Avoid Working In a Sanrio Store

When I first began to collect with a more serious passion, I had not considered working in a Sanrio store as my dream job. Though as time progressed, I began to think about it more seriously. When you spend so much time in an online Hello Kitty community, you believe the best place to earn a living is by working for the company that makes your beloved Sanrio products. Well, I'm here to shatter those dreams. Yes, I know, I can be a downer at times, but this is what I live for-- to bring you back to reality and to enable your sanrio addiction. Without me to point out examples to consider, you might just end up eliminating your addiction all by yourself. By the time you finish this blog post and if you agree, you can thank me by leaving a comment below.  ;)

Myth: I adore Sanrio. So, it should be fun to work there

Sorry, addicts, but that is the # 1 place you should avoid if you want to continue on with your obsession with Hello Kitty. Think about it hard, surrounded by Sanrio products 24/7 with no break from staring at Hello Kitty's face for hours and hours. 

Now, imagine your daily non-Sanrio work day: you come home after spending hours of doing labor work to be greeted by the sight of your adorable Sanrio plushie. Next, you give a big fat sigh of relief because you are finally home. The image of your plushie reminds you that you are in your safe haven from the dangerous world of Sanrio haters. Now, the fun with your sanrio collection can begin. 

What you don't realize is that in a Sanrio-fested working environment, you would have annihilated your reason to look forward to coming home and having fun staring at your collection. No matter how much you think a place is enjoyable, problems will arise and effect your outlook in your love towards Sanrio merchandise.

You do know the lesson to be learned here, right? Being surrounded by something you love (24/7) will eventually turn to hate. Reasons to consider are below:

• You will get sick and tired of moving Sanrio products from one place to another
• You will be sick of customers complaining about the products being so expensive
• You will be sick of the silence when there are no customers, which will lead to outright boredom
• You will be sick and tired of dealing with irrational and rude customers as well as their nonstop crying spoiled children
• You will be sick and tired of trying to find ways to entice customers to come into the store
• You will be sick and tired of planning out ways to bring in more sales
• You will be sick of quoting the rules on returned merchandise
• You will be sick of Sanrio fans asking what's it like to work in a Sanrio store
• You will be sick of working for a nagging boss, when it should be the opposite of you nagging Sanrio 

Considering all above, have I succeeded in crushing your dream job at a Sanrio store? If the answer is yes or a possibility, you can take out your frustration in the comment section below.

Checklist on Buying Sanrio Products

With so many many Hello Kitty goodies out there, our wishlist keeps growing and growing. It never seems to end, unless if you're rich and can afford anything. Though most of us are on a budget and can't get everything that we want, so here's a checklist to consider before choosing from your wishlist.

1.     Why do you want it?

If you're on a budget, you cannot choose to buy something that you will come to regret. Like many of you, I have bought things impulsively without any thought to it. All the items on your wishlist should be items that you would never give up later on in life. Meaning, you're buying something that you would cherish for eternity.

2.     Can you afford it?

There are things that are just plain expensive and sometimes, way out of your budget. Now for me, if the item is really worth it, I will find alternative routes by working with the seller. But, you also have to consider if the seller is a good choice to work with. It all comes with a risk when choosing that route. Sometimes, looking at the feedbacks are helpful, but not always. They can always have high positive feedbacks, but there's always a chance that they can break the deal and sell it to a higher bidder.

3.     Is the item in high demand?

Sometimes, it is hard to tell if your desired product will sell out quickly, but you will have to keep these things in mind when prioritizing which to buy first:

A.)  Check with the retailer if there is a low or high amount of supply. With limited editions and with a high consumer demand, it's more likely this item will be sold out quickly.

B.)  Is it rare vintage? For new products, is it the type of product that will be popular? An example of a popular item would be chest drawers and maybe rarely made pencil cases, depending on it's design.

