Flaser Posts

That would work too, though they obviously went through the trouble to set up sites for other languages, so I'd guess the listing on all sites would be the easier option at this point. I'm not sure on the technical details, but I'd imagine that since they just use the same product images and such, that they'd just have to hit a flag or something that lists it on other sites. That could be a completely ignorant and blatantly wrong statement for all I know, but it seems like the most logical way to go about setting it up. Versus them having to change their site layout around to accommodate foreigners using forms that are obviously only meant for use within Japan.

Either way, I'd just love it if we had an equal chance to get all the goodies our Japanese brethren do, without the extra hassle/chance of missing out on an item because a proxy/Mandarake doesn't reply fast enough.

I don't really think anything on the shipping thing with Mandarake. While paying more for something always sucks, it's not really fair to say that we're doing so, in this case. The way I look at it is Mandarake is a collection of independent shops spread across Japan; the website is more or less just gathering all the information in one place as a service to their users.

I've run into the problem of items selling out before they can add it to the English page myself... so many problems would be solved if they just sold everything on the English site. D:

Yeah, the one time I gave them that warning, I basically replied with, "Well, I've noted that it seems to be specific stores that are bad at adding items to the English site. I've seen the same exact item on the English site via stores X,X, and X, but stores Y and Y haven't added it."

Yeah, that store adds very little to the English site overall, though they're definitely better than they were six months ago, when nothing was added to the English site. The update times make it even weirder; there was a batch a few weeks ago that had a ton of covers from stores that normally don't make it to the English site. They were all added on the English site, with the update. But the very next day, they added some more, and none of them made it.

Comic 1 6 was especially interesting, because even the stores that normally add items to the English site didn't add any for the first few days. Nakano got the Raika cover hours after the event ended, and sold it twice before another store got it, but it didn't make it to the English site.

Yep. I don't really mind it too much because I've never had a problem getting them to respond to my emails in a fairly timely manner, but it's still a pain in the ass not knowing when your items come in. I emailed them the other day to check in on two orders that should have been in by now (I have two other orders, the Marks one that should be shipping soon, and the IG one I've pretty much given up on), and they were both in stock.

Yeah, I don't know why they don't do it. I've definitely noticed patterns in what stores tend to add their covers to the English site and those that don't. Fukuoka and Shibuya are probably the best for adding covers to the English site while Grandchaos, Akihabara, and Utsunomiya are probably the worst. It's a shame too, considering they all get a lot of covers in. Some items never make it to the English site, while others seem to have a delay (or I guess it's just people requesting items be added to the English site - but they haven't sold yet, so I don't know.) Like the Valkyria and Evening Call cover up on the English site now were added a few weeks ago on the JP site. And all the Yasuomi Craft covers Nakano added months back are now on the English site, despite the fact that they were all long sold out before they popped up. So I have no idea what the deal is, it's certainly strange.

The one time I had them add some Blueberry covers to the English site, they made it seem as if it would be a one time deal. They basically said that some items are only meant to be sold in Japan. I don't think they'd give me a problem if I asked to have more items added, but I haven't asked too many times since then.

Strange. I'd honestly say that the thing that hurts Yokatta the most is they don't have a more automated system. I still laugh every time I check their Twitter page and see the "Sign up for an account" crossed out, with "What a huge waste of time" underneath it. Having an automated system would have saved everyone a whole hell of a lot more time than an initial 1-10 minute sign up would have.

Edit: The teaser for the new AnkoKoubou cover looks promising. Shame it will probably be a My Wife exclusive; I'd really like a chance to preorder one of their covers again. :/

Honestly, I'd probably say it's more likely that they just got it back in stock at that store. It happened 2-3 times with the Nakano store cover on the JP site. I know that when I'm after a rarer/in demand cover and it pops up on Mandarake, I toss it in my cart and immediately check out, and then add other stuff later.

And Yokatta's being slow for you? I've sent a few emails over the last few days, and they've gotten back to me in ~24 and ~12 hours.

Hilarious. Though I guess it's no different than the Sena that sold for 30k+ on Mandarake, when it was still available for preorder on BonCool.

Yeah, it's one I really wanted, but I just didn't have the money at the time of the deadline. I'm still slightly tempted to order it, but I don't have the money, either. T_T

I think he got it. I had PM'd him about two hours ago saying that it was up (before I posted about the Kobato + Maria.) And they're always second hand, but they're usually sealed. Mandarake usually does a pretty good job of stating the condition of the item.

More specifically, 未開封 means unopened.

One of their covers was actually up on Toranoana, but I didn't bother to check to see if it sold there originally or if it sold at an event first.

Anyhow, though I personally didn't really know the situation with Clesta, usually a lot of event items are exclusive. Depending on the circle, they may do a limited web reception either before or after the event, but details such as that will usually be highlighted in the dakimakura blog, if they know that anything is eventually planned. I'd say a good number sell at events and never get a web reception, but it really does all depend on the circle (and possibly the event, I guess.)

As for my orders, it varies wildly. I order stuff from Mandarake when I find something; I'll usually wait the full 5 days to pay so that I can add anything else that pops up in that time. I'd probably say that I have 1-2 packages from them a month, on average.

Other than that, my numbers vary. I wasn't ordering any figures for about a year and a half, so I didn't get many packages from AmiAmi/Hobby Search; I recently started preordering a few figures from AmiAmi and have taken the chance to add some covers into that. Even so, I'd probably only get a package from them every 2-3 months; just combine monthly orders and I really don't have that much preordered.

