The Energon Pub

I've been wanting to do this for some time and just had to remember and not be lazy! I want this thread to be general feedback from users who have shopped at online stores, and be a place where other can ask other users about said stores.

While y'all are certainly welcome to do so, I'm going to leave out the big boys for now (BBTS, TFsource, ect) because they're well known and renowned. I'll start this thread off with a well known store that I only recently bought from: Amiami.



They're one of those Japanese based retailers who get pretty much everything Japanese (dur ). I say "one of those" because they are one of a few stores that are famous for cheap preorders, but sell out quickly.

My first order from them was a solitary Transformers Adventure Bumblebee (ugh shoulda ordered more). Shipping (pending what you choose) was really cheap and didn't take as long as it could have. It was packed nicely and everything was in order. I only recently became hip to these kind of retailers, but I would definitely recommend Amiami to those who want to import some TF's and not break the bank!

Has a site treated you really well, or do you have someone to warn others about? Share your experiences with Seibertron, good or bad!

Alrighty. I'll toss another *maybe not so well known* store up, Chimungmung.



He stocks everything you'd expect, and is usually one of the last stores to run out of stock. Prices are pretty even across the board. And if you miss out on those Japanese preorder type sites I mentioned above Chimung is one of your best options for items like MP's, especially when compared to the big boys like BBTS and TFsource.

I have bought a lot through them over the past couple years and have yet to experience any issues.

These fellas are gaining steam, and with all the talk comes lots of questions. I recently received my first order from them (TAV Insecticons) and thought I would do a pictorial un-boxing!

The box is sturdy enough, and packed well enough. I'm trying to think about the best store packaging I've had, and I want to say TFsource but I don't recall for sure. This isn't that, but I don't want to imply that its bad. Its suitable.











Also I'm not sure if customs charges plague all of you, but they sure plague me and my Canadian brethren. I'm happy to report that this shipment came with no surcharges! So in closing, I like AmiAmi and will continue to buy from them

K folks, now I need your help. Has anyone bought from these guys?



I tried to buy from them a year or so ago (a TW GrindRod) and after seeing it listed "in-stock" I inquired, only to find out they in fact had none. So I'd like to hear from anyone who's dealt with them. Any recommendations?

Revival!

I really feel this thread could be a useful tool for those wary of trying overseas web stores, so I'm giving it another shot. I was just made aware of a new site but haven't tried it myself. Anyone have first hand experience?

shajaki wrote:Revival!

I really feel this thread could be a useful tool for those wary of trying overseas web stores, so I'm giving it another shot. I was just made aware of a new site but haven't tried it myself. Anyone have first hand experience?

Those are the people I will be ordering Bruticus from. The deal with them is that unlike Amiami, you need to pay right away for your product (like Anime Export). Their prices are usually the lowest though, by 5$ (give or take). What I like about them is that they give you the most options for shipping. I am actually going to try their boat option. Unlike Anime Export, the boat option for Nippon Yassan is fully registered. So there is no worries of it getting to your place, you just have to wait a while, but you will pay at least 20$ less for shipping.

I will let you know in um..bruticus comes out June so...August if it all worked out well

They also have a points system like amiami and the others but I dont know much about it. Aside from the fact that it's called DP and thus hilarity sometimes ensues:




Oh one last thing, unlike Ami ami and HLJ, Nippon Yassan is far more known for their sexy statues, that is their strong point. And thus they will have them on their front page in big, making this site not safe for work.

Yeep!

Although...

Well folks tread lightly I suppose. Thanks for the input WJ. I saw you mention that they ship by "registered boat"? Whats the timing like?

shajaki wrote:Yeep!

Although...

Well folks tread lightly I suppose. Thanks for the input WJ. I saw you mention that they ship by "registered boat"? Whats the timing like?

2 months. But to be fair, there have been instances when it took that long for SAL. At least here we are ready for it to take that long.

william-james88 wrote:

shajaki wrote:Whats the timing like?

2 months. But to be fair, there have been instances when it took that long for SAL. At least here we are ready for it to take that long.

Eewwwwwww. I think I'd rather just pay a few extra bucks and shave off a month. Let us know when you get your Bruti from them

These "pay now but pay cheapest" always pop up with figures when I can't afford to do so

shajaki wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

shajaki wrote:Whats the timing like?

2 months. But to be fair, there have been instances when it took that long for SAL. At least here we are ready for it to take that long.

Eewwwwwww. I think I'd rather just pay a few extra bucks and shave off a month. Let us know when you get your Bruti from them

These "pay now but pay cheapest" always pop up with figures when I can't afford to do so

But unlike Anime Export, Nippon Yassan keeps taht price till they sell out. Anime Export only has a one month window. I will b waiting a few months to purchase since the dollar is slowly rising again and I can build some funds.

Also, its not a few bucks you'd be saving, it would be a full 20$ cdn.

william-james88 wrote:But unlike Anime Export, Nippon Yassan keeps taht price till they sell out. Anime Export only has a one month window. I will b waiting a few months to purchase since the dollar is slowly rising again and I can build some funds.

Also, its not a few bucks you'd be saving, it would be a full 20$ cdn.

Sometimes peace of mind is worth $20 bucks to me. My ex used to get crazy antsy when waiting for parcels to arrive whereas I'm much more relaxed. But once it starts going past the 1 month mark, I'd get antsy too. And by boat? I'd be worried of getting this instead...

shajaki wrote:

william-james88 wrote:But unlike Anime Export, Nippon Yassan keeps taht price till they sell out. Anime Export only has a one month window. I will b waiting a few months to purchase since the dollar is slowly rising again and I can build some funds.

