Rant: Australian Customs

Toy Story Nerf gun. To infinity..but not Australia.

It's quite likely that Nerf's new range of foam blasters will be delayed with their release in Australia; man we still don't officially have the Deploy here yet. Some of us can't wait that long. Soo.. while doing some research on importing Nerf guns into the country from the US and HK, I stumbled across a whole section to "projectile toys".. and a list of some projectile blasters in the past have been banned.. like the "Buzz Lightyear Nerf gun" in 2005. Of ALL the guns to be banned, that one got the red flag!!!


While there are many advantages to living in a wonderful country like Australia, I have always had a gripe at the poor selection of cool gear available to us. The internet teases us even more with websites upon websites of clothes, toys, foodstuffs; you name it, we here in Australia.. don't always get it. If we do, it's normally several seasons late and costs double the price. There are all sorts of reasons for this- small population and limited demand, the distance leads to expensive freight etc etc.. either way.. we get shafted.

For those of us who try to get clever and order online, we're faced with ridiculously high shipping fees and suspicious e-tailers who will not ship Down Under. And then.. even IF we're able to get past all of that and as collectors, willing to pay the high prices.. we're confronted with the evils of Australian Customs. Border security, protecting us from the evils of.. projectile toys.

I appreciate dangerous items shouldn't be allowed. But why is it children all over the world seem to be able to accept a toy as a toy, whereas apparently Australian kids are of a lower IQ and can't differentiate between a Nerf gun and a snickers bar? Why is something OK to be sold in the US or Hong Kong but not here?

Sigh... Keep you posted on whether my Alpha Trooper CS-18 makes it through...