  So I live in California,  within Los Angeles county, and there are certain anime goods shops, some are in a local mall, or at "Tokyo Central Market" over in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles here in California. Many of these shops sell a very \*\*limited\*\* selection of Gundam model kits.

I'll often check these places once a month to see if they get new gundam model kits in. Now my complaint is that many of these shops have a \*\*very questionable\*\* mark ups on most of the gundam kits...  on common HG 1/144 kits, where prices range between $45\~$60.

This internally in my mind makes me very LIVID and  they loose a possible sale because of these high mark-ups.



I can look up the original Yen prince and convert into US dollar, and things are not fitting right price wise.  IF a kit is 2500+ Yen for example (around $20+)  I think a fair mark up to $29\~$33 (is very fair).. but NOT $45\~$60+  (this is for common RG or common MG 1/144).

To me it seems as if these shops are passing the added \*\*international shipping\*\* cost onto the price of a gundam model kit..  Which IMO is kinda' messed up.  This does TWO things with an \*\*informed and aware\*\* gunpla fan,  it tends to make one lose interest in buying the kit, and two... in not buying a gunplay kit from that store they have LOST a sale.



These shops (in a mall or in a small  Japanese shopping area in Los Angeles) think they can get away with charging premium high mark up prices, but I will see the SAME kits sit on their shelves for several months.   If I'm not buying them, many others informed like me, won't be buying either.  The same applies to Anime/Manga/Game/Gundam art books sold at ANIMATE USA and Kinokuniya shops in California, imo a 2200 Yen book shouldn't be listed at $46\~$50+ a 3500 Yen book shouldn't be $65\~$95!!!



I'm NOT saying their shouldn't be any mark-up, but the mark-up \*\*should\*\* be fair and not excessive IMO.

(here's just one example.  This Sandrock EW kit is usually about $29, it was marked up to $60 at a shop down here at a local mall!)   One could order it (when it was in stock) it would be about $39\~ish with shipping, which is well below what some of these shops here in California are asking.

[Gundam Sandrock EW](https://www.hlj.com/1-144-scale-hg-gundam-sandrock-custom-ew-banh725424) 

Some Anime Shops in California With Questionable Gunpla Prices