Brett you really need to get outside more often....
But thanks for the price break down
:-) :-)
I actually get them much cheaper than I said in my post, but I buy a large number of figures at a time.
The prices I said in my previous post was for that particular number of figures bought at one time. Obviously if you buy larger volumes the prices drop dramatically.

EDIT:Also I should add that I'm not a retailer - I'm just a modeller who tries to cover his own modelling costs and unfortunetly I fail miserably
Anyone that tries to make a living out of selling models has way more courage than I. I can see from my limited exposure it would be a pretty tough slog.

2nd EDIT: I have just read my private messages - Brett your messages are borderline insulting - implying that I'm full of "bulls#$" or selling copies.
I do not know if they where intended to be, but it is how they came across.

This thread is about buying from overseas , I stated the prices I have gotten items for and you, yourself noted the prices I sold my excess or no longer wanted items for on Ebay.
And no I did not lose money. (With the postage I either broke even or made a few dollars - it was more about satisfying the wife than turning a profit.)
But thanks for implying I have the business acumen of a gnat.

This just basically reconfirms that sometimes you will get better value buying overseas.

I have spoken with Roger before and I will contact him directly to advise him of the details of who is selling me these items. If you had asked previously I would have been happy to disclose this to all.
But I will tell you this - I buy from a guy / firm that took recievership of a chain of Hobby shops. There's more than one way to source modelling items.
I have a huge range of Verlinden, Warriors, Jaguar ,etc etc all of which I bought for around 30% of Aussie value. As I need to raise funds (for yet more models - lol) I sell some off.
The bulk of the items I buy go to a number of my mates and what I unload is decided by my current fancy.

You seem to have taken my example personally - it was not about your prices, or service simply what I have experienced buying from overseas.

Remember I am not a rival business - but a consumer and potential customer, who occasionally sells his surplus items on Ebay (and not just models either I'll be listing a nice Mini-reef system in the next week or so)
I basically take advantage of overseas items being cheaper buying a few more than I want and sell them to offset my hobby costs.

There are at least three specialist mail order companies in Australia that have many resin figures and armour updates including Warrior, Alpine, Wolf Hornet,Jaguar, Verlinden Legends etc etc You just have to know where to look, if they guy who is getting Hornet figures for $12 AUD could let us in on where you are getting them from that would be great that is cheaper than Hornets wholesale price I alkso sell a lot of stuff to the US and Europe because it is cheaper here, this especially applies to england where for example a Legends Puma conversion can sell for as much as £ 100 in Australia you can pick one up for $130.00AUD so there are bargains everywhere. I agree with the guy working in the shop things are often hard to get here, and it is hurting the model shops many shops can't be bothered getting specialist items though they would rather sell Radio Control kits, thats were they make there money

What are you talking about fair comparsion??
How is it not fair - I sourced the guy off Ebay (about $16.00 AUD a figure) and opened a dialogue with in regards to bulk purchases.

This topic is not about your store Vs Overseas.

The topic was about buying overseas Vs locally.
I merely mentioned the prices I am able to get OVERSEAS and it has stirred up all this.

The truth is if I could have walked into a local Sydney model shop and purchased Hornet figures I would have. But since no one stocks them down here in a retail outlet I whacked "hornet figures +buy" into a browser and guess what the 1st reply was.....

Oh and do check my store in the next week as I will be putting a large number of Verlinden figures up.

Apologies regarding above post by Jasmils as it was actually me.
Problem is we both use same computer. Will double check in future to see whose name registered.
AndyD, the point is your Hornet example was not a fair comparison as you obtained product from a shop(s) that had been liquidated. That price and those of the other ranges is not a realistic example as that deal was not available to all. It is not a RRP but a price that happened because somebody went out of business. Only works as long as that liquidated stock is available. After that has gone your example no longer is valid. Basically that pricing can not be maintained.

I totally agree - the other bad point was that he has heaps of a limited range (and are cheap) and moderate amounts of the more intresting (read Allied)figures with a higher retail.
He also sells Kirin and Imperial Gallery very, very cheaply.

However saying it's not realistic I disagree - I regulary pick up excellent bargins from Ebay and other US auction sites. (and I'm yet to see any models listed on Aussie liquidations or bulk auction sites)
One recent one was the Andrea mounted German Kettle drummer for approx. $40 AUD including postage. The downside is that I buy crap sometimes simply cause it cheap -lol
That said probarly a large reason I shop online is lack of decent model shops in the Sydney CBD where I live.
Now if Firestorm had a walkup counter...
You should approach Napoleons Military Bookshop about renting some floorspace!!
:-) *Hint Hint*

While not taking sides I got the opinion early on that this thread was about purchasing 'FROM LOCAL RETAILERS V's OVERSEAS RETAILERS' and not about buying from e-bay or your mate down the road.

So sorry Andy your comparison when taken in context is not fair to the retailers who answered your intial post as it is not buying from a regular supplier. Also I would say that it would cost these same retailers far more to bowse and buy your way then from their regular suppliers taking into account time as well which you have to do when running a business.

All that aside though I do buy 75% of my supplies from local sources but there will always be that 25% that I will buy from overseas.

Just my 5 cents worth.

Cheers
Cliff

Sorry I just deleted the above post without reading it properly first. Sorry Brett.

Jason

Well, tanx for all the responses. Some fairly passionate ones in their at that.

I was going to summarise the points raised but I think that would only insult your intelligence. So..what's the solution to the dilema of people purchasing overseas when Oz based hobby retailers could supply the product? I'm not talking about the LHS as it's already been raised that with the thousand of products items available it could be financial suicide to stock them all. How can I as a hobby type be attracted to buy mail order from Oz?

No fights this time.

Cheers

Hi Shane,

Now just look what you've started!....

I Try to stick local (Australia) as much as posible, I do my impulse buying at my local (it's a Toyworld so not trying to stock what we require but occassionally they suprise me. If it's something I'll wait for I'll order through them as well. I use Firestorm to get my warrior figure and firestorm products as the buildings are very good. I'll use Frontline for things I need, example they took one week to get me some Academy tiger track links and they weren't in stock. But then I'll go direct for specialty items, I get my AFV mag and Tristar figures from AFV Modellers in the UK. Has anyone found a punch and die set here? or Historics?

I live in Cairns, I have to try every option. You can't blame the shop keepers for not stocking what modellers want we are a minority in the comunity.
Brisbane has Hobby one, Mr Toys at Springwood and Hobby world. Rockhamptons got a good store, Ipswich has a good store. Townsvilles Toyworld is pretty good. Perth Hobby's in town is a Great store, Newies got Frontline, Adelaide's got a good store on the Airport side of the City centre. Sydneys got Hobbyco which isn't bad, And Melbourne's got that little one upstairs on Swanston street ( forgive me if I got anything wrong...it's all from memory).
Anywhere else in Australia..... Your stuffed!

Gaz