The Legacy of Import Shops (Video Game Plush & Figures)

[@LSuperSonicQ]

As always, huge shoutout to jaxcheese for letting me use his awesome original music! More of his work can be heard here: jaxcheese.bandcamp.com/ And special thanks to PatMac for the awesome thumbnail!

[@fluffball131]

LSuperSonicQ Yeah

[@biggiecheese561]

LSuperSonicQ hey, I just wanted to tell you this because I might have found a piece of "lost" (mabye just very rare media) and it's a 30 minute long episode of the "planet heros show" after finding my copy of it recently and watching it, I tried to find the other episodes online and I could not find any (although my search was only about 15 minutes.) I just personally could barely find anything about it so since this type of thing is up your alley I just wanted to comment this, thanks for your time

[@radicalhedgehog_]

LSuperSonicQ 4:52 Now Tomy's 25th Anniversary Sonic and Knuckles Plushes now being Bootlegged.

[@bloodcolony6561]

LSuperSonicQ please do some more legacy of videos. They are very intriguing. I got an idea. The legacy of video stores like movie gallery and blockbusters with lots of video games. They were like the GameStop or movies and games before redbox put them out of business

[@yoshi18super]

Can I ask, what is the first song heard in the video (which isn’t the intro) ? Thanks

[@MarioMario64646464]

Man this video really puts a point out there. It's really a shame how bad the collecting scene has gotten in today's time. It was so much better and easier to get anything you wanted back then but now a days you have to pay like triple the price for some video game memorabilia history. I hope your video and point gets out there.

[@valkyriesprites4208]

MarioMario64646464 mp5 Luigi was 15$ is this god speaking to us using time travel

[@Juichi]

The painful part for me is that some of the people collecting now are some of the ones that tossed their old games aside. I never would have thought that it would have gotten so popular to collect older games and memorabilia.

[@jeremyaster7470]

For the first time in my life I can comment that I am the 100th like.

[@DaniTheBeautyGeek]

MarioMario64646464 ah yes......back when the mario part 5 luigi plush can be purchased for 20 bucks

[@austin_the_brimstone]

Man, I love Import shops. As a kid who dreamed of having Animal Crossing toys, I remember going into a Puzzle Zoo around 2004-2005(Import shop chain. They were much bigger a few years ago) and seeing the GCN plushies for the first time. They were too expensive, but I remember just staring at a large bin of them, in awe that these even existed without my knowledge. They had Resetti in his original white uniform, the classic horn-hatted villagers, and I vaguely remember seeing Mitzi too. Import shops really were something special, and thankfully there's still quite a few in my local mall. What my mall doesn't have anymore, though, is those GCN Animal Crossing plush!

[@pika23]

They have ac plush at Nintendo world I think u can order online...

[@twotonicimprov124]

Your videos have a great niche to them dude, I never knew there was such a prominent plush collection scene with all of this history.

[@LSuperSonicQ]

Thanks for the complement! And yes, I really wish more people (especially collectors) knew about the history and origins of where the stuff we collect comes from, and why it's important to the scene.

[@zeroni77]

LSuperSonicQ you forgot about sanei long running kirby plushies

[@nintendosegalivesstevemari5041]

@@LSuperSonicQ tell me how to find a Sonic the Fighters Bark the Polar Bear plush and nights into Dreams plush PLEEASSEE!

[@nintendosegalivesstevemari5041]

@@LSuperSonicQ no Seriously I need to go there!!

[@GaJ42]

Nintendo&Sega lives Steve Mario and Sonic it’s ok bro,you’ll get it eventually.

[@mortalanonymous9338]

My local import shop just closed down a couple months ago due to lack of traffic and the expense of keeping the shop running. I'm so sad, because I've known this shop my whole life and only moved so close just when they were leaving. I had been looking forward to being able to go more often. Import shops always have the coolest stuff.

[@leethompson-kolar6333]

I'm having nostalgic flashbacks looking at those photos of Wizzywig. I remember standing in that very spot at 1:49, questioning whether or not my brother would really play with a $30 Goomba plush. Thanks for the memories and information!

[@LSuperSonicQ]

That's such an awesome memory, glad I could evoke some nostalgia!

[@genericname_]

The Nintendo World in New York actually imports items from Japan, so that's pretty neat.

