Need help...going to Japan

[xklusiv1]

So I'm planning a trip to Japan and have no idea what to buy...any suggestions? Only Transformers lines and nothing over $100.

[Aernaroth]

Henkei, device label, alternity, or encore perhaps?

[FreedomGundam]

Honestly, I was in Japan last September, and I will be in Tokyo again this coming October: the TF selection there is meager compared to the other stuff they have there. It's not like here.
Like, when you walk into a TRU here, you see: lots of TFs, lots of Star Wars, lots of GIJoe, and say, only some Power Rangers stuff.
There, replace each of the above, in order: Gundam, Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, Transformers.

Still, you can find plenty of good deals around if you dig a bit. I came across stores that were liquidating Henkei Convoy/Megatron for about $15 each...

[astrana]

henkei??

you can also get the Takara ROTF Devastator Combiner

[xklusiv1]

Thanks for the help guys! Henkei it is!!

I went to Hong Kong last year a visited a TRU...wasn't to impressed. But the small toy stores there had everything, to bad I didn't have anymore room in my luggage.

[Badgertron]

You might be able to find the ROTF Bruticus combiner there too...they've been out in China for a while.

Would you be interested in picking anything up for fellow fans? :D

[OneShallFall]

I wonder if I could get the ultra-shiny Gold Movie BB for cheap in Japan??Maybe I should go for a visit...

[QuadESL63]

I have to agreed with FreedomGundam... TF figures are not that huge in Japan but other stuffs like Gundam, SoC, etc. are. I found more TFs stuffs in Hong Kong at the time, including the Classic Magnus + Skywarp set. Granted it was Jan '07 and there weren't many TakaraTomy TF lines at the time but still I couldn't even find any new Alt. in Tokyo (I found some second hand ones, though). The only TF display I have seen was for the Revoltech Prime which has just been released. I guess with RoTF things should be different.

BTW, there should be a big TRU close to that 1:1 Gundam mentioned in another thread.

Also, it is very difficult to find older releases in Japan. I'm talking about stuffs that have just been released 3 to 4 months ago :) Stuffs that have been on the shelves for 1~2 months are usually heavily discounted to clear shelf space.

[miasboytoy]

I wonder if I could get the ultra-shiny Gold Movie BB for cheap in Japan??Maybe I should go for a visit...

i still need that too dammit. 2 have eluded me already in auctions..

im heading to japan at the end of july - mid august. lucky for me my gf is canadian japanese (fluent in japanese0 and i have a few friends who live in japan from north america! try to have fun rather than finding transformers. that is basically what all my friends who live in japan say.....dont expect a treasure trove of endless rather it be rare or common transformers...that is a myth. if you find what you are looking for....thats great but dont be disapppointed if you dont find what anything that you wanted....ill be hunting for rare g1s, but i think hydra and anglo and his buddies have depleted most of the stock since they have been there for a few years already. of course you know where those ended up...ebay....easy money for them i guess.

[xklusiv1]

i still need that too dammit. 2 have eluded me already in auctions..

im heading to japan at the end of july - mid august. lucky for me my gf is canadian japanese (fluent in japanese0 and i have a few friends who live in japan from north america! try to have fun rather than finding transformers. that is basically what all my friends who live in japan say.....dont expect a treasure trove of endless rather it be rare or common transformers...that is a myth. if you find what you are looking for....thats great but dont be disapppointed if you dont find what anything that you wanted....ill be hunting for rare g1s, but i think hydra and anglo and his buddies have depleted most of the stock since they have been there for a few years already. of course you know where those ended up...ebay....easy money for them i guess.

I guess I shouldn't expect too much when I go to Japan. Last time I went was when I was a kid and all I remember was all the cool transformers and toys in general they had.

I don' t mind trolling around locally looking for rare toys, makes it more interesting.

[astrana]

If you are there for a good 3-4 weeks, maybe try get something off yahoo japan, from what i heard, they usually have pretty good deals

[TFtoys]

From my source, every TF after TF movies are hard to find or mark up for the first movie years ago.
Moreover, if you track Jap yahoo regularly, some hot and new item are even more crazy than other places...

It might be more helpful for some store suggestion here before you can visit there.

[onecoin]

Depends where you are going? I find that the electronic stores have the best "find" stuff in Japan. And the used goods stores too, cause alot of times the toys are never even opened.

[QuadESL63]

Depends where you are going? I find that the electronic stores have the best "find" stuff in Japan. And the used goods stores too, cause alot of times the toys are never even opened.

There are two kinds of used goods stores for figures/toys. There are stores where owners are selling their stuffs on consignments and stuffs are displayed in "drawers"/boxes. You can just walked in, pull the "drawers"/boxes out and look through them to see if there is anything that caught your eyes. Another type is specialized collectibles used stores. Most stuffs in those specialized collectibles used stores are over $100 Cadn :D at least for the stuffs that I wanted like Diaclones, Chogokins, etc :p From what I have seen in my '07 trip to Tokyo electronic stores have the best "find" stuff in Japan.

[Skystriker]

The 2 major electronic stores (Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera) are good for current release items, mainly henkei, MP grimlock, new encore stuff and have fairly competitive prices (usually 30% off MSRP).

If you have time and are looking for older stuff, I would recommend heading to Akihabara on the green JR "Yamanote Line". There are a lot of small stores that offer used/misb items at sometimes amazing prices like $10 Binaltech's.

One other advice is to bring more than $100. You may see some one in a life time deals you will regret not having enough money for.

If you want more info, let me know. I lived there for about 3 years and made it a habit to roam around Tokyo every few weekends. Have fun and good hunting!


Wayne


I guess I shouldn't expect too much when I go to Japan. Last time I went was when I was a kid and all I remember was all the cool transformers and toys in general they had.

I don' t mind trolling around locally looking for rare toys, makes it more interesting.

[Roman_Empire]

whereabouts in japan are you going? i was there during the march break and if your going to kyoto, tokyo or osaka i could tell you of some good places that i bought some henkei and MPs at

[onecoin]

(Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera)

Bic Camera is awesome for release day stuff. They just pull out a pallet of the newest shit, for super cheap, and the fanboys just raze it. I remember picking up Predaking for 9800 yen and all the Binals for 3150. It was great. The stock around stuck around for a lot longer. It wa cheap too, but not as cheap as Bic. Plus they had all you can eat Dim Sum on the eighth floor. AhhhhhhhhhhhhhYeah!

[FreedomGundam]

Yodobashi Camera quickly became one of my favorite stores when I was there last September. Mandarake as well, for older, rarer stuff.

I also like going to Toranoana, but that was a bookstore. :D

[onecoin]

Yodobashi Camera quickly became one of my favorite stores when I was there last September. Mandarake as well, for older, rarer stuff.

Its hard not to like Yodobashi. They have a song that you'll Never Ever get out of your head. Never. I still have some Yodobashi points on my card.


I also like going to Toranoana, but that was a bookstore. :D

Toranoana kicks ass. There's a few right in Akihabara. And I remember one in Shinjuku. I Akihabara is shit for "rare" finds, cause if you find something its hella expensive. But the new stuff is usually pretty cheap. Maybe like 10% under SRP.

[xklusiv1]

whereabouts in japan are you going? i was there during the march break and if your going to kyoto, tokyo or osaka i could tell you of some good places that i bought some henkei and MPs at

Staying in Tokyo but don't know where yet. What stores are good in Tokyo?