Last Tip:

Remember whatever you choose to buy, it has to be something you want and not because it will have a high value if it becomes rare over the decade. And, I have to emphasis this, because I have seen collectors think certain items are collectible and worth a lot of money, when in fact it has no market value. If there is no high consumer demand for a certain product, then it's worthless. I'm sorry to be the one to burst your bubble, but it's a fact. If you ask yourself why you're not getting offers when you put something up for sale, it is because the item is not in high demand with the collectors. One thing that will turn me off as a potential buyer is if a seller claims the item is vintage or collectible. One important thing to note to sanrio sellers: you can claim something is vintage prior to 1999 (when we all know the real definition of vintage means 20 yrs. ago and not 10 yrs). Anything after 2000, you'll just get laughed at. Two: if you claim it's collectible when it's really not, you've just lost a sale.

Best Online Stores

Today's blog post is for those Hello Kitty newbies out there wanting to know how to get a hold of Sanrio products online. Let's face it, we're just too lazy to get our kitty bottoms out the door and drive to the nearest Sanrio store. Or in most cases, not within reach in a local area of your neighborhood.

So, to the newbie's out there, this list is for you.

Junolyn's Top 10 Online Hello Kitty Stores

1.     Japan's Sanrio Online Shop

 Sanrio's official online store in Japan. It sells the best kind of Hello Kitty products that sometimes you can't find in any USA stores.

2.     USA's Sanrio Online Store  

Sanrio's official online store in USA. Most times, it might not carry Japan exclusive sanrio products, but it's still the next best thing to get Hello Kitty stuff. Their advantage over Japan is that they have official Sanrio stores in major cities across the states.

3.     Dream Kitty

An independent retailer that sells Hello Kitty products. One thing to note, it only sells HK, no other Sanrio character available here. This online store is one of my favorites to go to if I want some nice Hello Kitty decor. It might be very pricey on certain items, but it's worth it.

4.     JapanLA

Another online independent retailer that I find has extremely adorable Sanrio products. Sometimes they carry exclusive products that you can't find anywhere else. If you're a Los Angeles resident, then this is one actual physical store you can visit.

5.     A Cute Shop

This is a reliable online store that you'll want to visit over and over. It even has it's store on eBay and eCrater if you are interested. Great selection of Hello Kitty products.

6.     H ***** (if you don't know ask me)

Best source for cool looking Hello Kitty clothes and random stuff. Has a lot more choices than other independent retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Torrid, and Forever21

7.     Strapya World

This is one Japan online store you might want to bookmark if you want to find good deals on Hello Kitty items.

8.     Karmaloop

If you want great looking adult style lingerie/PJ's, then this online store is the right place to visit.

9.     Janet Store

Want to find some cheap prices on Hello Kitty? This is the place for you. Mainly, the store sells small things. So, don't expect any big items.

       

10.    eBay

Best source for vintage items that has retired products that you can't find anywhere else. Without eBay, I would have never grown an addiction to Sanrio.

Hello Kitty Themed Party... for Adults

How to Throw a Hello Kitty Theme Party for Adults

 Have you ever wanted to throw your very own Hello Kitty/Sanrio Theme Party, but didn't know how to go about it? 

Well, here's a guide on how to throw one of the most memorable Hello Kitty Party Bashes for a large group of Sanrio lovers. And one way to go about it, is to plan everything from start to finish. Plan out every last detail that you can think of because you are not just planning a simple party, you are throwing the best Hello Kitty party in your sanrio community! 

That, my addicts, is a #1 goal you need to justify to your sanrio enabler on why you're spending so much on party supplies and party services. Go all out for this party because it's not every day you can throw one this good! Remember do not invite any guests who have a strong dislike for Hello Kitty. It'd be a sure way of killing your party before it even has a chance to be a success. Some HK haters are just plain mood killers. You want all your guests to feel comfortable and happy at your HK theme party, so no party poopers invited.

