Buzz Rickson A-2

[Sloan1874]

Not to divert the thread too far, but I picked up an almost-new BR sweatshirt on eBay for just £45 yesterday. Considering the cost £130 new over here, I consider that a stone-cold bargain.

 

[Big J]

Not to divert the thread too far, but I picked up an almost-new BR sweatshirt on eBay for just £45 yesterday. Considering the cost £130 new over here, I consider that a stone-cold bargain.

That's a bargain! I wish I was one size smaller and could fit in BR clothes!

But it kind of relates back to what I was saying before, that the ¥ has dropped by around 40% against major currencies. Have official BR retailers outside of Japan reduced thier prices accordingly? If not, then someone is laughing all the way to the bank. Maybe I should offer a shopping service from right here in Japan. Members could pay me the Japan ¥ price (plus, say 5%?), and still save themselves around 35%.

 

[bn1966]

B-15C in a 46 for me please :-D

 

[Sloan1874]

Big J, you may have come up with a beezer of an idea there, go for it!

 

[Big J]

Umm, maybe. I'm not sure how much you guys would have to pay in import tax at your end though.

Let me price check a BR B-15C, and see if it's a real proposition.

 

[handymike]

Hey Big J.....What about a RMC A-1 in a 40? (the one with olive knits)

 

[Big J]

To be fair, History Preservation's prices seem almost the same as Japan prices- they are passing on ¥ devaluation savings to the customer, and I think that they deserve credit for that.

But, I did notice that used BR B-15Cs can be had for as little as $150 in Japan...

 

[Monsoon]

But, I did notice that used BR B-15Cs can be had for as little as $150 in Japan...

I've seen that on some sites, I think, but most sizes are like 38 and whatnot. I haven't been a 38 since I was a junior in high school. I'm a 44 now, so it's a bit difficult to track down BR stuff.

 

[devilish]

Just FYI, the B-15C runs pretty wide. I'm a 44 in A-2's and can wear both the 40 and 42 in the B-15C Mod. The 40 is only big enough for a t-shirt underneath but the 42 will accommodate a hooded sweatshirt. To me the limiting factor is more the length, which is typical of all accurate nylon flight jackets, i.e. short.

 

[bn1966]

I hope one day to find a BR B-15C in 46, since handling a smaller sized one last year I've been hooked. I know larger sizes exist (in very small numbers I expect) thanks to a kind posting by one of the Loungers with photos. I nearly pulled the trigger on a 44 but in all probability need the 46 so I held off.

Hey Big J $150 sounds like a bargain, I wouldn't pay much import tax on that :-D But seriously I would be interested and more than happy to pay for a 'shopping service' for that elusive B-15C.

 

[Big J]

I hope one day to find a BR B-15C in 46, since handling a smaller sized one last year I've been hooked. I know larger sizes exist (in very small numbers I expect) thanks to a kind posting by one of the Loungers with photos. I nearly pulled the trigger on a 44 but in all probability need the 46 so I held off.

Hey Big J $150 sounds like a bargain, I wouldn't pay much import tax on that :-D But seriously I would be interested and more than happy to pay for a 'shopping service' for that elusive B-15C.

Thinking about it, is import tax levied on 'used clothing'? I think not.

 

[Monsoon]

Thinking about it, is import tax levied on 'used clothing'? I think not.

I have no idea how the whole import tax deal works. That's why I've always shied away from Rakuten.

 

[Edward]

His huge George Bernard Shoreditch beard ....

:lol:

The photo is initially off-putting... at first I thought there was something badly wrong with the cut, but looking again, I think it's a combination of the stiff, new collar being studded-up like that, and the fact the jacket looks about a size too large all-over on this model. If they're trying to see to Western hipsters, that's about right (the Hipster thing to do seems to be to wear everything either two sizes large or two sizes small, never the right fit), but it is a bit off puttinbg for the rest of us.

That said.... I do like the A2 in black. I did consider a few years ago seeing whether Aero would do me a black A2 with slash handwarmer pockets instead of the patch pockets.... Similar to the Happy Days, yeah, but with that slightly trimmer fit that the A2 has over the former. I didn't pursue it because I fell in with a great deal on my A-M HWM. Looks great, though. I like the contrast stitching too. As a rule I'm not a fan of two-tone jackets that mix black and brown, but here it's very subtle. To have a detail like this be so tucked out of the way so 99.9% of the time only the wearer will ever notice smacks of classiness to me. A nice detail for the man who doesn't care whether other people are impressed by his jacket.

