Toy Collecting - Sylvanian Families

If there's anything these past two months have made me realize, it's that I'm now also a Sylvanian Families/Calico Critters toy collector.

And I blame my Re-ment collections for that.  Lol!!  I mean, when one has these miniature sets/Re-ment sets/collections, it would be nice to use those or at least get those displayed as much as possible, not just stored.  But how does one display their Re-ment collections more cohesively but also with dollhouses correct?  So not just in display cases but also with other toys where both may go well together.  And thus came in the Sylvanian Families dollhouse and accessories toys by Epoch of Japan.  Gah.

I first came across Sylvanian Families or Calico Critters maybe in 2011, when I saw my niece's toys, one of which was this adorable ferris wheel set of cute little critters which turn out to be a Calico Critters set.  (For those not in the know, Sylvanian Families is marketed as Calico Critters in North America, Sylvanian Families in the rest of the world.)  I even told her/her parents to make sure to keep those and not sell them. Lol!

As I just moved addresses then, Sylvanian Families toy collection was the farthest thing from my mind, even after I came across another SF set I liked in 2012/2013, the camper/caravan.  I had other priorities though, so hadn't bought it as I found no real use for it yet.

But fast forward a few more years later, when I have collected more than a dozen Re-ment collections, and looks like this SF search and purchase has become the natural progression. Lol!

I don't buy every SF release though so I don't buy every house/cottage/lodge or shop they release.  I choose sets that I quite like, and then make sense to me first and foremost.  And so far, the sets I've purchased are releases from several years ago whose designs I seem to prefer vs the more recent ones.  And so they tend to be ones I see online, vs the limited selection of SF toys at the bricks and mortar stores here in Vancouver/Lower Mainland (what a pity).

I think the oldest design/release I bought must be the Crepe Shop (from 2002 but came with my Street Market purchase which was possibly released in 2012.).  It's either the Crepe Shop, or the Chocolate Rabbit's Kitchen/Courtyard Restaurant, or The Sylvanian Toy Shop, both from 2008/9 or earlier. Or I think the Garden Shed set.

Anyway, my first SF home purchase is not even solely a home but the Chocolate Rabbit's Kitchen/Courtyard Restaurant piece.  It's like a multi-functional home piece as the front was a restaurant and the back can be a home.  I figured that's even better 'cause then I can keep as much SF clutter in one place and thus make it less messy, less storing or lying around of the different SF toys in different parts of my apartment.  So I thought it's a good design and good value.

Joined a Toy Auction and Won

This week, while perusing online for which Sylvanian Families house might be best for me to buy especially when I don't intend to collect all of them, I finally found it.  It's big but definitely not among their biggest.  And it would be the first Sylvanian house I'm buying.  And possibly the last.  That's why I made sure it's the best possible one that I can afford so I don't have to keep buying their home lines as it's unnecessary and I don't want to clutter my place even more.  If I have to get one, then it had better be the one I like best and that I can afford.

At the beginning I almost chose the starter home but after I came across this house, I think this is a better starter home even though it's not marketed as a full Sylvanian home/house.

*image from the internet

*image from the internet

I like it better than the starter home 'cause it has not one but three outdoor spaces, and the 2nd floor is divided into two rooms with a door. Lol.  So you can combine it with not just interior Sylvanian Families furniture stuff but also non-interior sets in one house (i.e. garden, stores, etc).  Kill two birds with one stone.  Best value methinks, especially when I don't intend to buy another Sylvanian Families home.  Plus I like the color theme they chose.  The walls aren't dark and the roof is light blue.  Light and happy colors.  Looks cleaner.  I love it.

*image from the internet

Cute eh?  But apparently this house was released way back in 2008 and major or toy retailers no longer sell this model, not even new on the big online auction site, not these days anyway.  Too bad.

So in the end, when I found at least one to three used ones available on the auction site, I bid for one of them.  Since these are used items, only some of the accessories in the pics above come with the house.  And also comes with other Sylvanian Families set/furniture/figures that the seller is including in the auction for the house.

The auction duration for this item is like a week, and it feels too long when you're the bidder, 'cause you won't know if you won 'til after the auction time has finally ended, about a few days later (depends at which point during the auction time you first chanced upon it).  Lol!!