[@crismikee3335]

I have a japanese yoshi,toad, Baby luigi and Shy guy from NYC

[@genericname_]

Farfoxx22 Well they import newer merchandise. Not really older rarer ones like that, and they're also a Nintendo store so they won't have Sonic merchandise.

[@genericname_]

Farfoxx22 I never really said it was just like an import shop I was just trying to say they import their merch from Japan.

[@importgamingftw]

Damn, this video took me back. I grew up in Hawaii and would visit the two Toys N' Joys stores there several times a month as a kid. I bought my very first import games there, got my PS1 modded, bought a Saturn Action Replay Plus...I can say without a doubt that without Toys N' Joys, I wouldn't be doing my channel, and I probably wouldn't be living in Japan. Toys N' Joys suddenly closed when the owner decided to close shop and start up a fancy pants restaurant in Honolulu Chinatown, and from what I understand, her children, who inherited the business, had no interest in continuing, so it suddenly had an incredible sale of all its merchandise for two weeks or so, and that was it. I have countless memories and things I purchased from those stores over many years--wish it was still around. I wanted to make a video similar to yours, but couldn't find the assets I needed to do so, so thanks for making one. Fruity as it may sound, I hope it serves as a reminder of how magical being a fan of video games was in that era.

[@LSuperSonicQ]

That's an awesome story! It's really nice to hear good things from Toys N Joys' earlier years. It's too bad the way things ended up with them, though.

[@cesariojpn]

I remember the one near the Goodwill on Waiale Ave. I think there were others in the area and was a "nerd" area (helps it was near University of Hawaii Manoa) One I bought a complete set of Agent Aika DVD's from a store near Toys n Joy. Only Gecko Comics I think is left in the area that is even remotely nerdy.

[@KingLaneCreations]

I have a import shop at the mall, but they mostly have TOMY Pokemon and bootleg Mario plushes. Edit: When the import shop relocated, their now starting to sell official Mario plushes.

[@YellowYoshi398]

Collectibles seem to have suffered the same fate that retro / vintage games have. The fall of brick-and-mortar retailers and the rise of online second-hand shopping has made many retro games prohibitively expensive. The problem with sites like eBay is that it's a seller's market rather than a buyer's market like real life shopping.

[@LSuperSonicQ]

That's a really good comparison, and it's correct in every way.

[@Juichi]

I wouldn't say it's the fall of brick-and-mortar, but definitely the rise of online shops and in general the rise of retro gaming popularity. Many people that grew up with games got rid of them as teens and now that they are older they are getting back into games and trying to relive their childhood. There is also the younger generations that never got to play those games that are interested in them. EBay can go either way. It depends on supply and demand. I used to buy games on eBay 15+ years ago for cheapish and to get things I couldn't find otherwise. Items that are in demand, like video game merch and video games, are going to cost more and will continue to do so until people stop paying ridiculous prices. Now don't get me wrong, the internet in general has given people a base to decide what games are worth, whereas previously it was much harder to know what some items are worth so if you were a shopper you could look around to find the best deal. Nowadays you're less likely to find a shop that sells an item for much less than the competition.

[@kaydwessie296]

We have a local import shop and it's really fun to go to and get stuff from but let me tell you 90% of it is bootleg stuff. I think the workers know, because they seem so cynical/dead lol. You can find real Nendoroids and stuff when they're in the box (I check myfigurecollection because I ain't about to get scammed) but all the ones sold out of the box at the counter are such obvious bootlegs, they're all ones I have or used to have except so shitty looking. I bought an Overwatch tapestry there last time I went and I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was stolen art.

[@Juichi]

I was thinking about this too. This has always been a huge problem. I'm surprised it didn't come up in the video. For every legit shop there was/is a knock off one. Back in the day many of the bootleg shops had items that didn't have an official version. They were obviously cheaper in price and quality. I still have some items that were bootleg. Nowadays I feel like some bootlegs are meant to make you think you have the official thing.

[@cyberplayer9626]

I wish Target would sell Sonic Merchandise again :( Edit: Nevermind my wish came true, thanks Jakks.

[@Saturnzレトロ]

Me too :(

[@PyroJiro]

I don't really care much for figures, but your videos that focus on them are always so interesting.

[@LSuperSonicQ]

Thanks! Guess I'm doing my job well!

