I'll probably won't have time to visit this forum as often in the next few weeks as I need to study for my finals..sob sob..but there is a question I really wanna ask especially to Adol and Mundocombo. I played JP games when I was young especially SS games. I chose SS over PS and I remember there were so many debates about which system was better when they first came out. This is why I really want to go for a complete collection of SS JP games and probably some other systems as well. However, what I wanna know is how do you guys get a complete collection of DC games and many other systems (Adol) and MD (Mundocombo). Do you buy them piece by piece off of Yahoo Japan or do you have some connection? I was told by some person that Adol used to own a video game import store in France (not sure how accurate that is) so he has alot of contact him Japan and that's why he was able to get complete collection of games for so many JP system. I can't imagine what it will cost of shipping and commission for me me to buy them piece by piece from Yahoo Japan especially since I used ShoppingMallJapan. They charge me at least $5 per game. I can't afford to pay that extra cost. I visited Japan twice to find games, once in Tokyo and once in Osaka. It could probably be the time I went or maybe I did not look in the right place but I wasn't able to find minty copies of games. I actually took 13,000 USD worth of japanese yen cash with me but I wasn't able to buy too many games. I am probably as anal as Muchocombo when it comes to condition. Both trips disappointed me... Do you have any leads or advice for me to do it in a more efficient and less costly manner? Many thanks in advance
I think your biggest concern is going to be shipping, and of course, the auction fees. SMJ's fees are reasonable (there's a minimal amount of work involved in one transaction). Shipping over a box of games is heavy though...even w/ their special freight service they have (I've moved from and to Japan w/ a lot of boxes... it hurts). Your best bet is to find someone in Japan who will bid (or at least recieve) a huge box of games on your behalf. You could schedule your pickup to coincide with a trip. You can find Saturn games by the hundreds on YJ. You can check the Japanese Postal Service website for their freight costs. Even still, you're going to get to a point where you have to find obscurities. They may not be expensive, but might pop up on YJ between 1,000 and 3,000 yen. To get it, you'll have to go through a deputy service and pay some fees which are high for singles. It's the end of that's going to get painful.
You're best off trying to use yahoo japan. Don't expect perfection, for those kind of things you'd need to find our Japanese equal.
Which simply does not exist. Other than 2ch, it's hard to find a centrally located group of Japanese game enthusiasts. And 2ch is overkill at it's finest.
I guess my best bet is use yahoo japan. I am just extremely curious how collectors like Adol or Munchocombo (don't know how to spell his name) amass their collection. Especially Munchocombo since he said he would go as far as to buy a game 8 times to get the perfect condition. I hope to have such a big collection some day.
No normal person is going to understand that level of collecting. It's more about a personal sense of self satisfaction. "New" is "new" to 99.999% of the people. The 0.001% who check for nicks on the edges, or creases on the flaps are rare. It's also hard to convery that sense of pristine condition to normal people, so it makes some things hard to sell. To some people "mint" just means that no one has stepped on it.
Haha. I know exactly what you are talking about. Lots of people throw around terms like "new" and "mint" and it's actually opened and goobered up. Mint condition to me means pretty much perfection, absolutely nothing taken away from its factory made state. No dings, no scratches, perfect. That's why you must be careful what you choose to believe about an item's description.
A good way to save on shipping is to have the CD jewel cases removed. You'll save about 40-50% overall. You can buy new jewel cases in your home country and still come out pretty far ahead, plus you'll have shiny new cases for everything.
Or every other gaijin that goes into a game shop in Japan. Seriously, yesterday I was in Mandarake in Nakano and one french guy got every copy of Dracula X and check each copy of nicks and dents, he even got a magnifying glass out when he was checking a sealed copy of Harmful Park they had in the shop and to make it better he was even speaking English loudly to the shop assistant that had a basic grasp of English at best. 'DOES THIS GAME HAVE A SPINE CARD', "Errrrr... Nani?" ¬_¬
I hate people like that. They really get under my skin. To me a mint game means the CD is scratch free, spine card and reg' card included and no bends, rips or general "looks used" creases on the instruction book. No big deal if I open a factory sealed game and the booklet may have a slight tinny kink in the corner. There are the normal collectors who like their stuff in good shape and then there are the eccentrics. Oh and at the other end of the scale you have the gobshite who describes something as mint yet it's F*cked up in every way possible. Yakumo
Yeah some people take it to an extreme, which can be quite funny and worrying at the same time. I'm happy as long as the general condition is good and doesn't look like the pet dog has been ten rounds with it. I find that SNES and NES games (or any fomat that come in waffer thin cardboard boxes) are one of the hardest to collect in nice condition, as often the boxes are ripped, have nasty marks were stickers have been removed, etc, but If I don't have a game and the price is good I would still propably buy it.
Maybe I fit in the 0.001%. ^_^ I don't like boxes with dents and creases, but I don't mind a little bit of wear and stuff. I was really trying hard to get games in perfect condition but what helped me most was settling for a little less and I feel much better for that. ^_^
One question I would like answered: Do 'mint' neat freaks also have spotless houses? I wonder on the psychology of this kind of phenomena.
Stares at spotless, clean, shite free desk everyone commented on, then stares at pile of broken, crappy looking consoles I purchased in readiness for getting hands dirty. Hmmm, I wonder? It's a need to get dead units back to working and clean condition and I will freely admit to having an OCD (under control). There's probably a damned good psychology thesis in that notion. The desire for some people to own items in MINT condition rather than used. The need to have items other people don't. The passion of finding items untouched by the human hand, still in their wrapper. I genuinely cannot understand why ANYONE would buy an expensive item all sealed up and leave it like that. But, whatever floats your boat. A tad obsessive?
what can I say, one man's trash, the other man's wife said an old man once. I do not see extra value in sealed or boxed items myself.
Maybe nobody would answer now? Referring to them as "neat freaks" isn't the best thing. I find it hard to reply properly to comments like that and I just don't say anything. But because sometimes I might like to collect items that are sealed, I get labled as something, and it just feels unwelcoming sometimes.
