#basic guide

Music releases: CDs, LPs, DVDs, BDs

Let’s start with music releases. This is usually the first thing you would want to buy as a big fan of a band. As a newcomer, your best bet is CDJapan since it’s super simple and there’s no proxy service required. They still have almost all regular releases of Kalafina’s singles/albums/concerts in stock. There are a handful of limited editions available as well but for the most part, those are sold out. Please note that external and first press boni are only available for a short period of time (they are usually sold out within the pre-order period). CDJapan offers different shipping methods and they ship to A LOT of countries. Their customer service is great, they have helped me out a lot in the past. You can choose from many different payment options. I have never had any troubles with my packages. They have all arrived safely. [I usually pick unregistered SAL/Air Mail. Yup, I am super cheap, I don’t like paying extra for tracking]. Small tip, always mark your order as gift, that usually helps if you want to avoid customs fees.

Now if you want limited/special editions (such as LPs), rare releases (such as the re/oblivious mini album) or you don’t mind buying used products then you will have to consider visiting sites like amazon.jp, Yahoo Shopping, Suruga-ya, Yahoo Auctions and Mercari. These sites offer a wide range of frequently changing products including MANY second-hand items. You will need a proxy-service to order from most of them (Amazon.jp is an exception, they do ship some stuff overseas). While CDJapan offers its own proxy service I would recommend using Buyee (which I linked above). It’s SUPER simple to use and the service fee is minimal (they have sinced increased the fee but it’s still affordable). They ship to quite a lot of countries (various shipping methods) and you can pay with either PayPal or credit card. I advise you to stay away from Yahoo Auctions at the beginning. It’s a great place to find rare items but people are willing to pay crazy amounts of money for them so you will often find yourself outbid (unless you are willing to pay even more money of course XD). Buyee offers an interface for Yahoo Shopping and Mercari so you can browse the site in English. That’s very convenient, purchases are pretty much a piece of cake. A similar interface is offered for Yahoo Auctions (in case you wanna try your luck). On Suruga-ya and amazon.jp you can use the “Add-to-Buyee” app but don’t worry, the sites are super easy to navigate, once you have figured out the basic stuff, it really isn’t a big deal. And believe me, these sites are worth checking out! You can find lots of rare treasures there and often they are being sold for a very reasonable price. But you have to be fast!

Goods/merchandise etc

Live goods and other merchandise are much harder to find. But it’s not impossible. First I’d check out CDJapan, while their selection isn’t as big as it used to be they still have a few pamphlets left in stock. I think you can also find a handful of old live goods there. Then of course you should take a look at the Space Craft Online Stores. Many things are already sold out but there’s still quite a lot to be found there. Beware though, Buyee doesn’t offer its services on these sites. You will have to use another proxy buyer (such as From Japan - I think their service is a bit pricey but they are reliable). You can also register on the fan club sites with an address from TENSO and make payments with your credit card (they DO accept foreign credit cards in the Space Craft online shops).

You will have a lot of luck finding merchandise on the sites that offer second-hand products. It pays off to check the sites frequently because new things are added almost daily (and older things will be sold out just as quickly). But like I said at the very beginning, make sure to write a “wish-list” and always compare prices. Sometimes paying the full price on CD-Japan will be your cheapest option but other times you will save a lot of money by buying a second-hand item (even with all the fees you can still make a good deal). Often a product will be sold for a super high price (usually because the item is rare), be sure to check on all other sites whether you can find a cheaper version!

Some final tips:

Add keywords to your searches if you are looking for something particular. For example, if you are looking for pamphlets, use “kalafina パンフレット”, or like @chibalein has mentioned, if you are just looking for merch and you are not interested in any of the CDs, then type “kalafina グッズ”. That’s very helpful if you are browing sites that offer a wide range of products (like Yahoo Shopping).

Never hesitate to order something if you want it, things are sold out SUPER QUICKLY!

Make sure to only make purchases during the office hours of your proxy service. There’s nothing more frustrating than to find something you have always wanted, to order it and to then be told by your proxy service that by the time they ACTUALLY wanted to buy the item, it was already out of stock so your order had to be cancelled.

Try to keep your packages as small and light as possible (as in, don’t order 5 hardcover pamphlets at once - unless you are ready to pay a lot of shipping). The bigger/the heavier your package is, the more you will be charged for shipping. Sometimes the cheaper shipping methods won’t even be available if your package exceeds a certain weight.

Some screenshots

I’ve prepared some screenshots so you can get an idea of what you have to expect.

The Buyee interface for Yahoo Shopping

When you click on an item, you will be able to add it to your shopping cart.

Once the item is in your shopping cart, you can choose a plan. I ALWAYS choose the Lite Plan. I have never had any issues. You pay the item price and the fee and then the order will be made. Buyee will buy the item for you and a few days later it will arrive at their warehouse. Then you can choose a shipping method (I usually go for SAL or Air Mail) and you can declare your order as gift. You pay for the international shipping (+ domestic shipping in some cases).