TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Is there someplace that I can buy used manga in bulk?

Go To

Ukonkivi Over 10,000 dead.:< Since: Aug, 2009
Over 10,000 dead.:<
#1: May 30th 2011 at 4:44:13 PM

In b4 "but buying used isn't any better than pirating".

I want more, I'll pay full price for new later. This is especially true of Japanese issues. Japanese Shounen Jump often has Japanese actors and actresses and cool Japanese advertizements on there. And I like Japanese advertizements so much(this sounds really silly, doesn't it?) I'd practically pay for them, despite the fact the economic logic is supposed to work in the reverse. They're fun to collect/look at because they've from another culture.

But enough of stuff I can be made fun of for online, is there a place I can properly do this? Like, get a stack of used manga for $200? I would do oh so much of this. It would be like a grab bag of awesome every month.

Genkidama for Japan, even if you don't have money, you can help![1]
zeroplusalpha The World Is Mine from behind the 7th Door Since: Apr, 2009
The World Is Mine
#2: May 30th 2011 at 6:00:38 PM

In b4 "but buying used isn't any better than pirating".

??? People have said this?

To answer your question, if you're looking for secondhand/back issues of Japanese publications, your best bet is the local Japanese supermarket (or department store, if you live in a big city). In my experience, most of these have a manga/light novel/entertainment media section, so if you ask the staff they might have some excess stock that they would be happy to offload at a bargain price (if not completely free of charge.)

edited 30th May '11 6:01:17 PM by zeroplusalpha

Play Again? Y/N
Edmania o hai from under a pile of erasers Since: Apr, 2010
o hai
#3: May 30th 2011 at 6:06:40 PM

I'll pay full price for new later.

...why are you looking for used ones anyway?

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#4: May 30th 2011 at 6:10:54 PM

If you're talking about the Japanese manga magazines, my understanding is that they're treated like newsprint. Really cheap ink on really cheap paper, and people throw them away when they're done reading them. Older stuff would only be preserved by collectors, and they're not gonna sell them cheap (obviously, because they're collectors).

Edmania o hai from under a pile of erasers Since: Apr, 2010
o hai
#5: May 30th 2011 at 6:13:37 PM

I remember just feeling the paper made it reek of cheapness.

I wanted to wash my hands afterwards for some reason.

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
Ukonkivi Over 10,000 dead.:< Since: Aug, 2009
Over 10,000 dead.:<
#6: May 30th 2011 at 6:57:15 PM

...why are you looking for used ones anyway?
The joys of quantity. I have heard that in Japan used manga is extremely cheap, and I have a few that still have the price tag of about 200 Yen on them. That's awesome. I'd like to buy used manga of any origin, Japanese or American licensed, for that cheap. Heck, I'd spend $400 and load up a shelf. It is fun to have something new to look at. And have more manga on my shelves.

I have the mentality of "enjoy now, pay later". That includes buying and not just downloading. Unless I'm dying to support something or want something really new and shiny, I often go for what gets me the product rather that what supports the creators. Like buying used or downloading. I buy lots of used things, but oh the proportions of things I can own if I buy used! I want to have lots and lots of manga. Because I like having lots and lots of manga. It's a treasure of sorts, to me.

And paper cheapness? I have a Poster of Jpop duo W on my wall that I got in a Shounen Jump issue years ago when I was in Japan. And I seriously take obsessive care of that thing. I wish I could have more things like that rather than treating it as this precious resource I'll never be able to renew.

edited 30th May '11 6:59:40 PM by Ukonkivi

Genkidama for Japan, even if you don't have money, you can help![1]
Ronnie Respect the Red Right Hand from Surrounded by Idiots Since: Jan, 2001
Respect the Red Right Hand
#7: May 30th 2011 at 6:59:09 PM

Antique malls make it easy to find obscure early-90's manga that got published in issues for $1-3 a pop due to the whole COMICS BOOM of the Dark Age.

Jackerel SURPRISE from ur sentry Since: Feb, 2011
SURPRISE
#8: May 30th 2011 at 7:39:41 PM

Those tend to be only for old Western comics, though. I've rarely seen comic stores sell manga on the cheap. The most they'll have are sales on certain days, you should check with whoever runs 'em.

Alternatively, GO EVIL CORPORATE, sign up for a major retailer (Borders has pretty good deals compared to Barnes and Noble's), but they send out coupons on a whim, too.

Conventions tend to have discounts as well.

Was Jack Mackerel. | i rite gud
SKJAM Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Baby don't hurt me!
#9: May 30th 2011 at 8:34:26 PM

You can try used booksellers like Cheapo, Half Price, etc. depending on how large a city you live in. Many of them now have manga shelves which mix the translated stuff with random non-translated volumes that have come in. Won't quite be in volume, but you might find some surprising deals. (Found a Captain Tsubasa volume in Spanish at one such, just as an example.)

Ukonkivi Over 10,000 dead.:< Since: Aug, 2009
Over 10,000 dead.:<
#10: May 30th 2011 at 9:00:53 PM

Yeah... I kinda want the bulk thing. I've already bought some manga on Amazon for .99 cents. But after shipping it became around 4 dollars. For that sort of price, I'd be good to find a whole lot of manga for around that price, then pay around $20-30 shipping. If I buy enough, maybe I can get $3 or so per volume or even less, after shipping and all other costs. If I pay enough and get it all from one source.

