TheNingen wrote:Where's the best and cheapest place to preorder HG Set 1 for someone who lives in the U.S.? Do you know, Baggie?
Sorry afraid I don't. Gashapons aren't officially distributed outside of Japan and Asia so anyone selling it will mark up the price. Right now in Japan minus shipping costs the set is pre-selling for ~¥2500 but since ratio's aren't known in advance most sellers warn people that it's temporary reservation for gashapons, if the ratio's are whack then they may cancel order. However for the HG's Bandai have noted that Broly and now for #02 Movie Character will be rare so that explains why they're presumably charging ¥2500 instead of ¥1500 (¥300 x set of 5).
Bandai don't actually under ratio often but you just don't know they might pull some shenanigans, even despite of saying one figure will be rarer. Just don't know with them.
The gashapons I've pre ordered in the past all been okay but I've only pre ordered gashapons twice before (the UI VS set in April and UG#08 that came out last week) I usually wait for release when it comes to gashapons but I did risk and pre ordered all the December movie one's (except the Skill Figures).
Ratios suck. They truly do. For Banpresto it doesn't matter too much to us now since most figures get released overseas nowadays thanks to BNHD wanting to put more focus on us, but it's definitely still a problem for Bandai stuff especially gashapons, even gashapons that are released in Asia have same ratios as Japan.
That all said ratios do at least have some benefits like those that end up being over will be cheaper then if the ratios were more even.