Planning a Collection at Publisher List Prices
Budget for missing story material, with dated publisher list figures and explicit repeated-volume costs.
Build a manga budget around the material you still need, then attach a dated publisher list price to each candidate purchase. A full-run total is useful for a new collection; it is less useful when most of that run is already on the shelf. Repeated material belongs in the decision alongside the amount paid.
Three prices, two different goals
Checked October 8, 2026, VIZ’s US print listings show Death Note single 1 and single 2 at $11.99 each, and Black Edition 1 at $19.99. The Black Edition description explicitly collects original volumes 1 and 2. These are publisher list figures, not a retailer offer, delivery quote or stock observation.
| Goal | Candidate | List amount | Repeated original material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start with originals 1–2 | Two singles | $23.98 | None assumed |
| Start with originals 1–2 | Black Edition 1 | $19.99 | None assumed |
| Own single 1; add original 2 | Single 2 | $11.99 | None |
| Own single 1; add original 2 | Black Edition 1 | $19.99 | Original 1 |
For a fresh two-volume start, the collected book is $3.99 lower at those list figures. For someone retaining single 1 and seeking only original 2, it requires $8.00 more than single 2 while repeating the first original. Those calculations do not assign a value to trim size or a preference for one binding. They make the financial consequence of that preference visible.
Reserve room for the actual order
Keep book subtotal, delivery charges and applicable tax as separate entries. Fill the latter two from the actual seller’s checkout before committing. If a seller offers a discount, replace the relevant list figure for that comparison and label the result as that seller’s offer, rather than carrying a dated publisher total into a claim about today’s cheapest route.
A practical worksheet needs product title, edition, ISBN, supplied original material, material already owned, dated list amount and actual order total. Add one row per purchase. When two alternatives collect overlapping material, compare the alternatives separately rather than adding both to the same completion budget.
Budget for the commitment you intend
If the goal is to try a series, price the opening purchase. If the goal is to finish an existing shelf, price the missing material. If the goal is to replace the shelf with another edition, repeated material is deliberate and should be counted as such. The same list price can support all three decisions without making them the same purchase.
Consult the Death Note edition guide for the formats and edition-switching guide for continuity. Record the figures and date beside the calculation; a useful collecting budget remains understandable after a publisher changes a price.
Own Death Note
Explore Death Note in book form. Check the listing for the edition, language and volumes included. This purchase link is separate from the sources cited in the guide.
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