One idea to have your party be more exciting is to have your guests come dressed as a Sanrio Character. Have a Best Sanrio Character Dress Up Contest. Plan ahead with a special Sanrio prize. And, don't forget to take a whole group picture for those who did show up dressed as a sanrio character. It'll make a lovely addition to your photo album!

INVITATIONS:

 

First things first, buy or create your Hello Kitty/Sanrio theme party invitations. After knowing the total number of guests to be invited, send out your invitation by mail with a little touch of something special added to the invitation. It can be a small charm, HK's red classic bow, or something related if it's centered around other than Hello Kitty. Make sure your invitations are eye catching. The invitation doesn't even have to be on paper... it can be handcrafted to make it even more special and a sure way to get a response right away.

FOOD:
 

Here's my TIP # 1 advice - hire a catering service

You really do not want to stress over a hot stove while the party is going on. To enjoy and get the full benefits as the hostess or host, you need to be where the party is at and not be in a closed area like the kitchen. Just make the catering service do all the work in creating Hello Kitty/Sanrio shaped food. 

 Make sure to have HK waffles served during the party

In order to keep your theme of the party going, example of foods that you *MUST* have at your party are HK/Sanrio character frosted cupcakes, Hello Kitty Waffle Maker Iron, and HK popsicles.

Also, have your catering servers make sanrio shaped character ice cubes well in advance to fill the guests' cup all through the party event. Since this is an adult party, have your servers serve cocktails or a non-alcohol virgin mary. If you really want to go all out, I suggest you buy a lot of classy looking HK cocktail glasses.

While the catering service is doing their job in planning the menu, it is your responsibility to cover the Hello Kitty/Sanrio party supplies like cups, plates, utensils, and other tableware. If you want to go all out classy, I recommend you go buy these type of table set:

Maybe a tea party at a dinner setting

DECOR:

"Create a balloon bouquet centerpiece – Fill a small empty jar with rocks and wrap it in pink paper or foil. This is going to be the weight for your balloons. Inflate a Hello Kitty Mylar Balloon, tie pink ribbon around the bottom of the balloon and attach the string securely to the weight. Now inflate five to ten plain pink and white balloons and repeat the process. As you tie them to the weight, make sure they are lower in height than the Mylar balloon and arrange them so the Mylar balloon is always in the center."

Source: Coolest-party-ideas.com

.::Centerpieces::.

For table centerpieces, you can set up any kind of flowery arrangement with a Hello Kitty or a Sanrio Character centerpiece. A suggestion would be to use fresh pale pink roses (or white flowers of any type will do) arranged beautifully around the centerpiece.

Next on the list are scented candles. You can create a beautiful setting with just candles and small greenery around it. Also, candles will lighten the mood with a soothing sensation. To help decorate these candles, you can use a chalice or some sort of Sanrio glass jar. An example would be like this:

After you have finished decorating the party, I like to take pictures before the guests start to arrive. Take photos of your party room decor and put them in your HK Party Album, so you can treasure the memories. In the future, your sanrio enabler might not let you throw another HK/Sanrio themed party after he/she sees the total cost of how much you have spent to plan this extravaganza show. Remember, that's why you have to go all out on this one!

BEGINNING OF PARTY:

When you greet guests at the door, make sure you have some sort of table nearby to hand out Hello Kitty/Sanrio party bags with party favor gifts inside.

.::Party Favor Ideas::.

• Hello Kitty or Sanrio Character Candy Pez (with candy included)
• HK wrapped candies filled into a shotglass (shotglass can be used in the party later)
• HK, LTS, or MM fragrances (looks like nail polishes)
• Home baked HK shaped-faced cookie gift wrapped in clear cellophane
• Gift Basket: a sanrio drawstring bag or a stainless steel Mug filled with sanrio goodies (gift wrapped in clear cellophane for the mug option)

Before the guests joins the party, make sure to invite them to sign in your Sanrio Guestbook. This is one of those times that your small Sanrio book comes in handy!

