Your place to go for manga?

[Scirel]

The topic about suncoast got me thinking, and it's interesting to remember how it changed over the years.


My Town has 4 or so large malls, that I care about, several others that I don`t. the 4 are separated into two pairs that are very close to each other.

One of them is absolutely NUTS. 2 Fye's, Suncoast, Funcoland, Eb games, Gamestop, and Software Etc. IIRC, every major game retailer existing has an outlet at my mall. Said Mall also has a waldenbooks, which was for several years the best place to go for manga in my town. They always had the new titles quickly, and well organized. They`ve since expanded to two wall columns and a tall, three sided shelf.

Then, when suncoast started carrying Manga, it always ended up being a toss up between the two. Usually when Walden didn`t have a title, Suncoast did, and it could also be the other way around.

Then there was also Borders, in the Adjacent mall. Then, it was called "The last resort". Their manga section was pathetically kept and out of date usually. Volumes were scattered everywhere, irregardless of series or number all over the 3 cases(only one side) they allowed it, making it virtually impossible to find something.


Then, a few months ago, they changed. Now, all of a sudden Manga had a HUGE ten case section(counting back and front), which was well organized, contained toys and shirts, and even more up to date than waldenbooks. Ironically, a few months later, Manga dissapeared from suncoast. Now Borders is my #1, followed by Waldens and then the two local comic shops on my weekly manga hunt.

So does anybody else have a certain store they go to get stuff, and did it change over the years?

[Artimus Gigan]

Well since Borders took over the only walden books and made it a Borders Express, this makes 3 Borders stores within the immediate area

There are two Barnes and Nobles close by me(and a third one but it is a bit out of the way)

There's a Suncoast at the Garden State Plaza(same complex as one of the Borders)

But mostly I order my manga online, the Barnesandnoble.com deal of orders over 25 bucks get free 3 day shipping(which if available 24hr.s in Manhatten means I pretty much get it next day in many cases since it's not that far from where I live) and the website gets the rarer titles that the stores don't usuallly carry(and they also get them in early many times)

[Riza Hawkeye]

Personally, I go to Borders or order from Amazon.com. The Borders closest to my house has a large selection of manga and more often then not volumes will be on the shelf before the street date. If Borders doesn't have the manga I'm looking for, I can usually get it at Amazon or if I preorder something in advance I use Amazon.

[Nobuyuki sama]

My business goes to the local comic shop I've frequented for almost 18 years, 99.9% pre-ordered 2 months in advance.
If it's something they miss or I decide to pick up something untried, then Waldenbooks is about the only game in town; if not them, then Books-A-Million.

[Duke]

I only go to Borders and, when they eventually get manga back, Suncoast, mainly because I have reward point cards there.

[PowerZord]

Suncoast when it had Manga, now well Borders but I don't buy them, Just read them there.

[KasumiTen]

The nearest place to me is Books A Million. However, they are very slow at getting the new releases. And I purchase more anime than manga anyway. So I've started preordering the manga titles I do collect from RightStuf when I place my anime preorders. I'm finding them a lot cheaper this way.

[Swordfish_II]

Waldenbooks, since they keep sending me 25-30% off coupons ever week or two.

[Catlover]

Borders & B&N.

Recently, I've been buying less manga from Borders due to those stupid security tags they stick in the middle of the books. Some of the books (like anything from Tokyopop, Broccoli, and Del Rey) don't have them, but the one's that do, I buy at B&N.

[Duke]

Recently, I've been buying less manga from Borders due to those stupid security tags they stick in the middle of the books. Some of the books (like anything from Tokyopop, Broccoli, and Del Rey) don't have them, but the one's that do, I buy at B&N.
o.O What's wrong with the security tags? Just peel them off. They don't harm the paper any.

[Karl Olson]

o.O What's wrong with the security tags? Just peel them off. They don't harm the paper any.

not always. I've had a few that refused to come off w/o damaging the page.

Meanwhile, everything but the occaisional impulse buy I preorder (no money down, I just put it on a list of titles I want) from the local anime store in my area, Anime Kingdom, and thus the titles I want are held for me when they come in, and I get 10 percent off everything pre-ordered. I've probably saved a few hundred bucks at this point (I currenly have over 40 titles on my pre-order list.) Impulse buys usually go down at Borders.

[Scirel]

Borders(and its subsidaries, BE and Walden) have a new rewards program which IMO rocks. For every purchase you make, 5% is sent to an online account which you can then spend for free in November. They even give you $5 free to start off.

I always like to buy manga in stores, so this realy helps for me.

