Buying from USA or Japan???

Question to Anyone and Everyone:

 

I'm looking to buy my first Dollfie Dream doll (Yukino 2nd ver.), but I'm curious as to where to shop for her.

There's two options.... either from the Volks USA site OR the Volks International site.

The USA site sells her for $462, not including tax or shipping fees.

The international site sells her for roughly $377 (based on current exchange rate), not including overseas shipping, insurance or other fees that can't be completely shown without registering, although they do offer links to EMS shipping for basic information.

 

Both sites offer customer service, return policies... etc. And both sites are linked to the same VOLKS INC. site in Japan. It's just the prices are different.

 

If it were a matter of waiting for my DD to be delivered from Japan, I don't mind, but is it really worth the trouble? Can anyone offer any suggestions as to what would be the better option?? Or is there another option I don't know about??

 

Any advice would be great..... Thanks...

Sounds like Volks Intl is the cheaper option. I bet that after shipping, the total cost is still less than Volks USA, I want to say it was around $50 the last time I bought a DD from them. And EMS from Japan will take less time than UPS from Volks USA, although I seem to recall a waiting period of up to two weeks for things to ship from Volks Intl.

If you're in CA, you will also pay sales tax for Volks USA. Volks Int is probably the better option, the exchange rate is really good right now!

I've purchased from both, and find them equally easy to purchase from. Even if Volks Intl makes an error on your order, it's easy to get it fixed. They reply quickly! I've often purchased from the Intl site if the exchange rate is better.

 

Linda S.

galatia9

I've had many dolls (50cm Obitsus) shipped EMS from Japan. The last one cost about $48 and took 3 days to arrive (Chicago), including local USPS delivery.

ems shipping already covers for loss/insurance so you don't pay more. I wouldn't worry about that.

 

I'm pretty sure volks int does batch shipping, so they take orders for 2 weeks and then ship them all at once. My first order took a few days for them to process and send out, the next was a week and a bit.

Thanks guys, I'm feeling better now from your advice. With any luck, I'll have my own DD in the near future....

FYI EMS shipping from Japan includes loss/insurance coverage of 20,000yen by default. If you want more coverage you have to pay extra. It's always a good idea to check, so you don't have any surprises if something bad happens. More than likely Volks fully insures there packages, but never hurts to ask. Yeah the exchange rate is very nice currently. I myself plan to get some DD/MDD parts from Japan instead of the US

For me EMS from Japan only take 3 - 5 days, but I am just south of SFO, and that is where my items clear customs. It takes them all of 30 minutes to send it from customs to my local post office for delivery.

 

I would add that in my experience Japanese packaging is legendary in its quality. I order CDs and DVDs from Amazon.co.jp and they always make it around the world to my doorstep perfectly intact. When I order from amazon in the US they often ship from within my state and half the time they are loose in the box and all scratched up. I've also never had a Japanese merchant send me something that didn't match the description.

 

I honestly feel very safe about doing mail order from Japan.

 

With that said the language barrier can be a problem with some marketplace merchants. If you can't communicate it's very hard to resolve issues. I've only ever had a problem once with a merchent on ebay, and they just didn't follow what I was tying to say about what I received. I'm not blaming them for that - they did make an effort to help - but it is something to be aware of when doing business with someone in another country.

I used to get my stuff from Volks USA but since the huge mark-up I buy from the international site now, not only is shipping cheaper but also the custom fee's are waaay less I would say if its cheaper on the international site go for it!

I've never ordered from Volks, but EMS has always been amazing regarding their shipping practices. I've only ever had one box with a ding in the corner, but the rest have all been in absolute perfect condition. They also love bubble wrap.

I actually had a box arrive from Japan during heavy rain here, and the bottom of the box was soaked through. The package inside was fully wrapped in bubble wrap and what it contained was dry and in perfect condition. Like I said Japanese packaging is legendary in quality.