[@TeruteruBozusama]

There's a few import stores here in Norway and I remember visiting one in Spain as bigbro bought an American InuYasha calendar there. Import stores tend to be really expensive here, often the double of what they cost in the origin country so importing with Amazon, cdjapan, etc. is often much cheaper even with shipping.

[@sombrashibe]

I have seen import shops at conventions in modern times. And their prices are pretty decent! I picked up some Pokedoll and Pokemon center Japan plushies at a local gamer con. One of them was a vintage Cyndaquil! So I'm happy that they live on that way. I even saw one in the form of a hybrid form bookstore at my local mall. So they find a way!

[@sombrashibe]

I'm located in Connecticut by the way.

[@Juichi]

Dealers at cons can be hit or miss, but sometimes they have good deals on merch or they are willing to cut the price to lessen the merch they have to leave with.

[@monarq2201]

Where I live import stores are abundant.

[@jagagagaga]

These shops were awesome especially for animal crossing Plushies now they are incredibly rare (I'm talking 176 CAD for a plush of a villager boy with a fishing rod) thank you for this video, hope your point gets out there!

[@davidsherman7326]

I'm really enjoying this new "Legacy of" series. I can't wait to see what topics you'll cover in the future!

[@LSuperSonicQ]

I have lots more ideas for this series, so I'm really glad people like yourself are enjoying it!

[@deadfutureIV]

Awesome vid as expected!✊✊ and nostalgia hit me like a brick cause I remember seeing these types of stores around malls when I was about 5 and loved to look around in them seeing all the stuff you wouldn't see in a Toys R us/KB Toys *RIP* and course me being young asf couldn't afford anything and would try to beg my parents lmao but still anything involving Sonic adventure 2 really gets me hyped cause any toy/plush relating to it is near non existent today lol but it's nice to see what I saw back than but as an adult 12 years later in HD👌👌 anyways Awesome series 🙌🙌🙌 Keep it up!!👍

[@catstorm26]

i used to go to wizzywig, it was like a dream in there.... i remember when they moved and then closed, it was so disappointing because i know more about anime now and would have appreciated it more...

[@catstorm26]

that 2011 footage is from their second location which was way smaller. i still have the pokemon figures i bought there. they had gachapon machines and a big poster of sherlock hound.

[@LSuperSonicQ]

Yeah same, I didn't order much from them back in the day but if they still existed I'd definitely support them more. That's really cool though that you were able to visit them.

[@EpicMarioPlayer]

I love your videos, even if often they are about things I didn't exactly experience. They are so detailed with info and well researched, with a lot of effort put into them.

[@surakofu]

just started watching your channel and I can say that I like it quite a lot, keep up the good content!

[@LSuperSonicQ]

Thank you, and will do!

[@carsisbest]

The import shop I know is still around! Toon Planet in Downey CA at the Stonewood Mall, that's where I gotten Mario, Kirby, and Sonic plushes there.

[@sandymoody8708]

Nice and informative video...it is sad what happened to those shops. I remember those back in the day. It truly is a shame what the internet and more so greedy people did to the market. It's really not the internets fault as much as the people trying to exploit others for profit. It is really disgusting. Its ironic I saw one ebayer we all know and love on almost each of your screen shots of over priced items LOL. Now it's Mario party plushes and soon to be Kelly toy plushes they seem to be the next batch of items being scalped.......I honestly think these informative videos you do are incredibly interesting and helpful to the community at large especially the PSA style. You should do more considering your extensive knowledge on values and rarity. You could help many people! Not that you already don't, but I think that's something many would benefit from. Also, I know younger collectors who learned about old sets from the likes of you and patmac and more of those videos are always nice!

[@maeganmonster]

There's a place in the outlet mall in Round Rock, TX called Press Play. No website, no social media presence, but a massive selection of Pokemon merchandise from Japan, vintage video games, anime merch, DVDs... Prices are a little high but think of it as already having the shipping cost added in. I wish I had more time to explore the whole store when I first stumbled upon it.

