Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts

Monday, September 20, 2010

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.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Kittifying Project 2 Starts Now

HERE'S MY BIG SWEET PURCHASE
As promised since last week... and a thank you for putting up with my big 4 week teaser  ;)

Literally, this past weekend and Monday, I have been walking on air. Let me say that I looked like a fool who can't stop grinning all day. My brother gives me irritating looks because he knows the reason behind my happy smile. My co-workers just grin back at me and ask me why I am so cheerful. I responded by going into detail on my lovely big sweet Sanrio purchase that took me four weeks to pay off. If you are already guessing-- yes, it's a 2008 Japan Exclusive Momoberry plushie as you can't help look down at the picture below. The big one is H-U-G-E!!!

I still can't believe they're all mine! Mine! Mine!!!

^  I wouldn't have been able to pull this big Japan purchase off if it wasn't for my brother. He is the best brother in the world! The reason is because he let me spend a lot of $$$ to get these exclusive Momoberry plushies. We live on a tight budget, but to let me spend so much on this fabulous rare opportunity-- well, who wouldn't want an understanding enabler? A best supporting family member, who enables my addiction to let me do what I want. Shh! Don't tell him that I'm saying he's an enabler or else he might have to put his foot down on my Hello Kitty big spending habits.

I'm still working on the details, but I'm hoping to add another two smaller sizes to this plush set. Crazy, right? I'm already crazy getting a double copy of the Large size (above pic is XL & L), but that's kind of an accident, a whole different story that I won't get into unless you ask me, of course.  ;)

The XL plush was so huge that my International Shopping Agent had to ship it twice to me because the first time around, Japan rejected the parcel due to it exceeding the size to enter the U.S. I believe the ISA was trying to ship it in a box, which if you can imagine comes to be a pretty BIG and heavy box. In the end, it came wrapped with brown wrapping paper with the two other plushes wrapped around the XL's legs. This is my second big parcel from Japan... the mailman must really wonder about me because what do you think when he saw that humongous sized tall package that he had to deliver to my apartment complex?

One of my co-workers asked me where in the world would I put that huge Momoberry doll and my answer? Well, let me put it this way, I am working on rearranging and redecorating my part of my bedroom-- you'll just have to stay tune when my "Kittifying Project 2" comes about.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Sanrio Withdrawal Symptoms

This week I had to rein in control over my sanrio spending habits and it's literally making me go crazy...

Okay, I'm exaggerating, but you get my point. I'm feeling the S-A-N-R-I-O withdrawal effects.

Here are a few of my symptoms:

  • My fingers are getting antsy - to buy and buy! I'm wishing like hell that I own a credit card - it's why this sanrio addict doesn't have one because it'd be dangerous for me financially. Tip for Newbies: If you're just like me, then Cut and throw away your credit cards. Trust me. You'll thank me one day for this advice.
  • Resisting Temptation - Literally follow your monthly sanrio budgets! Once you stray from your monthly sanrio budget, it really is hard to discipline your inner sanrio obsession from getting out of control. Learn from this sanrio addict. Since I've strayed, any Sanrio item (whether it's new or vintage) that catches my eye, I've gone for it 100% - full force.
  • Feeling Very Restless - My sanrio obsession is like having a gambling addiction. You're constantly looking for the next sanrio purchase. I can't stay away from e-bay nor sanrio.com
  • Kitty on the Brain - I can't stop thinking about Sanrio and my brother is no help. He teases me about Hello Kitty when we go to Target because he knows I'm super picky with Sanrio. We once passed a Hello Kitty soap liquid dispenser and he pointed, "Hello Kitty" with a smirk on his face and he gets a pointed glare in return.

Here are two new purchases that I got from e-bay:
Again, pics from e-bay.


2000 Angel Hello Kitty

1985 Little Twin Stars Letterset

^  These two items should make me satisfied, but this sanrio addict wants more of my purchases to all show up at my doorstep now, instead of me waiting for the 4 week period to end. C'mon, magicians, invest in a time machine so I can fast forward to next week's Friday.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

One Sanrio store closed and Counting...

Another one down and your local sanrio store may be next!

What am I talking about? If you have been following me on twitter, you probably already heard the news about California's Glendale Galleria's Sanrio store being closed in just a few days away. Isn't that awful?! There seems to be too many Sanrio stores being closed down due to the bad economy.

.::My Local Sanrio Stores Closed List::.
-----------------------------------------------
  • Northridge
  • Burbank
  • Glendale Galleria

The only local Sanrio store that is still open is in Hollywood and Vine! The sales rep at Hollywood store assured me that their sanrio store will not close it's doors anytime soon. They still have five more years on their contract with the mall. That is such good news for a sanrio addict like me because I really don't want to end up driving far to get to a sanrio store.


New Sanrio Computer Mouse and Mousepads:


 I really like the mousepad. So pretty! You can get it here.


I definitely like the star shape idea of a mouse


^  I really like the Hello Kitty mouse and mousepad a lot. I'm really tempted to get one myself. Not sure if I will. I hope they sell it here in the USA because I rather save money on shipping fees and the service fees to buy it from a Japanese shopping agency. What a dilemma for a sanrio addict. Buy or should not buy... I can picture myself walking down a street and picking up a white petal flower (forgot the name) and playing the "He Loves Me or He Loves Me Not," but replacing it with "Buy or Don't Buy." I should do this for all my future sanrio potential purchases. Maybe it'd keep me from overspending and going over my sanrio budget.

By the way, do you follow your monthly sanrio budgets religiously? I try, but there are definitely times where I just completely ignore it and just scrimp and manage to come up with the funds to get a Sanrio product. Right now, I am eyeing to buy this HUGE 22 inches Hello Kitty plush. Yes, another huge plush to add to my collection. I know, I know - where in the world would I fit that in my small apartment? I'll give you an answer in less than a month and a half. Why the wait? Cause I live to torture you sanrio addicts.  ;0)