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boxingcleverrr · 9 months

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So with the mind-boggling hilarity of people feeling the need to defend taking care of their skin, I wanted to do an update of my original skincare post. That I of course can't find, presently, as the search function on this site is still useless!

First of all, come to terms with the fact that you are walking around with a giant organ on the outside of your body (ahurhurhur).

Yes, preventing skin cancer is priority one when it comes to your dermis. Sunscreen isn't the only defense, having skin with a healthy moisture barrier is part of that prevention as well. ALSO, one thing a lot of those posts desperately yelping "It'S nOt BeAuTy StAnDaRdS!" leave out is, uh, the scary shit that can happen to your skin when you're elderly. Your skin WILL get thinner, that's just aging. Taking care of it now (keeping it stretchy and moisturized) gives it a better chance of not being paper-thin, to the point that the person taking care of you has to be mindful not to freaking tear it off of you just helping you get dressed.

If you have a strong stomach, go ahead and read some stories from hospice and other types of elder care workers. There's a whole contraption for lowering people down slowly if they're about to fall, all to prevent skin splitting or sloughing off.

Age spots are beautiful. Care-worn wrinkles and laugh lines are beautiful. Your arm skin sloughing off like a glove is not.

Fucking moisturize.

Is a side effect of that care often fewer of those lines? Sure, MAYBE, sometimes. It also doesn't at ALL require 18 expensive steps. Even before I left my job I was mainly using the best I could find for the least amount of money. Almost everything listed I've been using for over a year at least! Aldi-brand skincare is amazingly quality, as you'll see.

Washing:

Lacura Foaming Gel Cleanser: Super gentle and nice for a daily face wash. When I want to use it as a makeup-remover, I'll pump it into a super-soft sea sponge so I can scrub a bit more, albeit gently.

I don't get big breakouts much at this point (regular cleansing and moisturizing will usually chill your skin out eventually re: feeling the need to over-produce oil). But I do keep some Neutrogena Face Wash around for when I get breakouts anywhere, maybe a handful of times a month.

I don't know how much benefit I REALLY see from toner, as far as my pores. They seem fine! Mostly I just loooove the feeling of swiping it on fresh from the fridge, and the coolness does calm down the skin and sooth any puffiness. I still make my own Rosewater Toner with wilting discount grocery store roses and a few drops of lavender oil.

Goops:

Lacura Day And/Or Night Creams: These are SO AFFORDABLE (I'm using Amazon links for ease of reference, they are WAY cheaper directly from Aldi) and make your skin feel like butter. After washing and toning one or the other is what I glop on next, and a little goes a long way. Night cream is important because the skin under your eyes especially is so super thin, it needs that protection as we get older. But eye creams tend to be STUPID EXPENSIVE. Lacura is around $4 at Aldi and I legit see very little difference between it and the unsustainably expensive ones I've tried in the past.

Ponds Dry Skin Cream: The old reliable. I have used it since I was 19 and Oprah said it was good, lol. If you use nothing else on your face, use this (but also sunscreeen, dear gods). After Day or Night cream, this comes next.

A good rule of thumb for all moisturizers is that you don't want it to disappear into your skin immediately OR stay too greasy. As I've gotten older, this one sits on my skin longer, so I tend to only use it at night in the summer. Once it gets cold and dry out, though, morning and night baby.

Vaseline Cocoa Radiant: For the all-over-rest-of-me, you really can't beat it. After every shower or bath, all over everything, damnit. LUBE YOUR DERM.

Oil:

Olive Oil Squalane: My last step of the night is topping my face with a good Squalane before bed. My old job discontinued the one I swear by, pictured above, which, I have no idea why? It feels soooo nice and I saw such good results in the winter especially. I bought up a bunch of bottles from work before it disappeared, haha but there are soooo many options out there for a lot of different prices. Basically you want the main ingredients to be Olive Oil & Herbs, usually Rosemary.

Treat Yourself Tier:

Innersense Harmonic Treatment Oil: I was given a gift card to them for my birthday last year, and yeah they're reeeeeally wom-wom and a little insufferable in their marketing, and they're expensive. HOWEVER, this stuff is infuriatingly great? Nothing was helping my dry scalp until this. I use it instead of the Squalane maybe once a week on my face as well, and it definitely clears up any redness or irritation right away. How dare it be good and also $25 an ounce. But if you can treat yourself, why not!

Dead Sea Mud Masks: Masks are FUN, damnit. If you can ignore all the annoying "detoxing" claims and blah blah, it is a fact that mud masks can really flush out those pores. And they feel nice!

General Habits:

Wash Your Pillowcases: They're full of your face goo, skin cells, and slobber. Not only good for your skin, but just nice. Wash your sheets/bedding more regularly in general, if you're like me then I know you're not doing it enough. Make the change to fragrance-free detergent now if you haven't already, that shit could start bothering your skin at ANY time. My mother never had a problem with good ol' Tide, until she turned 60 and suddenly ANY fragranced soaps made her skin explode.

Wash Your Makeup Tools: Same as above, I regularly gross myself out watching all the GUNK that's stored in the pretty pink makeup brushes.

Wash Hats, Headbands, Etc: Hopefully the pattern is sinking in. If it touches your skin regularly? It should be washed regularly. It's easy to remember that your clothes do, of course, but there's so many other things as well that are fulla your skin cells, various products, pollution, and sebum. Scientists could probably clone you with access to the inner band of your favorite hat alone.

SUN SCREEN: EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT IN VIEW OF THE FIRE ORB. Sensitive face/skin? Baby sunscreen. I know texture is a big thing for people, but there are lots of different brands out there that have lots of different textures, ingredients, scents, etc. Don't give up on it just because Coppertone makes you break out, you owe it to yourself to find the thing that works for you. Skin cancer is a bitch that spares no one, not even Hugh Nicest Man Ever Jackman.

Drink Water: You know it, I know it, same as above, find the way to get regular hydration in that works for you. I personally like making my own fruity flavored syrups to dash in things. Hydrated skin begins from within, blah blah blah.

Vitamins: Take a multi-vitamin, get your vitamin D. The sun is not BEAMING VITAMINS INTO YOUR PORES, it synthesis it. A quick google will tell you that 8-10 minutes in the sun A DAY is all you need. So don't let anyone tell you BUT YOUR VITAMIN D!!!!!!! when you're layering on your sun screen. Take your vitamins, get a teaspoon of sun regularly, and then GOOP UP.

I'm no expert, just someone with a mother & grandmother who greatly regret/regretted their lack of skin care as younger women. My mom is 75 and she has lines and spots, and she's beautiful! But her skin can tear after a clumsy trip into a door frame. She's listening to her dermatologist now to the letter, and I too would like to avoid that as much as possible! We all deserve to like how our spongy flesh prisons feel.

