Which Brand of Anime Figures Should You Buy From: A Comprehensive Guide to Prize Figures for the Low Budget Collector

If you’re an anime fan, and you want to start collecting anime figures, then you may be wondering which brand of anime figures is the best. There are various brands on the market, so it can be tough to decide which one to buy from. In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of each anime figure brand, so that you can make an informed decision about which one to buy from. We’ll also give you some tips on how to find the best deals on anime figures. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

First, think about what kind of figure you want.

Do you want something cheap like a trading/prize figure, or something more complex and elaborate such as scale figures? Some people might also prefer to collect items such as plushies instead of anime figures. It really depends on your own personal preferences.

Prize Figures

Prize figures, as the name suggests, can be found in UFO catchers, or crane games, as prizes. They often vary in quality. Taito figures are cheap but elaborate and well-made, as compared to some of Banpresto who makes figures of popular franchises, but are not necessarily well-made. With prize figures, it is not uncommon to find flaws with the construction, painting, or sculpting. This explains the price point of anywhere from 500 yen to 3500 yen. (In addition, you have to win them from a crane game, where each turn is ¥100-500 each and will often times require multiple plays until you finally win the prize).

Taito

Taito prize figures are known for their vibrant colors, detailed sculpting, and high-quality craftsmanship. While they are not as intricately designed as some higher-end collectible figures, they offer a more affordable option for fans who want to own a piece of their favorite characters’ merchandise. The figures usually capture the essence and key characteristics of the characters they represent, making them recognizable and appealing to fans.

Due to their popularity, Taito prize figures have gained a dedicated fan base and are sought after by collectors both in Japan and internationally. They can be found in online marketplaces, specialty stores, and conventions that specialize in anime and gaming merchandise.

Banpresto

Banpresto is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco, that makes a wide variety of anime-related products, including figures. Banpresto’s figures are usually quite affordable, making them a good option if you’re on a budget. However, they are often lower quality than other brands’ figures, so keep that in mind when choosing Banpresto figures. If you’re on a budget, then Banpresto is a good option to consider.

These figures often showcase iconic moments or key scenes from the series they represent, making them appealing to collectors who want to display their favorite characters in their collections.

Due to their popularity, Banpresto prize figures have become highly sought after by fans and collectors around the world. They can be found in various online marketplaces, specialty stores, and anime conventions that feature merchandise. Additionally, Banpresto has released several series of prize figures under different lines, such as the “Ichiban Kuji” series, which offers a lottery-based system to obtain exclusive and limited-edition figures. More on that later, though.

A popular figure line they produce is called “QPosket.” QPosket is a line of collectible figures created by Banpresto, a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Entertainment. QPosket figures are known for their distinctive chibi-style design, featuring popular characters from various anime, manga, and Disney franchises.

The name “QPosket” is derived from “Q” standing for “cute” and “Posket” being a combination of “pocket” and “basket,” indicating the small and compact size of these figures. The QPosket figures are typically around 5.5 to 6.3 inches (14 to 16 cm) tall, making them easily displayable on shelves, desks, or in small collections. Their heads are abnormally large with wide expressive eyes, which to some is disconcerting, but to others they are extremely cute and a must-have.

Sega

Sega frequently releases new sets of prize figures, covering a wide range of popular series and characters. They collaborate with various anime, manga, and gaming franchises to offer fans a diverse selection of collectible figures. Sega prize figures often include characters from well-known properties, as well as some niche or lesser-known series, catering to a broad spectrum of fans.

Due to their accessibility and relatively affordable price point, Sega prize figures are highly sought after by collectors and fans. They provide an opportunity to own and display figures of beloved characters without breaking the bank. Sega prize figures have become a popular choice among enthusiasts who want to showcase their love for specific series or characters in their collections.

However, their prize figures may differ in quality, and can either be the best prize figure in your collection, or the lowest quality shiny piece of plastic you have ever seen.

Furyu

While they may not have the same level of intricacy and detailing as scale figures, Furyu prize figures still showcase recognizable character designs, vibrant colors, and appealing poses. They are often displayed on shelves or desks and are popular among fans who want to collect figures of their favorite characters without spending a significant amount of money.

Furyu has several lines of figures and merchandise, ranging for expensive scales to cheap prize figures. In terms of prize figures, their quality is proportional to the price, if not greater. Older figures tend to look a bit clunky, but still have a relative amount of charm.

If you have an obsession with ramen or figures looking cute while sitting, you can’t go wrong with “Noodle Stopper” styled figures. Noodle Stoppers are a line of figures by FuRyu that help your instant ramen cook by holding the lid down by their weight. Even if you don’t use them for their intended purpose, you could use them to display around your PC (or in your PC case as some people do), or anywhere else with a sufficient ledge for their legs to hang over.

BiCute Bunnies
These are one of a few cost-saving alternatives for all of you bunny figure lovers with a tight budget. However, you are severely limited on characters with the line consisting of Sonico, Miku, Re:Zero girls, and a recent expansion into girls from Sword Art Online and Kaguya-sama Love is War. If you miss a release, don’t worry, it will be released again with some color variant.

