Volks JP at Magical Mirai 2013 Hatsune Miku Event

Why does the USA branch require a deposit anyway if Volks Intl doesn't? Don't quite understand that one

Although the Down payment increased, they still $682 in the end so it's still very lucky for you guys who can order via volksusa

Huh. That's interesting. I read the Sumika Times blog post on the previous page, and there was one other interesting bit of info beyond the $682 price tag that folks have mentioned.

 

Volks JP: 4 Mikus per person.

VolksUSA: Unlimited Mikus, multiple credit cards and multiple orders welcome.

Huh. That's interesting. I read the Sumika Times blog post on the previous page, and there was one other interesting bit of info beyond the $682 price tag that folks have mentioned.

 

Volks JP: 4 Mikus per person.

VolksUSA: Unlimited Mikus, multiple credit cards and multiple orders welcome.

 

Yeah, I noticed that too. I guess because infinite Miku would still cost infinite amount of money at the start. >_>

Thank you for everyone's info!

 

Huh. That's interesting. I read the Sumika Times blog post on the previous page, and there was one other interesting bit of info beyond the $682 price tag that folks have mentioned.

 

Volks JP: 4 Mikus per person.

VolksUSA: Unlimited Mikus, multiple credit cards and multiple orders welcome.

 

This is so strange. Both of them are supposed to be "Volks" but they have different payment options and pre-order rules!

 

I'm going to go with Volks International as this is my only choice.

 

I've been reading the incidents with regards to the Saber pre-order. The first batch came with missing wigs, broken swords and even the wrong doll! How horrifying stories! These dolls are so expensive and I expect decent Q.C.!

 

I shall keep my eyes opened for the reports on the Xenosaga pre-orders.

I saw the unlimited number through Volks USA as well and I was like "What??"

 

As for the Xenosaga girls, I'm starting to feel like Volks has forgotten about them. Is it really that hard to give minor updates on what the heck is going on? Only one update since the beginning of the year when there were tons, and the last one was about the extra gun.

 

At least Raven might have a better idea what to expect with the Miku wait after this. Even he's getting antsy to pay for Kos-Mos & Momo and he has way more patience than I do.

 

~Sister Kyoya

Whoa, whoa, whoa so i have to basically pay when I preorder her from VolksUSA!? Looks like I have to order from Intl. I don't have the cash or time to get le money. Whyyyy wouldn't they have more options besides the full and the deposit. It makes nonsense to me.

 

*still gathering thoughts *

 

Simply because dolls get pre-ordered and canceled when they arrive. That's a lot of assets they'd be sitting on if the dolls don't sell (Saber Nero was in stock for months and now Sakura and Lucy...). Also, when VolksUSA don't sell, it makes them look bad and then we get less goodies here. You wouldn't want that...

I'm trying to decide whether to order from Intl. or USA. I will most likely have moved (possibly overseas) by the time Miku is shipped. It is usually next to impossible to change addresses with VolksUSA... is VolksIntl. the same? I'm thinking I could:

a) order from VolksUSA and use my parent's address, and just have them ship to me once they get it;

OR

b) order from VolksIntl. with my address and change to my new address when Miku ships;

OR

c) order from VolksIntl. using my parent's address, and if I can't change it I'll not be screwed.

 

Huh, seems like I should do C. My parents aren't the best at sending packages with insurance and tracking, so I'd hate to lose Miku in the mail. Plus, it would be nice to avoid prying questions about what I'm buying and why (because I'm a grown-ass woman and make my own money, lol).

 

Anyone have any experience/info on changing shipping addresses?

You don't give the shipping address for Volks International until they ask for payment. The only thing you can't change is the country it's shipped to.

By next year the yen rate might increase, but it is all up to chance of course, and also the fact that we have to wait a year is annoying (considering this Xenosaga BS). I wouldn't mind ordering two simply because this is Miku, but why on earth would VOLKS USA have unlimited preorders? hell, I think limiting her to four is too much for the JP site. Volks honestly has no idea what they are doing sometimes.

 

I looked at the illustration she is based on, and they did a great job...One sad thing is that this miku doesn't look too cute, she looks rather sensual. Of course no one complains

Gross unlimited orders for the US. :-/ Volks have you not learned your lesson? Even if it just the US with the unlimited that will still be an overwhelming quantity. Oh well what can you do.

 

As much as I would love to have her paid off I have to go with the international site so I can pay later. I have to worry about making sure I get WLD their final percentage of money I owe when Sakuya arrives in December. Then I can start saving back for Miku.

Deposit on Volks USA is non refundable. That would be a game changer for me. Thankfully I don't have to worry about that as Volks USA is not open to me, unless I used a freight forwarding service.

Why does the USA branch require a deposit anyway if Volks Intl doesn't? Don't quite understand that one

 

Probably so they can set a dollar price & be insulated from any fluctuations in the yen/dollar exchange rate.

I imagine it is much easier for Volks Japan to sell defaulted units in their many stores than it is for Volks USA to do the same with their one store.

