Top 13 Reasons to Shop Directly with Sideshow

We know that being a geek isn’t just a hobby — it’s a lifestyle. Every collector and every collection is unique, which is why you need an experience that has your individual style in mind.

A lot of people who have never met us ask, “Is Sideshow.com legit?” or “Are Sideshow collectibles worth it?” In a world where names like Amazon and Best Buy are instantly recognizable, companies like Sideshow work even harder to earn the trust of someone not familiar with our brand.

For the uninitiated, Sideshow.com offers fans a wide, curated catalogue of collectibles from all your favorite fandoms. We have been innovating the pop culture collectibles experience for over 28 years.

: “Connecting Fans with the Characters They Love.”

In addition to making highly sought-after statues, figures, and fine art prints, we are an official distributor of popular collectibles brands from around the globe, bringing acclaimed artistry to your fingertips. Sideshow has even pioneered pop culture shopping concepts like the Waitlist and RSVP process so that our collectors have the best experience possible, with more access than ever to their favorite products.

But that’s not even the best part! There are lots of benefits and perks to being part of the Sideshow community, whether you are a seasoned collector or are looking to bring home your first collectible. From earning rewards on purchases to participating in giveaways and special events through our site, collectors can find a lot to love about shopping with Sideshow. Plus, making a Sideshow account makes accessing these advantages even easier!

If you are interested in learning more about all the ways we’re here for you, check out these top 13 reasons to be confident in shopping at Sideshow.com.

Real-time, Friendly Customer Support

Collecting happens around the clock, and we are there for you when questions arise. Our industry-leading customer support team has extended hours to help you from time zones around the globe.

Our customer support team operates from 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM PST on Monday through Friday, and you can reach out via email, phone, or online chat. To check what these hours look like in your timezone, check out our Sideshow Extended Customer Support Hours informational post. Sideshow’s friendly and professional staff are ready to help you with your latest orders, returns or exchanges, product instructions, and more. Don’t be shy — we’re here to help!

In addition to our support staff, we have a helpful Service Droid chat function on every page of our website that can help you even outside of regular business hours. You might have noticed this friendly face on webpages as you browse. If you need some quick assistance, this intelligent chat function can help you through a variety of frequently asked questions.

: If you have questions while shopping at Sideshow.com, this is the droid you’re looking for!

The droid can help you resolve issues quickly, and can even refer you to a Sideshow Ambassador for your collecting questions. Sideshow Ambassadors are fans and collectors just like you from throughout the community who are happy to advise you if our support lines aren’t available at that moment. With multiple ways to get the answers you need, you can feel confident when contacting Sideshow Customer Support.

Account Security

We take digital information safety very seriously. Not only is your Sideshow.com account a great place to accumulate rewards, track and edit orders, and keep your personal Wishlists, but we utilize multiple security measures to protect your information.

You can enable two-factor authentication on your account login and your profile also has a geolocation detection feature which you can opt into. With this security measure active, your account will notify you if a login is detected from an unfamiliar geographic location. Even across the galaxy.

: In space, no one can hear you sculpt.

Flexible Payment Options

Collecting is an investment as much as it is an experience. Whether you have your heart set on one specific item or are aiming to bring home a whole variety of goods, Sideshow’s numerous payment plans and options allow you the flexibility to collect how and what you want while keeping your unique budget in mind.

Local Currency:

Sideshow has partnered with Reach (GoInterPay) to offer the global collecting community an improved international purchasing experience. All credit card and PayPal transactions are completed in the local currency of your credit card. This eliminates the foreign transaction fee assessed by most major credit card companies. Collectors can always select USD as their preferred currency as well through the “Payment Methods” area in your Sideshow account. All collectibles offered on the Sideshow website are also eligible for payment via PayPal (except territories where PayPal is unavailable).

Flexible Payment Plans:

Flexible Payment Plans are available for collectors who would like to pay for an item in monthly installments. You select how many installments and a date of the month for payments to process, and once the final payment and shipping has processed, your item will be on its way to you! You can do this for pre-orders as well as in-stock layaways. There are no finance charges or interest on these payment plans, and most items on the website are eligible — you will see the setup options on the product page for qualifying collectibles. Visit our help desk website for more information on Flexible Payment Plans.