[@Cheeze1720]

I would really love it if import shops came back into business. People in Ebay overprice them.Its hard to find a decent plushie or figurine thats not overpriced,I have to look everyday mostly to find good pricing for rare collectibles. lol I've been desperately trying to find that Sonic bomber jacket they were selling last year in October. I can only find it in ebay overpriced, the original pricing was 100-130$ or so

[@Lowriderclicks]

Imagine if import shops were still here imagine how eazy the collecting sence could be

[@sweet_sukeban4022]

I've noticed the trend with yja auction items getting listed on eBay for inflated prices. Example. I saw a plush going for 100 on eBay and only for ¥1000 yen (around 10bucks) on yja. I bought it on yja and wouldn't you know it the eBay listing disappeared but not before I tried buying it. "I'm sorry I had a problem with my supplier" My ass, he was trying to scam Americans that don't know any better.

[@LSuperSonicQ]

VERY very true! I've always wondered what kind of excuse they'd give, and wow that's scummy.

[@sweet_sukeban4022]

LSuperSonicQ it's always a "supplier issue" or something similar. If you see anything you want that's rather uncommon take a look around yja first and call them out.

[@Juichi]

I hadn't heard about this. That's really scummy. I've been hesitant about buying Japanese merch in the US ever since I went to Japan and saw the price differences. I make sure to do my research, but hadn't seen a specific situation like that. I always assume the person bought a bunch of things in Japan and was ready to send it out.

[@retrogamelord3763]

Quite a lot of these still exist in Toronto. There is even a place called pacific mall and, oh man, imports everywhere in that place. One HUGE mall of cheap foreign products lol

[@Icarus975]

Retro Game Lord WAIT. Is that the mall with the big hotel inside of it & also includes a Starbucks next to the lobby & hallway to the mall?

[@SUNKENSATURN]

there's actually 2-3 import shops at West Edmonton Mall that I remember going to in January of this year, so they're still around but you have to look for them.

[@keeperofwind6937]

Hey WizzyWig was mention! I use to go the store in Michigan when I was younger. The store is long gone now through, after they moved they stayed open for awhile before closing. Amazing to see it mention or any youtube video since I never see it mention at all these days.

[@treesters]

don't know if i ever commented on this... this video brings me back a lot. as a kid, i would browse import shops online because i never really knew if there were any around me, and i simply didn't know physical stores existed. toys n' joys was my favorite to browse on! i was also a little "too young" to understand collectibles and bootlegs, etc... i was really surprised when you showed the one in michigan (1:42), cause hey, i was around there! and i'm so upset i missed out on that one. luckily, i live by a mall that contains an import shop of sorts! it's mostly for japanese products, and most of them are bootlegs...you're lucky if you find a nendoroid that's not secretly messed up and not over $70 - $100. but i think it's the closest thing i'll get even though i can just buy stuff online. :') i also wanna thank you for getting me interested in lost media and i agree that toys to some degree should be included as lost media...if it has an interesting history, why not! anyways. keep up the good work, this is one of my favorite videos to come back to when i'm feeling down.

[@LSuperSonicQ]

Thank you for the thoughtful comment! Yeah I really wish I had been more knowledgeable about import shops when they were around so I could have supported them more. I guess their demise was inevitable, but it still would have been cool getting more toys from them. I also don't live anywhere near Michigan but I really wish I had been able to visit Wizzywig just once before they closed.

[@e.s.4958]

I mean, I still know some import shops, like Game Zone in New Jersey. And technically, Nintendo NY is an import shop (to a lesser extent).

[@strangepoyo1201]

RIP import shops:I never seen one of you... But you seem dam awesome

[@slobberytech8811]

Am I the only one who clicked in this video for the Klonoa plush in the thumbnail?

[@gdlxr]

Slobberytech88 your not alone

[@ISuperI]

You're not alone

[@FloppyDisk893]

I never went to an import shop before... Guess I "Missed out"

[@568legosupermarioReal]

I have a giant import shop called Pacific Mall near me. (It's in Toronto)

[@unlawfultoad]

I live in Toronto to and I got a wario plush from pacific mall and it was unfortunately fake.☹️

[@UchihaMadara-e6u]

568legosupermario I also live in toronto and have a Mario Party 5 bowser from there

[@jbdbibbaerman8071]

I think I went to one import shop once. I want to go back in time to do it again. I think my little brother got a few Sonic plushes. I remember specifically him getting a Silver the Hedgehog plush, that went missing in 2012.

[@TheRealLumpySpirit]

About a month ago I bought a Marx plush (The guy from kirby) off of an imports website called something along the lines of J-Popsculture. Went to have a look at it and what do you know... It's a San-ei plush! But then you go and look it up and find out that some guy on Ebay is selling them for like 2 bucks more than what you paid... Oh well.

