[ShyGuy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I'm glad to hear that the Seihous from five or six years ago have held up. As someone who predominantly collects Transformers, and has for the last decade, talking about a figure from five or six years back is almost like talking about something from prehistory. In the sixteen years that the brand has been producing Masterpiece figures, they've done three different iterations of Optimus Prime, and the seven-year gaps between them are an almost unfathomable chasm. It is like comparing a SO-DO to a RAH. So, in my head, that's what I was expecting from Seihou engineering.

Oh man I feel this, that's exactly the reason I eventually just stopped collecting Transformers. That was my main collection hobby for years, but trying to keep up with it got too overwhelming. Figuarts doesn't feel nearly as hectic in that regard. Even if something does come along in the next few years that somehow surpasses the Seihou line, they're such good figures that they'll be able to hold their own for a very long time I think.

As for stores, I almost always use Mandarake and Jungle, both are roughly equal. In my experiences their prices are also more or less the same, depending on the condition of the item. Between the two of them, you're likely to find what you're looking for without too much trouble. I doubt you'll find better deals anywhere else, and the exchange rate when ordering from Japanese sites can sometimes basically function as a discount, at least for USD. In my experience the exchange rate almost always favors the dollar, and while it's usually not a huge difference, it can still save a little bit of money.