Affirm:

We are pleased to offer payment via Affirm on many in-stock items, allowing you the opportunity to pay in installments over time while your item ships out immediately. Most items priced at $250 USD and higher are eligible for payment with Affirm — this can be found on a product page or in the cart view.

To check out with Affirm, you select the option and enter a few pieces of information for a real-time decision from Affirm. Then you can select from eligible payment plans, and confirm and complete your purchase. Your item will ship to you while you pay in monthly installments with Affirm. For more information, visit our help desk page about Affirm Payment Plans.

Other Payment Methods:

You can also pay for your purchases using Apple Pay, making checkout a breeze. For international customers, Sideshow additionally accepts Sofort, iDeal, and Boleto, giving you the flexibility and confidence to shop securely and work within your ideal budget.

Shipping

We know you and your collection need that new addition like yesterday, so we do our best to make sure it gets to you as smoothly as possible, including free shipping on select popular characters and brands.

To see which items qualify for free shipping, use our filters under Current Deals on the left side of the Shop All Collectibles page. Free U.S. Shipping and Free Global Shipping filters are available because when you gotta have it, you gotta have it! Each item on our site will also give a shipping arrival estimate and once your purchase is complete, you can always track your order.

: This is what your order sees when it’s preparing to ship!

Sideshow ships to 194 countries and across the U.S., so getting your favorite characters into your collection has never been easier or more accessible. We partner with multiple shipping carriers to suit global collector preferences and are able to offer double boxing on most items for those who want additional methods of packaging their purchases. We work to ensure your item arrives as safely as possible for that perfect unboxing experience.

For more detailed information on shipping costs, delivery estimates, and packout options (like opting in to double boxing), visit our help desk section for Shipping.

Sideshow Rewards

Collect what you love and be rewarded for it. Sideshow Rewards can be earned on almost every product sold on our online store — so go ahead, treat yourself! These purchases earn 5% back in rewards which can be applied towards future orders, helping you buy even more of your favorite statues and figures. That’s more collecting per collection.

Sideshow Rewards become available to use 40-45 days after an order ships, but you can always check your active and pending balances by logging into your account at Sideshow.com. Available rewards can be applied towards the price of an item at checkout. You can use them as you go or hang onto them for a larger discount in the future. Occasionally, Sideshow community events hosted in the Let Your Geek Sideshow Facebook Group have opportunities for you to earn additional rewards without making a purchase. (You can learn more about our awesome geek community and events below.)

Visit our help desk article on the Sideshow Rewards Program for full terms and conditions about how to earn and use rewards from your Sideshow account.

By Geeks For Geeks

At the end of the day, Sideshow is by geeks, for geeks.

When you interact with Sideshow, you are talking directly with likeminded collectors, moviegoers, cosplayers, gamers, and all-around geeks. From the artists behind the statues to the customer support team helping to answer your questions, and from the social media moderators to the hands behind the camera, we are passionate fans just like you.

It is that excitement and love for our favorite fictional worlds that inspires us to provide the best experience for you. And we thank you for sharing the fun with us!

We are committed to letting our Geek Sideshow every day and every way — so join us, won’t you? Outside of purchasing directly on our website, there are so many ways to get in on the fandom fun. Check them out below.

We Love Our Community

Nothing brings us joy quite like connecting with the global collector community. From Twitter followers to Facebook groups, we are constantly engaging with other pop culture fans about collectibles and fandoms that we all love.

Nowhere is this community more prominent than in our official Facebook group Let Your Geek Sideshow. Over 50k members strong, it’s a place for fans, by fans — with dedicated moderators keeping conversations friendly and respectful.

Plus, our official Facebook groups get access to exclusive giveaways, sneak peeks, livestreams, and more. Tune into the conversation and join our Facebook communities via the links below:

Shows and Events

Every year Sideshow holds a variety of online events. From smaller community celebrations like Fandom Rewind and May the 4th to weeklong celebrations like Spooktacular and Sideshow Con, we’re putting together the very best content to keep you entertained.