#blathering #still get skincare asks #still get annoyed when people think all you need is sunscreen to avoid cancer and psoriasis #skinnnnnnn

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imzsuzsis-blog · 11 days

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Loki strokes my back in circular motions in the morning in the bathroom, I vomited again but I can take it better now, it's not because you're hysterical and I don't sneeze so much, I don't get into trouble with anyone, I've finally gotten rid of burping, I'm just joking and then I laugh at myself, I know that I cooked a good thing, it's true, not with him but with my ex Ollie, but a good and cute little girl and I'm waiting for it. "Who are you going to?" He smiled seductively at me when I turned around and started washing my face. "Yes, I will also be there at the press conference right next to Charles, who said that on a drunken night you are a piece of shit, but his girlfriend thinks it's positive, and he thinks it's negative." I tried to laugh but it didn't work, I was struggling with the serum, I never knew if I should put it on by hand or just drip it on my face. ,,What was it? You don't say exactly? Ever since Suzuka's drunken outburst, we know that Charles is not a sane boy, nor is he a hothead who thinks like that." "I know if he doesn't, he freaks out and starts crying in a weird way, but that's how he is. Fuck, it's sold out at the best time!!!!" "Are you running out?" I used up the last of my sunscreen, you could buy a new one here, but where?” I started whining again about a stupid sunscreen that I bought somewhere a month ago because it seemed better than the expensive ones sold by Sephora. "Until we find a new one, use mine, it's the same brand, it's just a sun protection factor, that's all it was." "Fuck, I ran out of primer, and a company sent me this during Covid, but I really have to buy it, because it's available here too, but it's cheaper here." I threw the plastic box in the trash and saw that Loki looked strange, I could only blink. "What you got, how can I say it, my sister-in-law, they are American and you can only get this on the internet." He came closer to me and slowly started kissing my back, which made me start, then he kissed my neck, I just blushed and looked at the needle in front of me, but before long he turned me around, I started to support the cock while he sucked my Adam's cock and excited my body with his fingers. "Loki, please, I have to go, I'm in such a fucking hurry. Aaaah!!!” I twisted my neck with closed eyes and played with Loki's lock of hair. "You'll get there, I'll just taste this delicacy." "Ahh- I understand, but..." "Let's go... I can't bear to look here, fuck you!!!!!!!"

I stood frozen, seriously, it's seven in the morning and we have to get to the track by ten. Loki enjoys sucking his cock. I closed my eyes and instead turned my head, started shaking and called the others to fuck us. ,,Where? I don't know, but I don't dare to look at it... I'm serious, what I saw is almost gay porn... I'll take good Loki's mouth off the pumpkin and bring the monkey." "Suck harder Loki, more!!!!!" "I'm going, it's too much for me. then there. Cya" My head hurts from Lando's screams, which make me moan.. he moans during his orgasm. "Milk, I'm going to have milk!!!!!!! Let's go faster Loki more!!!!!!!!! A little bit!!!!!" "I can't take it anymore, I'll shut up." I was furious when I opened it. Laughing in front of the needle guard, Lando put on make-up and laughed and recorded something on TikTok. "It's done. Oh hello, Osc… And you? Aren't you separate?" "It wasn't Lando, the team said that since there was only one race here, we would go to the track together. So I hope you will hurry and your mind won't run around your tail again." "Relax girl, I'm ready, my dress is in my suitcase, just a light on the diva's beautiful mouth and we're off."

I came out of the bathroom smiling and shaking my ass in a sexy way. "Lando, you have a whore's tattoo." "And what about my lady? I'm not a boyish gay, as you can see, I'm a girl, a real girly girl, my dear. You know it's not a topic for me." I stroked his hair Osc and saw that he was embarrassed. "Sorry, no, it wasn't intentional, we just wanted a little petting in the morning, it really wasn't a willful hetero kidnapper of my heart." "Petting?" Do you remember that he left home?” He had to get up and walk around, walked around the room, then ran out the door without saying a word. "Hmm, I really have to go, I'm sorry Loki, today's an important day, if I miss it I'll be punished." Sexily, I climbed on him for the last time and we started to kiss erotically in the armchair. "Should I ride your fucking dick like this as a farewell?" I cheekily smiled at him not only with my mouth, but also with my eyes. "Yes, it's best to go out like this today." I knew that if I was a good little girl today, I would be one too.. I stroked the back of him neck and started giggling. I've always loved the hot guy on other guys, so it will be the same now. "Loki is fighting, Loki is fighting."

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rayshippouuchiha · 15 days

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hiya, ray! could I have some advice? see, I’ve just gotten my first apartment, and now I’m looking for a good seating arrangement for it- on the one hand, I know I should go cheaper and save money whenever I can, but on the other, I’m close with my parents, and my dad is probably gonna visit pretty frequently. which is great! he just has a bad back from an accident years ago (it never got much better in the pain department because for some godforsaken reason, the doctors never send him to physical therapy? I feel like that should be the logical path, but I digress-), and I want him to be able to recline comfortably if he comes to hang out for a while.

but if I spend a lot of money on a reclining sofa or loveseat, I know my parents will be upset and feel like I spent too much on something for them… I don’t want them to feel bad or guilty, but I just want them to be comfortable whenever they stop by. what should I do?

You could look into buying something used instead of brand new for one. Flea markets, new and used furniture stores, thrift shops, etc etc can often have perfectly good furniture for a fraction of the price as long as you don't mind that someone else had it first.

There's also the option to purchase the sofa/recliner on a payment plan instead of dropping a lump sum although that can, to be completely honest, often end up with you paying significantly more than the item is worth due to interest.

Or, and I mean no offense with this suggestion, you buy what you want/can afford and then just don't tell them what it actually cost or explain to them, calmly, that it's what you wanted to do. Besides, good furniture is often a good investment since it's an item that, for the most part, you're going to get a lot of use out of over an extended period of time. A quality loveseat/recliner/sofa can last for decades in the right environment.

#RayRambles

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niuniente · 9 months

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Few observations; although Death-Heads can and would take someones life as payment (as we see with Plague and Cure's deal), it is still frowned upon in among Death-Heads (based on Ama's comments of their deal). Sounds like they have some unspoken consensus about it. Or is it perhaps just Ama being against taking women as payments as she is a woman too? Also, Dio having a reputation and ability to scare Plague off tells either of him having no chill with punks, or just being extremely badass. :D

Death-Heads can take people as payments if it fits the deal they have accomplished. Ama's dislike for what Plague has done with Cure is because she and her twin sister Awa run West Faction. West is dedicated for high demand, quality deals and they are also reflecting this to the payments they can collect. You could say that the West differs a bit from how Death-Heads normally operate, and this is (most likely) due Ama and Awa branding the West Faction to its current form. Assumingly, Ama and Awa also keep their eyes very keenly on the payments their Death-Heads collect so that they don't violate the West side brand.

I'm starting to think that Lywood has divided into following suburbs: West = the richest luxury area Central = expensive area East = very good, common area North = cheaper, a bit shady area South = the cheapest and the most restless area

The areas aren't tightly divided except by Death-Head factions, so I assume there are "liminal space" areas, where middle class lives - like in the border of south and west, and some areas in north.

