🛡️ Do I Need a LIcense to Sell Licensed Anime Merch? (Spoiler: nope!)

A Breakdown of What You Can (and Can’t) Do as an Anime Retailer

Ever had someone tell you that you can’t legally resell licensed anime merchandise unless you’re an “authorized distributor”? Yeah, same here. 🙄

Let’s clear the air once and for all—because as a retailer and lifelong otaku, I take this stuff seriously.

✅ Yes, You Can Resell Licensed Anime Merch in the U.S.

Thanks to a law called the First Sale Doctrine, if you legally buy a product, you can legally resell it. This includes licensed anime goods like Pokémon plushies, My Hero Academia figures, or official DBZ keychains.

As long as the merch is genuine and unaltered, you do not need special permission from the copyright holder to resell it.

That means stores like mine—and even the ones at your local mall—can sell authentic anime merch without needing to be a licensed producer or direct partner with Bandai, Funko, etc.

🧠 Why the Confusion?

The mix-up usually comes from not understanding the difference between:

• Product licensing (which lets a company create and brand new products with anime IP)vs

• Retail resale (which lets you sell something that already exists and was legally bought)

  
  

Unless you’re manufacturing Goku hoodies or printing your own Pokémon mugs, you don’t need an IP license. You’re simply reselling what you legally purchased.

🔥 What’s Not Allowed

There are a few lines you shouldn’t cross:

• ❌ Don’t make your own merch using copyrighted anime characters (unless it falls under parody or fan art guidelines with a clear distinction)

• ❌ Don’t sell knockoff figures or bootleg DVDs

• ❌ Don’t rebrand or alter the packaging to make it seem like you’re an “official” Pokémon store or Funko partner

  
  

At Nana Korobi, we never mess around with fakes. Every figure, every plushie, and every poster that is labeled as Licensed Merchandise, I sell is 100% legit. If I can't source it authentically, I don't sell it—period. You can also find parody and fan art for sale on my sight, labeled as such!

👩‍💻 Where I Get My Merch

I source most of my licensed anime merchandise from verified wholesalers who work directly with brands like:

• Bandai

• Crunchyroll

• Funko

• Bioworld

• Loungefly...and more.

  
  

My goal is to bring you affordable, authentic anime merch that doesn't break the bank—because I've been a broke anime fan too! 😅

🐾 A Final Thought

Whether you’re a collector, a reseller, or just curious how it all works behind the scenes—know this:

👉 If it’s authentic, and you bought it legally, you’re in the clear to resell it.

If anyone says otherwise, send them this blog. And then go enjoy your licensed anime merch with peace of mind. 😉

📢 Bonus Tip for Other Vendors:

Keep your invoices from wholesalers in case anyone ever questions your inventory. Transparency builds trust—especially in a fandom that’s gotten burned by bootlegs before.

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Stay Awesome. Stay Otaku

Tawney | Nana Korobi