The Energon Pub

[Swerve]

I thought maybe we should start a thread for everyone that would provide new collectors and veterans alike a resource for places to buy figures and if possible, review the places we got them from in the case of online retail stores.

A lot of people buy from ebay but the experience will vary from seller to seller. If you find a really good seller, especially one that might have an ebay store, feel free to list them and a review so others can check them out.

I'd like to see this thread take off so that if someone is looking for a certain figure and is having trouble finding it, they can come here and check out the different stores and also hear what you have to say about them so they'll know what to expect. A recomendation from someone on this board goes a long way in deciding where to shop.

I personally like http://www.tfsource.com/. Curt runs a great store and is very friendly. The selection they provide isn't huge but they more than make up for it in customer service. The store goes to great lengths to protect your shipped item. They wrap your package in several layers of tissue paper, sheet plastic, bubble wrap, and then in packing peanuts before putting it in the actual box to ship. By far the most careful shipping I've ever seen, all in the name of protecting the integrity of the box. They are very happy to answer any questions about products they have or ones they might get. I usually get a response back same day or next day when I email them.

I also like using http://toywiz.com/. This is more or less a BBTS type of site. They have just about everything. In the transformers section they carry Robot Masters, Alts/Binal/Kiss, Classics, Masterpiece, Reissues (both Hasbro and Takara), and much more. The bad news for Beast Wars collectors is that they don't appear to carry them at this time. The time on the shipping is about average and they package their orders like many places do, in just packing peanuts. I haven't had to contact them for any reason so I can't really say much about the customer service but it is a good place to check since they do have a pretty large assortment of figures and lines.

[Bonger]

My sources are in order of preference:

Yard sales - Optimus Prime MIB for $10, I'll take it!!!!

Craigslist - A lot of 200 figures including shockwave, Prime Megs, Omega for 400. I'll take it!!!!

Ebay - Oooh, whats the selling for a penny with 10 seconds left? I'll take it!!!!

BBTS, HLJ and Robotkingdom - Well, I couldn't get it above, soo, you know what?

















I'll take it!!!!

[JTKranix]

I buy pretty much everything I can not get retail from BBTS. They cost a bit more but they ship fast and the collector's grade stuff shows up perfect.

[Nujevad]

Well, I live in the Philippines, so the local hobby shops in my area are always stocked with a wide selection of transformers(with my country being so close to Japan and all). I get like 95% of all of my figures there. The last 5% are from either garage sales, toys stores, junk shops and pretty much anywhere else.

[Swerve]

I do have to agree with your signature JTKranix, I will probably never buy anything again through hasbrotoyshop.com. I have yet to have a good experience through them.

Their shipping takes forever and is expensive. One time I ordered a figure and it was 3 weeks after the purchase date so I decided to call the customer service number and email them, and they told me that it said fully shipped in their system which means that all they know is that the item is no longer in their wharehouse. I finally got the figure about 4 days later.

I also have an issue with them not updating the status of their figures that are out of stock. I have been burned by them for no longer carrying certain items that they have "in stock" on their site.

I had a similar experience with Toysrus.com but I kind of don't hold that one against them because it was during the height of the Soundwave Re-Issue chaos. By the time the site was updated, they had actually already sold all of them out and I finally gave up and bought it somewhere else for about $10 more.

[JTKranix]

I do have to agree with your signature JTKranix, I will probably never buy anything again through hasbrotoyshop.com. I have yet to have a good experience through them.

Their shipping takes forever and is expensive. One time I ordered a figure and it was 3 weeks after the purchase date so I decided to call the customer service number and email them, and they told me that it said fully shipped in their system which means that all they know is that the item is no longer in their wharehouse. I finally got the figure about 4 days later.

I also have an issue with them not updating the status of their figures that are out of stock. I have been burned by them for no longer carrying certain items that they have "in stock" on their site.

I had a similar experience with Toysrus.com but I kind of don't hold that one against them because it was during the height of the Soundwave Re-Issue chaos. By the time the site was updated, they had actually already sold all of them out and I finally gave up and bought it somewhere else for about $10 more.

Yeah, I won't place another order with them. I placed an order on a Sunday night and about 30 minutes later I sent them an email to cancel the other because I had found a promo code for free shipping (shipping on this specific order was $22).

The next day they said the order could not be canceled because it was to far along in the "shipping process". 3 days later the order actually shipped. 3 days!

They suck.

[Khemical Prime]

I usually just drive to Target, Walmart, Kmart, or TRU to get my stuff.

The only thing I have ever gotten online was a CYB Sideways Vs Red Alert two pack from an EBay seller called Animax. Great customer support, good shipping, very fast delivery. And what is great about this is they actually have a store in Memphis, Tennessee so you at least know it's not an anonymous seller working out of their home. 99.9% positive feedback with 9,551 feedbacks recieved only one negative.

They have some nice deals, not alot of Transformers though only 72 total in stock. Some bargains...they currently have the Takara Beast Wars Reborn gift set for 100 bucks plus 10 for shipping...BBTS lists it for 150 before shipping costs. They also sell other stuff like Robotech and Macross.

http://stores.ebay.com/Animax

[GetterDragun]

ImageAnime.com, no one ships faster and in better condition!

[Khemical Prime]

I also like using http://toywiz.com/. This is more or less a BBTS type of site. They have just about everything. In the transformers section they carry Robot Masters, Alts/Binal/Kiss, Classics, Masterpiece, Reissues (both Hasbro and Takara), and much more. The bad news for Beast Wars collectors is that they don't appear to carry them at this time. The time on the shipping is about average and they package their orders like many places do, in just packing peanuts. I haven't had to contact them for any reason so I can't really say much about the customer service but it is a good place to check since they do have a pretty large assortment of figures and lines.

