Money Saving Tips for Manga Collectors
There’s a difference between manga lovers and manga collectors. A person might love to read manga and he could be reading them free *ahem online manga readers* while a manga collector’s aim is to collect the official volumes that are out there in the market. Of course manga collectors do not collect every title that is available as some are fussy collectors. Below are some money saving tips for manga collectors out there; spread the knowledge and save our pockets. (:
1. Sign up for membership discounts.
On the usual basis, I enjoy 10% off any book/manga that I buy from Kinokuniya since I’m a member and 20% off during special occasions. Annual membership fee is only S$20+ and I’m sure that the 10% money that I’ve saved is more than the S$20+ that I’ve spent on membership fee (hopefully I’m making sense here). Other motivating factor would be the good customer service that Kinokuniya has and their efficiently since they save me the trouble of dealing with the publishers directly or having to purchase online from Amazon. Imagine trying to deal with ADV Film regarding their Gunslinger Girl publication…%^&*% Just leave the “negotiations” to Kinokuniya, they’ll try to get that particular volume for you.
One of my NUS friends highlighted this to me during this semester and I learn that NUS anime club members actually enjoy discount at certain anime/manga related stores. Membership fee is a low S$5 but you get to save much more money if you’re a heavy manga collector. Its highly recommended for manga collectors of Chinese traditional and simplified publications since you’ll be able to enjoy discount for the many Chinese series found in the university’s bookstore.
2. Buy during the discount period.
It’s like making the best out of the Great Singapore Sale (GSS). Singaporeans tend to spend more at shops countrywide when discount boards show 50% or more. Similarly, we should apply this to manga purchasing too. Note that Kinokuniya has special 20% period during festive occasions like Christmas, New Year and during the GSS. You’ll need to circle and check their site more often when a festive season is near as 20% is a lot of money saved if you spend lots on manga. Purchase only during the 20% period to get the best out of it.
3. Second hand manga as alternatives.
Its possible to get 2nd hand manga that are as good as new. There are other manga collectors who treat their manga like gold but they have to let them go for some reason. They can be located at Yahoo auctions, e-bay or the likes but do practice caution and beware of bluffs. For a good Ebay guide, check out Ebay the Right Way by The P-Meister.
4. The library can be your best friend.
The library is a highly recommended source if you’re unsure whether a title is worth your penny. If you’re thinking of picking up an older series and have doubts regarding the plot or publishing quality (font, translation, etc), pick up a volume from the library and give it a go. If the plot sucks, good, you need not waste money collecting it. If you’re happy with everything, then go ahead and purchase it from a store.
The library is actually a great place to look at when it comes to comics. My brother come to love Pearls Before Swine after chancing upon it from the library. He now reads comics from the library before selectively purchasing the titles that he would like to collect.
5. Make more Manga Bestest Best Friends (MBBFs)
Making more real like manga friends is a way to save money too. They’re like your manga network that will update and inform you of any information or good deals. Also, you never know when you’ll be lucky. There was once when I exchanged manga with another friend of mine because we wouldn’t want to collect whatever we have bought. I have no idea what to do with them and strangely my friend actually enjoys reading them. I gave it to her and she gave me other titles that I like and everyone is happy at the end of the day.
What about you? Are you a manga collector and what are some of your money saving methods?
Id call myself a manga collector.Sure my library isnt impressive but its growing slowly and steady.I absolutely hate to read Mangas online and ill do it only on special Occasions like with Bitter Virgin.Theres no changes something like this would ever published in Germany.Reading Manga on your Pc is not only wrong but also tiring.It doesnt even feel right…In my opinion reading consists of making yourself comfortable and holding a book in your hand.Theres no way a Pc could beat that.I also think that the usual “Meh…Its so expensive so ill just read it online” excuse doesnt work here.While i can understand people that download Anime because they cant pay 30 € for a DVD Volume with 3Eps i dont understand people that read Manga online. Youll get some good entertainment for the price of 5€.Nobody can tell me that thats too expensive.Well…where am i getting my Manga from? Amazon is my biggest friend.They have the biggest selection over here and also offer the shipping of English Manga Releases.Local shops usually dont have the Manga im looking for
Ugh…i should proofread my Comments before i post them.That way im able to avoid embarrassing typos
Living in a country where manga is not found prominently, I can say that I’m lucky to find a manga on some malls especially when there’s a sale so I always save up until the next sale comes… just to get ready
I have 3 rows of manga in my shelf currently but now I’m reducing my manga expenses by only reading them online (Hey, it’s free 
)…
kanzeons last blog post..Final Fantasy Versus 13: Hot Digest
I has a money. What I do wif it?Also, not a manga collector, and I only read two manga series.What is this, Flower of Bravery played on IMEEM. :(
I can’t hang with reading online. Hurts the eyes.
