Is it going to sound terrible if I say that I've reached the end of the line for me? I'm going to keep hunting cheap copies of the hardback artbooks but financially and practically... I'm done. I'm looking forward- oh god, I am- to getting the glasses and cups that I've ordered, but no more after this. No more. I'd love to get my hands on a copy of these new books but I'm not going to pay for them. I'm done.

And now I feel like less of a Utena fan.

crystalwren, the swag doesn't make the fan. I'd love those glasses myself, but I'm probably not going to get them because $$$ need to be spent elsewhere. I'm not really good at collecting paraphernalia; the only reason we buy what we do is because of the site.

That doesn't mean we love the show any less, any of us!

Whew - okay!  I finished posting Part II of the Animation Book and the Illustration book, so it's complete!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13638589@N00/sets/

Yeah swag, I can't keep up.  I'd really love to have the doll and the locket, but I think I might be tapped out for merch for myself for the time being.

My Celga order arrived. I'm not going to post pictures because the only camera I have right now is my mobile phone and it is epically craptacular. A couple things of interest: Aside from the colour accents, the tumblers are frosted, not painted, meaning that they're rather better quality than I expected. All the photos of the tea cups I've seen have been iron grey; the ones I've received are black and are very striking. All in all, it probably wasn't worth the $160 odd dollars I spent, but I'm very glad to have them. The packaging on the tea cups was a bit dodgy for international postage though, keep that in mind.

As for Celga, it was quite easy to deal with. I joined up, gave links to the items I was after. I paid a commission fee and a deposit on the spot, and when the items were bought I paid for them in full. I also paid two sets of shipping: shipping within Japan and shipping outside of it. All in all I paid more in commissions and postage than I paid for the items. So keep that in mind if you chose to go through them.

I'm going to use one of my tea cups tomorrow, for Sunday tea. I don't have a rose scented tea but I do have a violet scented one that'll serve.

EDIT: It didn't cost me $169 USD; it cost me $202 USD.

Breakdown:

Items = $89
Bank fee = $2
Shipping in JP = $10
Currency fee = $10
Consignment fee = $22
Postage to AU = $69

All these fees and hoops for two tea cups and a box of glasses. Ouch.

Last edited by crystalwren (10-12-2013 03:10:11 PM)

I'm completely tapped out, but if anyone wants this, it'll probably be the only shot you'll get at it:

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/a … r106932044

It's the rose garden necklace, 4/100 run. It is fucking gorgeous and I'd kill for it, but limits and all.

I stopped by the Animate in Shinjuku today, and they have a (small) Utena and Penguindrum section! They also have at least one Black Rose seal in the glass case at the front with the super cool/more expensive stuff.
(Pratyeka: Excuse me, that's - uh - an Utena thing, right?
Shopkeeper: Haha, yes, it is.
Pratyeka: Thanks. So uh...what Utena thing is it?
Shopkeeper: Oh! Um...a black rose ring.
Pratyeka:   )

Anyway, I took a couple pictures. I also bought the teacup and saucer set, which as crystalwren mentioned, are black and gorgeous as well as relatively affordable at a little under 1,600 yen for the set. I thought I would buy the locket if they had it, but it turned out to be kind of...big. I had wanted to wear it now and then, but it's more display-size upon seeing it in person. The music box, on the other hand, was kind of small compared to what I expected, they're in the 2 boxes to the right of the 6-glass set for size comparison. They also had the hair scrunchie, as well as such Penguindrum merch as a Himari train pass case, the folder (with clear plastic paper sleeves inside) in the picture, some key-chains and handkerchiefs and etc. All the Utena merchandise sold for roughly the same prices on the movic site. I don't know much about the best ways of sending packages overseas, but if anyone wants anything, I'm happy to send it at-cost including shipping, as long as demand isn't crazy.

Images:
http://imageshack.us/a/img201/6559/fzqu.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img132/158/m4dm.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img708/5112/eub1.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img820/315/io55.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img692/761/0k2y.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img849/8061/hqy0.jpg

Last edited by Pratyeka (10-29-2013 04:36:30 AM)

I am VERY interested in the new rose signets released this year. Let me know prices, Patyeka.

Snow wrote:

OMG that cup is gorgeously stylish and the black rose ring...

OK! time to finally go and sell that kidney on Ebay! Who needs two anyway?

Black rose ring, where? o___o  Sorry, I've been to the site, I just.... am having issues.  Does anyone have a link or picture or could point me in the right direction?  (... I sort of have a signet addiction, now.)

I bought that book on Celga with my ill gotten donation funds. It's still in the warehouse in Japan, but I'll be getting it and butchering it soon, so no worries about photos!

As far as I can tell it's mostly stuff in the gallery already, but there were a few things for sure new. Also I'll scan the Penguindrum pages for it.

Ugh. It's regularly going for about 150 on Yahoo Japan anyway.

I also have that at the Celga warehouse. I'm just waiting for one more doujinshi to arrive there and then they can ship out.

Also it seems to be missing the smaller white book. And the bag. A lot of them came with bags.

Giovanna wrote:

I bought that book on Celga with my ill gotten donation funds.

Good to know!

I was searching for pictures of the black rose signet and found this site: http://getnews.jp/archives/410145
I'm pretty sure they're the same pictures as on the movic sites, but much larger. Ring quality looks nice, but I'm not sure it's $130 nice. YMMV, though.

Pratyeka wrote:

Giovanna wrote:

I bought that book on Celga with my ill gotten donation funds.

Good to know!

I was searching for pictures of the black rose signet and found this site: http://getnews.jp/archives/410145
I'm pretty sure they're the same pictures as on the movic sites, but much larger. Ring quality looks nice, but I'm not sure it's $130 nice. YMMV, though.

That isn't nearly as nice as the Rightstuf rings, which were essentially free with the purchase of all three DVD sets.