So Ama frowning about Plague's payment is only Ama's thing and the West thing.

Think West Faction as a luxury Death-Head Faction.

P.S. Dio seems to have a reputation through the whole Lywood Death-Heads as someone you shouldn't try your luck with. I hope he tells me where he has gotten this reputation (and is it true or a bit colored over the years).

#DHD #ask niu

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impracticaluser · 1 month

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Thinking critically about craft hobbies and the subjectivity of what is "best"

Recently, I have gotten into the hobby of assembling, detailing, and painting plastic model kits, specifically Gunpla (the term combining "Gundam" and "Plastic"). As my first craft hobby, I've done lots of research about what the community considers the "best" in terms of habits, techniques, and tool/paint brands.

The Reddit community r/Gunpla has been invaluable in assembling a compilation of collective knowledge for me to put to use. Eventually, I put together and detailed my first Gundam kit, the High-Grade RX-79 Ez8.

Hurray!!! Excellent!!! There's one problem, though. This hobby is expensive. While High-Grade kits usually cost $15-$25 (which is a pretty good price), the paints used to detail these kits are an expense in and of itself, costing around $10-$15 per spray can. Sure, you could go for an airbrush, costing you about $200~ and potentially saving you more money on buying paint in the future, but good airbrushing takes skill and time to achieve the finish you want. A far easier and more accessible alternative is through spray cans.

However, the downside is that hobby spray cans usually pile up fast; they only carry 100ml of paint, making 1 can last only 1 kit. This becomes an issue when painting multiple parts with different colors, not including the use of primer, topcoat, decals, and panel liner. On average, you're dropping $50~ just to customize one High-Grade kit.

Naturally, I went looking for cheaper alternatives for an already cheap alternative with the larger community. As it stands, r/Gunpla is avidly against using industrial spray paints (Krylon, Bonsy, Rust-Oleum) as a substitute for hobby spray paints (Tamiya, Mr. Hobby), even if the former is significantly cheaper. Common reasons include:

The paint used in industrial-grade paints damages plastic

Industrial spray cans cause paint pooling

There is little to no spray control in those types of spray cans

Here is one example of many Reddit posts where the question of using industrial spray paints is answered with these points.

As a beginner, hearing so many repeat the same issues made me completely averse to the idea of industrial paints. Alas, was my wallet fated to suffer the cost of only buying hobby-grade spray paints?! After even more research, I found one reliable Gunpla blogger who wrote an entire post on why and how these sentiments about industrial-grade paints are actually inaccurate.

According to blogger Matanglawin on his personal blog, X marks the Gundam Spot, the finish using these types of paints is comparable even to airbrushing quality if you know how to properly use them. As a critique of the larger collective opinion on industrial paints, Matanglawin provides instructions on how these paints should be used (from his direct experience), noting that most of the issues stated before are from using these types of paints as you would hobby paints.

Plain and simple, hobby paints and industrial paints have different properties that require different techniques to get good results. Matanglawin asserts the need to spray farther and lighter as making all the difference.

To my surprise, I had found a blogger who addressed the echo chamber and elitism regarding paint brands. Many hobbyists can often repeat an opinion without ever trying the types of paint themselves. It was an essential reminder that subjectivity plays a huge part in deciding what is considered "best" in a craft hobby. So yes, indeed, my wallet may live to see another paycheck.

The next time I need the larger community for information, I'll keep in mind that even the most popular information requires a level of critical thinking. Matanglawin's blog is also a treasure trove of Gunpla hobby tips for beginner hobbyists. I, for one, will be taking my time reading through his opinions to help expand my own knowledge.

In reflection, this discovery was a clear reminder of a common phrase that makes this hobby so appealing to me in the first place: "Gunpla is freedom."

#gunpla #gundam #hobby #modelkits #modelpainting

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larsnicklas · 3 months

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anon bcs I am too shy to ask directly on the post but-- how did you find nicke's dynamo jersey? bcs I had half a mind of buying one of his jerseys, and that one is beautiful, but I wouldn't know where to start looking. thank u so much and sorry for the silly question ^^""

haha no worries!! i am always happy to share jersey tips ♡ so the dynamo jersey was kind of a special case — if i had bought it while he was playing, i could have quite easily gotten it from lutch usa, which is the best source for khl jerseys! but during that lockout i was like. in high school and had no real disposable income so on and so forth so it’s just been on my wishlist for ages. i had an alert set on ebay and i did check fairly regularly and just got very lucky!!

if you want just a nicke jersey in general, my favorite places to purchase jerseys new are hockey authentic, coolhockey, and jersey baron! but those are quite pricey — i try to wait for sales when i can for the first two especially. jersey baron is an ebay store so fewer sales BUT also a good place to look for junior and college jerseys. for shl jerseys i’ve heard good things about this store — i haven’t purchased from them yet so can’t fully vouch for them but i do plan to buy something from them at some point, especially since they offer to help find pretty much any shl jersey if they don’t have it!

i also like snagging jerseys secondhand when i can find them in good condition; mercari and ebay are good places to find authentic jerseys at a cheaper price point. i recommend avoiding fanatics branded jerseys if possible — they’re lower quality and much harder to resell for a good price if you ever want to do that! i always look for reebok or adidas secondhand, and sometimes there’ll be even older jerseys in good shape, starter and mitchell & ness and the like! :)

#i hope this was at least somewhat helpful ♡ it’s a silly hobby of mine but it does spark joy #my running bit of wearing a different team’s jersey to stars games is going to be SO funny next year when i split season tickets with my pal #anyway if there’s anything else i can help with or more specific questions please let me know!!#meg.askbox

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padded-daydreams · 8 months

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hihi!! do you have any suggestions for those who wanna start wearing diapers (not for use, but for comfort)? or some good cloth diaper brands?

Sadly, I do not. I don't have any experience with cloth diapers, and I typically buy diapers to be used. I guess I would say to look for diapers that have lower absorbency, as they will be thinner and cheaper. You can't reuse disposable diapers too often though, even if you aren't using them, for sanitary purposes.

To name a few sites where you could get reusable cloth diapers, I would suggest EcoAble, Rearz, The Dotty Diaper Company, or Lil Comforts. Again, I have not gotten cloth diapers from any of these (yet).

#💚 ask about diapers #sugar coated sylveon #ageredips #padded agere #sfw diaper wearing #ask response #ask answered

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animehouse-moe · 7 months

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A Suruga-Ya International Buyer's Guide

As Japan catches up with the times, more and more businesses become aware of the potential in overseas business. Because of that, storefronts like Suruga-Ya end up appearing as options for fans of Japanese only merchandise or items.

