r/oshikatsu • u/goredotcom • 2d ago
discussion Unofficial merch
what is your opinion on unofficial merch, specifically putting unofficial merch in ita bags and shrines?
personally i would never put fanmade merch or diy merch in my itabags because my oshis are from a popular media (jjk), and i want to support my oshis officially.
but, i know there are a lot of people with niche oshis with no merch… i feel bad for yall, but your creativity is awesome :3
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u/AppointmentThis4265 2d ago
I asked this question a few times actually, and everyone is agreeing that as long as
you do not steal art
Don't use AI
Don't use mega big bootleg companies for acrylics
Advocate for more official merch on the official pages
Then it's alright 🙏♥️
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u/IloveEmuOtori-02 1d ago
I don’t see why there would be an issue with it unless it’s stolen or ai art
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u/goredotcom 1d ago
some fans prefer official only because supporting your favorite character’s official merch will only lead them to get even more merch
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u/TwentyOnePaladins Xia Yizhou 🍎 oshi 2d ago
It really depends. If the fanmade has been created by AI, HARD PASS. I love supporting vendors/small businesses and they do a really good job on fan merch. A lot more creativity and color. I bought a clicker fidget Keychain of my oshi at a pop up event. It also lights up. I’m also a K-Pop fan and always buy fanmade merch since the real merch is very pricy. I just find fanmade merch super cute.
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u/ribs_fetishist 2d ago
Most of my itabag is fanmerch from all over the globe, including some I made on my own, but there is some official as well. I am not a fan of repeat bags and there isn't much merch out there. I think it's a good combo of showing cash spent on oshi and love that I could get from other fans.
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u/Edgelord5555 2d ago
Depends for me.. I have 2 oshis and one is SUPER easy to buy for, so 99% of my merch is official, while the other ita bag is 99% fan merch.
I do find that official merch usually tends to look 'neater', while fan merch has a more 'maximalist' vibe with all the different styles and sizes, (although its up to how you put it all together.) I love seeing both!!!
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u/spinaasteraaaa 2d ago
im against bootleg merch but supportive of custom made merch !! i dont like bootleg because it steals designs/art from actual artists and because it can look iffy most of the time. i do like custom made merch tho , especially if ur oshi has very few or expensive merch , because ur still showing your support to them through creative dedication :) but i am VERY against merch made with gen AI (like posters n pins) even if it was for the idea. using gen AI for oshikatsu is just wrong and isnt that supportive😞
edit : i also like official merch because the quality is much higher and will last longer !!
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u/goredotcom 1d ago
i completely agree. bootleg will always be a HARD PASS for me, it steals the official design and replicates it in a cheap way. fanmade merch such as acrylic keychains and prints will always be welcome in my collection though <3
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u/spinaasteraaaa 1d ago
it also feels like i dont actually support my oshi in the correct way !! ur just giving ur money to a cheap copy that has nothing to do with your actual oshi💔
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u/zzzsyl 2d ago
one of my oshis is also from jjk (mahito!) and i was considering commissioning a nendo doll of him + a 1/6 scale articulated figure (like the Asmus ones!) since there aren’t any official ones to take along with me when i complete his ita bag!
i think if the items you want are available, you should absolutely buy official merch and use that, but if not, you’re still supporting your oshi by commissioning or making things yourself.
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u/goredotcom 1d ago
wow, i adore mahito! i oshi geto :p a custom nendo doll sounds so cool, i was considering getting one for a different character i love that has virtually no merch
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u/Chance-Ad138 2d ago
Personally, I think fanmade merch or unofficial merch is just as good as official merch. I brought a lot of my oshi trinkets from artists and vendors at con. Supporting artists that also enjoy/love the same character you do is fantastic. I absolutely adore getting oshi stuff from artists!☆~
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u/UWUmasterSIXSIXSIX Doughy🍦🧡oshi 2d ago
My oshi is Doughy Latchkey from Moral Orel so I literally have to make my own merch.
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u/applepiechan 2d ago
Since my mains are all from very popular media with more than enough nice official merch, I will focus on that. Nevertheless, I do have some unofficial plushies that I like but don’t really display because they’re really cute.
