So you've decided to take the plunge and start a doujinshi collection, huh? Well, this section is to answer some basic questions and a guide on terms you should know. What is doujinshi? Doujinshi is a term for fancomics. It's like fanfiction, only drawn. It can also mean an original comic that is not commercially published. It's handled by the artist themselves. Some doujinshi do feature fanfiction as well, though. What's a circle? A circle is a person or group of people who create doujinshi. It's a good idea to do some research to find a circle you'll enjoy, as some are better than others. Trust me on this. A5? B5? What is this, bingo? Heh. I know, it's confusing, isn't it? Those are two of the three most common doujinshi sizes. A5 is maybe roughly 5 7/8 x 8 1/4 inches. B5 is roughly 7 1/4 x 10 1/8 inches, and A4 is roughly 8 1/4 x 11 3/4, which is the size of most of my doujinshi collection. To see my collection, click here! Why should I collect it if I can't even read it? Well, er... because it's fun? And picture reading isn't really difficult. But if you can read Japanese, if only a little, sometimes the dialogue itself can be hilarious, especially if the circle doesn't really know what they're doing or know little about the subject they are creating a doujinshi for (^_^;;) What kind of doujinshi can I find? All kinds! From Marilyn Manson to Ranma 1/2, there's a doujinshi for almost anything! Where can I find doujinshi? A place to start is Ebay. There's always pages of doujinshi to shift through. You're bound to find something! Other recommeded visits are: "*" Indicates that I have experience with this site. *-JPQueen - Lots of doujinshi, used manga, and more! -Comiket Service - Special order doujinshi from the douijinshi con in Japan! You can also order other doujinshi. *-Aino Anime Trader - They have a rather small collection, but they're super nice and the prices are grand! -BookMart - Used book store located in Japan. Nice selection of doujinshi along with manga, CDs, and other things. -Doki Doki Station - Great selection with lots of nice doujinshi, featuring Harry Potter, LOTR, Slayers, Trigun, even American characters (South Park and ER as examples!), and more. Hasn't been updated in a long, long while, though. *-Anime Chaos - Has a service where they will bid on doujinshi at Yahoo Japan for you. Lots of cool and hard to find doujinshi. A warning though, they charge fees. -Celga - Another deputy service. How much do they go for? It all depends on the subject, the condition, and the page number. For example, doujinshi focused on a certain coupling or series will be more expensive than others. Should I just stick with one subject? That's entirely up to you and what you enjoy. While a friend of mine currently sticks to Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings only, you may find that you can't just limit yourself that way. Any way you choose, and what you choose to collect, is your own decision. Terms to know: Shounen-Ai - Male/Male romance. Tamer than yaoi, is sweet and romantic usually. Yaoi - Male/Male romance, only more hardcore. May contain graphic and very adult situations. It really depends on whether it's "hard" or "light" yaoi I suppose. Shoujo-Ai - Same as above, only Female/Female. Yuri - Same as Yaoi, only Female/Female.. Normal - What is considered a "normal" pairing - boy/girl, or just a ordinary doujinshi that can't really be classified by a specific genre. Gag - Humorous. Hentai - Highly perverted. Contains graphic situations, exaggerated body parts, nudity, etc. Character Pairings - Basically a love story between two characters of a series. Above terms can apply. Ready to start! OK, so you've read everything and want to get going? Great! But before you start clicking "bid" or "buy" like a madman, you should be a smart shopper first... For Ebay: -Check out the seller's feedback. Avoid buying from anyone with a high amount of negatives. Let's say the seller has over 4000 positives, and about 30 negatives. With that setup you should be OK. But if the seller has only 15 positives and 8 negatives, that's not so OK. Be CAREFUL! -Don't spend a large amount of money on a doujinshi unless you really, really want it. From what I hear many aren't worth the extremely high prices people bid. I would recommend making $15-20 your limit, not including shipping. UNLESS, of course, it's something rare and/or you simply must have it no matter the cost! -Know the genre. If you don't like yaoi, be sure that's not what it is. If you aren't sure, ask the seller. -Don't judge a doujinshi by it's cover. I have made this mistake myself. It may have the most beautiful picture of Inuyasha you've ever encountered, but the inside might look like something a 10 year old would create with fingerpaint. This is why I prefer to bid on doujinshi that feature pictures of the inside pages. It's really annoying when they don't. -Don't buy into the hype. Sellers will use words such as WOW and DON'T MISS OUT to catch your attention. Don't let them think you have to have it. Odds are it will pop up again sooner or later, perhaps at a reduced price. Just get what you like and want. A friend and I purchased a doujinshi for over $20, only to spot the same doujinshi with an end bid of $7.50 some time later. -Be a sneaky bidder if you have to. When you spot a doujinshi you want, put it on your watch list. Check on it every day (or every other) to see what the current price is. When it comes time for it to end, you can either sit by the computer and moniter it during it's last couple of minutes and snipe, put up a proxy bid as close to ending time as you can to avoid being outbid, or mix it together and snipe with a proxy bid. It's sneaky and maybe a little rude and unfair (this has been done to me many times!), but if you want doujinshi it isn't always easy. For Deputy Services: When you want to use a deputy service, someone will bid on a doujinshi for you if you can't speak or read Japanese. This mostly applies to sellers that don't ship outside of Japan. When that happens, and you're willing to pay the deposit and bidding fees, you need to remember: -Know what you're getting. Use Babelfish or OCN (select the second option below the address box) if you have to in order to read descriptions. Since the information is not in English, sometimes it can be hard to tell if a doujinshi is hentai or normal from the cover alone. It's good to know about the doujinshi you want beforehand so you'll know this information and save yourself the trouble. Also be sure you have an idea of what the condition might be! Don't want to spend a lot on a doujinshi that looks like it was dragged in the mud a few times (X_x) (I suppose I'm exaggerating, but still, be aware!) -Is it worth the cost? In the end, is the final price worth the trouble?  Does this doujinshi come up on Ebay (or anywhere else) often, sometimes, or rarely? I would suggest only getting something you know doesn't show up all that much and that you really want it. After all, why pay $15+ for something with a good chance of popping up on Ebay for $5? GOOD LUCK!