What are Trading Goods?
What are Trading Goods?
Trading goods (trading merch) are character merchandise sold in random-packed blind packaging. You buy one item, but you don't know which character variant you'll get until you open it. Common formats include acrylic keychains, can badges, clear cards, mini figures, and rubber straps.
They're called "trading" because fans traditionally trade duplicates with each other to collect their favorite characters.
How Does the Random System Work?
Each trading goods set has N varieties (typically 7-15, one per character). When you buy a single item, it comes in a sealed, opaque bag — completely random.
You can buy:
Single (Random) — one random piece, typically ¥500-800.
Complete Set — all N varieties guaranteed. Costs N times the single price. This is the safest way to get your character but the most expensive.
At collab cafes and pop-up stores, trading goods are sold at the goods counter. Staff hand you a sealed bag from a box — they don't know what's inside either.
How to Get a Specific Character
If you want a specific character without buying a complete set:
Trade with other fans. Twitter (X) is the main trading platform in Japan — search "[series name] 交換" (exchange).
Buy from Mercari JP. Individual characters appear on the secondary market within hours of a cafe opening.
Use Buy For Me. We buy a complete set and send you the specific character you want. This guarantees you get your pick.
What Kinds of Trading Goods Exist?
Acrylic Stands (akusuta) — plastic stands with character illustrations. The most popular format.
Can Badges (kanbajji) — pinback buttons, usually 57mm or 75mm diameter.
Clear Cards — transparent plastic cards with character art.
Rubber Straps — soft rubber keychains.
Acrylic Keychains (akuki) — clear plastic keychains.
Coasters — especially common at collab cafes.
Complete Set vs. Single — Which Should I Buy?
It depends on your goal:
Want one specific character? Buy through a proxy service that can pick for you, or buy on Mercari JP after opening day.
Want to collect them all? Complete set is cheaper than buying singles and hoping. N random singles will almost certainly have duplicates.
Just want a souvenir? A single random is the cheapest fun. Part of the experience is the surprise.
Ordering Through Buy For Me
When you see trading goods on our site, you'll see two options:
"Specific character" — tell us which character you want. We buy a complete set and ship your pick.
"Complete Set" — we ship all N varieties to you.
Both options are available through the Add to Cart button on any event page that sells trading goods.