How will the recently implemented tariffs affect your doll collecting?

Up until recently I only collected off-topic playline dolls, way more than 30, definitely feel called out.
Not to mention my start with BJDs is only going to be 2 dolls until further notice. Is President Cheeto psychic or secretly on DoA.

 

the whole cabal has a streak of being anti creativity and hope destroying. It's so evil. They probably are watching smh.

 

I laughed when I heard him say that. Fortunately I have my 30 already, so neener neener.

 

I got eyes from Thailand today with no tariff.

 

So the de minimis exception for Chinese imports ended on May 2, 2025. Impldoll just informed me that they shipped my Idol body today. Looks like I'm about to find out how much this is going to cost.

According to the latest Executive Order, which amended EO 14256, de minimis items (items under $800) from China or Hong Kong are subject to an ad valorem duty of 120 percent (like VAT), plus a tariff charge of $100 per box. If I'm reading this correctly: an item shipped from China in one box that has a declared value of $100 will be subject to $220 in tariffs.

Starting June 1, 2025, the per-box tariff charge will increase to $200.

I'll let you know how much it costs me.

Considering that I have a few dolls that I pre-ordered back in October through December from ACBJD (Chinese dealer), this officially ends my purchasing dolls. So yeah. Looks like I only need 2 dolls, and they will cost me a couple bucks more.

Sorry. I'm bitter.

 

Thank you for breaking down the math. I guess i probably shouldn't have ordered both doll things I was looking at given that >< And I guess i definitely won't be ordering the eyes from Dolly planet I've been debating for my girl, unless maybe things have changed and I get some holiday money later this year :/

 

Thank you for this! I have a doll on order that as far as I know delivery has not been paused from the company. My other two dolls from ACBJD have had delivery pause, which I am actually happy for. But the unknown doll from Chinese company has me worried.

I didn't have to pay anything on my doll that came in last week from Korea. But, I'm very worried about the three I have on order from China. I hope that ACBJD does keep them on hold. I can be patient until some of this nonsense hopefully passes and becomes reasonable. But the free floating doll has me very nervous about how much I will have to pay when he finally gets sent to me.

 

So I keep reading agent posts saying they have a “tax free” shipping method. Seems to be Yanwen and/or air/sea freight. There’s a handling charge, but it (apparently) isn’t too high. I don’t have details since I haven’t tried any of these methods. I’m not sure how this would avoid taxes from our side, but it seems some agents will cover (some of) the cost. At least that’s what I keep hearing.

Thanks everyone for updating us on whatever is going on with your orders!

 

Space Studio has that listed as one of their shipping options. I haven't gotten my order from them yet, so I don't know how it works out in practice, but I'm hoping it does keep the cost down. The description for it said that there wouldn't be any taxes, but it's also listed as an option for multiple countries, so it didn't have a lot of specific information.

 

I have a doll I preordered from them so hopefully it all works out. I asked them to wait and let me know when it’s ready. Maybe by then things will be a bit more clear.

 

I am still clinging to the hope that this is enough of a disaster that the tariffs get rolled back again like they did in February(?) or outright cancelled, but I have a pre order releasing at the end of May for a non BJD related item and I have the option to cancel it before it ships... I'm planning on holding out until the 9th, giving a week to see if I still want to take the risk, and then cancelling it if it doesn't seem like anything will change, but I had been really looking forward to this order as it was going to be one of the "good things" this year to counteract my anxieties about the rest of the political situation. But at some point the financial risk is too great and I don't want to be careless just for the sake of a cute figure I might be able to find secondhand some vague other time in the future, if the hobbies I love are able to survive... I mean, I know a lot of this is US-centric right now and I don't exactly have a grasp on the world economy of dolls or whatever... but there are other countries, with their own markets, and one would hope that those markets could support these hobbies in the meantime? I don't want to overplay (or underplay) the importance of the USA as a market, and not being an economist I just don't know.

I hope things work out and that the orange just. gives up on this but I don't think he's going to at this point, honestly. But if possible I hope that the timing is such so that the orders of people here aren't impacted, because even if he changes his mind there's still the stuff that reaches customs and is affected before that happens. It's not like they're going to be handing out refunds for tariffs charged in the meantime.

With my Miracle Doll Ian who I got earlier this year, I got very lucky in that he arrived pretty much right after the first set of tariffs was rolled back, but yeah I don't plan on purchasing more dolls outside the USA at this point (there is one secondhand within the country that I've been watching the thread for but not making a move on yet, because with all this uncertainty I'm reluctant to spend money in general right now tbh).

And there is also the issue of the strain on the mail system, I don't think I'd buy anything even within the country that I wasn't willing to risk just getting lost right now.

It's a mess and people are right to be bitter about it imo.

 

It's 120 percent AND a box tax?!? Not an OR "a box tax (whichever is greater)"?

That doll I've been waiting on for probably 17 months...it soooo isn't worth it.

 

If it makes you feel any better, the BJD hobby will survive for sure. The US market for BJDs is small compared to Asia (a very successful doll head in China can sell in the thousands just in the domestic market), not to mention there is Europe too. It will hurt a lot of artists and dealers for sure, but the hobby will still be there when this insanity is over. I'm hope you don't have to cancel your order.

 

I have an outfit and head coming from Space Studio and an Ao Lingshi body coming from Legend Doll. All from China. I was told that for the local post the seller prepays taxes but not for an express shipping company.

The AoLingShi body is shipping any day now. I have asked a friend if I can have Legend send it to her in Europe (Spain) from China by EMS. Then she can send tit o me. It’s an experiment. Not at all sure it will cost less.

I figure the head and clothes will come direct from China in a few months but a much smaller package involved.

I received a head from South Korea this last Thursday by EMS and USPS without any tariffs but it came on May 1.

 

I emailed newcloversinging about the tariffs and wondering how much I'd have to pay and they said the same thing about a new shipping way that's tax free. They only said I had to pay for handling though which isn't much.

 

If it makes everyone feel better - I think these tariffs are going to drop precipitously. Retail shelves are going to start looking a lot more bare in the next two weeks to a month. Back to school shopping is going to be expensive with limited options. Right now, don't plan on getting much for Halloween or Christmas (retailers start placing orders now, and... they aren't placing orders).

The tariffs haven't really "hit" US consumers yet, but they are going to, and when they do, I expect the political maelstrom will be too much for the current administration to bear.

We are just the first to feel the effects, because we order stuff from overseas for our hobby. However, since we're a niche hobby, we aren't quite as, erm, noisy.

 

That's what I'm reading. And after June 1, 2025, it will be 120 percent and a $200 per box tax. So my hypothetical $100 one-box item from China will cost me $320.

 

This is my thinking too. I hope it's not wishful thinking.