Details for each type of buyfaggotry

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🦄 A little bit of positivity for everyone :D

Before we get started

This is what the buying process is generally like:

  • You place an order or preorder
  • You receive an email from the store acknowledging they received your order
  • The store checks if your items are in stock, then packs things up and calculates shipping costs
  • The stores invoices you for the items and the shipping.
  • You pay (this is important)
  • Usually there’s a payment received email, followed by a shipping notification, with the tracking number if you paid for that too

Note to /v/irgins: If the item you’re looking for is from a western property or made by a western company, obviously you should try to get it locally at Toys R Us or other domestic online stores first.

For where to purchase these products, look at the List of shops

Importing vs. buying from domestic stores

Each has its own advantages. Importing from Japanese stores like AmiAmi means your preorders will be shipped much earlier and often works out cheaper. However, you’ll be paying for international shipping which is almost never cheap, and you may be hit with customs taxes. Very few books and Blu-rays have non-Japanese translations, so either learn Japanese, deal without translations or buy licensed localized versions.

Sometimes buying from stores in your country will be cheaper in the long run, once you factor domestic shipping in, and many offer flat rate or free shipping over a certain amount. Most likely you’ll have to wait a month or two after the Japanese street date before getting your things. Holiday sales are usually pretty nice, though, and you can often find some older figures still hanging around in their shops.

Buying original Japanese vs. localized material

Japanese manga are relatively cheap compared to American versions. Paper is very heavy though, so weight-based shipping for importing these will probably rape your wallet. The French have the best manga releases outside of Japan, so you could also try your hand at learning French.

As for Blu-rays and DVD’s, Japanese versions

  • almost never have subtitles
  • supports the creators more directly
  • get it sooner, obviously
  • very expensive, for reasons discussed in section 8.
  • usually 2-4 episodes per release
  • extras like soundtracks often included
  • nice package design
  • international shipping (although they usually aren’t that heavy)
  • Blu-ray or DVD region might not match yours (DVD and Blu-ray, don’t have the same region system)

Localized

  • translated
  • supports the creators more indirectly
  • sometimes lengthy gap between Japanese and domestic releases to avoid reverse importing
  • almost always cheaper
  • more episodes per disk, season sets available
  • very few extras
  • less fancy packaging
  • domestic shipping in many cases
  • can get discs that match your player

However, Japanese companies seem to be learning that there is actually an international market out there willing to buy their shit directly, so some Japanese BD’s are starting to come with English and other language subtitles. Mostly limited to Bandai, Aniplex, Ghibli and known popular Western releases currently.

Anime on DVD’s list of Japanese releases HERE.

Distributors

There are a few different companies that distribute hard copies of anime to us filthy gaijin. Much like the rest of the guide, following list is subject to >opinion.

  • Aniplex

One of the big two. The most expensive distributor, but you get more for your money. Their releases are usually limited edition and usually come with a box, a booklet with character designs, VA and staff interviews and notes, and possibly various other paraphernalia. Some series get standard edition re-release later on. Yellow subtitles, good video quality not great, translation choices are iffy but decent overall, dual audio and subtitle only releases depending on the series.

  • Funimation

One of the big two. The biggest distributor in the US. Video quality on par with Sentai (not something to be proud of because total shit), though their releases are cheaper and tend to come with a fair bit more than a Sentai equivalent. They offer limited editions with a box, BD/DVD (for what it’s worth, might be cheaper without DVD honestly) and an extra item like an art booklet or mousepad. White subs, dual audio.

  • Sentai Filmworks

Barebones. Releases are generally just the case and a few discs slapped inside. Yellow subtitles, bandy video, dual audio etc. They might add an extra every once in awhile if they can afford it (i.e. Infinite Stratos CD with character songs). Worst pricing out of all the manufacturers for what you get.

  • Madman Entertainment

Ausfag distributors. Relatively comparable to Funimation, though generally better quality. Releases often come with dubs.

Dolls

Asian ball-jointed dolls (BJD, ABJD) and Asian fashion dolls. Extremely customizable, highly posable, addicting, and exorbitantly expensive (upwards to 60~70k for the largest sizes). You may buy some of them from the usual Big 3 stores (AmiAmi, Hobbysearch and HobbyLink Japan) as well various other shops. Bootleg dolls do exist.