I am one such fan of Japanese merch and items, so of course I put in an order (with free shipping on a promo!) in. I've since gotten that order and thought I'd provide a bit of a buyer's guide for people interesting. The buyer's guide will include:

How To Purchase From Them

What You Can Purchase

Sales and Coupons

Warnings and Forewords

Shipping and Packaging

My Shopping Experience

So, without further ado, I'll get to explaining!

How Do You Buy From Suruga-Ya?

Link To The Website Here

There's two ways, the "traditional", and the "new" (how I purchased this order). The traditional is purchasing through their JP/domestic website via a proxy, while the new is shopping via their global website.

Now, it might sound like a no brainer for international people to shop via the global site, but as I'll explain later on there's a few cases/reasons where using a proxy is the more reasonable, and even times cheaper option.

Finding Items

Well, it's no CDJapan, I'll say that. Suruga-Ya's global website is propped up by almost exclusively Machine Translation. That means that the translations for some items can be really weird, like Yuta Okkotsu becoming Yuta Otsubone. Similarly, Jujutsu Kaisen gets translated to Sorcery Fight, and the translation struggles with correctly translating names (specifically those that are hiragana/katakana)

Tips For Better Searches

Limit number of keywords (instead of Yuta Okkotuse, just Yuta)

Search for JP names and literal TLs (e.g Sorcery Fight instead of Jujutsu Kaisen) as well

Search using the JP website, find the desired item, copy the item ID and search on the global site using that (more info later)

What Can You Buy?

The answer to that question is, "pretty much everything under the sun". They carry everything so long as it's not illegal to import/export. Models, figures, tapestries, art books, manga, acrylics, keychains, the list just goes on and on. About the only thing that is very clearly absent is R18 Doujins (regular ones are still available).

One thing that's really nice is that they've created "storefronts" for popular brands/titles. Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, One Piece, and Sailor Moon are just a few of the examples present on the website. It can be really helpful when you're a fan of something specific like that considering how challenging searching for something can be.

Deals and Coupons

This is the big one, the make or break for pricing. Suruga-Ya will, more often than not, have a promotional campaign going on for the global site. In fact, in the last 2 months there's been 5 weekends of free shipping. It's a crazy deal, and about the only way that international people will order from them.

If you want to keep up with promotional material though, they only post it on the website as an announcement, or on their Facebook page.

Warnings and Forewords

Buying from anywhere online comes with a caveat, the price is high, the shipping is slow, so on and so forth. Suruga-Ya is no exception to that and features four aspects that potential buyers should be aware of before making a purchase.

1. Commission Fee

All purchases are subject to a commission fee of 500Yen. Not terrible by any means, but it's an extra couple of bucks on an order that you might not have been aware of initially. To put it in perspective, Buyee takes out a "service fee" every time you make a purchase through their proxy service. It's effectively standard practice for these international orders, and you could argue that it takes the place of "tax" when shopping with them.

2. No Protective Packaging/Package Filler

What you see is what you get. This was all that was in box 1 of my order. It does keep the items from moving around too much during shipping, but it still doesn't do anything to prevent damage or any harm coming to the items. It's especially an issue given that Suruga-Ya's boxes aren't super well fitted to the orders that fill them. I think when ordering cheap stuff like I did it's not a major concern, but for stuff like figures or other delicate items it's an issue. I'm hoping that they'll add a protective packaging option at checkout in the future for that reason.

3. Prices Differ Between Websites

Once more, this is a common practice, and this is why proxy services can be worth it. They're not massive differences, but it certainly begins to accrue as a "foreigner tax". Furthermore, item availability differs between the sites. That is, you can find some things on the JP site, but not the global one. I reached out to customer support regarding that, and they stated that they plan to bring all legally importable/exportable items over to the global site, it's just that it will take time.

4. Items Are Used

For people that have done proxy orders before, that's not any sort of surprise. But for some items it's worth taking note of, especially in terms of price. For example, say that instead of 2,250Yen this art book was more like 2,500Yen. Well, as it turns out, the retail price on Amazon Japan for the art book is a hair over 2,500Yen (2,530). In those cases, buyers may want to look at other options for the item in "new" condition elsewhere if they're wary of used items.

However, "used" in Japan is very different from "used" in somewhere like North America. Night and day, really. Later on I'll show what I got, and hopefully reaffirm buyers that "used" can basically mean "like new" with stuff like art books, and that they're absolutely worth purchasing.

Shipping

It's fast, damn fast at that. With free shipping that's great, but for people looking to save money when there's not an active campaign you might struggle as DHL and EMS are the only shipping options offered by Suruga-Ya. No surface or sea mail to save a good chunk of change, so definitely be aware of the cost of shipping when making an order without a promo to cover the cost somewhat.

Packaging

I got two packages (because I ended up making two orders, also please ignore the weird stretch Tumblr applied to the image), and these are my short form thoughts on it:

Boxes are not sturdy/solid and have caved and dented in a few spots

Items are secure, but not necessarily safe

Box sizes can be too large for some orders, allowing them to move around too much

No reinforcement to corners isn't great

Overall, you get what you pay for, and for free shipping it's not the worst. Certainly not what I'd want to be paying for when paying shipping though.

My Purchases

As per usual, I largely got art books and some JP manga I've been collecting. Though more important than that is the elephant in the room. All of these items are used, but for the vast majority you'd never know. A lot of them came in plastic bags that were sealed, rathe typical of JP items which is really nice. Great condition, no signs of wear, and proper storage, it's hard to really call these things "used" all that often. However, there are exceptions.

Used Items

I received two items that could be considered "used" in the typical sense. The first is some volumes of manga that had yellowed due to age or exposure to direct sunlight, and the other is a crease/bend in the corner of an art book. Neither are severe damages or deal breakers (for me) at their price, but they're things to take note of as not everything will be perfect. Another thing to note though is I have no way of knowing if the damage to the art book was there from the beginning or happened during transit due to lack of protection.

My Experience

Keeping it short, I'll summarize my thoughts on the order from start to finish.

Searching and filtering isn't as easy as it should be

Prices are really good, but lack of description (both in regards to content and condition) can deter potential buyers

Checkout process needs some work (can't get a shipping estimate until you provide a payment method)

Shipping is incredibly quick

Packaging is questionable and cause for concern with more delicate items

Customer service is nice, but accessing them is odd (only through apps like WhatsApp or Line)

Stickers placed directly on books is a massive no-no

Overall, I'd buy from them again with conditions.

Why/When To Buy

There's a few requirements to really make Suruga-Ya worth it. Deals, more specifically free shipping (usually), is a must to make the purchase worthwhile. You could probably get away with paying shipping and getting a good deal if they JP prices weren't cheaper than the global site, but they are. Because of that, the "extra cost" can add up quite quick if there's not a sale or something to offset it. Continuing on the topic of "extra cost", their ability between sites (currently) differs. Because of that, the quantity of items you can order differs as well, which can lead to "smaller" order sizes which can increase the relative cost due to shipping. And lastly, there's no order storage. If the product lists were consistent that wouldn't be an issue, but we're dealing with used items, these things come and go quite frequently. Really want an item but can't fill out a full order? Better hope that the item doesn't sell.

