Buying things in the US

[GeneD]

So while here in the US, I want to take the opportunity to get my hands on some anime, manga, books, cds and series that are hard to find or too expensive in SA.

Where is the best place to get any of those 5 and is it worth it to try to get anything around the time of the post-Christmas sales?

EDIT: While I'm at it, I also want to eventually get a laptop and maybe an external hard drive or tablet. So any advice on those will be welcome too.

Thanks.

[Sparx00]

The best places to look would be just about any comic book store I think... And you MIGHT find something around this Christmas time. Barns&Noble also carry a good collection. (They got books, manga and anime on DVD.) Other then those places, I don't really know. You can try them if you can find them.

Hope I was of some help.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

If you can find a Hastings, they have REALLY good prices and carry everything on your list with a good selection, except maybe the laptop.

[Spike Ikari]

I have to agree with Sparx, comic shops are a good place to look, though it can be mixed bag. Some don't have manga at all, while others have full stores devoted to manga.

More reliable sources include most big book store chains (Barnes and Noble, Hastings, Borders, Books A Million, whatever is in your area). DVDs you can also find at most Barnes and Nobles and Hastings, as well as Best Buy (which would also be a place to look for laptops and hard drives). Suncoast and FYE also have anime, but typically tend to be more expensive.

That's all I can think of at the moment without resorting to the Internet, hope that helps!

[Ante Bellum]

Try a used book store. I've gotten new/great condition manga, 3 for $12. They are usually cheaper than retail stores, but aren't usually in a "worn" condition as far as I've seen.

[Roy Mustang]

Just remember to not over do it and can't get it in your bags, when you head back.

Laptop would be no problem as a carry on, but the other other stuff, you may need to have it ship or put it in your check on bag, when you head back.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Ante Bellum]

Yeah. I didn't have enough space once and ended up carrying an iron teapot by hand on the plane and through the airport. Maybe an extra bag would do well, but you might have to pay extra.

[Radical Dreamer]

So while here in the US, I want to take the opportunity to get my hands on some anime, manga, books, cds and series that are hard to find or too expensive in SA.

Where is the best place to get any of those 5 and is it worth it to try to get anything around the time of the post-Christmas sales?

EDIT: While I'm at it, I also want to eventually get a laptop and maybe an external hard drive or tablet. So any advice on those will be welcome too.

Thanks.

For DVDs that aren't anime, you'll wanna go to Target. They have pretty good prices, but they don't have a very wide selection of anime (if any) and their CDs are pretty bleak, too.

For CDs and anime, you'll wanna check out Best Buy--they usually have an excellent music selection, and their anime selection typically varies, but you can usually find some good things! Their DVDs are usually a little pricier (unless you find a good $4-$5 deal), but it's definitely the place to go for anime, CDs, and also your external harddrive needs!

As for books, definitely Barnes & Noble. Great coffee + good manga selection + excellent literature to be had by all = definitely the best choice! Hope that helps! XD

[EricTheFred]

Add Borders to the list. (Note that some of these are regional names. For example, here In Dallas-Fort Worth, we have no Hastings, although strangely they have them in some smaller towns lying just outside, like Denton and Greenville.) Also, I know it's a longshot, but if you happen to be in the area when a con is going on, cons in the US can be great buyer's opportunities.

Yeah. I didn't have enough space once and ended up carrying an iron teapot by hand on the plane and through the airport. Maybe an extra bag would do well, but you might have to pay extra.

LOL, I got this image of the TSA guys leafing madly through their manual, trying to find 'big honking iron teapot' on the list of proscribed items. "Check it again Fred! It's gotta be there! I mean, you could do some serious damage with that thing!"

[ShiroiHikari]

I second Borders for manga. They carry a lot of stuff there.

Anime actually isn't as widely available in retail stores as it used to be. Like others said, Best Buy is probably your best bet, or FYE.

Also if you're going to be here long enough, you could always order from Amazon.com.

[GeneD]

Just remember to not over do it and can't get it in your bags, when you head back.

I will keep an eye on the luggage, but it was under the weight limit going, so I do have some space.

Also, I know it's a longshot, but if you happen to be in the area when a con is going on, cons in the US can be great buyer's opportunities.

Well, I'm mostly in the New England (I think) area. Since I don't want to make another thread, does anyone know of cons happening any time between New Years and April? I'd love to go to one, even if I don't end up buying much (which I probably will, though). XD

[bigsleepj]

Use your Bargain Magnet (sometimes called a credit card) and things will just start flying off the shelves!

[Warrior4Christ]

One consideration for the laptop and external hard disk is the power plug - I'm guessing it won't fit in your SA sockets, so you might need to get an adapter or something. Also, the voltage might be different, but most power supplies these days are built to handle the worldwide range (100-240V)... but do check first!

[Spike Ikari]

Another thing to remember on dvds is to make sure you've got something that'll play Region 1 discs (though many of the players can be unlocked to play other regions). And with a player as well as what Warrior4Christ noted with the laptop, it's good to make sure the power cables and everything are compatible.

Well, I'm mostly in the New England (I think) area. Since I don't want to make another thread, does anyone know of cons happening any time between New Years and April? I'd love to go to one, even if I don't end up buying much (which I probably will, though). XD

http://www.animecons.com/ is a good site to check out in regards to cons, they have a listing of many of them in the US.

[Mithrandir]

Another thing to remember on dvds is to make sure you've got something that'll play Region 1 discs (though many of the players can be unlocked to play other regions). And with a player as well as what Warrior4Christ noted with the laptop, it's good to make sure the power cables and everything are compatible.



http://www.animecons.com/ is a good site to check out in regards to cons, they have a listing of many of them in the US.

QFT. Be sure you can play the region and that either your TV can play NTSC format or that your DVD player can convert before it hits the TV. Most higher-end models should be fine.

[Ante Bellum]

LOL, I got this image of the TSA guys leafing madly through their manual, trying to find 'big honking iron teapot' on the list of proscribed items. "Check it again Fred! It's gotta be there! I mean, you could do some serious damage with that thing!"

Surprisingly or not, I didn't go around displaying the thing. It was in a box, wrapped up, in a bag. But you might laugh at what I looked like: this short person running through the airport with a 65 liter hiking backpack (with lots of extra pockets) stuffed full, a heavy computer case over one shoulder and shoulder bag on the other, holding two small paper bags (one carrying said teapot). Actually, even though it went through security, they didn't mind me taking ALL of this into the plane. I didn't check a single bag. But then again, it was the Tokyo-Narita airport, and it's pretty lenient compared to American airports (especially Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, from what I've heard). I didn't even have to take off my shoes.

But anyways, I can't remember seeing this before (but if it was I'll just second it), but post-Christmas sales are a pretty good time to buy. The reason for this is that it's actually a money-making strategy, I believe. After Christmas, a lot of people throw away receipts so when they try to return things, they can only be given the amount that it is currently sold for. So, chances are the person is receiving less than what the thing was bought for in the first place. Some places have 75% off sales and stuff like that, but I think I've mostly seen that in department stores. (Even if I heard wrong about why they have the sales, you have to admit it's a great time for shopping, but a bad time to return.)