The types of items I buy most online are books and magazines. I purchase printed materials in English, Japanese, and occasionally French. I typically buy older, collectible (or at least in my mind) books and magazines. I never get novels unless it is a book that is unavailable at all three of my local library systems and/or none of my friends own a copy already. My most recent purchase was four Gothic Lolita Bible mooks. I picked up volumes 2, 3, 4, and Ensemble (a special edition to commemorate the mook’s 10th anniversary) for 600 yen/ ~$6 each. They typically run on EBay for $50. Volume 3 was published close to my birthdate! There is something surreal about holding a book that was “born” around the same time you were.

In this article, I will be sharing a handful of websites I use to save money on collecting books and magazines.

Photo by me

I wish mooks were more widespread here in English publishing. Mooks are a cross between a magazine and a book: visual-heavy serializations with superb graphic design while being thicker in page count than the average magazine. They are abundant in the Japanese serialization space. HyperJapan has an interesting article that goes into great depth on mook culture in Japan. When purchasing a second-hand mook, there is a chance that the accompanying gift may not be included with the main magazine. This can be for two reasons: it went missing, or it is more valuable than the mook itself.

Here is a list of websites I use to purchase cheap books and magazines:

Japan

Suruga-ya

Suruga-ya is where I get most of my secondhand Japanese language books and magazines. They also sell figures, fan goods, music, video games, and DVDs. Suruga-ya’s prices are fairly reasonable and they often run a free shipping campaign. For anyone who buys items from Japan, or outside of Canada in general, free shipping without a minimum spend sounds absurd. For context, shipping from Japan to Canada starts at about $30. I can’t believe it myself. 

The only catch is that Suruga-ya charges more for items on their international site than their Japan-only site and that there is a flat rate commission fee of 800 yen/~$8 CAD. The commission fee increased recently; it was 500 yen/~$5 CAD until August 2024. I’m also observing that the minimum price of their items is now 600 yen compared to 300 yen at the beginning of the year. The free shipping campaign makes these additional fees worth it, however, I’m not sure how often I’d still use the website if their prices rise considerably or if a minimum is introduced. 

Suruga-ya can be unpredictable with their pricing. Sometimes they match grotesque Ebay prices, but other times sell rare books for dirt cheap. Everything I’ve ordered from Suruga-ya has arrived in near-mint condition. The only damages or imperfections I’ve observed are bent pages, scuffed spines, and a moist basement odour. Most items are individually wrapped in plastic, but some are not. My working theory is that Suruga-ya keeps whatever packaging they arrive at the warehouse in. 

Pros: Free shipping campaign makes hauls much more affordable, eclectic selection, easy to navigate

Cons: Does not mark down the value of items, sometimes you have to use unusual spelling to yield results (example: Yasawa Ai instead of Yazawa Ai)

Shipping Proxies – Japan

Another way to purchase inexpensive books from Japan is by using a shipping proxy. This service allows overseas buyers to purchase from Japan-exclusive stores by using a Japanese address to receive the items and then shipping them abroad from there. Shipping proxies can take on many forms: they can be large companies with dedicated warehouses or even as small as a one-person operation. Voltexes has a guide on their blog explaining the steps to purchasing from a shopping service in addition to Japan-only shop recommendations for goods other than books.  It is possible to purchase books at cheaper prices than Suruga-ya’s global site. For example, I once bought a Gothic Lolita Bible mook for about one dollar. Despite the incredible deals, one can get on items via proxy websites, shipping and handling fees can double or triple initial costs. 

Would I recommend using shopping proxies? Yes and no. There is a far greater variety of books available since it becomes possible to shop from Japanese second-hand shops such as Mecari, Yahoo Auctions, Rakuen Rakuma, or Suruga-ya’s Japan storefront; however, charges can rack up fast and sometimes unpredictably. For books specifically, their weight drives up shipping costs. 

Pros: Nearly endless selection of all goods, can buy new and used books, package consolidation option can bring down shipping costs, many proxy services to choose from

Cons: Handling and shipping fees can bring costs up quickly, and each proxy service has different rules and offerings

North America

I only buy books from North America if I’m looking for an English-language item. Japanese-language books tend to be expensive, even if they are not particularly sought after. 

One comparison I’ve made between Japanese and North American booksellers is that the latter are very generous with book ratings. An astrology reference book rated as “good” arrived at my home with ripped pages, staining, and filled with notes on nearly every page. I demanded a refund for that particular order and was successful.

ThriftBooks

Love or hate them, ThriftBooks is North America’s leading used book marketplace. With 13 million items to choose from, ThriftBooks is likely to have the book you’re looking for at a decent price. They’re best for purchasing literature or new-ish non-fiction. Rare or valuable vintage books tend to run expensive on ThriftBooks so I only use it if I’m looking for a niche reference book. 

Pros: Massive selection of English-language books, items ship together

Cons: Condition ratings are generally unreliable. I would not purchase a book from them unless it is declared mint or near mint.

Alibris

I find that if a book isn’t available on Thriftbooks, I can find it on Alibris. 

Storefronts are tended by individual secondhand shops, usually bookstores or large thrift store chains like Goodwill. Unless you are buying from the same store and location, items in your order will ship separately. This can be rather annoying as every item will have its own shipping fee. Thankfully, Alibris’ shipping fees are inexpensive, averaging at $10 per order.

Pros: Greater selection of niche books, generally more affordable than ThriftBooks

Cons: Items ship by storefront, condition ratings can be unreliable at times, and most stores are based in the United States so shipping can be costly.

Thank you for reading this blog post. I hope the resources I’ve listed in this article prove useful on your journey! Collecting books and magazines is so exciting, especially when you’re able to do so for less money!