Hi

I am going to Japan May 28 - June 4. Are there any kinds of items that they have over there that we do not have here in the US. Can I bring these items (I am thinking electronic) back to the US and sell them. Also on the flip side, is there anything I can bring over there they don't have alot of, and sell or barter overseas. Thanks.

Ricky

You will find a number of electronic/photo devices that are either not available in the US yet or at all. Unfortunately, you'll find that the prices in Japan don't afford you many deals that will allow you to purchase, pay the duty in the US, and sell at a profit... in fact, you'll likely lose money in the long run.

The great pricing equalizer is eBay and you'll find that on electronic items there are a number of overseas sellers (HK especially) that can purchase the items duty free and then ship them to the buyer for far less than you ever would with items coming from Japan. In many cases the value of the items falls under the customs "grace" and the buyer doesn't have to pay any duty either. On small items shipping is surprisingly low. I've purchased a number of mobile phone handsets this way and have found it to be fairly cheap and reliable.

Two words: vintage toys. Every time I go to Japan I bring back some and make good money on them. I personally know a lot about Macross stuff (was big ~20 yrs ago). I would reccomend searching on ebay for Macross and Takatoku (one of the prime makers of Takatoku Toys from the 1980s). Make sure you only buy the vintage stuff as the newer stuff is readily available from people in HKG. I would also check out imported Playstation 2 games and stuff. I would check prices on ebay (most of the vintage stuff is expensive) and have rough prices written down when you go anywhere (to shop). Akihibara (a Tokyo district) is a wonderful place for this stuff. I got some $25 clearance PS2 games and 3x VF-1Js (1 was ~1900 yen and the others were ~2900!!) and sold the PS2 games for ~$40 each and the VF-1Js for ~$80 each. Not that bad for ~2 hours of work. I would definitely shop around (and definitely know what you're buying will sell for before you buy it) before buying anything. I didn't really see any internet cafes, although your hotel might have PCs with free internet access (mine did). If there are items in cases, take a number from the case (they should be on there) and find a salesperson and point. They will always open it up for you to examine before buying and the salespeople are very nice (and always willing to put up with people that don't speak japanese).

And have a great time in Japan. Shouldn't be that bad when you're visiting - maybe a little humid and some rain (and a little hot, but oh well...)

I'm over there during that time as well, maybe we should have a FT DO.

Buy some Pocky Men's Chocolates. And pocari sweat.

we love our yukatas (summer kimono/cotton bathrobes). still quite reasonably priced, and very well made.

I brought home a contemporary scroll (wall hanging) that is both beautiful and a great memento of Japan. Added bonus is that it's relatively small for packing purposes.

How about an electronic Kanji translator? I'm kind of old fashioned so normally carry a couple of Kanji dictionaries with me but these things seem very practical for anyone involved with Japan.

I always pick up art supplies to bring back for myself as well as sell to my artist friends. So much of what we use is manufactured in Japan that I can often find cool new things a year or two before they appear in the US.

buy some of the world's best green tea.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Another question, how much do you have to spend at one place to get duty free? I heard it was 100,000 yen? If I can buy all my souveniers at one department store, I could save alot on tax? Also, should the prospect of rain be a big concern to me? Does it rain all day there and all night, or just at spot times? By the way, Richard in SF, what dates will you be there. I am staying in Crowne Plaza from Priceline. Where are you staying?

Rickdog99, if you are staying at Crown Plaza, remember to apply for the Priority Card before u reach there. You could get your free english dailies with the card. But of course, u dun get points for stays from priceline.

I've gotten the newspapers from the Metropolitan without the card before (most recently in Jan.). The weird thing is that this hotel doesn't give the same newspaper consistenly (one day you might get Mainichi whereas the next you might get Yomiuri).

I don't know about the consumption tax refund stuff. There (in touristy areas) are duty free stores too. You can probably find it online.

You shouldn't be that concerned about the rain. It might rain, but just find a store and buy an umbrella - they're one of the few things that seem cheap.

The threshold for getting consumption tax back has got to be way below Y100,000! I would say Y10,000 or there might not be any threshold -- but it isn't a big deal, you will only get back 5%!

I see the Crown Plaza is in Ikebukuro. There is a plan afoot to have a Thorn Tree (Lonely Planet board) gathering -- called for some obscure Australian reason, a "pissup" -- currently scheduled for Saturday night, May 28, meeting in Ikebukuro. FTers are also of course welcome, anyone interested?

The tax free threshold is Y10,000 in a single purchase (at least check). Unlike the inconvenient claim-back systems in most countries, in Japan the tax is deducted then and there, and you're supposed to register the item in question with Customs when you leave. Note that tax-free shopping is very much the exception in Japan, not the rule, but most tourist-oriented shops and the large electronics superstores in Akihabara/Shinjuku can handle it.

I would forget about trying to make money leveraging goods you don't much care about, Japan is just too darn expensive for that.