Compared to the days of the past, anime and the associated merchandise is much more readily available to purchase for the masses. Gone are the days of borrowing subtitled VHS tapes, and essentially doing black market deals to get the next installment of Sailor Moon or Evangelion. What I would have given to be able to purchase a Sailor Moon t-shirt at Target!
Mild disclaimer: There are obviously more vendors and retailers, but I am only listing the ones that I used or have heard only good things about from fellow collector friends.
So let’s start with the basics!
Local Retailers
Walmart
That’s right! You can buy anime merchandise at Walmart. Wander your way to usually the back of the electronics section where the posters are and you will see a section dedicated to figures. These figures are usually released by Western companies, such as FUNKO or McFarlene Toys, but they do occasionally stock prize figures from Banpresto or Bandai. While there, do yourself a favor and check out the DVD/Blu-ray section and pick up a series, or take a look at the books and you might find an errant volume of Toilet Bound Hanako-kun or Attack on Titan. I highly recommend picking it up in-store rather than online as there is a high chance of purchasing a bootleg from one of their many individual vendors on their site.
Target
Not only can you buy goods from Target, but they have exclusive collaborations as well. While it may not be a figure, they have collaboration fashion for Sailor Moon for a limited time!
Barnes and Nobles
Books aren’t the only thing Barnes & Noble sells. Wander around the store and you will find sections dedicated to merchandise such as prize figures, s.h. figuarts, figuarts mini, and so much more. Make sure to check out the cafe as well and get yourself something to drink and nibble on.
Books-A-Million
Books-A-Million is so much more than just a book store now. It’s a fun place for you to meet up with friends, get a good cup of joe, and buy anime merch. Depending on your Books-A-Million their manga section size may vary, but usually, somewhere near there will be tables of all kinds of merchandise from FUNKOs, cushions, plushies, figures, prize figures, etc. They frequently have sales for their titles as well. So head on down to Books-A-Million, grab a drink, a book, and plop yourself into any of their chairs for a quick read then buy some merch.
FYE
FYE is not just a music and DVD shop anymore like it used to be back in the early 2000s. Now you can pick up some pocky, ramune, or other anime-themed Japanese snacks and browse their albums, figure collections, and more. When I was a teen, I’d roam their aisles looking for anything anime related, and this is how I bought my first ADV bobox set Princess Tutu. At that time, you were lucky to find anything, but now? Now it is EXPLODING with merch for all kinds of fandoms and genres. Pick up some shirts, pillows, and plushies. prize figures, etc.
Hot Topic
Even back in the mid-2000s, Hot Topic was the place to find anime merch. I was rocking a MYth Inuyasha messenger bag at my middle school, alongside my oversized TRIPP pants. Admittedly, the selection was narrow back then, but I didn’t re to Hot Topic for anime merchandise anyway, I went for the corsets. I digress! Now! You can buy figures (online or in-person) for affordable prices, t-shirts, pajamas, stickers, candies/snacks, stationary, etc. They even have special collaborations and exclusive merchandise such as jewelry, and dresses.
Box Lunch
Box Lunch is affiliated with Hot Topic, but instead of the edgy and gritty feel of the store, it is bright and colorful. Box Lunch has a cool concept, ofr every $10 you spend they donate a meal to the hungry, which is why they chose the name Box Lunch. Pretty self-explanatory. Like Hot Topic they stock all kinds of fandoms and have their owllaborations for merchandise, at a slightly higher price point, but I found that their jewelry options are a bit higher quality.
Online Stores Located in the USA
Big Bad Toy Store
Big Bad Toy Store is an online storefront that imports goods from Japan to sell. They do sell some merch at aftermarket prices, but these are usually rare or exclusive merch. However, there is some significant delay from when they ship the merchandise to you, to when the merchandise releases upon pre-order. Big Bad Toy Store has a “pile-of-loot” feature that allows you to consolidate your orders to ship them all at once for a flat $4 fee. I have personally not used this feature, but some friends of mine only use Big Bad Toy Store exclusively because of this feature.
