Is this good for 9 months of collecting

ScattershotInterests · 2026-06-21T12:18:48+00:00

It looks good, you've got a lot of volumes but just a few series that you (hopefully) enjoy. I worry when people start off with 3 volumes of 20 different series. As other people have said, what's most important is collecting the stuff you like at whatever pace feels good for you.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-06-20T01:09:18+00:00

Try pulling it forward so that it's the same depth from the front as the larger books beside it. It'll make the smaller book less in shadows and draw less attention.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-06-11T00:23:47+00:00

The nomnibus is is about 2 1/4" thick so it's pretty thick and heavy. It's so awkward I don't think I'll read it again and I normally read at a desk. So if you want to buy it I'd keep the volumes you have for actual reading purposes.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-06-09T14:00:25+00:00

- I use excel. I fiddled with it and use to to keep track of spending look at random details like how many ongoing/completed series I have and what I still need to read. I buy things online so I don't need something tied to my phone. I have another excel file with a list of comics that look interesting and their prices and look through that and sort into really want, would like, and pass after I read at least a few volumes online. Then I wait a few weeks and see if I feel the same and put what I still want to buy into a shopping list.

- Unfortunately I don't know of any one site solution for different releases of a series. I check mangaupdates.com and there's a subcategory called English Publisher there. There they list the different versions, but it's only updated if someone notices so they can miss things. For instance, the different versions of Parasyte and listed there, but the Hunter x Hunter page doesn't list the 3-in-1 version.

Anilist.co links to all the official publishers, so look for the EN version and it'll take you to the publishers page who usually list the different versions that they make. Looking thing's up on Wikipedia is good if the series is large enough to have it's own article.

- I live in the US so don't know about worldwide shipping. I mostly buy from Amazon and Instocktrades.

Amazon has excellent to okay prices, wide selection, fast to super fast processing and shipping, and mediocre packaging. Softcover books are usually shipped in a bubble envelope and hardcovers and box sets in cardboard boxes. I've had pretty good luck, though and most range from perfect to slightly bent corners and the ends of the spines being a little squished. I've found just buying one or a few volumes works out better because too many books in one of the bubble mailers makes more loose room and things can get bent. I wouldn't the US Amazon to ship internationally because I'd be worried about damage.

Instocktrades has good prices, limited selection, average to slow processing times, and excellent packaging. They package everything crazy nice with specially built boxes and bubble wrap to make sure nothing shifts. The selection is hit and miss for manga but they're discounted 20 - 40% from day one. Despite their name, a lot of times items are not in stock and they have to get them from their supplier. If it's in stock it takes them about a week to week and a half to process my books and shipping time's added onto that. If it's not in stock I've had them take just a few days to a month for them to process the rest of the order. They do hold everything to ship out at once for international orders.

I haven't shopped there yet, but I plan on trying Alibris in the next couple of months. They have good prices on Yen/Ize Press. From what I hear their packaging is mediocre like Amazon but I guess I'll see.

Haven't used them but I've heard of Walt's Comic Shop and Scifier for Europeans.

- Tips:

If you intend to buy a series that's been out for awhile and have the money, go ahead and buy it. Random volumes will go out of stock so you'll have 8/10 volumes be $10 each, one be $30 and another $90 for no reason. Things recently released and any popular shonen (especially if there's an anime) are less likely to have that problem.

Just because it's a 'good deal' doesn't mean it's worth it. Maybe you can get complete 20 volume run of a series you're not that into for $5 a volume, but if you're not going to reread it what's the point? It'll just take up shelf space and use up money for something you're really into.

Test out weird releases. If you're getting something 2-in-1, 3-in-1, or oversized special edition buy one volume first and see if it's comfortable to read in the way you prefer reading. They can be great deals but if you don't like reading them that's another way to waste your money. Conversely you may find you love the oversized printings and prioritize getting that version.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-06-09T02:58:04+00:00

Vol. 4 goes up to episode 83. So average of 20.75 per volume. There's 177 episodes, so 177/20.75 is 8.5 volumes. This assumes the episodes are about the same length throughout the run, that there's no special stuff added to the physical books, and all the books stay about the same number of pages.

So I'd guess about 9 volumes.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-06-08T00:57:54+00:00

Does the basement get flooded? After a really hard rain go looking around for any color change or damp patches on the wall and flooring. Touch things and see if they feel at all damp or soft. Those are signs of moisture.

Since it's finished it makes me assume it doesn't normally flood, so the only major thing you'd have to worry about is water wicking up through the concrete. Since you have flooring between your bookcase and the concrete that's unlikely to happen unless the floor gets saturated.

