Cart is empty About Friki Monkey
It all begins in January 2017. Back then we were called coleccionistas.org which is the Spanish name for collectors. The first items were sold even earlier via Wallapop which is a Spanish marketplace app for selling second hand stuff and/or other items such as Hot Wheels. After noticing that there was a gap in the collector space for diecast in Spain we decided to fill it out.
In August 2018 we officially launched frikimonkey.com. This time, as our growing customer base was no longer only in Spain, we decided to start are business in English. Our focus is especially the European collector community as shippings cost can be kept at a reasonable price. We do welcome other international sellers as well, but sometimes it might make more sense to order somewhere else because of the higher shipping costs and delivery time.
Yes, we do indeed. I think once you get in touch with these items you can’t avoid to fall in love with them. Within our inner circle of direct workers and collaborators we have Lego, Funko Pop and especially Hot Wheels collectors. We have a special weakness for Nissan Skyline, rally cars and VW Beach Bombs.
In Spain actually. San Juan de Alicante to be more precise. It’s not Madrid or Barcelona. But hey, we have one of the most beautiful beaches of the planet. Although we work hard, we also have a good life quality. You only live once they say. Right?
Yes, we do. We started doing so with our former seller name “Befriki”. But in order to avoid conflicts with similar trademark holders we decided to switch to Friki Monkey. In Amazon Germany you probably know us under Beguerrilla.
Ebay and Amazon are very competitive places. If you can distinguish yourself as a seller there you can make it anywhere. We care very much about our customers. I know, I know, everybody says that. But the good thing is that in Amazon and Ebay it gets measured. In both marketplaces we have over a 99% positive feedback rate in almost every country. It’s not 100%, I agree. But hey, nobody is perfect!
Yes, we do. Another funny story. We actually changed our offices to move to a bigger place in 2016. What happened was that it was an old sports store, so besides the space and affordable rental price, it has two giant shopping windows. In the beginning we felt a bit exposed when we started to work there. Everybody that walked by would looked inside! In the end we decided to cover the windows with an adhesive vinyl. Despite the intent to work “undercover” people came inside as they could still see our impressive Hot Wheels wall, and they started buying our products. In order to not infringe any Spanish laws, we got a shop licence. And finally in spring of 2018 we decided to get serious and become a real store. It was easy. We separated office from physical store and we now are an officially online-offline business. Amazing!
PS: to sum it up. We currently have one store (hopefully opening more of them soon).
Shipping
Sometimes very fast, but it doesn’t just depend on us as we don’t take the parcel directly to your home. Once we get an order we prepare it for shipping the same day. If it’s International it has to be before 2 p.m. (CET) and if the customer lives in Spain before 4 p.m. For Spain it takes between 24-72 hours. For EU orders 5-14 days. We always ship priority with a tracking number.
It depends. If you live in Spain than you will pay under 4 euros. In the case that you are an EU resident it starts at a 50% higher shipping cost, still far under 10 euros. For 10 euros we can ship a bunch of cars. Just add them to your shopping basket and let us know your address. You will then get a precise calculation.
Yes, of course!
Yes, we do. We currently are working on the integration so just ask us if you need it. In most cases, you will have our parcel before expected.
Generally yes. We are aware of the fact that the condition gives value to the item. That’s why we specify it in every product description. In the case that the product is in bad shape (e.g. scratches or bad card), we will tell you.
If an item is in a package, the condition described refers to this package. The inner content, if not described, should be in an almost perfect shape. If a product is sold without the original packaging the condition refers directly to the item.
We add this information under “specification” and select one of the five possible conditions:
Mint condition – after many internal discussions we have decided to not use it. For a basic collector this means perfection. In the real world there is no such thing, you will always find a minor imperfection. So, even if we consider the item to be perfect, we don’t say so. We know how it leaves our shop, but the parcel services can be quite violent sometimes. Despite our extremely careful packaging we cannot guarantee that it’ll still be delivered as mint. Makes sense huh?
Near mint condition – this is normally an item in perfect condition. As said above. We don’t use mint.
Very good condition – as it says. It could have tiny imperfections. Most of the collectors probably wouldn’t mind but some of them do. That’s why “very good” is not “near mint” but at first glance it’s in an optimum condition.
Fair condition – here we finally have imperfections at first sight. For many collectors this is still aceptable, but purists should stay away. Light scratches, soft corners, scratch(es) in the blister and/or card, etc. may be there.
Poor condition – this is especially for collectors that don’t care about the packaging. In general you can expect important discounts when a product with the original packaging is described as “poor condition”. The content is normally in perfect shape if not otherwise described. If in a fair condition you can find light scratches, more than one soft corner, scratch(es) in the blister and/or card, etc. you will have more of them and worse in an item specified with a poor condition.
Ebay and Amazon are very competitive places. If you can distinguish yourself as a seller there you can make it anywhere. We care very much about our customers. I know, I know, everybody says that. But the good thing is that in Amazon and Ebay it gets measured. In both marketplaces we have over a 99% positive feedback rate in almost every country. It’s not 100%, I agree. But hey, nobody is perfect!
In short: very carefully. We are aware of the fact that parcels can have a quite rough trip sometimes. We have seen mistreated packages. Very ugly stories. Actually our first feedback on Ebay was negative because of a bad packaging. It hasn’t ever happened again since we were lucky to learn our lesson as soon as we did.
I can say with confidence that we take every posible measure to try to get our customers to receive the items in the very same condition they left our shop. If the parcel gets heavier and more expensive because of the packaging we asume the extra cost. We believe that a happy collector is worth it.
More Friki Monkey related questions
Of course you can! The least thing we want is an unhappy customer. From the legal point of view you have 14 days. But hey, we are monkeys! We don’t count the days. Just tell us what went wrong and we’ll fix it. Promised!
In some cases we do. Sometimes former collectors expect to sell their live-long collection for triple the money they bought it. We are collectors but we have a business, too. So we can only buy at reseller prices. If you have a good collection and offer it at a reasonable price let’s talk!
Yes, sometimes we do. In our experience it starts to make sense if you start bartering at least 20 items or 50 euros of value. So, if you have something in that direction let’s talk!
Yes, but not as frequent as we would like to. We want to offer reasonable prices and that means we have to find good buying opportunities. In very rare items it always takes longer. Sometimes perhaps even years. So, if you see something that you like with a low inventory don’t think about it twice. Grab it before it’s too late!
Good question! Amazon is a huge e-commerce and can offer the lowest prices for a great variety of products. The truth though, is that in the collector’s niche they aren’t always the best option. In comparison with Amazon, at Friki Monkey we have a larger variety of prices that always seem to be cheaper. And on the other hand, we are extremely experienced in packing and taking care of fragile products. This is without doubt, an important value for collectors.
Another good question. Ebay is much better in terms of shipping and handling as you are always buying from a seller that most of the time knows that it’s feedback depends on how the item arrives. You have less surprises here. In average, the result is very good in our experience, but there is always a chance of bumping into a seller that disappoints you. The more you buy, the higher the probability. With Friki Monkey you have less surprises (as I said earlier, we are not perfect). In case you are not satisfied, you will get your money back or get a new item 100% guaranteed, no discussions. Ask our recurring customers. Otherwise check out our ratings on Ebay, Amazon or our Facebook page!
We consider “mint” to be perfection. In the real world this doesn’t exist. If you put a mint item under a microscope you will always find a flaw. You think we are exagerating? Probably. What’s the worst thing that can happen to you? Easy. You will get an item in a better condition as described.