There has been a rising demand for markers in the past few decades, thanks to their outstanding functionality. While children use them to express their creativity, adults have markers in the offices for note-taking or presentation.
Moreover, markers are a tool for thousands of professional artists to make a living. Consequently, many people decide to invest in their markers in their artistic careers, and Copic has become a marker brand chosen by a lot of professionals.
Besides its various extraordinary features, Copic markers are known to be much more expensive compared to other marker brands. This may have resulted from their high-quality ink, refillable, variety of colors, replaceable nibs, etc.
There are numerous stores where you can get Copic markers at different prices. In addition, due to the pandemic, which is the best place to buy Copic markers online?
Don’t worry because this article will save your budget by suggesting places to buy Copic markers for cheap:
- The Cheapest Place to Buy Copic Markers is in Japan! Copic’s main manufacturer is located in Japan, so you won’t have to pay any extra shipping or importing fee when purchasing these markers in Japan.
- Where In Japan? You can order your favorite Copic markers via their official website or many arts and stationery stores. Additionally, you might not know they discount Copic markers limitedly on the Copic Website.
- Some Online Stores: If you aren’t currently in Japan, there are several other online stores you can look at, such as Dickblicks, Walmart, or Micheal’s Art Supplies.
Do you wonder why Copic markers are so exorbitant? Is it really worth buying those markers? If so, let’s have a couple of minutes to find out in the first section!
Table of Contents
What Makes Them So Expensive
The price of Copic markers can be a great surprise to many nonprofessional artists. Why do Copic markers have to be so unreasonable? While, after all, they are just a writing tool? Believe me, copic have great reasons for their prices.
A new Copic marker is definitely too expensive to purchase regularly. Yet, they are designed to be long-lasting! Since Copic ink is alcohol-based, the marker design is air-tight so that alcohol can’t evaporate and therefore, lengthening their life span.
Moreover, if your marker runs out of ink, buy an ink refilling. If the nibs are damaged, buy a new nib. The price of these replacements is way cheaper than you thought!
Despite having alcohol, their permanent ink includes no acid and is safe for children. Furthermore, a wide range of colors is offered with up to more than 350 colors you can choose from, which they ensure to be “user-friendly”.
Moreover, these colors can be well blended as they won’t cause any damage to your paper. The reason is that alcohol will instantly evaporate as it comes out of the markers. Hence, the paper won’t be too soggy and easily torn.
Last but not least, you can customize your own color by mixing the ink. If possible, you should try to create your custom color using Copic ink! Try a small amount of ink every time as you don’t want to throw the whole ink refills because of unwanted color.
In short, it is surely worth buying such expensive Copic markers since their quality is beyond expectations. Continue reading to find out where to buy Copics cheapest.
Affordable Place to Buy Copic Markers
The Cheapest Place is Japan
In 1987, Copic markers were first introduced to the manga community in Japan with only 71 colors. They were later on popular all around the globe for the excellent effects that they brought to the paintings.
Until now, the Too company – the main manufacturer of Copic markers – is still located in Japan, and the company’s products can be easily found in many stores. Therefore, thanks to this convenient location, Copics are sold at a relatively low price.
As there is no international shipping fee, a Copic marker only costs around 380 yen, which is a bit around $3. The markers’ price can even drop to approximately 2 dollars if they are on a discount.
Another reason why copic in other countries are comparatively higher is the imported goods tax, which is usually approximately 10% or more. While you don’t have to pay as much tax in Japan, the price will definitely decrease.
Hence, if you happen to travel to Japan, buy yourself plenty of copic markers there! Read the following section to find out the best places to purchase the Copic markers in this country.
Where in Japan
Being in Japan is a great advantage for those who want to own some copic markers. Therefore, in this section, I’ll introduce two places you can visit during your trip to Japan: the Tools Shop and other Arts and stationery stores.
First of all, the Tools shop is a physical official Copic store that is only in Japan. Consequently, they have an enormous collection of copic markers that is a paradise for many artists. Three locations you can look for these shops are Osaka, Tokyo, and Yokohama.
Apart from their Copic collection, they offer a wide variety of other art supplies at affordable prices. Hence, if you are a marker-lover, make sure to check out these stores upon your arrival in Japan!
Furthermore, the Tools shop has an online web store that allows people from around the world to access and order their favorite markers. Note that the Tools Web Shop is in Japanese, so you may need to translate it to other languages to continue operating.
Once you have gained access to the website, search for your desired markers and add them to your cart. The remaining process will be self-explanatory. As this store is affiliated with the Copic Official Website, its authenticity is no place to be doubted.
The second locations you can visit to purchase Copic markers are the Arts and stationery shops. These places are slightly more difficult to find a Copic marker as they have a smaller collection of these markers.
Nevertheless, make sure to look at other stores before you decide to give up on buying the Copic marker you have wanted for so long. Also, note that these stores might not have as much discount for Copic as the Tools Web Shop.
Yet, their prices are rather reasonable so don’t worry that the price difference will be too extreme. Check out several locations near your neighborhood on the Internet in advance so your trip will be more time-saving and effective.
These two stores are offered to those in Japan only. If you are in other regions, proceed to the following section to find out the best place to buy Copic markers.
Some Online Stores
With regard to the pandemic situation in many places, shopping in person is no longer a wise choice. Therefore, it is much safer for you to order your markers online and have them delivered home.
Read below for some online stores that sell Copics at a relatively affordable price.
Dickblicks
This online store is perfect for people currently living in the United States or Canada as they will ship to these two countries at a low price. Search for their official online store and look for the Copic markers.
You will also see the shipping fee and details along with the marker’s description. If you agree with their cost, add the marker into your shopping cart, make payment, and your marker will arrive in a short time.
Even better, they have a variety of coupons, discounts, and sales that are offered regularly. Therefore, keep an eye on those while browsing the websites. Physical stores are also available; more information can be found on the webpage.
Walmart
Walmart is a famous chain of hypermarkets that sells mostly everything you need at a fair price. Consequently, you will find no difficulty in buying some Copic markers via its website.
Moreover, it is the most trusted brand, so their products are undoubtedly reliable and of good quality. Their payment procedure is similar to the websites mentioned above, so refer to the previous sections.
Additionally, there is no minimum shipping fee, which means that they will ship to you however you buy. Furthermore, they have a lot of gift cards and coupons so that you can save a considerable amount of money.
Nonetheless, markers at these places can be twice as much as a Copic in Japan for the reasons I’ve discussed in the previous section. Hence, don’t be surprised if you have to pay about $5 for one Copic marker.
Besides the two brands, there are other online shops such as Micheal’s Art Supplies, DeltaArt, Amazon, etc.
Conclusion
I hope that after reading this article, you can find the cheapest place to buy Copic markers near you. Were you able to find any good deals to buy Copic markers? Let me know in the comment section.
If you have enjoyed it, share this article with your friends and family as well.
I am a former art teacher, so it is evident to me the importance of art in educating the new generation. We also want to help parents who plan to teach their children and desire the best tools and tips for them.