Usually cast in a porcelain-like hard vinyl plastic and the parts strung together with a thick elastic. Commonly range in size from about 60 cm. (24 in.) for larger dolls and 40 cm. (16 in.) for smaller dolls. Easy to customize, they can be painted, eyes and wigs can be changed, hundreds of accessories, clothes, furniture, etc. Customization is the keyword here, you can do about anything you might think of, it’s not even funny.

There also exist resin-based BJD dolls, but those are typically of an older classical type of doll less associated with anime type designs. You may find information on those dolls from /toy/ threads instead of here.

Manufacturers

Major manufacturers includes Volks (Volks USA) and Azone.

Volks is widely known for the attention they pay to their fans, while offering the widest variety of dolls of any company in the market and also the only company whose dolls come with built-in UV protection as a standard feature. They’re the most recognized and the most experienced. Also known for their members-only Doll Parties (Dolpa). The Dollfie, Dollfie Plus, Dollfie Dream and Super Dollfie brands, also known from their initials only (e.g. SD), are all made by them.

To clean your dirty, dirty doll, use gentle dish soap and water. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is recommended, as is Volks Cleaning Sponge.

Guides

Start here with /jp/'s BJD Doll Q&A. You should ask /jp/ first if you have more specific doll related questions, the general thread can be found under the BJD Thread title.

/jp/ also has a helpful illustrated guide here: Anime Doll Guide

Look here only if the other links are dead: /jp/'s old pastebin of links

Other Sources

BJD WTF 2.0 - A how to guide for care & modification of BJDs

Den of Angels - The place to get information about dolls. The forum is currently invitation-only however.

What is Volks Full Choice System (FCS). link requires login/may be dead

Azone Flickr Group - Very large photo gallery of Azone dolls, useful for getting an idea of what is available

Video games

There is a huge amount of video games which are never played by western customers, if you are willing to learn or force your way through them then there are many games available to you, including some which are available but have been censored by western companies. For purchasing these, look at the List of shops

Dakimakura

  • What’s a dakimakura?

Dakimakura are a type of pillow from Japan. Usually 160cmx50cm. Dakimakura are also known as “hug pillows”. They usually have anime, game, or original characters printed on them.

  • What can I do with a dakimakura?

You can hug it, talk to it, cuddle and sleep with it or simply look at it. (with onahole, you can j-j-jam it in! ;_;)

  • Is it worth it?

All depends on a few factors. If you think you are paranoid about people coming in your room and criticizing you about it, don’t buy it. If you really love your waifu, buy it. You will never have a better sleep. Amazing back support. It will never reject you or walk out on you for some guy at the bar.

  • Dakimakura all around me, I want them all

Only buy it if it’s your waifu, you fucker. Feel free to buy multiple dakimakura of your waifu though.

  • Ah! What are these fabrics? I wasn’t a Tailor in WoW!

Generally just about all covers will be 100% polyester (synthetic fibers). Good: doesn’t stain easily, doesn’t wrinkle easily, good drape, extremely cheap for the makers to produce & turn profits Bad: pills easily, doesn’t breathe, easy to get sweaty and uncomfortable, cannot iron on high, will melt instead of burn in case of fire The exact qualities will depend on the maker and batch.

2-Way Tricot is extremely smooth and stretchy, and the colors stand out. Highly recommended. 100% polyester, can be cleaned fairly easily. Most common material used for doujin dakimakura these days (via maker A&J). Peachskin fabric is almost always used for bootlegs. It’s fairly soft, and as the name implies, has a skin-like feel to it. Durable. 100% polyester, can be cleaned fairly easily. Velvet is the softest and most expensive if it’s real velvet. The short-pile fibers give a very distinctive “hairy” feeling. Hand-wash. More difficult to clean if it contains cotton or silk.

  • How do I wash my dakimakura?

Instructions are usually labelled inside dumbdumb.

