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Finds and Deals - Leather Jacket Edition

Monitor

Monitor

Messages
16,842
Coriu said:
Thanks for explaining that. Is this a Japanese phenomenon or are others doing it? I don't see sellers in US functioning this way.
Click to expand...

There'd be no purpose to operate this way from the US or elsewhere as eBay sells stuff worldwide by default, while Japanese do not. Not 100% sure on this but I don't think it's even possible to complete a transaction on Yahoo Auctions if you're not in Japan (preferred method of payment over Yahoo Auctions is very often a direct bank transfer, preferably with paper trail or something antiquated like that lol).
Either way, vast majority of Yahoo Auctions sellers flat out refuse to ship internationally so hiring a middlemen shipping service is mandatory for most anything you wanna get across.

But these proxy services like Buyee are widely used and are very reliable nowadays and they allow all kinds of payment methods so it's really as simple as buying on eBay. Just that there are still people who don't know about it, same as there are people who aren't aware of just how massive the heritage market is on Yahoo Auctions and all the treasures it holds and since it definitely won't pop up in your search engine, eBay is all there is.
 
R

Rgcards

A-List Customer
Messages
490
s-l1600.jpg
I thought monitor would be all over this lewis leather

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114792679643?hash=item1aba2d48db:g:LiMAAOSwHk9ec6po s-l1600 (1).jpg
 
C

Claybertrand

One Too Many
Messages
1,548
Monitor said:
There'd be no purpose to operate this way from the US or elsewhere as eBay sells stuff worldwide by default, while Japanese do not. Not 100% sure on this but I don't think it's even possible to complete a transaction on Yahoo Auctions if you're not in Japan (preferred method of payment over Yahoo Auctions is very often a direct bank transfer, preferably with paper trail or something antiquated like that lol).
Either way, vast majority of Yahoo Auctions sellers flat out refuse to ship internationally so hiring a middlemen shipping service is mandatory for most anything you wanna get across.

But these proxy services like Buyee are widely used and are very reliable nowadays and they allow all kinds of payment methods so it's really as simple as buying on eBay. Just that there are still people who don't know about it, same as there are people who aren't aware of just how massive the heritage market is on Yahoo Auctions and all the treasures it holds and since it definitely won't pop up in your search engine, eBay is all there is.
Click to expand...


I am not trying to be derogatory. I appreciate everyone's attention and insight into the Japanese Pricing Phenomenon...... its a very interesting topic. The economic system and the costs importation of goods to an island nation etc. do all create a different environment.

One thing I find strangely absent from the process from the Japanese sellers is just a very simple, I believe very logical aspect of selling something that I would THINK would be universal: KNOW YOUR MARKET. And I don't think this is something that cultural differences can render unimportant. Quite the contrary---cultural differences make it imperative that you know your market.

You're trying to SELL an item. Not list it. Who cares how much you list it for if you can't sell it for that price???!!

My thing is---How hard is it to look at an item you have, and then research what it is selling for to come up with a range that would entice buyers to buy the item?? If I'm going to sell something in Japan, and I actually WANT TO SELL THE ITEM, I will research what the item goes for in Japan and price accordingly. Obviously obscure items may not have much of a comparison market but you still do some due diligence to best position the item for sale. Was this easy to do 50 years ago??? NO. Is this very feasible today with the Internet and web browsers that translate and currency exchange converters at your fingertips etc.??? YES it is.

Obviously we are talking more about small time sellers and not some International Company but the same principle of knowing your market should apply on a smaller more simple scale. And I see plenty of domestic Sellers with the same blind spot of NOT knowing the market for things they are selling. So this is something that cuts across cultural lines here.

The same principle can be applied to some Chinese businesses. I do some work involving companies that manufacture in China and are looking to penetrate the market here in the U.S. They put money into doing web pages and ads and English language packaging but they use Chinese English speakers or translators. Why not hire AMERICANS to tell you what to say to other AMERICANS??? I tell them this all the time!!!!! If I were marketing in China, do you think I'd trust some non-Chinese person to write my ads??????? Hell no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The language barrier is too great to simply gloss over and not pay attention to. This is business. The stakes are too high to be so complacent.

KNOW your market and tailor your sales and advertising toward your market. No one cares if YOU understand the ad. YOU are the seller. Your Buyers need to understand the ad and the pricing needs to be logical.

It's just very interesting to me how some people go about "marketing" things.
 
M

Mandarin

Practically Family
Messages
654
Claybertrand said:
I am not trying to be derogatory. I appreciate everyone's attention and insight into the Japanese Pricing Phenomenon...... its a very interesting topic. The economic system and the costs importation of goods to an island nation etc. do all create a different environment.

One thing I find strangely absent from the process from the Japanese sellers is just a very simple, I believe very logical aspect of selling something that I would THINK would be universal: KNOW YOUR MARKET. And I don't think this is something that cultural differences can render unimportant. Quite the contrary---cultural differences make it imperative that you know your market.

You're trying to SELL an item. Not list it. Who cares how much you list it for if you can't sell it for that price???!!