I actually had a box arrive from Japan during heavy rain here, and the bottom of the box was soaked through. The package inside was fully wrapped in bubble wrap and what it contained was dry and in perfect condition. Like I said Japanese packaging is legendary in quality.

 

Yes, I strongly agree with you about Volks Japan packaging! I was kind of shocked to see how they could wrap a doll with very extra care and protection. The way they package a doll deeply touched my heart...

Yes, I strongly agree with you about Volks Japan packaging! I was kind of shocked to see how they could wrap a doll with very extra care and protection. The way they package a doll deeply touched my heart...

 

This was actually a package from an ebay vendor called Zenesas. It was a figurine of Tsumugi from K-On. Bubblewrap is pretty standard on Japanese packaging.

 

The way dollfie are packaged is very impressive. Kos-Mos came with a lot of stuff and it was all boxed up perfectly.

 

I now have a Saber Lily on layaway, and I bet she will be the same.

With the current exchange rate of JPY to USD, Volks International is actually the better way to go for buying Dollfie related things since it would actually be cheaper. Both Volks USA and Volks International have very good service though.

After reading all this, and hearing from VolksUSA that their currently held-up shipments would NOT include DD Yukino (dammit!), I bit the bullet and ordered her from Volks International. Even with EMS insured, she came in at about $60 less than ordering from VolksUSA, with shipping. Now comes the waiting......although, again, EMS from Japan has always been really fast. I'll check back in once the package actually arrives and tell you how it went.

 

Of course, I did this after I bought an in-stock Aoi and a DDH-03 from VolksUSA with the intent of modding Aoi into Yukino... so either I will now have two DDs, or one of my (adult) kids is getting a really great birthday present. Probably the first one.

Update: The DD Yukino I ordered on Feb 26 (Thursday) had an attempted delivery today (Tuesday, 3/3). My son, who was home, slept through it, so tomorrow he has to get up and be ready or I shall be MOST displeased.

Final comparison:

 

My Volks USA order placed on Wednesday, Feb 25, arrived at my house on Tuesday, March 3 -- 6 days total travel by UPS ground. VolksUSA sent it signature required, but I went on UPS site and waived the signature requirement to have the package left at my address on my responsibility, and that happened with no complications.

 

My Volks International order placed on Thursday, Feb 26, arrived at my borough Post Office on Tuesday, March 3 -- 5 days total travel by EMS. The package requires a signature in person (*argh*) which can't be waived, and is scheduled for delivery today, Saturday March 7, when I'll be here to sign for it. I work during the day and the Post Office hours are the same as my work hours on the other end of town, negating personal pick up, so the delivery ended up being a hassle. This made the delivery take 9 days total, but it wasn't Volks International's fault that my borough Post Office keeps short hours.

 

Personal verdict: Volks International won the travel time race, technically, and was also less expensive. That in-person signature, requirement, however, was a pain in my dupa (Pittsburgh Polish for "butt"). Next time I order from them, I'll have it sent to my office address.

I live in Canada so buying fom Volks USA or International are not the same.

I want to buy a Snow Miku and I will order from Volks Internationnal and will order through them from now on for the following reasons.

 

1) I live in Canada, so I get to pay custom taxes for my dolls if they get picked for checking.

2) Volks USA DOES NOT do the real yen to USD conversion, I do not approove of that method of dealing with convertion because I feel it's not right. (I don't want to make a debate it's just how I feel)

3) Because of point 2: point 1's price down the line will change. The doll from Japan will be taxed for the yen value... the US package will be more taxes because the custom agents will do the US to CAN conversion of Volks USA value and not the doll true value, so I get screwed.

4) For some odd reason that only Post Canada knows for sure: Packages from Japan with EMS service take less time to reach me than a US package with the same priority service. Yeah I had dolls from the USA which I paid extra to have the EMS shipping... who got to me like 2 weeks and a half after they were sent (the seller was getting frantic and thought they lost the doll.)

