
The latest blessing of SAFS is Queens Blade Nanael (gorgeous eyes) and Noemi. Nearly forgot to mention the Good Smile Racing Hatsune Miku car stickers too. Thanks to HobbyLink Japan for the samples - both available on their site and review soon. http://www.hlj.com/product/MEG71170 (Nanael) http://www.hlj.com/product/KBYPP-246 (Noemi)
I have purchased from HLJ, but not in a long time.
HLJ is quite expensive in my opinion, with shipping etc ^^; rather buy from local shop or play-asia cuz its free shipping to singapore..
Lucky you. Play-Asia shipping is expensive for me, so I hardly use them.
All of them are expensive if you ask me ;_; it makes me sad, because I do like figures, but it just to pricey for me to blow money on for something that is just room decor or a dining buddy
Its actually opposite for me... anime merchandise, authentic stuff anyways, can get pretty expensive here in Toronto. I believe it was actually cheaper to get it from HobbyLink Japan even after shipping. One new store in particular charges twice of what Figma figures usually sell for and thats before tax.
That's so true.
Can't agree more
Can't really say that HLJ is that expensive per se. Since if you buy from HS, you have to ship the items by EMS. And Play Asia is not always cheap all the time. Stuff that are above $100 don't qualify for free shipping. Some of the item's prices are also jacked up. Try looking up Alter's Hayate at PA and you'll understand what I mean.
I use to buy from Hobby Search before they made it EMS shipping only. I think HLJ's shipping is among the cheaper side compared to others.
everywhere is expensive now due to the freaking exchange T_T
Not to mention crazy gas prices (going down now at least) and global recession T_T
You're very lucky :3 When your local stores have only a few figures (and horribly overpriced), HLJ is a nice option.
I don't HLJ expensive. The sell with SRP, and of course the shipping cost is high, because HLJ is in Japan.
I like HLJ because I can use SAL. Much cheaper, but kinda slow in getting new stuff. I hope they can update more quickly like Hobby Search. Nice Miku decals too. I've only found out recently that they made one for actual cars! Are you going to use it for your car Danny? :D
So do I. Must of my shopping is thought HLJ via SAL. They are a little bit faster to open some pre-sales not like Hobby Search though, but If I can save a couple of bucks works for me^^.
I use HLJ exclusively because of the same reason, the SAL option. No one else has that option, and it does save on expenses. Thus far, I have not loss any parcels from them. I don't mind waiting for my order after shipment. I am kinda new to the figure collecting game. I placed seven orders with HLJ for a total of 16 Figma, 1 Nendoroid and 1 box of Nendoroid-puchi.
Same here. SAL is much cheaper than EMS and it does arrive intact though a bit slower.
I use HLJ sometimes, but I know some of my friends have trouble with them for some preorder items ^^; But I agree with lightningsabre about the option for SAL. I felt that sometimes it's as fast as EMS anyways ^^;
I have yet to buy from them, especially since I reduced the figures I want from 3 to 2. Kinda weary and nervous about buying another Kotobukiya figure. (~_~);;
I purchased from HLJ.com before and have always been happy with their service. Nowadays I do use EMS shipping. While alas quite expensive it at least arrives in a timely fashion. One of my earliest orders that was sent with SAL shipping took 4 months to arrive. Less convenient with HLJ.com is that I often get fined with a customs fee. Although I hadn't ordered from them for a while (since www.archonia.com also offered the items I wanted and I can save on shipping and customs there) I put in an order a few weeks back for some Cospa anime t-shirts, including the "Strike Witches" t-shirt due out in December. Since archonia.com doesn't have those and the weigth is low, shipping is still doable.
not an HLJ fan... Sure they make no errors, but they take too long, as well as they are pretty damn expensive...
The figures are a little bit expensive buy with a cheaper S&H I save more money rather than use HobbySeach for example.
When i got my CC at Singapore, i was planning to start on spending spree through online stores... the one that i like is HLJ and HobbySearch... then i found out, that unlike Indonesia, the price for figures here is considerably much cheaper... i just went and bought some figures from Anime House, the store that Danny reviewed, and they sell stuffs cheaper than the price in Japanese retail store... I was shocked! And i use middle conversion rate, who knows what the price is if i use buy conversion rate. But i guess this has something to do with the recent surge of yen conversion rates.. let's see what happen when economy stabilize.
