When you first begin collecting anime figures, you undoubtedly search for the best online figure stores to purchase genuine and in-demand figures. Here are some suggestions for places to purchase anime figures from a collector!
General anime figure stores
General anime figure stores are retailers that offer a wide variety of anime figures from different manufacturers, brands, and series. Below are some of the best online figure stores.
AmiAmi
AmiAmi has a strong reputation for providing a wide selection of figurines, both new and used. You can find a wealth of both new and vintage treasures in the pre-owned figure section.
Additionally, it has excellent search and filtering capabilities. Thanks to a rigorous grading system, you know exactly what you're getting, whether it is something like-new or slightly worn. You will have less stress because the ordering process is dependable and seamless.
People love AmiAmi. They commend the outstanding assortment and dependable service. Finding uncommon or older figures in excellent condition is very popular, especially in the pre-owned section.
The consensus is that AmiAmi is excellent for anime figure collectors, despite some complaints over the price and the rigorous cancellation process.
Animate
Animate is one of the best places to buy anime figures to buy such fantastic items in the United States and Canada. The company provides a good selection of items for anime fans because it is officially in the anime goods business.
The store sells many different kinds of anime figures. They have what you need, whether you want to explore or are looking for a specific item. It indicates that it is selling authentic products, so you don't need to be concerned about imitations.
However, Animate is not the most popular because there are few in-depth customer evaluations. Animate is quite dependable. It has a solid online reputation as a secure retailer.
However, if you're looking for the greatest online anime figure store, it's usually a good idea to search for a store with more customer reviews.
Alice Books
Alice Books is the next name in our list of best online figure stores. The site primarily sells doujinshi, manga, and other fan-created works.
However, it also offers anime figures. Sometimes, they collaborate with specific artists to sell some figures. These could be small-run figures, often handmade or customized.
The figures they sell are usually limited-edition, exclusive, or sought-after items. The selection may vary over time. To sum up, they offer less range of anime figures in comparison with AmiAmi, Mandarake, or Kotobukiya.
Melonbooks
Although Melonbooks primarily offers doujinshi, light novels, manga, and other anime-related media, it also sells some anime figures and merchandise. This makes it a potential place for fans who are looking for a mix of collectible items and niche content.
Melonbooks offers a smaller selection of anime figures compared to Animate or AmiAmi. You can find scale figures, Nendoroids, and prize figures on this site.
Occasionally, Melonbooks collaborates with creators to offer exclusive goods, including limited-edition figures or character-themed items. Melonbooks offers international shipping to various countries.
However, you should check their shipping policy first. If the sellers do not offer international shipping, Japan Flow is a good solution for you.
Mandarake
Mandarake is one of the best online figure stores. It is presently regarded as the world's biggest manga and animation store. It has 16 distinct locations in the Broadway Mall. Each of them specializes in a certain category of goods.
Mandarake may have what you're looking for if you're looking for rare or vintage figures. Sometimes, the pricing can be really good. The service is excellent. You may anticipate quick shipping and email confirmations.
Besides, the business has a reputation for being truthful regarding the state of its products. Even the 'damaged' things frequently arrive nearly undamaged.
However, recently, several collectors have observed a decline in quality control, with unreported flaws appearing more frequently. Shipping costs can be somewhat high, depending on the branch.
From one branch to another, the quality of customer service may vary. While some may be a little slower or less accommodating, others are incredibly helpful and speedy.
Find out more: Step-by-step guide: How to buy from Mandarake Japan
Toranoana
The next best online figure store is Toranoana. It has a presence in the anime merchandise market, including anime figures. It offers both popular and niche figures, including scale figures, prize figures, and collectibles tied to anime, manga, and game franchises.
Besides, it frequently collaborates with artists and creators to produce exclusive items and promotional goods, including figures tied to popular doujin works.
While figures are part of their inventory, they focus on doujinshi and related goods. As a result, the figure selection may not be as expansive as stores dedicated solely to figures like AmiAmi, Animate, or Kotobukiya.
Read more: How to Buy from Toranoana Japan? An Easy Guide from Japan Flow
Surugaya
Surugaya is also one of the best places to buy anime figures in Japan. It provides a wide variety of anime figures. Moreover, it also offers rare, vintage, and limited-edition figures that may no longer be in production.
One of Surugaya’s strengths is its extensive second-hand market. Many figures are in excellent condition, and you can often find older or hard-to-find items at reasonable prices.
However, Surugaya does not always offer international shipping. It is up to the sellers. Therefore, foreign buyers usually use a proxy buying service like Japan Flow to access their items from overseas.
Check out our guide on how to buy from Suruga-ya
Premium Bandai
Premium Bandai is operated by Bandai. Bandai is one of the largest toy and figure manufacturers in Japan. Premium Bandai offers limited-edition figures and merchandise.
Sometimes, these items can not be seen anywhere else. Some of their popular figure Lines are Figuarts ZERO, Robot Spirits, Metal Build, and Proplica.
Besides, it collaborates and releases popular items from Gundam, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Demon Slayer, and more. However, you need to pre-order some products to get them. It takes months between the pre-order and the actual delivery.
Premium Bandai does not provide international shipping for all locations. Therefore, you should use a proxy buying service to order items from this site.
Hobby Search
One of the best online figure stores is HobbySearch. In addition to figures, it has an extensive inventory of more than 906,540 pieces of all kinds of collectibles. The assortment is extensive and genuine, coming directly from Japan.
However, sometimes, the cost of shipping can come as a bit of a surprise. Some people have complained that the things were not packed with enough care.