Crunchyroll
That’s right, they don’t just monopolize your anime streaming experience, they also sell merchandise. If you have a Crunchyroll membership you receive 15% off the listing price, and free shipping once you exceed $49 for your order. If you have their “Ultimate Fan,” membership you get a discount on their exclusive mascot, Hime’s nendoroid figure, and a $25 off $100 coupon every few months. They allow you to pay your orders off 4 installments via Sezzle for all orders, and you can cancel an order at any time as long as it hasn’t shipped yet. BUT! Order from them only if you don’t mind risking your package arriving damaged. For whatever reason, Crunchyroll has great prices and the payment plan is convenient for large orders, the company they use for distribution packs orders with minimal protective packaging if any at all. I have had many orders arrive in pristine condition, but I have had some orders where items did arrive with significant box damage. For prize figures, or figures where the box is secondary, and you want a payment plan option, I recommend Crunchyroll.
Good Smile Company US
Good Smile Company, the company that brings you an explosion of Miku, Nendoroid, Figma, etc has a branch office located in California where you can order items and not have to worry about paying 2000 JPY per shipment for shipping fees like you would if you ordered directly from their global store headquartered in Japan. Items are “released” 3-6 months after Global GSC’s releases to account for them arriving by boat to reduce costs. Good Smile Company US offers free or reduced shipping fees for pre-order items, which over time can save you quite a bit of money. They frequently have sales to clear inventory and release in-stock orders of out-of-print characters for cheaper prices. Sometimes their packaging leaves much to be desired, but they are a safe cost-efficient way of purchasing expensive goods that would be made more expensive by shipping fees.
Aniplex+
You can order exclusive Aniplex+ figures directly from their Aniplex USA branch store. On this page, you will find pre-orders for high-quality exclusive figures. However, to get exclusive bonuses with your purchases it is recommended that you use a proxy service and order directly from the Japanese branch of the company instead. Otherwise, you will have to pay exorbitant prices for the goods in the second-hand aftermarket. However! There are some items that are region locked, so you may need to use a proxy service or one of the other vendors listed below.
Amazon*
Here it gets tricky. Yes, you can pre-order items or even order merchandise at retail prices directly from Amazon. However, pay close attention to the reviews, vendor names, and prices. Anyone can sell on Amazon, and if the seller selects fulfillment by Amazon they can list their prices so it looks like Amazon is selling the item and not a third party. This means your run the risk of buying bootlegs or paying ridiculous prices. Sometimes, even if you do order from an official vendor, they will suddenly cancel your order, and you will be unable to find that item again at a great price point. Always do your research when purchasing from Amazon, or arrange for a backup option in case of sudden cancellations. I personally make multiple orders on different sites that allow cancellations to avoid this sudden pitfall.
Online Stores Located Internationally
AmiAmi.com
AmiAmi is one of the biggest vendors of anime and fandom merchandise globally. The way their site works is you either order in-stock or pre-order goods. You have the option to consolidate it for each month to save on shipping fees, or ship it immediately. Once your selection is made you wait for them to send you a payment request, so let’s say you have a large order with 6 items that come out in July. Sometime in August, you will receive an invoice with the shipping fee calculated (for multiple methods if you don’t like the previously selected one) and the total for your order. You pay it on the site and then they ship it in the next few days. You will receive an email informing you of your tracking number once shipped. The items arrive well-packaged and in pristine condition. If it is damaged you can contact them to send it back for a replacement or refund. If you suspect your shipping fee will be astronomical you can also just split your order via contacting customer support, or their form for split order requests.
Big in Japan
When items are region locked, such as the Twisted Wonderland nendoroids or Aniplex figures, it is near impossible to find the items from vendors at affordable prices. Oftentimes, vendors will upcharge their items because they are exclusive to Japan, but Big in Japan does not. If you order from Big in Japan you can guarantee your pre-order and pay for the item at the time of shipment. However, their customer service is quick to respond and when I spoke with them they mentioned you can pay an order off at the time of the order or at the time of the shipment. They also offer a slew of payment options. In addition, if you speak French as your main language they will be able to assist you.
Good Smile Company
If you decide to order from Good Smile Company’s global site over their US-based operations there are some major differences from GoodSmileUS. One major difference is that Good Smile Company’s global shop will release months sooner than its USA counterpart. The second is the price, a Nendoroid could cost 6500 yen on Good Smile Company’s global shop, but the shipping will be a flat fee of 2000 yen. On the US-based store, shipping will be around $7-12. So you can save a small amount of money using the USA store, but you run the risk of poor packaging, a 3-6 month shipping delay from the global release, and if there are any issues with your order you will still need to contact their global store’s customer service.
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