Manga has recently been out of supply due to the present status of the globe, and specific series have been out of stock for quite some time. And why are they running out? Everything boils down to the present status of the planet, but supply and demand are also factors.

Manga sales have more than tripled in the previous year or two, and as a result, demand surpassed supply in 2021. Furthermore, due to constraints, production difficulties, such as printer availability, paper limitations, the shipping crisis with ports being overrun, and other factors, publications became even more challenging to keep up with demand.

It was already tricky for manga producers to keep up with increased demand, but this was made considerably more difficult in 2020 and beyond due to the unanticipated economic and production challenges that would arise due to the existing state of affairs. As a result of these factors, manga is more often out of stock than average, and it is becoming more challenging to finish series.

List of Platforms to Buy Manga

Amazon

Amazon is an excellent site for manga, particularly if you have an Amazon Prime subscription. They’re convenient; we have found their delivery to be the quickest, and they provide simple returns if anything arrives damaged.

Amazon typically has the most excellent discounts on manga box sets when they’re on sale or discount. They also sometimes provide discounts on manga volumes.

One advantage of purchasing from Amazon is that you generally get a preorder price guarantee when buying a manga.

Amazon’s one drawback is its delivery. They seem to dump comics into a box or send much manga in a bubble mailer, damaging the covers and spine.

Finally, Amazon has third-party sellers, so if you want to purchase from Amazon directly, make sure they are mentioned as both the shipper and the seller in the description. Not all third-party merchants are trustworthy, but some, such as Book Depository, are. You may check a vendor’s seller page for customer reviews and ratings to determine how excellent they are. I’ve also seen some crazy ads by third-party vendors that grossly overprice out-of-print manga volumes, so double-check the price before purchasing.

Pros

• They are straightforward to purchase.
• Some goods come with a price guarantee if you buy them ahead of time.
• Don’t cost you for preorders until the day of release.
• Shipping is completed quickly.
• With Prime Membership, there is no free delivery barrier.
• Simple returns
• With the press of a button, you can promptly cancel orders or pick quantities.

Cons

• It might improve packaging.
• Keep an eye out for specific third-party merchants.

Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million

Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million are often the most costly sites to purchase manga without deals or coupons since they frequently price their comics at the total cover price. Manga is often out of stock these days; they are still fantastic venues to look for and purchase manga.

Both companies don’t have as many deals, but you should watch out for some, such as Buy 2, Get 1 Free manga promotions.

Another advantage of shopping in these two shops is that you may choose the quality of the manga volumes you purchase in-store, but you cannot when you order online. So, if excellence is essential to you, this is something you should think about.

Pros

• Purchases may be made in-store or online.
• Items tend to be restocked faster than at online-only stores.
• Barnes & Noble include dates on product listings that indicate when products are refilled.

Cons

• Manga tends to have the highest costs.
• Some goods are not eligible for free delivery.
• If an item comes damaged, they will not reimburse the postage you paid for the item.

Right Stuf

Right Stuf is only worthwhile if you can meet their free delivery barrier. If you live in the United States, free delivery is unlocked at USD 75. If you live in Canada, you may get free delivery after spending $250. And they offer some of the lowest daily pricing. Right Stuf is another site that consistently provides low manga costs.

One disadvantage is that Right Stuf does not provide free delivery on some goods. Accessories and anything more significant, such as manga box sets, are often excluded from free delivery in our experience.

Another issue is that they do not make it inexpensive or straightforward to return products. They will even charge you for return postage if a volume is severely damaged or difficulties with the cover or pages falling apart from the spine.

Since Amazon provides simple and free returns with their membership, Putting the expense of delivery on the client when something comes broken or incorrectly has always seemed like a horrible idea.

To summarize, if obtaining the most incredible deals and the lowest rates on manga is your thing, Right Stuf is unquestionably the most acceptable choice on our list.

Pros

• They get the highest manga sales.
• They provide weekly promotions.
• They offer the most affordable pricing.
• Have superior shipping than the majority

Cons

• They cost you right away for preorders.
• Returns are complex, and you must pay freight even if the item is broken or inaccurate.
• Certain goods, such as manga box sets, are not eligible for free delivery.
• Free delivery isn’t available unless you spend USD 75 or $250 in Canada.
• To cancel things from your purchase, you must contact the company by contact form or email, while other websites allow you to do so with the click of a button.
• Customer assistance isn’t as swift as it is on other sites.

InStockTrades

InStockTrades offers inexpensive pricing daily that is similar to Right Stuf. Another advantage of doing business with them is that their free delivery barrier is a mere USD 50.

We have also discovered that they offer some of the most excellent pricing for Dark Horse manga, particularly the Deluxe Editions, which are sometimes featured at a 42% discount. The one disadvantage to purchasing from them is that they tend to sell out of large quantities very quickly, so you should place your order as soon as possible if you ever want to preorder an item. An additional thing to remember is that delivery takes much longer than on other websites, so consider that as well.