[Elven Moon]

Borders (it's just down the street from my house), or if they don't have what I'm looking for, Amazon.com.

[Cyporiean]

Wholesale.

It rocks :)

[tapion13777]

Well, I usually go to Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks for individual graphic novels, but I subscribe to Shonen Jump so normally I don't need to go out and buy it. I have a comic store that I like to go to but they don't have a huge selection of manga.

[Conekiller]

Borders. All the one's around me have well stocked, huge manga sections. Totally unlike the the Barnes and Noble's in my area where it's obvious the Graphic novel section is a "well....we have one..." situation. But B&N let me order Vol 9 of the Evangelion manga, which didn't even show up in the Borders computers.

[IanC]

Let me see. Right now, its usually Ottakar's first, since they are doing a "collectors card" offer, but they dont US titles, only stuff thats released in the UK, over than that, if its US only stuff i use amazon.co.uk.

[Mynd Hed]

Waldenbooks / Borders is usually the best bet-- they have about the same selection (which makes sense since they're owned by the same company now) so it just depends whether I feel like a trip to the mall or to a big standalone store.

If I happen to be on that side of town, Barnes and Noble is okay, UNLESS I'm looking for a "mature" (read: blood and guts and/or sex) title. They don't stock Berserk or Priest at all, and my girlfriend reports that she can never find her favorite naughty boy/boy stuff either. Oddly enough, they DO stock Hellsing, which is nearly as bad as Berserk (almost as much gore but no nudity) and IIRC about equivalent to Priest, content-wise.

[Conan-san]

Forbidden Planet, Beucanan Street, Glasgow.

One stop shop, 3 for £15 on all Tokyopop books (But not UK Viz... Which sorta makes sence, seeing as theey're £5).

[Bubblegum Girl]

Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Big Planet Comics. ;)

[purplehairedwonder]

Usually what happens to me is I'll go to Hastings to check out the DVDs and will end up looking at and even buying manga there as well, though their selection isn't wonderful. They have a good variety, but random volumes of a lot of titles, which doesn't help. I look at Barnes and Noble, though I don't usually buy there. Borders is my best bet considering their awesome selection and I signed up for the Rewards program. I just happens to be the furthest of the three from my house, so I really have to want to go out there to go.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Borders (since it is right up the road), Amazon.com, or Rightstuf.com, depending on the situation.

[MeggieMay]

Usually what happens to me is I'll go to Hastings to check out the DVDs and will end up looking at and even buying manga there as well, though their selection isn't wonderful. They have a good variety, but random volumes of a lot of titles, which doesn't help. I look at Barnes and Noble, though I don't usually buy there. Borders is my best bet considering their awesome selection and I signed up for the Rewards program. I just happens to be the furthest of the three from my house, so I really have to want to go out there to go.
If you buy manga from Hastings, don't forget to check both the regular Graphics Novel area (which in my store is next to the SF Books), as well as the Young Adult/Teen books section. Crazy store chain puts Manga in both section with little rhyme or reason (such as the regular FMA 1 is in the General Graphics Novel area in the store I shop at most but 2-4 are over in Young Adult :rolleyes:).

[Ryan227]

There are two Borders near me so I go there a lot, sometimes I'll go to a comic book store. Heh Borders and their coupons they always send it right after I just went so I'm there like every other day getting stuff!

[Mynd Hed]

Back when I lived in Flagstaff, Hastings was my first choice too, but just because they would special order anything I wanted-- their on-the-shelf selection was indeed rather unreliable.

...It didn't help that after a lengthy remodelling of the store, my location put Western comics and graphic novels, manga, and anime DVDs together in a separate section in the MUSIC department, of all places. It was like they didn't want anyone to know they were there.

Still, they didn't charge shipping or make you prepay for special orders and they'd usually show up quicker than ordering online with the cheapest shipping available (which is what I always choose), so you can't beat that.

[Ikwig]

Heh, yeah Borders and their Rewards program with 30% off coupons and personal shopping days showing up in the in-box practically every other day makes their manga section pretty hard to resist! :p Our favorite date these days is actually to go pick up the next volume or two in a favorite series and then go out to dinner with our new acquisitions for entertainment! Is that weird? Oh well, it makes us happy! ;)

If it's not at Borders, then there are several on-line sites where I get some of the harder-to-find stuff.

[PC!]

Both the Barnes and Noble and Borders in my area basically have the same manga selection, but I prefer Borders as its smaller, meaning easier to find what you're looking for.

[JellicleCat1965]

I go to Waldenbooks for my manga.