So, all in all, the conditions for buying from the Suruga-Ya global site are:

Deals/free shipping

Enough items to meet reasonable order size to save money (if no free shipping)

Pretty simple, but still important to remember

In The End

If you can field a sizeable order from the global website and there's a deal running, it's probably the best deal you'll find (but still check). If not though, look at buying through the JP site via proxy. There's less stress in maximizing the order, you can sit on the items in warehouse, and you can even combine with other sites. You just won't get free shipping. And I really do have to stress that that's the biggest selling point for buying from the global site. So keep your eyes out for those specials!

#surugaya #suruga-ya #anime #manga #anime and manga #anime merch #anime figure #studio ghibli #manga buyers guide #anime buyers guide #buyers guide #anime art book #anime art #manga art book #art book

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perthshirecottage · 11 months

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A big argument that I have seen against Molly that people say proves she plays favorites is how in the first book, she buys Percy an owl for making Prefect while not bothering to get Ron a new wand. And my question is HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE THINK AN OWL COSTS?!? The price of an owl has to be very nominal next to something like a wand. It’s not like Molly choose between two comparable things, like a pet and a new book bag. In which case, if the book bag is still usable, why should she not get a new pet to reward Percy for doing something great? The bag is perfectly fine if a little worn and it’s not that big of a deal to use it if the previous owner doesn’t need it. Comparing the price of a wand and an owl is like wondering why this family didn’t get Ron a brand new $1500 MacBook when his brother’s old one still works. And then telling the parents they are horrible people for buying their other son a $20 toy instead. I mean, if they bought one son a toy, surely they can have gotten the brand new laptop instead. But instead Ron has to use an old laptop that still works while his brother is obviously the favorite for getting a toy for a job well done. I mean, Ron needs that laptop for school and it’s necessary. Percy’s toy isn’t necessary and he could have done without.

This isn’t a moment of favoritism, it’s a moment of practicality. Molly and Arthur were able to wrangle enough money for an owl because it is much cheaper than a wand.

#molly weasley defense squad #molly weasley #arthur weasley #Arthur Weasley defense squad #Ron Weasley #ron weasley defence squad #the weasleys #perthshirecottage posts

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misiwrites · 1 year

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Mayblade Day 9

CHAPTER 9 prompt: ice cream characters: hiromi, emily, ayaka, kai pairings: kai/hiromi

“You have a secret admirer!” Emily immediately deduced.

Hiromi let out a dry laugh. “Me? No. I’m more likely to have a secret nemesis, honestly.”

“What, are you saying it’s an invitation to a duel?” Ayaka asked. “Like the Three Musketeers or something.”

Well, that too was unlikely. But one thought had occurred to Hiromi by now. “I may have insulted some Shell Killers the other day… and called Hiwatari Kai a clown.”

It was Emily and Ayaka’s turn to snort with laughter.

“So one of them wants revenge now? What will they do, insult you on a minigolf course?” Ayaka turned the envelope over in her hand. “And weird choice of paper.”

“Sorry,” Hiromi told Emily and crossed a leg over another, “I know you like Kai, but I do think he’s kind of a clown.”

“Eh, I don’t like him.” Emily shook her head and took a bite of her lunch sandwich, perhaps with a dash of defiance.

“What? You told me you thought he’s cool!”

“I still think this is from an admirer,” Ayaka said and shoved the letter at Hiromi. “The glittery paper and all. It’s just some guy who’s got no idea how to ask a person out.”

“Or some girl,” Emily said pointedly.

Hiromi looked at the chicken scratch note again. Gods, she hoped it wasn’t from a real secret admirer. There had never been anyone even remotely interested in her – how could there be one now? “Nonsense,” she muttered and put the envelope away. At this rate, she’d lose her appetite.

She didn’t, however, regret telling her friends about the note. Sharing with others made things feel a whole lot more exciting, and if anything were to go wrong and she really had gotten herself in trouble with the Shell Killers, the girls would know where to come and help her out. Ayaka, whose big brother was one of the gang members, would undoubtedly know how to handle them.

Hiromi wasn’t prepared for the kind of trouble she ended up finding herself in by going to the park at twelve o’clock sharp on Saturday.

By the time she arrived, there wasn’t anyone behind the booth next to the minigolf track entrance. The booth had tickets, handed out golf gear to the players, and sold ice cream. It was a nice brand, a local one. A bit expensive but usually worth it, better quality than cheaper stuff in other kiosks in the park.

Hiromi stood there, waiting. She’d decided to give it fifteen minutes; if nobody arrived, she’d know it had been nothing but a prank, or maybe an attempt to intimidate her. A very poor one, but it had succeeded in her wasting her time if nothing else.

While waiting, she did some subtle people watching. There were lots in the park that day, it was sunny and mellow out again, a bit windy but not too much, just enough for the trees to rustle comfortably with the breeze. Saturdays were perfect picnic days and the park was full of families, children running and screaming and laughing all over the place.

Then she noticed Hiwatari Kai within the crowd again. She didn’t think much of it, at first. He obviously lived close by and it was a good day for getting out with the dog. Not that she saw the dog anywhere. And he wasn’t wearing the sporty outfit this time; he was more casually dressed in a hoodie and a t-shirt. By the time she’d been studying him long enough to make these observations, she realized he hadn’t blended back into the crowd yet.

In fact, he was heading towards her.

She stood stiff as a popsicle, stared at him with gradually growing dread. Oh, no you don’t. What was he doing? He wasn’t actually coming her way, right? Right?

But he was. Hands buried in jean pockets, Kai came right over to her.

“Hey,” he said.

She gaped at him like a goldfish.

“Hi?” she finally replied, cocking her head to the side.

They stood staring at each other for a hot minute, silent in the middle of the park full of noise.

“Did – did you put that note in my locker?” Hiromi mustered the words out, squinting at him. She was still clinging to the paper-thin hope that, just maybe, he’d say he had no idea what she was talking about. That he’d just walked past and decided to say hi for some unrelated reason.

Unfortunately, he nodded.

She felt a scream building. “Why?”

In Kai’s defense, he was surprisingly relaxed despite the perceived awkwardness of the situation. He was obviously a guy whose self-confidence didn’t waver, or at least he didn’t let it show; his gaze remained steady as he calmly regarded her with his red irises. (They must have been contacts. Or were they? Hiromi had met several people with golden eyes at school already, she wasn’t surprised by anything at this point.)

“You were right about the Shell Killers,” he said. “It’s nothing but a circus.”

Hiromi felt like choking on her tongue. “Y-You heard of that?”

“I was there. I followed those three because I knew they’d be up to some dumb shit. I left the Shell Killers.”

He left? “But – you are their leader.”

“Not anymore.” Kai looked up, glanced at the booth they were stationed next to. “Wanna get ice cream?”