This makes them damaged. When it comes to resolving shipping concerns, some customers haven't had the best results with their customer care.
Reviews on HobbySearch are a little erratic. The site offers quite a large selection but some customers are not entirely satisfied. This is the consequence of the high shipping charges and some packing issues.
Toy Sapiens
Japanese people consider Toy Sapiens as one of the best online figure stores in Japan. Toy Sapiens is the official distributor of Hot Toys and other high-end collectible figures.
Toy Sapiens stores provide a luxurious shopping experience with beautiful displays of figures and dioramas in major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.
Toy Sapiens primarily focuses on figures from Hollywood movies and Western pop culture (such as Marvel, Star Wars, and DC Comics)
It also carries some anime figures and related merchandise. This makes it a noteworthy destination for collectors. Moreover, Toy Sapiens often offers exclusive figures or limited-edition items that are difficult to find elsewhere.
Manufacturer-specific stores
Manufacturer-specific stores are retailers or platforms that specialize in selling products directly from the manufacturers themselves. Here are some notable anime figure manufacturer-specific stores.
Good Smile Company
In the anime figure industry, Good Smile Company is well-known, particularly for producing the well-liked Nendoroid and Figma figure lines. Good Smile Company is not just a store. It is the one that came up with these recognizable figure types. The catalog is broad and varied.
Their products come in a good range of prices to suit a variety of budgets. Good Smile Company has a strong average rating of 4.8 on websites such as Amazon.
Good Smile Company also has a reputation in the community because of its extensive product line and superior quality. However, because of great demand, it might occasionally be difficult to obtain the most well-liked figures.
Kotobukiya
Kotobukiya is a well-known Japanese company. It not only manufactures but also retails high-quality anime, video games, and pop culture merchandise.
Their retail stores focus on their exclusive products and figures, including limited-edition releases and collectibles.
These stores often stock a wide range of figures from popular franchises and offer an immersive experience for fans. It is particularly famous for ARTFX/J and Bishoujo figure lines which feature detailed sculpts and designs.
Besides, it also collaborates with franchises like Pokémon, My Hero Academia, Star Wars, Marvel, and DC Comics.
Their physical stores often showcase intricate figure displays. This makes them a must-visit destination for collectors and enthusiasts.
Mega Hobby Station
Mega Hobby Station is another manufacturer-specific store in Japan. It is managed by MegaHouse. MegaHouse is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings.
Mega Hobby Station specializes in exclusive anime figures and merchandise. These collectibles are known for their high quality. Mega Hobby Station is famous for its intricate and detailed figures from popular anime, manga, and gaming franchises.
Why should you buy anime figures from Japan?
Buying anime figures from Japan offers several advantages for anyone who wants to access high-quality, exclusive, and hard-to-find items. Here are some reasons why you should purchase anime figures from Japan.
Quality and authenticity
You should buy anime figures from Japan because they offer products with high quality and authenticity. Japan is home to the official manufacturers, therefore, they can ensure that genuine products are made with high-quality materials and craftsmanship.
Purchasing directly from the Japanese best online figure stores reduces the risk of counterfeits. Besides, it also often provides access to exclusive or limited-edition figures not widely available overseas.
Wider selection
Japanese retailers often use exclusive and limited-edition figures that are not available internationally.
Additionally, they tend to carry a broader range of characters and series, including niche or less mainstream options. This caters to diverse collector preferences. Therefore, buyers can access a wider collection of products.
Early Access
For early access, you should get anime figures from the Japanese best online figure stores because they frequently get new releases straight from producers before they are made accessible in other countries.
This enables collectors to remain ahead of global availability and get the most recent figurines sooner.
Unique and exclusive Items
You should buy anime figures from Japan for unique and exclusive items because many figures are released as Japan-only exclusives or limited editions.
These items are often tied to specific events, collaborations, or stores. They are typically unavailable outside Japan. This makes them highly sought after by collectors worldwide.
How to buy anime figures from Japan
Now, you know the best place to buy figures. How to buy anime figures from these sites when you are outside of Japan?
JapanFlow is a service that helps international buyers purchase products from the best Japanese online figure stores. It allows you to buy figures from Japanese websites and have them shipped to you overseas.
Step 1: Go to the website you want to purchase
Access the best online figure store you want to buy figures by Chrome. This browser will help you to translate the website into your language if the website does not offer many language versions.
Step 2: Search for items
You can use the search bar to find your favorite Japanese clothing. Many websites offer categories and filters to make it simple for you to locate the figure you're looking for.
Step 3: Check product details
Select your preferred figures to access the product page. To ensure that these items fit your needs, be sure to thoroughly review the product details.
Step 4: Copy and paste your item links on Japan Flow
To make a purchase, start by copying the product page URL. Next, visit the Japan Flow website and submit a new purchase request.
Paste the copied URL into the designated field on the form, where you can also fill out any additional information needed. Finally, click "Create a buy request" to complete the process.
Step 5: Complete your order with Japan Flow
Please allow us two working days to approve your request. Once approved, you'll need to make the first payment, which covers both the item and the service fees.
After this payment is completed, we will purchase the items for you, and they should arrive at our warehouse within three days.
You will then be notified and can request packing for your order. The cost of shipping is included, and this will be the second payment you need to make. We will ship your items to you as soon as this payment is received.
Online shopping is the best way to access a wide selection of figures no matter where you are. Above is the list of the best online figure stores for you. Make sure you're purchasing from trustworthy websites to avoid scammers.
Of course, shipping can be challenging, particularly if you're ordering from overseas. If the sellers do not support international delivery, do not worry, Japan Flow is here to help you get those hard-to-find figures.