My thing is---How hard is it to look at an item you have, and then research what it is selling for to come up with a range that would entice buyers to buy the item?? If I'm going to sell something in Japan, and I actually WANT TO SELL THE ITEM, I will research what the item goes for in Japan and price accordingly. Obviously obscure items may not have much of a comparison market but you still do some due diligence to best position the item for sale. Was this easy to do 50 years ago??? NO. Is this very feasible today with the Internet and web browsers that translate and currency exchange converters at your fingertips etc.??? YES it is.

Obviously we are talking more about small time sellers and not some International Company but the same principle of knowing your market should apply on a smaller more simple scale. And I see plenty of domestic Sellers with the same blind spot of NOT knowing the market for things they are selling. So this is something that cuts across cultural lines here.

The same principle can be applied to some Chinese businesses. I do some work involving companies that manufacture in China and are looking to penetrate the market here in the U.S. They put money into doing web pages and ads and English language packaging but they use Chinese English speakers or translators. Why not hire AMERICANS to tell you what to say to other AMERICANS??? I tell them this all the time!!!!! If I were marketing in China, do you think I'd trust some non-Chinese person to write my ads??????? Hell no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The language barrier is too great to simply gloss over and not pay attention to. This is business. The stakes are too high to be so complacent.

KNOW your market and tailor your sales and advertising toward your market. No one cares if YOU understand the ad. YOU are the seller. Your Buyers need to understand the ad and the pricing needs to be logical.

It's just very interesting to me how some people go about "marketing" things.
Click to expand...


Words of wisdom
 
C

Coriu

One Too Many
Messages
1,154
Location
Virginia
Claybertrand said:
I am not trying to be derogatory. I appreciate everyone's attention and insight into the Japanese Pricing Phenomenon...... its a very interesting topic. The economic system and the costs importation of goods to an island nation etc. do all create a different environment.

I appreciate your comments. I'll share a story from China that demonstrates how differently some cultures look at pricing. My host took me to a tea room where affluent locals went to buy tea. I wanted to buy several different teas as a gift for my brother. The price of one tea was about $100US. I asked if I could purchase 5 different teas, but much smaller quantities of each...a sampler pack, if you will. I was shocked when I was told the cost would be $500...basically the same price as if I was buying 5 full-sized bags. Even my host was baffled by my expectation that I should expect to pay less for a lesser quantity. In other words, you can have as little as you like, but you are still going to pay $100.
Click to expand...
 
C

Coriu

One Too Many
Messages
1,154
Location
Virginia
Claybertrand said:
I am not trying to be derogatory. I appreciate everyone's attention and insight into the Japanese Pricing Phenomenon...... its a very interesting topic. The economic system and the costs importation of goods to an island nation etc. do all create a different environment.

One thing I find strangely absent from the process from the Japanese sellers is just a very simple, I believe very logical aspect of selling something that I would THINK would be universal: KNOW YOUR MARKET. And I don't think this is something that cultural differences can render unimportant. Quite the contrary---cultural differences make it imperative that you know your market.

You're trying to SELL an item. Not list it. Who cares how much you list it for if you can't sell it for that price???!!

My thing is---How hard is it to look at an item you have, and then research what it is selling for to come up with a range that would entice buyers to buy the item?? If I'm going to sell something in Japan, and I actually WANT TO SELL THE ITEM, I will research what the item goes for in Japan and price accordingly. Obviously obscure items may not have much of a comparison market but you still do some due diligence to best position the item for sale. Was this easy to do 50 years ago??? NO. Is this very feasible today with the Internet and web browsers that translate and currency exchange converters at your fingertips etc.??? YES it is.

Obviously we are talking more about small time sellers and not some International Company but the same principle of knowing your market should apply on a smaller more simple scale. And I see plenty of domestic Sellers with the same blind spot of NOT knowing the market for things they are selling. So this is something that cuts across cultural lines here.

The same principle can be applied to some Chinese businesses. I do some work involving companies that manufacture in China and are looking to penetrate the market here in the U.S. They put money into doing web pages and ads and English language packaging but they use Chinese English speakers or translators. Why not hire AMERICANS to tell you what to say to other AMERICANS??? I tell them this all the time!!!!! If I were marketing in China, do you think I'd trust some non-Chinese person to write my ads??????? Hell no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The language barrier is too great to simply gloss over and not pay attention to. This is business. The stakes are too high to be so complacent.

KNOW your market and tailor your sales and advertising toward your market. No one cares if YOU understand the ad. YOU are the seller. Your Buyers need to understand the ad and the pricing needs to be logical.

It's just very interesting to me how some people go about "marketing" things.
Click to expand...

In the US, if you price something too high above what it's worth, you risk people not bothering to inquire, fearing they would simply be wasting their time doing so. In my experience, people might be willing to come down 10-20% of asking price on ebay. I am not wasting my time contacting a seller if I only want to pay half of what someone is asking. Am wondering if other cultures think differently, ie they are willing to wheel and deal more liberally.

I was surprised when I spent time in China. I figured they would negotiate much more liberally than they actually would, especially in metro areas. Different story in rural areas.
 
