CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

I've been thinking about starting a small collection because I've ended up with a couple of anime figures as gifts already, and they are pretty cool. Part of my doesn't want to get quite this geeky, and I also know from experience starting a new collection probably isn't a good idea with my addictive personality...but hey, they aren't nearly as expensive and space-consuming as other things I could get, right?

Seems sort of hard to find good retailers that sell them online. Most places have a poor selection and/or are sold out of what they do have. Lots on eBay, though they're usually in Hong Kong. And there are always plenty in con dealer's rooms, of course, but I probably won't have an opportunity to go to a con again until October.

(If this is the wrong place for this post, I apologize, I couldn't find any forum which looked more appropriate - maybe there should be a collectibles forum or something?)

I have several of the mini-figures from Kenshin. I have Enishi, Soujiro, Aoshi, an unpainted Saitoh, and an older Yahiko. Some of those figures I only have, because I really wanted Enishi and when you bought them at the store, you couldn't tell what figure it was til you opened the box. lol I also have some little figures of Kikyo and Naraku from Inuyasha. You couldn't tell what they were either until the box was opened. I also have a bigger figure of Sesshoumaru as well as a Sesshoumaru plushie. I've got a little figure of Straight Cougar from Scryed too. I've got some Final Fantasy figures too, but they're the larger vinyl or poly statues. I have Vincent from FFVII, Laguna from FFVIII, and Auron and Khimari from FFX. I usually just get certain characters that I like from different series, instead of whole sets of figures.

My main anime related collectible is pencil boards aka shitajiki, which are small thin plastic or somethimes cardboard boards that are used by students. They are placed under a sheet of paper so that when you write on that sheet the pencil impression or ink doesn't go through to the next sheet in the notebook. They usually have anime, game, or movie images on them, and I think they make great collectibles, since most newer ones can be bought fairly cheaply and they're great for hanging on the wall. I used to collect them rabidly a few years ago, not so much anymore, but I still occasionally buy them if I find some I like.

I only have two, but they aren't anime-related per se. I have one mini Blythe doll and one Pinky Street, though both are currently lost somewhere in the garage.

I'm very intrigued by the whole Dollfie thing as a hobby, but it seems pretty expensive. Maybe when I have more funds.

I've seen a few figures based on Range Murata drawings that look pretty cool, but they were probably limited edition. ;_;

Roffle, I only buy those things if I see a figure that I like. u_u; Usually at anime conventions or somefin'. But they're always random, and when they are, I don't usually get the one I want, lawl. D:

Regarding actual gashapon figures, I have a few. I've got all of the figures released thus far with the Ghost in the Shell 2nd Gig special edition DVDs, which is 6 figures (the Major, Batou, Togusa, tachikoma, black tachikoma, and CEO Jameson). There's the little Alvis Hamilton figure that came with the special edition DVD vol 1 of Last Exile. I've also got two Evangelion gashapons of Rei and Asuka that are based on one of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's artworks (Asuka wearing headphones, Rei leaning against a locker). My regular sized figures (9-11") are Asuka, Rei, Racquel from Scrapped Princess, and two 4-6" figures of the Major and Batou. Figures rock :-p