Collecting authentic Takara Tomy/Hasbro Beyblades in India is a little difficult. With no official release or tie-ups, getting your hands on even the latest Beyblade X is much, much more difficult than buying, let’s say Marvel action figures or Hot Wheels in Hamleys.
So, you are limited to purchasing from sellers and resellers who import or have contact with other sellers. We are a reseller too—we import from Japanese and US-based sellers in lots. We pay for the shipping and any applicable customs duty apart from the product cost. Then, we list these on our website.
But no matter whom you are buying from, there are some things you should keep in mind. In this guide, I’ll be going into the details of making better decisions when you are buying.
Common Terms
Before we begin, you need to know a few terms.
- TT: Takara Tomy, the company that originally created and continues to create Beyblades.
- Hasbro: A leading toy manufacturer that TT partnered with for the Western market.
- NIB: Means “New in Box.” The package has not been opened. Probably directly imported from Japan or the US as a box.
- NIP: Means “New in Pack.” The Bey has been taken out (to confirm the contents, for example) but it’s still in the original pack/packet/plastic and probably not touched (though you’re probably not getting the outer cardboard box).
- BIB: Means “Back in Box.” Hardly anyone uses this term because even if you take stuff out, you can just put it back inside and sell it as NIP.
- Mint: Mint is a term for a Bey in excellent condition. If I buy a Bey, take it out of the box, take it out of the pack, assemble and sticker it, and spin it a few times only, then this is mint. It has no wear and tear, no torn stickers, no dents, no damage, and no scratches. Each step that I mentioned reduces its selling price.
- Supermint: Technically mint itself means “excellent” so undamaged, devoid of scratches, and spotless. Above that there’s just NIP/NIB. Supermint is like calling a golgappa an artisanal water puff so it can be sold for more. It’s still a golgappa. Many sellers think Mint means “Good” but if my listing is for an unscratched Bey, it needs a better, stronger word, so they use Supermint.
- Original/Authentic: TT & Hasbro Beys are original. Funskool and Sonokong also carry licenses. Regardless of some Hasbro version being inferior (like some late MFB Bey not having a gimmick) or some TT Bey having an issue (the Gaia Dragoon MS is made in a way that it rattles a lot), these are the only companies that have the “originality” claim and value.
- Midfake: Midfakes are Beyblades made by a different company apart from TT, Hasbro, Sonokong, and Funskool. These are not bad performance-wise, but some midfakes can be unpredictably less durable. Plastic Gen Beyblades don’t have midfakes, only fakes. There is a midfake market for MFBs mainly and for many people, collecting all original Beyblades that they want to just have in their ownership can mean a lot of money. Midfakes offer a way out here. (Note: Here at Let It Rip, we do not sell any midfake.)
- Fake: Fakes are just cheap knockoffs, often with very poor parts and material quality that will break, chip, or crack very easily. Never buy fakes. Fakes often lack gimmicks, don’t have any branding, and might not even open the right way. Plus, they have absolutely zero resale value.
With all that out of the way, let’s take a look at how to buy Beyblades in India safely.
Pictures
Ask for multiple clear pictures. Good sellers will give you top and bottom pictures. But sometimes they are reselling someone else’s item and might forget to provide it, so it’s best to ask them for clear, well-lit pictures where you can see every dent, how worn out the stickers are, how used the tip is, etc.
Pictures that show the disassembled Bey are always better than an assembled Bey. But again, not all sellers have the item in their hand, so they can only help you in a limited way. Most good sellers will try to acquire more pictures for you in many cases. After all, it’s just about asking their contact to snap a few more pictures.
Check the condition closely. You don’t want nasty surprises.
Stickers
If the Bey is fine but the stickers are worn out, don’t ignore it. You would be genuinely surprised by just how much new stickers (and some polishing) can do to a Bey. More precisely, this is called refurbishing or restoration work, and it keeps the value of the Takara Tomy or Hasbro brand.
If the Bey has OG stickers, then yes, there’s a little dilemma here—do you keep the OG stickers in a bad condition or do you apply new stickers (called repro)? Thankfully, this is a dilemma only Plastic Gen collectors will have mainly, and to some extent, MFB collectors. Many MFB Beys don’t really have many stickers to think of and X Beys mostly don’t have any.
When a buyer sees worn-out stickers, they are very likely to pay 2-3k more to get a better Bey when the problem with the lower-priced one is only worn-out/nonexistent stickers. Newcomers see Beys very differently than long-time collectors. The lack of stickers is not a problem at all. Just remove it completely with nail polish remover/rubbing alcohol (though it can cause damage to the plastic in some cases), use a polishing cream (Min Cream for Dazzling Shine on Amazon), buy machine-cut stickers and apply them with tweezers, a pen knife, or forceps.
Contact our good friend who runs the page Collection Projects Ink for reasonably priced restoration work done promptly and professionally. We 100% vouch for this guy and all of us have used his services in the past.
Prices
Unfortunately, as it’s mainly a secondhand market, there is no definite pricing. There is no official MRP for older Beyblades that are not being produced anymore. There is no India-adjusted MRP even for Beyblade X, which is currently being manufactured and imported by toy companies as well.
You have to be in the buy/sell community for a while to get a good idea of the reasonable price range for a Bey. Prices tend to fluctuate sometimes, especially for rarer, used items from older generations. For Beyblade X, the prices tend to be fairly consistent, but that can also change. Track prices on multiple sources and cross-check with your own contacts before placing an order.
Journey
Generally, a new collector will begin by joining one group or getting in touch with one seller, then slowly expanding their network. So, be open to asking for referrals like who can sell me X, or can you put me in touch with someone else, I want to check the price, is there a group I can join, etc.
Basically, be very open about asking around for additional sellers and sources. Own it that you are a new collector and be willing to learn. Slowly, you will be finding more people and groups, even finding tournaments to be a part of, ultimately helping you snag better deals and know more about Beyblades as a hobby in general.
At a point in your journey, you will be in touch with multiple people/groups. And that is where a problem comes into the picture—overspending.
Being in contact with multiple sellers, IG accounts, and WhatsApp groups is a great way to have Beyblade collection as a hobby and find better deals on items you need. But it’s a double-edged sword, as you will often find items that you don’t necessarily need right now, but will buy them anyway.
Maybe this will begin 3 months down the line or 6 months down the line, but it will. So, know that the items you need (unless they are super rare stuff like the Dranzer MS or some super-rare recolour) will be available later too. Have a plan on how much you wish to spend and stick to it.
For me, personally, I have a list or database for all the Beys I need. Even then, I find myself buying stuff outside the list. Sometimes, I buy lower-priority items instead of saving up for a bigger item. We’re all human and need to tackle this in our own ways. Just be mindful!
Midfakes Disguised as Originals
I have heard one-off reports about even reputed sellers having midfakes in their catalogues sometimes. It is also possible that they might get sold midfakes as originals from where they are importing or might receive a few midfakes in a lot of several Beyblades, for example, and believe them all to be original.
Human error cannot be completely taken out of the equation. If possible, ask for a disassembled picture. There is generally a logo underneath the attack ring or on the blade base. But if the seller is intentionally scamming, they won’t give you the pictures. They will also refrain from sending more pictures.
Gimmicks
Know if a Bey you’re buying has a gimmick. If it does, you need to confirm with the seller if the gimmick works or not. It could be light and sound on an RC Bey or something as simple as a working engine gear. Gimmicks might not be important to all collectors, so that’s cool.