So that's what that is! I remember mentioning here a while back that I was charged an extra $5 on an order, and some people had no idea what I was talking about, and others did. I'll remember to make bigger orders if I ever use them again.

That is indeed it. I don't know why they do it exactly, but it's just something they do. That's why you'll see a lot of us just do a big order, that way we don't have to the fee. Well either that, or we find so much stuff we want that we just have to get on the spot :lol

Also, and correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Nakano store have a deal with DHL that makes their shipping expenses less expensive than the other stores?

You are indeed correct. If you buy from Nakano I definitely suggest using DHL. It's cheap and you'll get your items in a matter of days. I paid for an order on a Wednesday and had my package that Monday.

Heck one time, I ordered DHL from Nakano and it shipped out sunday morning japan time, and got here monday afternoon. Very lucky that time.

But any other store I am pretty sure the shipping is expensive for DHL.

Although the Mandarake website continues to make a note of a deal it has in place with Nakano and DHL, personal experience has suggested that this is not the case at all, at least not any longer. DHL rates for all packages seem consistent and affordable for what they are regardless of the Mandarake store where my order is placed.

I believe the deal in place with Nakano was one that existed in the past, possibly when the service was first made available, and any difference is now nonexistent or so negligible that I can't tell the difference. All of that aside, DHL is a ridiculously fast service, regularly delivering packages across the Pacific and the US in under 48 hours. For heavier packages due to the way in which their rates are charged, it can even be cheaper than EMS. As long as someone is around to answer the front door and you don't have to worry about customs fees (ie. being in the US), I highly recommend its selection.

so should i use ems or dhl to ship ky orders?

Great site, very reliable and super useful for collectors.

Although I will say that it's become a lot less useful in recent months. It's become so well known across the fandom that most things sell out very quickly and their stock of older/rarer releases has pretty much dried up. This is also why many new releases skyrocket in price too, since they know they're pretty much the only place we can go for exclusives once they're released, they can charge almost whatever they like for popular items.

Still a great site, but the competition for certain items makes other sites a bit more useful these days.

ive noticed that mandarake has a lot of gaoranger power animals for sale... how do i tell if they are the korean versions or not?

DHL will also let you leave a signed note on your door instead of requiring a person be physically present. Heck, one time my note blew away and the driver let me send a text message instead.