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[miscellaneous Japanese wares]

Another thing I'd be interested in seeing in the Dealer's Room are miscellaneous Japanese wares. These don't necessarily have to be very fancy/pricey. I'm talking about bento boxes, daruma, miscellaneous charms from temples/shrines (good luck, good health, etc.), yukata (real yukata, not something cosplay-inspired), obi, zori, parasols, kanzashi (hair pins/ornaments), kokeshi, furin (windchimes) etc. Not everyone who attends Fanime has access to a Japantown - I think a considerable amount of people would be interested in purchasing these Japanese items. :)

Jannoy,

I've seen music sheet books sold at Kinokuniya SF. Though I can't say the same about SJ's location....can someone elaborate??

Yeah, I've seen sheet music sold at Kinokuniya SF also, however, the selection is very limited. I've checked and there aren't many sheet music books related to anime/video games. Mostly stuff by Japanese composers or pieces written in very easy notation (I've seen Japanese lullabies before).

[[PIANO] SHEET MUSIC]

[PIANO] SHEET MUSIC.


Finding official sheet music from anime/video games outside of Japan (other than the option of purchasing via the internet) is so difficult. When I went to Japan, I came back with seven sheet music books. In all my years attending Fanime (2010 is going to be my fifth year), I've never seen anime/video game sheet music books sold. Or maybe sheet music is really popular and it's always sold out by the time I hit the Dealer's Room. D: Either way, with the great diversity of people that attend Fanime, a good portion of us must be musically inclined and would also be greatly interested in purchasing official sheet music from their favorite anime and video games. Finding a dealer that sells sheet music alone would be quite a challenge, but what about suggesting to Fanime's regular dealers to expand their merchandise to include sheet music? I know the music books are out there, I see them sold online all the time. But it's just much more convenient to purchase sheet music in person.

Come on, us musicians need some love too. >:

JAPANESE-BRAND HAIRDYE.

I'm talking about the Palty, Gatsby, and Kao Prettia brands. This stuff is legit. I've only ever used Japanese hairdye when I choose to color my hair at home. Usually, these brands are found only in Japantowns or the few and far in between specialty J-shops. It's a pain in the butt driving to SF Japantown if my only mission was to buy hairdye, lol. -__- Finding a good selection of these hairdyes in Japanese/Asian groceries vary - at most, only two to three colors are available at these stores (if they're not specifically a Japanese grocery). I'm sure many girls (and guys!) would be interested in purchasing/trying out these brands but they just don't have the access to purchase them at a store. Maybe a dealer would like to add the stuff to their merch? :D

CIRCLE LENSES

I haven't been around the cosplay contact lenses booth last year, but to my knowledge, contact lenses dealers at Fanime don't cell circle lenses. YES, there is a difference between regular color-contact lenses and circle lenses. http://circlelens.net/ I know that I'd buy several pairs of circle lenses, if only they were sold at Fanime...

Alternate Non-perishable groceries

For Example: 5 lb bags of Nishiki Rice
                 Pan(bread/bun) Snacks
                 Japanese Cakes/Crackers
                 Ramen Noodles(cup or bag)
                 

If you're from the Bay Area (heck, even SoCal), it's actually quite easy to shop for Japanese/Asian-related groceries. Raid your local 99 Ranch, Nijiya, Mitsuwa, Seafood City, Japantown, Chinatown, etc. Generally, if you have the access, buying from these stores instead of from the dealers at the con gets you a better deal for your buck.

Last year, I remember there was this dealer that was selling bottles of ramune soda for $2 a bottle. Wtf? You could get a six-pack of ramune for about $4 at 99 Ranch... And boxes of Pocky being sold at $2-4 dollars each? How about buying two boxes for a dollar at Nijiya? -__-

However, if you don't have access to shopping at these kinds of stores, then by all means, stock up. However, just think a little further before you start purchasing your Japanese non-perishables in bulk. Is it really worth paying so much extra?