If yours is a bootleg and doesn’t have one, here are some tips on washing it. Wash it with only cold to lukewarm water, inside out. Set it on delicate or similar setting. Dry it with a dry sheet, also on delicate, or hang-dry. Hand-washing (in cold to lukewarm water) is recommended over machine if you can do it. In between washes, you can Febreze to keep her smelling fresh and spot-clean the most used areas. Gently snip off pilling, but usually that’s the first sign of its unraveling.

  • Any special care tips?

It is important for you to shave your neckbeard daily to avoid tearing the fabric. Especially if you get one that’s 2-Way Tricot. Also, take a bath daily, preferably before bed. Your waifu doesn’t want to sleep with you if you smell. It’s inevitable that dead skin cells and body oil will rub off onto the dakimakura over time, so wash it at least once a month if you are using it regularly. Let it sunbathe inside-out twice a year to allow UV rays to kill microbes for you.

Above all, try to take good care of your dakimakura and avoid getting it dirty in the first place. It will degrade faster the more you wash it, and polyester is prone to pilling (forming little lint balls) over time.

  • Is there a way to get a custom printed dakimakura?

Plenty of eBay sellers that sell dakimakura covers will print out whatever art you give them, just try contacting a few of them and if they agree, provide them with your artwork. Note that they are very unlikely to edit it and will just print it "as is", so make sure it is in the correct dimensions and sufficiently high resolution.

  • yande.re - Dakimakura – High-Res dakimakura covers (You need an account to see most of the covers but making one only takes a second).
  • Hobby Heart Custom – MoeMarket's custom dakimakura printing.
  • CuddlyOctopus – Same quality as what they sell on their website.
  • Dakimakuri – Custom printing from Dakimakuri.
  • Mitgard Shop – Offers custom art printing and dakimakura commissions.
  • June Waifu – Middleman between several manufacturers.
  • Fules – One of the prominent and popular manufacturers (Needs a minimum quantity of 12 covers).

Figures

Blame.jpg

Material

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - The standard plastic that constitutes most of your figures. Somewhat flexible. Contains plasticizers to make your plastic more plastic.

Acetyl tributyl citrate in polyvinyl chloride (ATBC-PVC) - PVC with the biodegradable acetyl tributyl citrate plasticizer. Most rubber straps are made of this stuff, so it is recommended that you air them out regularly or risk deformation/degradation.

Acrylonitrile butyl styrene (ABS) - More rigid plastic than PVC. Usually used for the hard parts and figure bases. More likely to break cleanly rather than bend.

Polyurethane (resin or polyresin) - Typically used in garage kits. The components can vary a lot, but this label usually refers to the polyurethane resins that produce heat when casts are made.

Cold cast - Also polyurethane resin, but with components chosen so that the casting process doesn’t produce much heat which allows molds to last longer. Cold cast figures are especially fragile.

Polystone - Polyurethane resin with stone powder mixed in to make the material stronger and give a stone feel. Also a cold cast process. Polystone figures are very heavy and brittle.

Soft vinyl - For some doll bodies. Think Barbie.

Some other minor types of plastic, but the above plastics are the main ones.

Ceramic - Baked clay.

Die-cast - Metal.

Garage kits

Garage kits are resin kits of anime characters which require to be put together and painted in order to create a figure. Unlike pre-painted figures, with few exceptions like Volks' Charagumin series, those kits are produced by small independent circles and released at events and/or sold online in small batches. For this reason, they are very limited in availability, making it very hard to find some of these especially outside of Japan.

> More info on where to buy garage kits

There are multiple reasons why those kits are produced in such small quantities, including financial, logistic and even legal. The people running those circles are often hobbyists with a small budget and limited resources, not to mention the inability to purchase the appropriate licenses to sell what are essentially goods of copyrighted characters. Moreover in Japan, IP violations are reprimanded a lot more strongly than in the West, which means nobody wants to risk selling outside the very limited "one-day licenses" offered by IP holders during events like Wonder Festival, Treasure Festa or Tonari no Mokei Festival. Those one-day licenses are not only very limited in time, but also often limit the amount of kits a circle can sell at a given event. Some overseas companies take advantage of this fact and, by being able to circumvent copyright laws, offer to sell unauthorized lower quality recasts of those garage kits, which are highly controversial given the opportunistic nature of this practice.

