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When I started my manga collecting journey, I’ll admit I blindly bought a few titles that were just popular/highly recommended at the time. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as that’s what makes the journey of developing your taste and building your collection. Trial and error. But now that I know what I like, I’m more intentional with the titles I want to collect physically. I briefly highlighted some tips on manga collecting in The Art of Collecting, but I wanted to dive in a little bit more on the different ways you can collect your beloved series.

Buying second-hand, especially for older or long-running series, is the best way to start. eBay, Vinted, Depop, World of Books and Scifier, are all amazing platforms you can shop around for heavily discounted volumes. Of course, this is all dependent on the condition of the manga such as yellowing pages, spine dents and creases, shelf wear etc. so, always ask for pictures where possible before purchasing.

If you’re looking to collect a completed series, then the boxsets are still the most cost-effective way to collect compared to buying the individual volumes, despite the upfront cost. However, if you’re looking to collect the series quickly in the cheapest way possible and save some self-space, then the 3-in-1 omnibus editions would be better. Although in some cases, the paper quality tends to be a lot worse compared to the single volumes. Then there are the deluxe or perfect editions of a manga series. These are the most expensive editions to collect, as they are usually reprinted in a much larger format with new hardback cover designs, high-quality ink print and updated translations. But they are worth every penny, especially if you are a fan of the series.

Although, as a collector, you may simply enjoy hunting down the first print editions of your favourite manga series or the rare, out-of-print single volumes such as 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa, Gantz by Hiroya Oku, and Basara by Yumi Tamura. Or the first print editions of your favourite series. The second-hand prices are extremely high due to their rarity, so you should be extremely cautious, especially of bootleg prints.

There are also anniversary editions available such as the Akira 35th Anniversary boxset, the Nana 25th Anniversary edition that also includes a special Nana x Vivienne Westwood collaboration volume, and the newly released Mars 30th Anniversary edition.

Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just starting out, I hope this blog post was insightful. If you’d like more in-depth reviews, comparisons, and recommendations, then the Anime Collective is a great platform that offers just that. Their videos have definitely helped me in my own collecting journey!