Then I have to factor in the circles I order directly from. For me, that mainly means B&WStore and Evening Call, these days. I've ordered stuff from BonCool in the past, but it has been awhile. I have one B&WStore item on order now, but haven't gotten a package from them in a few months. I also have two Evening Call orders (one which was placed in February), but they're set to ship in late May and June.

With my proxy orders, I have no problem stretching things as much as possible. With SMJ, if you're not in the US, they just ship directly from Japan and you can only store things for a month, so it doesn't make as much sense to bundle things up for a big order. But with their 3 month storage time and cheap domestic shipping for large packages, I usually request an order everytime an item is about to hit that cap. I pack as many other items as I can in with it, and then start a new cycle. So in general, I get one package from SMJ around every 3 months, usually of about 10-15 items.

I've actually only had one package from Yokatta, but have some other stuff on order with them now, all of which was supposed to be delivered in April/May, so I should be getting a package soon, hopefully.

Overall, I'd guess I get maybe 2-3 packages a month in total, with a couple random ones thrown in each month.


Edit:

Monster Hunter cover on Mandarake: https://ekizo.mandarake.co.jp/shop/en/item_s-888122.html

And B&WStore's loli Kobato + Maria (know someone other than myself really wanted it too): https://ekizo.mandarake.co.jp/shop/en/item_s-888117.html

Unfortunately I know less about IdolM@ster than I do about most series. Here's what I found looking on YJA, though:

http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=%E6%8A%B1%E3%81%8D%E6%9E%95+IDOLM%40STER&auccat=&aq=-1&oq=&ei=UTF-8&tab_ex=commerce&slider=0

And searching the term on the dakimakura blog, but I don't know how many of them are from the series:
http://blog.xn--er-573a1isbf1441e2hs87j.jp/?s=+%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%83%89%E3%83%AB%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC


Edit: On a very interesting and quite surprising note, Paintmusume just tweeted this: "次に抱き枕を描く時、一度作業中断となった夜空肉小鳩を完成させたいです！"

For those of you who don't know, she's the Kyounetsu artist that was responsible for that 3P cover we were all looking forward to... the one that seemingly disappeared, never to return. D:

The downside is that it was originally supposed to be a My Wife event exclusive, and My Wife is just around the corner again... >_>

It's definitely my favorite of the new three, before any coloring takes place.

Well, circles do get to price their own goods. And while two covers might be 2WT, they could be produced by different companies (say A&J and P80), which could charge a different fee to manufacture the covers on their material. The price could also factor in how many they intend to print; most covers sold by big retailers/companies usually tend to be cheaper than their circle counterparts. And printing/selling more probably gives them a bulk discount with the manufacturer.

But really this is all just guesswork and I have no idea how close any of it really is to the reason.

Not as far as I know, unfortunately.

Yeah, I'd love some Udon-ya covers. And while we're talking about artists we'd like to do covers, I'd kill for an Ishikei one. This is the one I'm talking about: http://www.mukiryoku.org/syouhin/index.htm

I didn't expect them to do a web reception for it honestly, since their C81 Kyouko didn't receive one, unfortunately. :(


And the only downside to that strategy, willowywicca, is you know that if things are looking close before the auction at 17k is about to close, someone will just buyout the 20k one and then bidding on the 17k one is free to go over. I ran into the same thing with the AnkoKoubou Miku cover, and it was an absolute pain in the ass. D:

Heh, the Monster Hunter cover I won is getting a web order. Guess I could have saved some money if I bought it through Yokatta, but it would have more or less evened out if I used SMJ to pick it up.



Heh, if it's the manual bid that's holding up your limit, it might take a bit. I usually get replies to emails and such by 11-2PM PST on the weekend. If it's from a lost auction that you had a bid placed on, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or two to reset.

Edit: And if memory serves correctly, the person that has the 20k buyout doesn't allow automated deputy services, so you'd probably have to use Yokatta if you wanted to buy his.

You can have it, too!

http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AC%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF+%E6%8A%B1%E3%81%8D%E6%9E%95&tab_ex=commerce&ei=UTF-8&rs=2&slider=0

http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=%A5%AF%A5%EC%A5%B9%A5%BF+%CA%FA%A4%AD%CB%ED&auccat=26146&alocale=0jp&acc=jp&tab_ex=commerce&ei=euc-jp

Granted for higher than what we paid. >_>

Haha, now we all own a Clesta cover. :3 I'm definitely happy with the 16.5k I paid, but it really didn't blow up as high as I was expecting it to.

Yeah, it definitely sucks. There was a new comment on their blog the other day, I think by the guy that runs New-Makura. It linked to a page talking about the whole IG thing... the translation was an absolute mess, but I think Naka's car might have been spotted, or something along those lines. I honestly couldn't understand the translation for shit.

Well, I think you need to give us some perspective there. 17.1k isn't too terrible if spread out over some time. After all, you said you spent like 4k last month, right? And even after proxy fees, I'd imagine 17.1k is still a few hundred shy of 3k. So over the course of a month, that wouldn't be too terrible... but if that number is over the course of a few days... :P

Nope. The Twins haven't been on YJA (in 2WT/R) for quite some time. And I think even the SK versions have been snatched up for quite awhile too. Some may pop up eventually, but with as long as they've been out, I wouldn't expect it to happen.

You can add money to your PayPal count in a multitude of ways. The most common is probably a credit card, but you can also add a bank account or even use cash. To use cash, just go into a WalMart or some other store that sells gift cards and buy a PayPal MoneyPak. You pay in store, activate the card there, and then punch in the code on Paypal's website.

Also, if you're buying figures from J-List, I'd highly recommend looking elsewhere before you buy it. The prices they charge for figures are absolutely ridiculous in comparison to other sites, such as AmiAmi (which you mentioned you now use.)