There are many pros and cons to collecting anime merchandise, such as action figures and manga. There are many positives, like surrounding yourself with your favorite anime characters and having physical copies of the manga at your convenience. While some people would say spending money on anime and manga merchandise is a waste of money, dedicated anime fans understand that’s just not the right perspective to have.
While there are definitely some downsides to collecting anime products, the pros far outweigh the cons. Collecting anime merchandise is a fun and fulfilling hobby for many dedicated fans despite the costs.
10/10 Harsh Reality: Collecting Anime Merch Gets Expensive After A While
As with most hobbies, collecting anime merchandise can get quite expensive after a while. It’s also hard not to buy something related to your favorite anime when you’re on the go.
When it comes to collecting manga, it can also get expensive. Boxes can be pricey, but they tend to be a bargain. However, some manga are not finished yet, so fans buy each volume individually. There are also finished manga that don’t have box sets, so it’s the same case. Some figurines also have an extravagant price.
9/10 Perk: Anime Merch is a nice addition to anyone’s personal space
If you’re looking to redecorate a room with a more personal touch, anime merch would be a great addition. Many dedicated anime fans collect anime figurines, posters, and plush toys of their favorite characters to personalize their rooms.
There are plenty of ways to decorate your room with anime merchandise, whether it’s meticulously arranging your manga shelf or hanging up a few posters. There are plenty of ways to show your appreciation for your favorite anime series, and it doesn’t have to be extravagant either.
8/10 Harsh reality: cleaning is a necessary evil
Unfortunately, animated figurines tend to gather dust. Shelves get dusty quite easily, so they need to be cleaned and maintained regularly if fans want to keep their merchandise in the best possible condition. Having to clean and dust the collection is a necessary evil.
Some figurines should be kept out of direct sunlight, otherwise their colors will be distorted. It can therefore be difficult to decide where each figure should be placed to preserve its color and expression.
7/10 Advantage: setting up screens is a fun and creative activity
Setting up displays to show an anime collection is fun, and it’s a great way to make someone forget about everything that’s bothering them. It also allows creativity to flourish when someone is thinking about where each figure should go, how it will show a particular volume of the manga, or where to put certain posters.
A display does not necessarily mean a large shelf either. Ita bags are a great, subtle way to show appreciation for your favorite characters and series. Fans decorate their it-bags with pins, key rings, photos and even small stuffed animals bearing the image of their favorite characters.
6/10 Harsh reality: so many goods, not enough space
A serious harsh reality for anyone collecting anime merchandise is how easily it can run out of space. Eventually, there just isn’t enough room on the shelves. If you take miniatures out of boxes, it’s easy to run out of room to store them. You can even run out of space on your walls by hanging so many posters and photos of your favorite characters.
Unfortunately, anime collectors can’t just remove things from their collection if it doesn’t bring joy either. Everything in the collection is precious and makes collectors happy.
5/10 Advantage: anime figures are designed to stand the test of time
Luckily, anime figures are built to stand the test of time. These figurines are not made of cheap plastic. Instead, makers use high-quality materials to carefully construct each figure.
While some people find it hard to cough up some of the outrageously priced figures on some minifigures, the prices are justifiable when labor and materials are added to the equation. PVC statues of anime characters are expensive, but PVC is one of the highest quality materials for action figures.
4/10 Harsh reality: figurines are not easy to repair
Accidents can happen. Unfortunately, if a beloved anime figure is damaged or caught in the crossfire of another accident, it’s not easy to fix some of them. It’s not as simple as putting one of their joints back in place or putting their head back in place.
If a figure breaks or shatters in certain places after being dropped, it’s easier to get a new one than trying to get it fixed. Unfortunately, collectibles aren’t like phones. If they break, there aren’t a whole lot of kiosks ready and waiting to fix them.
3/10 Advantage: Collecting is a great way to meet new people
Collecting anime figures is surprisingly a great way to meet new people. Fans can share their collections online with others and cultivate communities by collecting anime merchandise. Also, people like to trade things like pins, which is also a great way to meet other anime fans.
Facebook groups and different communities on social networks are dedicated to anime fans who want to show off their vast collections of manga and anime figurines. Plus, looking at other people’s collections is a fun way to get inspiration for possible new collection presentations.
2/10 Harsh Reality: It’s Hard to Stop Buying Goods
Once an anime fan has gotten their hands on their first collectible, it’s hard to stop there. It’s understandable; fans buy a figure or two from their favorite anime, then a few months later they have a few dozen variations of the same character.
By the end of the year, half of their bedroom is covered with posters and figurines of their favorite anime heroes. Most of their shirts feature their favorite characters, and even their shoes are limited-edition variants tied to the anime of their choice.
1/10 Benefit: Collecting is a fulfilling hobby
Collecting things has been proven to be a basic human instinct. It’s a healthy hobby that allows people to form communities with others who have the same interests. The hunt for new anime figures to add to a collection is exciting. Anticipating new releases is just as exciting.
Collecting is not only an enjoyable hobby, but it’s also fulfilling. Regardless of the opinions of naysayers, collecting anime merchandise is like collecting anything else, like stamps or coins. While some get into it for monetary gain, most dedicated anime fans collect merchandise for personal enjoyment and fulfillment.