[@twenty1stpilot]

Omg Wizzywig was my store! So was Robozone, Anime Plus and HobbyLink.. Conventions and the rise in minimalism are also import store killers, they're still around but very rare to find hidden somewhere in a mall. Barnes & Nobles carrying such items too also effected the market.

[@UnknownFlyingPancake]

You see them a lot at anime cons though. They sell a lot of cool stuff hard to find elsewhere, even online. They're far from gone.

[@Abel-Alvarez]

Luckily I'm in Cali since here in LA they have a BIG one called ANIME JUNGLE as well as FANCY WAY.

[@LealVenom]

Awesome video! I remember import shops. You got a new subscriber!

[@ShinyMyuu]

There's an import shop down the street from my house! Owned by my dad's next door neighbors daughter.

[@TheLuckiNeko]

Well, there's still some import stores here in Michigan, even during the Post-Wizzywig days. Anime GT at Sterling Heights, Anime to Skateboards at Southgate, hihi at Royal Oak, and Otaku Detroit at Madison Heights.

[@strippinheat]

The internet, in general, changed everything. I used to go to anime cons where I could find these shops, including Wizzywig, selling their goods that I couldn't buy elsewhere in the dealers' room. Then I could go to a video room and watch fansubs of shows that recently aired on Japanese TV that wouldn't hit the US market for a year, if ever. But now, you can buy directly from Japan through sites like eBay and stream anime the same day it airs from home. It's nice being able to see and feel a product before purchasing it, but cameras with high resolution pics and videos are in everyone's pockets and you can see them across the world in a second, and you don't have to worry about paying premium marked up prices.

[@gengaraproved8435]

I’m from the Netherlands. My childhood favourite import chain Nedgame is still around to this day and they’ve surprisingly upped their game. Back in my childhood they had only like a couple of plushies in the physical store, but nowadays they have tens of them. Can’t quite say the same about a gaming collectors shop in Rotterdam I went to in like 2010 maybe and closed down in 2011-2012 already. Right there I bought Pokémon tcg Delta Species for a price tag that was steep for a 9-year old who just wanted Pokémon cards, but not outrageous. Well that investment might have ten-folded now.

[@DrewPicklesTheDark]

I remember going in to one of these in a mall once and being in awe.

[@yotsubafanfan]

I got into anime right about the time Import shops were dying. I went to one in Chattanooga called The Character Box. The very first time I went it was mind blowing. I absolutely was in heaven! Plushies, stationary, manga, props from magical girl anime, Figures, imported CD's... it was amazing. I went back a couple years back and was heart broken at what I saw. It was a hollow shell of it's former self. Gone were the imported anime plushies, in were the ones I can find at pretty much any Books a million and Barnes and Noble and more Nintendo plushies than actual anime plushies, the figures was what was especially heart breaking. They had like maybe 20 real figures and what felt like was 250 Pop figures. The Stationary section was still good but not as good as I remembered it was practically empty. It still had imports of a different kind in the form of K-Pop posters and K-pop (which is cool but it was mainly BTS.) Unfortunately I've noticed this same thing happen to dealer rooms at conventions too. I'd give anything to have been able to hit an import shop in it's prime one last time.

[@nintendofan7586]

I searched up if there were any import shops left in Minnesota and all I got were car repair shops :(

[@LindsayTheWolf13]

Duuuude, how did I not know about these when I was younger? Man, I remember being like 13 and seeing a bunch on anime merch online I wanted but and couldn't get because they were exclusive to Japan! I would've loved to find an import shop! Then again, I do live in Jersey, and chances are the closest import shop would've been in New York, anyway.

[@lilred7679]

Great video, as per usual Lssq!

[@LSuperSonicQ]

Thanks Lil Red, glad you're still enjoying them!

[@onslaughtiscool]

the legacy of? sounds like an awesome idea

[@rosescentedembrace]

toys n joys was my local import stop growing up and i used to hang out there. heck i even met my boyfriend at the time there. they had tons of awesome knock off in addition to offical merch too. it was the only place i could get Yamato and escaflowne model kits. hahaha.

[@angeloortiz7903]

I remember my dad telling me about wizzywig But I never knew it was where I was born Ann Arbor Michigan!

[@videooverload8158]

Aw cool! Massachusetts!

