Ahhh, so there’s the catch. I tried pricing out my recent Suruga-ya order of 13 B6 manga, 1 magazine, and a light novel, using the weights mentioned here, and based on a Suruga-ya box I’ve got lying around. Weight: 2.3kg, Dimensions: 40x30x20 cm. Destination: US
| Thing | Subtotal | Shipping | After Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| International (DHL) | 11,022 | 0 | 11,822 |
| Domestic (75%) | 8,866 | 0 | ? |
| Baggage Forward (DHL) | 960 | 9,280 | 10,240 |
| Domestic + Baggage Fwd | 19,106 | ||
| Tenso (DHL ) | 5,822 | ||
| Domestic + Tenso | 14,688 |
Tenso’s calculator is not specific enough for DHL, so the actual price may vary. In any case, Suruga-ya international wins by about 3k-7k yen ($20-46 USD) here. Of course if you add sets into the equation, that might work out very differently.
So they say 500 yen per item, though if you buy multiple copies of the same thing, they only charge it once. Also their Suruga-ya prices seem higher than the international store (maybe that means they included the 500 yen fee already?), and they only list in USD for me. So after 5-6 items, Cdjapan has them beat (1200 service fee + 300 per item). 12 items = 4,800 yen fees. Plus you can add things to an existing order, without having to worry about consolidation fees (though you can additionally consolidate if you want). I did a breakdown for my order the other day, in case it’s of interest
