My long-awaited Malabrigo yarn from the U.S. has finally arrived!
How much did I actually pay in total, including customs or import tax? And what did I think of the yarn once it reached me?
Here’s my personal record of importing Malabrigo from the U.S. — plus my first impressions and mini yarn review.
How Long Did It Take from Order to Delivery?
At last — Malabrigo has made its journey all the way from the U.S.!
It took exactly one month from the time I placed the order until the package reached me.
Since some of the colors I ordered were out of stock, the shop had to place an additional order with the supplier.
They mentioned it could take up to six weeks before shipping, so I was prepared to wait longer — but it arrived sooner than expected!
The Cost: Surprise! No Import Tax Charged
The total I paid when ordering was USD 120.50, which included both the yarn and shipping.
Generally speaking, import tax may apply when the total value exceeds a certain threshold.
Since I assumed the shipping fee might also be included in the taxable amount (for shipments to Japan), I expected some import tax to be added.
If import tax is applied, a customs clearance fee is usually charged as well — but this time, neither was billed.
Why?
Perhaps the shipping fee wasn’t counted as part of the taxable amount?
In any case, the final amount charged to my credit card was exactly what I paid when ordering — USD 120.50. Nothing more!
Unboxing Review: My First Malabrigo — Color, Texture, and Overall Satisfaction
Here’s what I bought:
- Caprino – TEAL FEATHER (412)
- Caprino – SUNSET (096)
- Mechita – EGGPLANT (811)
I opened the package with excitement!
The colors looked just as I imagined — the blue-green and orange shades matched the online photos perfectly.
As for Eggplant — I expected something closer to a deep purple, but it turned out to be more like the color of cooked eggplant! 😆
Still, it was pretty much what I saw on the monitor.
One thing that caught my attention was the smell.
It’s hard to describe — maybe something from the dye? I’ve encountered a similar scent before but can’t recall when.
Even after airing it out for a few hours, the smell didn’t quite fade.
The texture?
Caprino feels soft, smooth, and pleasantly springy.
Mechita… well, it’s okay (not itchy, at least!).
Then I wound them into cakes:
Looks great, right?
I was especially happy to get colors that aren’t available in Japan, and as it turned out, ordering directly from the U.S. ended up being more cost-effective than buying locally in Japan.
I’m quite pleased with how this turned out!
Related Post
This article focused on the “arrival” — from ordering to receiving and reviewing the yarn.
But why did I go through the trouble of importing Malabrigo from the U.S., when it’s also sold in Japan?
You can read all about my reasons and the ordering process in the first part of this series 👇
