Buying Tenyo from Japan

Post by **David (Felderswynne)** » Sun Apr 20, 2014 8:35 pm

Hello Everyone,
I was curious if it is worth it to buy Tenyo directly from Japan? I am unfamiliar with custom duties, so does one pay more in the long run. If anyone has thoughts on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Post by **Shan** » Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:44 pm

From my own experience it is way cheaper from japan and lots more availability. It's hard if you don't understand Japanese though:p
Just two weeks ago I won auction through Japanese website and got lucky rabbit for $35 and mystery china box for around $70 CAD and some other things all brand new in box plus $25 for shipping so well worth the effort!

Post by **JohnM** » Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:48 pm

I have bought both from Magico-Japan and Tokyo Hobby on ebay. Magico-Japan's prices are higher but she (the person who does the selling is called Hitomi) includes English instructions. The prices from Tokyo Hobby are really low but no English instructions and the shipping is much slower. You will not have to pay customs duties from either seller. The best place to buy current Tenyo in the US is Penguin Magic. There prices are good and the shipping is free if your total is over $100.

Post by **David (Felderswynne)** » Sun Apr 20, 2014 11:00 pm

I found another place: Plaza Japan. They were slightly cheaper than Tokyo Hobby but they convert to YEN which incurs a charge.

Post by **JohnM** » Sun Apr 20, 2014 11:22 pm

Plaza Japan is the same as Tokyo Hobby. Plaza Japan is the website and their eBay account is Tokyo Hobby. They are a big hobby store. The website prices are about 10% less because there is no eBay fee. Still no instructions and slow shipping but really low prices.

Post by **JohnM** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:04 am

Another point about buying in Japan.

Recently the US Dollar has been stronger against the Yen. A while ago it took $1.30 to buy something worth 100 Yen.

Now is is just about 1 to 100 so $1.00 can buy something worth 100 Yen.

With the 1 to 100 ratio it also makes it easy to convert Yen to US Dollars. Just take off the last two zeros.

So if something is 15300 Yen it is 153 Dollars.

Post by **Richard W** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:41 am

JohnM wrote:I have bought both from Magico-Japan and Tokyo Hobby on ebay. Magico-Japan's prices are higher but she (the person who does the selling is called Hitomi) includes English instructions. The prices from Tokyo Hobby are really low but no English instructions and the shipping is much slower. You will not have to pay customs duties from either seller. The best place to buy current Tenyo in the US is Penguin Magic. There prices are good and the shipping is free if your total is over $100.

Actually the shipping is better than that it is FREE Standard Shipping on ALL orders shipping to USA over $50. Penguin is the best place in USA to buy.

Richard

Post by **Mike H** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 1:42 am

I've ordered from Tokyo Hobby on eBay and then realized that they were also Plaza Japan (thanks to one of your old posts on TMC, John). It ends-up being cheaper to order from their website, I'm guessing they pass-on their eBay fees to the buyer. But man those tricks are SUPER cheap...

Another great US-based resource I've found is E-Z Magic. They're a wholesaler so you have to buy 2 of everything and spend at least $150 (you could always get a group buy going with a few people). Outside of Tokyo Hobby/Plaza Japan E-Z Magic has the best prices I've seen!

Post by **David DeTenyo** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:58 am

Interesting link to EZ-magic Mike, thanks. I always though you had to be a shop owner of some kind to order from them, but this is not true it seems.

Post by **Mike H** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:34 am

Yeah I was able to just create an account and get instant access.

Maybe when the 2015 line comes out we can set-up a group buy and get that sweet wholesale discount!

Post by **JohnM** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:57 pm

I am registered with, and have bought from, EZMagic which is also known as D.Robbins. D. Robbins is a longtime distributor of Tenyo. Their wholesale prices are very high. If you bought the 2014 tricks from Penguin Magic at their retail prices, the cost was very close.

2014 Tenyo

D.Robbins WHOLESALE
Magical MRI $18.00
Money Shock $18.00
Ghost Card $18.00
4D Printer $16.00
TOTAL $70 PLUS SHIPPING

Penguin Magic RETAIL
Magical MRI $20.25
Money Shock $21.06
Ghost Card $20.25
4D Printer $18.72
TOTAL $80.28 with FREE SHIPPING

This does not make sense but it is what it is.

A couple of years back Murphy's Magic started bringing in Tenyo at very good prices. Penguin probably gets their tricks from Murphy's. Here is the big difference. It seems that anybody can set-up an account with D. Robbins where with Murphy's you have to have a physical store or a giant web presence and more importantly you have to spend about $500 a month to keep the account. You might think, well I can set-up an account with D. Robbins and buy all my Tenyo from there, but Mike was right that you have to buy at least two of every Tenyo and I think the minimum order is either $150 or $200. One good thing is that once you reach the minimum order amount, you can then buy other Tenyo 1 at a time. D. Robbins selection of Tenyo is not that deep. Also they do not seem to sell any of the cool magic tricks that are released all the time. If you look at their inventory it is comprised almost entirely of very cheap looking magic and oddly, Tenyo.

When the 2015 line of tricks come out in December, D. Robbins (as well as Penguin) sells the tricks with the professionally printed, official English instructions in a cello bag attached to the back. I recommend getting these over the ones with the photocopied instructions.

D. Robbins is less than a hour from my home and 10 minutes from my parents home so I go and pick up the items (and make a visit to my parents) and save the shipping fees and I don't have to worry about the boxes getting crushed in the mail although I have gotten dinged boxes in my order from D. Robbins.

A interesting story is the first time I went to pick-up my order at D. Robbins. When I got there, my box was all tied up with string and a holder attached to the string (very old school) so I took it to my car to look at it. When I opened it up there were some things that were wrong. I went in to tell them and they said "that is why we don't like pick-ups" which is really backward thinking.

I am not trying to discourage you guys from setting up an account and buying there, (I will buy my 2015 Tenyo there) but it is just not as great as you would hope or think.

Post by **Rob Rand** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:51 pm

No, I will keep buying the new Tenyos at my local magic shop online, no shipping costs either if you order them all at once and, you receive them very quick. All including the official English instructions.

I just want to say, don't be too penny-pinching.

Post by **JohnM** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:54 pm

Rob Rand wrote:No, I will keep buying the new Tenyos at my local magic shop online, no shipping costs either if you order them all at once and, you receive them very quick. All including the official English instructions.

I just want to say, don't be too penny-pinching.

Great point. It is good to support your local magic shop so they can stay in business.

Post by **David DeTenyo** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:45 pm

I buy normally buy one set from Magico Japan and one other set from magicshop.nl, the shop Rob talks about I believe. Very good prices.

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