Magazine raws

Since we now have multiple volume raw suppliers all we need now is magazine raws. Let's discuss how we can get magazine raws here. As I see it we currently have three options

1. Ask /a/non if he can give us the e-mail address to his magazine raws provider(s).

2. Ask a translator to make a post of 2chan.net (sort of like Japan's 4chan) and 2ch.net (another big image board) asking for raws, especially magazine raws (if those sites' rules allow it). Also, if a TLer knows any other good sites to post it on that allow it, do that as well. If we feel really bold we could try posting it to boards.4chan.org/vp/ , but things might get crazy on 4chan.

3. Import the raws ourselves.

I know a guy who can get Corocoro Ichiban for about $26 and Pokémon Fan for about $25. Also, the import shops where he lives offers 10% off a 6 month subscription and 15% off a 12 month subscription. However, since only CoroCoro Ichiban is monthly, it only applies to it. He can debind and scan it for free, but we have to pay for the magazines.
Any volunteers?

I think that Kinokuniya offers subscriptions on both Corocoro Ichiban and Pokémon Fan, but I think one would have to go to a Kinokuniya to set up a subscription. Or perhaps one could set up a subscription via a phone call?


EDIT:
I have found two scanlation groups that scanlate two different series that are currently running in Corocoro Ichiban.
Perhaps we could ask them if they:
A) Already import Corocoro Ichiban and are willing to share / sell raws to us.
B) Ask if they want to import Corocoro Ichiban raws together with us and split the bill.

We can ask if they can give us the chapter and if they want us to pay, when we can share, until we find a raw provider or donators.

I don't know if they import Corocoro Ichiban. All I know is that they are scanlating series that are currectly in Corocoro Ichiban, but are also released in volumes. Most likely is that they don't import Corocoro Ichiban, but asking doesn't hurt.

I see, well if they don't import it, we have to keep looking.

I just did a little digging, Pokemon Fans only costs RMB$14.8 (approx. USD$2.7) in TaoBao, but there's a slight problem--they only ships in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. I'll still dig a little bit to see if I can get them across the pacific, but I don't think there's any chance...

That shouldn't be to difficult. We have a few options:

1. Find a person who lives in one of those areas and wants to help us. This can be done by adding an extra image to our scanlations. At the wonderful time when PokéCommunity allowed scans there was one Hong Kong resident there who scanned some Pokémon manga (Pokémon Adventures and The Electric Tale of Pikachu). However, that was in 2008, so it will probably be hard to contact that person, but it's worth a try.


2. Use a deputy service:

a) Shopping Mall Japan (Taiwan)
Shopping Mall Japn is well known and reliable, but it is quite difficult to sign up to and use. You have to pay a safety deposit before you can even sign up for the site.

b) Taiwan 3C eMall, aka Taiwan Buy For You (Taiwan, China, Hong Kong): http://stores.ebay.com/Taiwan-3C-eMall/Purchasing-Agent-Service-/_i.html?_fsub=2759430014 | https://sites.google.com/site/webuyandbid/ | http://taiwanbuyforyou.blogspot.com/
I found this deputy service via Google. It has a good eBay feedback ratings (99.4%) and should be easier to use than Shopping Mall Japan. However, eBay Buyer Protection doesn't cover it.

Of course eBay won't protect that kind of service for us... lol

I just took a gender of those deputy services: It turns out that those services only covers Taiwanese and Japanese shopping websites. Since Pokemon Fans are sold in mainland China only, I seriously doubt if they would but mainland Chinese stuff for us... And also, those deputy services uses New Taiwan Dollars only. Although Paypal can take care of those problem for us, but it still requires some complicated currency calculations. It's a good idea, it's just that I kinda doubt the piratical of this idea.

Taiwan 3C eMall even mentions here that they support taobao.com.

MaxCheng95 wrote:they only ships in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

???
So what is the problem then if they ship to Taiwan and a company in Taiwan ships it to one of us?

We could use PayPal's currency converter or Google's currency converter. Obstacles are ment to be beaten.


Otherwise we could get Pokémon Fan the same way from Japan.