Car stickers on HLJ almost make it too easy to start a basic Itasha! And yes I've bought from HLJ before...today I received notification they were sending me an Index Kotobukiya PVC figure. Mind you I already own an Index Kotobukiya PVC figure that I got last week, but I obviously forgot to cancel my pre-order from HLJ among the 4 or 5 preorders I had made for the figure. Thanks to HLJ for solving my dilemma of whether to cast Index cast-off or clothed, since now I'll have both, standing next to each at a slight angle!
Dude... i can't tell whether you being truly grateful or sarcastic... lol. But man... 2 exactly same figures ?! Just think about it made my wallet ache...
Had 4 pre-orders (not counting one for 2009 American release in case the not-incredibly reliable speedy stores I ended up having to use failed to send me one in time), cancelled them all once play-asia sent mine but I forgot one. :/ I am happy at having two, however.
Before I did not read Danny writing to much about HLJ, but now they are closer than ever^^.
I want those stickers! I haven't ordered from HLJ before, but I predict I will someday in the future.
Right now i actually wonder... With all the money Danny made from his job and blogging... Is it possible that he actually doesn't need to open his wallet to satiate his love of figures.. first GoodSmile and MaxFactory, now by HLJ too... Me so envious... T,T It's ironic how those with money (read: damn rich) actually got the free stuffs... While us commoner, need to squeeze to the last penny to buy the items that they endorsed... lololol. =p
Irony is a cruel mistress T_T
Why go online shopping when I can get it local.. ^^; I love the "flame" good smile racing sticker xD
Almost everything I buy is from HLJ. They offer SAL shipment which I prefer, coz it's much cheaper. Now, I'm waiting for arrival of Hatsune Miku by GSC and Megami Magazine December issue from HLJ. And I have preordered Sakagami Tomoyo by Kotobukiya too.
I do a fair bit of my shopping through HLJ and haven't had a problem with them. Usually I ship by SAL, but if an item is really expensive I'll go EMS,
Yep...I do get some stuff from HLJ. That's usually when I missed out on the limited stocks elsewhere. Just received figma Ren and Len from them this morning :)
hey Noemi's kinda cute! Purchase a couple of Kamen Rider Kabuto "Kabuto Zecter" and "Gattack Zecter". It's the henshin belt that talks =D It did costed me but i was happy when i heard that bandai stopped the production of the zecters and i was one of the lucky ones to have at the very least 2 pcs of it.
Until I moved to Japan, HLJ was my main provider. Now I use Amazon.co.jp because does free shipping inside Japan. BTW, Nanael was the figure that I picked from J-List as the main prize of the 20081025 giveaway contest. I posted a few pics in my blog.
I wished Amazon.co.jp was open to the USA, other than CDs and magazines.
I didn't know amazon.co.jp sold stuff internationally. I just checked it out. The shipping cost makes me want to cry. ;_;
I got my Miku nendo and my Tsuruya-san from HLJ!! :woop: The Noemi is soooooo cute! I like her face better than the Clayz version thats for sure.
i mostly get my figmas and nendos from HLJ :)
I've stopped ordering figures from HLJ since they got less Tsuruya Maid figures from Maxfactory, therefore couldn't complete my order but never mentioned it or contacted me. After she was out for a week i got concerned and contacted them. After that it was already too late to get it anywhere else, since Hobby Search, that had a few in stock sold out too. Now all my figurines get ordered at Hobby Search since they always did great.
I love HLJ, I've used then quite a bit over the years. I', envying those sticker sheets big time though.
I've bought many a times from HLJ. I've got figures which were soldout everywhere from their site. the only thing i dont like is the air pouches they use to keep the boxes safe. they hardly sufficient and are of any use imo. i've got two boxes where the air pouches were so less that even a dent in a corner damaged the box. thankfully the figures were safe.
forgot to mention this. hope HLJ starts using some old newspapers or packing paper to keep the packages inside safe. i'm sure some staff from HLJ must be watching this article.
HLJ has the best packaging. in term of price, hobbysearch is sightly cheaper.
Yes, HLJ's packaging is awesome, the best I've ever seen. I was stunned when I opened my first parcel from them.
