Travel Technology - Shopping for electronics - TYO or HKG?

I have two trips coming up to the Far-East. Which of the two places are better (cheaper) for electronics (ipods + accessories, optics for DSLR, etc) ?

I know Tokyo quite well, have some favourite places in Akihabara, but HK is something new (last time there were in 1989)

Throw in Seoul as well, though from earlier experience Tokyo used to be better.

I was quite disappointed with HKG when I was there, electronics-wise. I found Seoul and Tokyo pretty equivalent - with cheaper prices mostly, but not always, going by country of origin. For Japanese DSLR, Tokyo is better, though the dealers around Namdaemoon in Seoul are often competitive. Apple was Japan all the way, although I think Apple have been building up their presence in Korea recently.

I tended to trawl kakaku.com (Japan) and danawa.com (Korea) before making a purchase.

Ditto the HKG sentiment. The vendors there will never sell below cost, so deals are hard to come by. The locals would snatch them up and resell at street price if it ever happens. :D

Tokyo is generally better for new products, and great for second hand. There are lots of smaller stores on the back streets of Akihabara dealing in second hand goods. Second hand electronics, cameras and lenses are often in great to like new condition and in original packaging.

Another :td: for electronics in HKG. Japan is the place to go. Other than Akihabara, perhaps you should also consider Shinjuku/Harajuku?

Thx for the replies, I'll stick to good ol' Akihabara then (Shinjuku is also good with its huge Yodobashi store + neighbourhood, but somewhat off my general route)*

It means more time for the stuff I'd have bought in Tokyo to be used in HKG

* NB even at Tokyo station you can pick up amazing deals. Used Nikon D80 bodies in the neighobourhood of 100 euros... :eek:

The only + to HKG is its computer malls. Went to one in Wanchai, and another in Kowloon. Can be fun to wander around, for off-brand finds, like cases or cables or other accessories. But name-brand stuff is no savings at all.


Yodobashi in Akihabara, btw, is accessory and gadget heaven.

I'd love any tips on where to buy inexpensive used Camera equipment in Tokyo...

thanks

I've seen some great bargains at Map Camera in Shinjuku: http://www.mapcamera.com/

There are some items not available in Tokyo such as cellphones without subsidy lock. The electronic market near the Metro WanChai station mentioned above is worth a visit.

For desktop PC stuff, the GuanWua Market in Taipei is best. There is a store specialized in cooling, heatsink, fans etc.

There is a used camera department at the Softmap store on the main drag in Akihabara, in the basement. There is a smaller Softmap store for used equipment on the back street too.

There are two used camera equipment stores in Nipponbashi near Namba, Osaka that has older equipment such as Leica, Nikon etc.

The only + to HKG is its computer malls. Went to one in Wanchai, and another in Kowloon. Can be fun to wander around, for off-brand finds, like cases or cables or other accessories. But name-brand stuff is no savings at all.

Right! Golden Computer Centre in Sham Shui Po or 188 Centre in Wanchai are great ways to squander time! Also, if you're looking for game systems, they come pre-modded. ;)

For most electronics you will find that the best prices, by far for the last decade are.....in the US. Once upon a time you could get stuff in Tokyo way before it was released elsewhere, while there are the occaional models or technologies that are available in Japan first, if successful they roll out everywhere quite quickly. Quite frankly Hong Kong has never had great deals compared to the US. As noted above, one CAN get cheap generic things (dongles/cables/accesories) but nothing really of substance.

US has great prices that is true. But each one of these places, Taipei, Tokyo, HKG also have their niche.

Akihabara has those hard to find gadgets. I pickup a CF to 44 pin PATA adapter for my X40 Thinkpad, an adapter for ATX power supplies to make it into a 5V, 12V power source. There are shops with tube audio amplifiers, the ability to compare newest lenses from 3-4 brands, a wall full of flash diffusers and a display case full of tripod heads. Found the best #1 Phillips head power driver blade that you can't buy at Home Depot.

HKG may not be the cheapest but you can buy a Nokia or Sony/Ericsson factory unlocked phone.

Taipei markets had the ASUS eeePC with SSD before any other markets. There was a shop dedicated to PC cooling and sound isolation, heatsinks, fans, rubber gaskets galore.