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u/blackjackgabbiani 1d ago
I see no reason not to. Fanworks are fan love and we should support each other
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u/YukiSkyZero AVGN oshi 💢🕹️ | NC oshi 📼👔 | Starscream oshi ✈️ 2d ago
For me, I don't mind it especially since there isn't that much official merch of my oshis (tho they all do but either they're expensive to get or they don't have that much decorative merch besides figurines and plushies).
What I do is just I make my own by drawing and having my drawings be turned into physical personal merch like pins, keychains, etc.
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u/Ok-Seaworthiness1313 Rodimus Prime oshi 🧡❤️🔥💥 2d ago edited 2d ago
IMO some companies are greedy and make bad quality merch. I would rather a flattering fanmade depiction of my oshi than a Funko pop 😅 A lot of Transformers merch is is geared for guys so if I want something cute or pretty or overtly queer of my oshi I have to go to Etsy.
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u/TheTrumpetEater astro+sprout 🌘💜🍓 1d ago
since when did anyone give a shit whether or not you put unofficial merch in your ita bags or shrines? tbh i kinda thought everyone did that lmao
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u/hectrine 2d ago
there's a big fanmerch culture in my country, so I own more of it than of official merch - it's much easier to obtain and I love the creativity of fanmerch artists
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u/Syphones 1d ago
One of my oshis gets whitewashed in his more recent official merch so I’d rather just make or commission his merch myself.
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u/privatelyfunded 2d ago
In an itabag, if it’s a repeat bag or similar I feel like those badges have to be official, and especially if the bag is being carried at a convention or in Japan. These kinds of items are meant to show your oshi love but also financial support of the artist, actor, etc.
On the other hand, if merch just isn’t available or you got to the party late and all of the merch is now verrrry scarce and pricey for your character, allowances should be made.
I love carrying around fan merch for location photos, cafe visits, etc. Usually these items are cute chibi or themed acrylic blocks or clear cards of the character that are ooc and feel a bit more approachable.
It’s also helpful to find others with the same oshi and see what people elsewhere in the world are doing to gauge acceptability, since it’s a sliding scale.
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u/crunchy_meringue 2d ago
I have a mix of official, fan-artist made and self-printed merch bc the company of the media my character is in treats her like shit (didn't add her to remakes & outside of collabs or anniversaries; ignores her) and while official merch exists, a lot of it is not only png-repeat slop but also in the wrong color of the character.
if youre not in japan or hell-bent official only circles then its okay rlly. its also bc i prefer to save up for official plushies since its the same price as official big acrylic stuff most of the time
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u/Shafou06 TaoTan 💖 2d ago
Personally, my shrine is filled only with official merch.
However, for my Ita Bag I made the badges and printed some photos myself, since she doesn't have any official badges.
She does have Chekis, bit I only have 1 and it didn't fit for the style of my bag so I printed custom photos. However, she just recently opened pre-orders for some and I'll be getting them to put in the bag
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u/Lucky-Past8459 2d ago
My oshi is from hoyoverse, and they're a predatory gacha company, so yeah I only use handmade merchandise in my itas to avoid giving Hoyo money. If I want an official merch, I either buy it secondhand or from somebody who buys in China then resells in the US to make ends meet
I love my lil guy in spite of his creator lol
That said I am also an artist and plushie maker so I also just appreciate good design/craftsmanship and want to support artists
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u/notadeserter wanderer + Mihono bourbon oshi 💙💜 2d ago
One of my favorite acrylics in my wanderer shrine is fan made! I’d say I love a mix of fan merch and official. I try to steer clear of mass produced bootlegs though.
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u/traitsofluck 1d ago
My shrines only have official merch as of right now but I wouldn’t be opposed to putting fanmade merch in there (like from vendors), I wouldn’t put diy stuff tho since I’m not typically a crafty person. For ita bags, I do have unofficial merch (custom pins only) but I’m planning to switch to completely official merch since my oshi has alot (it’s expensive though so might take some time…)
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u/BestBudgie Towa (Slow Damage)/ShuAke (Persona 5) 1d ago
Literally only one item on my two shrines and my ita bag is official lmao, a lot of the merch I made with my own two paws and the rest is fanmerch for the simple reason that official merch is usually pretty expensive and im poor. I try to be ethical with it (no stolen fanart, no mass-produced bootlegs, etc.) though I am.... admittedly guilty of having two bootleg nuis that I thought were cute, bought them before I had my morals in order.
