Where can I buy her albums/DVDs for cheap?

[Beltshumeltz]

I found a few albums on Ebay which I bought (Sanmon Gossip + 3 main Tokyo Jihen Albums).

I would like to start building my collection of live concerts DVDs or albums, and of singles, but these are harder to find on Ebay, and I'm not gonna pay 60$ for a CD either.

Where do you think I can finish building my collection on the cheap?

[Glathannus]

If "New" copy on eBay is being sold for cheap, there is almost always a catch. It's either a Korean or Taiwan copy which is deemed to have less collector credibility than a Japanese copy, or...

It's a sample copy. They look and sound just like the Japanese retail copies, and they feature the full-length versions of every song, but sample copies have some extra branding to indicate they are not supposed to be for sale (meaning you paid at least $10 for something that was initially given away for free). Sample copies are all over eBay, and there are some sellers who offer almost nothing but sample copies. Even a Taiwan copy is more legitimate than a sample copy.

Used copies on eBay are often legit, but you really REALLY have to be cautious about any new copies selling for cheap.

If an eBay seller of Japanese music is based anywhere in Asia except Japan, and they won't show you the front and back of the product, then I wouldn't buy it. You may have made a huge mistake.

If you have a few hundred dollars, you can buy in bulk at CD Japan. It's cheaper than shipping many smaller batches, and they give you larger coupons and a larger percentage of Buyer Points for buying many things in fewer shipments. If you are catching up on older releases and you only want to buy a few at a time, then YesAsia isn't a bad option.

As for DVDs, HMV Japan tends to be the cheapest. If you are catching up on old releases and don't care about whether you are getting first or second press, nobody has factory-sealed legitimate Japanese DVD releases for cheaper on average than HMV. The shipping can be expensive sometimes, but again, you can soften the blow with bulk purchasing.

At Yahoo! Japan Auctions, you can get near-discographies of previously-used CDs/DVDs for much cheaper than retail price, even after you pay all the fees for a middleman to receive the items in Japan and forward those items to you. I try to avoid buying previously-used CDs/DVDs from Yahoo! Japan Auctions because if the items turn out to be damaged, I have no direct connection to the seller (because I used middleman). If I were in Japan, then Yahoo! Japan Auctions would be a more reasonable risk for me. But even if you're outside of Japan, the risks of Yahoo! Japan Auctions are minimal compared to buying any Japanese music through eBay. I just don't like taking risks, so I haven't really used Yahoo! Japan Auctions to attempt saving money - I've used it mainly to pursue the sold-out releases you can't find on eBay, and I try to get sealed copies whenever possible, even if that's expensive.

If you try to cut corners outside of Japan, you'll far too often end up with Japanese music deals that are too good to be true.

[Osiris12345]

If you have a Book Off near where you live then I'd suggest there. That's where I picked up all of mine. I paid about $15 for Adult used and all of the CDs are pretty much in mint condition there. I highly recommend it.

[Glathannus]

At least you can examine the goods to know if they're fully legit. I wish I had opportunities like that within 30 miles of me for the artists I haven't fully collected yet. Even if a disc wasn't in mint condition, I'd still have no problem ripping it.

[Beltshumeltz]

I don't care at all about collector value, so my previous purchases were Korean and Taiwanese versions. They were brand new and seemed completely legit so I was happy with these purchases, all from Ebay users with good ratings.

But tell me guys, did I see things right or are Japanese CDs selling for 60$ a piece? That's how much the Japanese versions sell for on Ebay and I would never pay that.

My goal really, is to OWN the albums, convert them to FLAC format and put the CD in a drawer never to look at it again. Similarily for DVDs, I plan to rip them and store them away.

I already have mp3s and lossless, but I do want to own the thing as well now. I don't care what country it's from though as long as it's legit.

[frecklegirl]

Most Japanese CDs are about $30-40. I know... it's ridiculous. I balked at those prices for years before finally giving in.

[Ringo~Bingo]

It's like Glath said a few posts back, just bite the bullet and get as many as possible in bulk! it should work out cheaper than getting one or two every now and again.

[Beltshumeltz]

Thanks, I'm gonna save cash for a month and go for it