I've always found the electronics in HKG to be a bit cheaper than tokyo but that tokyo was more cutting edge. that said, I have been taken around places (like to the cheap computer markets) by locals in HKG so that helps

For camera gear in Tokyo (especially secondhand stuff) the shops on the north side of Nakano station are quite a bit cheaper than akihabara/shinjuku

For most electronics you will find that the best prices, by far for the last decade are.....in the US. Once upon a time you could get stuff in Tokyo way before it was released elsewhere, while there are the occaional models or technologies that are available in Japan first, if successful they roll out everywhere quite quickly. Quite frankly Hong Kong has never had great deals compared to the US. As noted above, one CAN get cheap generic things (dongles/cables/accesories) but nothing really of substance.

While the US has definitely been cheap for the last 2 years or so with the weakling greenback, it's not exactly en route from Europe to Japan or Hong Kong :)

Depends what route you take!

I have been enormously disappointed both in Tokyo and Hong Kong. In Tokyo you can certainly find things that you cant find anywhere else. But in terms of price, almost everything I have seen is much more expensive than in the US. The prices I saw in Akihabara on cell phones for instance were absolutely laughable, like double what they were in the US. In terms of price I dont think you can come close to US internet prices or prices at places like J&R, B&H or Adorama in Tokyo or HKG.

I have been enormously disappointed both in Tokyo and Hong Kong. In Tokyo you can certainly find things that you cant find anywhere else. But in terms of price, almost everything I have seen is much more expensive than in the US. The prices I saw in Akihabara on cell phones for instance were absolutely laughable, like double what they were in the US. In terms of price I dont think you can come close to US internet prices or prices at places like J&R, B&H or Adorama in Tokyo or HKG.

Presumably the GSM cellphones you would have seen were for international use only - so not a lot of domestic price competition for those.

Presumably the GSM cellphones you would have seen were for international use only - so not a lot of domestic price competition for those.

Yes. Even cameras though were more than in the US. Stuff not available in the US sure. But stuff that is sold internationally is typically a lot more in Japan, although not twice as much.

With a weak dollar, all the world is expensive for Americans... however, for us Europeans (stong-euro) Asia is cheap, though the US is even cheaper.

(BTW cell phones are one thing I wouldn't by abroad)

There is a big chain store in HKG called Broadway. Great selection of unlocked phones although not the cheapest prices in HKG. I bought a Nokia UMTS phone for use everywhere including Japan. Our company uses CDMA carrier in the U.S.

internet pricing and availability are really another set of issues. I presume we are talking about walking up to a real store. There are those items that I would scourer the web for and those that I only buy in the U.S.

It is good that the OP will be spending Euro. Euro is high because there is scarcity of Euro world wide. Airbus had already gone on record the intention to move to dollar based suppliers since they are selling in dollar base and buying in Euro base, big problem. But they still have to pay labor in Euro.

Just back from Tokyo, Seoul & Hongkong. With the strong yen and the weak won, Seoul beats the other two on price by a large margin.

Just back from Tokyo, Seoul & Hongkong. With the strong yen and the weak won, Seoul beats the other two on price by a large margin.

Also just back from Seoul - this is true, but the weak won is also putting off importers of Japanese goods in particular, and stocks of certain things might dry up.

(I picked up a Nintendo DS Lite for 128k - under US$90 - in Yongsan. Plenty of those in stock!)

To be honest, nowhere in the world is perfect.

I find excellent off the wall products for PC's in Hong Kong (obscure items in the Computer malls), Breaking edge stuff in Tokyo (Akihabara) and unique products in Germany that you can't find in the US (Media Markt)

I actually find the US has a terrible selection in this regards, with BestBuy having a really dumbed down approach. What I can get in retail in Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Germany I have to get through Amazon.com in the US - The selection in the US is terrible + some of the bad habits in the US really IRK me. The US still sells HDMI cables for $90 where in Germany the same cable is 10 euros.

Now for unlocked mobile phones I find Hong Kong to be the best.

and you are from Southern California? Ever hear of Fry's? Unless going for a mainstream commodity product that is heavily discounted, no knowledgable shopper shops at BB or CC. Having recently been in Germany and the US and needing several HDMI cable's, I found Germany to average about 25 Euros and the US $15, so I am not sure what you are talking about.

and you are from Southern California? Ever hear of Fry's? Unless going for a mainstream commodity product that is heavily discounted, no knowledgable shopper shops at BB or CC. Having recently been in Germany and the US and needing several HDMI cable's, I found Germany to average about 25 Euros and the US $15, so I am not sure what you are talking about.