5) The international site seesm to restock more than the USA site (or maybe I am wrong it just looks like that for me)

4) For some odd reason that only Post Canada knows for sure: Packages from Japan with EMS service take less time to reach me than a US package with the same priority service. Yeah I had dolls from the USA which I paid extra to have the EMS shipping... who got to me like 2 weeks and a half after they were sent (the seller was getting frantic and thought they lost the doll.)

 

Our post offices can vary greatly in terms of quality of staffing.

Wow. I knew Canada Post was a hassle for international purchases--getting things from Canada is an expensive hassle on this end--but I didn't realize the extent. I know I'm fortunate in the USA because of the weird customs law--no fees for toys or hobby items. I have no idea why those two categories aren't subject to customs fees, it makes no sense to me, but I'm grateful for it.

Wow. I knew Canada Post was a hassle for international purchases--getting things from Canada is an expensive hassle on this end--but I didn't realize the extent.

There's nothing really that's a hassle about it… it's just shipping between Canada & the US that costs a lot for some reason. It's faster & cheaper to ship something from Japan than it is from California. It's not just California, it's anywhere in the US. I guess there's a lot of ground transport involved, whereas between Japan and within Canada it's generally all by air.

 

And they randomly tax stuff. It's just regular sales tax, not extra customs/duty fees, but fortunately none of my girls got taxed ^^

Dolls are taxed in Canada, depending in what province you are in, you'll be charge the GST and your province taxes. I live in Quebec so I get the GST calculated plus they add my province TPS and yeah they tax the first tax. I never understood why they do it like that. What usually happens in custums if you get charged you get the taxes plus a 8$ Handling fee. IF they do OPEN your package they charge 15$ instead of 8$... Yeah they charge more for going through your stuff.

 

If I say IF they charge you customs because of this fact: They don't go through every single packages, it would take forever. Although because of the therorist threat of a few years back USA packages HAVE to be scanned for security purpose which is why every single package from the US takes 2 weeks to reach me instead of 1 week if the package come from Japan. Also I have been charged customs on all the packages that came from the US and not so from the rest of the world.

 

Remember when I said they don't check every packages? Well all the mail comes in and is seperated by lots. Obviously all US packages are in the same lot because they always get checked. They have to make routine check and randomly pick up a few lots that will be examined by customs. These packages will be processed and if taxes have to be charged this is where this will happen.

 

What about the rest you say? The entire lot is marked ok then scanned and sent on its merry way. so no custom fees.

 

But why are all US packages scanned you ask? Because it's a childish response from our government to the fact that every single package from Canada is scanned because of Homeland security.

 

Childish.

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!!!

 

I just placed my order for my Yukino doll yesterday morning from Volks Int. and I got a EMS Tracking Number today. .

And just like everyone said, she was cheaper from Japan then from here in the States, even with shipping I saved somewhere between $40-$60. I even bought a head cap too (I'll get a body stocking later after my finances catch up with me). For now, I'll be keeping my eyes on the Yen... see what else I might want from there (I even ordered from Rinkya for a gift).

 

It's just as well anyways, the Volks USA store hasn't had Yukino for some time. In time I'll be getting her clothes, shoes, wigs, costumes and whatever I think she needs. I can't wait till she gets here .

 

Even my wife is excited for me, she's even planning on helping me get the things I need. She's been very supportive, I don't know what I'd do without her .

 

I just want to say again how thankful I am to all of you that responded or commented to my post. You guys all helped build my confidence and I'm grateful .

 

So I ordered her on Thursday, March 26th... Let's see how long she takes to get to California...

Well, I checked and my Yukino is here in the US as of yesterday (Monday evening) in customs. As of this morning, she's still there. I know I have to be patient, but I'm more worried about the stories I've heard about the customs guys breaking the dolls if they decide to open the box.

 

I'm hoping she'll get here tomorrow at least safe and sound, the suspense is crazy. I got excited last night when I told my wife that she made to L.A.

 

Now comes the waiting game.....