Ichiban-kuji

Ichiban-kuji or a “lottery” obtained merchandise is merchandise you win by purchasing a ticket. The ticket will have which category of prize you win. As above in the images you can see they are grouped alphabetically with A and Last One prizes being the most desired and B and under prizes being less desired by most. Usually acrylics, wash cloths, keychains, tote bags, stationary, plate/cup wear, etc. It is entirely up to chance on which item you will end up with, unless you purchase the merch in the aftermarket, or arrange for a full case with a proxy.

It’s important to note that the prizes in Ichiban Kuji are typically exclusive to the lottery and not available for direct purchase. This creates a sense of excitement and rarity, as the prizes can only be obtained through the lottery system.

Last One Prize

If you happen to be the last pull at the “kuji” you will be given something called a Last-One Prize which is usually a figure with a variation, or an exclusive item. Sometimes the variation is in the colors used, other times it is the technique of how it is colored, or just a completely different figure all together. These figures if you buy during the lottery will be the price of one pull in the letter. However, if you are purchasing it from the aftermarket it will be marked up to around 3500-8000 yen if not higher depending on the rarity. (Pictured above: Left, A prize, Right, Last One Prize.)

Overall, prize figures are a great way to start a collection. However, there is a downside. Most prize figures are of popular fandoms. You can get prize figures for mainstream series like Dragonball, One Piece, Naruto, and many more. However, if you are a fan of say a “shoujo” demographic series you will be hard-pressed to find merchandise for these fandoms. (What I wouldn’t do for official “Yona of the Dawn” figures). If you are interested in more niche series, you may be forced to rely on scale figures for merchandise, or if you are unlucky, the worst case scenario, acrylics standees. Sometimes, fan merch will be your only avenue for a collection.

Pop Up Parade

While not officially a prize figure, Pop Up Parades are often compared to prize figures. The Pop Up Parade figure line is a series of collectible figures produced by Good Smile Company, a well-known manufacturer of high-quality anime and game-related merchandise. Pop Up Parade figures are designed to be affordable, easily accessible, and suitable for display. In addition, they also feature characters of lesser known series alongside the mainstream series.

One of the key aspects of the Pop Up Parade line is its affordability. Compared to some of Good Smile Company’s more premium figure lines, Pop Up Parade figures are designed to be more accessible to a wider range of collectors. The pricing of these figures is relatively more affordable while still maintaining a good level of quality.

In addition to their smaller, standard-sized figures, Good Smile Company offers additional categories of Pop Up Parade (L or XL) such as Miku and Guts below (L) or Lucy (XL compared to standard). Miku and Guts retail around $60-90, While Lucy will cost a whopping $150-250.

So, will you buy a prize figure or will you decide to hold out for a scale? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time, take care! 🙂

MyFigureCollection, and why you should have an account!

If you’re a collector of figures, MyFigureCollection.net (MFC) is the website for you! MFC is the world’s largest online database of figure information, with over 850,000 entries. Whether you’re looking for images of your favorite figures, want to know more about upcoming releases, or are just curious about what other collectors have in their collections, MFC has the answers you’re looking for. In this blog post, I will show you how to get started browsing and cataloging your collection on MFC.

One of the great things about MFC is that it’s organized into a variety of different sections, so you can easily find what you’re looking for. The homepage features the latest figure news, reviews, and photos, as well as a list of upcoming releases. You can also use the search bar to find specific figures or browse by category.

If you’re interested in cataloging your collection on MFC, the first step is to create an account. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to add figures to your collection and track their progress (including prototype and stock photos) and view others’ reviews on items.

How to Navigate MFC

This is the landing page for the website. The first thing you will be greeted with is the pictures of the day. Figure collectors can take photos of their collections and post them to be rated and commented on by the rest of the community.

To the right side of the screen is the Community column. In the Community column, there are articles, clubs, ads, and directory users who just joined.

Articles are journal entries written by users, such as Figure reviews, musings, and generalized polls regarding how to collect specific items. You can see some examples here in the Community column as my default settings show the Articles.

I require dark mode/high contrast due to a condition, but if you don’t you can toggle Light mode. For the purpose of this tutorial, I will use “Light Mode.”

Click your user icon and the drop-down arrow. You can also toggle if you want to hide the lewder figures by toggling SFW or, if you are a cultured individual, reveal them. You will know when you stumble on one because the photo will usually have a pink border.

If the SFW option is toggled, you will have to confirm your age to reveal the stock images on database entries. The photos of the item will also have a placeholder NSFW thumbnail.

The Database

When you click “Databases” you will see the latest additions to the database. Scroll further, and you will see the listings of figures released that month. If you want to see other types of merch, simply click “Goods” for items like clearfiles, tapestries, etc., and “Media” for books, doujinshi, and Bluray-type merchandise.

If you select “Calendar” you will by default see items released this year sorted by month, but you can also select to view only items you are interested in, whether this is as a wishlist or a list of your pre-ordered items.

