Helpful Tips on Where to Buy Hello Kitty Specialty Merchandise

If you are a huge Hello Kitty fan like me, you are probably always running out to get the latest plush doll or collectible figure that releases. Yet, how do you know if you are getting a run for your money? Are there places that sell hello Kitty items at a cheaper price than others? Below, I have separated places by categories to help facilitate your hello kitty merchandise search.

Hello Kitty Clothing
The most accessible and reasonably priced places to purchase clothing with Hello kitty designs on them are Forever 21 (or XXI), H&M, Wet Seal and Hot Topic. All of these stores sell licensed Sanrio/Hello Kitty clothing at affordable prices. A Hello Kitty will usually retail for about $15 at Forever 21 and Wet Seal. A sweatshirt with a Hello Kitty print on it will cost anywhere from $17 to $24 at H&M and Forever 21. Hot Topic's prices are usually a bit higher, but they offer a wider range of graphic tees and sleepwear.

Hello Kitty Collectibles
If you like to collect hello Kitty plushes, the best place to get limited edition ones or unique ones are at the original Sanrio hello Kitty store. These stores usually carry a wide range of Hello Kitty plushes for a limited time. However, they are also on the pretty expensive end. A 6-inch plush can retail from around $9 to $12. A 9- 12-inch plush can range from $20 to $30. Anything larger than those sizes will have prices that will make you immediately put the stuffed animal back on the shelf. Stores such as Target and Toys R Us carry select specialty Hello Kitty stuffed animals and novelties at a much more reasonable price, although the variety might not be as great. These stores often also carry "Exclusives" where only those types of stores will have such an available item. Other stores such as Urban Outfitters and Tokidoki also carry Hello Kitty novelties that are often exclusive and highly collectible, of course at a much greater price.

Hello Kitty Rarities and Discontinued Items
Did you miss out on a Hello Kitty item and there are no longer being sold in stores? Or is there something that is not available in your country? Most people would seek out online vendors such as Ebay and Amazon. However, if you are not careful, many online sellers will hike up the price knowing the value and demand of these specific Hello Kitty items. Make sure you take the time to do your research so you don't get cheated out of a deal. If you live in areas where there are Asian gift shops available, you might want to check out those for deals on Hello Kitty items. Recently, I found a set of Hello Kitty vinyl figurines that were Japanese exclusives for $4.99 each. On eBay these were selling for $12 plus shipping each. I saved myself about $10 per each figurine I had purchased from the Asian gift shop as opposed to buying them online!