Ordering from big bad toy store in Canada

As the title says, I live in Ontario Canada. Big Bad Toy Store has THE best selection (and prices even with the conversion) of anywhere right now IMO. I should mention that I'm looking at strictly Hot Toys
Can any fellow Canucks please comment on their experience from ordering from this store to Canada? It doesn't have to be to Ontario only.
Was there duty everytime? Was it worth it? Anything at all!
thanks!!
Mattyboy

I'm in Toronto, and have ordered from BBTS a few times (most recently at the end of October for HT BVS Batman). The only issue I've ever had with BBTS is the cost of shipping. They package very well, and the item always comes mint (including the shipper boxes) with no real dents/tears/dings to the packaging worth noting. However, you do pay for that service, as I find the shipping costs are a little on the expensive side for my taste. Cost for shipping that includes a tracking number is @$40 - $45 USD. Without tracking, it's like $25 USD.
Duties, seem to be random. The only thing I've noticed, is that if the cost of the item is over $200, there is a good chance there will be duties. Sometimes, it's relatively light ($25). Other times, I've had figures which costed the same (@$225) and got hit with a whopping $80 in duty. I've never heard an official explanation for the differences in cost.
If you're in Ontario, you may want to check out Toy Square. They are based in Markham. The pre-order and list pricing is the same as Sideshow or BBTS usually (in USD), but you avoid Duties and if you are able to go pick it up from their store, you avoid shipping charges all together. You will pay GST/HST though.

But back to BBTS. Always had a fine experience with them.

Awesome! Thanks for your input and the info on toy square! I will check it out for sure!

I was wondering...why are their prices in USD? Kind of strange considering they're in Toronto.

I live in Ontario and ordered from Big Bad Toy Store many times, and I've never been disappointed. They are my preferred store if I cannot find what I want locally. As for duty, that depends entirely on whether the CBSA feels like charging you and has nothing to do with BBTS. If you do get dinged, the charge in Ontario is the declared value of the items converted to Canadian dollars, multiplied by 0.13 (HST), plus $9.95 (handling).

I have also ordered once or twice from Toy Square without problems. I'd wager they list their prices in USD because it is probably more stable than the Canadian dollar.

There is another Canadian 1/6 scale figure store that might interest you: Urban Samurai Hobbies. I haven't ordered from them (yet), but they list their prices in Canadian dollars.

Get tracking or they wont refund lost packages and DONT USE UPS!!!

I live in Nova Scotia and have ordered from them on many occasions. Have always been happy with my purchases. I've actually had better luck ordering from BBTS than Sideshow in terms of getting a statue without flaws or damages. Could just be luck of the draw?
Some of the statues I ordered from them where larger ones too like Sideshow Lifesize Busts. They always do a great job with their packaging as well.
As for duties...I always have to pay. Hurts a little more here in Nova Scotia as the HST is 15%.

I would recommend them for sure.

I've found UPS to be ****** and wreck packages. Plus people, like yourself, say how bad they are. So I'll try to stick to FedEx

I have ordered from BBTS twice in past and got hit with duties both times, but the package was packed well.

Toys2 (Toysquare) is my goto store for Hot Toys, they seem to have new releases instock about same time as Sideshow, great customer service and within drivi g distance for local pickup.

Also had good experience with Toytards and Toysonfire, both based in Canada.

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Toys on fire has been pretty good for me too, though they do mark their stuff up.

Mattyboy1010 said:

I was wondering...why are their prices in USD? Kind of strange considering they're in Toronto.

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Expensive toys frequently have nearly year long gaps between announcement/preorder and release. So Canadian stores usually go with USD so they don't get locked into a price that could change by 5 or 10% by the time the item releases.

Oh, I did not know that. Thanks for the info!

I've also ordered from Urban Samurai (based in BC), and Imagination Hobby (based in Montreal). Both price in $CAD. I prefer Toy Square https://www.toys2.net/home.php for the local pickup. Also, as (someone previously mentioned), the fluctuation on the currency can really hurt sometimes. It can help too though. Although Toy Square is my go-to, I do check Urban Samurai and Imagination Hobby as sometimes they haven't changed their CAD$ pricing when the currency moves.

Asa an example, when Hulkbuster's price was announced it would have been about $1020 Canadian. For a while it was all the way up to $1300. It's back to about $1050 today.

So if a store had let someone pay for it in March 2015, and it had actually come out when it was supposed to the store would be out almost $300 Canadian.

Doesn't Toy Square have Canadian prices in store though, but US online? I remember seeing Ned Stark there for CAN$200, then you'd have to add the 13% tax on top of that. Figures are expensive in Canada. I could always find the same figure in Australia for cheaper than I could in Canada and the minimum wage is higher in Australia. I couldn't afford this hobby in Canada.


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Ya, in-store, a lot of the items have a $CAD pricing sticker on the box, which is what you pay. I myself haven't bought anything off the shelves there, other than small items (1/6 guns, or accessories). For figures, I've only ordered/preordered from the website....

Mattyboy1010 said:

I was wondering...why are their prices in USD? Kind of strange considering they're in Toronto.

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Toronto? BBTS are in the States - Somerset, Wisconsin.

(* EDIT - my bad - just realised that post was about Toy Square *)

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BBTS is in Wisconsin

I know, I wasn't asking about them

Hi, how long does it take to get an order shipped to Toronto? I ordered an item 2 and a half weeks ago and it still hasn't arrived...

Deathstroke87 said:

Hi, how long does it take to get an order shipped to Toronto? I ordered an item 2 and a half weeks ago and it still hasn't arrived...

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Usually arrives within 2 weeks.

What does tracking show?


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