May 2, 2010

• My Avocation Place

  She’s staring at me from behind her glass cage, smiling a PVC smile and sporting exquisitely crafted curves.  I admire her with an almost primal desire – that inner voice that screams that I need to own her and keep her safely tucked away on a shelf is clawing at me.  But, unfortunately she is not for sale.  I can only long for her from a distance.  This unrequited love of the display-only figure that I revisit every time I arrive at the front of this store, almost like a trial that must be overcome before entering into the realm of good and merchandise that awaits just beyond this hallway.

  The store is called “Anime Palace” and is located in Sunnyvale just off San Thomas Expressway near Highway 101.  Specializing in Anime-related merchandise of all shapes and sizes, this is one of only a handful of stores of this kind that can be found here in Northern California, and the only one with such an impressive selection and reasonable prices.  I have been acquaintanced with the owner of this store, Levin, through three new locations and five years of conventions.  He has continued to offer friendly service and keeps the available selection broad with a variety of merchandise and several ways in which to purchase it.  

  For the lover of large PVC (plastic much like the kind used in pipes for plumbing) figures, Anime Palace offers various options ranging from 1/12 all the way up to 1/4 scale figures of the highest quality and detail.  For the Gundam (popular giant robot series) enthusiast there is an enormous selection of models for all degrees of difficulty and detail – my personal favorite is the Perfect Grade model series, each containing over a million parts that make up a single model, though the assembly can be a pain if you do not have the patience.  Anime Palace also had a large selection of small figures (often smaller than six inches tall), known as gachapon, which are originally intended to be included in coin-operated vending machines but are also sold individually for a slightly higher price.  A special method of purchasing these which Anime Palace offers allows you to chose which of the characters you want in a set from the array of bags hanging along the far wall.  In addition, you can chose from other merchandise which includes trading cards, plush dolls, pins & patches, video games, pencil boards, t-shirts, posters, and various other printed items.  There is never a lack of things to pine over, or actually purchase if you have the money to throw around.

  The atmosphere of Anime Palace is usually quite serene, depending on who is working the counter.  If his assistant, Dino, is working the front desk then there is sometimes a catchy tune playing over the sound system while you shop.  Levin is always open to suggestions and takes special orders for items which are not currently in stock, making his store the go to place for those that do not trust some of the more sketchy online dealers.  Also, I recommend trying to catch the Anime Palace booth at your local convention – he visits almost all of the conventions in the U.S. year-round and always has a selection of convention-specific merchandise that you will not see in the store regularly.  

  So, to wrap things up, Anime Palace has a great selection that will appeal to any Anime fan and is a popular spot for enthusiasts to hang out with like-minded individuals.  I would recommend not taking your entire life-savings to this store though, as it will quickly disappear!  But, provided that have the time and the money, you can spend quite a lot of both at this location.

  • 6:43 pm
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