Monsters, Aliens & Creatures of The Night …All That And More At Action Figure Xpress
Written: Apr 02 '04
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Ask anyone that collects toys what their number one pet peeve is when it comes to ordering things online and chances are most will say finding a site that carries a wide variety of themes. When I started looking for the last three figures from the Metal Gear Solid line I found a ton of great sites but none that had exactly what I wanted. I came across Action Figure Xpress on a related search when I was trying to find some of the older MiniMate [Art Asylum] figures and a few of the Living Dead Dolls to finish off my small collection of the first series. I was really shocked that I’d never come across this site before since I spend a lot of time looking for things to complete collections for myself or the brood. My interest in the site rubbed off on Chris in a big way and soon he was ordering more from Action Figure Xpress than me but I was recently gifted with one of his late night purchases, a full set of the Living Dead Seven Deadly Sins Dolls. Needless to say, the site has become a favorite of the whole family since they offer you everything from comic book heroes to figures from movies and almost everything in between.
Action Figure Xpress
If you are into collecting any type of action figure [I dare not call them dolls], then this is a site that you have to check out – even if you don’t purchase anything on your first visit, they do have a lot of merchandise and they are constantly adding to their stock. Trust me, if you don’t make a purchase the first time – you will end up coming back and making one. One of the nicest features to the site is the ability to purchase things in multiples to get a greater discount. A great example of this was a recent purchase I made of a certain MiniMate assortment that sells as follows: one set - $9.99, two sets - $14.99, twelve sets - $69.99. So you can see, if you buy the larger lots you do save a nice chunk of change, this is great for those who are looking for high quality stock if they sell on sites like eBay or are looking for a one stop shop to stock up on items for their own collection. In addition to straight sales to the public, they also offer wholesale prices if you are a qualified reseller or shop owner. The selection at the site is something that is always changing but they do carry a little of everything. Plan on spending at least a half hour to hour the first time you visit the site so you’ll be able to check out all that they offer. Getting around the site is pretty easy and there’s no fancy HTML to slow things down when they are loading.
Some of the more popular themes you will find at the site are The Simpson’s, Hellboy, Hellraiser, Pulp Fiction, a ton of MiniMate figures [from KISS to Spiderman] and even Star Wars, Star Trek and G.I. Joe. If you are looking for horror figures, this is the place to start; with everything from the Alien series to Nightmare on Elm Street, the site is literally packed with goodies just waiting for someone to pick them up at a great price. Outside of action figures and statutes, they also sell unique collectables like movie prop replicas, bonus packs [things that are package with a free item attached], toys [mostly Lego sets] and a very impressive selection of sports memorabilia. If you are having trouble picking out the perfect item to give as a gift, the site offers gift certificates ranging from $25.00 to $200.00 so you are never stuck with trying to find something for someone that seems to have everything. I plan on taking advantage of this when the holidays roll around because I know that no matter what denomination I purchase, Chris will most definitely find a use for it. Thanks to this site I was able to complete several collections of older figures that had been packed away for safe keeping. I like the fact that the site has a wide variety of things to choose from, no pop up advertising and if you ask to be placed on the newsletter – you don’t get a ton of spam email along with it.
This is a site that the whole family can check out since there aren’t any offensive advertisements or things that could transport kids to another site without you knowing about it. The brood hit this site every few days and always find something new lurking in one of the sections. I have no qualms with them cruising around the site however if you have smaller children you may want to check out some of the sections with monsters, they can be a bit frightening for the wee people. The navigation is quick and easy with tons of links and themes to choose from, almost every single product is listed with a color photo and specific information and the shipping fees are easy to understand before you confirm or place an order.
Action Perx
Want to really make out at the site? Tired of spending money at sites and not even getting a simple thank you for your business? Well, if you have about two minutes, you can register for their free Action Perx program where you earn a five percent merchandise credit on everything you buy at the site. This might not sound like a lot but over time it does add up and you can send the special URL to friends, post it in your online store or give it to family members and when they make a purchase through the URL, you get the 5% credit on the sale! There are some small conditions to the deal such as payment must be made with a credit card [not money order or check] and people have to shop through your specific URL to get credit … to read more about it simply click on the “Action Perx” link on the main page of the site.
Shipping Information
Since the site is located in Hawaii I figured right off the bat that the shipping would be pretty high but when I placed my first order [in the $75.00 range] I was pretty shocked to see that it would only cost me $10.50 to receive my order via UPS Ground. The base shipping is $6.95 for anything up to $24.99 and it increases up to $99.95 for anything that’s a thousand dollars or more. Most orders are shipping via UPS Ground and depending on where you live, things can take up a to a week from the time of shipping to reach you. You can upgrade to USPS Express Mail but you will be charged a pretty penny for the service. I was never really in a rush for any of the things that I ordered – granted I wanted them here as fast as possible – but I wasn’t willing to pay an extra $25.00 or more, for that kind of cash, I can wait a few extra days. Everything that we’ve ordered so far has arrive nicely packed and in good order. We’ve never had to exchange or return anything so I can’t comment on that aspect but I’ll update this if the need ever arises.
Payment Options
The site currently accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover Card, Yahoo Express Pay and PayPal. If you don’t have a credit card or don’t wish to use the online payment services listed, you can submit a check ort money order along with your order however checks and money orders will have to clear before an order is shipped out. I’ve used my online MasterCard as well as my Visa card at the site and always received correct billing, no hidden fees or charges and the total amount billed to my card matched [to the penny] the amount I was quoted upon checkout.
Customer Service
Action Figure Xpress
725 Kapiolani Boulevard, C-103
Honolulu, HI 96813
[808] 596-7431 - phone
[707] 885-2291 – fax
sales@shopafx.com
www.actionfigurexpress.com
Return Policy
You have a fourteen day period in which to return unwanted or unneeded items however since some items are only sold by the case, you have to return the entire lot for a refund, not a portion of it. If you do purchase something and it arrives damaged, simply call them and let them know and they will give you an RMA [return merchandise authorization] code. From there, just ship it back, wait for them to receive it and they’ll take care of sending you out a replacement. If you purchase a case lot and something arrives damaged they will allow you to return a portion of it for an even exchange. Just like almost every other site, unless they goof up on the order and send you the wrong item, you are responsible for the shipping fees to get the items back to them. Since some of the items they sell are rather expensive and rare, you may want to send return items insured or with a signature delivery confirmation.
The Bottom Line
So far I have had nothing but great experiences at the site and look forward to doing a lot more shopping there. Chris and the boys love checking the various sections of the site to see the new items and the new exclusive items they have in stock but for me, it’s knowing that not only am I getting a good price on a product, I know that my items will arrive in a timely fashion, packaged to prevent damage during shipping and if need be, a fourteen day return time. Whether you are a hard-core collector or just looking for something as a gift, the site has a lot to offer you. Don’t forget about the gift certificates too! Customer service is always helpful, something I am willing to take instead of a toll free phone number. Emails are answered promptly and without any run around or canned responses. If all online stores operated like this … malls would be out of business!
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2004 Freak369
Related online stores ….
Lego World Shop
Things From Another World
KBtoys.com
Happy Toy Depot Online Store
Hobbytron
John’s Toy Store
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Figures, collectable, gifts.
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