Autograph book - Golden Memories collection

While the guests are waiting for the party to officially begin, have a friend or a server serve Hello Kitty (or other sanrio characters) shaped chocolates, HK wrapped candy(-ies), or Hello Kitty Lollipops (seen below).

Buy a couple of these and have HK popsicles frozen a day in advance

While the servers are busy serving special treats, another helper can entertain your guests with a Hello Kitty manicure.  Get someone who can do great Hello Kitty decals on those nails. An excellent suggestion would be to use this kind of Cosmetic stand. You can get one at Dream Kitty.

Just add another chair for the guest and you'll have a long queue

With your guests waiting in line, you can have one of the servers play the Hello Kitty guitar to entertain their ears off:

I found a site with good info on how to find this guitar

Model Name	Hello Kitty Stratocaster
Model Number	033-5005-(Color#)
Series	Hello Kitty Series
Colors	(506) Black, (570) Pink, (Gloss Polyurethane Finish)
Body	Agathis
Neck	Maple, C-Shape, (Satin Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard	Maple, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets	21 Medium Jumbo
Pickups	1 Humbucking Pickup (Bridge)
Controls	Volume
Pickup Switching	None
Bridge	Hard Tail Strings-Thru-Body 6-Saddle Bridge
Machine Heads	Standard Die-Cast Tuners
Hardware	Chrome
Pickguard	1-Ply White Hello Kitty Pick guard
Scale Length	25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut	1.61” (40.9 mm)
Unique Features	Script Hello Kitty Logo Artwork on Back of Pink Body, Collage Hello Kitty Logo Artwork on Back of Black Body, Black Control Knob on Black Guitar, White Control Knob on Pink Guitar, Black Dot Position Inlays on Black Guitar, Pink Dot Position Inlays on Pink Guitar, Black Silkscreen Squier Logo, Engraved Squier Neckplate, Rear Routed Control Cavity
Strings	Fender Super 250L, (.009 to .042) Nickel Plated Steel, P/N 073-0250-003

ACTIVITIES:

An option for the many activities that you can do first is the drinking game. Now, this is where the shot glasses come in. Whatever drinking game you decide to play, make sure to time it so that the game ends before one of your guests becomes drunk. For ones who easily gets snookered with just one sip, suggest a substitute to fill in their shot glass. With that out of the way, no guest will leave your party in a dangerous state because the hours will dwindle away the buzz of alcohol.

If you don't feel comfortable with a drinking game, here's another food/drinking option game:

TASTE BUDS

"Objective: What is it? Guess the mystery food or drink by using your Taste Buds!  
Players: 4 or more
Materials: several different types of food or drink

Rules: Before the game starts prepare the different kinds of food or drink that the players will try. You may use different kinds of ice cream or desserts, or some spicy food for fun. For an adult party, try different types of alcoholic beverages mixed with pop or juice. This can be a multiple choice game if players are having trouble guessing the mystery food. To play, blindfold the player and give them the food or drink to try. Have them guess what it is. Are they right? For a baby shower try using baby food. Take the labels off and pass the jars around. Have everyone make their guess on a piece of paper. The person with the most correct wins! "

Source: Perfect Party Ideas.com


If you're looking for more of a challenging game, then how about Usaopoly Hello Kitty Monopoly?

Or if your guests don't feel like playing Monopoly, have card tables set up in advanced way before the party guests have arrived.

 ^ You can play a Memory game with a deck of cards if you wish. The goal of the game is to match up a card with the same matching card, until there is no more cards to play. The most with the pair of cards wins.

ANOTHER MEMORY GAME

"Objective: A Memory Game of trying to remember your surroundings when blindfolded.
Players: 4 or more
Materials: blindfold, a list of items to remember

Rules: Have the player have a good look around the party room and take in as many details as they can. Have them try to remember certain colors or where people are sitting or even what people are wearing. Then have that player leave the room and come back to the room blindfolded. Quiz the player about their surroundings and see what they remember. If they came with a partner, ask them questions about them or another specific individual. This could get interesting!"

