So I've been looking at your blogs outside of tumblr, and your Rilakkuma blog got me interested in collecting merchandise for him! Where would the best places be to buy legitimate merch? I just know I have seen a tooon of bootlegs on eBay, and you seem like an expert!! Thank you for any help you can give!!!
Oh sure I’ll try to help you! I know how it is when you just start out, it took me a while to build my collection and find the right sellers. I’ll make a quick guide of what I’ve done…
So first thing is where to buy them kind of depends on where you live or how much money you’ve set aside for buying them. If you’re willing to spend a bit more you can use a buying service and get them straight from Japan. I’ll provide some links. So first things first you can find them at the…
☆ Rilakkuma Store: Okay this is really only for those in Japan but if you’re on holiday or live here make sure to check them out there’s one is Tokyo Station, Fukuoka, Sky Tree, Harajuku (Kiddyland), Sapporo, Umeda, Kichijoji, Sendai and the newest one Kobe. They have left over ones all the time and get restocks!
☆ San-X Net Shop: Is an online store where they release Rilakkuma plushies on release day at 10 AM Japan Time. The store limited ones are usually not on here but it’s a great place to start collecting. You’ll need a shipping service if you don’t have a Japanese address to send it too but I’ll talk about that soon.
☆ Yahoo Japan Auctions: This is where I find past series. There are tons of people who sell new releases too. There aren’t too many fakes on here but if you look at tag and it’s placement you’ll be fine. Sometimes you’ll find super deals and sometimes you’ll be battling for some but it definitely has the best variety! This will also require a shipping/buying service. It doesn’t hurt to pick out a few Japanese words when searching for your plushies. The biggest two are リラックマ (Rilakkuma) and ぬいぐるみ (plushie).
☆ Now about the buying service, Tenso: is a buying service that I’ve had pleasant experiences with. They work close with San-X and will bid on auctions for you or provide a Japanese address where the Net Shop and other shops can ship your stuff. They’re not too pricey (depending on where you live) and they have a site available in English and also you can ask them questions if you need to.
But let’s say you just want to find sellers by you or aren’t ready to get past series or just need a cheaper way! Either you can check the shop lists in your country here or you can try a few of these…
☆ Tamaya: Is a San-X retailer in southern California but they also sell all their goods online if you’re not able to go there! Here is their Ebay and Amazon links.
☆ A few other shops to try (that also sell online) are Kawaii Gifts, Mira Plush, Rakuten and Ebay. But with Ebay there are just way to many fakes to sort through so I’d recommend harukata and xxmiraixx sometimes they’re pricey but they have a good selection and ship everywhere!
I’ve got a buying guide and spotting the fakes guide on my site that says a bit more but the basics are all here! If you need any more help or are having trouble finding them or even good deals feel free to ask and I’ll try and help more! I hope that was of some help and best wishes on your Rilakkuma Collecting Journeys!! (^∇^)