Japanese anime is hugely popular with many people, from teens right through to those in their twenties, thirties and beyond, and with many great new series being released each and every year there is always a new obsession waiting to happen for many anime fans.
There are also many modern anime favorites such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Cowboy Bebop, Death Note and Gintama which continue to gain new fans on a regular basis. For many fans - regardless of their favorite anime genre - investing in anime merchandise is one great way to contribute to the industry as well as fully enjoy their hobby.
For those looking to get started in collecting anime merchandise, there are several important tips to keep in mind in order to get the best value for money and ensure that your budget goes as far as possible. With some goods being hard to find outside of Japan, it is important to have a strategy on how you are going to spend your money.
Firstly, it is important to find as many merchandise stores as possible that ship to your country. There will likely be a few great stores that are based in your home country, and these are often an excellent choice. The reason for this is that customs duties and expensive shipping may be applicable to products ordered from overseas.
Therefore, your first step is to find out which stores are available in your region, as they are far more likely to offer the best prices for you personally. You can find out about these stores through friends' recommendations, online anime communities, online marketplaces such as Amazon, or simply by using an internet search engine.
The next step is to figure out which kind of anime collector you want to be. Do you want to only collect figures of your very favorite characters, or do you want to obtain a complete collection so you can have an entire set of figurines from a particular series? Do you want to collect figures, or rather wearable merchandise such as t-shirts and key rings?
Many people are dedicated collectors, and will make sure that a proportion of their monthly budget can go into amassing all the figurines and items associated with a particular series. Others will instead just prefer to spend a little money on their very favorite items; in either case, deciding what kind of anime collector you want to be will help you make the best choices.
The next thing to bear in mind is that certain items are far more expensive than others, and this may be important to you or not depending on the size of your budget. Some of the best - and least expensive - anime merchandise to collect includes DVDs and key chains, and you are guaranteed to get a lot of use out of these items too.
On the other hand, some people love to collect figurines of their favorite characters, even though they may not serve any practical purpose. Consider what you are drawn to and what makes you the happiest, and then adapt your budget around it. If you want to collect figurines, consider exactly how much you can afford to spend on these items every month.
Some other options can include photos of the cast of your favorite series, or posters of your favorite characters. If you do not think that you can afford your hobby alone, ask for the more expensive items as gifts from family and friends in order to complete your collection.
In conclusion, several steps that will help you get started in collecting anime merchandise include making sure that you find out the best places to buy from, setting yourself a budget and ensuring that you know what kind of collector you want to be. All of these tips can help you get focused and make your money go a lot further.
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