All these posts are so informative. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get her since I'd rather not risk the inflation in the secondhand market, and now I'm pretty sure I'm going to get her towards the end of the order period as not to experience the first batch flaws or defects or whatnot, but now I'm just not sure how to order her! I have the option of receiving it in the States or in Japan, so I could order it myself through Volks USA or Volks JP, or if I should use a shopping service for Volks JP. Though the shopping service I'm planning on using has conducted multiple pre-orders on behalf of others and has extensive, stellar feedback, I'm still concerned about giving my money to someone else other than Volks directly. @w@

 

The preorder period is almost open! I'm excited to read about everyone's ordering experiences. Hoping word on those Kos-Mos DDs come in as well!

All these posts are so informative. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get her since I'd rather not risk the inflation in the secondhand market, and now I'm pretty sure I'm going to get her towards the end of the order period as not to experience the first batch flaws or defects or whatnot, but now I'm just not sure how to order her! I have the option of receiving it in the States or in Japan, so I could order it myself through Volks USA or Volks JP, or if I should use a shopping service for Volks JP. Though the shopping service I'm planning on using has conducted multiple pre-orders on behalf of others and has extensive, stellar feedback, I'm still concerned about giving my money to someone else other than Volks directly. @w@

 

The preorder period is almost open! I'm excited to read about everyone's ordering experiences. Hoping word on those Kos-Mos DDs come in as well!

 

I'd go with Volks JP ordering. The US method, while not incurring any additional shipping fees - I dunno about how bad US Customs are - allows you to pay prior to shipping, instead of paying upfront a non refundable deposit.

 

A shopping service is unnecessary and also risky. Who knows where the service will be in 1 year's time, eh?

With the preorder opening next week, has there been any clearer pictures of the Senbonzakura Outfit Set?

I kinda wondering with these words from VolksUSA site on miku's page

 

Area Limitation:

Volks USA can only ship this item to addresses within the U.S. because of copyright technicalities. If you are outside of the U.S., you can order through Volks Japan's International Website.

http://www.volksusa.com/ddim029d.html

 

so is this mean they won't deliver miku to Canada and Mexico ?

I think they mean that VolksUSA can't ship it from their store to anywhere outside the USA, but if you're in Mexico or Canada you can still order her through their International site.

I'd go with Volks JP ordering. The US method, while not incurring any additional shipping fees - I dunno about how bad US Customs are - allows you to pay prior to shipping, instead of paying upfront a non refundable deposit.

 

A shopping service is unnecessary and also risky. Who knows where the service will be in 1 year's time, eh?

 

The US doesn't charge customs on hobby items at all, so if you're US-based customs are a complete non-issue.

 

A shopping service is probably going to just add extra costs, unless your situation meets two conditions: your proxy will mark down on a package significantly, and your country charges more than 15% for customs on hobby items. Proxies typically charge around 10% of the item's value as a fee, so that's something to keep in mind when weighing the benefits.

 

So, cheat sheet breakdown:

 

Ordering from Volks International/JP: Pay entirety upon shipping. Pros: Time to save, ships sooner as it'll be by air direct from Japan. Cons: Year-long wait could bite you, either from change in yen exchange rate or change in your own financial situation. No way to see it coming this far out.

 

Ordering from Volks USA: Pay either large deposit on preorder with the rest due at shipping, or pay in full up front with only shipping being charged later. Pros: Price not subject to exchange rate fluctuation, not having to worry about whether you'll have the money in a year if you pay in full. Cons: Not as much time to save up down payment/whole payment, two-month lag between International and US shipping due to US stock coming over by boat, not an option for those outside the US.

 

Personally I'm willing to bite that two-month lag to have security in being able to pay for her--and I'll have some heads-up regarding staining and other quirks thanks to people who are getting her from International. But yeah, I can see how this could be a tough decision for a lot of you guys.

 

With the preorder opening next week, has there been any clearer pictures of the Senbonzakura Outfit Set?

 

. . . Hey, mk13 is right! Still no sign of Senbonzakura on either International or USA. I really hope that the copyright holder didn't pull out of the deal at the last possible second. I know a lot of you were really excited for that! Plus, pulling out doesn't set a very good precedent. :/

With VolksUSA - don't we have about two months to get our preorders in though? Not like Sept 28th is the only week we can get in on the deal.

 

Pre-Orders will be accepted from Saturday, September 28th at 11:00AM PST to Sunday, December 1st, 2013 at 6:00PM PST.

 

So at least for me, that kind of lets me rest a little easier -- as I'm with you Poofiemus, I'm not a real fan of the idea that the dollar could tank even more than it already has between a year and now. And hopefully I can scrounge up a deposit by then, or ask for early christmas money... XD

 

Though if the senbonzakura outfit is not released via the US, I might just say spew it and go with International as I really really really...

 

reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally want that outfit. From the pictures I've seen it looks like her wig and eyes are different - so I wonder if that set will be a little bit more expensive than most, and that's also why they aren't doing 2 girls for this preorder like they have in the past.

Heh, true, we do have two months. On the other hand, we only have two months! So there's time to consider the best option, but not forever.