Source: Perfect Party Ideas.com


For a more physical activity, here's a Scavenger Hunt.

Objective: A Scavenger Hunt is game where players find a hidden object.
Players: Group
Materials: hidden Sanrio treasures

Rules: This is fun game to play at any age, but it does take a little organization and planning. It can also be played inside for weather reasons. Depending on the age of the players, choose how difficult the challenges will be.

For this game, have the guests in an advance bring their own small 6" Sanrio plush with them. As hostess or host, you will gather these plushes and hide them away in one or more rooms. At the start of the game, let your guests know the boundaries of where all the plushes are located or any specific rules they need to know. When one guest finds a plush, they get to keep that specific one and take it home as a gift. You can add more bigger hints to the remaining few guests, who have a hard time finding the remaining plushes.

Here are more games to try: Sanrio charades, Sanrio Trivia (make your own rules), sing-along-with Hello Kitty karaoke, or have Hello Kitty movies playing on the t.v. for those who are not interested in the board games.

And lastly, have the best chosen Sanrio Character dressed Guest to do the honors of beating the sh*t out of this Hello Kitty pinata. Blindfolded, of course!

Birthday Express Hello Kitty 21" Pull-String Pinata - The pinata fillers are sold separately.

If you follow everything listed and planned out all the very last minute details, then you should have thrown a fun, fun Hello Kitty Themed Party!

Preserving Your Sanrio Collection

How To Preserve Your Sanrio Hello Kitty Collection

Once your sanrio collection grows, you'll start to think about trying to maintaining the new condition of a specific product. 

There are two ways to protect your sanrio collection. You can bubble wrap each item or just avoid having your collection in open dusty air or under direct sunlight.

There are two things that are important to me: stickers and plushes

For stickers, what do you do with them? Do you keep them in a small clear bin or just in a drawer of your desk? Or are you one of many collectors, who use the stickers to add to your sticker album? Personally, I do both. I use my double copies of my stickers and put them individually in my sanrio sticker albums.

I keep the unopened, but still sealed stickers in a small bin, waiting for me to give it love and tender care when I add them to my sticker photo albums. In order to do this, I have to have specific sized materials made specifically for protection.

For small plushes or figurines, have you ever thought of keeping them in clear display cases like trophies? Right now, I have them in my bins, but I do plan to have it displayed one day. I plan to select my most prized plush and stick it in a clear enclosed display case.

::Resources::

Here's a good online store recommendation: BAGS UNLIMITED

I wish there was a category for SANRIO in this online shopping website. If only they could listen to my suggestion of catering to the sanrio crowd of collectors. Wouldn't it be fabulous to find clear sleeve protectors for the exact fitted size for many of our different sized stickers? Or specific display cases to show off our sanrio stamp suitcases all together in one big showcase?

^ I keep my mini sticker books in those black cases that you see in the picture above. It is fully enclosed and has a locking clasp mechanism. It's not exactly full proof from open air, but it's better than nothing. Also, it keeps my paranoia that "air contaminates paper" in check. Here's where I get obsessed: Air --> paper --> paper can age --> stickers are made from paper --> PANIC --> Finds an online store to cater to my obsession --> I'm simply going to buy this enclosed 3-Ring Binder case from BU to keep from stressing out. 
I tried asking them for this sealed black folder for a bigger and thicker size to hold up more than 10 sheets, but I think they don't have too many sanrio collectors bugging them enough.  ;0p

Tip: I have found the PERFECT size protection 3 Binder clear pages for our sanrio mini sticker books!!! Product A12PP.



If you noticed on my desk shelf, I have three beautiful different colored folders. These folders are turned into my private sanrio sticker collection albums. For this sticker collection album, I buy backings for each page. One day, I'll probably take a picture, but for now, I love opening them up to see what I have collected so far.

