Buying Geek Toys, Vintage Collectibles and Otaku Merchandise

A guide on where to buy geek toys and gadgets such as vintage comics, lava lamps, gamer shirts and action figures - locally and online.

Whether you are looking for the coolest geek gadgets or retro toys, there is an increasing number of places available that cater to geeks, nerds and otaku everywhere. This is just a brief introduction and guide to where to buy “all things geek”.

Shopping for Vintage Comics and Retro Toys Locally

Sometimes, you can stumble upon geek vintage at a flea market or a garage sale. However, if you are on the hunt for vintage comics or retro toys, there are several other places that could meet your geek shopping needs.

Comic stores, used book stores and some game stores sell new and used items. Perhaps the best place to find retro toys such as old Star Wars action figures, Super Nintendo® games and old comics is an antique store.Canadian collectors can find antique dealers in their area at Antiques Canada, while American collectors can search for antique shops on US Antique Dealer. Some antique dealers also participate in antique shows and toy expos.

Buying New and Retro Geek Toys at Comic & Toy Conventions

The Dealer Room Vendor Room is the place to go if shopping's your game. Vendors carefully select their treasure finds to match the clientele attending comic and toy expos. There, you can find vintage treasures, such as Snoopy lunch boxes, original GI Joe figures and old Superman comics. You can also find some of the latest geek toys, clothing and accessories, such as Pac-Man belt buckles, game shirts and geek badges.

Toy and comic shows in Canada are expanding yearly. Popular fairs include the The Edmonton Collectible Toy and Comic Show, The Red & White Calgary Comic & Toy Expo, Vancouver Comicon, Montreal ToyCon and the Canadian Collectible Toy Expo in Bulrington, Ontario.

Toy and comic fairs are alive and well south of the border as well. The Eckman’s Card, Comic and Toy Show is the longest continuously running show in the San Antonio area. Old Toyland Shows in Cleveland have been in operation since 1980. They specialize in old, obsolete, and collectible toys and models. Other annual comic and toy expos held in the US include the Sports Card, Comic, Toy & Collectibles Show in Pennsylvania, the CreatureCon Orlando Comic Book & Collectibles Show in Florida and the Chicagoland Entertainment Collectors Expo.

Buying Geek Toys, Gifts and Gadgets and Geek Shirts at Online Toy Stores

In addition to shopping at Amazon or eBay, there are a growing number of online merchants selling various items to help you master the art of “geek chic”. This is a short list of reliable online stores:

1. The Geek Chic (Canada): Founded in 2008, The Geek Chic Boutique offers a wide range of office toys, gadgets, games and geek apparel through their boutique in Fredericton, NB as well as on their online store. Popular items include the “It's not cartoons... it's anime” t-shirt, Nintendo® Zelda backpack, My Butterfly Jar and a USB MSN Missile Launcher.

2. Play-Asia (Hong Kong): Founded in 2002, Play-Asia is a leading online retailer of video games, DVDs, music CDs, geek gadgets and toys. The company caters to customers in Asia but offer selected items to international customers. Popular items include Pokemon Black, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Final Mix and LittleBigPlanet 2.

3. ThinkGeek (USA): Founded in 1995, ThinkGeek has mastered geek excellence. The company has earned an "A+" rating on the Better Business Bureau's website and received a Circle of Bizrate Excellence 2010 Award. Their human and canine employees list the following items as customer favorites on the company website: Bucky Balls Magnetic Building Spheres, Star Trek Enterprise Pizza Cutter and Biofuel Gourmet Caffeinated Popcorn.

4. Hobby Link Japan (Japan): A: Founded in 1995, HLJ sells anime and doll figures, scale models, anime items, toys, books, magazines and more to customers worldwide. Hot items include Sci-Fi Revoltech Mark VI (Iron Man), 1/72 Millennium Falcon and a DX Chogokin Macross Quarter.

Prior to shopping online, you should do your research. Read customer reviews, check the Better Business Bureau's reliability reports and read up on each retailer's terms, conditions and return policies.

Whether you want to buy a gift for your geeky friends, get your hands on the latest otaku plushies or track down your favorite retro toy, there are numerous places that can fulfill your geeky shopping needs. Antique shops, toy and comic expos and online toy stores offer a wide mix of gadgets, toys and clothing to suit geeks of all ages.

Originally published on Suite101.com on Jan 25, 2011. Updated June 23, 2013.

An Otaku's Guide to Buying Japanese Pop Culture Merchandise

A sampling of places otaku can buy apparel, Jpop, Jrock, geta, bento boxes, plushies, anime figures and other Japanese entertainment merchandise.

For some otaku, anime and manga are just the beginning of their fascination-obsession with Japanese pop culture. Whether it's Glico Pocky or Japanese ear cleaners, there is a plethora of Japanese merchandise that otaku can purchase locally or online. This is a selection of what I have tracked down in my searches as well as places I have shopped at.