Bought from them a couple times as well. Wasn't impressed with the prices but they had things that weren't anywhere else, so I was grateful for that. I wonder if those Miku stickers will be around a while or sell out fast, I want to get them but the bank account can't take anymore unnecessary spending for a while.
I like HLJ because it allows me to choose SAL which is a lot cheaper.
I mostly buy from HLJ, local stores or Hobby Search. HLJ is awesome. You can pre-order and cancel any time. I want free samples from HLJ too! Though, I suppose that wouldn't be possible..
AAAAAAAH CAR STICKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do very much want
Me too! But I don't have any RCs... Guess I'll just paste them on my face or something...
HLJ is my Main Supplier! They are the only Japanese Shop accepting Paypal. MY last package from them arrives this thursday and the next one is on the way
I have used HLJ before when i just learned how to use online purchase. Now i used a few other still trying to see if i can get things from Rakuten...
Living in OZ with a currency that has sunken to new lows against the yen figures are a real luxury now. Had to pre order up coming Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu guitar hero from Max Factory via Play- Asia.com and then I couldn't help myself I pre ordered Kanzaki Kaori from To Aru Majutsu no Index by Alter, my poor aching Visa card :-(
I discovered an easy way to save money the other day with my paypal account by transferring my available funds to Yen. I wish I'd thought of it a few months back when one dollar would buy almost 100 yen, but I've still managed to come out a few dollars ahead so far, and probably more by the time my pre-order is ready for payment.
HLJ are not dearer from my point of view here in Australia. You just can't get a lot of stuff locally anyway, so they're my best overseas option. I haven't bought anything yet, but hopefully my pre-order Shiki Ryougi will be ready anytime soon ^^
I have never tried to order from there. I was wondering if I can even though I can't read Japanese or something.
I haven't shopped at HLJ in a long time! Last I used them was to buy some Pinky St. dolls and that was a good 2-3 years ago.
Been buying my stuffs from HLJ. Their packaging is really good, also they have SAL shipping.
What's SAL shipping?
Surface Air Lift. Something like economy shipping.
have always been purchasing from HLJ. And i use SAL most of the time, since i am not very far from Japan i usually get my stuff within 1 - 2 weeks..which is not bad.. Also felt their customer service was pretty good.
Never tried HLJ, might do some time when my mum stops being such an eBayphile. =/ Nice Miku stickers, btw! *wants* :D
If I have to buy direct from japan HLJ is the way to go for me.
Making the first at HLJ sometime this week cuz my club is in great need for figurines and this is the only place to offer one of the cheapest. Can't believe Cospa cannot ship international X_X
I use HLJ for my figurines always. I used to use play-asia but after finding HLJ, they were cheaper and shipping was cheaper. Just bought a few things last night actually.
I always buy from HLJ; I'm actually surprised at the amount of people who haven't.
nice SAFS. ^^ never ordered via HLJ since they only use EMS. don't get me wrong, EMS is great, it only because the shipment is course thru the local philippine postal service that prevents anyone from getting their items without being extorted. if only they allow shipping be made via FedEx or DHL.
Haha...thanks to HLJ, i can still enjoy my hobby eventhough i'm in England,just bought a MG Gundam strike lately (^^). i think the shipping fee is so so cheap and they group all your items together before they do the shipping which make it very economic. HLJ 万歳!!!
I always buy from HLJ as well, mainly because of SAL shipping.
HLJ and Play-Asia are my favored online stores to buy from. HLJ's appeal basically comes from its SAL shipping option. But with the weakening of the Malaysian Ringgit against the Yen lately, I've been putting off some purchases with HLJ. I've never had any complaints with my HLJ orders and I've done a fair bit of buying from them.
I wanna, but my pockets won't let me :|
I have purchased only one time on HLJ, and it takes me more time to search a figure and to know how to checkout
I just ordered from HLJ just now...weird i read this almost immediately...
i purchase some Figures & unlike Hobbysearch They carry Tokusatsu toy's Like Rider Belts , Sentai Changer's & many more i enjoy buying stuff from HLJ Service was good too
I love the Queen's Blade figure! I find it so cute that she is a bit chunky~ love it! and the Nomei figure is so pretty, The figure VERY well made.
