PSA for those interested in the Aniplex exclusive Mordred/Astolfo base: Rightstuf says there's will have it
Aniplex's Astolfo went up on Rightstuf yesterday, and this is in the product description:
This figure will come with a matching special base and can be displayed in pair with the Saber of RED 1/7 scale figure previously produced by Aniplex! And, Saber of RED will now also come with the special matching base with every order!! Don’t miss this chance to order yours today!
Rightstuf link: https://www.rightstufanime.com/Rider-of-BLACK-The-Great-Holy-Grail-War-Fate-Apocrypha-Figure
TOM's description doesn't mention the base; I emailed them last week to ask them about Mordred's but never got a reply. I DID get a reply from Crunchyroll re: Mordred this week, was informed at the time that the base was Japan-exclusive. I'm wondering now if that's changed and/or the customer service rep I spoke with had inaccurate information, or if the availability of the base has changed since I spoke with them. Astolfo isn't up on Crunchyroll yet but I imagine he will be. If anyone else contacts or has heard from TOM and what they've said regarding the base, please post it here! They seem to not want to answer my emails.
Also, I wrote to and heard from Big in Japan. I'm not sure how much stock can be put in their reply, but this is what they said:
Hello,
The final base will most likely be the rock-like one. Clear bases are used for prototypes but are usually not included in the final product.
Sincerely
Big in Japan
EDIT:
Heard back from TOM, here's their reply -- sounds like it might be a gamble, but it's a gamble I'm probably going to to end up taking (versus paying Rightstuf's ridiculous surcharge):
Reply from TOM:
I believe the figure comes with the base through all of Aniplex's official avenues since it is meant to be displayed with eachother.
Since we get the figure directly from Aniplex, it should come with the base.
Posted Aug 4, 2018, 12:09 PM UTC · edited
Rightstuf makes you pay as soon as you place the preorder right?
I think they blind charge you shortly before they ship. However, they do have a ridiculous surcharge they tack onto figure orders. It was $40 when I had Astolfo in my cart and $52 when I had both him and Mordred.
I've emailed TOM and Crunchyroll again for clarification, and I'll update this post when I hear from them next week.
What is the surchage for? I'd imagine all they would charge is the figure, small amount for tax, and lastly shipping. Could you tell me how much the total was with shipping tax and all that for just Astolfo? Might just get it somewhere else if its too much, the base isnt worth it at that point.
It might be different for you based on where they'd be shipping to you; you can go to the website and put the figure in your cart and estimate shipping without having to sign up for an account. Shipping was "free" but there was the surcharge tacked on. No tax since I'm not in IL; might have to pay sales tax if you are. So it was just figure price + surcharge.
I've googled it and seen it discussed on this subreddit before. Supposedly they "need" to add on that surcharge to recoup shipping costs, but I don't buy it. $40 is what I would expect to have it shipped to me from Japan via EMS, as an individual consumer paying on a per item basis. This is an official Aniplex distributor we're talking about. Not some mom-and-pop anime shop that has to order figures off Amiami.
/rant, sorry lol. I just think I'd rather go through the trouble of ordering it through a proxy from the Japanese store if I was going to be paying that much. I'm hoping TOM and Crunchyroll will get the base, otherwise I'll give up on it.
Lol my total comes up to $242. It says "Excluded from free shipping," how did you get free shipping? Shipping alone costs $70 for me. I'm in the U.S. so I cannot fathom how they are charging me double the shipping price of how much it costs figures to be sent to me from Japan. NY is selling this figure, but without the base. NY charged me $30 for EMS when I got a figure from them earlier this year. Why would anyone buy a figure from Rightstuf with such insanely high prices.
I'll wait another week or two and see if TOM or CR gets the figure, otherwise I'm not going to pay $40 for the rocky base, I could care less. I'll just get it from NY, or even TOM or CR if they don't have the base.