I’m a fan of the Japanese style dart barrels.  I’ve found most shops in the USA simply don’t carry/stock them.  If they do, it’s pricier, and limited to the elite player models.  Good thing we have the internet to cross boundaries and purchase from shops around the globe.

Shopping global can be a bit risky for a few reasons.  Prices may not be displayed in your currency, a greater chance of your items being lost or not passing customs, and over seas disputes on a purchase doesn’t sound very promising.

Enter World Dart Shop based in Japan.  They have an great selection when it comes to your general dart gear.  I love the barrel options, and they seem to get new releases first.  I’ve purchased from them a handful of times, and each time I experienced no issues.  In fact, my first purchase over a year ago I ordered a couple of Gran Boards from them before they were sold in the US market.  I was really hesitant at first, but after exchanging e-mails and doing a little research from others who ordered overseas, I took the plunge.

Price wise, typically you’ll see some Japanese style barrels from US retailers anywhere from $100 to $130.  When shopping from World Dart Shop, I typically see the barrels being around $20 cheaper, some even lower, but sometimes the same price.  So what you’re really getting is selection variety.

On my most recent purchase, I ordered 3 sets barrels to try.  Here was what my timeline looked like.  This is from Japan to USA more particularly Washington State:

• Placed order on Friday November 4th
• Got the payment confirmation Friday November 4th
• Got shipping confirmation Friday November 4th
• Received my package Wednesday November 9th

A few points on ordering from them.

• You can change the site to show your currency
• I shipped EMS with insurance just in case.  The last order my shipping was for this was about $20, but not bad considering you’re also getting the darts a little cheaper, and no tax.
• Payment was made using paypal.  I did for some reason get a $7 foreign fee from Amex.

Here are a few shots from my package arrival.