This is a fantastic way to monitor your orders and budget accordingly!

But, how do your items show up here?

Adding Items to Your Inventory

If you want to find a figure there are many ways you can do this. You can search by brand, figure, character, series of origin, etc.

I personally search by the information I know about a figure. There are even ways to search by appearance. Let’s say I want to look for Ironmouse (Vtuber from VShoujo) figures. At the top of the page by your icon is a search bar, just type whatever information you know. In this case, I know that the character’s name is “Ironmouse” so I just searched for that.

Once you do that you can select if you search by tags or characters. You will know if you are selecting the character option if you see a tiny thumbnail icon of the character. If it has a gift tag icon, that’s the tagged characteristic.

Once you are on their page you can add them to your favorites and see all items for this specific character. To the right side, you can see associations with this character.

In the case of Ironmouse, a real person, you will see their company, their friend (Bubi), tags associated with her design, and associated clubs. She is adorable and pink with twintails so she is associated with the “Pretty and Pink” club.

You can also subscribe to notifications for the different types of goods that are available.

I am subscribed to notifications about Ironmouse’s figures.

Just click the bell icon so it looks like it has a slash through it. The slash means “Disable notifications,” so if you click it again it will disable the notifications.

You can subscribe to anything with the bell icon. Comment section so you can track updates or feedback on a figure? Yup. Photography from a certain user? You betcha. All items pertaining to a certain waifu/husbando? Oh yeah, most definitely.

Select the item you want to add to your inventory. For this example, I am going to use Ironmouse’s Nendoroid. I have already added her information to my inventory, but this is how you can too.

At the top of an item page, there are options to choose from. If your item is “Ordered” and already in your collection it will appear like so. To change this you just click it to open the manager.

The manager will allow you to add it to your wishlist, your orders, or your inventory. It is pretty straightforward and self-explanatory.

If you already own the item you would toggle “Owned.”
If an item is pending shipment/delivery/release and you have it ordered you would toggle “Ordered.”
If an item is on your wishlist for whatever reason, i.e. it is too expensive, missed the preorder cut-off, or not available for order yet, you would select “Wished.”
If you sell/donate/bin/gift the item you would then toggle “Delete” to remove it from your inventory altogether.

For budgeting purposes, you would utilize the rest of the options on the form for documentation. Sometimes, I forget where I ordered an item or how much the total was, but with this form, I rarely do that now.

Ironmouse, with shipping from Good Smile Company, will cost me 9700 JPY, and I can easily monitor that here. This will also help you in the event you decide to sell items and you are curious about your profit margins.

Once an item is paid for or has shipped you can add the tracking information and dates to the calendar. If the item was picked up second-hand you can also select that option below. Make sure to click “Save” otherwise your input will not be saved. (Save is at the top and bottom for those who don’t want to fill in the rest).

You can further organize your collections with “Lists.”

To add it to your list, click “Link.”

If you did it right, your item will say “Unlink” on the right side.

To create your lists click “Create a list.”

Ironmouse is a Vtuber, and I have a few other Vtuber merch items ordered so I am going to create a list of Vtuber merch. These lists can be for whatever you want. I sort mine by category and by origin/genre. i.e. I have a “Kuroshitsuji” list and “Scales” list for scale figures.

You can also select who the audience of your lists are. I keep mine as “Nobody” by default as these are for my own categorical documentation purposes,

If for example, you are purchasing the item as a gift for a friend, you can add a note to your inventory.

Once you’ve added a figure to your collection, you’ll be able to rate it, leave a review, and upload photos. You can also track its status (whether it’s been released or not) and add tags to help organize your collection. And that’s just the beginning! MyFigureCollection.net is always expanding and adding new features, so be sure to check back often.

Advanced Management of your Collection

MFC is equipped with a nifty “Manager” option. In the manager, you will find your inbox, your collection, and a hub for your articles/pictures/lists/ads/friends/clubs/subscriptions/favorites.

If you click “My Collection” you will see your collection at a glance but with all the details you input.

With this, you can also export a spreadsheet with all of the information. This way if someone wants to know how much you’ve spent on your collection you can tell them quickly. However, I’m an idiot and mixed currencies ($20 vs. 2000 JPY) so my numbers are skewed and require additional formulas in excel to quickly calculate values. Learn from my mistakes, people.

You can also add and remove items quickly this way.

Subscription Notifications

Earlier, while looking at Ironmouse’s Nendoroid, I subscribed to notifications for all “Figure” items of her. Here is how you will access the notifications. To get to your notifications, just go up to the top right user icon, then the drop-down arrow. Notifications will be the 3rd option down.

If I look at my current notifications I can see that someone just mass-updated the “FuRyu” brand’s entries. To clear this notification just click the bell in the right corner without unsubscribing to the notifications.

You can clear all notifications quickly by just clicking “Mark all as read” in the top right corner. You can also manage how you receive these notifications should you be interested in email notifications or just the ones available onsite.

Ads/Hunts

So, let’s say you are looking to buy/sell a figure on MFC. First, there are some rules.