What a casual drop of a bombshell. Hiromi unclenched the fists she hadn’t even realized she’d clenched at some point, her palms clammy with sweat. “Um… sure.”

Hence, they got the expensive minigolf ice cream. Hiromi picked chocolate, Kai lavender. Then they started walking, slowly, down the park boulevard.

“So,” Hiromi said after a considerable lull between them, “is this a date? I haven’t consented to a date, you know. The note only told me to come here.”

Kai shrugged. “Would you have come if the note said it’s a date?”

“Uh.” No, she wouldn’t. “Maybe, if the note had said who it’s from. That’s kind of the point of sending someone a message. I almost didn’t come today, I thought it might be someone wanting to kidnap me or something.”

“And would you have come if it were signed by the biggest clown in the circus?”

At first, Hiromi felt her cheeks grow hot with fluster. Then she burst out laughing.

“You’re so right!” she said after drawing lungfuls of air, “I wouldn’t have!”

In the end, it wasn’t half bad an afternoon – and a date, or whatever this was. Not that Hiromi had ever been on a date before, as this was the first time she'd been asked on one (and it only narrowly qualified as being asked out in the first place), but she figured this couldn’t be one of the worst ones out there in the universe. They took a relaxed stroll across the park; he wasn’t forcing himself on her in any way, let her do most of the talking (which there wasn’t much of; the only worthwhile thing she learned about him over the course of the stroll was that his dog was named Hana and she was six years old), and she found his company surprisingly inoffensive. Not that it was anything to write home about, either, but still. If she’d been asked before, she would have said that a date with Hiwatari Kai would have been a nightmarish hell scenario.

But then, Hiromi had also thought that a date with the most popular bad boy from school ought to have been something a bit more exciting. That she should have been swooning the moment she realized he’d incidentally asked her out – any girl in Bey High would have, right? Alas, she was mostly amused by him.

She kept thinking back to this observation many times after. Much later to that same day, she lay in bed staring at the shadows creeping along the ceiling and thought about Kai. She closed her eyes and pictured his face, his trained arms, all of his features against the darkness of her shut eyelids, and examined how she felt about him…

and came to the conclusion that nope, there wasn’t a single inch in her interested in him. He was alright looking, maybe even a bit handsome, but her heart didn’t take a single hurried step in either direction no matter how much she brooded over a date with the popular boy. The discovery was both a relief and a disappointment; lately, she had finally begun to feel herself less strange, less different from everyone else at school. She’d thought, just maybe, she could become one of the girls at the center of all the fun and interesting action… and the fact that she didn’t care for Hiwatari Kai like everyone else did seemed like a significant setback in this equation.

It would probably be better going forward not telling anyone about the date. She’d lie to Emily and Ayaka that nobody came to the park. She didn’t crave the attention brought by everyone learning about the date in the least.

But, at the end of the day, as she pulled the blanket all the way up to her chin in bed and curled her toes in contentment, she did feel flattered to have caught a boy’s attention. Hiwatari Kai had found her interesting enough to bother asking her out, even if he’d conducted it in his strange offhand manner. For the first time, she felt herself just a little special.

…Then she had to remind herself that the boy in question was a gang leader – or a former one, if he really had left them like he’d said. Nevertheless, he must have done all sorts of despicable things as the boss of the Shell Killers up until now. But – when Hiromi thought back to the Kai she’d met today, it was near impossible to make a connection between a relentless gang boss and the unassuming guy talking about his dog, lavender ice cream in hand.

#mayblade #mayblade 2023 #my writing #fic update

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spiremire · 9 months

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its that time of year again

To all the new undergrads out there, here are the best ways I found to save money without completely sucking all the joy out of life, from a current grad student :) (a lot of this advice is usamerican-centric for students that live on/very close to campus because that was my undergrad experience)

Advice under the cut because I wrote too much:

School stuff:

Don't buy the textbooks from the bookstore. Especially don't buy them new. Rent them from Chegg or Amazon, or straight up pirate them from the internet. (I am a huge advocate for textbook piracy)

You can also see if your school has a textbook swap. You can try to start a textbook swap, or coordinate with friends about swapping books if you take the same classes at different times. Maybe talk to your RA about organizing one for your dorm floor/building.

Apple, HP, and Dell all have educational discount programs, if you need a computer with a little more oomph than a Chromebook or a ThinkPad. (I also highly recommend getting anything BUT a chromebook, but I know that's not always in the cards). DON'T get an Apple computer if you are a STEM major. It will cause more headaches than it's worth.

Take advantage of the bus pass your college tuition comes with. Go places. It's not as fast as an uber but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and you've already paid for it. Consider using this service instead of keeping a car on campus, too! Parking passes are also usually pricey.

Some regions have services like ZipCar where you can rent a car by the hour. Universities where this is available often have a deal to make it more accessible to students. (Use this when the bus isn't an option! It's usually also way cheaper than an Uber, and you can get different sized cars for different needs!)

If you get sick/hurt (of the non-emergent variety) badly enough to warrant a doctor visit: try visiting your campus health center first! Students usually get a free visit or two per semester/quarter.

Your student health center will often have free safe sex supplies. Sometimes they have the good stuff. They really don't care how often you come in and dig through the condom bowl. My campus had a monthly delivery service you could sign up for (for free). I've managed to get free condoms, lube, dental dams, and gloves this way. (This is a very cheap way to figure out what lube and condoms you like and hate, btw)

Don't say no to ANY of the free stuff. Take all the t-shirts, stickers, pens, mugs, markers, discount codes, reusable shopping bags, temporary tattoos, snacks, and cheap sunglasses they're willing to give you. Even if you won't use it yourself, it all makes excellent branded merchandise for the people in your life supporting you. You can even save on gifts during holidays by passing some of this stuff off to people who will use it. (I was given a free pair of sunglasses in my freshman year that I still use—7 years later—in situations where I don't want to lose/damage my better ones).

Smaller businesses close to campus will probably have a student discount. Ask. It'll probably be less than 20% but take what you can get, because it adds up.

Often your college will have some amount of free software for you to use while you're a student. Typically Microsoft Office, but sometimes others. I've gotten access to Photoshop, ArcGIS, MATLAB, JMP Pro, and a few others this way. (Piracy is an option here, but it's more challenging because these things are more closely guarded.)

Sometimes at the end of the year, people moving out will just leave the furniture they don't want anymore outside. I don't recommend doing this, because someone has to clean it up but take advantage of it when it happens if you see something you want.

Steal food from the dining hall (if it's the buffet kind). Some places you have to be more sneaky about it, but some places you don't. My bestie used to straight up bring in two half-gallon jugs and fill one from the dining hall milk dispenser and the other with lemonade once a week or so and nobody ever stopped her or said anything. Generally dining halls are staffed by students that don't get paid enough to care that it's your fourth stop by the pizza station and you can't possibly have eaten that much pizza in the last thirty minutes. (Bring tupperware in your backpack. If they don't allow backpacks, napkins in a sweatshirt front pocket also work (transfer to tupperware once you get your bag back)

IF YOU QUALIFY FOR WORK STUDY: do it! The WS jobs generally pay better because half the wage comes from the government and half comes from the person who hired you (makes it easier to pay you more because they don't even have to budget for a minimum wage employee).