Once in a blue moon, a garage kit might get picked up by a figure manufacturer and released as a pre-painted scale figure. In most cases though, painting a garage kit is the only way to obtain a truly unique item. While it is possible to commission someone to paint your kit, you should learn and try painting it yourself as it is part of the experience.

Although some kits may be more challenging than others, it is very possible for you to achieve a result you are happy with if you are willing to put in time, effort and money. Your first kit will most likely look bad, but with some dedication you will end up with a collection of figures which many people would be very jealous over.

Garage Kit Painting Guides

These guides (1, 2) should help in putting together your GK, as well as YunYunFan's end-to-end guide

Plastic model kits

“Gundam plastic model”, or Gunpla (ガンプラ Ganpura). Model kits depicting the mechas, vehicles and characters of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise by Bandai. Assembly required.

“Plastic model”, or plamo (プラモ puramo). Hobby modeling done in plastic, including mechas, aircraft, ships, automobiles and military vehicles from pre-molded kits. Designated in a well-established scale they’re also known as scale models. Real modelists do it from scratch.

For discussion on these, try on /toy/

Gelgoog Guy !!XOac6frt+Ny ’s Gunpla Guide (Google Docs)

Otaku Revolution - Layman’s Gunpla Guide

Unlicensed Non-Japanese Statues and Figures

Expensive unofficial figures/statues of popular anime and video game characters, typically using resin like GKs, but pre-painted. They are technically bootlegs, but while these unlicensed figures/statues are modeled without permission from the original IP owner---the designs are technically original and rarely re-casted or copied from official PVC figures. These figures/statues are often large in scale (1/6 and 1/4) and are very expensive compared to official PVC figures due to limited production runs and heavy weight (for a figure).

Most of these manufacturers do not have official websites due to the duplicitous nature of their business. Almost all manufacturers are based in China or southeast Asia, so expect little quality control from most companies. Preview pictures are frequently 3D renders rather than an actual sample, so don't get overly excited by a fancy design. That being said, unlicensed figures are one way to find lewd takes on flavor of the month characters given the popularity of r18 designs.

Pretty much all of these figures operate on a pre-order system that produces only as much as are ordered. Stores will typically require a deposit to secure an order due to this. Don't expect to be able to re-sell any of these figures, the after market is virtually non-existent.

If it's not obvious enough yet, take everything you see of unlicensed figures with fist-fulls of salt. Some of these figures are genuinely amazing works of art worth the high price. Many are not. If you decide to take a gamble on one, pay attention to the shop options. Many figures have a SFW and a NSFW version, and sometimes there is an option to buy both at the same time.

Shops

Responsive customer service that manages order updates pretty well. Quick to refund figures that have been cancelled. Offers fast or slow shipping quotes when orders are ready.

Site that sells various PVC figures, garage kits, and statues. Better customer service than any site below. Will send pictures of packed products ready for shipment. Offer a variety of shipping options (Pre-COVID). They even offer to hold shipments in their warehouse, helpful for customers in countries impacted by COVID shipping restrictions. Excellent packaging quality and frequent sales on in-stock products.

Terrible site with horrendous customer service representatives who will lie about a figures completion / shipping date. They have a wide selection but will frequently sell more figures than they have in stock---leaving customers to beg for refunds before the paypal refund limit is reached.

Site with above average customer service but unimpressive packaging. You can save money on shipping large figures because they will basically ship it in a cardboard box sized slightly larger than the figure box inside with protective plastic corners added. But large resin large resin figs are sure to break during shipping unless the manufacturer has high quality packaging.

Smaller selection of figures---there seems to be no consistent theme or reason to their pre-orders when compared to other sites. Good packing though and speedier shipping options compared to other sites (at least for smaller scale figures)

Good site to find older figures if you missed a pre-order date. But they take a very long time to respond to custom service inquiries. Packaging is normal.

Prints

Canvases, posters and wallscrolls: Custom print them online. They’ll look better than most official ones and you can pick whatever size you want. First, find the right picture. You’ll want the highest resolution you can find or else your prints will look blurry: Yande.re (high-res scans), Konachan (wallpapers).