I will never understand the phenomenon A2 jacket leather from Italy, sewing in Japan?or NZ and idea\genesis jacket from USA

I've got photos of me - an Irish boy who lives in London - on holiday in China, wearing an Australian-made hat, bought from a US-based retailer. It's truly a global village.

To be fair, History Preservation's prices seem almost the same as Japan prices- they are passing on ¥ devaluation savings to the customer, and I think that they deserve credit for that.

But, I did notice that used BR B-15Cs can be had for as little as $150 in Japan...

Well under the UK/US price.... could be a nice sideline....

Just FYI, the B-15C runs pretty wide. I'm a 44 in A-2's and can wear both the 40 and 42 in the B-15C Mod. The 40 is only big enough for a t-shirt underneath but the 42 will accommodate a hooded sweatshirt. To me the limiting factor is more the length, which is typical of all accurate nylon flight jackets, i.e. short.

Compared to an A2, it's bigger, but you have to remember the A2 was designed to be worn by a man of chest size X over a shirt and tie.... The B15C as a heavier jacket, designed to be worn by the same sized man over the top of a full flying suit.... The roomier fit I like, but then I'd never consider the B15 a jacket to wear in the same conitions as an A2, but rather a warmer jacket for coler weather, when I might also want a sweater below it.

 

[HPA Rep]

Hi Charles (HPA),

Why was the "History Preservation Associates - Official Affiliate Thread" (http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...e12&highlight=history+preservation+associates) closed?

I am still getting compliments on my Buzz Superior Togs B-10. Also, my "pink" Eastman shirt and Buzz 1944 U. S. Navy Spec. 55-S-20E are great!

Lastly, any updates on the rumors of a future new website?

Thanks,

John

Hi, John:

I'm very pleased to hear your purchases are all soldiering on well and to your satisfaction.

I ended our thread largely due to insufficient time to dedicate to it, which conflicted with other business commitments I had at the time. It's conceivable I'll revive the thread this year if time favors me, though I am also quite motivated to begin work on a significant undertaking that will consume all of my spare time and which would be the culmination of all of my years invested in WWII historiography, so we'll see. But I'll still post here as a member as time may allow and as subjects may warrant.

Cheers!

Charles

 

[HPA Rep]

Hi Charles,

I appreciate your comment, and your position as a vendor.
I am by no means attempting to undermine your business.
I am merely making an observation about the future of the ¥ against the $ based on the Prime Minister of Japan's policy goal of achieving 2% inflation by increasing the monetary base (printing money). Over the last 2 years, the Board of the Bank of Japan (comprising of members hand-picked by the Prime Minister) has doubled the monetary base, causing the ¥ to devalue by 40% against the $ (by the way, are Buzz Rickson's making you pay at a fixed USD price, therefore increasing their profit by 40% when they convert that back into ¥?).

This has had virtually no inflationary impact (less than 1%), and the Prime Minister, after winning re-election last month, reaffirmed his goal of achieving 2% inflation through expanding quantitive easing (euphemistically called 'stimulus' in Japanese). Only this week, he announced another round of 'stimulus', and the Bank of Japan has stated that it is happy to continue printing money. European and US banks, as reported by Bloomberg, are forecasting 1$ at 130-150¥ by fall as a conservative estimate. Some analysts (Fujimaki) are indicating 200+¥.

I just made 10% on my assets by converting my savings from $, to ¥ on Oct 29th, then back to $ on Oct 31st 2014. Your guess that I 'won't be putting any money down in either direction', is an incorrect assumption. I'm not a professional at this (I have a 'proper' job), it's just informed guess work if you can read Japanese and US newspapers, but in the last year I paid off my mortgage in full, bought my wife a new car, and we've had a week in London, and a week in Tahiti (business class travel, 5 star hotels) because I 'put my money down' since Dec 2012.

Yes, I said 'could', as in 'could have a nice little shopping trip to Japan'. Are you against people having shopping trips to Japan?

Hi, Big J:

To answer the question you posed, HPA pays for all our imported goods in the currency of the country of origin, so for Buzz, Sugar Cane, Sun Surf, Lone Wolf and other Japanese brands, we purchase yen to pay our invoices. Since I began dealing with the Japanese many years ago, I've seen massive shifts in the USD/JPY conversion, where the worst for us was around 75 JPY/USD and the best was around 140JPY/USD.