You can find many of these festivities on our website, in our Facebook groups, and on Sideshow’s official social media platforms. You never know what will be a part of the action — including giveaways, games, special deals, and more.

And that’s not all! You can find us in-person at events like Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic-Con, and more, ready to geek out with everybody at our booth and on social media. Visit us for new reveals, booth debuts for fan-favorite collectibles, convention exclusive products, and more.

For those who can’t make it to our physical convention appearances, we always make sure to provide thorough online coverage of all our latest reveals and announcements so you don’t miss any of the excitement. There’s always something to look forward to on the calendar with us.

Waitlist

Sideshow’s Waitlist reservation system allows collectors to put themselves in a waiting line for an item after its edition has been reserved during the pre-order or in-stock window. Many limited edition items can sell out of stock quickly, but there may be order cancellations that cause collectibles to become available once more.

When you put yourself on the Waitlist for a specific collectible, it is not a guarantee you will be able to purchase it. But it doesn’t cost you anything to join the list!

: If a product allotment is sold through, you can add yourself to the item’s waitlist.

: If a product is able to be found for you, we’ll notify you with a chance to purchase it.

If an item is found for you, you will receive an email notification that provides you the chance to purchase the item. Your Waitlist notification is private and does not compete with a public release. If you receive one of these alerts, you have to act fast and complete the checkout process to secure the collectible within the timeframe allotted. Quantities are often extremely limited and conversions are fulfilled on a first come, first served basis.

Other exclusive purchase opportunities are also available through our invite-only system, such as special events that feature convention exclusive collectibles. For more information, visit our help desk article on Waitlist Reservations.

RSVP – Be the First to Know!

Want to be the first in line for your most anticipated releases? Tailor your RSVP notifications to suit your tastes. You can sign up to be alerted via your preferred contact method (SMS or email) for when specific new items launch for pre-order.

Check here for more details on how to use your Sideshow account to RSVP and ensure you never miss a release! Visit our Coming Soon page to see all the newly announced products you can be notified about.

Super-Powered Wish Lists

Whether it’s a gift from you or for you, Sideshow is here to help you find that perfect item to express your unique geek style by taking the guesswork out of collecting.

Using our “Sideshow Wish List” and “Drop a Hint” functions, you can build personalized and strategized Wish Lists, shopping lists, and more. Then you can share those lists with friends, family, followers, partners, and coworkers.

: Add your favorite items to a wish list and share it with the world!

Plus, there’s our Wish List stock updates feature. If you have an item saved to any of your Wish Lists, we’ll send you an email when the product switches from pre-order to in-stock, gets discounted, or even when it comes back into stock. It’s the perfect way to stay in the know about all the collectibles you covet.

Interested in curating your own list? Get a step by step guide for how to make a Sideshow Wish List on our Why You Should Create a Sideshow Wish List blog.

Contests and Giveaways

You give us so much — we want to give back!

Each week we host Contests & Giveaways for a chance to win the newest art prints and more. There’s also newsletter exclusive giveaways and Facebook Group exclusive giveaways. During events, we have contests for a variety of prizes across every single one of our official social platforms. Additionally, we give prizes away during game shows and livestreams. This is all to show our appreciation for your support.

So if shopping with us isn’t something you’re ready for yet, there’s still plenty of opportunities to become a Sideshow collector. Contests range from fun challenges to fill-in-your-info submission forms. However you choose to participate, we hope you have fun. And may the odds be ever in your favor!

First Looks

The previews are the best part! Our relationship with official distribution partners allows us the opportunity to showcase highly anticipated figures with in-depth reveals. Before you’ll see it anywhere else, Sideshow offers First Looks on a wide range of fandoms and products.

From year-round events that spotlight popular fandoms to video debuts of new products, our First Looks give an in-person reveal to the collectibles you love. Visit Sideshow’s YouTube channel, our Sideshow blog, or follow us across social media to stay up to date on all the latest releases.

When choosing how and where to begin your collection, we sincerely thank you for considering Sideshow. Geeks like you are the reason we do what we do — and there’s room for everyone in this exciting global community.