Post by Falcarius on Nov 10, 2015 13:50:58 GMT -5
I can't seem to find one of these on Pheno's already, so I'm making one myself. Mods, feel free to move and/or sticky.
- WHAT IS YAHOO AUCTIONS?
Yahoo! Auctions is a major Asian auction site, used far more often than eBay by Japanese sellers. If you can't find a Zoid (or any Japanese product, really) on eBay or Amazon, it's definitely worth checking Yahoo Auctions. Unfortunately, the site is specifically designed for Japanese people, so most sellers take payment by (Japanese) bank transfer and very few will ship internationally (and don't even think about trying to sell your own stuff on there if you're not in Japan). The easiest solution to this is to sign up for a proxy service.
- PROXY SERVICES
When you win an auction by using a proxy service, they will pay the seller for you, and the item will be shipped to their warehouse. Once they have it, you can usually arrange to add protective packaging and/or combine it with other packages you have bought through them, and then they ship it to you. The downside to this system is fees - usually you'll be paying the auction price + service fees (generally 5~10% of the auction price, plus a bit) + domestic shipping + international shipping + whatever else they decide to charge you for. The upside is that it gives you access to the many items that can only be found on Yahoo Auctions, and you're using an English interface so you know what you're doing.
There are quite a few proxy services around, but the most popular ones these days seem to be Buyee, Celga, Jauce and FromJapan. I recommend checking the sites for yourself before deciding which one to use, but here's a quick comparison:
Payment method
- Buyee: charges credit card or PayPal directly once you win the auction
- Celga: deposit money via credit card or PayPal before bidding (you can have any excess refunded)
- Jauce: deposit money via credit card or PayPal before winning the auction (you can have any excess refunded)
- FromJapan: deposit money via credit card or PayPal before winning the auction (excess gets refunded automatically, I think)
Automatic auction sniping
- Buyee: Yes (bids 5 minutes before auction ends)
- Celga: Yes (always bids shortly before auction ends, unless requested otherwise)
- Jauce: No
- FromJapan: Yes (bids 5 to 10 minutes before auction ends)
Site fees
- Buyee: 200 yen (+ 300~500 yen if you want insurance/package inspection) + 5% of item price (minimum 150 yen)
- Celga: US$2 + $10 per 10,000 yen item price (minimum $5)
- Jauce: 1100 yen (700 yen if you win another auction within 24 hours) + 8% of item price + deposit fee (40 yen + 3.9% of deposit amount)
- FromJapan: 390 yen (or slightly higher, depending on payment method) + 5% of item price + 5% of total shipping price (domestic + international + insurance)
(You can avoid the 5% fees if you pay with FJ points, which you earn from winning auctions at a rate of 1 point per 1000 yen)
Package consolidation
- Buyee: 500 yen for two packages, 1000 yen for three or more
- Celga: free
- Jauce: free
- FromJapan: free
Protective packaging
- Buyee: 1500 yen per package
- Celga: not specifically offered (try asking?)
- Jauce: 1200 yen per package (or double-boxing for 2400 yen)
- FromJapan: 1000 yen per package
Maximum item holding period
- Buyee: 90 days (EDIT: As of November 2016, Buyee will charge a daily storage fee after the first 30 days)
- Celga: until they need more warehouse space (usually several months)
- Jauce: 60 days, or longer if you pay a monthly storage fee
- FromJapan: 30 days
(For the record, I mostly use Buyee because it doesn't require a deposit (with the sneaky associated fees) andhas had a 90-day holding period.)
- USING YAHOO AUCTIONS
Some proxy sites let you search a machine-translated version of the Yahoo Auctions site, but if you want to use the main site instead, here's some tips.
- Searching for "zoids" actually works just as well as, if not better than, searching for "ゾイド". However, if you're looking for a specific item, you'll probably need to use its Japanese name. Hanegaru's site can help you here.
- The bar to the left of the search results lets you filter your search. The first section is Categories (more on that later), second is price range, third is All/New/Used, fourth is seller location (don't bother), fifth is newly listed/free shipping/negotiable price/store pickup, sixth is all sellers/stores/individuals, and seventh is all listings/auctions/Buy-It-Now.
- There is a specific "Zoids" category, which you can search from here. However, not all Zoids items will be in this category.
- To search for auctions that have already finished, click the small 落札相場を調べる link above the search results, or go here. Keep in mind that closed auctions are deleted from the site after 90 days.
- To change the order of search results, use the dropdown menu just above the list of results. The default is 人気＋新着順 (popularity + newly listed), but you're probably most interested in 価格の安い順 (lowest price) or 残り時間の短い順 (ending soonest).
