Volks USA closes their doors 3/30/14 [Website to remain!]

When I woke up today I had no idea I would be reading such sad news. Unfortunately Volks USA will be closing their physical store (last day being 3/30/14) and renewing their website during the spring. So if you're a local be sure to visit the store while you can, do some shopping, take some pictures, and thank the staff for all the hard work they've done & will continue to do on the website. I've loved so much being able to meet with local DD owners at the store & getting to know everyone who works at Volks USA. I've made some wonderful friends there and have made many great memories. I will definitely miss going to the store early in the morning to try for limited items and just hanging out there~ Here's the statement from their website:

 

Big Changes Coming to VOLKS USA!

 

Hello!

 

As many of you may know, 2014 is the 15th Anniversary of the birth of our “Dollfie” line of dolls, paving the way for so many new opportunities in the doll hobby.

 

With that, VOLKS has a lot of things planned, and for VOLKS USA that means a lot of changes.

 

In Spring of this year we’ll be introducing a new website with new systems and services for all of our customers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. We’re very excited to introduce it to you!

 

We have a new manager here now as well and he will be leading the way for these changes and for the future of VOLKS USA. Here’s a message to all of you from him.

 

“I’m dedicated to presenting joy and excitement to our customers through VOLKS’ hobby world! I’m really looking forward to the future of VOLKS USA and I hope to create a thriving hobby base here in the United States.”

 

That being said, we do have some sad news. Our Tenshi no Sumika in Los Angeles showroom will be closing after March of this year. Our last weekend open to the public will be March 29th and 30th.

 

We know that our local customers and those of you hoping to visit will be upset and disappointed and we do understand. We thank you so much to all of you who have come to spend time with us, bringing joy and gifts along with you and we would love to see as many of you as possible before then!

 

We hope that all of you can understand that this is difficult for us as well and is being done with an eye to the future. We hope that someday we can open a new store location. Until then, we will focus on our web store, on growing VOLKS USA’s presence here in the United States, and work to make it the best that it can be.

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us over the years. We hope that we will continue to have your support in the years to come.

 

Sincerely,

 

Your VOLKS USA Staff

 

Do hope the part about opening up a new store location in the future will happen. Until then I'll keep supporting them through online sales. Thank you Volks USA for all the good times

I just read the news a while ago and am still in shock I am so sad. It was really nice to actually be able to physically shop for my doll instead of just online and the staff there are always so helpful and kind.

 

I will try my best to visit the store any weekend I can since the store's days are numbered And of course I will keep shopping at Volks USA no matter what ^_^ I hope they will be able to reopen in the future.

Darn. I suppose I better get over there for my first (and now last) time visit soon. I hope I can make it before the closure.

That was a mass bummer for me since I wanted to visit their showroom.

 

I hope they can make a new showroom or something in the future some day!

I wonder what will happen with the SD FCS. Maybe the new website will take care of it? At current you can only do it in person, so it would be sad to many to fully lose that option in the US.

I found this out by seeing a Facebook post someone made. It's a bummer that they're closing down the store. I hope it's not going to make it that much harder to buy things online during releases now that everyone's going to have to do it.

 

A comment to that FB post was brought up, what about Miku and those of us who opted for in-store pick up? I hope something gets worked out.

My friends and I were going to take a road trip down there JUST for the store. ;^; In July.

-Runs away and sobs-

That was a mass bummer for me since I wanted to visit their showroom.

 

Ditto.

 

Although I'm looking forward to the site revamp, because that has been SO long overdue! I really hope they do a good job this time even though it can be a lot of work. After designing Naiomi's Closet from the ground up all on my lonesome, I have really come to appreciate what it truly takes to get an unbroken site up and working. I just hope that they don't organize it like the International store... that's a beast to find your way through.

 

I'm also really happy to see what they will be able to offer our Canadian and South American neighbors! I've thought it was silly for quite some time that we are all on the same continent, but only the US had real access to the site.

 

~Sister Kyoya

This is very sad news about I really enjoy talking to the staff and using their photospace.

 

 

Ditto.

 

Although I'm looking forward to the site revamp, because that has been SO long overdue! I really hope they do a good job this time even though it can be a lot of work.

 

~Sister Kyoya

 

hm. Do you have any issues with their website?

I saw the news on the same facebook post, I got really afraid because I thought they meant like Volks USA was going down as a whole for like, ever. lol I'm excited to see the new improvements but like others sad about the showroom. I was in LA over the summer visiting a friend who said she would take me Torrence to go see the store but sadly I was visiting during the week and they aren't open during the week. ;-;

 

I feel if the online store does well enough then we can most def expect to see a bigger and better showroom.

 

I'm sure everyone who had existing preorders (like for Miku) will get emails on how to transfer their orders to delivery so I wouldn't be too worried.

Aw, I'm sad to hear this

I was able to visit in December, and the staff were so sweet and accommodating! I hope they can keep their jobs even if they won't be able to interact with customers as much anymore. I also wonder about the future of FCS, I hate to see it disappear for US customers.

Hopefully Volks will be able to attend more conventions and doll shows in the future, as a lot of other BJD studios have been doing lately. That would be an alternate, if temporary, store front for them.

hm. Do you have any issues with their website?

