Ordering from China

[AridTalons]

Like the title says, ordering from China. Is it a good idea? Will my box get crushed in transit? I'm unsure.

I was wondering if any of you guys order kits via eBay from China. I got a couple of rare kits on my hobby store wishlist and I want to be able to order them once I settle down from moving. I'm hoping once I move that the kits I want won't be sold out and I can avoid buying from China but I won't be moving for another three months and that is quite a long time.

So is it a good idea to order from China? Have any of you done it and if so what was your experience?

Thanks in advance!

[Lysus]

I've gotten a couple things from Hong Kong and they were pristine. Though they were from resellers who do this for a living so they do have an online reputation to think about, never tried from a smaller outfit and never from the mainland.

[Cymru]

Ordered from both HK & China, never any issues. CHEAP!

[mannloon]

I ordered a Dragon Panther once that came a total mess. The instruction sheet had check marks on it to make sure the sprues were all there. Parts crushed, no bags. Not a a good experience. I only order from China if it's something I really need. mostly just US sellers for me.

[FuzzSquad]

I've ordered loads of items from Japan, China and Hong Kong, no issues at all. The last item was a large box, with a Tamiya Bike kit, it arrived in pristine condition.

[ForbesHutton]

Never had anything destroyed in shipping from the far east, but it will take a LONG time to get to you.

[schweinhund227]

I order only from "Lucky Model Hong Kong" ! no issues for over 10 years... +

I also order from Japan from "Hobby Link Japan"

of course.... not all will have the same impression of those 2 places... but I have only good things to say about either one...
compare prices with them and with your LHS in your area and buy at the cheapest one !

Take care.

[AridTalons]

Thanks guys! Seems alright to order then if the need arrives.
Sorry to hear about your Panther mess, mannloon. Hopefully I won't have similar problem in the future.

[Lysus]

Yeah, Japan is not HK/China. To add to my earlier response, generally I stick to established online retailers in HK/China, or if not then use an intermediary like Amazon or eBay where I can recover my money if need be.

I order from Japan regularly (HLJ or mom and pop stores alike) and have only once had a problem--and that was a shipping error by SAL not the vendor. One out of like 50 is nothing worse than USPS, if not better...

[d6mst0]

I never had a problem with bad packages or with the orders from China or Japan. Well not really a problem, but my hobby shop in Japan I use all the time sent me two 1/350 Yamato battleships and only billed me for one. They told me to keep the extra one. They were not cheap kits either.

[HIghAltitudeScale]

I've ordered from China and Japan many times and never had a problem with any shipments being damaged or lost. Usually the savings i get is enough to justify the extra few days wait and most kits are released in the Far East first so I can rub my fellow modelers nose in the fact that I have a kit before they do!

[Lysus]

I never had a problem with bad packages or with the orders from China or Japan. Well not really a problem, but my hobby shop in Japan I use all the time sent me two 1/350 Yamato battleships and only billed me for one. They told me to keep the extra one. They were not cheap kits either.

No...no they are not...

[OneSmallStep1966]

I've ordered lots from China, Japan and S. Korea and never had an issue.

[digger303]

I have ordered close to 150 kits from china ( that's Hong Kong and the mainland )and haven't had any problems with bad packaging.
Russia is sometimes a problem...be careful whom you order from
Ukraine is OK
Czechoslovakia is problematic
Poland is generally OK
Japan,Australia,UK is excellent