“Sailor Moon” remains one of the most popular and iconic anime to come out of Japan. It was one of the first series to get world wide attention, and even decades after it first appeared on American television it is still widely known and enjoyed. There are thousands of items that have been released over the years with the “Sailor Moon” logo, images, and likenesses. Manga, dolls, posters, pencil cases, checkbook covers, computer decals, and more have all been made available for purchase at some point. Like most anime related retail items, however, items are released in limited numbers for a short amount of time, so if you do not purchase something right away, chances are you may have trouble purchasing it a later date. But if you know where to look for items, are willing to spend money on them, and can fight against other collectors to get them, you can collect all kinds of “Sailor Moon” items.
Research what items cost.
Dishonest sellers may try to overcharge you for items just because they think you will pay anything for an item you really want. While many “Sailor Moon” items are considered rare, that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to purchase them. Make a list of the types of items you want to purchase, such as dolls or action figures or original manga. Then go online to sites such as Ebay and look up those kinds of items to see what they are priced at. Pay attention to whether the items are listed as Used or New in Box (NIB). This will have a lot of influence on the price of the item. Looking at these prices can give you an idea of what sellers are asking for and what you might be willing to pay. Just because something cost $12.99 when it was originally released does not mean that is what you will be asked to spend on it. If an item is rare and there is a demand for it, the price will go up. If it is used and out of box and no one is showing much interest, the price will go down.
Compare different sellers.
There are many different kinds of stores that sell anime-related items. Some comic book, entertainment, and book stores will have “Sailor Moon” items, but they might not carry many of them and those items they do carry might all be brand new. Collectors often want to get their hands on the items originally released when the anime first began. Online retailers and auction sites are a good place to find older items. Some will be in Like New condition while others will have obvious wear-and-tear. Take the time to research where items are available, what kind of condition they are in, when they were released, and how much they cost. If two different places are offering the same items at vastly different prices, find out why there is such as cost difference and make your decision of where to buy from based on those findings.
Don’t go overboard.
Once you start finding “Sailor Moon” related items it may be your first instinct to buy whatever you can. But if you spend all of your money on the first few dolls, posters, and assorted items, you might not have money later on when something truly special appears. You will also need place to store or display all of your items. If you have too many of them, or no specific place to put them, everything might end up in a box stored away somewhere. And what is the point of collecting items if you are not going to be looking at them? Be patient, do research, take your time, and build a collection around items you really want and will continue to want for a long time.