 

The only real issue I've ever had is how you are able to use PayPal on the international site, but not the US one. I find it strange and boggling. However, I've herd many complaints over the last couple of years to numerous aspects of the Volks USA site that could be improved.

 

~Sister Kyoya

I wonder if this will impact WLD? My understanding is that they go their merchandise through VolksUSA, although since it sounds like Volks will still have US staff (just not a US showroom), maybe WLD won't be impacted...

I found out about this during a casual visit for some face up supplies to the showroom... I think I'm still in shock. The Volks USA showroom has been a part of my life for quite a while now. Honestly there were some weeks where the promise of a Volks visit was the only thing that got me out of bed. I am genuinely going to miss the wonderful staff and the feeling I got when walking up those stairs.

 

They are moving their office to another location in Torrance (without show room), and they may work out something for us who pre-ordered Miku and had her down as "pick up in store". They are still working out the details.

 

I didn't ask about whats happening for FCS, but right now I'm regretting not asking after it, as there is a doll I wanted to get through it...

I'll admit that even tho I'd never been to the US store and I don't really know any of the people who work there, I'm still sad to hear they'll be closing the showroom. I hope this isn't some prelude to them eventually closing up for good on this side of the pond as that would really suck bad.

 

But the one good bit of news is that they said they were going to revamp the website. I desperately hope that means not only will the website store be redone but that awful, AWFUL shopping cart setup will finally be done away with. If they can do something different and have it where on for the "click wars" you can't have stuff swiped out of your cart while trying to check out, it would be a huge step in the right direction. That checkout system is and was THE worst thing about the website in my opinion. It was frustrating and downright EVIL at times.

 

Hopefully tho we will still have plenty of years for Volks US side to be active online and allow us to be able to get the clothes and girls we all love so much.

 

 

 

Billy

...If they can do something different and have it where on for the "click wars" you can't have stuff swiped out of your cart while trying to check out, it would be a huge step in the right direction...

 

I wasn't in a "click war" but the Dollmore website does the same thing. I had put a doll sofa in my cart but took a few minutes to do some other shopping and when I went back it was gone (and sold out).

 

I still like ordering from Dollmore, but it was a bit frustrating that had happened. It's like having items in a real shopping cart, and while shopping for other items, someone comes along and takes out your item because they decided they wanted to buy it and got it to the cash register first

Sad that they are still not going to ship internationally, considering that they tend to have stocks that the international site does not.

Oooh, this is sad news indeed. I don't think I can make it to Torrance before the shop closes... I was so excited about the idea of seeing a Volks store in real. I hope the friendly staff keeps their job, even if a tad bit different I guess. I'm so sorry for the South Californian people who used to visit on a regular basis !

I just heard the news today. It is very sad that the show room will be closing but I'm glad that there will still be a website and an improved one at that. It was always a dream of mine to visit the actual store so maybe there's a possibility that in the future a new location will be opened.

I'm going down to LA this weekend but I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop by the Volks store! I hope I will be able to so I can say good bye to all the friendly staff there and be in their beautiful store one last time.

ugh - that's a shame. I always had wanted to go visit there if I was out Californie way.

 

They were only open for two days out of the week, so considering that I can see how they couldn't survive as a walk-in store forever. There may be just costs involved that they can't sustain. For example, there's probably insurance for owning a walk-in business (like if someone gets hurt in the store from trip/falling or whatever). It also seemed like in the US only big buzz the store would get is during certain clothing line releases since we don't have official Dolpa's like Japan does. I never got to go so I dunno how crazy it'd be on those days... but they happen months at a time, I wonder how busy they were normally.

 

Though I reaaaaaally hope with this change they'll accept Paypal AND change their options for shipping. UPS is not a cost effective (or timely) carrier for very small, light weight items. Even if they could just start to implement USPS priority with signature confirmation, that would take the burden off of having to order from them... USPS already handles all EMS mail when you order from Intl, seems weird the USA branch has to go only with UPS... and you pay freight shipping on an item that's not even over 3 ounces.

Though I reaaaaaally hope with this change they'll accept Paypal AND change their options for shipping. UPS is not a cost effective (or timely) carrier for very small, light weight items. Even if they could just start to implement USPS priority with signature confirmation, that would take the burden off of having to order from them... USPS already handles all EMS mail when you order from Intl, seems weird the USA branch has to go only with UPS... and you pay freight shipping on an item that's not even over 3 ounces.

 

This, yes, especially the shipping. It just seems like a no-brainer.

 

~Sister Kyoya

I totally understand why they're closing and in a way I'm happy that their new focus on the webstore may make shopping there more fair for people who aren't in SoCal (we reaped those benefits for years). Still, it's sad. :< I'm going in this weekend to go say hi and buy some stuff. Even if they're closing, Volks could still use whatever money I can toss at them if I want my hobby to stay alive.

Aww such sad news! I was hoping to visit one day in the distant future if I ever manage to make it to the US.

Very sad news. I'd wanted to visit there, but never had a reason to go to Southern California. I can see why they'd close the storefront, though. That's a lot of overhead to cover, especially with them only open 2 days a week! I'm looking forward to seeing what they are planning for the new website!