If I had the money to spend, I'd buy these labels for my store. But then again, all I need is a printer and I can make my own labels. LOL.

Also, here's a nifty idea. Instead of bubble wrap, why not shrink wrap your plushie? *evil heckle* I can see myself doing just that with one of my plushes and it turning out to look like it got suffocated... thinking like it's a real living object. In my obsessed state, I probably would feel guilty. With bubble wrap, there is no guilt because it's not an obvious clear plastic wrap. Am I the only obsessed collector who thinks this way???

Unfortunately, Bags Unlimited caters to baseball, trading card, and coin collectors. 

Another online store is The Container Store.
They have excellent choices of cube cases & displays in different sizes.

As you can see there is no such online material-protection store that will specifically cater to us obsessed sanrio addicts... they probably think we're nuts for asking such a thing. But, as collectors, we have to make do what we can and share our resources.

Enabling Your Sanrio Addiction

Okay, I'm the type of a person who likes to makes so many lists.  Below is my version to getting a sanrio addiction. If you don't want to become a sanrio addict, please stop reading today's blog.

5

4

3

2

1

0

I did warn you!

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Five years ago, I was a newbie when it came to being a collector and buying online, especially on e-bay. This is my long journey as a sanrio collector who had wished that I knew the information below ahead of time.

When I first began to shop on e-bay, I had no idea that I would learn the tricks of auction lots. I have come up with some tips to keep in mind when starting your own sanrio collection.

Begin by focusing on what types of items that you will be collecting. Examples are desktop items (pens, memo pads, etc.), plushes, figurines, stickers, coin banks, chest/ jewelry boxes, and etc. Remember to collect things you will love for eternity. Don't get caught in the hype of people's obsession and excitement of showing off their collection. Don't get into collecting a type of item to fit in with the hello kitty/sanrio crowd. It's best to be a leader than a follower.

If you're going to collect everything, then keep in mind the cost and the space you will store this in. Are you buying these things to use or are you a collector who likes to collect mint condition items that you'll keep stored away in bubble wrap until you can someday put it all on display? Sometimes, sanrio collectors will prefer buying small things like small plushes because they have limited space. Other cases like me, I will make room for all my collection (even HUGE plushes). I literally work hard to make everything fit into tiny spaces. Another thing to keep in mind, place a budget on your sanrio spending. Since you can't buy everything that you want, prioritize what you want first then follow it up with which one will get sold out first. Another main factor in deciding what kind of collector you are depends on whether you will use your collection or keep it in their original unopened packaging. Collectors like me buy double copies all the time. One to use and the other to keep. Every collector knows that if keeping an item unopened and stored safely, then chances are that item will be very valuable one day in the far far future. In a couple of years, you might grow out of your collection and decide to sell it off. Sometimes, it's a very good thing that one is a pack rat or else your collection wouldn't be so valuable.

Now, after considering all above, what type of sanrio collector are you?

Before I forget, when I say "valuable," I mean sanrio designed line/series items that are in high demand on a collector's wishlist and most likely, hard to find. Most times, it's vintage items (vintage means more than 20 yrs., not in the last 5-10 yrs.). 

Here's some e-bay tips:

1. Spotting Sanrio Fakes.
There are a lot of e-bay auction ads/lots claiming to be authentic sanrio items. Look at the title first. Most auction ad title will include "Sanrio." It's more suspicious if the ad does not mention sanrio anywhere in the description or title. If the item looks weird, then go with your gut instinct that this is a fake sanrio item. Personally, I saw one seller saying it's "san Rio." Not sure if it's a typo, but I avoid that particular seller and almost all the time, my sanrio e-bay transactions go smoothly. Another thing to look out for are things that look like a clear hello kitty sticker was pasted on some plain product. A few times, I saw a seller selling a stainless steel canister with a hello kitty picture sticker pasted in the middle. I don't know how any sanrio collector can be dumb enough to think that's not a fake. Sometimes, as a sanrio collector, I'm disgusted by sellers like that. It's a waste of space and adds to the number of so many fake hello kitty ads that are out there.

