Basically ive been trying to use japanese manga as a good way to read.
My problem is that it turns out I actually prefer physical books. I have been trying on my tablet, but honestly I now remember why I only read text stories on it. Comics and manga just are annoying to read on it. Whereas the few souvenir volumes I picked up in Japan years ago are a lot more pleasant to read.
So I was wondering where people order their phsycial manga from if they live in the US. Theres lots of places to fins digital these days, but thought I see what people prefered for physical.
Are there issues with length of time for deliveries?
What stores have the best rates for shipping?
Or are there any things I should think of in advance?
Yep. I used to use hon.to until they stopped shipping abroad With either cdjapan or amazon.jp, shipping will get cheaper if you order more volumes at once. Check the shipping-price calculators on both sites (on amazon you have to start the checkout process to find the shipping cost; cdjapan has a calculator widget) because depending on destination and number of volumes, which is cheapest will vary.
This is gonna sound odd but check thriftbooks.com . Like most used bookstores, their selection is hit-or-miss but if you just want to browse around and pick up some inexpensive stuff to read they’re a good option. Plus the shipping is really cheap ($1.50/book, free over $15).
Kinokuniya of course, though I haven’t tried ordering online from them. (Shipping is $8/order or free over $50).
AbeBooks.com used to be a great place to look for second-hand manga but I don’t know what things are like now (all else being equal I try to go the not-owned-by-Amazon route first)
You can always try bookfinder.com, it mostly sticks to the larger bookstores but it does provide a good price comparison. I recommend searching by isbn code if you can.
I live in Europe and buy all my manga either from amazon jp or mandarake.
Both ship with DHL and I usually receive my order within 3 days.
Mandarake can be really cheap if you buy full sets, even with shipping you pay less than retail price and they are always in excellent condition.
Today I bought some used Manga from some of my favorite non-mainstream mangakas through a proxy shipping service. The mangas were from mercari but bought through 8mart. The mangas + service fee cost me like 35 euros. According to the 8mart support, the shipping will probably cost me around 75€
I wanted to try it but not sure this was a smart move. Overall my purchase contains 36 volumes. Full sets of Mx0, Zetman, and Pretty Face.
If you’re into buying from a physical location check if there’s a Mitsuwa nearby! Mitsuwa has Kinokuniya section within the market where you can browse a large manga selection while looking and all the cool pens, pencils, and stationary.
Seconding @anon12500920 here. Mandarake hands down. I bought used but they all look new to me to be honest. Shippping was pretty fast to the USA, a week maybe less than a week? It’s awhile but I remember it not taking more than a week. And this was during the height of COVID. Hope this helps.
i haven’t bought any online but i do recommend seeing if there’s a local kinokuniya where you are. they have a website too so ig you could also order online from them!
With either cdjapan or amazon.jp, shipping will get cheaper if you order more volumes at once. Check the shipping-price calculators on both sites (on amazon you have to start the checkout process to find the shipping cost; cdjapan has a calculator widget) because depending on destination and number of volumes, which is cheapest will vary.
