Hi guys,

I have a serious idea/question to ask you guys and hopefully you can give me your valuable opinions. My question is, why there seems no local Aussie TF seller either with a physical shop or ebay shop? Is there some economic/legal reason that we can't have? or Can I become one?

Here's background story:
I started collecting TFs since 2009. While in Melbourne, I ordered from robotkingdom. Robotkingdom is good, but I just found myself paying so much air transport cost. I am from China, so I thought about to order directly from China, let the toys go by sea instead of air transport. However, the local sellers/shops, they just couldn't bother to stock my order into a T-chest case and call shipping companies for me.

Once I also found a shop in Ascot Vale, Melbourne, selling several Japanese toys, action figures etc including a Encore Skylynx at 44 AUD while the same one was sold at 120 RMB (24 AUD) in Beijing at that time. The shop owner told me he can't sell Hasbro toys in his shop because Hasbro Australia only deals with Kmart, Target, not a small shop like his.

For all those difficulties, I didn't take any action until recently, I got to know the boss who owns the UT and dx9 toy lines. So I start thinking again, if I import 3rd party toys directly from him and ship to Australia by sea, would you guys be beneficial? and am I going to make a profit?

To be honest, selling transformers wasn't a big profit for Chinese shop owners. For an example in Beijing, population is roughly same as Australia, 24 ml + and there are only 5 sellers whose main business is selling TFs. Other than these 5, sellers are more or less lossing money or breaking even or combining other manga figures with TF in the shop.

My business model:
Very simple, contact the manufacturer directly, import from them by sea, and sell in AUD (not USD) only in Australia.

I might only be able to sell 3rd party toys, maybe takara tomy boxes too, but not Hasbro stock.

My target customers will be collectors only.

Possible issues:
Here I think some possible issues that I can't make it work:
1. economic factors:
right now I hardly see this is going to be an issue. importing from China mainland via sea transport, cost should be lower than paying USD and have them shipped by air.

2. legal issues:
3rd party toys could be thought as illegal in Aus? USA is selling them on amazon I think. What about Australia?

Hasbro doesn't allow anyone to import Takara Tomy packaging toys? possible?

3. warranty issues:
as a collector, I am pretty sure warranty is always not smooth unless you buy the toys in Kmart or ToyRus. The official price of Hasbro Titan Return Fortress Maximus is similar to ToyRUs price in Melbourne (if they got that in stock), but only cost me 200AUD to buy yesterday. The problem is, I know there is next-to-none warranty on it. If any parts go wrong, the shop owner almost has no way to get it back. This is not a KO for 200 AUD i can explain later.

3rd party toys can be better. Abundant spare parts. I can call them and say, "he the left leg is assembled wrong, send me another left leg pls". This is all a collector needs but it is still not Kmart type of warranty.

Any thought/input will be appreciated guys. Even you tell me this is not gonna work and reasons.


many thx.