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Favorite ways to get manga and comics

edited November 2007 in Manga/Comics
Personally I prefer trade paper backs of both, and I try to actually buy at Barnes and Noble, strictly because I get a discount. When I can't find anything remotely good in the store though I jump online. One of these days I'm just going to take a trip up to NYC, since it's only about an hour train ride, and try and find some comic shops to pick out a few new series to read.
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Comments

  • edited November 2007
    Whatever option has the best cheapness to convenience ratio.
    Post edited by Sail on
  • Conventions and Borders. Occasionally I'll go to any of the anime and manga online stores.
  • HAHAH I work in a comic shop. =3 Guess where I get my stuff? I get 10% discount, and randomly more when she feels like it. I've always had that, though.

    Otherwise? Cons and used. I prefer cheap over 'collectibles'. I really don't care as long as it's not falling apart/scratched, whatever. People treat manga/anime/comics as collectibles, but most of the time the value drops now-a-days. The reason the older ones are so valuable is because they're from a time when people would read them and then roll them up and put them in their pocket, completely ruining them. It's harder to find copies of these, especially in mint condition, so the rarity value is there. Modern comics, there's far too many and most of them are very well kept. Now, if there was a comic-book-burning of say, Spiderman, and a fairly large percentage was burned, then they'd skyrocket.
  • My favorite way to get manga is from borrowing it from my friend. =D Though, once I *really* like a series, I end up buying it on my own.

    I also get manga from magazines. Yes, Shonen jump & Shojo beat.
  • I get most of my stuff from the library. They have tons of manga and anime. Right now I have the entire set of Death Note checked out, so I can read them back to back without delays. The only drawback, is that the DVDs are often scratched.
  • I get 90% of my stuff from the local library. They have a surprisingly large selection of cool, indie comics and old gekiga manga.
  • I may not believe in any religion but I do believe that every man should have a tradition. So about once a month, a few friends and I take a Pilgrimage to Midtown Comics in Midtown Manhattan. It's the closest experience I have to going to a church on a regular basis.
  • Normally Amazon.
  • Bookstores and comic shops are the best for the small stuff, individual volumes/ issues, for the bigger stuff or for something special I order it online.
  • Bookoff dollar manga, yeah baby! Gotta love the cheap raw comics from the used Japanese Book store. For those of you in NYC, Bookoff is on 41st, right near the NY Public Library. Walk straight from the Lions for 1 minute and you are there. They also have some manga in English too, totally cheap but used.
    For new Japanese releases, Bryant Park Kinokuniya and Asahiya.

    Hey, I also have an account at Midtown Comics, because I can swing by on my way home from work. Forbidden Planet back in my old neighborhood is my favorite for Art Books and Indy stuff, but kinda expensive. (Saint Marks Comic also has a good amount of Indy comics) For preorders, I go whine to Scott and he orders them along with his monthly box of comics. That way is cheaper!
  • Borders, Amazon, Rightstuf, or conventions....and sometimes ebay.

    For any new releases, or if I have coupons (which I get frequently since I'm a member of Borders rewards), I go to Borders.
    For obscure releases (or basically anything not from Shonen Jump or Shojo Beat...<_<), I use Amazon or Rightstuf.

    Then if I find a good deal on ebay or at a con, I'll get manga there, too.
  • I use B&N too. Everytime I get that 10% off coupon in my email, I make a bee-line for the nearest store. I tried to go to the library near me, but it totally sucked! There were some very obscure titles, except for a vast array of Inu-Yasha, Ranma 1/2, and some King of Soccor manga. Worst of all: good luck finding a volume to start you off; there are almost no volume 1's in any manga there!

    There used to be a Bookoff store near me, but when I finally heard they sold manga and went to check it out, it was closed - forever!

    Looking at these posts, I'm starting to want to go to the comic place near me, too (even though I was told the prices would be highest)
  • edited April 2008
    I use B&N; too. Everytime I get that 10% off coupon in my email, I make a bee-line for the nearest store. I tried to go to the library near me, but it totally sucked! There were some very obscure titles, except for a vast array of Inu-Yasha, Ranma 1/2, and some King of Soccor manga. Worst of all: good luck finding a volume to start you off; there are almost no volume 1's in any manga there!
    The thing about libraries, though, is that you can request books and they'll most likely order them or see if a library near by has them.
    Post edited by Dkong on
  • Well, the one near me is full of angry, old ladies.
  • I use Amazon mostly, occasionally Borders or B&N when I get a good coupon.

    But anime cons are usually good places if you want to buy a lot of manga since there are usually some good deals.
  • edited April 2008
    Bittorrent
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • Bittorent
    Bittorrent
    lol
  • My absolute favorite place, though (and I can't believe I forgot it) is Kinokuniya! Lucky for me, both it and B&N are in the same mall, and whatever I can't find in B&N (at this point, Kare Kano v.4, and Ai Yori Aoshi v.1) I go to Kino for since they have everything imaginable, though no discounts...
  • edited April 2008
    Bittorent
    Bittorrent
    lol
    I thought that was a in thread about anime. Thought I'd just support my medium of choice.
    Having real trouble getting Ranma 1/2. Bittorent is too big (32gb for the series). The DVDs are too expensive, as I'd only watch it once and I don't want to get bootlegs..
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • But anime cons are usually good places if you want to buy a lot of manga since there are usually some good deals.
    True. I do see a lot of %'s off based on how many manga you buy, plus if you buy like 10+ volumes I'd bet that you could barter some deals, too.
    Well, the one near me is full of angry, old ladies.
    Have you ever tried talking to them or are you just generalizing? If you ask them to order something, and they say no and/or be a general dick about it, you could probably report them to someone and get them in trouble.
  • No way am I generalizing. I've been in other libraries and they've been nice, but the ladies in the one closest to me are kind of scary - really. Anyway, I didn't know you can ask them to order books. I use the internet more than I go to libraries these days.
  • I remember Scott mentioning something about getting mangas from DCBS really cheap through a random preorder process or something. The way he gets his "Scotts Box" stuff. I cant find this info on the site, how do I find out about it?
  • edited May 2008
    I think the info you want is in this post.
    Scott has talked about how he uses the Diamond Distro book to look up stuff. Then he fills out the order spreadsheet on DCBS.
    Post edited by ColdfireSerge on
  • Scott has talked about how he uses the Diamond Distro book to look up stuff. Then he fills out the order spreadsheet onDCBS.
    No, I talked about how I specifically don't use the stupid Previews book despite the fact that it makes everything easier.
  • No, I talked about how I specifically don't use the stupid Previews book despite the fact that it makes everything easier.
    :D Our store does Previews. I always get to look through it when it comes through and go, "ButbutbutbutIwant!" and glare at my wallet.
    What's so stupid about it?
  • edited May 2008
    :D Our store does Previews. I always get to look through it when it comes through and go, "ButbutbutbutIwant!" and glare at my wallet.
    What's so stupid about it?
    It's a gigantic not-free catalog. Going to the store and looking through it is no problem. The problem is buying a copy and taking it home.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • :D Our store does Previews. I always get to look through it when it comes through and go, "ButbutbutbutIwant!" and glare at my wallet.
    What's so stupid about it?
    It's a gigantic not-free catalog. Going to the store and looking through it is no problem. The problem is buying a copy and taking it home.
    If it was free it would be awesome.
  • If it was free it would be awesome.
    And digital. Have you seen how monstrous the thing is? Who needs two phone books worth of paper every month?
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