Anime DVD's

Werewolf · 22 Oct 2003 at 20:15

Originally posted by Medge
Werewolf I had this too with my last order (Mahoromatic), it was sent out on the 10th and I received it yesterday. It seems like they are running a little slow at the moment

thanks for that

the set i'm waiting on is a Limited Edition (Witch Hunter Robin with the t-shirt and shot glass*), and considering how hard some LE's are to find even just a few weeks after release** i hate it when they take longer than average to arrive.

i take it you've found out about the fun and frolics that is Mahoromatic? (fun series although the "dolls" Pioneer threw into some of the first prints of disks 1-3 were oddly disconcerting)

*although Bandai would prefer it to be called a beverage glass, Jerry Vo is rather adminant about that on the AOD forums

**Ai Yori Aoshi DVD1 + box is going for $100+ on Ebay in some cases :eek:

(and it was only released in about March), and i've just managed to find a reputable retailer who doesn't charge a fortume in shipping who has Haibane Renmei + box still in stock.

Bartleby · 22 Oct 2003 at 20:17

Got my witch hunter robin LE other day :cool:

back on subject i ordered R1dvd from play it was £32.99 and was hit by customs for £9.79

Werewolf · 22 Oct 2003 at 20:19

Originally posted by Bartleby
Got my witch hunter robin LE other day
back on subject i ordered R1dvd from play it was £32.99 and was hit by customs for £9.79

ouch

about £5.54 VAT and import, and £4.25 customs if memory serves in regards to the Post Office's fees (i'm sure they are £4.25 for handling, with PF charging £8)

Medge · 22 Oct 2003 at 21:46

Ooh Witch Hunter Robin and Ai Yori Aoshi now they are absolutely top of my list (especially Ai Yori Aoshi, I have seen some of these and I need the whole series). From what I heard about Witch Hunter Robin it is very X-Files esq and quite dark, so this sounds like a nice alternative to the cuter things I have been enjoying

Usually DvdBoxoffice are quite quick for me when they have been shipped but as of the last month or so they have been taking an extra 5 or so days.

I must confess to not having seen the Mahoromatic dolls, although from what I can see so far things are definitely on a iffy trend towards the end of episode 4

. I'm going to go with the other episodes now along with a few other orders for various things.

I have heard some good things about two other supplies who seem to have some very good prices on Fruits Basket (been recommended this as I expressed my love of Chobits and Ai Yori Aoshi). Oh and of course as posted some time ago Chobits, I had a small cash flow problem then but now it is sorted, so I will have to get myself this, I just hope the sets are still around

Damn you purveyors of decent quality viewing.

Richard T · 22 Oct 2003 at 22:59

Originally posted by Bartleby
Got my witch hunter robin LE other day
back on subject i ordered R1dvd from play it was £32.99 and was hit by customs for £9.79

I have been hit a few times as well

about £9 quid each time.....I think they look for my name now :mad:

Rich

Werewolf · 23 Oct 2003 at 01:50

Medge if you can wait on Chobits, apparently it should be released here next year by MVM, no idea of if it will have any cuts (i can't think of anything that would obviously require a cut).

FB is meant to be very good, it's just had a price reduction so the RRP is now $30 instead of $40 per disk, which means in practice you can get it from about $20 per disk + shipping.

One word of advice, all of Pioneer/Geonom (their new name still sounds like something from Bubblegum Crisis), DVD1 + box releases are limited, even if they are not sold as such, so if you can find a retailer with say Chobits 1 + box it might be worth ordering it now and putting off another disk for a while (assuming you get the R1 disks and not the R4 disk + box).

/\/\j17 · 23 Oct 2003 at 10:32

Originally posted by Werewolf
(DVDBoxoffice) ...having said that i'm starting to get concerned about a package shipped on the 10th (i expect it will turn up by about saturday though).

