Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

I've been collecting transformers for a while, and am interested in buying from online retailer but have never ordered from sites such as tfsource, bigbadtoystore, chimungmung, automaton, etc.

I'm wondering as to which sites would be best to order from when it comes to price and shipping. I would be interested ordering figures that are out now (such as Function: Code and MP 14), as well as pre-orders (MP 17,MP 18, and the future Function figures to come).

Just looking for personal opinions and experiences with sites they have dealt with, and recommendations on which site to use.

Any help is appreciated, and thanks in advance! :)

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

Look to the right of Cybertron.ca, you have a great selection to choose from.

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

I would say Robot Kingdom usually has the lowest price and ships relatively quickly. Also, have never had extra shipping, customs, duty or whatever else they might call it tagged on at the door. Chimungmung is also consistent and usually arrives within a week. Chimungmung has the best customer service I have found. Other places will reply (some after repeated requests) Tony at Chimungmung seems to enjoy his business more than some others.

In Canada, Automaton is great and does not pre-charge for preorders. Chimungmung charges +/- 10% deposit and RK the whole amount (i prefer to pay up front personally)

Online toy shopping is a bit of an art. RK is the best price, but sometimes one might be looking for a rarer price. In that case one can surf the list online, Ages 3 & Up, TFSource, Jay's Clock, BBTS, Toy Arena ($$$), CMD Store, SNS Toyshop, Toys on Fire, to name a few.

Not sure if they are still around but Toys n' Joys is/was pretty bad. Item shows up 4-5 months after an order. Virtually no customer service in my opinion.

For the rarer pieces though, I would say the patrons of this website are your best bet. Pretty much anything one can think of is or will be for sale on here.

Lastly, don't go all online, most cities have a sole proprietor Toyshop and regular toy shows, and then there are the conventions. These will meet a toy hunter's needs and expose a person to others. Friends can be a great asset both to assist and be assisted when it comes to buying TFs.

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

Not always an options. Most conventions in the edmonton area have next to nothing for 3rd party stuff. Fun to go to but don't always find what I want at them.

I mainly order from Automaton, chimungmung, captured prey, and BBTS. However a lot of times it comes down to who has what I want now at the best price.

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

My favorite online store is Automaton hands down. As long as they have what I want in stock I'll always go with them. Their communication is awesome, shipping is fast and you're kept informed about your order at all times. The other comparable online Canadian store is Agesthreeandup, but their prices are all in USD for some reason (still don't understand why a Canadian company in BC would charge in USD). My experience with with Ages has been mixed, some orders ship with no issues and on time, others have arrived inexplicably late, and their communication isn't the best... at least when it comes to my orders I seem to have problems, but others don't seem to share my experiences with them so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
I've never dealt with BK Collectables or Kool Toys so I can't comment on them.

BBTS, and TFsource have huge selection, but anytime I've ordered from them I've been charged extra customs which always sucks...

Robotkingdom and Chimungmung are great for good prices, surprisingly fast shipping considering they're overseas...I'll often get orders shipped to my door faster from their part of the world than I do from Agesthreeandup one province over, from the time I hit PAY from Paypal to when I get it in hand.

Here's my personal ranking:
1. Automatontoys
2. Chimungmung
3. Robotkingdom
4. BBTS
5. Agesthreeandup
6. TFsource

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

Most of the shops mentioned in the above post are good. But if this is your first online transaction, for Canadian sites I'd recommend Automaton and Ages Three and Up. Automaton has a long history of dependability. Ages Three and Up are in my city and I've been to their brick and mortar store. They're not a fly by night operation, not to say all the others mentioned are.

If you're ordering from the states, use Big Bad Toy Story. As their name states, they're big and known so if things go wrong they have the resources to help you out. The main drawback for ordering from the states is shipping will always cost more, but at BBTS you can calculate your shipping costs before you make your purchases so you can make informed decisions on your order.

I think these three sites are good sites to get your feet wet with. They've been around a while and have solid prices. Sometimes they're the cheapest, other times not, but IMHO you can always depend on on getting your stuff with them.

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

I buy Automaton

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

ive bought from pretty much all of them at some point or another,

i usually go with bbts because they have the best selection of EVERYTHING hands down and their customer service is top notch BUT i get hit with customs every single time and sometimes its a huge amount..... i swear canada customs makes up their own amounts most of the time. their pile of loot option is amazing. you can cancel a pre-order at anytime.

automatontoys is great and again great customer service but they usually get things later then everywhere else. and you cant cancel a pre-order or couldnt last time i checked. and you get hit with taxes from them which sucks.

tfsource ive never had a problem with and their packaging is the best and safest out there. also never got hit with customs from them. but like others their selection isnt the best at times.

ages3andup nope.. had a few bad dealings with them back in the day and the USD thing and takes them forever (ages) lol to reply to emails.

RK is great and great prices and crazy fast shipping for over seas.

chimungmung ive only had good dealings with. never had a prob. good prices etc. just not a great selection at times.

captured prey is another great store with good prices and amazing customer service. never had a problem. US site.

honestly i buy most of my things from slayback here on the boards. hes an amazing guy gets all the good toys and has amazing prices. i dont know why more people dont check him out. i mention and others have mentioned him on here loads.
all around great guy / friend.

there is prob a few more stores ive dealth with but i cant think of them atm..

i usually go with bbts b/c i can cancel a pre-order at anytime if i change my mind. and their selection of EVERYTHING cant be beat. i would prefer to keep my money in canada but without being able to cancel a pre-order without a penality if i want to ill stick to dealing with them mostly.

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

BBTS is my favorite for their selection, but in my case I keep my orders under 100$ and that avoids custom fees. For the more expensive items that you want I would suggest Robot kingdom for some lower prices and no custom fees. Also automatontoys is a great option. With the Canadian dollar kind of taking a hit right now its always nice to be paying in Canadian funds.

Re: Where to buy online and pre-order?
 

Tfsource, captured prey, or robot kingdom are the top three