Activities:

Go to the activities put on by the dorms and various student groups. I promise you'll have more fun than you think, and they're usually free to very inexpensive. Get a free succulent. Make friendship bracelets and cute soap. Watch a free movie. Go on that kayak tour. See a sports game for a team you don't care about. This is an excellent way to supplement your work-life balance and you might make a friend.

Share streaming service passwords/costs with friends or roommates. If everyone in the friend group comes in with one, you can have the whole shebang for a fraction of the cost. Alternatively, split the cost of one or two that you rotate between every few months (in my experience, this works best seasonally: Autumn is Netflix and Hulu, Winter is HBO and Disney+ etc) Piracy is also an option here as well.

Try to make most of your fun beverages on your own at home. Limit the starbucks coffee or boba to once or twice a week. Take the $15-30/week you saved by not buying starbucks everyday and go to the movies or something. Save up for a camping trip with friends. Idk. I spend $12/every six weeks-ish on the costco-sized container of the coffee I like and that's roughly the same price as two medium lattes. I like having that money for other stuff.

If you have metered internet: do all your big downloads on the free campus network.

Support your on campus artists by going to shows, showings, exhibits, and galleries. They're often a very inexpensive way to see art.

Like reading for fun? Check out your local library. They have the books, but also movies and games. Some libraries have a Library of Things where you can borrow like. Baking pans or a lawn mower. The city library is guaranteed to be quieter than the university libraries, if that's your thing. You also probably won't have to trip a basketball player to beat them to the last available table during finals week.

If you're going on hikes that are less than 10 miles round trip, I'd argue that you really don't need much in the way of specialized equipment* (especially if you have cell service the whole time (for maps/GPS)), which makes it very inexpensive if you already have a couple water bottles, snacks, comfortable shoes, and a backpack. *See the great outdoors section for more recommendations

Live somewhere like Alaska? Like outside? Find someone who knows what they're doing and go foraging. It's very important you bring an expert the first few times ESPECIALLY if you live in an area where you could be ingesting poisonous mushrooms or berries. My roommate and I love going on berry picking hikes.

Like hiking but don't like hiking alone? Join an on-campus club OR a meet-up group. This is an excellent way to make friends (and find a few hiking buddies)

Regal movie theatre is the most expensive. If you have a different one in your area your tickets will likely be a few bucks cheaper. (we only have regal where I am and I am angry)

General shopping:

My personal philosophy is if I don't need it immediately, I don't buy it unless it's on sale.

Get a credit card or two with decent cashback rewards. DO NOT SPEND ANY MONEY YOU CANNOT IMMEDIATELY PAY OFF (this will avoid interest charges AND build your credit score, which will be important later on for things like renting an apartment, buying a car from a dealership, or buying a house). Use the card(s) for all your expenses. Cashback will add up pretty slowly, but it will add up. Discover It is pretty good for students and comes with a quarterly rotation of different things that get higher cash back. Apple Card has good cashback ONLY if you're using actual Apple Pay instead of the physical card (which is harder in less urban areas where cardreaders haven't been recently updated).

Make a throwaway email and sign up for stamp cards, loyalty programs, and rewards programs everywhere you shop (new email is so you don't have to be spammed with all the junk they send you but you can still access the coupons when you want them). Don't sign up for the ones with the credit cards unless they have good cashback (> 1-2%) for places that aren't their store. The Fred Meyer program slaps because it gives you gas discounts. I am currently paying less than $3.00/gallon (current cost in my area is ~$4.30/gallon). Fred Meyer is a Kroger brand, so if you don't have Freds but do have a different Kroger thing, see what they've got.

Check thrift/consignment stores and yard/garage/estate sales for things that you don't necessarily need to be in the nicest condition. Suitcases, dishes for that camping trip, a mat for outside your front door. Be really careful with soft furniture (it could be hosting bugs; if it's from a yard sale, ask the owner where it was stored before the sale. Items in the garage or a storage unit or outside should be extra scrutinized) and give everything you can a good wash/scrub down before letting it live in your house.

Estate sales are fantastic for furnishing an apartment. Usually an estate sale is done when (old) people die and the family wants help getting rid of the stuff they don't want for themselves. Currently, old people generally have very well made, solid wood furniture. It will go for much cheaper than it's actually worth if you buy it at an estate sale (rather than at an antique store). A lot of the time the furniture even matches. They'll also have things like vacuums, kitchen stuff, and maybe garage stuff.

TJ Maxx, Ross, and Homegoods (et cetra) are good for finding inexpensive clothes or home items.

Back to school sales are great for just about everything. Lots of big stuff like good furniture and electronics go on sale for things like labor/memorial day.

Don't buy a mattress just because it's the cheapest one. Buy one you actually like. Buy sheets and pillows you actually like. Having a good night's rest in a bed you are comfortable in is invaluable. It will make the rest of college way less bad I promise.

See if you can repair something before buying a new one. At best, you fix it. At worst, it continues to not work. I was gifted a pair of bose noise cancelling headphones that I use often enough that I've had to replace the foam over-ear pads 3 times and the aux cable once. This has cost me about $40 over 7 years instead of the ~$300 getting a new pair would cost. Replacement parts and patch kits are where it's at.

Some insurance companies give discounts for good grades. Take advantage of that.

Check Buy Nothing groups. I've never done this but I've heard good things.

Some car companies give a small discount to recent graduates who are buying a new car. (I did this, it was only $500.)

IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO DO SO!!!! Buy something that is going to last over something that is cheap. You will save money in the long run if you can pay the upfront cost.

IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO DO SO!!!! (and the space for storage of the larger package) Buy in bulk. Unit price is always cheaper and one large package is generally wrapped in less packaging than the same amount in many smaller packages (save the earth!)

Keep track of warranties and register products for them if necessary. If something breaks and it's still covered under the warranty, the company may be obligated to replace it (depends on how it broke). Shoot your shot! If you're really lucky, the warranty period will start over with the arrival of the replacement, and if the replacement breaks within the warranty period, it will also be eligible for replacement. (I've managed to take advantage of this on multiple occasions and have saved probably $600 this way.)

The Great Outdoors:

Need to buy seasonal equipment (like snow gear or swimsuits)? Wait until the end of the current season. Prices will drop as stores attempt to clear inventory for the upcoming season's stuff. Buy your kayak and bikini in October or November and your heavy winter jacket and ski goggles in March. Keep an eye out for the sales beginning in the weeks prior if you are a common size, as those will sell out first).