One, there is basically a “slow mode” to prevent spamming from non-paid users.

A paid subscription to MFC has perks!

That’s right, there is a paid user subscription option. This allows you to post more than one “Ad” per week, among other things, but I don’t pay, so I am not sure what they are. You can utilize the site just fine without resorting to paying for it.

This is a list of what kind of perks you can get with a paid subscription. You can read it for yourself here.

Two, you are required to have photos on your listings, This will require you to upload your photos to albums and then link them to your listing.

So how do you upload photos?

Uploading Photos

Their photo uploading is fairly tedious, as you have to agree to terms and conditions and verify that you are either uploading photos from online (and following the rules/guidelines for those) or photos you have taken.

Once that is complete, you then have to make sure your item is sorted into the proper categories. So if you are posting images for a sale you would probably put it under “Loots&Boxes,” as it is the figure, in-box. If you are posting images of the room your collection is in, this would go under “Spaces,” for example.

Click the dark gray “Pick” to select the image you are uploading. Select the Album you are uploading it to and the category of the photography.

The “Related Items” “Pick” is where you will tag the item you are uploading. So let’s say I was selling a figure of Izuku Midoriya, I would input filters and scroll through until I find the item. Once found, I’d click “Pick” on the right of the window, then close it.

If I sold a NSFW cast-off figure, I would make sure NSFW is ticked in the top right. Ditto, if the item contains major spoilers.

Three, Only users with a certain amount of positive feedback are not required to use “Paypal: Goods and Services” for payment and are allowed to ask for the “Friends and Family” options to get around taxation laws.

How to find Ads

Ads are pretty easy to understand,

If you toggle “Sales” it is YOUR listing that is available to purchase.

“Hunts” are items people are “hunting” for and the prices they are willing to pay.

Once you find an ad you like you just open it and read the blurb about the item. If you are interested there is a “Contact (Username)” button at the bottom of the Ad so you can contact them to discuss purchase details or request additional photos.

Now, obviously the limit of 1 post a week is ludicrous when you are trying to clear your inventory for whatever reason. So you can always just go to the comment section on database entries.

Let’s say you are hunting the Myethos Miku Shaohua figure.

Some options are users, others are proxy or official vendors who made bot accounts that regularly post information on sales their sites/stores are having.

As always, proceed with caution when purchasing from people online and ask for plenty of pictures, and insist on protected transactions, i.e. Paypal Goods and Services. This way in the event of fraud you can refute the transaction and file a claim to get your money back.

There is a lot more to MFC than I can fit all in one guide, but I think I covered the basics pretty thoroughly.

When in doubt on a page look to the top right or bottom left of the screen and your answer may be right there.

That’s all there is to it! Browsing and adding figures to your collection on MyFigureCollection.net is easy and fun. Be sure to check back for more figure-related content, including tips on how to get started with collecting!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. I’m always happy to help out fellow collectors! Until next time, happy collecting! 😀

How to start an anime figure collection

If you’re an anime fan, chances are you’ve considered collecting anime figures. But where do you start? And once you’ve started, where’s the best place to buy anime figures so that your collection is the envy of all your friends?

Anime fans know that figures are an important part of the hobby. They allow collectors to own a piece of their favorite characters and scenes from their favorite shows. But should you buy anime figures? In this blog post, we will discuss some questions prospective collectors should ask themselves before starting their collection.

Here are a few things to consider when starting your anime figure collection:

What series are you a fan of?

Think about the series you love, and the characters you would love to have in your collection.

Unfortunately, sometimes, you will love a series that does not have any figures. I’m looking at you “Yona of the Dawn.” Maybe the merch it does have is terrible quality, *cough Princess Tutu gashapons cough* You have to decide, is it worth it collecting these items, or should you move on to another fandom with better merch? If you are unsure if your series has figures just look up the series on MyFigureCollection.

Do you like popular series with a lot of merchandise? Do you like a specific waifu or husbando? Do you like the aesthetic of a series more than the characters? What makes you relate to these series and inspired you to start a collection in the first place? These are questions only you can answer as it is your collection.

How do you decide what series not to collect?

An important rule is to be selective about the figures you choose. There are so many anime figures out there, and it can be tempting to buy them all. But in reality, you probably won’t have the space or budget to do that. So, take your time and pick only the ones that you really love. This way, your collection will be more meaningful to you in the long run.

Personally, I try to avoid “seasonal hype” series merchandise. Hype series are the ones that everyone is talking about, and are generally a shounen series. i.e. Spy x Family, Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, or Jujutsu Kaisen. By getting into a series that is hyped, especially for seasonal anime, you can easily fall into the trap of purchasing every single figure that comes out for the series. However, a couple of years down the road, you might find yourself bored with the series and the figures. Oftentimes, others will feel the same way and since the market is so saturated with the fandom it may be difficult to resell them to make space for other merchandise you would rather have.

