Toy Buying Experience From Taobao

Disclaimer alert: I am not sponsored by any toy company, shopping website or shipping service. Like any other consumer, I bear the risks of my purchase in buying and shipping things from another country. Ample research is necessary for a pleasant transaction and this entry is written in goodwill, especially for Singaporean toy collectors so that we can explore cheaper alternatives to get hold of toys. Please apply discretion when shopping online and the writer of this blog is not responsible for any of your transaction. 

 

I started my shopping research with a few objectives in mind. The first is to find lower prices than those that were already available on the toy market in Singapore, both at retail and online retail, without compromising on the quality of toys. The second is to assess the reliability of the sellers I have encountered and the shipping services discussed on other blogs. Last but not least, I wanted to know if I can get hold of toys due for release before they hit the shelves and if I can get hold of highly exclusive products at reasonable prices.               

To start off, why visit Taobao? By now you should know my love for Transformers! Most of the official and non-official Transformers products that I have purchased were made in China, where Taobao, a online shopping website, was founded. Logic dictates that the prices of these products are way cheaper at the country where these toys were manufactured. If you have ever travelled to China and Hong Kong to visit streets where toys were sold, you know this to be true. A quick look at Taobao has proven this to be true as well. Unfortunately, shipping cost has always been a big deterrent as it adds to the amount you pay for the toys, making them close to the retail prices. Lo and behold, because of Taobao's appointed forwarding companies, you can save on direct shipping costs and choose these forwarding services to consolidate your purchases and ship to Singapore at a much cheaper price than direct shipping.   

               

Quick example from Taobao          

I bought a set like this off the site and used 4PX (forwarding service). All in all, with local shipping (waived for my first purchase!), forwarding cost, Aliwangwang's transaction charge (the site's equivalent of PayPal), I paid less than SGD $98 for this set when it can cost SGD $174.50 off retail! The toy is of the same quality as those bought off retail! The joints were tight, no paint smudges, and they pegged well in alt-mode. I was fortunate that the seller I have dealt with for the Bruticus Maximus was efficient in packing the toy well and he shipped the item fast, allowing me to get the toy in just 4 days! Another seller took slightly longer to ship (Skylynx combiner set!) and I messaged him to find out more as he took 24 hours longer than the previous seller. I know. I was being unreasonable but I was really excited! He offered immediate refund if I did not want to wait as he just wanted both of us to have a pleasant transaction. How's that for customer service? I used to think I need to go through shopping agents like Daigou for such good services but I was wrong. I can save on the shopping agent fee and make specific requests directly with the sellers. The sellers are really out to please with very prompt response in the in-app/site messaging service.

As of today, I have found test shots, prototypes and TFCC/botcon/takara shopping mall exclusive items. It's just a search away! I would strongly recommend that you select sellers based on reputation and not attempt pricey purchases until you are familiar with the site. Always check the shipping selected and don't pay until you are clear of the total cost. Otherwise, it's a shopping heaven for Transformers fan!

Let me know if you would like me to do up a shopping and shipping guide! :)