How I got the viral Kodak Charmera keychain camera shipped to Singapore for less

Why I fell for the Kodak Charmera craze this February

I have been seeing the Kodak Charmera everywhere on my social feeds since the start of 2026. If you haven't seen it yet, it is this incredibly tiny, blind-box retro camera that fits on a keychain. It actually takes lo-fi digital photos that look just like the old film stocks we used to love. Being a fan of nostalgic tech, I knew I had to get my hands on one, but finding them in Singapore has been a bit of a nightmare.

Get a Instant Shipping Quote

Your Location Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands

Cost of Goods(US $)

Weight(KG)

Get a Quote

See more about shipping to Singapore

The trend is massive right now because of the "surprise" element of the blind boxes. You don't know which color or vintage design you are getting until you open it. While a few local shops have started carrying them, the stock disappears in minutes. That is why I decided to look toward the US market, where the variety is much better and the prices are closer to the original retail value.

My math on buying from the US versus local Singapore prices

I always like to do a bit of a price comparison before I commit to international shipping. When I looked at local resellers in Singapore, some were asking for nearly $85 SGD for a single blind box. When I checked major retailers in the States, the price was closer to $40 USD (roughly $54 SGD).

By using a freight forwarder like comGateway, I realized I could save about $16 SGD per camera. If I bought two (one for me and one for my friend), the savings practically paid for the shipping fees. I made sure to use the shipping calculator to get a clear idea of the total cost before I hit the checkout button.

Why I used BuyForMe to avoid order cancellations

Here is where things got a bit tricky for me. I initially tried to buy the Charmera from a specific US tech boutique that had the best stock. However, they kept declining my Singapore-issued credit card. It is a common problem we face here; many US stores block international cards or refuse to ship to addresses they flag as forwarders. I have had this happen with Nike and Sephora before, and it is incredibly frustrating when you see that "Order Cancelled" email.

To fix this, I used the comGateway "BuyForMe" service. Essentially, I told them what I wanted, and they bought the item on my behalf using a US domestic credit card. This is easily the safest way to guarantee an order goes through without being flagged. It saved me the headache of trying three different cards and eventually giving up. If you are struggling with a store that won't accept your payment, I highly recommend this as your go-to solution.

How I managed the shipping to my doorstep in Singapore

Once the BuyForMe team secured my Kodak Charmera, it was sent to my tax-free us address in Oregon. Using a sales-tax-free state is a little secret of mine because it saves another 7-10% on the purchase price right at the start. When the package arrived at the warehouse, I received a notification to choose my shipping method.

I checked the international shipping rates to see which carrier would be the fastest. Since I was eager to start snapping photos, I went with a priority option. The process was smooth, and I could track my little camera all the way from the US to my home in Jurong. If you have questions about how the consolidation works, the FAQ on their site is actually very helpful for first-timers.

What I learned about GST and import duties for 2026

One thing we have to be mindful of in 2026 is how we handle taxes. In Singapore, GST is now 9%, and it applies to all low-value goods imported via air or post. When I was calculating my total, I made sure to factor this in so there were no surprises. I spent some time reading up on import duties and GST/VAT to make sure I understood the current 2026 regulations.

Since my total order was well under the $400 threshold for additional customs duties, I only had to worry about the standard GST. Even with that added on, shopping from the US store was still significantly cheaper than buying from a local boutique that had inflated their prices due to the hype. If you are looking to join the retro photography trend this year, I definitely suggest taking the proxy shipping route to keep your costs down.