Here's an example of a fake sanrio item that is on e-bay:

^ Five years ago, I made the mistake of buying this sticker thinking I would receive an actual sanrio product, when in fact it was made from a fan. Seriously, NO. Back then, I couldn't distinguish the fakes from the real ones until I've seen other sanrio collections and started to notice the differences. It always helps to ask another sanrio collector for help if it's fake or not.

::Fake Plushes::
UPDATE 12/9/09: Thanks to Arista from NY
Here's another good tip to look out for:
Look for the Sanrio tag on the plushie's back or bottom. Fake ones do not have the fabric tag. I have looked for this on ebay photos or asked sellers to send me a photo of this. Also, I ask what year it says on the Sanrio tag. If they cannot tell me the year and show me the fabric tag, I will not buy. Good sellers go out of their way to prove that their item is real. A cardboard tag is not enough. I got duped once and bought a small plush with a cardboard tag but it was a photocopied Sanrio cardboard tag! So always look for the fabric tag on plushies!

2.  An auction ad that has very minimal description is a BIG warning sign that the item in question might possibly be very used and sometimes, something is broken. Always ask questions when you come across that does not give the condition or flaws. Some e-bay sellers are very slick in saying it's a collectible with pretty words to cover up from actually mentioning the condition. These type of sellers hope you don't ask any questions so they can make a quick buck.
My personal experience: I e-mailed this one sanrio seller asking about the condition of the item and he/she responds back saying to read their description... which the ad had barely any details on the condition. When the seller responds like this and is NOT VERY helpful, that is a big sign to be suspicious. Since I was new to e-bay at the time and thinking since the seller had a high feedback score, I went ahead and bought the item. Boy, was I wrong! The item was very USED and with the "slick" trick of not mentioning any flaws, I paid too much money for something I thought was supposed to be in better condition.

3. Beware of No Picture provided on auction ads.
An auction lot that has no picture means the seller is selling something to cheat you out of your money. So, don't buy anything without a clear picture provided! Blurry pictures are also something that sellers will use as an excuse from actually telling you the flaws. This is another slick trick in getting around from saying the item is used. Their excuse when you find out the flaw or that the item is used is that they provided a picture, but their weak argument fails because the picture is blurry and not clear. Don't let them get away with that trick! Most sellers never apologize for that trick.

4. Be suspicious if sellers do not accept returns. Minimal description and no explanation of condition PLUS "no returns" means something is wrong with the item.

5. The higher the star feedback the seller has, then the more likely chance that your transaction will go smoothly.
Be sure to check on the sellers' feedback before buying or placing a bid. It is very important to read the recent negative feedback because it will help you make a decision on whether it's a risky business to buy from this seller. As a sanrio potential buyer, you have to be aware that having 20 star positive feedbacks won't mean that the seller will complete the transaction. If the sanrio item is in demand, there have been cases where the sanrio seller would take the higher offer and leave you, the buyer, with no item in the mail. There won't be any contact to let you know it's not coming or to give you a refund. Most times the seller will leave you to do all the hard work and file a claim. I recommend never buying from a seller that has no star yet or any feedback less than 20.

6. Be very careful buying from International sellers!
If you want tracking for international packages, then be prepared to shell out a lot for shipping and more importantly, don't forget to ask the seller to include tracking! The international seller can get away with cheating you out of your money. Most times, paypal cannot fully recover the funds from a placed claim. It takes weeks for the whole claim to be completed and processed. Inside Tip for newbies: Try to avoid international sellers from Italy with 0-10 star feedbacks. From the grapevine, I heard there are a few Italy sanrio sellers who have come to have a bad reputation as a bad seller.

Unless you really know your way around e-bay, it is easy to find good international e-bay sellers. Plus, there's always the sanrio grapevine full of collectors, who can give you a lot of seller recommendations. All you have to do is ask.