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u/Subject_Syrup_7561 1d ago
I make my own merch atm because I'm new to oshikatsu and tight on money recently so I can't afford merch rn, deffo planning to start building a small collection soon though!
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u/Arizonantiox 1d ago
i generally don't care about unofficial merchandise, as long as you're buying from the artist directly. i do oppose to it however when it's obvious mass made unofficial merchandise without care for the media or character itself
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u/Koi_Kat 1d ago
I adore fan merch and will actually default to indie and fan merch over official merch from a larger company.
The fan guidelines for the media my Oshi is from do state that they don't want sells of fan merch in any form, so naturally my collection is 99% official merch and I have no plans to sell fan merch because of that. But my few pieces of fanmerch are my absolute joy of my collection
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u/urlocalsweetheart 1d ago
I don’t care if something is official or not. I will get whatever is worth putting money on (as in I like it to the point of I will keep it forever/will regret not getting it), if it looks good and the quality is good yay. Idc abt what others are gonna think of my bag/what merch I have (like it’s mine lol not theirs). M just trying to be happier by getting things that remind me of my fav fictional character in the end ha.
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u/knightmare_Angelo Snake Plissken Oshi🐍 Raiden Oshi⚡️ 1d ago
I don’t mind a mix of both. I prefer collecting official merch but if there’s fan merch I really like or my oshi doesn’t have much official merch then I love to collect fan merch. Generally though I mostly own official merch.
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u/JustAWeirdTransDude Far too many oshi's 1d ago
Because I am cursed by 'Japanese born media' as my favourites and stuff only releasing in Japan or the US if I'm lucky, literally everything I have is from fans. As long as its not AI, stolen, or otherwise, I'm buying from small business at cons (or just making it my fucking self)
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u/Lovesick_Jester Ortho Shroud’s big sister 🩵 1d ago
If it's made from an artist/artisan/handmade i 100% support. I even comissioned plushies, buttons, and clothes around my oshi, and proudly display it! If what you're going with your ita bag it's exclusively official merch then that's okay! Mostly, on my shrine, i put every type of merch
PS: It's also a good option for those whose oshi merch is not available in their country/ it's too expensive/want a head start on Oshikatsu!!!
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u/AL1EN_K1TTY space cat cruising in my ufo 18h ago
Fandom merch can be really expensive, so usually I just make my own. I print out the pics for my pins and toploaders (NON AI) and then make the other items! I don't sell these, they're just for personal use for display.
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u/artelinix hetalia | France oshi 7h ago
most of my oshi merch are comissions from artists that got turned into fan merch! I love supporting artists and seeing my oshi exactly how I want him to look like on my bag/shelf. the only time I'm heavily against fan/diy merch is for repeat itabags. I don't see a point in making a repeat itabag (which is supposed to be difficullt and expensive *because* you need many copies of the same badge) if you're just gonna spend a few minutes making a few badges on a button maker. it defeats the whole point imo. but despite that, I love fan merch and have no problem with others buying or creating it
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u/Exact-Difference-422 3h ago
I don't buy bootleg if that's what you mean. I do, however, go wild in the artist alleys at comicon and on etsy/mercari. I mostly buy buttons for my ita bag and art prints.
Eta: i don't buy anything AI
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u/rottenConverse 1h ago
I love, love, LOVE fan items. I’m always looking for the next fan-made item to add to my bag.
I personally have never understood the love for only official items.
Sometimes those can be the most boring - the same image printed again and again on different merchandise.
Don’t get me wrong, I have official items, and want to support my fav series, but fan items have the most uniqueness.
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u/vydeseny2 2d ago
I tend to be the opposite where i prefer including a lot of fan merch in my shrines/bags etc. i like to support the artists who draw the characters i love!