Can’t remember if I ever covered where I buy my anime but I felt was time to talk about once again.
I did look through my site and briefly touched upon where I buy my physical media from and sparking this post was Crunchyroll’s recent announcement that Funimation App will disappear on April 2nd. In addition there digital library will be gone affecting people who are existing subscribers, subscription prices will be affected and people who collect physical media there goods containing digital copies of a series will become absolute. No more hoping of storing your digital copies on funimation. It’s been up in the air for couple of years of when will the app close down and it’s sprung upon us out of the blue. Giving only months notice is rude to me, this is something to me that should have been announced late last year. People losing there digital copies another blunder. No surprise over the last 3 to 5 years the direction of where streaming anime or owning physical copies was going the Sony merger, the discontinuation of Rightstuf, Animelab streaming service.
I don’t think just me is not liking where any of this is going. I will write a separate post on my feelings on this topic but Funimation going for forever it hits home for people who collect physical media that I think will make people do it more.. For a couple of years I did take a break from collecting only getting not even something 6 monthly. This year and going forward will be different resuming collecting like I once did. I thought what a better time to do this and share where I get my goods from and what sites I’ve discovered, haha but some are going to be obvious ones to you.
Ebay
Ebay has been a long time friend for my collecting over the last decade and still a constant source of finding those older titles. The catalogue of older titles I think has grown with sellers I’ve followed for a long time and selling any goods myself personally have had no trouble with. This is the first place I look for any older media before going to my other choices. You do gain experience weeding over the years when a offer is too good to be true. When shopping on Ebay I don’t bid on items unless it’s been a rare rare gem that I get the shakes of MUST HAVE. That has not happened for a long time though. My buying preferences when using this site:
– Buy It Now option
– Free Shipping/ Only pay shipping if worth it
– Primarily always set to Australia only unless I want a title from America
– Buy from past sellers
To name a few things I always stick too when browsing and before purchasing.
Amazon
Amazon coming to Australia in 2018 was a god send towards my collecting particularly when collecting titles that weren’t available within Australia. How much I despise the price to pay for titles internationally it’s still been amazing to have another access point for what has felt like these out of reach titles. People have suggested to me over the years to do proxy shipping but I don’t know how it works nor understanding when looking at different sites. I have become a collector of routine for outside titles buying through amazon. Before this access point came along, Rightstuff and Ebay were where my outside purchases would be made but the shipping costs were ridiculous through Rightstuf to ship to Australia like a constant problem everywhere. I stopped buying outside titles for a fair while and when amazon became a thing in Australia, it’s been the go to since for anime licenses not available here. The older titles mostly I am referring to are from 90s, 80s and early 2000s most of the time I buy and some newer titles. Right now my anime list on amazon is full of nothing but Discotek media titles. If you have never heard of Discotek Media then WHERE have you been!? They have been a god sent rescuing titles no-one thinks will pick up, thanks to them I own Beyblade G revolution, a holy grail series to me from my childhood. I have nothing but all the respect for those amazing people. Buying through amazon internationally usually range from $70 to 100 but prices fluctuate everyday, if something looks reasonable price I’ll snap it up. I know people have had problems with Amazon but I’ve had no issue yet even when towards my international purchases. Amazon has been a great accessibility collecting certain titles and will be a constant forever.
CEX (AU)
Relatively new site within last 4 years I have been using, I discovered through anime collector Simply Gee mentioning in one of her videos. CEX is in europe and operates here as well, selling second hand goods games, consoles and to my surprise anime. I have made some surprising purchases for anime that I thought was long forgotten and always have a different catalogue everytime visiting. They sell bulray and DVDs but since their new website revamp they have shrunk their DVD titles. Not that worries me really because I mostly buy Blurays, I managed to find Haikyuu season 2 my latest purchases as my usual places were just too steep for the price. I’ve had no issue with shipping when the goods are delivered, always a easy process. I’m grateful to Gee mentioning!
Zavvi UK
Gee is taking the credit here for this again, Zavvi is another site she mentioned in one of her videos. There is a site for Australia but they no longer sell anime on their AU site, which is disappointing. Not yet have I bought anything from this site yet that’s because I always forget about it ahaha. They have a few editions of anime with steel books and limited editions that you don’t get here in Aussie that I’ve had on my eye. Even though I have not bought from yet I wanted to mention for anyone who has not heard of this site and you are in the UK.
Crunchyroll AU Store
This has been adjustment to get use too to call not Madman anymore. . .Now which is known as the Crunchyroll store. I am only merely mentioning this site and nothing more as I don’t buy from it no longer. Due to last two orders I made, ripped off and the usual problem saying something was in stock and it wasn’t. In that scenario was a gift for someone. The aid I received from the customer service was subpar. Anyway if you have had no issue with purchasing from the site then I’m glad for you. Before the change over, Madman site in the ‘good old days’ was amazing. I remember the end of season summer and winter sales were the best. That essence is gone and I choose now to not give my money to what it is now. Saying as I did giving a mention is all the site will get from me as it was a huge part of my buying in my early days.
I sounded salty my last words there but that is where I currently purchase for my collecting. There is a local entertainment franchise I am local to buying anime from when there is sale and recently discovering thanks to my friend a market store that sells second hand anime goods. So even in these times I have plenty of options to do my collecting which I am currently happy with but if anyone has anywhere else they buy their anime from do let me know!!! I am always looking to add to my list of browsing sites. As I said I will do a seperate post with the current feelings I have about where anime is going, that is a whole other rant ahaha.
I hope you discovered somewhere new to buy your anime from and do tell me where you buy yours!
See you in the next post!