Apparel

Rule of thumb is to buy a size bigger than your western clothing since Japanese people are scrawny (i.e. if you wear American size L, buy Japanese XL). If the manufacturer has a size chart (usually in centimeters), measure yourself or a similar article of clothing that you already own and compare against it for a better fit.

An important note about purchasing apparel is that many of these shops do not ship outside of Japan, and because of this it’s very likely you’ll need to use a middleman/proxy website to obtain them. Like most clothing companies these items are also only around until they sell out, and afterwards are replaced by different designs. Some apparel can be found secondhand or unopened on sites like Rakuten and Yahoo! Auctions Japan. There are also a number of manga artists that have merchandise listed on their personal websites that may not be available in the online stores listed here (for example, Suehiro Maruo has a couple shirts available only on his site), so if there’s anyone you like be sure to look them up online in case there’s any information about merchandise on their website/blog.

If you’ve gotta get shimapan to wear (f-f-for the little girl in you!), consider purchasing from domestic stores instead of Japanese stores, since underwear are generally a lot cheaper (e.g. $3 to $7 a pair in the US vs. $16 on AmiAmi).

Adult goods

Japan has a large amount of products made for your personal enjoyment, however many stores such as amazon restrict these to Japan only. However, there are options to allow you to purchase these products.

The NEETs at /jp/ have created a guide for purchasing adult toys, take advantage of it.

Look for /jp/’s Eternal Onahole thread if you have any questions not answered in the guide and also to discuss onaholes in general.

Do not ask for recommendations, there is a section on their guide to avoid this.

Doujin works

These are self-created works, usually released at Events in small quantities and can be quite hard to find. This does not just mean porn, but can mean CD's, games, and other items. Realistically though, you're not looking for safe for work stuff. Unfortunately, most places will not ship doujin works overseas while others will ship non-adult works only. Therefore it might be necessary to get a forward or proxy from the Proxy and forwarding services section.

Before placing your order make sure you have the correct kind of proxy, some of them charge flat rates per item, so those are generally not friendly to buy doujin (since doujin are relatively cheap), in this case is better to look for a proxy who charges a percent of each item’s price. Remember to look at their guidelines, some of them don’t like adult material.

Now if you are ordering compilations or a bit more expensive items (around 1500+ yen per item) that’s when you start considering using a proxy service with flat rates.

After you have picked a proxy or forwarding service, let them know what you want and ask for estimate fees, usually is either done by emailing them or filling a form at their site. This is when your wallet starts to hurt, since you are not getting second hand doujin directly, like in Mandarake’s case, you will be paying at least 30% more per item in just additional fees.

If you are okay with their estimate you can formally place your order, some will ask for upfront payment so make sure it’s a reputable proxy (see the Proxy and forwarding services list). After that the rest is waiting, the items will be shipped locally to the proxy service, which might take a few days, then the proxy will contact you when your items are ready and ship them to you.

So, added to the original price you’ll have to consider some of the following charges:

  • Proxy fees
  • Local shipping
  • Wire transfer fees
  • Paypal fees
  • Handling fees
  • International shipping

You might be charged for some or all of them, so before placing the order make sure to ask for estimates and read the proxy’s FAQs.

H-Manga

Japanese comic porn. These can be quite thick and quite heavy, so do not go and buy a lot at once unless shipping by boat unless you are fine with paying significantly more for shipping than for the actual product.

If you want a certain extra from a store that outright refuses to deal with foreigners like Yahoo! Auction Japan, you probably will need to employ a proxy service, which might end up in exorbitant prices (see the doujin section for more details on ordering this way). Use this way as last resort.

A small PSA due to current events: Do not blindly buy new tankoubons (after May 2013) from any publisher. Due to increased law enforcement activity they have cranked up the censor a whole lot. There is not much difference left between soft (usually B6 comics) and non-soft (A5 comics, with the yellow 成年コミック mark) for many publishers. Even Wani Magazine is now going for the “four bars across vagina and penis”-approach. It’s become rather unsightly.

