Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to our very first screw-up post, although the screw-up in question was by no way or form caused by yours truly. First, story time.
Some time ago, I became enamored with obtaining figures that no sane person should be enamored with obtaining. Namely, they were rare, long-out-of-stock, and/or exclusive. As per usual when I have a goal with little idea how to proceed, I asked Google. Who out there could hunt me a figure without busting my wallet along the way?
TokyoHunter popped up.
This service is good, people vouched. They'll can get you what you want, when you want, despite how exclusive it is, without busting your wallet too much (turns out everything in the figure business involves wallet-busting). So I went to their site for a look-see and liked what I saw. Exclusives galore. Hunting requests. My wallet cried silent tears as I contemplated the reality of becoming broke.
Now, I have a bad habit and a few trust issues. Before I order anything large from any place, I tend to order something smaller and less expensive just to see how things turn out. So instead of ordering a rare, expensive figure, I ordered Clalaclan swimsuit version. I figured, hey, I have Xecty on the way, why not get her a beach friend? They can splash water on one another, or partake in some other mildly erotic beach passtime. Mind you, Clalaclan wasn't anything special. She wasn't a hunt. She just so happened to be there at a discounted price. Right place. Right time. Ordered.
I awoke this morning to obnoxious doorbell ringing. Frazzled, I opened the door, ready to unleash a cascade of verbal abuse on the perpetraters, only to find a box waiting for me. Bad mood = nuked. I adulated TokyoHunter's speedy shipping (which is very quick), opened the box---and immediately noticed something was a little off.
Figure collector's know that a new figure always comes with plasic wrap (like Xecty's). Clalaclan came with just herself and her teeny-weenie bikini. Although I had suspicions beforehand (the box had been resealed, the corners were a little roughed up), this confirmed she was a used product. Was I disappointed? Just a little. I wasn't told beforehand I would be getting a hand-me-down. I had expected something new, after all, that's what they advertised on their webpage:
But that's ok. She was their last item. I assume she'd been removed from her box for display purposes, and honestly, getting used items isn't a big deal. I buy them used all the time. Xecty was used (albeit from Mandarake), and she was as good as new.
Then I noticed something else.
What's this? You're right. It's a base. See anything strange about it?
How about now? What's that strange white bit sticking where her peg should be?
Oh wait. That is her peg. It's snapped and jammed inside the base. Great. Now there's no way to remove it. Where's the other half? The only logical place. Up her foot, of course.
This is where I went "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-" (plus a little more).
Hey, I get it. Once the Shining swimsuit girls get on their pegs, it's difficult to remove them. Believe me, I've tried with Xecty. I tugged and tugged. Then I backed off because I didn't want to break her. I understand how Clalaclan could have broken, but that doesn't excuse the fact that she is broken. Is there no quality check here? Do they just stuff their figures into a box without giving them a one-over? Sure, the broken peg might be difficult to spot, but that's still not an excuse.
Let's recount. I got a used figure when I expected a new one. That's ok, I guess. Overall, Clalaclan cost me 5500 yen before shipping. That's much more than Xecty's 3500 yen used from Mandarake, but still, she's sold out elsewhere. No biggie.
But to get a broken figure for 5500 yen stung a little. And by a little, I actually mean a lot.
In a pro-constructive way, I tallied my options. I could email TokyoHunter and demand a refund, but then I would have to pay to ship the darn figure back (he doesn't refund you for shipping, unlike HLJ). I could still send her back, but then I would have to find another Clalaclan somewhere since this one was the last one for order. And I would still have to pay for shipping. Either way, I figured it was too much of a hassle.
So this is my solution:
 |
| Da da da DA, SUPERGLUE. |
Except mine's dried up. Dang nabbit!
I'll have to wait to fix Clalaclan. For now, she can just chill. Sunbathe or something. She looks oddly uncomfortable in a horizontal position. Must be that basalt beach she's lying on.
Maybe if she had a friend, and a towel.
There we go. Now they can enjoy the day together. Share girl talk and whatnot.
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| *INSERT CLEVER CAPTION HERE* |
Now I'm unsure whether I should make a hunt request with TokyoHunter. I'm sure it's a decent site given all the positive reviews it has, but this deters me a bit (and by a bit, I actually mean a lot...again). It's never nice to recieve broken products, especially when no warning's given beforehand, and the fact that they claimed she was new when she was obviously used throws their credibiity into question.
Of all the figures I've recieved, this is the first one with a break (I have had a stained figure before). Ah, new experiences, new experiences. I'm just glad it was her peg and not something more conspicuous, like her leg, or her head. Nevertheless, I wish people took more care of their figures. If someone is stuck on their peg, don't snap them off. Wriggle, my friends. Wriggle, and if needed, stick in the fridge for a few minutes. The cold should shrink the plastic enough to loosen it. The power of science be with you!
Lots of Love,
Jenn
Update: Clalaclan is now securely glued to her base. Unfortunately, this means she won't be going back into her box, unless I pad it with bubblewrap or something of equal sponginess. I'm still a little annoyed she was broken, but eh, stuff happens (to put it lightly).
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