They also offer graphic novels, so if you enjoy them in addition to manga, you should check out InStockTrades.

Pros

• Manga at low costs

Cons

• Shipping might take some time.
• It quickly runs out of stock.

Used Bookstores

Used book shops are fantastic locations for manga, which is often half the cover price for recent publications. However, they are also excellent sites to locate uncommon or out-of-print manga.

Shopping at secondhand book shops like Half Priced Books and 2nd & Charles is always a gratifying experience since you frequently discover something you didn’t expect to find.

Pros

• Excellent sources for rare or out-of-print manga.
• May purchase at a low cost.

Cons

• Most manga is overpriced.
• Quite often, the manga’s quality isn’t all that fantastic.
• Do not price depending on quality, so take this in mind.
• The variety varies according to the area.

The Book Depository

Another site readers are using a lot recently is Book Depository. They’ve had specific volumes in stock that can’t seem to get anyplace else, so they’re a superb location to buy manga. But what is their most significant advantage? They provide free international delivery regardless of size, value, or location. On top of that, they have fantastic deals, particularly on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, although they don’t have nearly as many as other sites, such as Right Stuf.

While browsing their site, one thing to keep in mind is to ensure that the quantities you’re getting are in your language, even if you’ve restricted your search on their site. Because their filtering mechanism isn’t always reliable, volumes in other languages will still appear in the investigation. To offer you an indication, Book Depository offers volumes of Btooom! Accessible in French, English, Spanish, German, and other languages, which is a benefit if you purchase from them; nevertheless, make sure the volumes you buy are in your language.

On Amazon, you may sometimes find them as a third-party vendor. They usually offer reasonable rates, so keep an eye out for that as well!

Pros

• Worldwide shipping is free, regardless of size, value, or location.
• Manga is available in a variety of languages.
• Make solid sales.
• Have an excellent shipping experience.

Cons

• Prices are somewhat more than those of competitors such as Right Stuf.
• Delivery times may take longer. Check out Book Depository’s FAQ to discover their expected delivery timeframes.
• Unless your product arrives incorrectly or damaged, you must pay for return postage.

Local Comic Book Shops

We have noticed that many people are unaware that particular comic book stores sell manga, but they are excellent locations to look at. We have discovered that many of them, in particular, offer Dark Horse manga, although some also sell manga from other publishers.

We want to talk about the manga shops to ensure their pricing is reasonable, particularly for out-of-print manga. It’s worth noting that we have seen them sell volumes for much more than they’re worth several times.

Pros

• Rare manga is sometimes available.
• Excellent sources to get Dark Horse manga.
• You are supporting a local company.

Cons

• Some manga has a propensity to be overpriced.
• The variety may be limited depending on the retailer.

Related: 7 Best Seller Gaming Keyboard on Amazon with Buying Guide

Where’s the best place to buy manga?

It depends on what you’re looking for.

Amazon is the most convenient site to purchase from, the most fantastic option for ease of returns, and the lowest pricing on heavy products like manga box sets.

When purchasing manga in the United States, I prefer Right Stuf since they offer significant discounts and sales, especially on single volumes.

If you wish to choose the grade of your manga and prefer to purchase in-store, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million are excellent options. They also tend to restock things faster than online-only retailers, so this is something you should think about as well.

If you want to acquire secondhand or out-of-print manga, used book shops like Half Price Books are excellent options. Check out your local comic book stores and specialty shops if you like supporting small companies.

Lastly, suppose you are not in the United States. In that case, you should check out Amazon, Book Depository, which offers free international delivery, or Blackwells if you are in the United Kingdom!

Fan Of Digital Manga?

May also purchase it digitally straight from the author or on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. Producers will sometimes publish digital versions of the series early. Kodansha, for example, has made digital versions of Tokyo Revengers Blue Lock available. Unfortunately, there is still no word on whether or not these two will be published in print.

Viz also offers the Shonen Jump app, which typically costs USD 1.99 each month and includes a digital archive of over 15,000 manga chapters. You may also read chapters of chosen manga as they are released in Japan, allowing you to catch up on the series faster than with hard copies. The Shonen Jump app also features English-translated editions of manga such as Ayashimon and Dandadan, which do not yet have hard copies. The app also includes special one-shots, such as Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back!

Final Thoughts

However, we want to emphasize that recently serialized programs such as Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man are not a cause for fear and will be available again soon. Kindly do not spend more than the retail price for these books; they will be available again as soon as producers catch up on manufacturing. In particular, Chainsaw Man, Volume 1 was out of stock for a while but has lately returned to Barnes & Nobles shelves, indicating that printing for some of these tougher to find, out-of-stock volumes has restarted.

We’re not out of the woods yet, but as publishers negotiate and conquer these new hurdles, these problems should steadily improve and finally be resolved.