Ah, stop yer moaning. It too DVDPlanet 2 months to ship my an in-stock copy of Junkers Come Here! (sadly not really worth the wait)

Interestingly it took HVM.co.jp 2 days to ship a Japanese R2 copy of Laputa: Castle in the Sky (learning Japanese so wanted one with Japanese+English dialog AND Japanese subtitles).

On topic though, I would suggest you DON'T place big orders, as it's the higher priced items that tend to attract the most attention. Go with someone like DVDBoxoffice, where the shipping cost is the same for 1 DVD as it is for 100 (i.e. free) then some might get caught, but most should get through - unless you are REALLY unlucky!

Werewolf · 23 Oct 2003 at 11:59

Originally posted by /\/\j17
Ah, stop yer moaning. It too DVDPlanet 2 months to ship my an in-stock copy of Junkers Come Here! (sadly not really worth the wait)

Interestingly it took HVM.co.jp 2 days to ship a Japanese R2 copy of Laputa: Castle in the Sky (learning Japanese so wanted one with Japanese+English dialog AND Japanese subtitles).

On topic though, I would suggest you DON'T place big orders, as it's the higher priced items that tend to attract the most attention. Go with someone like DVDBoxoffice, where the shipping cost is the same for 1 DVD as it is for 100 (i.e. free) then some might get caught, but most should get through - unless you are REALLY unlucky!

i've yet to have any orders from DVDBO caught by customs

hence the reason i use them (and i've not heard of anyone who has)

DVDplanet are awfull, they used to be fairly good, but the past 6 months have seen them go downhill rapidly, i pre-ordered a disk from them about 4 months ago - it's been out 2 months and has been in stock for about that long and it's still not shipped (luckily i ordered it from 2 places as it's an LE).

the reason i'm slightly worried about my dvdbo order is that it's actually been in transit for 13 days now - normally it takes 4-6 days

(mind you i won't panic for another week or so)

Medge · 23 Oct 2003 at 21:19

Originally posted by Werewolf
Medge if you can wait on Chobits, apparently it should be released here next year by MVM, no idea of if it will have any cuts (i can't think of anything that would obviously require a cut).

FB is meant to be very good, it's just had a price reduction so the RRP is now $30 instead of $40 per disk, which means in practice you can get it from about $20 per disk + shipping.

One word of advice, all of Pioneer/Geonom (their new name still sounds like something from Bubblegum Crisis), DVD1 + box releases are limited, even if they are not sold as such, so if you can find a retailer with say Chobits 1 + box it might be worth ordering it now and putting off another disk for a while (assuming you get the R1 disks and not the R4 disk + box).

Thanks for that, I would wait but I'm going nuts not having seen all of it, I need to see it all so I'll order it this week I thin

Yep I saw Fruits Basket at $20 so for that price I think it would be rude not to go for it. Likewise with the Witch Hunter Robin set, I really think it's a crack set to start me off with. There's loads I want to see at the moment and I see what you mean about putting off less important titles so I can get the 1st episodes with the box and other bits. Along those lines did you see those Nausicaa sets, now they were impressive.

Can I ask if you've had much trouble with getting box sets through customs? I haven't been caught yet but then again I rarely go over £18 on a single transaction and when I do it's usually only for one DVD. I space my orders out over a few days. Some of the perfect collection sets (and Ultimate sets) are what I'm really after, especially Bubblegum Crisis 2040, Escaflowne and Evangelion.

I know what my Christmas list is going to be like

Werewolf · 23 Oct 2003 at 21:50

for DVD sets i would probably recommend either DVDboxoffice or DVDsoon, neither get hit by customs very often if at all.

DVDsoon seem to mark every item in the order at $12 value.

My normaly tip is to look at the price of the DVD's including any shipping.
If a retailer is 20% cheaper than DVDboxoffice after allowing for shipping i'll normally risk them.
If not and they are a company that do get hit for customs a lot (Amazon are awful for customs), then i go with DVDBoxoffice.