[@jhaynewe]

wasnt there gonna be a legacy of ufo catcher video 1200000000 years ago is this a spiritual successor to that

[@valkyriesprites4208]

reala yep your right plus I just got a sanei re plush

[@LSuperSonicQ]

Nah, this was always a separate topic from the UFO vid. I don't think I ever even did much work on the UFO vid to begin with, but in the future maybe I'll take another look at it.

[@krysm186]

An import shop actually just opened up a couple months ago within driving distance to me. I REALLY would like to see them thrive, but for reasons as stated in your video, I have my doubts. They sell a lot of Nintendo imports, and anime figures, with various other things thrown in. Their location means they have a higher chance of success since it's in a busy mall, but even then I'm afraid people will choose places like amazon or ebay over it. There's not a whole lot of unique items in the shop, but it's pretty cool to go to. Their prices are pretty good and they just rolled out a rewards card.

[@64ds]

Damn, I honestly really wish I got the chance to go to Wizzywigs before it closed down. I'm around a half hour from it and during that time (and still to this day) I'm really into collecting any type of Pokemon Plushies I can get my hands on.

[@Hazyrdous]

Well, while i don't know much about video game memorabilia wise, i know that when it comes to anime and manga memorabilia i see many chains selling Japanese imports. I live in California and not only have i seen a couple in my hometown, i seea whole lot when i go up to LA. Some nameworthy ones are Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle (they sell both localized merch as well as japanese ones, but mainly figures), F.Y.E. (though, tough to find those nowadays, most have closed), Kinokuniya (mainly dabbles in both Japanese and English manga + books but when i go to their LA branch i see a lot of anime collectibles too), and Book-Off (mainly used manga, toys, collectibles etc). In Little Tokyo there is also a ton of gift shops centered around anime and manga memorabilia straight from Japan. At my local mall (in Escondido) we have a Comics n' Stuff with a ton of manga, old comics, plushes, figures, even posters. You never know what you can find!

[@four-en-tee]

I still have my Impresto Luigi plush. I'll never give it away, and its going to my kid once I have one.

[@scoutyd1237]

Where I live we still have lots of import shops! It’s amazing!

[@DevilMayKye]

There's a Japanese import shop in the international district of Seattle, but it's almost always closed. It's sad, because it looks like a nice store from what I see on window display.

[@radicalhedgehog_]

4:52 Now Tomy 25th Anniversary Sonic Plushes are now getting Bootlegged

[@CloudySkies17695]

Oh goody...

[@idontcheckmynotifications]

We had Gametraders here in Australia, and they sold a lot of retro game stuff as well as a bit of import stuff and a lot of merch. I always loved looking in their stores, but the one closest to me was quite a ways away and I didn't find out that local one closed last year, until months after it happened. They still have a few stores around, but none in my state. I know it's not really focused on importing so it's not completely on-topic here... but man, I just started playing my Wii again and I have an itch for the PS2 and it sucks my local GT is gone now. I'm sure they would have had some stuff I wanna buy, games to look through and the GC-GBA adapter I had to get off eBay. They weren't cheap to buy from or especially close to me, it's just that nothing was really like it. I only saw them a few times and only remember getting stuff from them once or twice, just like the Blockbuster I kept passing years back, but I regret not visiting them much just as much as with Blockbuster. The last thing I remember getting from them is Super Mario Galaxy 2. I got a giant SMG2 poster from that store with it, so at least I have that.

[@randomtinypotatocried]

I remember having one in the mall. I miss it so much.

[@Yashahiro_]

I remember going to toys n joys every dat after school 😍 i think thats where my collection started. I remember buying a bunch of Naruto things snd coming to school with the ninja headband lol. I think there actually still open.

[@vuffyvonhoof4641]

I remember wizzy wig it was one of the best import stores in michigan that i can remember that and masquerade games, but wizzywig really went down hill near the end once they moved locations

[@HexManiacHana]

The UFO catcher site had hide plushies! I wish the site was still up T^T

[@OSSOYT]

Always watch your videos and learn more

[@notrealy180217]

I always wanted to get Animal Forest figures in like 2002 from Ebay but they were pretty expensive. I am sure they are a ton now. The sets with the house and Nook's and stuff. I wish I had one of these stores closer to me back then.

