Showing posts with label items. Show all posts
Showing posts with label items. 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.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

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

 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.