Also, its not a few bucks you'd be saving, it would be a full 20$ cdn.

Sometimes peace of mind is worth $20 bucks to me. My ex used to get crazy antsy when waiting for parcels to arrive whereas I'm much more relaxed. But once it starts going past the 1 month mark, I'd get antsy too. And by boat? I'd be worried of getting this instead...

Yeah, that's where I'm at, waiting for the nonnef cw combiner hands to be produced, paid for them like 6 months ago, and now I'm getting a little antsy, but, I can be patient

Hellscream9999 wrote:Yeah, that's where I'm at, waiting for the nonnef cw combiner hands to be produced, paid for them like 6 months ago, and now I'm getting a little antsy, but, I can be patient

Nonnef.... what can I say...

I ordered a handful of items from them (some CW pieces like you) and after a couple months I thought WTF? Half of my items were ready and waiting, and the CW pieces hadn't been made yet (or something). In the end I simply cancelled the CW parts and shipped the rest. Granted their replies were swift, but the communication beforehand wasn't great. I wouldn't have bothered with the CW pieces had I been made aware of the waiting time. And they should give updates when things like that happen.

So yeah, Nonnef. Not bad, but not great.

shajaki wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:Yeah, that's where I'm at, waiting for the nonnef cw combiner hands to be produced, paid for them like 6 months ago, and now I'm getting a little antsy, but, I can be patient

Nonnef.... what can I say...

I ordered a handful of items from them (some CW pieces like you) and after a couple months I thought WTF? Half of my items were ready and waiting, and the CW pieces hadn't been made yet (or something). In the end I simply cancelled the CW parts and shipped the rest. Granted their replies were swift, but the communication beforehand wasn't great. I wouldn't have bothered with the CW pieces had I been made aware of the waiting time. And they should give updates when things like that happen.

So yeah, Nonnef. Not bad, but not great.

He has a massive thread over on tfw where he's a member, but, I think it was in the fall, he got really sick and his production facility got flooded and struck by lightning in that massive storm that hit our east coast, all while trying to set up a method to distribute his product to the uk.

Nearly all the basic stuff is back in stock, even the feet, which are supposed to be pretty amazing...

Here's my take on things for the US audience. If you're in another country, my feedback does not apply to you, sorry!

Target/Walmart/TRU/Kmart/etc, aka any "Big Box" retailer's online store
As run of the mill as it gets. K-mart should not be relied upon to actually send you what you ordered. That said, they will refund you if you don't get what you ordered, just don't expect to always ultimately end up with what you ordered.

Outside of K-mart's occasional weirdness, there really isn't much to say here. Most often good, occasionally garbage, but are big enough to handle problems.

Amazon
If you collect, you should have Prime. Don't be afraid to do searches for Takara lines as well! I've gotten some cool Japanese stuff at great prices that shipped free on 2-day Prime shipping. As always, beware Marketplace for newer items, though for older or vintage items you should absolutely check here as well as eBay these days.

TF Source
99% of the time, reliable and problem free. Average shipping time, but nothing to fret about. Free shipping is what would be expected timing wise out of free shipping (as in don't expect Amazon's slave labor force to have it to you in 48 hours.)

They really don't like it when you cancel. I have a pre-order I need to cancel there and I don't look forward to it. They'll likely bully me for being laid off last month. That's what I need, yep. (For reference, my only other one canceled order there was the last time that happened in the Great Recession and they weren't very nice about it.)

Big Bad Toy Store
Cream of the crop, except with shipping time and cost. No free shipping whatsoever. Additionally, though you will pay for shipping on literally every order regardless of the size, it can take anywhere from 1 hour to 1 week to actually leave their "warehouse" which is basically just a room with one dude filling boxes as fast as he can. In the meantime, if you get impatient and irritated at the delay, and try to cancel, they'll tell you that it's just too late and you're stuck with their 1998 era logistics.

I stopped buying from them.

Hasbro Toy Shop
Generally, see the big box retailers. Only reason I have them separate is that they like to send things whenever they're available, even if it's within four boxes on an order that was all together.

I should explain further.

Say you order 2 RiD Warriors, 1 CW Voyager, and 1 SDCC Exclusive Awesome Boxed Set. This qualifies you for free shipping.

You may get up to four separate boxes on four separate days with 1 item in each. They won't up charge you, which is cool for us, but dang, this seems wasteful to both their bottom line and the planet.

Chosen Prime, Captured Prey, Transformerland, Robotic Planet, Ages3andUp, and Reprolabels/Toyhax/Toystages
These are the cream of the crop, in my opinion. Got an issue? Be prepared for an actual person to respond to you with actual care that you have said issue, and then take care of it. Some in the US don't like that A3U has 9.99 shipping at best, but uh, they're in Canada so I'm ok with this.

Toywiz
Lol. Don't do it. Just don't. Please, don't. They either won't have it, or won't take it back when your Botcon '05 Sentinel Maximus doesn't have a battery cover - while that's ultimately 3H's fault, they weren't exactly around anymore back in 2006 to take care of that, now were they? That Micron Booster 4 Chromebite wasn't in stock either back in 2013, now was it? Toywiz sucks and I will never, ever buy from them again.