For at least the two days before the auction end time, no one else was outbidding me.  It was quiet.  But on the last day, wow, I knew that's when some would start outbidding my bid.  I had to fend off at least two bidders with auto-bids, the latter of whom was really determined.  The latter also bid on the other available one at that auction site and lost so I guess that's why that bidder was particularly determined that they even tried to outbid me again about 1 minute before auction-end time. Last minute.  Can't believe it.

I actually made use of the auction site's auto-bid settings twice or thrice during the whole process since my first bid for it.  Auto bid is like the site's system will do the subsequent bids for you if you provide them your max bid now and the system will then outbid for you any new bids coming in, up to the maximum amount you entered (since you can't be around all the time to monitor the auction).  The last auto-bid I did was for the determined other bidder 'cause I notice they were really going for it and I might not get this item after waiting several days for it.  I don't wanna wait and look again.  It's tiring.  Lol! And I bid for it before they did for some days already.

So I did some deductive calculations then come up with my auto-bid/max bid each time I had to fend off the new outbidders.  Hehe!  I'm glad it worked as the other bidder tried again to outbid me at the last minute and my auto-bid/max bid calculation efforts paid off.  I hadn't expected the last minute outbidding at all as that bidder got quiet for about 2 hours before bid end time then they did the last minute thing.

Anyway, long story short, I won the auction.  Lol!  By about 2 bucks vs the determined bidder and 2 bucks less than my final max bid.  I think the other bidder ran out of time since they tried to outbid again only last minute, but my max bid was rather higher/rounded off instead of an exact match to the other same models also currently at auction at the time.  Whew!  Lol!  This auction thing, especially when another keeps outbidding you, was kinda stressful and made my heart pound. haha!  So thank goodness that's over. I don't want another auction experience to be like this.

This order should arrive before end of July.  Can't wait.  I might place it at the corner of the kitchen countertop where I can always see it while doing dishes, and get rid of the mess that's currently occupying that corner.  That corner is actually not easy to reach too and also gets stuffed by messy items that aren't always being used so I think that might be the best spot for this Sylvanian Families house.

I have another Sylvanian Families item that I'm bidding for and it's not a house.  And no other bidder for it yet either.  'Cause I think the seller labeled the item name wrong so it probably doesn't come up when people search for it at the auction site.  Shhh!!  Lol!  Hopefully that works out and then I've all the big Sylvanian Families stuff that I find interesting purchased and done and won't have to buy a big Sylvanian Families item again.

Just Bought - Sylvanian Families Rustic Kitchen + Halloween Dress Up

I've been looking for this Sylvanian Rustic Kitchen set for some time and always find it's discontinued or sold out.  Until last night..

*image from the internet

I like that this set comes in light colors and looks really cute, and comes with the table and benches that can double as outdoor or patio furniture.  It looks rustic but at least updated.  So it seems more appealing than many of the other Sylvanian Families kitchen sets.


So I found a site that sells this set new last night as I can't find one on eBay even, used or new.  And I went ahead today to get one along with this Halloween Dress Up set, which I also haven't seen on eBay.

*image from the internet

And yes it comes with the stickers.  I love that it comes with a pumpkin and a witch costume/broom. Classic!  hehe! And the little rabbit looks really adorable in his orange costume.

*image from the internet

I decided to get the two in one shipping as it only adds 1 unit more to the cost of shipping, vs getting each at different times separately.  Hopefully I don't get taxed by customs when it gets here in.  Lol!

Miniatures - Koeda-Chan Treehouses

Since I've started collecting miniature dollhouses, I've also thought to get the miniature version of Takara's Koeda-Chan treehouse.

I found two sets and promptly bought them.

While the other one is this.

*image from the internet

*image from the internet

Sylvanian Families and Miniature Dollhouses

Since last May I came across and bought some Epoch Sylvanian Families items and was inspired by someone's miniature dollhouse collection.

Since some items from the latter two that I'm interested in are harder to find than the Re-ment collections, I've paused from purchasing Re-ment collections/sets for now and prioritized my purchases to the non-Re-ment toys I'm interested in.  They're mostly also ideal for dioramas with the Re-ments too or my other toys anyway so they're worth collecting, too I think.

I remember a few years back I saw my niece's Calico Critters playset with ferris wheel.  (Sylvanian Families are marketed as Calico Critters in North America).  That was quite awesome.