#3 is usually the way I go. Amazon Marketplace, ebay/half.com, used bookstores, and even the salvation army or goodwill have been fantastic resources. In the US a tankoban can be 6-10 dollars, but used you can usually find them used for a couple bucks.
I always debated whether that was any more ethical than reading online, but I’ve always bought books and records that way, and I don’t see myself changing soon…
THE BIGGEST TIP IS: KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU HAVE BOUGHT. Many of us fail to do so and end up wasting money on doubles. I have tonnes of doubles.
tj hans last blog post..[Ascaloth] Autumn Big Bang! The Highlights of Fall 2008
Hm, my endeavor into manga may begin soon enough… if I ever find that Voices of a Distant Star one ><
FFVIIKnights last blog post..Legend of the Maian
The dangerous thing about collecting manga is that growing up causes one to have a change in taste for all things. I have a pile of manga that I will never ever touch again, which is really sad.That is why I tend to be very selective in initiating a new collection these days. And I should have gotten myself a Kino membership card a long time ago.
The Sojourners last blog post..Good Tie Folks! See you at the 2012 Olympics!
Second-hand mangas, especially of those in Japan, is quite a deal. Sadly, in a country where there’s only a handful of mangas being sold on the market (almost all of which are the expensive licensed versions too), we’re not always lucky to have the same opportunities as other people (you lucky Japanese, Singaporeans, etc! :P). No libraries with mangas here either (not that I know of), so boohoo.I bought a whole loot of mangas when I found out about this sale in a local cafe which just went out of business, cost me like half a dollar per piece. Back in Japan I also did the same… buy second-hand stuff or buy new stuff in Mandarake (whose price is always discounted, even new ones!) Sigh, those are the days~ now I’m back to ordering online… expensive, but I don’t have much choice :(
usagijens last blog post..Watching Shugo Chara with ‘Omniscient Eyes’: Going Emo Over Ikuto’s Past
i buy and collect.. and read them very much later.
pps last blog post..Road block ; try next exit
I use a membership card (which can get me about 10% off all the Taiwan books), and sometime visit those 2nd hand shops for some good deals. Certain shops also sell ChuangYi books about 30 cent cheaper if you are a member.
Stiflers last blog post..Slowpoke Updates
@Blowfish
I think there are other site out there like yesasia.com but they don’t seem to have the arsenal of manga that amazon has. For now, amazon is king!
@kanzeon
I read them both online and offline. Its actually more comfortable to read a manga while sipping warm milk tea.
@Panther
I got that cute cat picture from this site where people post their “master piece” and get feedback. Awwww…I think Flower of Bravery is nice though it has nothing to do with this post.
@otou-san
Putting ethics aside, certain series are unavailable in English and the public would get them online (example: Bitter Virgin). Its a great title and I would definitely add it to my collection if the English publisher is not Tokyopop.
@tj han
That’s so true! I went Kinokuniya and bought Variante volume 4 again by accident. I already got a copy but I bought another one because I forgotten that I already bought one. Fortunately the friendly Kino staff let me do a switch and I got another title instead.
@The Sojourner
I’m facing a similar situation not because of my change in taste. Its just that I have bad taste to begin with and I purchase manga with rotten plot. Its so hard to get rid of those rotten series after a read.
@FFVIIKnight
I can’t find some series in stores too and I’ve to place special orders to ship them over.
@usagijen
That’s so unfortunate jen.
Then it’s best that you familiarize yourself with the various Amazon programs like free shipping or bulk shipping and team up with friends to import manga at lower cost. Make more friends will be the key to more manga information and lower shipping costs.
@pp
I read some online and just buy to collect some titles (eg: Claymore) so I never got to reading the Claymore volumes instead.
@Stifler
I think Comic Connection is one such example right? Not really sure about this though.
ah i have such issues too. buying for the sake of collection. My haruhi manga is just collecting dust =x
pps last blog post..Carl Jr @ east coast
I personally agree with all except the 3rd. Those 2nd hand stores are a pain to find. >_<
C.I.s last blog post..Leaf’s White Album – New details revealed for the Anime Adaptation and a PS3 port?