Cards

Collecting Japanese cards is a fun hobby that can be as expensive or cheap as you want it to be. You can build a collection that you really like for $5 or $50,000 and the only real difference between the two is that one will be shinier. There are all kinds of Japanese cards, from trading card games to arcade game cards to telephone cards to bromides to cards packaged in with wafer cookies for some reason. If you know Japanese yourself, there are Japanese solitaire games you can play, and if you know other people who know Japanese you can play card games with them. You can even buy Japanese versions of cards available in English to let everyone in your local gaming store know how huge a weeaboo you are.

Here are a few basic tips to help you begin your collection:

  • Protect your cards. You can buy 100 penny sleeves for 99 cents, there's no excuse to leave your cards naked and defenseless. There are thousands of anime character sleeves you can use that cost more but are a great collectible in their own right. When you come back from the bathroom and find your card covered in someone's barbecue sauce but completely safe because you sleeved it, you'll thank me.
  • Pay attention to the condition of the cards before you buy them. There's nothing worse than only finding out a card you bought is bent, scraped or dirty when it arrives in the mail. It sometimes makes sense to accept a few scars to get a card at a way better price, especially if it's a card from the nineties where undamaged copies are rare, but you need to be an informed consumer and make that decision yourself. Reputable card sellers will mention major problems but even the best will miss the occasional bent corner so you need to take initiative and stay vigilant for issues.
  • Across all card games, there's a problem where holographic cards bend naturally with age. So if your fancy twenty dollar shiny sparkly card arrives in the mail looking like a pringle with a picture of an anime girl on it, that's actually normal. You'd be surprised how fast you get used to it.
  • The highest rarity version of a card isn't always the most valuable, and the most valuable version of a card isn't always the one you'll like the most. Look at all the various printings of the cards you want before you buy.
  • Always, Always, ALWAYS comparison shop. There are few things in the world that make you feel stupider than paying $13 for a card and finding it at another store for $6 the next day. At minimum, check the list of shops for the card you want, but comparison shopping isn't always that easy. It can sometimes be cheaper to get a card by buying sealed product and opening it yourself. Sometimes the best thing to do is wait for a better price. Consider all your options before you hit that shiny Buy Now button. The only thing that feels better than getting that card you lusted after is getting it at a 80% discount.
  • Never ever ever buy mystery packs or mystery lots or super special surprise boxes. When you buy an official booster pack, there's a chance, however slim, that it will have the cards you wanted in it at a sensible price. When you buy a "custom pack" from some guy, the odds of this are 0%. Whatever cards come out of that non-official pack you could have just bought cheaper as singles. There is only one reason someone wouldn't tell what the cards they're selling you are, and that reason is because they want to rip you off.

Artbooks

Including the setting guides and whatever else. Just like with H-manga, these can be pretty weighty, especially if the books are hardcovers. But being actual books, some sellers offer free but slow shipping options.

Even though you can buy many in-print books directly from retailers, you can get much better deals through Ebay and Yahoo Auctions, not everything there is used stuff. For out-of-print works... You take what you get. If something is very popular it might actually get reprint run, but most often that is not the case, so you gotta decide between spending 10X MSRP on a book with shelf-wear or just skipping out on it.

Books

Whether you've learned Japanese or are just starting out, it's great to have a physical book in your hands to read from. Japanese books are almost always published with marketing material wrapped around the bottom called an obi, and when you start collecting Japanese books you need to decide how important having these obi is to you, as you can get used copies without obi for significantly cheaper.

Japanese books are published in several standard sizes; the bunko size is exactly as tall as a Tide detergent box is wide, so you can make a little bunko bookshelf out of those. It's a great money saver if you have a book addiction.

Books are fairly heavy and bulky and thus expensive to ship. It's common that the cost to ship a book out of Japan is more expensive than the book itself. You can read free previews, sometimes as long as half the whole book, online, so it's a good idea to check those out before you pay all that shipping. On the flipside, once you've already paid out the ass to ship books internationally the shipping can't get much more expensive than it already is, so if you can combine shipping you can bundle just about anything else alongside your books for little to no additional cost.

If you're having trouble finding books to read, Kimirano is a Japanese website where cute anime girls recommend you different books every day. It has direct links to free previews for just about every light novel ever written and a decently robust search engine and rating system. If you're seriously into reading Japanese books you'll be hard pressed to find a more useful tool.

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