Then a few years later, in 2012 or later, while at a local Toys R' Us, I saw a Calico Critters camper/caravan but didn't really buy it as I wasn't really a toy collector back then, just into kawaii Sanrio/Little Twin Stars stuff.  I really liked that camper van toy idea though.

So now.. while perusing online for Re-ment/miniature items to purchase, I saw several different kinds of Sylvanian Families items, including that Sylvanian Families camper/caravan I saw some years back.  And thought how cute is that with my Re-ment stuff and Cu-poche doll Anne?  Lol!  It comes with its accessories too.  Here's my entry of when it was delivered to me.

*image from the internet

The other line of toys I now also collect are miniature dollhouses (not figurines).  I think they're cute and since I don't have enough space either to get all the normal sized Sylvanian Families dollhouses I might be interested in, I think the miniature ones are more interesting.  They usually come with their own corresponding little furniture sets too, at least the Sylvanian miniature sets I'm interested in plus ones from Takara Tomy or Kabaya or Yujin.  Kinda like gashapon/capsule toys stuff.

Long story short, thus began me buying toys other than Re-ment and Sanrio playsets and figures.  Hehe!

So aside from the brand new camper/caravan purchase (which came with the red saloon car), I also bought the Sylvanian Families Toy Shop.  The set was from 2008 and came with several little miniature dollhouses which is what attracted me to it very much.

*image from the internet

I bought used and it didn't come with the stickers for the interiors of the little houses though (which is okay as long as the houses are complete).  Here's a video I found online that describes it.  The set is now sitting on the edge of the my kitchen counter, behind and to the side of the sink.  Hehe!

I also bought the Sylvanian Families Washing Machine brand new.  But I've yet to receive it and I hope it's not affected by postal delays.  I love how cute this looks and call me strange but I enjoy doing the laundry (but not the folding once dry, and putting back to closets thing) and so when I saw this cute thing I just had to get one, too.  Lol!

*image from the internet

And also bought the Sylvanian Families Street Market used.  The Crepe House small shop was first released in 2002, while the Toy Wagon small shop in 2006.  I selected it mainly because I love the little toys included in the toy cart, especially the train, and who doesn't like crepes... Lol!  There was a vendor selling brand new but they don't ship to my country.  Oh well.

*image from the internet

The next Sylvanian set I'm eyeing is also an old set, the Watermill Bakery.  I'm waiting/finding a vendor who has the complete set (new or used) and ships to my country.

While the Bluebell/Riverside Cottage also looks to have potential... I haven't added it to my basket yet since it's a big dollhouse and there are many vendors selling it right now so it's no hurry to get one.

*image from the internet

So those are my main Sylvanian Families buys for the moment, and the ones I'm interested in.  I hope I receive them all (the ones not here yet).  The miniature dollhouses I've bought will be another blog entry/entries. =)

Pausing My Re-ment Online Orders

I'm actually also pausing from getting any Re-ment collections yet this month and possibly next month.  I have other non-Rement toys that I've bought for my playset/miniature/dollhouse collections.  Such as these..:

• Sylvanian Families Camper + Saloon
• Takara Miniature Japanese Dollhouse (Showa period) 
• Sylvanian Families Toy Shop (on its way)

and some other Sanrio items.  I also have some more Sanrio and Sylvanian Family items on my next purchase list.

This is because the toys I've been buying like the above are sort of harder to find than the Re-ment sets.  They're actually releases from years back, not found in stores here, no longer for sale at big box stores.  Whereas the small Sanrio items, well, there really aren't many good Sanrio stores here or at least ones with better selections.  And once again, the ones in the list are also limited releases.  Gah.

Anyhow, when I think of it, it's kind of a welcome thing too to pause.  I mean these Re-ment stuff I have, I'd love to have a playset to set them up in and the Sylvanian Families stuff and some Sanrio stuff that I've bought and am eyeing looks to address this.  The better to play with and photograph my Re-ments.  Lol!  Especially when these playsets are not as common as the Re-ments.  So I had to prioritize my purchases now, not to mention the issue with postal delivery + Customs delays.  Get the rarer items first... The Re-ment collections that are in my shopping list aren't going out of stock anytime soon yet, except possibly for two.

