly. Won't be using these guys again.

[Cleon]

Tried buying TF toys on their online store on 3 different occasions in the space of 2 months with no success. The last being only yesterday. On every occasion I 'purchased' the items only to get an email the next day notifying me that they are really sorry the item is no longer available. They need to update their stock availability more regularly. Won't be using these guys again.

Coincidentally, I've recently discovered their online store. Reading other people's experiences, which were mostly positive, I gave it a crack (bought a 2010 predaking). It is on it's way, so I'll post some final thoughts when it arrives, but this has been my experience so far.

The descriptions on the website are pretty much useless (everyone is pretty much box opened/damaged), and the photo's are usually 1 or 2 max.

However, I found contacting the store that has the stock is a worthwhile exercise, because they respond within 24 hours (my experience), even on weekends. I did so for shipping quotes (tempted by a few things on there), and got responses each time. Their english is limited (or brief), but I got the info I needed each time (so comprehension isn't an issue). So I'd recommend emailing them first if you haven't been doing that!

The only sour points for me during the process was 2 parts.

Firstly, they took 3+ days to invoice me after the sale. The cynical side of me thinks they were holding off in case they could sell it locally. They themselves say the invoice process takes 2 days. That thought certainly isn't helped by the poor experience I had when inquiring about photo's of the figures themselves (as all items seem to have opened boxes). They were really helpful with pictures of box damage (5 or 6 photos), but when it came to figures, I got a response implying that photos will not show the condition of the figures....

My first thought was, rightttttttt.... I agree to a certain extent (i.e. Joint tightness), but things like scratches, dints, QC issues etc can clearly be shown by photos. Sounded like just plain laziness.

I responded very politely disagreeing with that sentiment. After a impatient (borderline rude) response from them, photos came through, with the figures' covered by the blister packs!

At that point I was willing to give up, but reading other people's experiences, it seems like these guys take care in the toys they acquire for resale, so I took the plunge (it certainly helped that a reissue predaking sold for $150 excl shipping on ebay just last week, and my price + shipping was very reasonable imo). I won't condemn the store due to one employee (my correspondence with the Nakano store has been quite good).

Anyway, I'll post my thoughts on the figures condition when they come in (fingers crossed this week).

[Bidoofdude]

I'm planning to visit when I go to Japan this September. Is it very easy to find? I'm pretty sure the group is going to Akihabara, hopefully I can find it quickly, since I don't think we have much time around.

[Jetfire in the sky]

I wish Mandarake would open a store in Australia, say in Sydney as it's flagship, I think it would do well, I mean the market is there, we have the big nerd conventions Oz wide now; the closest I have seen in terms of a pop culture superstore is Minotaur in Melbourne. Mandarake having their roots in Japan would have access to items that many of us would snap up in a minute.

[Cleon]

I wish Mandarake would open a store in Australia, say in Sydney as it's flagship, I think it would do well, I mean the market is there, we have the big nerd conventions Oz wide now; the closest I have seen in terms of a pop culture superstore is Minotaur in Melbourne. Mandarake having their roots in Japan would have access to items that many of us would snap up in a minute.

Whilst I think it would be great as a consumer, I think it wouldn't be a great idea from a business perspective.

My understanding is that these stores trade exclusively in used goods (correct me if I'm wrong), so you'd require an existing pool of consumers selling their goods to start up and be sustainable. Japan has this because the market for anime and pop culture is huge over there, where as here, it's a comparatively smaller (but very vocal) market.

Also, this is just my assumption, but I would think there'd be a larger "collector" market in Japan, with more adults owning these types of figures. So then in terms of the second hand market, the condition of these figures would be of better quality as well (and fit for resale).

If they did ship goods from Japan, it would be an added cost they don't currently bear (as we pay shipping costs), which they'd either absorb or pass on to customers.

Lastly, I would think that they'd essentially be a "cash converters" but for a very niche audience, an audience I would guess would be more savvy than the regular person. I can't imagine anyone here going to a cash converters to offload some of their stuff over an ebay or gumtree (unless time was an issue), because you'd be low balled to make a margin. A local mandarake style store would surely have to do the same.

I think they should try and increase their online presence to reach the AU market more, because even this forum (which is by no means a measure for the Australian market as a whole) only has a few threads talking about them, none of which reviewing the online store (a few have people talk about using them).

Anyway, one can only hope! (I certainly would love to see the figures before buying them)

[Jetfire in the sky]

Whilst I think it would be great as a consumer, I think it wouldn't be a great idea from a business perspective.

