Canadians - Where are you getting your basics from?

Lumo

Lumo

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I've got a few projects on the go after having been idle for awhile. I'm shocked by how difficult it is to get the basics to the great white north nowadays.

Many of the US places I used to order from don't ship to Canada anymore or if they do, it's at least $50 shipping for small items.

Just dumb stuff like t-molding, buttons, wiring harnesses, power supplies, and cap kits are costing me a fortune in shipping and duties. While we have our "elbows up" Ottawa is picking our pockets! I just paid an extra $180 on delivery for a couple high score save kits.

Canadian options are sparse, and when you find something up here, it's mostly overpriced (20' of poor quality black t-molding for $53!).

Sorry for whinning, but surely not all you canucks are just paying through the nose for everything are you? If anyone can point me to a Canadian source, or a US source who has Canadian shipping figured out it would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Welcome to the new shipping reality.

I've stopped ordering stuff from the US ; too expensive and complicated .

I've also stopped my occasional visits across the border to get supplies,
especially now that I would get photographed and possibly finger-printed on the way in and out.



--

I also do/did a lot of shipping TO the US, and that too has become more complicated and expensive .

Not great...
 
Ditto. No more DSA commerce (buy or sell) for me too.
That also includes EBAY.COM as they are using DHL now and charge me for anything over $20. (I haven't purchased parts from China in a while now).
For electronic components, I'd still prefer to use DIGIKEY.CA where I can.
For t-molding, I have used ThePaladiumStore in the past.
For power supplies, you'd have to be more specific as to what you're referring to - OG linear or NEW switchers?
For pinball parts, I use our local place - Pinball Medics. But he's started to add tariff fees on items too.

I used to order PCBs from JLCPCB but no longer do because of the Orange Clown.
Similarly, we're no longer travelling to the DSA for vacation or day trips to get parcels.

Overall, I'm lucky as I've pretty much compiled many parts and supplies and don't need to order most arcade related items these days.
From now on - CANADA FIRST!! 🇨🇦

For some items, you will have to rely on the community (even FB) to help you out. But, even then, shipping might "kill the deal".
 
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steph said:
Welcome to the new shipping reality.

I've stopped ordering stuff from the US ; too expensive and complicated .

I've also stopped my occasional visits across the border to get supplies,
especially now that I would get photographed and possibly finger-printed on the way in and out.



--

I also do/did a lot of shipping TO the US, and that too has become more complicated and expensive .

Not great...
Click to expand...


No kidding... A few weeks ago I went to Japan. Nonstop flight from Detroit to Tokyo. Everything was facial recognition. I only showed my passport at the security check-in one time. I never had to show a boarding pass to anyone to get on the plane, it was all done with cameras. Even landing in Tokyo, the immigration agent just confirmed that I did have my passport on me, but was more interested in my photo. Crazy...
 
I remember there was a Starburst Amusements in Toronto many years ago, but that may the Paladium place that VC mentioned.
 
VectorCollector said:
For pinball parts, I use our local place - Pinball Medics. But he's started to add tariff fees on items too.
Click to expand...

The counter-tariffs went away, so they were removed from the site, just FYI.

VectorCollector said:
I used to order PCBs from JLCPCB but no longer do because of the Orange Clown.
Click to expand...

Just curious, JLCPCB is a chinese company, what do they have to do with the US?
 
Thanks guys, I was already depressed about my shipping fees and now I'm pondering our dystopian future! All I want is to be left alone on the farm with enough parts to finish my projects.😀

Community first is great advice. I do need to put more effort into that front. Are there enough of us to warrant a Canadian forum on the trading post here?

Playdium is a great pull. I've bought pooltable and coin mech stuff from them in the past and totally forgot about them. Thanks!

I'll probably use digikey.ca too, I just need to be less lazy and figure out which caps I need. Paying for the kit always seemed well worth it, but not so much with the shipping.

I may give Shippsy a go too. All those services look a bit scammy, but desperate times... @Cackatron are most of your packages still getting caught up in customs using Shippsy?

All in all, really helpful advice everyone!

Hopefully with a bit of effort and inconvenience I can buy more Canadian (forget that it's actually all made in China anyway - at least the retail markup will be local).
 
+1 for using Shippsy. I've used them about 15 times in the last 2 years for stuff from arcadeshop.com, other KLOVers, eBay, etc, and have had 0 issues. For me it's generally $8.99 + tax, because I live reasonably close to their Markham facility, so I just picked the stuff up when I'm in the area and bypass the second charge for them to mail directly to me.

Their fee also covers the admin for the brokerage side of things, and they only pass on whatever CBSA charges them. Anything $40 or less is duty free.

Got tired of the "we don't ship to Canada" BS so started doing things this way. No complaints (other than it adds a few days to the process). Generally I've used them for smaller things (buttons, joystick, Berzerk/Frenzy JROK from arcadeshop, etc), but I did use them once to ship a pinball machine from Texas, and that was also hassle-free.

This is starting to sound like a commercial ... I should be getting a referral fee. lol
 
Doesn't John's Jukes have some arcade stuff? Pots and what not?
 
I should just kidnape a few Canadians convert them into loud mouth beer drinking usa arcade collectors with double story barns in thier back yard.

No more complains about parts or shipping anymore or the only person in a 1000 miles who collect arcade machines.

Laughs..
 
+3 for Shippsy. And @Lumo they have a pickup outlet in Calgary. I don't ship anything direct any more from the US.
 
Tariffs have been pulled from US imports since September 1st. If your items are being shipped via Fedex or UPS they're most likely adding import handling fees as they've always done pre-tariffs. Contesting them takes way too long and savings are not worth the time spent on the back and forth, if you worry about those I'd use other couriers or cross-border shipping as mentioned. Personally I would avoid buying any parts from the US that could be sourced elsewhere as they have their own tariffs being added onto the final price. On another note the "Paladium" store referred to is The Playdium Store which is a storefront for Player One/Genda Canada.
 
Here's the reality: Canada is one ninth the size of America, which means that in general, there is much less demand for any hobby including arcade stuff. We've just never had the speciality sites for things like art reproduction or specialized cap kits here in the first place.
It has only partly to do with recent post pandemic prices, the rise of prices due to possible sellers' market, and of course the trade dispute between our countries.

There are not too many sites to buy arcade stuff from Canada at all. There is an interesting one for a pinball, and for that I would suggest buying from this site: https://pinballmedics.ca/
Of course I would recommend always supporting fellow KLOV members like @steph
And lastly, as much as I like to support vendors for specialized cap kits for example, sometimes you have to go on your own and source the individual items on Digikey.ca or mouser.ca

If prices via USA are just too much for you to afford or stomach (including the crazy shipping and import fees), take a break for a year or two. Play the machines that you have that are working for now. Put off fixing and restorations until a later date if the only sources for parts you need are only available from the usual USA sites.

As always, enjoy this fine hobby.
 
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