So I'll only break this policy if the Rement collection I'm eyeing has only 1 or 2 quantities left in the vendor's stock.  Plus I'll probably also have to get myself some Re-ment display/storage solutions too this summer.  Once I've got the latter two covered plus if the postal delivery issue is resolved, then I'll probably go back to ordering Re-ment collections regularly again.  hehe!

Some Storage Ideas for My Re-ment Collection

I'm currently researching on the best way for me to organize or store my Re-ment collections, particularly with a view towards easier access to the Re-ment items.

For this reason, I'm looking for storage/orgazining solutions that are drawer-type rather than boxes or boxes with dividers.  'Cause it's going to be annoying trying to pull out a box from a stack but also worrying about keeping the other boxes in the stack in place once one or more boxes are being pulled out.  So drawer-type solutions I think is the best for me.

With that out of the way, the other main requirement is:

• My collections are mostly character collections so I'm organizing by Re-ment collection per drawer.  Therefore a drawer must fit the big box the collection came in with, not just the sets in the collection.  This means one drawer must store the following:
• the carton the Re-ment collection came in with, flattened to fit in the drawer
• one small carton from the collection, also flattened to store in the drawer
• each of the sets in the collection in their individual zip lock bag, with the paper description the set came in with also stored in the corresponding zip lock bag, to help label the set and also so I won't forget exactly what's in the set

The box will be stored flat as I'll be folding it flat and keeping it with the 8 sets it came in with in zip lock bags with the paper descriptions in each zip lock bag, in one drawer. I'll also keep one of the smaller boxes, to be stored flat also, in the drawer.  I loathe throwing away these cartons as they're also cute and helps in the organization/labelling.

In the beginning I thought Ikea's Kupol drawers system was the best solution for me.  There's no frame or cabinet that goes around the drawers so that's an optimal use of space.  Almost minimalist. Plus the Kupols aren't opaque plastic.  They're almost see-through so that's good too.  And it's from Ikea so it won't be as expensive as acrylic storage sold by the likes of The Container Store.  These are just gonna store plastic toys after all.  The toys are more important than the storage so I don't want to spend more on the storage solution than I have to.  I just want a fairly inexpensive storage system that is of the clear or almost clear drawer type (not stacking boxes type) to resolve the easier access requirement.  See this Flickr page for a Re-ment collector's use of the Kupol system for her Re-ments.  Here's another one.  Ain't it awesome?  However, Kupol is now discontinued in Ikea.  Geez.

On the other hand, there are some solutions that can be the wall-mounted sort, usually found in hardware stores.  See number 1 below.  And they have multiple drawers in one solution.  Problem is I don't think I quite like the look of them for my home or for the extra small space/room in my home where I think I might put these drawers.  They don't come with a white-framed cabinet holding those drawers together.  They're either gray or black.  And originally designed to store small hardware items.

So far I have narrowed my potential Re-ment storage solution down to two options:

1. Stack-On DS-18 18 Drawer Storage Cabinet

*images from the internet

Right now I have about 17 - 18 Re-ment collections so this cabinet is almost perfect (18 drawers, 1 for each of my collections as stored the way I plan to.  See description above), if not for the color of the cabinet.  And seems like the drawer dimensions described on amazon.ca will not fit the longest of the Re-ment collection boxes that I have when stored flat.

If the cabinet came in white maybe, I think it's game over and I wouldn't have to continue searching.  And so I looked for ones where the cabinet is white.. and I haven't come across the multi-drawer one like this in white.   Pfft..

So on to number 2...

2.  The ones in white that I might end up purchasing looks like your standard plastic storage drawer bin:

*images from the internet

 

The one in this pic is by Sterilite.  But I think there are also similar ones sold in many stores.  I'm selecting the 3-drawer ones as it would be nice if I'm also able to put them inside shelves if in case I end up getting a bookshelf cabinet to make the space where I'll put these look neater.  Lol!  See the idea here, here, and here. 

Sterilite is available in many big box stores.  And similar ones in dollar stores.  But I think I'll go to my local Daiso/Japanese store first to see if they have these in similar dimensions.  Storage like this usually costs less in the Japanese store than in the big box or online stores.

