>>68544988Non-Japanese markets are complete trash. This isn't some hyper-weeb take, but just the truth.
In the west it's dominated by the anime con circuit. The problem is that anime cons have always been completely awful and trashy events. It's part support group, part insane asylum, and part STD infection vector. For a long time they were literally going around and smacking eachother's ass with these wooden paddles. That has nothing to do with Japanese culture or Japanese fandoms. Just like the ball pit at dashcon, it's just a weird place. Vendors are either hugely marked up resellers or weirdo artist alley stuff.
Now you go to cons in Japan. Everyone is there with a purpose, it's not about the fun and games, there are no paddles, no dawdling larping in the halls, and no paddles or ballpits. People go there for presentations, exclusive previews, to buy merch from official companies, or buy doujinshi. If you have friends then you meet up after and go for beef bowl or udon, get some beers, and go home with your loot.
The difference is night and day, but not even the big doujinshi circles would probably make a big commotion to sell their unsold stock. They just wouldn't bring it to the next event.
