All this makes me so sad... There isn't much fun to be had these days, and receiving packages of weird stuff from overseas friends was a bright light in a otherwise bleak and depressing world...ugh... The pile of preorders i've been waiting on for about a year are definitely going to murder me by the time they all arrive... ughh
the only info found in eBay USPS will notify you by mail—you’ll pay at pickup You usually receive a written notice when your package is held at your local post office. Express carriers (e.g., DHL, FedEx, UPS) will contact you on delivery—you’ll pay online or at the door Most express carriers will contact you on delivery with information on how and when to pay. This may be by telephone, text, email, or another form of contact. Japan 15% on value. God blessedd
Has anyone in the US received a package from Japan shipped since late August? Which courier did you use and what was the tariff damage? The free storage period for the proxy I use is ending within the next week and trying to decide which company would be the least painful to ship with.
I think I just squeaked in under the barbed wire. M-World shipped a parcel on 8/28 by EMS, which I received 9/5. No tariff incurred (phew!!!). Received an email from them earlier this week, that they are suspending shipping to the USA, due to tariffs and convoluted rules to jump through hoola hoops . They are offering FedEx, but hearing some nightmare experiences here, means it's going to put a complete halt on buying toys for the foreseeable future
i still have one packagel no update since end Aug from Japan. it may be sit in processing center or custom International Transit Processed Through Facility TOKYO INT, JAPAN August 26, 2025, 10:04 pm Acceptance JAPAN August 26, 2025, 3:56 pm
Use DHL Express. I would not recommend EMS. DHL will notify you of tariffs via email/text which you need to pay immediately to avoid delays. I've had many, many packages from Japan delivered. It stinks bc you pay the tariff plus some nominal government fees plus $17 fee from DHL.
If anyone from US still entering lotteries and buying toys from overseas after September 1? I'm curious to hear your experiences. I have completely stopped. I've seen some examples of items that cost, for example $125 before shipping from Japan, end up at a $290 landed cost to USA. Elegab says he will still ship to USA but shipping cost is increased from ¥4,000 to ¥12,000. And of course there are going to be duties on top of that.
The cost from Japan is 15% of the item's value plus a small governmental fee (usually less than $5) plus the carriers handling fee (DHL charges a fee of $17) That is it - I wouldn't recommend using any other carriers other than DHL Express. a $125 item should cost = $125 + $18.75 (tariff) + $5 (govt fees) + carrier processing fee. I've been purchaisng a lot so this has been absolutely standard by DGL and Fedex. Sellers can of course charge whatever they want, just know they are taxing you for their own gain.
If you're using a freight forwarder, you can select your carrier. But that isn't going to necessarily work when you are applying to toy lotteries. Unless of course you are using your Japanese address. It was only one example I cited, but I sincerely doubt elegab is profiting off of the shipping. The ¥11,940 is probably what is is going to pay. It may be the premium EMS service.
My proxy (dejapan) extended free storage period until the end of Sept, so 14 more days before I need to figure out which carrier to use. My guess is they're hoping by that time Japan Post and USPS will get on the same page for processing.
I have nothing coming to me aside from an HLJ preorder that doesn't release until March of next year. I figure by that time the fees will be gone, or 12x what we're paying today.
I’ve got a toy waiting to be shipped by HLJ that I preordered maaaany months ago… I’m pretty sure it was preordered with EMS (which will be delivered by USPS in the states)… I’m sincerely hoping I won’t be hit with some insane fee once Japan starts shipping EMS packages..
A friend of mine received a package last week and it was shipped via UPS: Cost of goods: 62,407 yen ($424.67) Shipping charge: 13,303 yen ($90.53) UPS sent him an additional bill for: Government Charges (I assume this is the tariff): $65.95 Brokerage Charges: $66.00
My friend just DM too! Elegab new release Dude, $80 USD to ship this from Japan with tariffs. Fn crazy!
So crazy! I still had to order one. I'm now waiting for who knows how long for M World to ship me a toy I bought over a month ago.
I've given up on buying toys from Japan for now. I've found a lot of good stuff on ebay and IG recently. This stuff is expensive enough as it is without these stupid fees. It's a good time to be happy with what you already have!
Your 'big beautiful tariffs' are bad enough, but the brokerage charges are just a license to print money for the couriers/delivery service. They're unregulated and at the individual company's discretion, so they can just pick a number out of thin air. THOSE are the fees that have been p*ssing off us Brits for years. Mark 'em low - Ship 'em cheap!
I'll be damned if I unnecessarily put any (more) of my hard earned dollars into the tax coffers. Especially in the case of this highly illegal tariff grift machine. Don't buy anything. If you have to buy something, try to buy it used directly from an individual (eg, craigslist). If you have to buy something new, buy it from a local independent business. If you can't buy it local, try to buy it from an independent. If you can't buy from an independent...try to pick the lesser of many evils. And unfortunately there are just some occasions where you have to use Amazon.
I found a couple things i didn't think would ever turn up--from Japan. the bullshit tariffs made this experience less than fun. the 17 dollar fee just added insult to injury. It seems pretty hefty, but maybe they need resources to match the bump in volume. I don't think i'll be buying overseas for as long as i can help it. I don't want to even know what the govt plans to do with all of the money that's coming in. Not that i expect to get any honesty from them. I feel bad for all the suffering this administration has and will cause. There are some very desperate people who voted for him but don't necessarily like him. i can't see how they feel good about what he's been doing so far. he's working hard at getting richer and more powerful, and ...well that's it. Corrupt power doesn't like to share. And once he has it, why would he need to pander to a people whose problems he can't relate to or care less about? He's more corrupt than the system he points to. That's why he's been removing all the checks and balances that he can. As corrupt as it is, it still wouldn't give him the kind of power he craves, so he has to destroy it. He just blames "the left" for everything that happens--when he should really be thanking them; he seems to be benefitting the most from all of this.
I still have no idea how this is working across the country. Mint Carbonara just sent me 16 toys from Japan via EMS for the upcoming DSTRCT show, I wasn’t charged any tariffs or fees.
It's a silly mess right now... but not as awful as most people make it out to be. For Gamjam I've been getting a megaload of boxes from everywhere. Most from Japan, some Taiwan, some China. The general consensus is. It's ok, not great, but totally doable. I've paid $49,$17, $71 in tariffs recently, and one box from Maruhachi had to be sent twice (but no tariff on that one) this is roughly out of about 20 packages from overseas. 3 tariffs paid. All on boxes with 15-50 figures inside. I've also had two artists flake out because- "I hear this is bad. I don't know how to do it". So it's extra hassle these days, but totally do-able. I hope this nonsense ends soon. Just letting you know in the meantime. It's not as BIG a deal as people are making it out to be.
@Fig Belly what courier are you shipping with? My last EMS parcel from Japan (mistake) has been sitting at ISC in Los Angeles for a month now with no movement toward customs intake. I wonder how long it will take to process at this point or if they will just send it back.