Also it's better to see in person first just how wide this is, before I get multiple ones, then only to find later that I should have gone for smaller widths (and not store the flatted Re-ment box with the collection in the drawer) to get more space for them in the den (knowing that my collection is still growing).  Sigh.  So I'll be checking the smaller-width ones too while at the Japanese store and see how it goes.  Will see about 5- and 3-drawer and the widths.

Just Ordered - Takara Miniature Dollhouse - Showa Japanese Family Home

This miniature dollhouse is quite hard to find.  It appears to have been released about 13 years ago now, in 2004.  The first time I came across it online was this year, via someone's post of her dollhouses on Flickr.com.  At the time I didn't think it was a miniature.  And I wasn't able to find anymore online seller for it.  Until about 2 nights ago.  What a find.  And the online vendor has two versions of it, one in pink, the other in blue.  And only this time I learned that it's a miniature.  It's supposed to measure about 6 in x 2.5 in. Wow.

But whether or not it was a miniature, I really like it but it's so rare.  So I am so glad to have stumbled across the sale.  Not that it was cheap.  It's about as expensive as some of the Re-ment Hello Kitty sets, but not as expensive as other vintage Re-ment collections one sees being sold on eBay that it virtually feels like you either wanna laugh or say it's a ripoff.  So I'd say this dollhouse manufactured back in 2004 by Takara is not that ridiculously expensive for a rare vintage miniature plastic item.  Although, it's about the cost of a good vacuum cleaner.  Ack.  Hehe.

The vendor has two versions of it.  One is blue, and the other is pink.  The blue set of 5 packs cost about $3-4 USD less than the pink one so I went ahead and chose the blue one.  Doesn't really matter which color and if it were a real life home, I'd rather it was in blue than in pink so yeah blue made sense.  Lol!

The blue version I bought is the last item in stock, so it's now out of stock at their online shop.

To see the differences between the two versions:  Here's someone's blue set, and here's another person's pink one.  As for the scale.. I'm not sure of the scale ratio.  Probably not 1:12 (?).  Might be small for a Re-ment collection.  Either way I look forward to testing it with my Re-ment Country Life collection, which also appears to be inspired by the Showa period in Japan as well.

This purchase is now on its way to me from Tokyo.  It should be in my mailbox by Friday June 9. Hopefully it doesn't get lost in the mail.

Just Bought - Re-ment My Little Fairy

This collection reminds me of the Polly Pocket toys which I really liked when I was a kid. Lol! The latter has been discontinued a long time ago so there hasn't been a chance for the adult me to get one of those. BUT, Re-ment released this collection this year and it looks just as cute!

 

*image from the internet

It doesn't have many sellers on eBay right now though. Probably only 2 or 3.  I'm glad I found the 3rd as it sold the collection for about $60, about $15-20 less than the next least-priced one

And it was the last one available, unless the vendor restocks it.  In the following months, I might get another set of this as a Xmas gift to my niece this year.

Update [20 June 2017] - See my blog entry here of the set's delivery and bringing out the box from the package.

Re-ment Hello Kitty Nonbiri Relaxation Day Collection

I really wasn't interested in getting this Re-ment collection.  But if there's one reason to make me change my mind maybe, it's this adorable video that shows the user playing with it.  So fun and cute video!  Especially beginning at the 4:39 mark.  Lol!  The video also goes to show, one doesn't need a Nendoroid or Cu-poche figuredoll to play with this type of Re-ment collection.  Hehe!

                   

What's even better for me is that I believe I have all four of the Hello Kitty figures in the video.  They look to be from some or three of my other Hello Kitty playsets that I haven't really unpacked yet (Playground, Home, and Cafe).  So it looks like I'll be getting this Re-ment collection sooner or later.

Tomy Takara/Sanrio My Melody Playsets

So this past week or so, when I found the Tomy Takara Koeda-Chan Little Twin Stars playsets, I also came across their My Melody Fashionable House and Hello Kitty Chat/Strawberry versions.

But I also came across another really cute My Melody playset that's not by Tomy Takara.

The Tomy Takara Koeda-Chan My Melody Fahsionable House is interesting 'cause it seems to have many movable elements.  However, it's not really a "house" house sort of playset.  So I don't think I'm purchasing this yet.  But it is quite cute.
                      


Then I found the Sanrio My Melody Mushroom House...  (not by Tomy Takara). And that really looked like the classic Sanrio My Melody.  It was released in 2013.  And it's her house!  Which is very appealing for me who grew up on Sanrio.  So awesome!  Hehe!

