Product lines that I review:

Nendoroids:

Nendoroids is a product line by Good Smile Company and they take usually takes existing anime characters and chibi-fy (shrink) them to adorable proportions.For the starting collector of anime products, Nendoroids are a fantastic place to start with. They are high quality, has a wide range of characters and are super cute. They cost around 3000Yen to 4000Yen depending on rarity and age. Older Nendoroids that GSC has stopped production will cost more and newer Nendoroids might be sold out due to popularity. Its important to do your own reseach before getting any Nendoroid so you do not pay through your nose for it. Always be aware of Bootlegs(fakes) and if it’s too good to be true, it most probably is. If anyone has any questions on Nendoroids just post a comment here and I will be sure to help you as much as I can!

Figmas:

Figmas are produced by MaxFactory usually and distributed through GSC and they are action figures that has joints and range from around 10-15cm tall. They usually cost from 2000yen to 4000Yen depending once again on it’s condition, rarity and popularity. As stated above, do your own research before getting any Figma as there might be cheaper sources instead of doing impulse purchases. Figmas bootlegs look and feel pretty good and sometimes it’s not that easy to tell the difference. Use your discretion when purchasing and when in doubt, ask an experienced friend or just skip on the purchase unless you’re really desperate.

Figurines:

Figurines are fixed pose figures and there really isn’t a single maker or producer I stick to rigidly. The size and pricing fluctuates the most for this category, considering it’s maker, quality, size and material. The cheapest would be small prize figures from Ichiban Kuji or UFO catchers to really expensive ones that are massive and cost you an arm or leg. I personally like Alter figurines and there really isn’t a right or wrong for figurines. You get what appeals to you and within your budget. As you get further and further into the poison, you will see more and learn to want more. Not exactly a good thing methinks..

S.H.Figuarts:

S.H.Figuarts is a line of action figures produced by Bandai via their Bandai Collector’s Division. This line mainly concentrates on Kamen Rider and Super Sentai and their height ranges from around 10-15cm depending on the character. The series is famous for it’s fantastic pose-ability coupled with their attention to detail. The price ranges from 2500Yen to 4000Yen and it might be more or less, considering it’s rarity, popularity and condition. Older SHFs tend to cost more if it is not re-released and for this line, there is a TREMENDOUS amount of exclusives which are mostly repaints of existing products. I don’t hear much about bootlegs for this line so you should be safe getting real stuff. There seems to be some division of fans between Japanese and Hong Kong product with some claiming that Japan releases are superior in quality. I personally don’t seem to find any differences with both being produced in China, where is the difference? Still Japan’s SHFs are more expensive so keep that in mind when you’re getting them.

Ultra Act:

While the S.H.Figuarts line concentrates on the Kamen Rider side of things, Ultra Act is set up for the Ultraman line. They range around 2500-4500Yen retail and are larger with heights from 15-20cm. They are also producted by Bandai and are action figures which has joints so you can do all sorts of poses with them. It’s a relatively new line but there it’s rapidly improving with each release improving on the product before. I only have a few Ultra Acts but from what I seen, it’s only getting better. Similar to SHFs, bootlegs are non-existent in this line so buy with confidence. Just take into account whether it’s second hand or not, since Ultra-Acts tend to get really loose with continued play.

Resources:

To check how much a certain figure costs and whether it’s a limited release

Myfigurecollection is really useful.

International merchandise shops:

Ami Ami

Hobbysearch

Hobbylink Japan

For limited releases which the 3 above do not stock: (Remember for this, you have to pay the retail price + middleman price + shipping price hence the high prices)

Tokyo Hunter

Yokatta

Of couse you can also use Ebay, Amazon.etc but be warned that you won’t be able to tell bootlegs from the original when getting from those websites. It’s MUCH safer to get from a seller with a high rating and they list the item down as original. If in doubt read the comments by other buyers before committing.

Well that pretty much covers what I wanted to say so let me know if you need any help. I don’t want any of you to get into crap deals or bootlegs so I will be sure to help! =D

赤信号　over and out!