[@Kieran_X9]

do the mystery of bomberman 3ds cancelled 3ds game from 2011

[@fuzzyco.3336]

There's still a few import shops in Canada

[@a1goldenrunner]

I still plan to purchase some imports in a few months and I'm excited to get my hands on something that win't be localised for over a year

[@scyhh4233]

There is still a semi import shop in my home province of Newfoundland. It's called Entertainment Centre. They sell merch, games, Amiibo and consoles

[@defectzim]

There are still a few import shops near where i live. (Mostly in malls though.)

[@halfshinesketches]

There is something like import shops near where I live. They like you said have small inventory and they mostly sell Pokémon stuff

[@darkcrescent2903]

Ok i saw that metal mario plush, tbh i would snatch that up in a heart beat just because thats something you don't see everyday

[@adrianmiklja7331]

These shops look so cool. I'm just thinking about all the cool plushies I could have got.

[@MintyDragonVidz]

My local import shops are still open and successful. Most of the merch they sell is obscure stuff that is just super cool but at a descent price that doesn’t completely destroy your wallet. They also buy and sell games, both retro and new. And it’s in a brick and mortar mall that’s not bankrupt. The whole place is a FRIGGEN UNICORN! Google Rooster’s Fun Unlimited

[@THATEVILNERD]

wow..waltham ma and newburry comics, weird to see stuff local to me in a youtube video

[@Furby_Productions]

I wish import shops were still around today

[@eisenwower]

i wish i was older when import shops were popular... :( i would love to go to one...

[@BillyBob125]

I remember Atamii, I use to watch the KZbin channel they had, it was ran by some old dude. I remember watching his Ben 10 and Badeblade videos.

[@BillyBob125]

I also remember trying to buy stuff from there but every time I would click the "Buy" option a pop up would say that it was out-of-stock.

[@neomariobros5560]

I have a Japanese import shop near me. They have some rare plushes, just not as much

[@maryphillips8069]

Fantasy comics has a ton of stuff. They're my favorite store and sell some rare stuff cheaper than some places. Also, vintage stock

[@thecarsnerd8036]

well if we still had import shops most of us well already had such rare items like the mario party 5 luigi

[@UchihaMadara-e6u]

There was a Chinese bookstore in Markham where I bought a sonic x GE plush and a set of 11 Japanese Mario Party figures but it sadly closed down

[@Ninnintender]

I wish import shops weren't dead

[@Hashbrown0079]

In Las Vegas there is an import shop called Kappa Toys so I guess not all of them are gone

[@velu.9864]

2 near me are Comoc hobby and game city

[@kennethkay7226]

I want to collect pokemon toys forever.

[@josiahschiewe9618]

There is a small Pokemon collectibles shop called Pokemaniacs near where I live. The prices are high, but not nearly as unreasonable as eBay generally is. Unfortunately, as far as I know, it's only a local shop. I've not managed to find locations anywhere else as of this comment.

[@pika23]

Once at my local big lots, they had a butt load of animal crossing the movie plush key chains! I scooped up 6.

[@puffylinux8653]

we have an import store where i live here, its got a couple locations but i have definitely noticed a decline in its stock. the selection of things like video games and anime merch has shrunken quite a bit over the years sadly, it doesnt help that the number of sanrio stores in the US is shrinking too! so they have less of even those things. The store is still around, but it basically 50% traditional Japanese tea sets, and random items like keychains and squishys with maybe a FEW specific Japanese import items scattered about... its not quite what it used to be sadly :/

[@ScatteredCollector]

Luckily, I have 2 imports shops right in my city. Although I don't go to them (due to lack of time), I can tell you that they are making a reasonable profit. Especially one that literally makes a profit from the lottery alone

[@Crow-uo9ke]

There's one small import shop near where I am

[@Cyrilcynder1]

There's still 2 VERY BIG import shops in the mall of America :> Also FYE but they are Terri ly spendy and seemed to have become a funko store now >

[@SmilingAdvocate]

I usually by my marvel, pretty cure and gaming figures and plushies (mainly plushies) on amazon because it’s my only option. I wish there were more import shops still. Pretty Cure merchandise is so hard to get and so expensive and I wish they were more available (one plushie I have ordered from last years season of pretty Cure, Hugtto, was once $200 on amazon but I got it for $20 fortunately)

[@sethsmith2161]

are there any near or in north shore of Massachusetts