And I think I can use my My Melody Re-ment collections more easily with this one than with the Tomy Takara playset.  Especially with the Re-ment My Melody Winter Vacation collection.  I'm excited just thinking about it.  Lol!  And it comes with the two figures of the Sheep and My Melody.

Here's a cute video I saw online that features this playset.
                  

eBay vendors sell this for more than $250 though excluding shipping, even almost $300 in some places.  Gah. But I found an eBay vendor who sold it for less than $200 excluding shipping, and it's shipping from the same country as where I'm at.  So.... there I was, excitedly thinking of the Re-ment My Melody possibilities with this playset more than with the Tomy Takara Koeda-Chan My Melody Fashionable House playset... so I tried searching online elsewhere where it might be sold for less but no, I didn't find any other.  And so I finally bit the bullet and decided to purchase the less than $200 one before it's gone.  Especially when the thing costs less than the hard to find Re-ment My Melody Ouichi Cafe (costs about $250 now).

All in all it's about $200 with taxes and shipping. Grr.. But since it still costs less than the Re-ment My Melody Ouichi Cafe collection, and I can't find it anywhere for less... I just went ahead and bought it.

It should be delivered to my doorstep by June.  I hope I receive it in time.

So now I've ordered about 4 Sanrio playsets that's like the Tomy Takara Koeda-Chan version.. 3 for the Little Twin Stars (actual Tomy Takara Koeda-Chan playsets) and 1 for My Melody (by Sanrio, as described above).  One more similarly sized house/playset is missing and we know which character's that is.  It doesn't come with the Hello Kitty figure though.  Lol!  We shall see!  Hehe!

Sanrio Little Twin Stars Tomy Takara Playsets

Ack! I can't believe it.  I saw these 3 separate sets tonight and of course I just had to end up buying them do I?  Lol!   I got the following:

• the big set called the Moon House (this includes the small pink star)
• the small star bathroom set
• the half moon set

                      


They're all by Tomy Takara from Japan.  I do hope I get them in the mail without issues.  They're 3 separate sets and as for the figures, they come only with the Kiki and the Lala figures.  The other character is called Koeda-chan(?) and it looks like she's part of the Tree House set (which I haven't bought).

Screenshots below of the 3 playsets I bought and when I should expect to receive them.

I used to see these vintage versions of these playsets online.  Amazingly these are the newly released ones perhaps from 2014 or 2015.  Gosh.  Am I glad I hadn't succumbed to buying the vintage versions. Lol!  They were quite pricey!  These new ones are pricey too but I'd rather pay lots for brand new no?  Hehe!

[Update May 14, 2017] I overlooked this other Takara Tomy Koeda-Chan Little Twin Stars set that would complete the 3 above.

*images from the internet

 

It's now in my shopping cart and will check them out of the cart later this May or June.  Hehe!

Here's another perspective of the playset.
                      

So exciting! =)

If I'm getting another one or two, it would most likely be a My Melody and a Hello Kitty.  Problem is, with the new My Melody version I like only the housing in the mushroom shape... inside, there isn't much as it's not designed to be her house but rather like a tailor/fashion store.  So I'm not yet too sold on  getting that version.  And it costs more than $100.  I lucked out with the big LTS Moon House as I got it for less than $100.

This version of  a My Melody playset I think I'd love to get.  I'm not sure if it's by Tomy Takara though as I don't see their logo on the carton in the video.  It's available online and it's almost $300, sold by a lone vendor.  Gah!
                      

So for now I think the LTS sets are enough for me. :D

Re-ment. Who/What? Where to Buy?

Who?
To keep it short, Re-ment is a Japanese company that manufactures miniature toy versions of everyday items.  And they're really cute.

This is the Re-ment website: http://www.re-ment.co.jp/.
Or alternatively, see this wikipedia entry for Re-Ment.


What?
The items normally come in a collection or big box of 8 different types of one theme. i.e. Hello Kitty Cat Cafe would be comprised of 8 different sets or smaller boxes of toys in one box.  Or Japanese Country Life collection comprising of 8 different sets that represent rural Japanese home life before modernity came along.  They release like 'seasonally'.  So after some time, certain collections will be discontinued from manufacturing.  And they come out with new collections periodically.

