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Being a part of any fandom is truly a beautiful thing. You see, one of the fun things about being a part of any fandom is the merch and collectibles available. Merch and collectibles are a fun way to express our love and interests for our favorite fandoms. One of my favorite pieces in my collection is my Hawkeye/Ronin Sixth Scale Figure by Hot Toys. Hawkeye is my favorite Avenger, so I truly hold this piece near and dear to my heart. Since I’ve started my Tik Tok account, I’ve found it to be a great space to not only showcase my collection, however, a great space as well to announce new and upcoming merch and collectibles. Since I love to share my finds and new releases, I thought I’d share my 4 tips/suggestions when it comes to snagging your favorite fandom merch and collectibles.
Pre-Orders
Pre-Orders are truly a breath of fresh air. It’s nice when items go on pre-order because this will ensure that you get the item(s) you are wanting. Sometimes shops will do pre-orders and only require a deposit to place your pre-order which truly makes this budget friendly. Make sure to follow your favorite shops and turn your notifications on so when pre-orders do go live you can guarantee that the item you are wanting will be yours. Some shops will not charge your card on file until your pre-order ships. Keep in mind though, some merch and collectibles (depending on the shop) are most likely to hit the store and be on shelves before your pre-order ships.
Small Shops
This is probably going to be my favorite suggestion. Don’t forget to check out small shops! There’s nothing better than supporting a small shop that makes merch based on your favorite fandom! In terms of apparel merch, I personally own more small shop apparel merch than I do big chain stores. I just love seeing all the talented artists and designers out there and to own, support and wear a piece of their work brings me so much joy. Small Shops will always announce their shop openings and sales in advance, so you’ve got plenty of time to prep for their launch. On occasion these shops will do surprise drops which can be so much fun. One thing I truly value and appreciate about small shops is that they will often ask what we (us as the customer) would like to see them do next. This truly shows they care about their customers and want to aim to provide us with something we’ve been wanting. So next time you see a shop you love ask what you want to see next don’t be shy to drop your suggestion!
Exclusives/Limited Edition
When it comes to Limited Edition/Exclusives it can be a bit tricky. My best advice would be to make sure your post notifications are turned on for the brands you love to shop from and make sure to be signed up for their emailing list.
Exclusives/Limited Edition Cart Check Out:
I always recommend being logged into your account and make sure to have your card information and mailing address already entered so it makes checking out easier. If for whatever reason you don’t have time to log in or you forgot your password (happens to me all the time) and you do not have time to reset, then if available, I recommend utilizing Shop Pay. Shop Pay is always my saving grace when it comes to snagging an exclusive. Know what item(s) you are aiming for, add to cart then head to the check out. This is not to time to browse the site and shop around. When it comes to exclusives and limited-edition items, this is the focus. Try to add to cart and check out within 2 minutes. I do know firsthand how overwhelming snagging an exclusive/limited edition item can be, so I hope these tips help you out.
Follow Your Favorite Creators
There’s always so much merch and collectibles releasing that’s it’s so hard to keep up sometimes, even for me! I love to follow specific creators who like myself love to find merch & collectibles! For some of these creators I have my post notifications turned on so I can always catch their posts to ensure I keep up to date with the latest finds.
I truly hope you enjoyed reading a few of my tips and suggestions. At the end of the day my mission is to make sure I always share my finds with everyone.
For additional tips, check out Rianna’s Tiktok where she shares her epic finds!