One word of warning, once you start getting into anime DVD's you'll probably regret it when you look at your bank balance

Most ADV disk 1 + box are not really that limited.
Most Bandai disk 1 + box's are limited in some form, usually to about 10 or 15k
Almost all Pioneer/Geonom Disk 1 +box are limited, but they don't always say so at the time (examples are Ai Yori Aoshi and Amazing Nurse Nanako neither was announced as a LE and it was only realised after initial stocks started running out).

Almost all "digipacks" and "brick packs" are "unlimited", although some will have an extra for early buyers (something like a signed poster).
Apart from that they are normally standard stock items (things like the Evangelion, Nadesico and Bubblegeum Crisis 2040 Perfect Collections, and the Outlaw Start set).

Medge · 24 Oct 2003 at 00:29

Hmmm well my card balance is looking decidedly bigger after this evening. I just thought what the heck I'll order things earlier than I thought. So as of this evening I have gone for:

Chobits: Persocom (V.1) - With Collector's Box
Noir: Shades Of Darkness - Special Edition
Ai Yori Aoshi - Faithfully Yours (Vol. 1) - With Series Box
Witch Hunter Robin: Arrival (V.1) - Limited Edition

Now the wait begins

I'm not sure I will regret it just yet, I'm having too much fun. Seeing as I have no other collections then this is something for me to really get into.

I'm trying a mix of DVDboxoffice, DVDsoon and DVDpacific so hopefully all will go well.

The only DVD I'm not too sure on is Ai Yori Aoshi, there isn't a stock status meter on the DVDsoon site, I thought I would chance it. At the end of the day if I don't get the box then I'm not too worried as the stories are more important to me

Ah so some of the "Limited editions" are like most other offers then; not so special when you know the stock levels

I'll hold fire on Evangelion, Bubblegum Crisis 2040 and Escaflowne then. I'm very impressed with the $51.99 price for the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 set, seems like stonking value for money.

Thank you once again for the tips and insights

, it's great to actually be in contact with someone who doesn't think I've gone mad. Lot's of people I have spoken to lately seem to have strange ideas about Anime. I'll have to make it my mission to educate them on what they are missing.

Oh also apologies to Plexman for taking things off topic.

Werewolf · 24 Oct 2003 at 00:34

Originally posted by Medge
Hmmm well my card balance is looking decidedly bigger after this evening. I just thought what the heck I'll order things earlier than I thought. So as of this evening I have gone for:

Chobits: Persocom (V.1) - With Collector's Box
Noir: Shades Of Darkness - Special Edition
Ai Yori Aoshi - Faithfully Yours (Vol. 1) - With Series Box
Witch Hunter Robin: Arrival (V.1) - Limited Edition

Now the wait begins

I'm not sure I will regret it just yet, I'm having too much fun. Seeing as I have no other collections then this is something for me to really get into.

I'm trying a mix of DVDboxoffice, DVDsoon and DVDpacific so hopefully all will go well.

The only DVD I'm not too sure on is Ai Yori Aoshi, there isn't a stock status meter on the DVDsoon site, I thought I would chance it. At the end of the day if I don't get the box then I'm not too worried as the stories are more important to me

Ah so some of the "Limited editions" are like most other offers then; not so special when you know the stock levels

I'll hold fire on Evangelion, Bubblegum Crisis 2040 and Escaflowne then. I'm very impressed with the $51.99 price for the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 set, seems like stonking value for money.

Escaflowne the TV series was a very limited box set release last year (you got the series, a figure and 2 boxes, one each for the series and figure).
However www.rightstuf.com have the empty boxes and often do deals where you can get a bundle of the DVD's and the box at well below RRP, or you cna buy the box on it's own.

