I am so happy Mandarake exists. It's sooo forking difficult to run a real brick and mortar space, and they found a way to do it, and thrive. I get sad going there and not finding the wealth of goodies that used to be on their shelves, but without greedy horny fingers from around the world, they may not have been able to make it through the pandemic. Problems yes, painful prices, sometimes. But boy o boy I am so happy they are still around. I love being able to look up a toy, and see MANY examples of it, from almost any maker in Japan, or around the planet. Capitalism. It blows chunks, but this is where I/we are, and without it. I wouldn't be able to make toys for a living. Or maybe I could, but it would probably be wooden toys for trade on a blanket in the woods. I'd quite like that actually... but until that time. I'm so excited Mandarake is here, and I can whine about never being able to afford, or have fast enough fingies to score a Zollmen Antlar.
They’ve changed. They’ve gotten greedy. You don’t mind their program like price increases? Pricing out regular collectors? I like looking at the toys too, it’s really all I can do. Yes capitalism blows big chunks. I’d argue we’d be living in jetson homes with all you could eat humane food and u-beaut toys by you if we weren’t hampered by false scarcity, gamed markets and private interest that is capitalism. But ok, it is where we is, so you can say look on the bright side. Ive just seen a concerted effort by them over the last few years to ramp up the prices.
Why is Mandarake different than literally any other reseller of anything on the planet? this whole perspective just seems like the foot stomping of a child upset he can’t get his dollies because other people want them more and are willing/able to do so
With multiple locations, with thousands of products in each, they must have algorithms to account for the loss of keeping stock of stuff that doesn’t move and the stuff that doesn’t resell for much. Guess prices need to go up and up. It’s also a company being a company.
Too much to who? You? Most people would look at us here spending $150 on an m1go or bullmark or Marusan as crazy. It’s all relative.
I love Mandarake, I can’t afford much of the sofubi there, but I’ve definitely found underpriced gems before! I’ve also found some amazing toys STILL IN BAG. It’s also such a good reference for prices. A few days ago I taught my boyfriend how to use it for checking past sell prices since eBay prices are beyond ridiculous. It was right in the nick of time too, he was considering blowing hundreds to get me a Muckey because I expressed that they’re cute. He got me a $15 blind box version instead. I still have to keep an eye on him…
Imagine walking into any store selling collectibles, vintage furniture, artwork, music or audio equipment and crying and screaming because they aren't selling stuff at what is cost 20 years ago. If there is an abundance and Mandarake is inflating the market price, find the abundance... With inflation and the Yen in free fall the past five years, prices have gone down significantly. Yen has fallen nearly 40% since 2021.
As many other have said or alluded to, your views of Mandarake are gonna vary depending on wether you're after the newest and hottest, or if you're tracking down long forgotten lines. I had been able to find some old toys at decent prices just a few years ago, but now even stuff that used to sit is both inflated and scooped up almost immediately. At the end of the day, it saves me money, and makes me appreciate the toys i do manage to scoop up from there (which are about 1-2 a year nowadays). tldr; it is what it is. Mandarake still gives me an opportunity to buy directly from Japan. I like that.
I'd rather have to pay a markup on occasion for some stuff than never have any opportunity to buy something period
