Attending a Local Anime Con or Event? Read some tips first!
I am hearing the term ‘whaling’, especially on the online games that I am playing, or even at some community that I have joined. When I say ‘whaling’, it means you get every single item by spending some cash that you currently have. And in terms of size, you are big because you have some exclusive and expensive items that you have on hand and in stable.
When I say, ‘RIP Wallet’, it means you have spent all of your money and allowance for the merch that you are buying.
So, I got some tips (at least three of them) on how to spend and save some money wisely on every local Anime conventions that you are attending. This may apply to all types of local conventions, not just Anime (i.e. ToyCon).
So then, here are some known tips, according to my own experiences:
Know the Purpose of the Item You Buy
From my point of view and experience, I buy some figures (i.e. Nendoroids) or other merchandise (i.e. Nesoberi Plushies). But before buying them, I should figure out of what was the purpose of buying it. You buy that item because you have some purpose. I only buy some Anime figures just for my figure photography purposes, and not just displaying them in my cabinet or shelves and looking at them with my two eyes. I buy some merchandise because I have a purpose. And that is, I wanted them to be used for my recreational purposes, such as celebrations, everyday activities, and so on. Of course, I do not only buy that figure or merchandise because I wanted to. It is because I want to put it into something useful — something that I can use with in my everyday activities, such as parties, celebrations, or meetups. Or even, using them to create some interesting, unique page contents.
My tip in this part is that you must know the item that you are buying. If you can buy it, but you can’t question yourself on how you can use it well, don’t buy it, even if you wanted to. Of course, there is a next time to that. Sometimes, not all figures and merchandise can be useful, in which they can only take up your room space.
Don’t Just Stick to One Price.
If the item that you are looking for in the local convention looks expensive, then why not try on other booth or shop that has that same item, but different in pricing? If you think the other booth has that same item, but different in price, then you might go to that booth in which the price is lower than the other. Try to keep moving around the hall because seeing that item that you are looking for twice does not mean that there will be no third. Once that you have moved around, the final part is that you decide on the booth that sells that item at a considerable lower price (Maybe a couple of bucks difference should work).
Remember that the item that you are looking for in both booths does not mean that they were authentic. Sometimes, you need to pay attention on that item’s authenticity because the item that you had bought in a cheaper price may be already a bootleg or counterfeit. So before buying, you need to determine if it is a bootleg or not. If it is a bootleg, then return it to the shelves.
PROTIP: Some prices of these figures or merchandise are sometimes negotiable, in the sense that they can be lowered, a bit. Try asking the shop owner if that item that you are buying is still negotiable, or if you can lower the price a bit. Example, that Nesoberi plushie is priced for 1,500 PHP. If it is negotiable to be bought for 1,400 PHP, then go, buy it! Yep, and some prices are negotiable, but that doesn’t mean that you have to abuse the system. Of course, that item is not negotiable, if they said no, otherwise.
Don’t Spend More than You Can Afford
Basically, almost the continuation in number one. Also, you must know your limits in spending. Remember that you should try not to spend more money on some items, which are more than you can afford. By spending more, it shall leave you with some consequences. Remember to leave some extra money for your transportation, food, or some anything that you need to buy and claim for the future (i.e. your pending pre-orders online and such). And that is, you don’t need to cram for some money in your stash, just to settle on something that needs to be paid immediately on due time.
Also, plan ahead for the upcoming expenses that you are about to take soon. Once you have receive some money for your allowance, or your monthly work, you must break them down and calculate for possible outcome! Otherwise, plan your expense budget before you attend a local Anime convention! And also, try setting your budget expense limit for youself. Such as that, you only have 1,000 PHP maximum spend on some items, as an example! If you could ever set your maximum budget even lower than 1,000 PHP, then your are saving some money! Setting your maximum spending budget is a good practice, and setting it slowly a bit lower, as time goes by, could help you to save more money.
END
It is really understandable whenever we can’t control ourselves, we are doing “impulse buying” in no time, and that sometimes happen. It is recommended that you plan everything before going to a local Anime convention. You have to plan your expenses from the start. Don’t just think of a thing that comes into your mind. You must know the purpose of the item that you are buying, and spend your money wisely in order to avoid cramming on future expenses, such as pending pre-orders, financial priorities (i.e. monthly bills, and other dues like subscriptions), and so on.
