I haven't ordered a whole lot from Mandarake but when I have I've used EMS, which has always been nice and fast but, or course, a little more expensive that I'd like it to be. Through some searches here it sounds like a lot of people use SAL, and that takes about 2 weeks (from my experience with other deliveries, but not from Mandarake). Has anyone tried them all, that can lay it out like:

SAL= longer transit but less $$
DHL=
EMS=

Just as reference for the best shipping method? at least for the US

I'd stick with EMS, dude. It is a little more expensive, but you get tracking and it's fast. SAL, I know not only takes longer, but also has no tracking. DHL, I have no idea, though.

Dhl comes in like 2 days. Blows my mind. I never look up the tracking though so i dunno how it is with that. I use it every time though and never had a problem.

I've never used DHL but a couple of years ago was the last time I used SAL to save a few bucks -- It took the package about two and a half months to finally show up, I had assumed I'd never even receive it. From personal experience, I'd rather have peace of mind and get my package sooner if that means paying a little more.

Holy shit. Is it much more costly than EMS?

i've used SAL for all my Mandarake purchases, but will be switching to EMS. I've never lost one, but the wait is a killer. I would say on average about 4 weeks from once it's shipped to get to me in Canada.

DHL has been about the same cost as EMS, in my experience. Shipping time is about a day less than EMS.

Whether to go with DHL or EMS- for me- depends on how packages are treated when you are not home to receive them. DHL tends to be more consistent and much more conscious of the express nature of the package- I had one case where the carrier would call me every time I had a package. The upside of DHL is that they will often leave it with the management desk (if you live in a complex with a management office). The downside of DHL is the same- if you do not have a management office, you will just get a slip and will have to arrange for redelivery. EMS really seems to depend on local practice and the postal carrier. Sometimes they are ok with having you waive signature and delivering the packages into a drop box. Sometimes they will not offer signature waiver and will only leave slips when you are not home. Sometimes they will allow someone at the management office to sign for and receive packages for you. It really varies.

I think the choice depends on your living situation more than cost or speed.

If I recall, Mandarake used to require credit card payment for any unregistered SAL shipment (no Paypal). I don't know if they have changed that, but that was the main reason I do not use SAL with them.

Both times I've ordered from Mandarake, I paid $15 to ship a single item through EMS. I've been tempted to order with SAL, but the fact that there is no tracking and the insurance isn't free makes me wary. I am WAY too impatient to deal with no tracking...

EMS all the way! I once tried SAL shipping from Shocker. The toy was somehow returned to Japan but during the 2 months it took to return to Japan I just thought it was lost in the mail. I ended up having to pay shipping again. I went with EMS the 2nd time.

I'd stick with EMS, after what people have said about SAL and my experiences with DHL. Here in the UK they constantly slap me with import fees, which they expect to be paid - on the door, in cash. Not only do they expect you to be around for the delivery but they also expect you to have the exact money needed to pay the ransom. Has happened to me a few times with them, I actively avoid dealing with DHL whenever I can.

I recently order some items from Mandarake and first requested DHL. They wanted 10,200 yen for DHL. They left a note EMS 8200 yen. I changed to EMS. I've had packages delivered with DHL before. Normally I find them a little more expensive. And the delivery time between DHL and EMS is not much of a difference. I would go with EMS. SAL is usually 8-14 days in my experience.

Thanks for all the replies!
So it sounds like:

Cost:
$$ EMS ≈ DHL
$ SAL

Speed:
DHL: 2-4 days (possibly faster than EMS depending on location)
EMS: 2-4 days
SAL: 7 days - 2 months

Integrity:
DHL: May try to Mug you on your doorstep
EMS: May not want to leave your toys with your shady apt manager
SAL: May just keep your shit. Who knows!? You only paid 6 bones for this

EMS has been the fastest and safest for me thus far. Usually arrives in 2-3 days too which is great.

I'm always amazed how quickly EMS gets to me in NYC. It's probably worth the extra money for the piece of mind but I'm tempted to try SAL since I usually don't care how quickly I get the package (as long as I get it).

I've used SAL and EMS dozens of times. It comes down to wait time and risk. I have never had a single problem with EMS and it's always fast but with SAL it takes at least 3 times as long and 2 things have vanished never to be found. The thing is if I buy something that costs only a few bucks and is easy to replace I usually don't want to spend more on shipping then I did on the toy itself so SAL is my choice. If it's something that costs more then a few bucks I go with EMS for safety and speed.

One other thing to consider is that the longer the shipping time the more chances there are of someone messing up your package. Crushing it or tearing it or soaking it(yes I have actually had two things show up with water damaged packages using SAL)so EMS is also safer just because it's so much faster.

I've always used SAL, and everything arrived fine in about 2-3 weeks. No problems here, but I've always ordered small items. If I went for something pricy, I would probably use EMS.

I used DHL for my last two orders and it was really fast. The cost was 1500 jpy for a few fight figures.

My two packages were shipped via SAL. Finally out for delivery today after 2 weeks exactly. I was able to use PayPal and SAL is trackable too.

Yeah, I almost always use SAL. My orders are usually in the $50-$100 or so, so I don't mind the risk. I haven't had a package lost yet, knock on wood. I average about $8-$12 shipping on 1-2 standard sized figures. DHL sounds like it almost doubles the shipping cost, although you do get the package a lot faster.

I always use EMS from Japan and I'm pretty happy with that method. Its pretty fast and USPS usually send out a separate delivery driver out mid afternoon. Lately I will say i have noticed my packages from Mandrake having a smashed in hole on the side , luckily nothing is or has been damaged. I think USPS likes to ding things and they just don't care about slinging packages around.