{"id":71493,"date":"2020-09-22T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=71493"},"modified":"2022-07-07T19:40:23","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T10:40:23","slug":"3-ways-to-save-money-anime-figure-collecting-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/3-ways-to-save-money-anime-figure-collecting-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways to Save Money on Anime Figure Collecting in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Collecting anime figures<\/strong>, also known as statues or figurines, can come across as a daunting hobby. For quite some time, it\u2019s carried with it a stigma strongly associated with the most negative concepts of a nerd, or rather an otaku <\/em>stereotype. And, despite the Japanese animation popularity boom sweeping away this stigma, whether because of classic mainstay Ghibli titles or more recent hits like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (\u9b3c\u6ec5\u306e\u5203)<\/em>, the barrier to entry for figure collecting can still feel toweringly high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what scares potential collectors away, if not the culture? Probably, it\u2019s because it\u2019s just so gosh-darn expensive<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, at least, that\u2019s what one might think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Scary Expense of Collecting Anime Figures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The anime (or video game and manga) figure collecting scene tends to turn a few heads when the price tag enters the picture. Premium figure releases for popular series and characters can start at the \u00a510,000 <\/strong>and go up from there. For example, the currently-airing My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU<\/em>\u2019s (\u3084\u306f\u308a\u4ffa\u306e\u9752\u6625\u30e9\u30d6\u30b3\u30e1\u306f\u307e\u3061\u304c\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3002)<\/em> Yui Yuigahama<\/a> or Sword Art Online<\/em>\u2019s (\u30bd\u30fc\u30c9\u30a2\u30fc\u30c8\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30e9\u30a4\u30f3)<\/em> 10th-anniversary Kirito and Asuna<\/a>, offer preorder periods months ahead of release and retail at the \u00a510,000\u2013\u00a540,000 price range, and can even justify television advertising. Even if some lower-premium-grade models aren\u2019t quite this expensive, spotting price tags like these online or on the shelf of a brick-and-mortar retailer like Animate can make it difficult to blame someone for not feeling enthusiastic about the hobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Animate<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"animate
\u00a9 Luca Denser<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Animate is a popular destination for fans looking for new anime-related goods. If you look closely at the store sign in the right half of the left photo, you’ll also notice a Lashinbang (\u3089\u3057\u3093\u3070\u3093) on the 2nd floor, but we’ll get more into that later.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hidden Costs of Anime Figures at Arcades<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With all this said, purchasing figures at retail value is not the only way to pick up new releases, though the alternatives can be just as scary. If you\u2019re familiar with the Japanese arcade scene<\/strong>, you\u2019ve probably seen the countless rows of crane games (called \u201cUFO catchers\u201d in Japanese) that line an arcade\u2019s various floors for, generally, \u00a5100 a try. Or perhaps you might be familiar with the multiple raffle systems at Japanese arcades, retailers, and convenience stores that guarantee a random prize <\/strong>for a fee of \u00a5500\u2013\u00a51,000. While \u00a5100 or \u00a5500 may seem like a far cry from the thousands you\u2019d be spending on some new figures at retail, these systems are designed to get you coming back and can be deceptively expensive over time. (Square Enix certainly made a profit off my wife\u2019s shelf of FF7R Ichiban Kuji raffle goods<\/a>…).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Machines<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Taito<\/figure>\n
Like these found in Den Den Town, many arcades in Japan are lined with crane games filled with figures and other memorabilia. \u00a9 Luca Denser<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But for those who aren’t willing to invest their life’s savings into collecting figures, there’s another option: buy used<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 Tips for Saving Money on Used Anime Figures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Collecting anime figures becomes a feasible hobby if you opt for the secondhand alternative<\/strong>, which provides a hugely accessible avenue for getting into the collecting scene. To pros, this tip may seem obvious, or even heretical to some. However, it\u2019s worth noting for any aspiring collector, casual or not, that there are three specific ways you can adjust your searching habits<\/strong> while on the hunt for figures in Japan. While none of these are \u201csecrets,\u201d per se, keeping these three points in mind<\/strong> will help you balance your wants with your wallet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Locate Stores that Sell Low<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, you need to know where to look<\/strong>. There are numerous popular chains in Japan that either specializes in or are especially popular for their selection of used figures. Lashinbang<\/a> has been my go-to store, but there are numerous large chains with a focus on otaku <\/em>goods with reasonable prices, such as Mandarake<\/a>, Sofmap<\/a>, and Surugaya<\/a>. While Tokyo\u2019s Akihabara<\/a> and Osaka\u2019s Den Den Town<\/a> are particularly well-known for both these sorts of chains and smaller mom-and-pop stores, you can find Lashinbang located all over Japan. All of these stores sell a variety of anime-related goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n