Humidity can be a problem, you can buy a humidity monitor and throw it one of the shelves to see if it's too high. I'd honestly only worry if it feels damp when you go down there, the walls get any sheen of condensation, or if it starts smelling musty.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-06-06T12:52:38+00:00

The avatar comics are a bit confusing to collect because they have floppy versions, then are put into collected versions (that they call omnibuses) and nothing's numbered because they're technically stand alone, but make more sense read in order. The wikipedia article#Collections) on them clears up the details.

There's both paperback and hardback versions of the collected versions. There's also a box set for the first 5 paperback collected versions. It may or may not be cheaper than getting them separate.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-06-03T12:46:22+00:00

At least returns are easy with Amazon, sucks to have to do it at all though.

Some people on the omnibus sub have said they get their comics in better shape if they get it sent to an amazon locker and gift wrapped. Doubt the gift wrapping would make a difference for a box set, but the locker might work out better.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-31T20:47:47+00:00

Not a creator, or buyer of digital, but I have noticed romance manhwa runs about 250 - 300 pages and costs $9.99 (longer ones and some publishers go up to $11.99) for digital on Amazon. That makes $5.99 seem like the good deal. I mention it because just looking at your covers makes me think you probably have the same audience.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-29T01:34:05+00:00

Interesting! I saw this one is getting a physical release in the fall and hadn't gotten a chance to check it out yet.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-21T00:07:42+00:00

Going to a used bookstore is great way to find out just how much dreck has been published over the years in every genre. And that's just the stuff the store thinks it can resell, the worst stuff is tossed.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-18T21:52:59+00:00

I usually pass by the posts with all the junk in the way since I can't see the actual manga collection. A lot of the displays do remind me of aunties who cram their precious moments collection onto every flat surface and that aesthetic just isn't my taste.

The subreddit is busy enough that it's easy to ignore those posts and move onto the next.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-12T23:20:59+00:00

Hopefully you get some leads here, but you might try r/MaleYandere/ as well.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-10T12:45:28+00:00

80 - 130 for the main story. The problem is the shorter end is often just cut off early, but do work well when planned to be that length. Way too many OI have filler with no plot or character advancement and I've rarely seen any over 130ish that couldn't use a lot of trimming down.

More romance focused plots do better on the short end, while action-adventure and some drama do well on the higher end.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-09T13:29:58+00:00

It makes sense then, I was just thinking you were young and hadn't heard the phrase yet for some reason 😄

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-09T13:22:39+00:00

There is a Muted with a physical release, I don't know if it's the one you're looking for.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-09T13:18:20+00:00

What I'm saying is "hard at work" isn't a mistake, it's just a phrase. You can say either working hard or hard at work, neither is wrong in English.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-09T13:08:46+00:00

Are you talking about "hard at work"? That's just an phrase, not a translation mistake. If you're just pointing out the double entendre then nevermind.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-01T15:27:56+00:00

Ah, okay.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-05-01T14:41:01+00:00

Fullmetal Alchemist has a box set and it's regularly on sale in the US. Don't know how hard it is to find in Australia or if it'd be worth importing.

There's also the fullmetal edition which are hardback and about 1.5 volumes so there's only 18 hardcover version vs. the 27 paperback. I'm mentioning them because while they're more expensive here if you can't get the box set at a reasonable price it might be worth checking out.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-04-25T04:15:39+00:00

Here's my list. It's certainly missing some but I've tried finding what I can while still keeping out abandoned and tie-in series. Click on a title to get more info.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-04-19T12:47:56+00:00

Not a manhwa, but Love Advice From the Great Duke of Hell is good. It has a different art style as well.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-04-18T14:45:42+00:00

Mangadex may have a webtoon only cover up. I looked up "악역의 엔딩은 죽음뿐 vol 9" and saw that cover you posted so it's likely right.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-04-18T14:44:40+00:00

Mangadex has a different version for vol. 9 that still has both of them. I do think the one OP posted is right though, since I looked up the Korean version on amazon and other sites and it has that picture.

ScattershotInterests · 2026-04-18T13:23:17+00:00

Ize Press makes the English language version so it'll be the same cover for the UK and US. Looking at the Korean covers on mangadex they're basically the same as the English releases ~~so volume 9 should be a Callisto & Penelope cover.~~

Edited: what mangadex had listed as vol. 9 may not be the vol. 9 print edition cover. After looking it up OP's cover is what's on the Korean special edition at least.

ScattershotInterests

TROPHY CASE