Kiri's anime/Japanese merchandise shopping guide

As some of you may know, I have an okay collection of anime/Japanese goods I've acquired over the years. Most, if not all, of these products came from online vendors. Online retailers are great, but unfortunately bootleg merchandise is out there and some are not sure what site's/sellers are distributing the real thing. As such, I decided to share places I shop from and helpful advice to help avoid paying for a bootleg item.

Disclaimer: JAN, it's affiliates, and/or I do not sponsor the sites listed below. This guide is for educational purposes only. There are a multitude of sites that sell anime/Japanese merchandise, and the ones listed here are ones I've either personally done business with or I know from reliable sources sell authentic merchandise. Also, in the unfortunate event, it's not my fault if you end up purchasing bootleg merchandise, even if you follow my guide (though I hope this doesn't happen).

Okay, let's get started by going over a few places to buy new merchandise (though some sell used as well).


AmiAmi [Link]

Pros:

• Huge selection
• Items usually under MRP (Market Resale Price)
• AmiAmi exclusive bonuses with certain items
• Points to use on future purchases
• Pre-order payments due when item is ready to ship
• Graded pre-owned figures

Cons:

• Little to no product description
  
• My Account navigation is "clunky"
  
• Customer support can be confusing/misleading and English is clearly not their primary language
• Orders can not be cancelled unless one contacts customer support
• If too many items are canceled/go unpaid, all orders may get canceled and ones account closed.

Summery:
AmiAmi is probably my favorite place to by anime related merchandise and they tend to be cheaper than most other retailers, and only ask for payment once the item(s) are ready to ship. Some items even come with exclusives that the site throws in. There biggest drawback is their site's account management system and customer support. Searching for orders can take a bit of poking around. Their supports could also use some work. I once had and order split itself due to a change in release date, and somehow the quantity was changed from 1 to 2. I sent an email asking for this to be corrected. I received a generic reply stating my order had be canceled. I re-ordered the item to only get another email several hours later showing the the quantity of the original order had been modified.


HobbyLink Japan [Link]

Pros:

• Decent selection
• Very nice site design
• Price shown in Yen, USD, and Euros
  
• List price below MRP
  
• Re-lists items as they become available

Cons:

• No exclusives
• Search field sometimes does not yield the best results

Summery:
HobyLink Japan is a great place to get models, non-anime Japanese figures, and other small items. There website is also fairly user friendly. HLJ's anime figure section is on the lower side. In most cases, they will have popular figures, but don't be surprised if they don't have a particular one available. They do excel with it come to other anime merchandise, like shirts, wallets, etc. Even if an item is on backorder, they so try to get an item if it's ordered. I recommend HLJ for anyone who builds models or wants some cool anime shirt/keychain/etc.


Hobby Search [Link]

Pros:

• Product details
• Product page will show the number of items you've ordered
• Point system
• List price below MRP
• Searcha - Hobby Search's mascot
• Re-lists items as they become available

Cons:

• Site design could use some work
• URL does not match site name
• Other sites usually have lower prices

Summary:
Hobby Search as a good place to get items post-release. I say this as most other sites will have the same items for less. That said, Hobby Search holds a certain amount of some items, and re-list them over time, and without a huge markup. The site however, could use a redesign. Their URL also doesn't match their name, making them feel less creditable. Searcha, Hobby Search's mascot, is also cute, but makes them unique as, like JDO, they have their own mascot (though we have three).


Play-Asia [Link]

Pros:

• The place to get Japanese games
• Free shipping on most items
• Product descriptions with updates (such as PVs)

Cons:

• Smaller selection of anything else
• English names used

Summary:
Play-Asia is the site to go for if you're considering buying a Japanese game. They tend to have the most information available, and update when new things are published, such as PVs. They also list if the system the game is for is region locked, or if it will work on any region's system. Their figure collection on the other hand, tends to be limited to characters that have been featured in a game. One down side is the site uses the English name for a lot of the titles, making searching for a title a bit more tedious if you only know it by the romanized Japanese title.


jBox/jList [Link]

Pros:

• Blog from a foreigner living in Japan
• Odd, hard-to-find items
• Original merchandise
• Points
• San Fransisco warehouse

Cons:

• Items sold at MRP and sometimes higher
• Figure selection is low

Summary:
jBox is a good site for finding odd items. A good example, jBox was the only site I could find that sold the drink Morning Rescue while Madoka aired. Snakcs is another plus jBox has over other sites. Their figure selection is not the best though. New items and sold at MRP, and a few times higher. jBox does have a San Fransisco warehouse for the apparel they sell, some of which is original, printed by them.