*image from the internet

But one can also purchase any one of the smaller boxes and it's usually called a blind box.  Blind box means you're not sure which of the 8 sets you're gonna get unless the vendor actually knew beforehand and labeled the sale/box appropriately.


Where to Buy?
I buy mainly from eBay.  And the packages usually arrive within 2-3 weeks.  Sometimes as short as in 3 business days if I'm lucky.  Lol.  One eBay vendor I know also maintains their own Re-ment shop site.  I tend to get it from their online store 'cause the same Re-ment collection is listed at less cost there than in their eBay store.

Anyway, Amazon also sells Re-ment sets but so far I find my eBay vendors quite reliable, and they usually cost less in eBay so I haven't really bought any complete 8-set collection yet from Amazon. 

As for a bricks and mortar store, there is a store at a mall in my town that sells these Re-ment collections.  However, it's a limited selection and each collection costs more than my online Re-ment purchases including the shipping cost.  So online is my go-to to look for these toys to add to my collection.


My Purchase Plan
So yeah.  That's Re-ment.   I love mine and don't foresee myself stopping from collecting the Re-ment sets I like anytime soon.  I don't buy all that they release though, just the ones I like.  Which fortunately or unfortunately depending on which way you view it, I find plenty that I'm interested in buying but can't buy all at the same time.  Lol!

So I usually get at least one or two sets each month, because I'm sort of late in learning about Re-ment and certainly kind of have to catch up.  I no longer buy them at least once a month eversince I was "sidetracked" with buying Sylvanian Families toys, many of which are hard to find.

Anyway, because Re-ment isn't exactly cheap, I also sort of learned to go by this purchasing scheme or priority during all this time since I first started buying sets of other themes (apart from my original Re-ment collection of Little Twin Stars) last 2015/2016:

1.  Don't buy new releases immediately as there's usually still plenty of stock by the time I'm really ready to get one.  Ebay vendors always display how much stock they have on hand unless it's really just one single item that they're selling.  And beside the stock qty you will see how many were sold.

When I was new to Re-ments I thought I had to get all the collections I'm interested in as soon as possible as they might become unavailable sooner than I expected.  However, for most of them, like San-X characters such as Rilakumma, I find most sets are still available a year later. Plenty in stock.

2. And when I'm ready to purchase (which I base on my credit card's billing statement cycle so my purchases don't all add up in one go), I go by the following purchasing decision/prioritization factors (aside from pricing of course) and go on from there:

• how much stock is left
• which set/s do I like best/better..
• which one is likely to run out soon (good Hello Kitty ones seem to sell fast, and then later cost more)

For the last bullet, I noticed the newly released Moomin collection is quite hard to find on Ebay.  No one has sold a set for a long time.

And today I found only two on Ebay (I check frequently), one from Japan and it's $100 with free shipping, while the other was by a Korean vendor and it's $66.++ shipping included.  Each sells only 1 qty.  So it was a no brainer to get the latter since I've been on the lookout for one forever and finally I saw it being sold.  The Korean vendor is sorta new though, and it's kinda my first time to buy from them so hopefully my order will get here.  I read elsewhere that it seemed like this Moomin set is not really being distributed to sell as widely outside of Japan because the Moomin character is so popular in Japan.    Hmmm.  I guess that explains the scarcity on eBay or even other Re-ment sites.

I thought I'd stop collecting at just Little Twin Stars (LTS) Re-ment collections since LTS is my all time favorite Sanrio character, but no.  Lol!  Aside from the four LTS sets, I have some Hello Kitty, a set of mixed Sanrio characters, at least one Rilakkumma, one Sumikko Gurashi, one Snoopy, two My Melody, and then one Moomin too if the order gets delivered/received in May, etc.  So I think right now, I own at least 14 or so collections.

Yeah this Re-ment, I don't know whether I should rue the day I started really collecting.  Lol!  But right now, they give me joy.  As Marie Kondo -- the Japanese queen of de-cluttering -- says:  Keep only the things that give you joy.  Well, my Re-ment stuff give me joy!  Lol!  Good luck to me! :D

How My Re-ment Collection Started - Little Twin Stars "Hoshizora"/Starry Sky Party

Before I go further and post activities or purchases I've made for my Re-ment collection, I thought I'd share some background on how I was first introduced to Re-ment.

