yaoi.caJPQueen
Introduction
JPQueen sells mostly used and some new manga. Sometimes their books are a great deal, and other times not. Buyer beware. If you like to try and achieve the most bang for your buck, then this guide is for you. To that end, you may wish to note the following trends on JPQueen that I've observed over the last couple of years:
- Most newly released manga exceed the actual cover price. If you must have a new release, you are likely far better off to purchase the volume brand new from BK1 or possibly Amazon.co.jp, where the volumes are sold for the cover price. BK1's shipping prices are also cheaper than JPQueen's.
- Some new releases that do not rise in popularity within three months are heavily discounted at that time. If you're willing to wait a while to pick up a new release, keep an eye on the price at JPQueen -- it may go down in a couple months. If it doesn't, pick the title up at its cover price from a place like BK1.
- Most popular manga seldom decrease in price no matter how much time goes by. If exceeding the cover price, again, you are better off to buy brand new from BK1.
- Sooner or later, most of their anthologies end up in the Discount section. That's a good place to pick them up -- especially since anthologies tend to be heavier and certainly add to the overall cost of acquisition.
- Play the shipping game -- it's worth it... and described below.
The System
Because I'm insane, addicted, compulsive and so very a Virgo, I created a little excel spreadsheet to help me make decisions when buying manga from JPQueen. Not the manga themselves, but the shipping charges. I want the best bang for my buck, so to speak. So I thought that I'd share this information with anyone who wants it. It's really not rocket science -- just logic.
General Notes
- average yaoi manga about 230 g
- average yaoi anthology about 350 g (some up to 400 g)
Suggested Process
1. Place everything you want in the shopping cart (it sucks to not find it again)
2. When finished, look at your shopping cart and how much your order weighs
3. Remove items carefully (see below for additional notes)
(a) try to work the total weight towards an optimum amount/total without exceeding it
(b) remove items to get a weight as close to the maximum allowed for that level
Useful Links
Original Files
This Excel spreadsheet is what I use to determine the best buying strategy with respect to shipping. Any questions or if this is unclear, just ask.
Here is a PDF version of the excel file for those who prefer that format.
JPQueen 
