My experience with "Hobby Search"

2 forums ago, I posted a bit about my intentions to buy some things from
"Hobby Search", a Japanese site with a huge selection of Plarail products.
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/rail/
The consensus seemed to be that folks were interested, but no one had tried yet. I'd had good experience ordering model kits from a similar site "Hobbylink Japan", so I went ahead and made the following order.

Item name Unit Price Q.T.Y Price Order No.
Item name J-08 New Turn Table (Model Train)
630 yen 1 630 yen 13-1230-1356
Item name J-09 Railway Depot (2 pieces) (Model Train)
360 yen 2 720 yen 13-1230-1356
Item name J-15 Mini Pier (16 pieces) (Model Train)
630 yen 1 630 yen 13-1230-1356
Item name R-07 Twice Straight Rail (432mm) (4 pieces) (Model Train)
540 yen 1 540 yen 13-1230-1356
Item name R-11 Turn Out Rail (L/R each 1 piece) (Model Train)
360 yen 1 360 yen 13-1230-1356
Item name R-12 Point Rail Figures of Eight (L/R each 1 piece) (Model Train)
360 yen 1 360 yen 13-1230-1356
Item name R-20 Quarter Straight Rail (54mm) (3 version & 3 pieces) (Model Train)
315 yen 1 315 yen 13-1230-1356

Shipping Cost 1,580 yen
Amount 5,135 yen

The yen to dollar rate is just about 100 to one, so just bump the decimal point two to the left for the dollar total.

As you can see, the prices were incredibly low. Even when figuring in shipping, they were lower than Amazon, Ebay, etc, in some cases, by nearly half.

I used the SAL packet shipping to save $ as The SAL shipping cost is about what you'd expect to pay for domestic shipping of a similarly sized package. As expected, it took about almost 2 months to reach me. However I think it was worth if for the savings. Also, there's something nice about having a package you forgot about show up unexpectedly with a bunch of good stuff .

I'll likely order again at some point and will certainly be paying more attention to the Hobby Search website.

[Ucwepn]

I have used their site before as it was the only place to acquire "Mr.Motorman", quite happy with the service I received.

[Super]

Thanks for telling us about your experience with Hobby Search. I have never bought anything from them but I do use their site for research quite a bit. I will try them out one day as you are right, there prices are very nice and they seem to get all the new stuff in first. And I really love how you can be put on an Email waiting list to be notified when newly released items are in stock. However I am not as patient as you. I always opt for Express shipping from Japan as I can't wait to get my hands on the new toys. LOL

I use Hobbysearch for all my preorders/reservations the prices are great the product is great and it makes it easy to get new releases at a decent price, plus I preorder all the limited editions so I can get one before the secondary market scalpers drive the price through the roof! That is why I posted about the reservations opening for the new Thomas real life plarail so this group could pre order before they realize they want and the price has already doubled!

thanks for this post. ive often looked on there, especially when wanting to learn more about a plarail thomas set, to see what it comes with etc. i find their images more helpful than google for showing set contents.

Glad you folks found it useful. One question for folks that use other sites, is there a site that has pictures for it's pre-orders? I noticed that nearly all the pre-order items have no pictures, and I don't know enough about how TOMY works to know if it's because the pictures haven't been released yet or because Hobby search doesn't put pictures on pre-orders.

[Super]

Good question Eilif

I would be interested in hearing if anyone can answer that as I have also wondered the same thing about soon to be released items. Especially when the description is vague or they are using the same item number as one that was discontinued, which I still don't understand why they do that.

Hi great question and unfortunately I do not have a perfect answer, but here is what I can say HobbySearch does not get pictures to post until Tomy has given them the pictures and posted the pictures of up coming models on their own site. They are posted earlier on this Tomy page which I keep bookmarked. Do not click on the top corner button that says English it will take you away from the page you want to be on! instead let Google translate do the work, if you are browsing using Google chrome it will pop up automatically, I have Google translate set up to always translate any Japanese text it can translate.

And I have learned to trust Tomy and I can usually tell if it is something special that will be sold out before photos are available.

The new Shinkansen line up for June has already been posted so in June expect to see photos of July releases.


here is the exact website page link, I recommend you keep it bookmarked as I do I use it quite often!

http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/pla...w/1404.htm



and to members who have joined after I posted this preorder here it is again I know their isn't a photo yet but if you love Thomas and the real life trains Tomy makes you will not be disappointed in this preorder and it will be limited:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10271494

you can see a link to a picture of the real life train this Plarail toy will be based off in my thread titled "You Heard it Here First"

Glad you folks found it useful. One question for folks that use other sites, is there a site that has pictures for it's pre-orders? I noticed that nearly all the pre-order items have no pictures, and I don't know enough about how TOMY works to know if it's because the pictures haven't been released yet or because Hobby search doesn't put pictures on pre-orders.

I actually use Hobby search a lot. Lots of good things there. I get most of my Plarail engines there. However, they do sell out quite fast. The prices are quite low for me when it come to buying locos, sets and other items. It's reliable to me.