I am a Little Twin Stars character fan.  They're Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty.  I grew up possessing Sanrio character toys and items and to me it's the Little Twin Stars that I like best.  But we know Sanrio isn't exactly the cheapest of things to buy.  Lol!  Especially not when you're still a schoolkid.  These things were usually gifts from my parents, friends, godparents, and relatives.

So as I became an adult and a professional, I of course eventually got my own means to buy such Little Twin Stars items.  I did notice that for a time they didn't really sell stuffed dolls or miniature toys of these things.  So I saw them (and bought them) with the other Sanrio characters Hello Kitty and My Melody, but not really Little Twin Stars.

Until one day in 2012, while I had nothing better to do, I decided to browse the internet to shop for Sanrio items, and saw a youtube video of these awesome little Little Twin Stars miniature collection or set which I've never come across before.  Never mind Re-ment even.  But it was really awesome.

I can't seem to find that video anymore but at the time there were at least two which I remember I checked out that were quite descriptive, from US collectors.  But here's another one I dug up just now.  The lone result I've seen so far.

Here is an image of what's on the box cover.

After seeing/watching the above, it was kind of a mad dash to find and buy my own set.  Lol!

If I'm not mistaken, I believe it was probably the first of several sets of Little Twin Stars that were released by Re-ment.  It was labeled as Little Twin Stars "Hoshizora"/welcome/Starry Sky party.  I think it was released in 2011.  The Hobbylink Japan site lists it as released in June 2010.

As I was only interested in Little Twin Stars and was a Re-ment newbie, I had thought these things were quite expensive. I got that set for more than $100 USD, from an online seller, not on eBay as I wasn't really an eBay user yet at the time.  There weren't a lot of it available online and they were expensive by the time I came across it in 2012.  And so I thought all Re-ment sets must cost that much and so I didn't bother checking if it had other characters.  Plus I think since I was a newbie, I don't recall seeing other sets anyway...

So since then, at least every year I check out online if there could be a new release of Little Twin Stars Re-ment sets.  Because out of all the Re-ment sets, the Little Twin Stars (LTS) ones are the highest priority for me to collect.  Lol!!

Needless to say, I did get the subsequent sets in the following years: the Dream Room, Twinkle Sweets Factory, and Starry Sky Bakery.  I think out of all my Re-ment sets since then (not just LTS), the first set has the most items.  I'll blog and post pics of its contents sooner or later.

So this is how I got started with Re-ment toys.  I've since purchased non-LTS Re-ment sets as these Re-ment sets are just crazy cute!

In my next entry I'll discuss what is Re-ment, for Re-ment newbie readers out there.  'Cause I was once like you and it's handy to know more about what you're getting into before you and your funds, time, and effort, dive into it.  :D Ciao!!

Beginning My Miniature Toys Hobby Blog

Well actually... it's more like a blog on my interests with the Re-ment miniature toys + miniature dollhouse diys + some of my Sanrio playsets + my photography hobby.  Sometimes, when one can't always to go out to take pictures, photographing my hobby seems the next best thing. :D

This blog will be about the above.  This includes:

• hobby plans
• purchases
• tasks performed in pursuance of the hobby
• some opinions/possibly reviews
• photos
• possibly some unboxing, etc.

Plus I think I might link to this blog other related social media services I'd or might have in relation to the above hobby.  But I'll see.  Not sure if I have time for all that.. argh.

I also might link the Instagram account that I've set up for my pet pics and vids so I can easily post and see pics of my pet more easily anytime, anywhere I like. =)

Since I don't have all the time in the world to focus on my blogs especially with a full time job, comments will be disabled in this blog.  'Cause really, doing all these things are kind of like work already, and having to work with any comments, questions, etc. would make this feel like a chore.

This blog is also like something to help me get my thoughts and plans together for my hobby.  I just want to I guess "write them out".  The blogs and other related social media aspect of it is not exactly being posted so I can get other opinions or feedback or affirmation.  I suppose I'll just get those when I need them, not when I don't explicitly ask for them.

So in the meantime, if you chance upon this blog, I still hope the content was still of some help as other similar Re-ment miniature blogs have inspired me or informed me during my pursuit of this hobby.  Enjoy it anyway! =)