My understanding is that these stores trade exclusively in used goods (correct me if I'm wrong), so you'd require an existing pool of consumers selling their goods to start up and be sustainable. Japan has this because the market for anime and pop culture is huge over there, where as here, it's a comparatively smaller (but very vocal) market.

Also, this is just my assumption, but I would think there'd be a larger "collector" market in Japan, with more adults owning these types of figures. So then in terms of the second hand market, the condition of these figures would be of better quality as well (and fit for resale).

If they did ship goods from Japan, it would be an added cost they don't currently bear (as we pay shipping costs), which they'd either absorb or pass on to customers.

Lastly, I would think that they'd essentially be a "cash converters" but for a very niche audience, an audience I would guess would be more savvy than the regular person. I can't imagine anyone here going to a cash converters to offload some of their stuff over an ebay or gumtree (unless time was an issue), because you'd be low balled to make a margin. A local mandarake style store would surely have to do the same.

I think they should try and increase their online presence to reach the AU market more, because even this forum (which is by no means a measure for the Australian market as a whole) only has a few threads talking about them, none of which reviewing the online store (a few have people talk about using them).

Anyway, one can only hope! (I certainly would love to see the figures before buying them)

Pretty sure at the five or so Mandarake stores I visited in Japan that they had a mix of brand new and second hand, and these just aren't a little dinky corner store, there a multi story stores and huge single story floorplans but they deal in every pop culture item imaginable A point in my initial post is with the tie to Japan they could have most of the second hand stock direct from Japan. You and Goktimus raise a good point about import duties and shipping (although when you ship a 40' container it's actually not that expensive comparative to the value of the goods) but yes these obviously add to the costs.
I'm not going to go into the whole ins and out of a bricks and mortar businesses but please note, my first two words were I wish in my earlier post
Also have tried to shop on their website and it is a horse's arse. But that is not their market, and perhaps they make enough money with over the counter sales that online is seen as a waste. Anyway, they are awesome in person and that's what a lot of shopping is to a lot of people.

[Skullcruncher]

Mandarake is great, except I must be the only one who struggled to find nearly every store we looked for!! A couple we actually stumbled on thinking we were at least a block away, we even missed the Akihabara store on our second visit Nakano mall was like a sauna so don't go in the middle of summer!

Shibuya was actually the easiest to find, except I found it least interesting but my wife thought the mall was the great, mega high heel shoes etc

[Cleon]

Pretty sure at the five or so Mandarake stores I visited in Japan that they had a mix of brand new and second hand, and these just aren't a little dinky corner store, there a multi story stores and huge single story floorplans but they deal in every pop culture item imaginable A point in my initial post is with the tie to Japan they could have most of the second hand stock direct from Japan. You and Goktimus raise a good point about import duties and shipping (although when you ship a 40' container it's actually not that expensive comparative to the value of the goods) but yes these obviously add to the costs.
I'm not going to go into the whole ins and out of a bricks and mortar businesses but please note, my first two words were I wish in my earlier post
Also have tried to shop on their website and it is a horse's arse. But that is not their market, and perhaps they make enough money with over the counter sales that online is seen as a waste. Anyway, they are awesome in person and that's what a lot of shopping is to a lot of people.

That's good to know (re: New and Used figures), as my experience with them has purely been online. My big regret in my last visit to Japan was not visiting one of their stores!

But I am 100% with you regarding the shopping experience at a brick and mortar store. It can really make an experience (Heck, if a local store had prices and range in the ball park of what you'd find online, I would happily drive 1hour+ to reach that brick and mortar).

[drifand]

I'm planning to visit when I go to Japan this September. Is it very easy to find? I'm pretty sure the group is going to Akihabara, hopefully I can find it quickly, since I don't think we have much time around.

Not hard, get out from the station, is just there actually unless I am wrong.

This isn't the best place for MISB collectors. But they do sell sealed condition occasionally.

My only critic is that EMS is the only method they be using if not DHL.

[TAAUBlaster]

I love going to Mandarake! I go just about everytime I'm in Japan. But I've always felt that Mandarake prices are a little high on a lot of TF stuff. And they occassionaly (not always) have KO stuff listed as originals (saw a full set of MISB G1 KO Dinobots listed as originals.) Granted, it's hard to spot them these days, but you still need to keep an eye out. But they have a lot of cool stuff! I spend hours checking everything out