I had the inkling that when Amiami opened up its store to the international market, something would have to change. For fans of the Japanese toy and figure market, retail price was a fact of life. With exchange rates hitting all-time highs and the worldwide economy spiraling downward, consumers were left with little alternatives other than to pay the prices or simply be without.

However, a price war would soon erupt between the two major exporters, along with a new store opening its doors to the market. By simply existing, Amiami has dramatically changed the Japanese figure export market for the better. Hit the jump to find out how.The two main Japanese hobby export sites, Hobby Link Japan and Hobby Search, have had a good grip on the market. Both retailers have a great variety of stock and were able to stave off most competitors, as they were either too small or not able to stock new releases quickly enough. The two, save for shipping options and 5% discounts, were indistinguishable from each other.

However, the grip on the market would be threatened by the introduction of Amiami to the export market. Already Japan's largest internet figure shop, Amiami was already in the minds of many as it carried a large stock and offered discounts that non-Japanese collectors deeply envied. When these discounts became available to the world market, many, including myself, jumped to the newly-opened retailer.

I wondered as to what would be the effect on the two major sites. Since Amiami opened last October, there have been a number of changes seen on both sites.



HLJ has had a number of great sales to entice customers back. Everything from free EMS shipping, deeper than usual discounts on excess inventory and regularly themed sales are just a few of the examples. Probably the most notable is their push in Early-Bird specials. Traditionally, HLJ only offers a 5% discount of pre-orders for a limited time. In just the past month, HLJ has increased this discount to 10-15%, depending on the item. This is a practice I wouldn't think would have been done, sans competition from Amiami.

The other major competitor in the market is Hobby Search. How Hobby Search stood out to many was by offering a 5% discount off the retail price. An obstacle to many though was their shipping, as they only offerred EMS as their sole shipping option, thus negating some of the savings they offered to begin with.



Since Amiami has opened, Hobby Search has done much of the same things that HLJ has, offering better sales and pre-order bonuses of 10-20% off. The best news for many is that Hobby Search has finally given us the option of SAL shipping. Although slower, it lessens the blow of the cost of shipping overseas.

Amiami has certainly opened up the market and made its impact felt immediately. Since October, we've watched as the big three compete against one another, trying top the previous' move in order to keep their customer base.

If there's any indication as to what's going to happen in the future, I don't anticipate one business going under any time soon due to the increased competition. HLJ and Hobby Search each have a customer base that swears by them and will continue to purchase from them. While Amiami has yet to match the number of items in its catalog for international purchase, HLJ and Hobby Search will continue to thrive off of its selection and brand loyalty.



The ultimate question will be whether or not the current state of the economy can sustain brand loyalty in niche marketplaces. Brand loyalty was certainly hit fiercely by the economic downturn in normal merchant markets, but we've yet to see whether or not it can effect this unique one.

As to what will be the next step for any merchant, it will have to be a race towards event-limited and Japan-only exclusive merchandise. None of the three have really made a real entry into this market except for one upstart, Otacute. It would be my prediction that Otacute will be the next major exporter, as they are the sole exporter who has dedicated real attention to these sought-after limited items. Although there are other retailers that do provide these items, these outlets are not a large enough factor to influence this particular market yet.



Due to the nature of limited items however, it is not a source of competition among the three major exporters due to such small production numbers. However, Otacute will rapidly gain marketshare among the three powers should they continue this pace. In addition, Otacute has rapidly built a reputation as a good retailer with excellent care for their customers. However, the only shot that can be thrown against them is the practice of paying for goods before they are released, something that no other major retailer does.

As sluggish as the world market and conversion rates are, now is the best time to be a consumer due to the advanced competition, better pricing, and attention being given to such a niche market. The only winners in this price war will be us, the fans and collectors.