So because of this I only collect for series that impact me in some way. My main collections are for Sailor Moon, Black Butler, and Princess Tutu. I’ve been watching them for decades now, and they still mean something to me, and I do not regret collecting them for even a second. Maybe 90% of my collection is pure nostalgia while the others are newer series or original characters where I just liked the way it looked, or the story/characters grabbed me so much that I just could not resist buying merch.

Of course, if you really love these hyped series, it is not wrong for you to buy the merchandise and support the industry. At the end of the day, it is your collection, and you can collect whatever you like and however you like. This is just my personal boundary that helps keep me in check when it comes time to “add to cart.”

What kind of collection do you want?

Do you want to collect figures from a specific character, or do you want a more general collection?

Next, think of what kind of collection you want. Do you want an aesthetic collection that is a specific color palette or vibe? Do you want an army of shounen anime characters? Do you want an NSFW cultured collection or an SFW wholesome collection that you can show all-ages? Are you going to make a shrine dedicated to one series or character? Or are you going to make rules so you only collect 1 figure per character? What is your opinion on original character figures that have no other source material than an illustration? These are things you should consider when planning your collection.

Can you afford a collection?

What kind of budget do you have for your collection?

One of the most important things to keep in mind when starting your collection is your budget. It’s easy to get carried away and spend too much money on figures that you don’t really need. So, before you start buying anything, set a budget and stick to it! Decide how much you’re willing to spend on each figure, and don’t go over that amount.

When thinking about your collection, it is good to set some boundaries. One of the most important things to do when starting your anime figure collection is to set a budget. It can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying new figures and spend more money than you originally intended. By setting a budget, you can avoid overspending and ensure you are only buying figures you really want. Once your orders arrive, you may find yourself ambivalent about the item and decide you no longer want the item and experience buyer’s remorse if you get caught up in buying.

Figure collecting can easily become a black hole in your wallet, so you better think about how much you are willing to spend on your collection.

It would be a good idea for all prospective collectors to budget appropriately. Look at your expenses for the month and see how much you have left over for luxuries such as a collection. Budget the maximum amount you are willing to spend for your collection and see if this is sustainable. If it is, then you have to decide, based on your income, are you going to get 1 or 2 “BIG” items that are more expensive elaborate scales/resins. Or are you going to get a slew of “small” items that are cheap, affordable, small items like prize figures or trading figures?

It is also important to note, how much will shipping be. If you import figures from Japan, the shipping expenses can quickly add up, and before you realize it you have blown your budget because you forgot all about the shipping expenses. I personally, always budget at least $150 per month, but it depends on how large the order is. If it is small, I budget about $60 just for shipping costs. On sites like AmiAmi, you can choose to consolidate your orders or keep them separately. Sometimes it is cheaper to break down a large shipment into a few smaller ones. Sometimes it’s cheaper to consolidate it to all. If the item is a scale figure, like a 1/4 bunny, your best bet is to ship it separately because the size of the box is ridiculous.

Where will your collection be stored/displayed?

Do you have space?

Before you splurge on anime merchandise, you should evaluate if you have enough space for your collection. Display space is the biggest commodity of the figure-collecting community. Sure, you might start with the top of a desk or dresser, but what are you going to do when you want to buy more figures, and there is no space left? Maybe you have a whole unused guest room or office where you can display your things. Possibly you have a mere 2 ft of vertical space in a small dorm room.

When it comes to figures, you can use MyFigureCollection to look up details about specific figures and determine a rough estimate of the height and weight of the item. This will give you a general idea that a 1/4 scale bunny girl might not be the best option for your short shelves.

I will discuss display options and tips in another blog post, and the pros and cons of either are based entirely on my own experience.

Once you’ve decided on those things, it’s time to start shopping! Here are some of the best places to buy anime figures:

The first place to look will always be your local anime or comic book store. You may even find some luck at flea markets and thrift shops, especially in large cities. They might not have a huge selection, but you’re likely to find at least a few good options. If you need some other options, I do have other blog posts that explain where you can purchase anime merchandise either locally at major retailers, domestically via vendors, or internationally, or even cheaply as secondhand.

The important thing is to have fun and build the collection that’s right for you!

Do you have any tips for building an anime figure collection? Do you have any questions or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below! And happy collecting! 🙂

Secondhand Anime Merchandise Purchasing Guide

If we add up the value of my collection by the price items sell for at aftermarket pricing, or even at retail pricing, you won’t come anywhere close to what I’ve actually paid for my collection. In fact, I spent well under either total. More often than not I do my best to find the best discount I can for the items I purchase. To buy these items, I utilize a series of resources.

A little introduction, often times to purchase goods secondhand from Japan you will need a proxy to complete your order. A proxy is someone who will order your things, have it shipped to their location, and then ship it to you. Sometimes it is an individual, such as a friend located nearby, or someone who just so happened to visit Japan at the time. Sometimes, it is a large warehouse operating a business. There are benefits and cons to either.

