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For Beginner Figure Collectors #14: Second-hand Figures

To All,

Second-hand figures can be a huge pain to source for, especially if you are trying to find that one popular figure that everyone apparently wants for some reason or another. The following are some sites which I use to stalk for second-hand figures! Do take note that Rakuten is one of the more famous sites for this purpose but I will be leaving it out as I do not like their layout hence I don't use Rakuten enough to provide a brief introduction introduction to the site.

Mandarake

Mandarake is by far the first site which I usually go to for any second-hand merchandise or figure I'm looking for. Sometimes, or rather, usually Mandarake is pricier than some other sites, but they ship directly overseas, which is a plus for me since I'll like to stay away from the additional costs of proxy or forwarding as much as I can.

Mandarake's website can be displayed in English as well, and is generally quite easy to use. Note that you might come across R18 material if your controls are not set properly. Though, they are usually properly labelled and appropriately censored.

The main drawbacks of using Mandarake is firstly, the 500 yen handling fee if your total purchase is below 5000 yen. Secondly, their items can't be combined unless they are from the same branch. For instance, an item from their Umeda store cannot be shipped together with an item from their Sapporo store. And lastly, Mandarake has open physical stores as well, so items you see 'in stock' on their website might actually be 'out of stock' as a customer might have purchased the item from the physical store while you online order is still under processing! Though, I seldom face 'sold-out' goods on Mandarake and their customer service has been great thus far.

Suruga-ya
This is the website I use every June and December for my huge hauls. Their prices are cheaper than that for Mandarake (usually) and there might even be time discounts on some items, making them even more affordable. Also, unlike Mandarake, you can combine shipment for all items on their webstore, as long as everything which you intend to include in one shipment is in a single order. However Suruga-ya's preparation time for shipment is usually very long, so I wouldn't recommend it if you are in a rush to get your items!

Another drawback would be that their site is mainly catered to Japan local users, hence you need to be proficient in at least basic-level Japanese, or be adept in using Google Translate in order to use their website. Also, you need a Paypal (they do not accept overseas credit cards) as well as a proxy or forwarding service as they don't ship overseas directly. However, fear not! As their domestic shipping is free for purchases about 1,300 yen and you'll most likely be able to get free domestic shipping to your proxy or forwarding location if you do a mini loot haul!

Suruga-ya also has items for pre-order however I generally don't look toward them for pre-orders as their prices are not very competitive and I still need to factor in the cost for proxy or forwarding.

Amiami
Amiami is high on the list since I refer to the a lot for pre-orders so I do check with their pre-owned section quite a bit as well. They have numerous pages of pre-owned items which are updated more or less regularly.

They also have a fixed grading system for their pre-owned items which makes it easy to determine how well, or bad their items are before deciding to grab them or not. Though most of the popular and rarer items are quickly snagged off the site so be sure not to hesitate too much!

Amazon JP
Do use the Japanese site as the English one is usually burdened with inflated prices

Amazon provides more choices and price ranges than Mandarake and Suruga-ya and you can even choose the condition of your item (new or used). You could always get the item listed under 'Fair' condition rather than the more expensive one labelled under 'New'. Just be sure to read the description of the item's condition and ensure that it is acceptable for you before getting it!

The only drawback would be that some stuff under Amazon JP, including most figures, do not ship directly to Singapore, hence you may have to use a proxy or forwarding service.

From Your Fellow Collector,
Schedule:
- Where to get second hand figures?
- What to do if you have issues with your item or receive a damaged box?
- Storage of Figures
- Storage of Figure Boxes
- Maintenance of Figures
- Bootlegs- Sale of your figures

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