It's my fault

I think I may have contributed to the increase in the prices of Barbie dolls. Let me explain.

I'm from the Philippines and the salary here is lower compared to developed countries. Yes, the cost of living here is lower so it seems to balance out. That means we get stuff (rent, food, Spotify etc.) for a lower price. The weird things is we get Barbie for a much higher price. (I collect toys from another line but the price difference is little.)

If a low-income (compared to the rest of the world) person is willing to pay more for a doll, why can't people with higher income, right?

Oh, it's not because of the shipping cost that makes us pay more. We're closer to China (where Barbie dolls are made) so shipping should be cheaper. We're just being used as a test market (along with other countries) for the rest of the world.

From time to time, Mattel increases the price to check if people will still buy. They say that it's because of the increase in the cost of production. Do we believe them? It doesn't matter as long as people are always willing to pay more, like the people in my country.

Sheng Yuan (no. SY357) The Hulk Buster Smash

This is a bootleg copy of Lego No 76031 The Hulk Buster Smash. I got the bootleg set for US$6.20 (PhP280) at Divisoria. Others sell it for US$8.90 up to US$13.30. It all depends on how skilled you are at bargain hunting.

front of the box 

The Lele version is also available locally but based on previous releases, Sheng Yuan is more consistent in quality. I was supposed to get two Hulk Buster sets but I decided to wait for another trusted brand, Decool's version.

back of the box 

Unlike in a Youtube video I saw, mine didn't come with a box tray. Instead, every piece was in a big resealable plastic bag. Two pieces were loose inside the big bag while the rest were secured in smaller sealed bags. It made me worried about missing pieces. Luckily, the set is complete.

There are some confusing instructions. An example is shown in the scanned copy below. One is supposed to get 3 of the piece illustrated at the top left corner and attached it to the assembly as shown. The assembly shows only one piece attached.

Of course, it came with the cute minifigs. Here is Scarlet Witch and Ultron reenacting a scene from the Avengers: Age of Ultron movie. Everything is just cute but Ultron could be bigger and look more menacing.

I'm glad I didn't get the big Hulkbuster figure. This version of the Hulkbuster is more fun. You can place an Iron Man minifig inside, just like in the movies.

Yes, I know this is a bootleg set. It violates copyright laws but then again I don't know if the same laws apply to the country where it is from. Maybe they don't apply. The situation seems threatening, right? Let's just see what the Avengers will do about that.

And by the way, there are no Avengers.

Divisoria Rush

Everything costs less in Divisoria. The only thing you have to pay more is attention. Every seller will try to get it. The displayed items will surely have it. Just make sure you have enough attention left for the other people around you.

Paying less attention to everything will cost you your hard earned money. Pickpockets or robbers, Divisoria abounds with those people. Since it is a shopping place and people who shop have money, it is a haven for criminals.

The next challenge is getting the item you want at the best price. That could mean haggling from store to store. This requires a lot of walking and some physical endurance to go to different stores, just to know the going rate for an item. At this stage, you should already size up the sellers if they are willing to haggle. Those who give a high initial price usually plan to drive a hard bargain.

Going to and fro Divisoria is no joy ride. The streets are narrow, the traffic is heavy, the air is polluted making almost every jeepney driver rude. Whether you'll drive or commute, it's stressful.

If you are successful in all of these challenges, you will have the best shopping experience. I always get a rush every time I make a good deal at Divisoria and leave unscathed. Today, I got everything I planned to get and none of those tempting items that weren't on my shopping list.



Like any adventure, shopping in Divisoria makes you a little tougher and wiser. It's not for sissies.

More on bootlegos and more

Apparently, there is a bootlego following in my city. In one store, I overheard how the seller explain to one hobbyist why the stock ran out for a certain set. From what I gathered, there are people who hoarded it after it was posted in their online community. So, there's an online community where fans can get updates on what's available in what bootlego store and there are people who hoard bootlegos. Here I was thinking that I'd be safe from self-serving people in the bootlego scene. It's good that there is ample supply, no limited edition drama. There is no need to stress out about running out of stocks if you know where to look, that is. There might just be a problem if one is looking for old releases. 

I don't belong to their online community so I get my bootlego intelligence from other sources (and there are already a lot of info online about this toy, reflecting its popularity). I don't really get to know right away what's available locally but I get to know what will be available, just not the when part. The good thing about bootlegos is that almost all sets have been released locally. There's no ek-ek exclusive, something I really hate about other toy lines. I visit nearby stores (Cubao, St. Francis Square etc.) to see what's available but I don't buy from them. They usually sell it for 50% more. I go directly to their source, Divisoria, when I know it's already available.

I'm looking forward to getting and building this set:

I still don't know if I'm going to get two. I'm quite sure my nephews will love that. I can't wait for this weekend.

Wange Creation Villa No. 34052

I wanted my bootlego minifigs to have a bootlego minihouse. Most of the houses on the market are pink. They didn't use to be like that. I remember last year, a toy store was selling red and beige houses. Luckily, there were 3 boxes left, 2 for villa number 34051 and the one I got, number 34052. These were released last year.


There are 6 styles for the houses as can be seen at the back of the box. Two are yellow.


There's an instruction manual but the 1st step was confusing. It's hard to locate where to attach the first pieces. It was also difficult to understand how to attach different pieces (all in gray) in another step. There was no extra floor, wall or roof brick so following the instructions is crucial.


There were no missing pieces but there's a few extra plant pieces since I designed the plant layout. It took me about 4 hours to build.


There was no furniture included which was fine since this won't be an ordinary house once I'm done with it. It's for my X-men but my other minifigs can use it, of course. If you won't fill it up with furniture, you can store the minifigs in the rooms.


This brick set came with two minifigs but I didn't bother taking their pics. All I want is the house. The small basketball court on the side is a nice touch.

I got it for about US$24 with 755 pieces or 3 cents per piece. This was sold for much more in other places. For once, I'm glad I don't have to pay more just because of where I live. 

UPDATE:

The 320000 series villas where spotted in another department store. They cost about US$13.

2015-07-04 update

Villa number 34052 was spotted at Divisoria for only US$19, $5 cheaper than the department store price.