Crunchroll Store [Link]

Pros:

• Daily deals
• Member discount
• Exclusives

Cons:

• MRP for most items for non-members
• Pre-oders require immediate payment
  
• Limited stock

Summary:
Crunchyroll is know for being a legal way to watch anime, and not very long ago, they also opened up a store. If you're aready a member, you can potentially save a good amount by purchasing through their store. Member discount + daily deal = a lot saved. Once released however, items generally don't stay long and I've yet to see an item return.


GoodSmile Online Shop [Link]

Pros:

• Buying straight from the manufacturer
  
• Exclusives with some items

Cons:

• Only GoodSmile products sold
• MRP
• Pre-oders only for most items

Summary:
If you want to make sure you're getting the real thing, and it's a GoodSmile product, then the GSOS is your place. You're getting the figure right from them, however you will pay full price. That may be worth it to get ensure the real deal, and for any bonus items a figure may come with.

The following sites require some caution before buying. As the items are not sold by the site itself, the buyer needs to be a bit more informed before purchasing. I'm going to list a few things one should look for before proceeding to buy an item from the sites below, then I'll list them. A wonderful place to do research on figure, and some anime goods, is myfigurecollection.net They have images of the real product and any know bootlegs to help people out.

• If an item was released awhile ago, the price should be higher, so anything that's near the original MRS or lower should be checked carefully.
• Things from Hong-kong should be avoided. Period. Hong-kong is bootleg central for just about anything, so, unless you trust the seller, don't buy. Items sold from China should also be evaluated carefully.
• Just because it's ships from Japan, doesn't mean it's real. Same goes for sellers in your country.
  
• If an item is pre-owned, or even new, the seller should provide images of the exact items for sale, if the site allows for this. Stock images are a red flag, but could also just be a lazy seller. If pictures are provided, don't assume that makes the item real. Here's a few things to look for.
  • Research what the item should look like, including the box, and the accessories it may come with.
  • If the box has "Xinzhida" anywhere on it, it's FAKE.
  • Look for the manufacturer's logo
  • Some boxes have seals of authenticity; if so, look for it.

Amazon:
If the item is sold on your area, like a Western English release of a game, then try to by from Amazon themselves. If it's something like an import, try find an item Fulfilled by Amazon. Otherwise use the tips above to help weed out the fakes.

eBay:
eBay is a good place to find merchandise you may have missed out on, but that also makes for a prime target for fakes. Use extreme caution when shopping. If you're unsure, contact the seller. Ask where they purchased the item, and if they still have the invoice.

My Figure Collection:
While a great place to research, they also have a user market place. Don't assume that the seller is ligit just because they are a member of the site. Ask for pictures and any questions you have.

I hope this helps people out. The best way to avoid bootlegs it to know what you're buying.

If people keep avoiding the fake and buy the real thing, it wont be profitable and less will be made. Not to mention you'll be supporting something you like.

 

Some really helpfully links, and great advice thanks kiri, its important to get the correct, and high quality Otaku goods we thrive upon
all I can say is yes yes and yes

​

Also with amazon, for example when I got my precious Misaka lighter which these kind of goods are from japan it took 5 attempts, not from the sellers but they kept getting stopped at Japanese customs (not England) custom. Apart from that goods that are not or can be hazardess are fine , And im still not sure why it took 5 attempts but it was worth it.

:3

Spoiler

 

*favorited and forget*

 

/saves for later when becomes rich

 

list is helpful so i will always necropost this when needed.