Individuals acting as a proxy: because they usually are not an official business, or a large operation with extensive funding, sometimes their service fees are high. This is because you have to pay their admission (if it is an event), their time, their transportation, and occasionally, their storage locker fee if they need to stash your items while they shop at other stores for you. If it is an event ticket prices can vary and if you are the only buyer for that event oftentimes these fees will be covered solely by you instead of divided by the number of others in the group order. I unfortunately like many niche series, and have sometimes had to cover these costs, at worst costing me an additional $100 for the order.

Large corporate proxy services: The benefit of large corporate proxy services is often times you do not have to cover these additional fees, and usually only have to pay a low service fee as a result. However, these services do not participate in exclusive events, such as the Sailor Moon Museum. and will only purchase from online sites if you need them to. Usually, these sites are vendors like Animate, Amazon.jp, Mercari.jp, Rakuten, and auctions like Yahoo Japan Auctions, but if you send them a link to another site they may make an exception and order the item for you by your request.

Zenmarket.jp

Loyalty Program

So for Mercari.jp, Amazon.jp, and Yahoo Auctions Japan I use Zenmarket.jp.

Mercari is a second-hand market, but online. You can find rare items, event-exclusive items, and many other kinds of figures and merchandise for relatively cheap, or at least cheaper than standard aftermarket prices. I have purchased scale figures and rare nendoroids for such a good deal that they were cheaper than retail prices by a significant amount.

I prefer to use Zenmarket.jp as it has a loyalty program, and its service fee is just 500 yen per transaction. Once you surpass a certain number of orders per year, Zenmarket allows you to build up credit that you can pay off at the end of the month. So for example, let’s say a grail figure pops up for auction, but you are between paychecks, you can use this credit you’ve built up to purchase the item and then pay it off as soon as you are able.

Buy from any site:

If you have a figure that releases on a site such as Native or Aniplex that comes with an exclusive good(s), and you’d like to purchase it the simplest way to do so is to just copy/paste the link of the site into their search bar. Once you do that, you will be greeted with a page that asks you to give a bit more information such as quantity and specific requests for the order, and you will be able to request a quote.

If you agree with the quote they will purchase your item for you, and then you will pay for it.

Once all items reach their warehouse, you can select how many items will be in a single parcel. I usually consolidate since express shipping from Japan to the USA is so expensive, much less multiple shipments.

Cons:

The only con I have with this site is that when you need to deposit money into the account, it will take a percentage off. This means to properly deposit the amount necessary for your items you will need to add a bit extra to your account just to cover this difference, and sometimes it is a pain to calculate, so you may end up applying more than you mean to. I have yet to try a refund of this balance, but I imagine it would be futile as it will be taken up by their transaction fees.

Buyee

So this is the service I least utilize, but is well recommended by others.

I used to use Buyee for Mercari.jp (before ZenMarket added it to their roster) so I personally just browse Mercari and scour the sites while using the Japanese language variations of the anime titles, i.e. Black Butler = ???. If I want a specific brand or item type the Japanese variation of the item type/brand, i.e, clearfile = ??????? , or Kotobukiya = ?????. If I know the exact event or exhibition I would put that as well if I wanted to narrow down the search results, i.e. Black Butler Exhibition: Rich Black = ???? RICH BLACK. I then filter it to only items that are still available by selecting “For Sale” = ???

Once you find an item, and if it is available for you to purchase it will say, “Buy this Item!” It will then open a new tab for Buyee and you can purchase it.

At this point I usually select “Add to shopping cart” instead of “Proceed to order page.” This way I can cross-check and price check as many options as possible for items, and buy the lowest priced item.

If an item is not available for purchase via Buyee it will look like this. At this time you will need to contact a private individual proxy to personally buy it for you, such as a friend. There are many available via Facebook anime groups for buying merchandise. If I get permission from my service to mention them I will in another post.

When you order something on Buyee it will offer you many different inspection fee options. I personally do the 500 yen fee for standard which includes shipment insurance and inspection, so they will inspect and verify that my order came in good condition. In the event it does not come in good condition they will handle the return and refund process.

You will be responsible for the domestic shipping fee for the item, but Buyee lets you know this as well so you aren’t completely caught off guard.

Once you are ready to pay you have 3 different options, Paypal, Credit Card, or Alipay. I use PayPal and have it set to my credit card. If you want to change your payment options you will need to override it in your account settings otherwise it will automatically take it from your default payment method.

Once your order is placed, Buyee has a tracking of your order’s progress. Once it arrives at the warehouse you can start the packaging process for shipment. If you have multiple items you can consolidate your packages into one large package. You can request that they completely remove the original shipment packaging the seller used to decrease bulk, or they could include additional protective packaging. This is entirely up to preference, but I personally always do express shipping and protective packaging to ensure my items arrive quickly and safely. So far the only issue I had was with buying a bulk order. The seller with-held some items but I contacted Buyee and the seller refunded me.

If for some reason the seller is unable to ship the item or is unresponsive you will be refunded.

AmiAmi

Pre-owned listings are super competitive for HOT items, but unpopular niche series generally stay in stock.

