Gundam and Figures

What I ended up doing was ordering stuff on Amazon Japan and having the goods sent to my colleague in Japan who would then send it on to me costing another 50 USD or so for shipping.

There was one place in Seattle that I knew of that sold Gunpla at three times the original cost which seemed a bit too steep for me.

What I'm interested in knowing is where you get your stuff from - which online shops in particular? Are there good Gundam and figure stores in your region? Which shops should your fellow otaku avoid? Have you had any bad experiences buying figures? Do you shop around in different store on and off line?

For me it varies. Amazon is a good choice because you can reserve a figure and if you don't like the pre-release review pics at Moeyo then you can cancel the order.
Sometimes Amazon is slow with getting their inventory so I may go to Akiba to get it. If a figure is sold out everywhere, there are secret spots in Ikebukuro which usually have them. Just between you and me its Toranoana and Bic Camera ^^;

BTW, more pics of Kyon's sister coming soon ^^;