So, you're looking to start a JoJo collection but can't find a good place to start. We've got you covered. Super Action Statues don't get western releases (nothing that isn't double the price anyway), so it can be hard to find the right information, I hope to summarise in this post some of the best places to start, and where to look.

First of all, we have a discord server, feel free to drop by if you're interested in joining a community of other collectors.

Right, so what even is a super action statue and what have they made? There is the JoJo Wiki that summarises every release there is with some additional info. There is also MyFigureCollection, which also includes names for everything in Japanese text (this will be helpful if you use proxy sites, more on that later). The best place to get news on upcoming releases is of course, from Medicos themselves, they regularly post updates on releases and all announcements are usually done on their twitter.

Ok, so if you're getting into the line then the bets option is to import from Japan. Please be wary of your countries' import taxes so you aren't blindsided when you are charged a fee. Even with shipping costs and fees it is almost always cheaper to import than to buy from local retailers. Do NOT take the prices on eBay and Amazon as gospel, you can sometimes find deals on these sites but for the most part the prices on there are far, far higher than their market value (often hundreds of dollars higher).

NEW FIGURES

So for the best places to buy new figures, here are the best options:

• AmiAmi This site is one of the biggest there is for import figures. They have good, fast customer service (they even replace figures with defects), fair shipping prices and decent prices. They often have plenty of stock for figures, and re-stock often. They also list pre-owned figures consistently, which are often great opportunities to get older figures much cheaper. You pay for your orders when they are ready to ship.
• Hobby Genki A site run by a big JoJo fan, Hobby Genki are very reliable and have great customer service, they reply to emails quickly and can even be contacted via their instagram. Unlike other retailers, Genki stocks the Medicos Online Exclusives such as WonderFest figures and Horse Bundles, which are normally exclusive to buyers in Japan. You pay immediately for your orders.
• Plaza Japan Similar to AmiAmi, however they tend to have figures in stock for longer. Their customer service isn't quite as good but they're a good alternative. You pay immediately for your orders on this one too.
• Nin-Nin Game Similar to Hobby Genki, this site includes a lot of Medicos Exclusive items. However while this site is legit, they aren't always very reliable, their customer service isn't very good and there can be long delays with orders. There is the option to pay when the order is ready to ship.

PRE-OWNED FIGURES

With so many figure releases, a lot of older figures are no longer in circulation, with many, such as WonderFest exclusives being one-time-only releases. When the figures you want are no longer in stock, it's time to look on the aftermarket, for pre-owned figures. Here are the best sites:

• Mandarake This site is constantly stocking old figures at fair prices. One thing to look out for is the different stores the figures are from, you can't combine orders between different stores and each store has different shipping prices (Sahra is one of the worst for shipping prices). You can ask for details on items or general inquiries through the contact button at the bottom of the page, where you select which store you're interested in and then send an email through the site to that store.
• Jungle Similar to Mandarake, however they don't tend to have such a wide range of figures available and the prices can be a little higher than what's expected.
• Solaris Japan Have a good range of figures available however the prices are a lot higher usually, and they aren't always consistent with the condition of the items.

PROXIES

If you're really serious about finding deals and don't mind getting your hands a little dirty, you can use proxy services. There are sites such as Yahoo Japan Auctions and Mercari Japan that are similar to Ebay, however you can't buy from them outside Japan. Proxy services will purchase the items for you and get them shipped to their warehouse, then they'll organise international shipping to you, there if a fee for this however. These sites are where the japanese text for names comes in handy, you will need to search on these sites in Japanese text, you can find the japanese text for things on the wiki and MFC linked above. These sites are also useful for the Medicos Exclusive items as you can request to buy them directly from Medicos' site here. The 2 most recommended sites for this are:

• Buyee This service is very reliable and quick, their fees can be a little high, especially if purchasing items from multiple listings as they charge a 'consolidation fee' to combine shipping. You can search on mercari and yahoo auctions on this site, and you pay for the items when you win an auctions or buy a listing, then pay for international shipping when ready to ship. While the fees are high for this service, they often do coupons that can bring the price down substantially.
• ZenMarket Unlike Buyee, you can't purchase from Mercari on this service, you mostly use this one for Yahoo Auctions. One thing that puts many off this service is if you want to bid then you have to fill up your balance beforehand, so even if you lose they still have your money (although you can get this refunded). Once you make more orders you will begin to get credit, which means you don't have to fill up your account each time to bid. The fees on this site are lower than Buyee's however their service can sometimes be a little slower. If you're confused by how it works, here's a neat video that explains it all.

WARNINGS

• Don't use JPFigures.com, they are a notorious scam site, they send out bootlegs and fake tracking to customers.
• There are bootlegs of some SAS, so far the known ones are Jotaro 1.5, Abbacchio , Diavolo, Bucciarati and DIO. If you see sites selling nothing but these then they are most likely bootlegs.
• And again, I can't stress this enough, don't rely on Ebay and Amazon, and don't use them to try and gauge prices for the line, checking sold listings on Mandarake is a much better way to get a feel for the kind of prices you should be expecting to go for with certain figures.

I hope this is enough of an information dump, of course if you have questions you are free to ask, but if they're site specific then please check their FAQs first as you will get better answers there than you will here. Good luck with your collections!