I REACHED 400 ZINES! wow. 400! i guess one could argue some of these are more artbooks or comics than zines, but meh. to me, as long as it's self-published (or at least not by any large publisher), it counts as one. here's to more zines (and more income to continue this hobby) in the future!
why collect zines? after my first ACG convention i realized very quickly that i cannot retain items that are not paper-based (ie, prints and postcards). artzines are also not a popular item due to its high price, so its least likely to be sold out. it's nice seeing poeple buying more self-published comics and artzines now, but it also means i spend way too much time and energy navigating the crowds to get what i want before it's gone lol
types of zines i'm usally not picky with what i buy, but my preference is artzines and original works. the exception being overtly nsfw or fetish items (wish i could bleach my eyes after seeing nsfw shota works out in the open)
international zines: western sphere trying to ship from the US or Europe is a gamble and its long and expensive as shit. so far only one has gone MIA and idk if it was really lost or customs ate my package. i'm more mad about losing the artzine (that may never get a reprint) than the money down the drain...
international zines: SEA shipping within SEA is quicker, safer, and cheaper. i loooove buying artzines from my fellow SEAsian artists! but i think the greatest challenges is the language barrier, especially with Thai and Vietnamese artists.