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Buying anime merchandise has always been a problem here in the Philippines, especially
now as Christmas is approaching. Finding the perfect gift for a friend, relative, or yourself
is both a hassle and expensive. Not to worry though. This guide will provide potential items,
their price ranges, and the best (cheapest) places to buy them.
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Item: Cards
Price Range: P20-P250.
Info: They’re something nice to look at and make great bookmarks. Plus, they’re highly
collectible. These are anime cards and they come in different forms. If you have a low
budget and don’t mind originality, there are anime photo cards. They’re pictures
printed on photo paper and then laminated. Photo cards are cheap and common. If you
want to actually play with them, there are also anime playing card decks which contains
a full deck (52 cards) plus two jokers. Some even have foil (glittering) backs. Lastly,
if you want original Japanese trading cards, they’re also available although at a hefty
price range of somewhere between P150-P250. These cards are made of sturdy stuff, have
quality art and a pack usually contains ten of these.
Where to get: Comic Alley and Collector’s Guide has the different type of
cards available while other shops like Filbars, CATS and Comic Quest usually have the trading cards.
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Item: Collectible Card Games
Price Range: P200-P1200
Info: So far, only one item falls under this category: The Pokemon
Trading Card Game. It’s fun and challenges the mind. However, because of high demand,
it is also expensive. Also, looking for someone to play with is one of the biggest
problems here (but players do exist!).
Where to get: BEST Toys, Comic Alley, Comic Express.
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Item: Posters
Price Range: P20-P2000.
Info: If you’re really into art or want to decorate the room, posters
are the way to go. Cheap, locally made ones can go as low as P20 while imported ones
with finer paper go for P80. There are posters made of cloth and around four times the
size of the regular paper posters for P500. Original, limited edition posters have a
varied price but lies somewhere in the P1000 range.
Where to get: Local street vendors, Comic Alley, Collector’s Guide,
Comic Express, Anima Anime (Special Order).
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Item: Calendars
Price Range: P1000-P2500
Info: They’ve got the beauty of posters, gives you the date and
they’re very limited. Calendars are very rare and expensive. Original ones which
are really big (some even taller than you!) vary in price, depending on the design
and where you get them. If you have a budget, this is a nice thing to hang on the
wall. However, it has a short lifespan of a year so choose wisely.
Where to get: Comic Alley, Anima Anime (Special Order).
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Item: Music CDs
Price Range: P400-P2000
Info: Those who love a particular piece or theme in anime should avail
of these. Taiwan copies cost P400 here while original Japanese ones have a higher price
range. Domestic releases of popular JPOP artists are also available at most music outlets.
Where to get: Comic Alley, CATS, Anima Anime (Special Order), CD Warehouse
(Special Order), Tower Records.
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