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Consolidating parcels from Japan

Consolidation means letting several purchases collect at the proxy's warehouse and sending them in one box. EMS charges by weight band, and the first band is the most expensive per gram, so one heavier box almost always costs less than several light ones.

Photo: A side street in Ueno, Tokyo, at night, Levi Clancy, CC0

Three boxed figures sent in one box instead of three save ¥2,200 to ¥5,600 in postage, depending on the country.

What it saves, country by country

Ship toThree manga (200 g each)Three boxed figures (1 kg each)
SeparatelyOne boxSavedSeparatelyOne boxSaved
United States¥11,700¥4,180¥7,520¥15,900¥10,300¥5,600
Canada¥9,450¥3,400¥6,050¥13,200¥8,800¥4,400
United Kingdom¥9,450¥3,400¥6,050¥13,200¥8,800¥4,400
Australia¥9,450¥3,400¥6,050¥13,200¥8,800¥4,400
Germany¥9,450¥3,400¥6,050¥13,200¥8,800¥4,400
France¥9,450¥3,400¥6,050¥13,200¥8,800¥4,400
Singapore¥5,700¥2,150¥3,550¥9,450¥5,750¥3,700
Taiwan¥4,350¥1,600¥2,750¥6,600¥4,400¥2,200
Hong Kong¥5,700¥2,150¥3,550¥9,450¥5,750¥3,700

The saving is largest to United States (¥5,600 on three figures) and smallest to Taiwan (¥2,200), because the further the zone, the more each EMS band costs. For light items the effect is even stronger in proportion: three manga sent separately each pay for a 500 g band, while together they still fit in the 1 kg band. That saves ¥7,520 to United States.

Worked through each service

Postage is only part of it. Here are three ¥10,000 boxed figures from Mercari Japan, 1 kg each, sent to United Kingdom through each service: once as three separate orders, once collected and sent as one 3 kg box. The totals include every fee and the VAT.

ServiceThree parcelsOne boxSaved
FROM JAPAN¥55,440¥50,160¥5,280
Buyee¥55,440¥50,160¥5,280
ZenMarket¥58,071¥52,630¥5,441
Neokyo¥56,490¥50,360¥6,130
Doorzo¥54,840¥49,560¥5,280

Neokyo saves the most by consolidating, ¥6,130; Doorzo saves the least, ¥5,280. The VAT falls too, because it is charged on the goods plus the international postage, and one box pays less postage than three.

What packing adds

Neokyo charges for packing by weight: ¥500 up to 2 kg, then ¥150 per extra kilogram. Three 1 kg parcels packed separately cost ¥1,500 in packing; one 3 kg box costs ¥650. The other four include packing in their service fee, so for them consolidation changes only the postage.

How long you can wait

Consolidation only works while your purchases are in free storage. The clock starts when each item reaches the warehouse, so the first purchase sets the deadline for the box.

ServiceFree storageAfter thatDisposed of
FROM JAPAN60 daysnot publishednot published
Buyee30 days¥100–¥300 a day by weightafter 90 days
ZenMarket60 days¥50 per item per dayafter 90 days
Neokyo45 days¥210–¥1,400 a week by sizeafter 6 unpaid weeks
Doorzo60 days¥50 per kg per dayafter 90 days

When not to consolidate

Do not let a box cross a band boundary for the sake of one more item. The step from 1 kg to 1.5 kg to United States is ¥1,300, more than some of the items you might add. The EMS weight bands guide lists every step for every country.