As die-hard fans of certain anime series or franchises, you know that you want more—you feel that just watching the particular series or playing the game is not enough to satisfy you. Now this is where merchandise comes in. They come in different forms from towels, action figures, scale figures, button pins, you name it. The immense hype of otaku merchandise has also caused some unknown companies to imitate the original ones and sell them to fans in a cheaper price.
Don’t be fooled! In this Ani.Me feature, we are going to teach you the basics in buying otaku merchandise and to keep you away from bootlegs.
Follow Announcements from Reliable Sources
With social media dominating our everyday life, it is quite easy for us to just like and share to whatever pops out of our news feeds. If you see announcements of upcoming anime products to be released or huge sales and pre-orders, check if the source is reliable and credible. Remember that all Facebook pages that you follow share credible information so fact checking is always a must.
Prepare Your Wallet
Buying anime merchandise is not a walk in the park. They are kind of costly since a vast majority of the products have to be shipped from Japan. Prepare your wallet to splurge it on your fandoms. Always remind yourself that the final pre-order or order price of the item that you buy isn’t final since shipping fees and other fees might be included upon your order.
Choose Your Merch Wisely
Yes you love your fandoms so much, but that doesn’t mean that you have to spend almost ¾ of your savings or salary for them. You just can’t get enough of merchandise but never forget to leave a huge part for other links like bills and necessities. If you’re worried that the item that you want to buy gets sold out, they can always restock them in the near future. So choose the items that you want to buy and get the rest later.
Always Check The Item
In all honestly, some sellers advertise their anime products for sale as legit only to deceive you and get them sold. Always check the item before you hand the money down. Check the credibility of the shop most especially if you are buying them online.
Here are some things to take note:
1. Check if details are carefully made
2. Check the color of the item. If there are discolorations in your item, they can be fake.
3. Check the item quality. If they look cheaply made, then that’s a bootleg.
4. Check the reviews of the shop that you plan to buy anime merch to.
Report Bootleg Sellers
They say if you love your fandom, then you need to buy the originals. Do your part by reporting any shop that sells counterfeit anime products. You little effort can save future buyers from being a victim.
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