I really recommend getting an REI membership. It's a one-time cost ($30??) that opens up the used website, the garage sale, and extra bonuses like random coupons, member only sale prices, discounts on gear rental and classes, a wider window for returns/exchanges, and free US shipping (I live in Alaska and the free shipping makes this one of the best deals I can get). It will pay for itself probably within your first purchase.

Consider buying open box, but make sure all the parts are there.

Keep an eye on warranties and register products for them when necessary. Trust me, given how expensive outdoor stuff is, it's entirely worth it. Keep receipts, packing slips, and tags if you can as proof of purchase.

On campus clubs for your activity of choice. Make friends, get to go cool(er) places possibly for free/cheap.

Trying a new activity? Rent/borrow some gear to do it a few times before committing to purchasing your own. This will ensure you don't spend hundreds of dollars just to find you hate backpacking. REI has a good gear rental program and a plethora of classes, and your campus may have an outdoor equipment rental option. They may also have lessons or classes you can take about your new activity so you can learn to do it safely. I learned how to ice climb this way in March, and am going to take advantage of my current university's free gear rental and free ice climbing tower until I feel comfortable enough to go out into the wild and do it on my own.

Decided you like your new activity? Check these places (none of this is sponsored lmao I just like outside and have personal experience with all these sites):

Geartrade: Discounted new* and used gear in a variety of conditions. Definitely read all the fine print here. *Geartrade sells things sometimes that are brand new but had some packaging defect; these things are usually half off.

REI ReSupply: Used gear in a variety of conditions. Defects are detailed in product descriptions. Even things in excellent condition are usually at least half off the original price.

Sierra(dot)com: brand new stuff from well-known brands at a fraction of the price. It's usually past-season overstock, but it's all perfectly serviceable and the differences between this season and last season's gear is usually negligible. They have sales and clearance as well. Get what you want/need even cheaper if you have time to wait for it to be further discounted.

Costco sometimes has pretty good outdoor gear. I personally know that the bear spray here is NOT a good deal (it's a two-pack, but the can volume/spray-time is smaller than the two-pack at REI and they go for the same price) but their trekking poles are good and I really like their men's merino wool socks. I've heard from reputable sources that the costco snow-shoes suck. Definitely read reviews before committing here.

Facebook marketplace/craigslist: Both can be hit or miss. You'll usually have better luck for equipment that is used for activities that can be done locally (ie. you will probably not find an abundance of skis in desert Arizona) but that's not a hard rule. DEFINITELY read the fine print here, and ask to inspect the item before you hand over any money (people usually aren't weird about this and if they are you might be being scammed). I got a new dog last year and got everything for him for under $100 (two beds, two crates, bowls, harnesses, dog sized sleeping bag for camping, lick mats, the whole shebang)

I'm sure that other people have better advice regarding things like electronics, traveling, and activities that don't fall into the category of Wandering Into The Woods, but this is what I know!

#college #resources #infodump #college advice #yall im so sorry this is so long

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carlyraejepsans · 2 years

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hey, sorry for bothering you but i'm seriously considering starting to draw digitally (i have never drawn before except for when i was a little kid). i love your art so i was thinking if you would maybe give me some tips? about anything, really. like if i should at first just purely focus on the basis and nothing else, graphic program recommendations (preferably free or cheap ones since i'm not 100% sure if i'll actually keep drawing long-term), etc.

just anything that you think would be useful for me.

thank you a lot in advance

OOOH BOY where to start (｡・//ε//・｡)

it partly depends on whether you already know how to draw a little. I'm not saying you have to be good at it, but if you've already put some work into your traditional skillz it's going to help. oh also, if you do have some tradart background and you switch to digital? be prepared because with your first few drawings it's either going to be the best you've ever drawn or it's gonna feel like you're picking up a pencil for the first time in your life all over again. both of these stages are temporary, and generally settle on an equal middle ground in a few days, at least until your hand's gotten used to the medium

my FIRST chance at digital art? drawing with my finger on my phone. it's far from ideal, as you can probably guess, but it got the job done while i played around with the things only digital art could do. the next step, still on mobile devices, was getting one of those pens for writing on your phone. no pressure sensitivity, accuracy was still shite, but it did allow me to draw in a way that was more similar to how i drew traditionally. try to check if your device has compatibility with digital pen accessories, you might get one that's a bit more sophisticated than literally just a tube with a flat nib that works through normal touchscreen. i bought the sketchbook app back when it was still property of Autodesk. I haven't updated it since, so i have no idea how the new company is handling it, but it was a pretty solid app when i used it

if you already want to go full drawing tablet then DO NOT, for the love of god, DO NOT buy a screen tablet. i promise, drawing on a screenless one is in no way harder or more unnatural, you hand-eye coordination adapts to it very quickly. they're super cheap compared to screen tablets, more portable and better suited for a beginner. my first serius tablet was a wacom intuos back in the time when wacom partnered with clip studio paint, which was a DEAL because now i have a lifetime access to it despite having bought the tablet years ago and the PRO version of the program costing like 50 fucking dollars. definitely keep your eyes peeled if they do anything like that again because it's very much worth it, but if they don't you can also choose a cheaper brand. fuck wacom, go small corp.

for pc/laptop art programs your best bet in the open source scene is 100% krita. it has a couple of unique settings that make it weird to draw on for people who are used to "standard" professional art programs (which is the reason I don't go back to it anymore), but if you have no experience with any other art program, then absolutely go check it out, it won't be an issue. it's got a thriving community that keeps updating and adding stuff, so they're not gonna drop you off out of nowhere. as for the drawing itself? once again that's gonna depend on where in your art journey you are. it's been wayy too long for me to remember good videos for absolute beginners, but if you've got some of the bases down then proko and sinix design are some of the best teachers i can recommend wholeheartedly. i do have a couple more people on YouTube in mind, but I haven't seen their work in a while, so i wouldn't wanna risk sending you in the wrong direction.

one final tip that's worked out very well for me. y'know what's one of the best things you can watch? drawfee. animator vs cartoonist. pros animating in gartic phone. not only because karina and julia are the funniest motherfuckers on earth, but because seeing people's drawing process in real time (coupled with the sense of companionship of watching a group of friends have fun for your entertainment) actually puts you in the mindset to draw yourself and lets you study their work in a way that simply viewing the finished product never could.

trace trace trace, trace references, trace photos, trace art you like (but don't post it) and do it smartly ie try to figure out WHAT you're tracing, the shapes you're actually putting on paper and how they interact with one another and their environment. take your time, experiment with different techniques, take a break when you need to, watch your neck and back posture, draw from your your shoulders, not your wrist, those 30s "do this and this and this to draw this thing" style tutorials that don't explain the thought process behind those passages are a scam so fuck em, make mistakes make SO MANY MISTAKES, then learn from them, grow from them and make some more.

oh, and have fun, of course.

welcome to art :D

#ain't rereading all that so if you see typos no you didn't ✌🏻😗#good luck and have fun!#answered asks

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