Sometimes, if you are quick enough, you can get a great deal on AmiAmi’s pre-owned section. Every day they update their pre-owned listings. For me, this happens around 3-4 A.M, which requires that I stay up super late, or wake up early to peruse the listings and hope I get the item I’m trying for, or just miss out on it altogether. Chances are, if you aren’t on at this exact time and refreshing the listing, you won’t be able to add it to your cart long enough to get to the checkout process. Lucky for me, I’m a nostalgia collector, so my series merchandise tends to stick around long enough for me to pick up.

This is the perfect way to pick up cheap nendoroids, prize figures, and scales from a retailer you trust.

Pay attention to their rating system for the quality of the item you are purchasing. Sometimes they will include pictures of any damages, but it is rare that the items are terribly damaged.

Mandarake

Mandarake is another great option when it comes to buying anime figures. They are a Japanese chain store that specializes in selling all kinds of merchandise, from official animation cels, to obscure doujinshi. They have stores all over Japan, but they also have an online store that ships internationally. Furthermore, they tend to be a bit more expensive than some other places, but the quality of their merchandise is very high.

We hope this guide was helpful in finding the best place to buy merchandise for your collection. Happy shopping! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thanks for reading!

Where to buy anime merchandise: A beginner’s guide to purchasing goods.

Compared to the days of the past, anime and the associated merchandise is much more readily available to purchase for the masses. Gone are the days of borrowing subtitled VHS tapes, and essentially doing black market deals to get the next installment of Sailor Moon or Evangelion. What I would have given to be able to purchase a Sailor Moon t-shirt at Target!

Mild disclaimer: There are obviously more vendors and retailers, but I am only listing the ones that I used or have heard only good things about from fellow collector friends.

So let’s start with the basics!

Local Retailers

Walmart

That’s right! You can buy anime merchandise at Walmart. Wander your way to usually the back of the electronics section where the posters are and you will see a section dedicated to figures. These figures are usually released by Western companies, such as FUNKO or McFarlene Toys, but they do occasionally stock prize figures from Banpresto or Bandai. While there, do yourself a favor and check out the DVD/Blu-ray section and pick up a series, or take a look at the books and you might find an errant volume of Toilet Bound Hanako-kun or Attack on Titan. I highly recommend picking it up in-store rather than online as there is a high chance of purchasing a bootleg from one of their many individual vendors on their site.

Target

Not only can you buy goods from Target, but they have exclusive collaborations as well. While it may not be a figure, they have collaboration fashion for Sailor Moon for a limited time!

Barnes and Nobles

Books aren’t the only thing Barnes & Noble sells. Wander around the store and you will find sections dedicated to merchandise such as prize figures, s.h. figuarts, figuarts mini, and so much more. Make sure to check out the cafe as well and get yourself something to drink and nibble on.

Books-A-Million

Books-A-Million is so much more than just a book store now. It’s a fun place for you to meet up with friends, get a good cup of joe, and buy anime merch. Depending on your Books-A-Million their manga section size may vary, but usually, somewhere near there will be tables of all kinds of merchandise from FUNKOs, cushions, plushies, figures, prize figures, etc. They frequently have sales for their titles as well. So head on down to Books-A-Million, grab a drink, a book, and plop yourself into any of their chairs for a quick read then buy some merch.

FYE

FYE is not just a music and DVD shop anymore like it used to be back in the early 2000s. Now you can pick up some pocky, ramune, or other anime-themed Japanese snacks and browse their albums, figure collections, and more. When I was a teen, I’d roam their aisles looking for anything anime related, and this is how I bought my first ADV bobox set Princess Tutu. At that time, you were lucky to find anything, but now? Now it is EXPLODING with merch for all kinds of fandoms and genres. Pick up some shirts, pillows, and plushies. prize figures, etc.

Hot Topic

Even back in the mid-2000s, Hot Topic was the place to find anime merch. I was rocking a MYth Inuyasha messenger bag at my middle school, alongside my oversized TRIPP pants. Admittedly, the selection was narrow back then, but I didn’t re to Hot Topic for anime merchandise anyway, I went for the corsets. I digress! Now! You can buy figures (online or in-person) for affordable prices, t-shirts, pajamas, stickers, candies/snacks, stationary, etc. They even have special collaborations and exclusive merchandise such as jewelry, and dresses.

Box Lunch

Box Lunch is affiliated with Hot Topic, but instead of the edgy and gritty feel of the store, it is bright and colorful. Box Lunch has a cool concept, ofr every $10 you spend they donate a meal to the hungry, which is why they chose the name Box Lunch. Pretty self-explanatory. Like Hot Topic they stock all kinds of fandoms and have their owllaborations for merchandise, at a slightly higher price point, but I found that their jewelry options are a bit higher quality.

Online Stores Located in the USA

Big Bad Toy Store

Big Bad Toy Store is an online storefront that imports goods from Japan to sell. They do sell some merch at aftermarket prices, but these are usually rare or exclusive merch. However, there is some significant delay from when they ship the merchandise to you, to when the merchandise releases upon pre-order. Big Bad Toy Store has a “pile-of-loot” feature that allows you to consolidate your orders to ship them all at once for a flat $4 fee. I have personally not used this feature, but some friends of mine only use Big Bad Toy Store exclusively because of this feature.