I avoid Fry's half of the stuff is pre-returned and their employees are generally idiots.

For cables I've been using online guys for years, 20 ft HDMI cables for $19...

I can generally get what Fry's has online cheaper - doesn't mean I don't shop there, I just don't LIKE to shop there.

SO you're telling me you can find cables for USD $15 at a national chain in the US?? Last I looked it was $70 for the cheapest cable. Whereas a shleppy chain anywhere else in the world you don't pay over $40. Fry's is too far spread apart to be a real chain outside of Calif. And the 15 USD Fry's cables I purchased before frayed near the connectors, there are better cables online for that price with better quality.

ummm, I just told you basically that well informed people do not sh at the bigest big box stores, therefore your challenge about a "national chain" rings a bit hollow, especially as two of the big thee are out of buisness or wll be soon (Comp USA and CC). Regarding Fry's, you were talking about selection, and quite frankly their seletion and range is greater than any Media Markt, Darty, or whatever euro-chain you want to throw into the debate (for the uninformed Darty and Media Markt are the Euro equivalents of Best Buy and Circuit City, just increase the prices of about everything - but HDMI cables by about 50%).

Online whether in Europe or the US generally has more cheaper options, you know that already, that's why online has thrived, its easy when you don't have those pesky overheads like retail rent and salespeople.

Personally I generally shop for many of these bits at B&H or J&R, which you are going discount as either being too regional (NY), or online. Truth be told, unless you live outside of the top ten cities or so in the US, you are stuck with moronic big box stores. Much like many Europeans are stuck with theirs.

ummm, I just told you basically that well informed people do not sh at the bigest big box stores, therefore your challenge about a "national chain" rings a bit hollow, especially as two of the big thee are out of buisness or wll be soon (Comp USA and CC). Regarding Fry's, you were talking about selection, and quite frankly their seletion and range is greater than any Media Markt, Darty, or whatever euro-chain you want to throw into the debate (for the uninformed Darty and Media Markt are the Euro equivalents of Best Buy and Circuit City, just increase the prices of about everything - but HDMI cables by about 50%).

Online whether in Europe or the US generally has more cheaper options, you know that already, that's why online has thrived, its easy when you don't have those pesky overheads like retail rent and salespeople.

Personally I generally shop for many of these bits at B&H or J&R, which you are going discount as either being too regional (NY), or online. Truth be told, unless you live outside of the top ten cities or so in the US, you are stuck with moronic big box stores. Much like many Europeans are stuck with theirs.

I agree with B&H and J&R, but Fry's sucks in regards to opened merchandise and those here in Calif know it.... What I see on Fry's I can get online cheaper in many cases and in an unopened box. THAT WAS MY POINT. *AND* Yes, I have picked up MANY devices at MediaMarkt cheaper than at Fry's - MediaMarkt's major disadvantage is the high VAT. (still though anything there is cheaper than in the UK) Agree there are cheaper German guys for better pricing, but I'm talking in general - in general the selection of devices in the US MAJOR stores is terrible compared to the rest of the world.

Yes, I have picked up MANY devices at MediaMarkt cheaper than at Fry's - MediaMarkt's major disadvantage is the high VAT. (still though anything there is cheaper than in the UK)

As you seem to be non-EU resident, you can get a good portion of the VAT back at the border/airport via the Tax-Free scheme when leaving the EU. I'm not sure though if MM offers TaxFree.

As you seem to be non-EU resident, you can get a good portion of the VAT back at the border/airport via the Tax-Free scheme when leaving the EU. I'm not sure though if MM offers TaxFree.

I have an EU passport, so it doesn't work for me :(

I have an EU passport, so it doesn't work for me :(

I'm not sure if it's a question of passport or residency. Way back I had EU-residency permit in my (then) non-EU passport and was denied TaxFree, so it may be the residency that matters. Should read the small print on those cheques.

I'm not sure if it's a question of passport or residency. Way back I had EU-residency permit in my (then) non-EU passport and was denied TaxFree, so it may be the residency that matters. Should read the small print on those cheques.

You are correct, I still have a German Residence Permit so I generally get denied even though I have a UK passport :( I need to get the silly thing turned back in.