TRANS+CRAZY wrote:I did get a couple of Shinki that were so floppy that their parts easily fall off. First off my Strarf Mk2; her legs are so wobbly, I can't get her to stand properly. Then, Arnval Tempesta Mk2; she is so floppy, she can't stand properly and I put on her long hair piece, and that falls off quite a lot. But... that's the price one pays for buying secondhand Shinkis. So regardless of that, I've been pleased with Mandarake and will continue to buy from them.

clear nail polish is a very good way to fix it

igor23ba wrote:

TRANS+CRAZY wrote:I did get a couple of Shinki that were so floppy that their parts easily fall off. First off my Strarf Mk2; her legs are so wobbly, I can't get her to stand properly. Then, Arnval Tempesta Mk2; she is so floppy, she can't stand properly and I put on her long hair piece, and that falls off quite a lot. But... that's the price one pays for buying secondhand Shinkis. So regardless of that, I've been pleased with Mandarake and will continue to buy from them.

clear nail polish is a very good way to fix it

I am very sloppy when applying nail polish, so I wouldn't DARE apply that stuff to any of my toys.

I doubt you want to risk it, but there's also the superglue method.
You place a drop of it on the joint and keep moving the joint around until it dries. Super glue is viscous enough to coat the joint evenly. The downside is...well, I think it's obvious what happens if you mess up the process.

Dooon't use superglue. Way too easy to screw it up, especially if you're using the instant-drying kind.

There's something called Pledge Future which is basically an acrylic varnish for floors and goes for like 3 dollars a bottle that will last you forever. Put on a layer of that on the socket/peg and let it dry for a day. If it's still too loose, try it again. If it's on an elbow joint or something, inject it into the joint with a syringe or dropper.

It also works as a killer acrylic sealer for any model kits or customs you might be working on that has self-leveling properties so it can just be brushed on.

An alternative method is a thin layer of school/white glue, but I've heard that just peels off of the joint too easily.

Stanisburgh wrote:An alternative method is a thin layer of school/white glue, but I've heard that just peels off of the joint too easily.

Tried this particular method myself, and I can confirm it does peel off easily on non-porous surfaces.

Yeah, no way I'm applying superglue or clear nail polish on any of my figures with loose joints. Besides, I was planning on getting the Full Arms Package versions of Strarf Mk2 and Arnval Tempesta Mk2 anyway, and the non-FAP versions will be used for spare parts.

TRANS+CRAZY wrote:Besides, I was planning on getting the Full Arms Package versions of Strarf Mk2 and Arnval Tempesta Mk2 anyway, and the non-FAP versions will be used for spare parts.

just like i did...

Mandarake is a 100% legit operation. Hands down the most famous store of it's kind in the country and has been for over 20 years. All of my experiences with Mandarake have been in person.

So far I've been to the Akihabara, Nakano, Osaka, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro branches. Actually, I was just at the 8 story tall Akihabara store again last weekend. Good selection of Shinki for sale; All in their boxes and kept in a locked glass display case.

Of note, I've been in the back of the Nakano branch's warehouse before. Very clean, well organized, and the workers handled everything with care. One of the warehouse workers I spoke with put my Japanese to shame by speaking immaculate English. Nice guy too.

Well that's my insight on Mandarake.

cheers

halconfenix wrote:

TRANS+CRAZY wrote:Besides, I was planning on getting the Full Arms Package versions of Strarf Mk2 and Arnval Tempesta Mk2 anyway, and the non-FAP versions will be used for spare parts.

just like i did...

Yeah, pretty much that's my plan.

Tsumanne wrote:Mandarake is a 100% legit operation. Hands down the most famous store of it's kind in the country and has been for over 20 years. All of my experiences with Mandarake have been in person.

So far I've been to the Akihabara, Nakano, Osaka, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro branches. Actually, I was just at the 8 story tall Akihabara store again last weekend. Good selection of Shinki for sale; All in their boxes and kept in a locked glass display case.

Of note, I've been in the back of the Nakano branch's warehouse before. Very clean, well organized, and the workers handled everything with care. One of the warehouse workers I spoke with put my Japanese to shame by speaking immaculate English. Nice guy too.

Well that's my insight on Mandarake.

cheers

Man, that gives me a nostalgic feeling! Mandarake stores were so impressive to visit during my trip to Japan. I visited most on the Tokio area, my favorites are Nakano and Shibuya. That trip was when I got my first shinki too, ahh~ Good times.