90% of my collection came from them. Their customer service is awesome
I want those stickers! XD And I'd want the whole Queen's Blade collection, if I had the money... :P
I imported some books recently from HLJ. For someone in the US, I think they give the best deal, but its still nowhere close to how cheap the items were when I was in Japan ^^I
Never done business with them, but i have sifted through their site more than once. Will buy from them in the future though. On a side note: With all these free figures you receive Danny, do you feel that any of the magic of figure collecting has been lost? Most normal folks have to choose a few figures or less a month and then there is the wait for the shipping and the day when it finally arrives and then JOY! In your case they show up so frequently and in such abundance that i wonder if you ever feel like you are living in some fantasy world were everyone gives you your favorite things for free?? Final question, (i don't expect answers on these) When is the last time you paid for a figure and which one was it? Keep up the good work Danny!
I do occasionally buy from HLJ although only If they got figs that I want and only when I can get 3 figs at a time. Shipping and custom duties are murder. X_X Also I wish they'd carry Fed Ex services as well :p
I think fedex would be double or triple the EMS price
ey, danny when will u got SAGs? (suddenly acquired gundams) :P
I am never going to purchase from HLJ anymore cause they cancel 3 of my orders..
Never purchased from them just yet, maybe sometime in the future. And I also want the Queen Blade coll's
I have yet to buy from them, but I just like to seen and touch what I want to buy before purchase...buying online is usually my last ditch resort...I'm old fashioned I know...
For online purchases, I've mostly bought from them. SAL shipping is cheap and not as slow as I expected.
For me Amazon.japan is the best due to they have a big discount when you order.
I order and pre-order only from HLJ. Their service is really something since i live in a country of the thrid world LOL
I've bought a shirt from HLJ recently, Aria Company T-shirt. I pre-ordered it when they had it up for pre-order and I didn't check back after that. When it was time to ship they sent me an e-mail where I saw the price of the shirt go up about 15 dollars!!! I literally payed like 45 bucks for one shirt that wasn't a Calvin Kelin (my usual apparel splurging choice) shirt!! Despite being a very very hardcore Aria fan I was needless to say angry that they didn't notify me of the increase in the price. I dunno if I will buy from them again, they have good stuff.
I only order from hlj because of the sal shipping they offer. The packaging and sal shipping times were all very good and moderately fast.
Thanks for the feedback... I'm also in CA but have used EMS when shopping @HLJ. Now with the prices of figures going way up, I'll have to switch to SAL. First I have to sort out a problem I currently have with HLJ... they quickly charged my CC for an order I had already canceled and it's taking a long time to credit my card back.
Nanael is yummy indeed, I received mine last week, and it's currently one of the nicest figures I have, and best of all, matches the artbook, woot. Nice behind as well, although I still prefer Airi's behind, looks more tasty lol. Anyway, congrats Danny on your new acquisitions!
I've had great luck with HLJ- they pack really carefully, so even when the box was trashed, the stuff I ordered was protected. They tend to have things in stock that I'd like to have.
I prefer HLJ and I believe they sell their figures at SRP minus the local tax which is fair I believe and the plus side they accept paypal. Hobby search is weird they don't like paypal and prefer cc - I hate cc they make you pay fees with their cc service which has no value to me.
I preordered a figure from them once and then decided to cancel it because I didn't want it anymore. So I guess I can't say that I've purchased from them before.
only bought once from them before, wanted to feel how purchasing from overseas feel like ^^; their service is pretty good I guess, my box is not smashed.
If you lucky that you have family living in japan i recommend to amazon japan because they don't accept shipping internationally but all my family live there. Like this Ultimate Black daibouken I always looking for this but I only found only in Amazon japan. Its really cheap, they accept credit card internationally. check up this link http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/switch-language/product/B000KG499C/ref=dp_change_lang?ie=UTF8&language=en_JP
Never bought from HobbyLink Japan before, but I maybe will in the future, because in the EU they raised the allowed sum of toll free goods and now it may be cheaper to order directly from Japan rather than from EU.
i haven't purchased anything from hlj, but i always visit their site online. XD
Only 1ce but it was amzing postage and prices i saved 20 USD also i love the oopai mouse pad i wish i had 1
Once I sort a few minor evens.. I'll be able to purchase from them TT_TT