 

Thing is, Senbonzakura isn't live on the International site either! I mean, there's text there, but it's a placeholder, not a live link.

 

I remember SakuraSylph saying that at the Magical Mirai event Senbonzakura was listed as outfit-wig-eyes-shoes being in the set, so yeah, it's not gonna be easy on the wallet. I dug up Sakura Matou's transformation set listing, which was outfit-eyes-wig but not shoes, and that comes up at $141. So Senbonzakura's probably in the neighborhood of $185 or so, presuming it hasn't been pulled.

 

You know, Emi, if Senbonzakura ends up only on International, you could split your order: get Miku via Volks USA, and get Senbonzakura via International. That way you'd have price solidity on the more expensive of the two pieces, but still get both of them.

 

I don't think Senbonzakura is the reason this preorder's only one girl, though. I think that it's the one concession Volks is making to Miku's popularity--they know that if they're going to make enough of her to meet demand, they're going to have enough on their plate without making anyone else while they're at it. Smart, but I think we're all worried that won't be enough to cut it. (Four per person, Volks? Really!?)

Yea, I agree. Though I'd have sold a kidney to get a Luka doll... XD

 

Not really seeing how someone could want 4 (or in the case of VolksUSA 1-1000, since there's no limit yet) unless they're just an uber fan (or scalper or a US resident like Nekopon and helping out those to avoid custom fees). But, maybe they do that as alot of people would want to make specific customized Mikus for whatever songtrack they're a fan of.

 

Just for the love of glob I hope they don't pullout of releasing the senbonzakura outfit. I wasn't very knowledgable with Miku until I saw the doll release (my geek card has been revoked ;D), but now that I have I love the song, esp the wagaku version (

). /swoooooon

All these posts are so informative. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get her since I'd rather not risk the inflation in the secondhand market, and now I'm pretty sure I'm going to get her towards the end of the order period as not to experience the first batch flaws or defects or whatnot, but now I'm just not sure how to order her! I have the option of receiving it in the States or in Japan, so I could order it myself through Volks USA or Volks JP, or if I should use a shopping service for Volks JP. Though the shopping service I'm planning on using has conducted multiple pre-orders on behalf of others and has extensive, stellar feedback, I'm still concerned about giving my money to someone else other than Volks directly. @w@

 

The preorder period is almost open! I'm excited to read about everyone's ordering experiences. Hoping word on those Kos-Mos DDs come in as well!

 

I'd go with Volks JP ordering. The US method, while not incurring any additional shipping fees - I dunno about how bad US Customs are - allows you to pay prior to shipping, instead of paying upfront a non refundable deposit.

 

A shopping service is unnecessary and also risky. Who knows where the service will be in 1 year's time, eh?

 

Thanks for that! My concern with ordering through Volks JP on my own is: I'm based in the Philippines, and all my payment methods (Paypal, credit card, debit card, etc.) are based in the Philippines as well. Could I still order from Volks JP that way? I only have access to a Japan address through some relatives living there, and they come home frequently (twice a month, at the minimum) so they said they could bring her home for me, no problem.

 

 

Ordering from Volks International/JP: Pay entirety upon shipping. Pros: Time to save, ships sooner as it'll be by air direct from Japan. Cons: Year-long wait could bite you, either from change in yen exchange rate or change in your own financial situation. No way to see it coming this far out.

 

Ordering from Volks USA: Pay either large deposit on preorder with the rest due at shipping, or pay in full up front with only shipping being charged later. Pros: Price not subject to exchange rate fluctuation, not having to worry about whether you'll have the money in a year if you pay in full. Cons: Not as much time to save up down payment/whole payment, two-month lag between International and US shipping due to US stock coming over by boat, not an option for those outside the US.

 

Personally I'm willing to bite that two-month lag to have security in being able to pay for her--and I'll have some heads-up regarding staining and other quirks thanks to people who are getting her from International. But yeah, I can see how this could be a tough decision for a lot of you guys.

 

Thanks for this! This is a really helpful cheat sheet.

 

Could I ask, based on the prior experience of everyone else, how's the fluctuation on the yen exchange rate? I don't have the cash on hand to pay for the deposit on Volks USA, so I think the fluctuation on the exchange rate might be something I'm willing to risk, as payment of sorts for the time to save.

 

Thanks for that! My concern with ordering through Volks JP on my own is: I'm based in the Philippines, and all my payment methods (Paypal, credit card, debit card, etc.) are based in the Philippines as well. Could I still order from Volks JP that way? I only have access to a Japan address through some relatives living there, and they come home frequently (twice a month, at the minimum) so they said they could bring her home for me, no problem.

 

 

I believe you have to preorder from the Japanese site if you live in Japan. Your relatives would have to preorder her and then pay/receive her. You can't order / pay for her and have Volks ship her locally in Japan.

 

Your non-Japanese credit card or PayPal account will be fine to use on Volks International Site. I've been purchasing SDs from Volks International from 2005 and have been using non-JP credit cards/PayPal.