RANDOM, lucky anime finds.

[Alex]

OK, let me preface by saying that, even though I live in Japan, this is pretty random.

I was visiting a friend of mine who works for a travel agents. I decided to wait on the stair-well above her office (the second floor is not occupied by any business). Sitting there, I notice out of the corner of my eye a stack of maybe 7 or 8 magazines.

Now, finding abandoned manga over here is very common. Toilets, trains etc. However, I noticed something familiar about the spines.

To my surprise, there are 8 issues of ANIMAGE (an anime devoted magazine that started in the 70's) just sitting there. But the weirdest thing was that they were MINT. Smooth spines, totally virginal. Never seen issues this old in this good a condition. EVER. Looks like stock that had been in a warehouse for several decades.

Fearing some Anime fan targeted sting-operation, I made a quick evaluation of the situation.......and then stuffed each glorious copy into my briefcase.

I still fear the knock on my door.

So, anyone else ever found random Anime finds in your respective home-towns? (like the Robotech destroids Renato and I randomly found in a corner shop in Scotland.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Alex

[Einherjar]

Last year when I went to Fanime con I found this bag with some random ccg cards and U.S. comic books abandoned at a rest area. It must have been a grab bag someone bought but didn't like the contents. Anyway, it said "Free" on the bag and no one was interested in it at the time so I quickly snagged it.

That was a good day.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Einherjar

[Renato]

Ah, yes, the Destroid shop. I remember that one. They were like only like 59p each, so I sold loads of them to people on this site way back in the day.

[Alex]

Ah, yes, the Destroid shop. I remember that one. They were like only like 59p each, so I sold loads of them to people on this site way back in the day.

Huh. Didn't know that you sold them to MW'ers.

Were they really only 59p?!!? Damn, Wish i'd been into Macross back then. Army buildinnnnnnggggg! Or not.

Ironically, I think it's a "Destroyed" shop now. Can't remember seeing it when I went back around in 2004.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Alex

[Bri]

Found a Roman Album Series : Fire Bomber in prefect condition and a early 90s Cutey Honey PVC kit MISB at my local comic/fantasy store. The owner was cleaning out the storeroom. He found a few items that had never been picked up by those who had ordered them originally back in the nineties. I could have them for free if I were to take some mail to the post office for him. Off course I was more then happy to do so.

[Mercurial Morpheus]

Oh, i've come across quite a few in my day. Too many to recall off the top of my head. I got sealed copies of some early nineties releases for a buck. 1st releases of Dangaio, KOR OAV and Demon Hunter Yoko. Seems the box was closed up at the store in the early nineties and forgotten about until con. I've kept them closed since it's just sort of awesome that way (with $35 price tags still on). Having no problem with VHS has lead to a lot of cheap collection building. Swap meets can be very lucrative. Especially when lots of the old people going through them aren't fans of the same old shows you are. I've gotten manga for dirt cheap, and last year a guy was selling his Escaflowne and Eva CDs for a buck each. Even picked up Kotono Mitsuishi albums since they were practically free. Sometimes a things rare enough you feel lucky to get it. I picked up a Koto Noriko Takaya figure at AX 06. All of one dealer among dozens had her.

One the most awesome I had to miss out on. One Fanime swap meet had a guy selling a 1/48 Skull One for 30 bucks. I wouldn't have my money until the following day, and he wouldn't hold it. everytime I forget about it, someone reminds me.

[Gubaba]

Long, long, long ago, when I was about eleven or so, there was a comic shop that I went to (Another World, in Eagle Rock). Once while leaving it, I noticed some toy robots in the window of the accountant's office next door to the comic shop, and one of the was a small version of the SDF-1.

So I went in, really, really excited, and asked if I could buy it. Turned out the guy who ran the place just thought robots were cool, and grabbed a bunch of them cheap in China Town. He sold if to me for fifty cents. Not a great price, not a great toy, but quite random.

[Kin]

Made a trip for the 1st time in Hongkong back in 1997...

It was coincidentaly 15th anniversary of macross... so I bought as many bandai models I could,

Folded the boxart flat and put the plastics and manuals in a large plastic bag ^^

The HK dollar was in my favour lol... aprox 9 times cheaper!

[Vifam7]

Back in 1997, when I was in Okinawa (for study abroad program), I purchased a brand new PC Engine Duo-R from a game store for the insane price of 1500yen (US$15). Foolishly I didn't bring it back with me to the U.S. Gave it away to a guy in the dorm. Regret it to this day.

On the last day of the semester, I saw a stack of NeoGeo games sitting in the garbage dump. Those big huge cartridge types. All of them were in fine condition. I thought about taking them home. But since I didn't have the system, I left it there. Another decision that I regret to this day. Also there was a bunch of well-built Dragonar models thrown out inside their respective boxes.

[Excillon]

I just bought gundam astray, astray R, and astray X for less than 2 dollars each. I thought that was a pretty good deal, considering they were brand new.

[VT 1010]

A couple of years ago, I managed to find a copy of This is Animation: Macross Vol. 2 (the red one shown here) for around (I think) $15 on eBay. It was in great condition too.

[wolfx]

I got a brand new kotobukiya Noriko from Gunbuster in some Mandarake store....for 2000-3000 yen. The asking price for this on ebay was mad at the time. I was so happy with that purchase.

[Alex]

Well, last week I found a copy of 'Future Blues" for 105en, severely annoying someone I know who had spent around 4000en for it a few years previously.

Actually, did recently find a Japanese Fort Max for 15,000en.

[NoodlePop]

Randomly found a lone "Live of Legend" Mylene Jenius figurine at a figure merchant's booth at ACen last week, just chilling between two cardboard boxes. Box, book and all. You know I grabbed that up so fast. Especially since I have the matching Minmay that I got more than a year before.