Japanese Ebay Sellers- Stubborn?

[koraks]

inflation reduces its purchasing power

Yes, certainly. You'd have to adjust the figures in the chart for inflation, of course.

A better proxy is to look at savings as a percentage of income:

As you can see, that mostly recovered in the 2008 credit crunch after a period of decline. Seems like spending went up after covid, which is probably the effect we see of increased inflation/energy costs/commodity prices etc (which of course is all conflated into one complex). But the 4% the US is at now is fairly typical for the past 2 decades. Again, no signs of Americans getting poorer and not being able to afford Nikons from Japan. I stick with my earlier argument that the high prices we see for camera equipment are due to demand - and, as you pointed out of course, inflation. Can't compare today's prices to those we paid 15 years ago, for several reasons!

On the topic of Japanese sellers, you're also correct we pay significant taxes on imports. I always take into account that my purchase from Japan will cost me around 40-50% of the agreed upon price. This accounts for shipping, taxes, inspection costs etc. The few items I bought from Japan were always as described, in good order, transactions well tended to - nothing but positive things to say about it, really. I've bought items from Europe, the US and China with much more iffy aspects, such as defective items where defects were not or not clearly described, items not arriving due to simply never having been dispatched, items being sent only after weeks or even months of delays, poor packaging, etc.

No, can't say that there's a particular problem about Japanese sellers in my experience. If anything, quite the opposite!

 

[Focomatter]

The US Post Office cannot get signatures of deliveries to PO Boxes. That's why sellers don;t want to send to PO boxes and want an actual address where people can sign for the delivery. I'm not sure, but I think this also prevents insuring packages if sent to a PO Box.

This is a false statement!!! I live in bush Alaska where the only verifiable address is a PO Box! I have received registered mail, insured mail, signature request mail, and oversized mail that I have had to sign for at the PO counter. Bought stuff from the Canon store - I had to give them a street address (not posted on the building) of the post office for them to ship because they could not verify my street address (no street markings like one sees elsewhere).

 

[Nikon 2]

This is a false statement!!! I live in bush Alaska where the only verifiable address is a PO Box! I have received registered mail, insured mail, signature request mail, and oversized mail that I have had to sign for at the PO counter. Bought stuff from the Canon store - I had to give them a street address (not posted on the building) of the post office for them to ship because they could not verify my street address (no street markings like one sees elsewhere).

That’s true here also…!

 

[Rayt]

I bought from Japanese sellers on eBay with no problems. When in Tokyo I like to browse Fujiya Camera in Nakano for used Leica in the outskirts of Tokyo. Once many years ago they had the Nikon 50mm f1.4 from the S3 2000 reissue on the used rack for around half market price. I examined it and it was as new. I asked the salesman why the low price and he said “haze”. I replied there is no haze. He said lens already cleaned. I was impressed.

 

[Rrrgcy]

A.E.Klein “I just saw your post but it's not clear why senders won’t mail to post office boxes??” Because for years everyone associated P.O. Boxes with scam buyers stealing the goods w stolen credit card numbers. In the past when buying on forum boards or pawn shops etc. if I provide them a P.O. Box I might be asked to go thru hoops like having a personal phone call with them to alleviate concerns of my being a fraudster. I’ve had exceptional problems with this since my drivers license still legally is renewed and remains listing my P.O. Box address while for what, 20 years now, in Florida everyone had to have them renewed w a physical street address on it. I maintain an exemption to not have to list my street address on it. In-person vendors suspect my drivers license is fake.

 

[Arthurwg]

The US Post Office cannot get signatures of deliveries to PO Boxes. That's why sellers don;t want to send to PO boxes and want an actual address where people can sign for the delivery. I'm not sure, but I think this also prevents insuring packages if sent to a PO Box.

There is no home delivery where I live, so my only way to get mail is a PO Box. I find the PO Box restrictions a serious problem.

 

[tom williams]

I've had great results buying from Japan. Prices vary, certain dealers just do not sell anything that's below excellent condition. Remember that a lot of the analog equipment is 50 years old, or worse. Got to expect a few hiccups.

Some of the gear I got from Japan had unlisted issues, which I didnt catch when I first got the item. So yeah I agree with the poor condition comment. A couple even sold me a different copy of that item, not what was shown in the listing. Shady it seems.

I've had experiences along both of these lines. After buying a fair number of used items from Japanese ebay vendors, I now use one that I get consistently good equipment from. My main complaint is the almost meaningless summary descriptions of condition: 'Near-Mint', Excelent++++" etc. Generally followed by a contradicting caveat in the text that follows, off-handedly mentioning haze in a lens or some compromised function in a lens or camera.

I've never purchased an item that didn't promise free returns, but it's a hassle. And since it's a greater hassle for Japanese vendors to refund and pay for a return shipment, I don't think that intentional fraud is usual. My experiences with KEH and Roberts, or Kumar, banish all doubts that I'll get the item I expected from the description offered. More often than not the item has been in better-than-expected condition. So why buy from Japanese ebay vendors? Supply scarcity and quality, obviously. With very few exceptions (thanks , RJ-), supply scarcity equals inflated pricing.

 

[Eff64]

OP- “Being the economy has tanked and people don't have money to go around on frivolous items such as camera gear, and that things are now selling for way less than a year ago, why then have Japanese Ebay sellers not reduced their prices on their gear?”

Your sense of the economy and the market is what I don’t understand. If the items were not selling the price would be adjusted.

The fact that the price has not come down refutes your comment about things selling for less.

 

[neilt3]

OP- “Being the economy has tanked and people don't have money to go around on frivolous items such as camera gear, and that things are now selling for way less than a year ago, why then have Japanese Ebay sellers not reduced their prices on their gear?”

Your sense of the economy and the market is what I don’t understand. If the items were not selling the price would be adjusted.

The fact that the price has not come down refutes your comment about things selling for less.

The op does state that what's sells for $700 in Japan only sells for $300 in his country.
So it baffles me why he thinks it's Japan's economy is the issue and that they should reduce the prices they sell at .
If the gear is only sellable for half that in his country , clearly it is his countries economy that is the problem , and he should complain to his government to fix it !

 

[MattKing]

At the request of the OP, and with the realization that this thread is going the same way as many similar discussions have gone in the past, we are locking the thread.