Thing is, I don't know how to do that. And I don't live anywhere near a large city. I live in Hot Springs Arkansas. The closest "big city" I live by, is Little Rock Arkansas, an hour's drive away.

edited 30th May '11 9:01:50 PM by Ukonkivi

Genkidama for Japan, even if you don't have money, you can help![1]
zeroplusalpha The World Is Mine from behind the 7th Door Since: Apr, 2009
The World Is Mine
#11: May 30th 2011 at 9:05:29 PM

I have heard that in Japan used manga is extremely cheap, and I have a few that still have the price tag of about 200 Yen on them.

There are shops that sell used manga, and they're pretty cheap. Unfortunately, the only other place I've seen that's close to these kinds of shops outside of Asia is a Japanese bookstore in Piccadilly Circus (London).

You might just be looking at a trip to Japan, I'm afraid...

Play Again? Y/N
Ukonkivi Over 10,000 dead.:< Since: Aug, 2009
Over 10,000 dead.:<
#12: May 30th 2011 at 9:31:54 PM

Darn it, people say so many bad things about Japan as a country and insult people who travel there.

But there are so many unique advantages to going there, all the way down to darn comics. Thousands and thousands of things I can't do anywhere else no matter how many ways around it I try to make. Darn it, if I have the guts to get out of this mental perspective I'm in now and go back to Japan, I am not spending hardly a dime on manga in comparison to other things. Heck, I might not even check the internet but once a month.

Yeah, if I'm doing this, I'm not going to Japan. And if I'm going to going to Japan, I'm definitely not doing this. I like the various aspects of Japanese culture much better than manga. And the last things I'd want to do is look like an otaku, while in Japan, anyway.

edited 30th May '11 9:33:39 PM by Ukonkivi

Genkidama for Japan, even if you don't have money, you can help![1]
zeroplusalpha The World Is Mine from behind the 7th Door Since: Apr, 2009
The World Is Mine
#13: May 30th 2011 at 9:51:18 PM

I like the various aspects of Japanese culture much better than manga. And the last things I'd want to do is look like an otaku, while in Japan, anyway.

You don't have to be an otaku to buy manga. Lots of people do this over there who aren't.

If you're ever there, I don't see any reason why you can't go shopping for things you're having trouble finding elsewhere.

Play Again? Y/N
Ukonkivi Over 10,000 dead.:< Since: Aug, 2009
Over 10,000 dead.:<
#14: May 30th 2011 at 10:28:23 PM

I might buy some sometimes. But if I was living in Japan or traveling there for an extended period, like 3 months or so. I think I would live a radically different lifestyle than I do now. Like to me, as embarrassing as it is to admit, merely walking around and seeing the landscape/towns, what the homes are like, browsing the local shopping areas, the gas stations, looking out over the rice fields, visiting shrines, and so on and so forth. These are much more valuable to me than doing something like owning and reading manga at all. I usually don't admit that online because that offends and disgusts people and usually leads me to becoming ostracized from internet communities. But... it's sadly true. *cringe* Yeah...I ... suck. Sorry. Pretend I didn't say anything, everyone.

Wait, bringing up that subject. Why are you even recommending I go to Japan? Isn't that... delusional? Wrong? Bad? Stupid? Wapanese? Degenerate?

edited 30th May '11 10:31:02 PM by Ukonkivi

Genkidama for Japan, even if you don't have money, you can help![1]
Aondeug Oh My from Our Dreams Since: Jun, 2009
Oh My
#15: May 30th 2011 at 10:31:41 PM

Why the fuck should we care if you think that's more important? If you think it's more important you think it's more important. If anything I am cringing at the fact that you seem concerned and affected by our opinions, but eh.

Like what you like and punch people in the face if they give you shit. Except not really. Because punching people in the face can get you in trouble and isn't possible over the net.

As for going to Japan and being "Bad". Again I find it much, MUCH more annoying that you care and that you are assuming such things from others.

edited 30th May '11 10:32:33 PM by Aondeug

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah
Edmania o hai from under a pile of erasers Since: Apr, 2010
o hai
#16: May 30th 2011 at 10:34:39 PM

and insult people who travel there.

That's because you'd find an empty country, what with all of them being camera holding tourists elsewhere.

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
zeroplusalpha The World Is Mine from behind the 7th Door Since: Apr, 2009
The World Is Mine
#17: May 30th 2011 at 10:37:07 PM

Wait, bringing up that subject. Why are you even recommending I go to Japan? Isn't that... delusional? Wrong? Bad? Stupid?

Well there's lots of reasons to visit Japan, as you've mentioned yourself in the previous post. (Pop-culture is relatively low on the list, but it's still quite fun to experience.)

I'm just saying that Japan might be the only place you can get the stuff you want at the prices you want. I understand that it's a very long way from where you live, so it wasn't really intended as a particularly practicable suggestion.

Play Again? Y/N
Edmania o hai from under a pile of erasers Since: Apr, 2010
o hai
#18: May 30th 2011 at 10:50:16 PM

I don't really think the distance itself is the problem so much as plane ticket prices.

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
zeroplusalpha The World Is Mine from behind the 7th Door Since: Apr, 2009
The World Is Mine
#19: May 30th 2011 at 10:54:02 PM

Well plane ticket prices are usually commensurate with the distance to be travelled.

Having said that, I'm almost sure that you can get a decent deal if you book far enough in advance these days. (You're still looking at the better part of 1000 USD though, so yes, I know it's a lot of money.)

Play Again? Y/N
EvilOtaku Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#20: May 31st 2011 at 4:59:21 AM

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ebay. Or if you're feeling froggy,jump into Yahoo Auction Japan

Add Post

Total posts: 20
Top