In 2016 I visited almost 100 Hard Off Stores. Here they are

I think this is increasingly the case with Hard Off in general... someone told them about the internet a couple of years back. But I guess they've always been better for hardware anyway (plus they treat boxed games like shit.)

 

So what can you find at Hard Off stores? Any good buys?

 

If you're lucky you'll find rare stuff at decent prices. The real fun is in the JUNK section where things get pretty cheap.
Most stores tell you what's wrong with it and you can decide if it's worth the price.

Since most Hard Off stores are franchises it is up to the franchisee to set prices. That's why Hard Off stores always have inconsistent prices.
Sometimes you'll find something at a steal.

 

Oh, definitely. I'll bet you found some gems! It just seems less common these days, at least in the Kanto area. They have the Hard Off Net Mall thing at most (all?) the stores now as well.

 

Yes, but most of the Net Mall stuff are expensive highly sought-after collectibles. I'm just shooting for cool finds in the junk bins or cheap, loose carts. It's fun to see what's in the glass cases. Sometimes they have some cool rarities that are just fun to look at. I started going to Hard Off stores when N64 mini Hori Pads were usually 100 to 500 yen. Now they're in glass cases usually set at 5000 yen or more. Out of all those stores I went to last year I only found ONE mini hori pad at 324 yen. That's one of the items I use to gauge the prices at different Hard Off locations.

 

Haha, yeah, exactly the same experience with the Hori pads. I even dug one out from the bottom of a box recently and it was still 5000 yen or something. I've seen a couple of places with glass cases approaching Mandarake levels of rare items. It's fun to look at, like you say, but the pricing doesn't seem realistic anymore.

 

Now that is one awesome tour. If you're a geek and like used stuff and finding hidden gems or sometimes finding a surprisingly good selection, then hit every Hard Off in Japan. Each one is different.

 

I was also wondering. Is it like a Best Buy except for gaming stuff?

 

No, that would be Geo although the do movies too.

 

Gotcha. I might of missed it in the thread but what does hard off sell? Looks interesting from the pictures.

 

Basically all sorts of household electronics from games to stereos to cameras and instruments. They've got it all.