Man talk about price gouging. Universe Depth Charge for 55 bucks? I could have gotten one at BBTS during their recent sale for like 15 bucks. Pretty bad prices on most of their stock...40 bucks for CLA Prime Vs Megatron two pack???

[Swerve]

I also like using http://toywiz.com/. This is more or less a BBTS type of site. They have just about everything. In the transformers section they carry Robot Masters, Alts/Binal/Kiss, Classics, Masterpiece, Reissues (both Hasbro and Takara), and much more. The bad news for Beast Wars collectors is that they don't appear to carry them at this time. The time on the shipping is about average and they package their orders like many places do, in just packing peanuts. I haven't had to contact them for any reason so I can't really say much about the customer service but it is a good place to check since they do have a pretty large assortment of figures and lines.

Man talk about price gouging. Universe Depth Charge for 55 bucks? I could have gotten one at BBTS during their recent sale for like 15 bucks. Pretty bad prices on most of their stock...40 bucks for CLA Prime Vs Megatron two pack???

I haven't checked prices in a while. The last thing I bought was some Hasbro and Takara reissues and they were priced below most places. I bought both Skywarp and Thundercracker Hasbro re-issues for $45 plus shipping at the beginning of the year. Now it looks like that order would come to over $100.

I suppose the prices aren't as good as they used to be, although it depends on what you are trying to find. I want to get another Alternators Meister to put the Reprolabels on and leave my Binaltech version plain white. The white version of Meister is still priced at $19.99 which is the best price I've seen for him in a while.

[Sunstar]

Ebay: I am a sniper so I go in during the last 15 seconds with my maximum bid so I don't get tempted and I chance to get something quite inexpensively. I got quite a few good deals by playing my cards right and shopping around

BBTS: if there is something I doubt I can get where I am in canada.

Kooltoyz
Goldenage toys
local department stores
garage sales
trades

[Duke of Luns]

Wow, didn't think there were too many other Flea Market/Yard Sale hunters. I'm a bit on the cheap side, and hunting is half the fun. Even if it's incomplete, which it usually is, for $1 or less it's usually worth it.

Otherwise, I usually stay on the lookout for clearance stuff or sales in stores or on BBTS(took advantage of that last week), but I will occassionally pay full price if it's something I've been really looking for.

Also, I'm always on the lookout for that great cheap auction on E-Bay.

[Wheeljack35]

Unless its something you can buy only online I go to BBTS.com or buy from people on the boards who are selling there collection

But on other things I allways go to the stores

Walmart
Target
Kmart

I don't have to pay shipping and handling

[jaws]

BBTS, ebay, Wal-mart, Target, Toys-r-us, digital-toys, Big Lots, KB Toys

[Basketball Jones]

I purchase most of my figures from this dude named Martin.

However, I plan to purchase Revoltech Megatron from BBTS.

[Dclone Soundwave]

I almost always shop on ebay unless there's a new figure that I can find at Target/Wal-Mart/TRU. On ebay, I always deal w/either Trendclick or dit138. I have never had problems w/either of them, & they ar every understanding when it comes to payment issues. And then there's always BBTS. That's about it for moi..................

[ZoneDaiatlas]

Well most of my toys that I buy comes from "Bigbadtoystore.com", "Action-HQ.com", "Toynk.com" and "eBay"... My Finacee who lives in the Philippines buys some of the Toys from "Greattoys.net" in Makati...

[Ninja Sixshot]

i dont shop online. instead i go to retailers

[MagnusPrimal]

TRU.
Target.
Walmart.
BBTS.
JRSToyworld.
That's about it. Ebay, if all else fails.

[Bonger]

Wow, didn't think there were too many other Flea Market/Yard Sale hunters. I'm a bit on the cheap side, and hunting is half the fun. Even if it's incomplete, which it usually is, for $1 or less it's usually worth it.

Otherwise, I usually stay on the lookout for clearance stuff or sales in stores or on BBTS(took advantage of that last week), but I will occassionally pay full price if it's something I've been really looking for.

Also, I'm always on the lookout for that great cheap auction on E-Bay.

Right on dude, its all about the incomplete hunt. Then I head off to DIT on ebay for the missing parts. She is kinda pricey, but will super combine shipping. I normally pay her once a monh and have all my stuff for the month shipped together for $10.

[Magnus' Mate]

Wow, didn't think there were too many other Flea Market/Yard Sale hunters. I'm a bit on the cheap side, and hunting is half the fun. Even if it's incomplete, which it usually is, for $1 or less it's usually worth it.

Otherwise, I usually stay on the lookout for clearance stuff or sales in stores or on BBTS(took advantage of that last week), but I will occassionally pay full price if it's something I've been really looking for.

Also, I'm always on the lookout for that great cheap auction on E-Bay.

Well, here in the UK I just love to check out car boot sales (the equivalent of a yard sale?) for the things I collect. Have got lots of ridiculously cheap Star Wars, MOTU that way...and of course, Transformers! My best buys are both Dinobots related: 10p for a good condition Sludge figure, and then £5 for both Snarl & Sludge boxed/complete!! I was all day!!

[Danish-Liokaiser]

Personally i preffer Bigbadtoystore since i aint old enough too use Ebay. Great service at bbts, the only fail is overprice on some figures and shipping outside u.s is terror.

[TFBuyer]

No one's really mentioned this I think, but for older G1 stuff, you can't go wrong with places like http://www.wheeljackslab.com, http://www.transformerland.com, or http://www.fortmax.net. I ritualistically check on them every month to see if a new part I've been looking for is in. Just completed a G1 Ramjet that way!