Shopping for Japanese Entertainment Merchandise in North America

Chain bookstores such as Chapters/Indigo, Barnes & Noble and Powell's Bookstore stock a variety of manga and graphic novels. These stores carry most of the popular titles, including Bleach, Chobits and Naruto.Larger city centers also have independent comic and hobby stores that sell anime, manga, figures and other toys. The following are some anime-related stores in North America:

1. Kinokuniya Bookstores are found in Australia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand,Taiwan and the USA (California, New York, Oregon and Washington). Kinokuniya carries CD's and videos by popular Japanese artists and bands such as Arashi, Yui and Rie Fu.

2. Shirokiya (Honolulu, HI) is a Japanese department store in Ala Moana Center. Otaku can find a wide variety of merchandise, including kimonos, geta, Jpop and Jrock CD's, sake sets and food.

3. Konbiniya Japan Centre (Vancouver, BC) carries a wide selection of Japanese products, including Japanese DVDs, drinks, food, karaoke, kitchenware, manga and snacks.

4. Broadcast Entertainment and Fantasia (Markham, ON) carries anime DVD's, CD's, key chains, bags and other knick-knacks. There is a wide assortment of Helly Kitty merchandise, such as pencil cases and wallets.

Buy Anime, Manga and Video Game Merchandise at Anime Conventions

The Dealer Room, also referred to as the Vendor Room or Exhibitors' Hall, is a mecca for anime fangirls and fanboys. Large anime cons can draw hundreds of exhibitors. For instance, Anime North (Toronto, ON) had over 200 tables of merchandise at its 2010 convention, while Sakura Con (Seattle, WA) had more than 100 vendor booths.At anime and comic conventions, enthusiasts can purchase everything from cosplay accessories, anime DVD's, Jpop CD's, video games, plushies, bags, manga, light novels and figures. The Artists' Alley sells anime-themed posters, bookmarks, comics and buttons drawn by emerging and established artists. Popular series such as Bleach, Code Geass, Fullmetal Alchemist and Hetalia Axis Powers are popular sellers.

Shopping Online for Japanese Apparel, Music, DVD's, Manga and More

This is a short list of reputable online stores that sell legal anime-related and Japanese entertainment merchandise:

1. Animenation (Tampa, FL): Founded in 1995, Animenation has over 8,000 products and gets 15 million page views per month. Bestsellers include Bleach manga and DVD's, Soul Eater DVD's, Samurai Champloo action figures and the Appleseed EX Machina figure. Ships worldwide.

2. CDJapan (Tokyo, Japan): Founded in 1997, CDJapan, sells a wide selection of the hottest Jpop and Jrock by artists such as GACKT, BoA, Do as Infinity and Kanon. CDJapan also sells anime OST music and singles from popular anime such as Macross Frontier and Soul Eater, as well as apparel, books, magazine, figures, collectibles and games. Ships worldwide.

3. J-List (Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan): Founded in 1996, J-List now serves 200,000 customers worldwide. J-List also has a North American office in San Diego, CA. Thousands of products are available, from magazines to cosplay, calendars to t-shirts and more. Popular items include the Saori Hara Special DVD Box Set, Tsumugi Kotobuki Figma Action Figure from K-ON!, and Shirokuma Ice Cream Drops. J-List has a separate area for adult material. J-Box is a special section for shoppers under the age of 18.

4. Right Stuf Inc. (Grimes, IA): Founded in 1997, Right Stuf is an online anime superstore which sells a wide selection of anime merchandise anime DVD's, manga, games, bags, plushies, wall scrolls and other collectibles. Popular sellers include the Ouran High School Host Club Hunny's Rabbit Plush Bag, Tsundere Tribute Japanese t-shirt and the Tsubasa Necklace: Sakura Feather

5. Yesasia (Hong Kong, Japan, Korea): Founded in 1998, Yesasia has been ranked in the Top 50 and Top 500 Lists for Top Retailer Websites. Yesasia sells anime, movies, plushies, models, electronics and models from popular anime such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Gundam series.

When shopping online, shoppers should buy from retailers with a solid reputation, good customer service and a satisfactory returns policy. For more information about online shopping, read the Consumer Guide to Internet Shopping.

Otaku Customer Reflections

In my pursuit of otaku goodies, I have shopped at anime conventions, at local stores and online. If you have a chance to go to Shirokiya in Hawaii, you won't be disappointed. Three floors of Japanese culture. I could have spent hours in there!

As for the online stores, I have shopped at CD Japan, Animenation and JList. All three have a wide selection of anime, cosplay and manga products. Orders are quickly filled and the quality of the products are high.

From hoodies to Gundam models and from Hiragana flash cards to cosplay caps, there are numerous places for anime, manga, gamers and geeks to get their "Japanese fix". Local bookstores, anime conventions and Internet retailers offer countless items to suit otaku of all ages and interests. References:

J!-ENT: Sakura Con 2010 was Another Huge Success.

The Asunaro Club's Guide to Japanese Music: Where to Buy Japanese Music.