Crunchyroll

That’s right, they don’t just monopolize your anime streaming experience, they also sell merchandise. If you have a Crunchyroll membership you receive 15% off the listing price, and free shipping once you exceed $49 for your order. If you have their “Ultimate Fan,” membership you get a discount on their exclusive mascot, Hime’s nendoroid figure, and a $25 off $100 coupon every few months. They allow you to pay your orders off 4 installments via Sezzle for all orders, and you can cancel an order at any time as long as it hasn’t shipped yet. BUT! Order from them only if you don’t mind risking your package arriving damaged. For whatever reason, Crunchyroll has great prices and the payment plan is convenient for large orders, the company they use for distribution packs orders with minimal protective packaging if any at all. I have had many orders arrive in pristine condition, but I have had some orders where items did arrive with significant box damage. For prize figures, or figures where the box is secondary, and you want a payment plan option, I recommend Crunchyroll.

Good Smile Company US

Good Smile Company, the company that brings you an explosion of Miku, Nendoroid, Figma, etc has a branch office located in California where you can order items and not have to worry about paying 2000 JPY per shipment for shipping fees like you would if you ordered directly from their global store headquartered in Japan. Items are “released” 3-6 months after Global GSC’s releases to account for them arriving by boat to reduce costs. Good Smile Company US offers free or reduced shipping fees for pre-order items, which over time can save you quite a bit of money. They frequently have sales to clear inventory and release in-stock orders of out-of-print characters for cheaper prices. Sometimes their packaging leaves much to be desired, but they are a safe cost-efficient way of purchasing expensive goods that would be made more expensive by shipping fees.

Aniplex+

You can order exclusive Aniplex+ figures directly from their Aniplex USA branch store. On this page, you will find pre-orders for high-quality exclusive figures. However, to get exclusive bonuses with your purchases it is recommended that you use a proxy service and order directly from the Japanese branch of the company instead. Otherwise, you will have to pay exorbitant prices for the goods in the second-hand aftermarket. However! There are some items that are region locked, so you may need to use a proxy service or one of the other vendors listed below.

Amazon*

Here it gets tricky. Yes, you can pre-order items or even order merchandise at retail prices directly from Amazon. However, pay close attention to the reviews, vendor names, and prices. Anyone can sell on Amazon, and if the seller selects fulfillment by Amazon they can list their prices so it looks like Amazon is selling the item and not a third party. This means your run the risk of buying bootlegs or paying ridiculous prices. Sometimes, even if you do order from an official vendor, they will suddenly cancel your order, and you will be unable to find that item again at a great price point. Always do your research when purchasing from Amazon, or arrange for a backup option in case of sudden cancellations. I personally make multiple orders on different sites that allow cancellations to avoid this sudden pitfall.

Online Stores Located Internationally

AmiAmi.com

AmiAmi is one of the biggest vendors of anime and fandom merchandise globally. The way their site works is you either order in-stock or pre-order goods. You have the option to consolidate it for each month to save on shipping fees, or ship it immediately. Once your selection is made you wait for them to send you a payment request, so let’s say you have a large order with 6 items that come out in July. Sometime in August, you will receive an invoice with the shipping fee calculated (for multiple methods if you don’t like the previously selected one) and the total for your order. You pay it on the site and then they ship it in the next few days. You will receive an email informing you of your tracking number once shipped. The items arrive well-packaged and in pristine condition. If it is damaged you can contact them to send it back for a replacement or refund. If you suspect your shipping fee will be astronomical you can also just split your order via contacting customer support, or their form for split order requests.

Big in Japan

When items are region locked, such as the Twisted Wonderland nendoroids or Aniplex figures, it is near impossible to find the items from vendors at affordable prices. Oftentimes, vendors will upcharge their items because they are exclusive to Japan, but Big in Japan does not. If you order from Big in Japan you can guarantee your pre-order and pay for the item at the time of shipment. However, their customer service is quick to respond and when I spoke with them they mentioned you can pay an order off at the time of the order or at the time of the shipment. They also offer a slew of payment options. In addition, if you speak French as your main language they will be able to assist you.

Good Smile Company

If you decide to order from Good Smile Company’s global site over their US-based operations there are some major differences from GoodSmileUS. One major difference is that Good Smile Company’s global shop will release months sooner than its USA counterpart. The second is the price, a Nendoroid could cost 6500 yen on Good Smile Company’s global shop, but the shipping will be a flat fee of 2000 yen. On the US-based store, shipping will be around $7-12. So you can save a small amount of money using the USA store, but you run the risk of poor packaging, a 3-6 month shipping delay from the global release, and if there are any issues with your order you will still need to contact their global store’s customer service.

I will discuss how to purchase second-hand goods and my secret to getting great deals on rare figures, my opinion on proxy services, and which ones I think you should use in another post. Stay tuned! We hope you enjoyed this blog post. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thanks for reading! Until next time, happy shopping!