Bandai teams with Diamond Distributors
 

This is great news if they mean you can get FiguArts/MonsterArts through Diamond now. That could take down the price(hopefully)and they'd be much easier to find. If they're talking about the Bandai shelf warmers that you find in TRU on any given day than it's not that great of news.

It doesn't sound like anything other than normal Bandai America stuff based on the press release.

Awesome, another brand of products that Diamond can solicit with a release date that they gave no intention of delivering anywhere near. Even better if it's Walmart-tier junk offered at a markup that completely shuts out the small retailer that actually does the math.

Bandai America is carrying some of the Bandai Japan stuff now (Bandai America to Release Banpresto and Gashapon Items in the US - The Toyark - News), but Figuarts, Monsterarts and most other collector level figures aren't included in that. This may be an early move to change that though, who knows.

Even if that became the case, many of those items would need US distribution rights because they conflict with other companies making stuff for the US. Star Wars, Marvel, Godzilla, etc. So, really, the only thing that would probably change is where retailers get it from, Diamond, Bluefin US, Japan wholesalers, etc.

lol you hit it on the head! DCD take foreeeever! I went to a reputable comic shop 2 weeks ago and asked about the MKX Mezco figures. They said "they aren't out yet." Then I showed him a pic I took over a month ago of my Scorpion figure. He was shocked! He told me that they order through Diamond. I honestly only buy my NECA and Mezco from companies who buy directly through them. If Diamond wants to screw over comic shops by having them wait forever so be it. I won't deal with it.

Geez, that's lame.

Would be nice....but sounds like same old same old. I want to see Figuarts in America...but I want more to be answered. WHy is this partnership beneficial?

So they're just replacing Bluefin then right?

Please read the above posts that answer this.

IDK I've never been a fan with how slow Diamond is. My LCS even switched to getting his action figures from Entertainment Earth

My thoughts exactly

Diamond's total monopoly on comics distribution is what allows this situation and that's fiercely defended by both banks and manufacturers. Industries operating like that aren't being "killed" by anything; they're committing suicide.