Monitor

Monitor

Messages
16,842
Claybertrand said:
I am not trying to be derogatory. I appreciate everyone's attention and insight into the Japanese Pricing Phenomenon...... its a very interesting topic. The economic system and the costs importation of goods to an island nation etc. do all create a different environment.

One thing I find strangely absent from the process from the Japanese sellers is just a very simple, I believe very logical aspect of selling something that I would THINK would be universal: KNOW YOUR MARKET. And I don't think this is something that cultural differences can render unimportant. Quite the contrary---cultural differences make it imperative that you know your market.

You're trying to SELL an item. Not list it. Who cares how much you list it for if you can't sell it for that price???!!

My thing is---How hard is it to look at an item you have, and then research what it is selling for to come up with a range that would entice buyers to buy the item?? If I'm going to sell something in Japan, and I actually WANT TO SELL THE ITEM, I will research what the item goes for in Japan and price accordingly. Obviously obscure items may not have much of a comparison market but you still do some due diligence to best position the item for sale. Was this easy to do 50 years ago??? NO. Is this very feasible today with the Internet and web browsers that translate and currency exchange converters at your fingertips etc.??? YES it is.

Obviously we are talking more about small time sellers and not some International Company but the same principle of knowing your market should apply on a smaller more simple scale. And I see plenty of domestic Sellers with the same blind spot of NOT knowing the market for things they are selling. So this is something that cuts across cultural lines here.

The same principle can be applied to some Chinese businesses. I do some work involving companies that manufacture in China and are looking to penetrate the market here in the U.S. They put money into doing web pages and ads and English language packaging but they use Chinese English speakers or translators. Why not hire AMERICANS to tell you what to say to other AMERICANS??? I tell them this all the time!!!!! If I were marketing in China, do you think I'd trust some non-Chinese person to write my ads??????? Hell no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The language barrier is too great to simply gloss over and not pay attention to. This is business. The stakes are too high to be so complacent.

KNOW your market and tailor your sales and advertising toward your market. No one cares if YOU understand the ad. YOU are the seller. Your Buyers need to understand the ad and the pricing needs to be logical.

It's just very interesting to me how some people go about "marketing" things.
Click to expand...

All true and well said.

I've nothing to add except for... Well, BigJ illustrated this somewhat strange aspect of... Establishing a fair value of something in Japan with a really great story. I can't recall it word for word but it went something along the line that while driving thru Japan, he had spotted this cool, old car (can't recall what it was but it was pretty beat up to begin with) parked in someone's back yard. Big asked the owner if they were interested in selling the car but the was asking something crazy for it so Big left. He would however stop by every now and then in the years that followed, to check whether the owner figured to adjust the price, though to no avail, even though the car just sat rusting away there in the yard where the owner initially left it. Tree began sprouting through the front hood the last time Big stopped to ask about it and the Japanese dude was still adamant on his initial price because "That's what this car is worth".
Not sure why but this story really stuck with me. . .
 
Last edited:
D

dwilson

A-List Customer
Messages
320
Location
LA
Dude could have just been a hoarder as well. I know people who hoard tend to put insane prices on anything someone tries to buy from them because deep down they have no desire to sell.
 
C

Claybertrand

One Too Many
Messages
1,548
Monitor said:
All true and well said.

I've nothing to add except for... Well, BigJ illustrated this somewhat strange aspect of... Establishing a fair value of something in Japan with a really great story. I can't recall it word for word but it went something along the line that while driving thru Japan, he had spotted this cool, old car (can't recall what it was but it was pretty beat up to begin with) parked in someone's back yard. Big asked the owner if they were interested in selling the car but the was asking something crazy for it so Big left. He would however stop by every now and then in the years that followed, to check whether the owner figured to adjust the price, though to no avail, even though the car just sat rusting away there in the yard where the owner initially left it. Tree began sprouting through the front hood the last time Big stopped to ask about it and the Japanese dude was still adamant on his initial price because "That's what this car is worth".
Not sure why but this story really stuck with me. . .
Click to expand...

This is an interesting anecdote. I like that he kept going back and asking the guy. This could well be illustrative of how the Japanese value things. I will just say though, and I'm not saying this to counter what you explained per se because I certainly don't know how they value things---but it could be that they value things exactly as anyone one does. I have an uncle (American) who is exactly like the guy with the old car. He doesn't have an interest in selling unless it meets his odd intrinsic valuation of something and it is basically such that he never sells anything because his value is outrageously out of line with its worth to anyone else.

I mean to say, it may be just different types of people across all cultures that are this way and not a trait necessarily unique to Japanese people.

My comeback to the man with the car as well as to my uncle would be---"If its worth so much, why are you letting it ROT!?!?!?!!?"
 
C

Claybertrand

One Too Many
Messages
1,548
In many cultures, bartering is the norm. I wonder if there is some expectation that the Japanese Sellers have that buyers will KNOW the prices are outrageously high and that this is supposed to invite offers that start a bartering process????o_O
A Japanese member or someone who knows their culture would know. I don't think I've heard of the Japanese having a barter system in their commerce.
 

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