As I said, forecasting future value scenarios is subject to unknown market forces, so while I agree we could see a huge shift by fall, any clear-thinking individual also must acknowledge it could play out differently. And my point remains valid that you were painting a picture in very broad, sweeping terms that failed to account for the unknown variables and select BR items that will not be repeated and/or that are exclusives that will always have just one price associated with them - the price paid at the time the goods were purchased by the vendor.

I'm happy you've been able to make some profit in the current trading conditions and I admit to being incorrect when I suggested you'd not be putting your own money into the game. Good for you! I did this sort of thing many years ago and did well, then I ran into reality and it wasn't so much fun any more. I found the experience not much different than gambling - my winnings (earnings, I suppose) were all but neutralized by my losses.

And also in response to your last question, no, I'm not against people having shopping trips to Japan or anywhere else. I am against misleading information, however.

I'm pasting below an article you and others may find interesting. This is one of the analysts I follow and I find his measured words reflective of someone who knows the true nature of the many uncertainties that comprise currency trading and valuation. It was written Jan. 9, 2015 by David Rodriguez, Quantitative Strategist:

Japanese Yen Reversal Risk Grows - Will History Repeat Itself?

The Japanese Yen snapped a multi-week losing streak for the US Dollar as it rallied noticeably off of recent lows. A slowdown in global economic event risk may produce smaller moves ahead, but we’re watching key levels on the USDJPY as the risk of a larger JPY correction grows.

Traders sent the Japanese currency near fresh multi-year lows into the final trading days of 2014, but an important bounce in the New Year suggests conviction in the JPY-short trade (USDJPY-long) has faded. Price action seems remarkably similar to what happened exactly 12 months ago: the USDJPY topped on the first trading day of 2014 on its way to a four percent correction. A comparable move would send the Dollar to ¥115 before a resumption in the overall uptrend.

A relatively quiet week in both Japan and the US nonetheless suggests traders may wait until the following week’s highly-anticipated Bank of Japan policy meeting to force big Yen moves. Yet traders should keep a close eye on USDJPY price action as it trades at potentially significant price support, and a break below month-to-date lows near ¥118 could force a larger move towards December’s trough at ¥115.60.

A strong correlation between the Japanese Yen and the Nikkei 225/US S&P 500 tells us the next big USDJPY move could coincide with equity market turmoil. An important drop in the S&P Volatility Index (VIX) shows that few fear any such tumbles, but market conditions can and do change quite quickly.

Overall outlook for the Dollar and Japanese Yen in 2015 make a USDJPY-long position one of our favorite trades of the year. Yet a year is a long stretch of time in trading markets, and prices do not move in straight lines. We are cautious on fresh USDJPY-long positions given clear risk of a larger short-term correction—particularly ahead of the Bank of Japan meeting on January 20.

Cheers!

Charles

 

[HPA Rep]

To be fair, History Preservation's prices seem almost the same as Japan prices- they are passing on ¥ devaluation savings to the customer, and I think that they deserve credit for that.

But, I did notice that used BR B-15Cs can be had for as little as $150 in Japan...

Thank you, Big J: we do pass on the savings to customers. The same was true when the yen was going in the other direction not so long ago.

Charles

 

[HPA Rep]

Thinking about it, is import tax levied on 'used clothing'? I think not.

Customs duty can be applied in the USA for imported used clothing. There are volumes of harmonized tariff codes that can apply to clothing and you really need an import specialist to help you navigate through this to determine which has the correct application for your merchandise.

The worst commodity from Japan I've run into is leather-welted footwear: HTS 6403.91.3025. This applies a customs duty of 45% on footwear of this type.

It's a joke someone in our House of Representatives came up with in response to the preposterous notion that high-quality footwear from Japan was in some way killing the U. S. footwear industry. What footwear industry is that? It's been dead and buried here for 15-20 years and it was cheap footwear from the third world that killed the quality footwear market in the USA and not anything from Japan.

Take a pair of Buzz Rickson's Type III Service Shoes or Lone Wolf Mechanic Boots. You can have the same shoe style made in China as in Japan (not the same quality), but because China has special trading status, that footwear will incur a duty of about 6%.

If we didn't receive special incentives from the manufacturer, we couldn't sell any Japanese footwear in the USA. HPA's prices on our Japanese footwear are the best in the world, unless you're planning on falsifying customs documents, which can incur a felony charge.

 

[HPA Rep]

Hi Charles (HPA),


Lastly, any updates on the rumors of a future new website?

Thanks,

John

After extreme pain, toil and frustration, this should be launched next week, after which new features and sections will appear over time. I'll be sure to post here next week when it's live. I can't describe how much I'm looking forward to this being over ...