Tea items on Yahoo Japan

[Drax]

Having recently discovered the wonders of Yahoo! Japan auctions, I thought it might be fun to post some ... interesting ... items I've run across while searching. If anybody has found stuff as well, post away!

I'm not sure if it's better to just give a link to the auction, or if I should copy the picture, host it elsewhere, and link the picture for posterity's sake. Some of these are pretty wild.

First up, a shiboridashi... but do you want the face of a tenuki looking up at you...??

http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m78670710

I do like how the ears and snout give you a way to lift up the lid...

[Tead Off]

Love it!

[JBaymore]

Me too. I am a tanuki nut.

best,

..........john

[JeiKun4114]

WOW.....that is real nice

[Victoria]

I think it's pretty cool.

[Drax]

Some more... unusual... items.

A copper, silver-plated turtle pot:

http://page3.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c274834151

This auction appears to say this item is a flower vase in the style of a kyuusu. It certainly has unusual proportions. The stripes (and distorted kyuusu shape) make me think of Beetlejuice!

http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n84288354

Here's a very life-like bird tea pot:

http://page12.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/a ... p204015343

And finally, here's 10 kyuusu going for (currently) 1100 yen (~$14 USD).

http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n95793730

[Drax]

Here is a houhin with a dragon on the top of the lid... and one lurking on the underside of the lid!

http://page21.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/a ... j107490536


And another with a dragon-y type thing on the lid...

http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k136761635

[Tead Off]

That first dragon is terrific. How does one bid on Yahoo Japan? You mentioned something about a proxy. One cannot simply sign up and bid like ebay?

[Drax]

Tead Off, that's correct. There's a couple of barriers.

First, the payment system uses the Japanese bank system, so you really need to have a Japanese bank account. Second, most of the auctions (including that dragon one) do not ship internationally.

I use a proxy service (rinkya.com). But Rinkya is really bad for items in the 1001 to 5000 yen range (~$10-50) because they tack on a $20 commission for items over 1000 yen (which also scales with the cost), PLUS a flat $15 fee to cover shipping to their Rinkya warehouse.

Then you need to pay for shipping from Rinkya to you.

All the proxy services appear to work this way, though they add their fees in different ways (maybe a flat % at other places, so buying a $20 item wouldn't be as painful).

I've been able to "game" the system by buying items 1000 or less (which currently have no commission fee) and buying multiple items from one person (which cuts down on the $15 shipping fee), which amounts to adding ~15-20% when all is said and done...

I'd offer to bid for you, but I'd still have to ship to me and then ship to you. Even if I could get them to ship directly to you, you're still looking at an automatic +$35 in fees at its current price.

I really need to get that assignment in Japan.....!!

[Tead Off]

Tead Off, that's correct. There's a couple of barriers.

First, the payment system uses the Japanese bank system, so you really need to have a Japanese bank account. Second, most of the auctions (including that dragon one) do not ship internationally.

I use a proxy service (rinkya.com). But Rinkya is really bad for items in the 1001 to 5000 yen range (~$10-50) because they tack on a $20 commission for items over 1000 yen (which also scales with the cost), PLUS a flat $15 fee to cover shipping to their Rinkya warehouse.

Then you need to pay for shipping from Rinkya to you.

All the proxy services appear to work this way, though they add their fees in different ways (maybe a flat % at other places, so buying a $20 item wouldn't be as painful).

I've been able to "game" the system by buying items 1000 or less (which currently have no commission fee) and buying multiple items from one person (which cuts down on the $15 shipping fee), which amounts to adding ~15-20% when all is said and done...

I'd offer to bid for you, but I'd still have to ship to me and then ship to you. Even if I could get them to ship directly to you, you're still looking at an automatic +$35 in fees at its current price.

I really need to get that assignment in Japan.....!!

Thanks for taking the time to explain how this works. Looks like it'd be easier for me to find someone in Japan to bid for me.