Collecting is a hobby of mine. I like pretteh things.
Contrary to what some people think when they see my collection... it isn't that big! And I've been gathering it little by little over the course of many years. So, it isn't that big of a money sink. I collect for fun, artistic reference, and variety. I actually don't own many (or any) individual pieces that are insanely expensive (that cost thousands of dollars). I leave that for the more serious collectors. :P
NOTE!
This website was made for fun and research purposes. All items on my collection pages are just for display, and all information regarding their origins, value, etc is there only for your reference. :) NONE OF THE ITEMS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE FOR SALE. I sometimes get emails from people who are looking for pokemon stuff... So, well, below is a simple guide to helping out newbies and other people who are looking to buy online.
By the way, I make most of my sales/purchases through PayPal. If you are too young to make a PayPal account (without lying about your age lol) or to have your own credit card, well, you should probably be asking for your parents/guardians to help you! ^^;
WHERE TO BUY THIS KIND OF STUFF:
• eBay --- Of course! If you search eBay regularly, you never know what you can find... Just watch out for the bootlegs, and always check the seller's reputation . Many Pokemon items on eBay are fake, or are factory rejects. Here is a basic guide to avoiding them
• pkmncollectors --- This active, friendly LiveJournal community consists of over 3,000 members from all over the world who love to buy, sell, trade, and show off their pokemon collections! One of our members holds the world record for Largest Collection of Pokemon Memorabilia... we also have some talented, reputable artists who make custom pokemon stuff! Anyone is welcome to join, just read the rules...
• Yahoo!Japan --- This is where the rarest Japanese items are usually found. You will need to sign up for a deputy service/ middleman of your choice -- and remember to save money to cover shipping costs and service fees. (Note that you cannot pay without a Japanese credit card/bank account... which is why you MUST use a deputy service to middleman for you, even if you can read/ think you can read Japanese!) This process is more complicated than a typical online purchase, so I recommend it only to older collectors.
• Amazon, Play-Asia, Hardrock Pokemon, HobbyLink Japan, etc... there are many other reputable websites for buying stuff online. =) Some have questionable reputations, so do your research before committing. Too many people end up paying unnecessarily high prices, or buying bootlegs.
• You can also try searching in local stores, of course! ToysR'Us normally has new pokemon merchandise for sale, including figures, plush, and cards. Wal-Mart, Target, and similar stores have mostly just TCG cards. McDonald's and Burger King have had pokemon promotions too.
American poké-merch has a lower value overall than Japanese things. This is due to their erm... sometimes questionable quality, and to the fact that they are mass-produced in higher quantities -- but occasionally, you can find some very rare gems...!
Use informed decisions when purchasing items online - avoid buying and supporting bootlegs!
woot!
Contrary to what some people think when they see my collection... it isn't that big! And I've been gathering it little by little over the course of many years. So, it isn't that big of a money sink. I collect for fun, artistic reference, and variety. I actually don't own many (or any) individual pieces that are insanely expensive (that cost thousands of dollars). I leave that for the more serious collectors. :P
NOTE!
This website was made for fun and research purposes. All items on my collection pages are just for display, and all information regarding their origins, value, etc is there only for your reference. :) NONE OF THE ITEMS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE FOR SALE. I sometimes get emails from people who are looking for pokemon stuff... So, well, below is a simple guide to helping out newbies and other people who are looking to buy online.
By the way, I make most of my sales/purchases through PayPal. If you are too young to make a PayPal account (without lying about your age lol) or to have your own credit card, well, you should probably be asking for your parents/guardians to help you! ^^;
WHERE TO BUY THIS KIND OF STUFF:
• eBay --- Of course! If you search eBay regularly, you never know what you can find... Just watch out for the bootlegs, and always check the seller's reputation . Many Pokemon items on eBay are fake, or are factory rejects. Here is a basic guide to avoiding them
• pkmncollectors --- This active, friendly LiveJournal community consists of over 3,000 members from all over the world who love to buy, sell, trade, and show off their pokemon collections! One of our members holds the world record for Largest Collection of Pokemon Memorabilia... we also have some talented, reputable artists who make custom pokemon stuff! Anyone is welcome to join, just read the rules...
• Yahoo!Japan --- This is where the rarest Japanese items are usually found. You will need to sign up for a deputy service/ middleman of your choice -- and remember to save money to cover shipping costs and service fees. (Note that you cannot pay without a Japanese credit card/bank account... which is why you MUST use a deputy service to middleman for you, even if you can read/ think you can read Japanese!) This process is more complicated than a typical online purchase, so I recommend it only to older collectors.
• Amazon, Play-Asia, Hardrock Pokemon, HobbyLink Japan, etc... there are many other reputable websites for buying stuff online. =) Some have questionable reputations, so do your research before committing. Too many people end up paying unnecessarily high prices, or buying bootlegs.
• You can also try searching in local stores, of course! ToysR'Us normally has new pokemon merchandise for sale, including figures, plush, and cards. Wal-Mart, Target, and similar stores have mostly just TCG cards. McDonald's and Burger King have had pokemon promotions too.
American poké-merch has a lower value overall than Japanese things. This is due to their erm... sometimes questionable quality, and to the fact that they are mass-produced in higher quantities -- but occasionally, you can find some very rare gems...!
Use informed decisions when purchasing items online - avoid buying and supporting bootlegs!
woot!