Sorry about taking this so far off topic Plexman

i'll have words with the DVD donnies and see if they mind if i split the anime parts of this thread off

Medge · 25 Oct 2003 at 00:44

Originally posted by Werewolf
Escaflowne the TV series was a very limited box set release last year (you got the series, a figure and 2 boxes, one each for the series and figure).
However www.rightstuf.com have the empty boxes and often do deals where you can get a bundle of the DVD's and the box at well below RRP, or you cna buy the box on it's own.

Sorry about taking this so far off topic Plexman

i'll have words with the DVD donnies and see if they mind if i split the anime parts of this thread off

Ah right, so there is indeed some chance of getting bits and pieces if I miss out on them.

I'm really chuffed as I have had an email to say that m copy of Noir has been shipped for DVDpacific, hopefully they won't take too long. It will be my first order with them and my first box so I'll pray that the thing doesn't get crushed in the post.

You had to go and do it though

, rightstuff have a 40% off sale which looks quite promising so I'll wade through there tomorrow and see how the prices fair against the other companies. I love some of the sets though; of particular note is the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 Champagne Artbox. Thanks for the heads up

Werewolf · 25 Oct 2003 at 01:45

be warned the Champaigne art boxes (at least the official ones that TRSI sell) are very limited - 1000 for the BGC one, they are very nice though (i've got all 3 official ones).

DVDpacific should be fine for the box, i've just had my Haibane Renmei + box through from them (still no sign of my Witch Hunter from DVDboxoffice), and it arrived fine.
Normally retailers will use a larger cardboard box and put padding in around the DVD sets (which means at worst you might get a scrunched corner or 2 unless the post office have been playing footie).

One word of advice about TRSI they seem to declare every DVD or CD at $5 on the packaging, which is fine for up to about 6 DVD's ($30) but over that and you're likely to get a customs charge and parcel force charge.
The packaging they use is pretty darned good though in terms of protection offered (normally massive amounts of shredded paper between the contents and the outer walls of the packing box).

Medge · 25 Oct 2003 at 22:55

Originally posted by Werewolf
be warned the Champaigne art boxes (at least the official ones that TRSI sell) are very limited - 1000 for the BGC one, they are very nice though (i've got all 3 official ones).

DVDpacific should be fine for the box, i've just had my Haibane Renmei + box through from them (still no sign of my Witch Hunter from DVDboxoffice), and it arrived fine.
Normally retailers will use a larger cardboard box and put padding in around the DVD sets (which means at worst you might get a scrunched corner or 2 unless the post office have been playing footie).

One word of advice about TRSI they seem to declare every DVD or CD at $5 on the packaging, which is fine for up to about 6 DVD's ($30) but over that and you're likely to get a customs charge and parcel force charge.
The packaging they use is pretty darned good though in terms of protection offered (normally massive amounts of shredded paper between the contents and the outer walls of the packing box).

Thanks for that, I'm glad to have found someone who knows what he is on about with regard to these suppliers.

A lot of what I have heard from others is pure hear say, from a mate of a mate.

I'll see what I have left after I have paid off the lot I have ordered then try and go for the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 DVD set + Champaigne box as an extra treat. I just hope it's still there.

I must admit to being very wary of certain stores, I have had several box sets sent to me before that have been horribly mangled (Alien Legacy springs to mind)

. It's a great relief to hear that there are good companies that package things with the footballers at the post office in mind

Seeing as I haven't bought many DVD's in a while (non-anime types) I think it's about time I kick started things with the titles I love most. I can see myself in serious trouble come January, cash wise and of course the subsequent lack of space

Ah but it will be worth it.

Werewolf · 26 Oct 2003 at 00:11

aye i've had a few mangled boxes through in the past myself

normally where the retailer hasn't bothered with any padding, or has just bunged a box set into a jiffy bag (Play.com and my Godfather trilogy when it first came out).

I've actually tried about 15 or so retailers so far, and the only ones i've had have mainly been with speed of shipping (it's especially annoying when you're waiting 8 weeks for an "in stock" item to ship) or customs related