- The numbers to the right of each search result are the current price, Buy-It-Now price, number of bids, and time remaining (日 is days, 時間 is hours, 分 is minutes). 最低落札価格あり under the current price indicates that the auction has a reserve price, while 送料無料 means free (domestic) shipping. 値下げ交渉あり under the Buy-It-Now price indicates a negotiable price, but if you're reading this guide you probably don't know enough Japanese to negotiate.
- List of categories:
すべて = All
コンピュータ = Computers
家電、AV、カメラ = Electronics, AV & cameras
音楽 = Music
本、雑誌 = Books & magazines
映画、ビデオ = Movies & videos
おもちゃ、ゲーム = Toys & games
ホビー、カルチャー = Hobbies & culture
アンティーク、コレクション = Antique & collection
スポーツ、レジャー = Sports & leisure
自動車、オートバイ = Cars & motorbikes
ファッション = Fashion
アクセサリー、時計 = Accessories & watches
ビューティー、ヘルスケア = Beauty & healthcare
食品、飲料 = Food & drinks
住まい、インテリア = Home & interior
ペット、生き物 = Pets & animals
事務、店舗用品 = Business & store supplies
花、園芸 = Flowers & gardening
チケット、金券、宿泊予約 = Tickets, coupons & reservations
ベビー用品 = Baby products
タレントグッズ = Celebrity goods
コミック、アニメグッズ = Comic/anime goods
不動産 = Real estate
チャリティー = Charity
その他 = Other
- USEFUL TERMS
状態 = condition (新品 = new, 中古 = old, 美品 = like new, 未開封 = unopened, 開封 = opened, 未組立 = unbuilt, 組み立て済み/完成品 = built, 塗装済み = painted, 動作確認済み = confirmed to work, ジャンク = junk)
あるかもしれません/ある場合がございます = may have (ダメージ/傷 = damage, スレ/傷 = scratches, 汚れ = dirt, 凹み = dents, 破れ = tears, 外れ = missing/loose)
画像の物が全てになります or variations = what you see is what you get (literally "what's in the photos is everything")
付属 = includes (箱/外箱 = box, 取り扱い説明書 = manual, デカール = decals, シール = stickers, カタログ = catalogue, 特典/おまけ = bonus items, 帯 = the little banner thingy they put on books and CDs)
揃っています = all present (全 = all, のみ = only)
欠品 = does not include (欠品無し = nothing missing)
価格 = price (開始価格 = starting price, 現在価格 = current price, 即決価格 = Buy-It-Now price)
残り時間 = remaining time (開始日時 = start date, 終了日時 = end date)
旧ゾイド = old Zoids series (mostly OJR)
限定 = limited
海外 = overseas
セット = set (まとめて = group lot)
同人 = doujin (i.e. unofficial)
- SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
- Unlike eBay, Yahoo Auctions has an option to automatically extend the bidding period by 5 minutes if someone places a bid within the last 5 minutes, making it much harder to "snipe" auctions. Almost every auction will use this, but if you want to make sure, check for 自動延長 (あり means it will extend, なし means it won't).
- Sellers usually have the ability to end their auctions early, although this very rarely happens. If you want to make sure, check for 早期終了 (あり means they can, なし means they can't).
- Most auctions will specify "no claims, no returns" (ノークレーム・ノーリターン). Make sure you want that item before buying it, because you're highly unlikely to get that money back.
- User ratings are taken rather seriously on Yahoo Auctions. Some proxy services may not let you bid on an auction if the seller has a poor rating.
- It is illegal to ship certain items internationally. You're probably not going to run into this when buying Zoids stuff, but here's a general list and some lists for specific countries, just in case.
- A lot of auctions seem to end at around midnight (Japan time) on a Sunday. Just something I've noticed.
Let me know if I've forgotten anything important!
EDIT (June 2016): Added Celga, updated Buyee fees.
- WHAT IS YAHOO AUCTIONS?
Yahoo! Auctions is a major Asian auction site, used far more often than eBay by Japanese sellers. If you can't find a Zoid (or any Japanese product, really) on eBay or Amazon, it's definitely worth checking Yahoo Auctions. Unfortunately, the site is specifically designed for Japanese people, so most sellers take payment by (Japanese) bank transfer and very few will ship internationally (and don't even think about trying to sell your own stuff on there if you're not in Japan). The easiest solution to this is to sign up for a proxy service.
- PROXY SERVICES
When you win an auction by using a proxy service, they will pay the seller for you, and the item will be shipped to their warehouse. Once they have it, you can usually arrange to add protective packaging and/or combine it with other packages you have bought through them, and then they ship it to you. The downside to this system is fees - usually you'll be paying the auction price + service fees (generally 5~10% of the auction price, plus a bit) + domestic shipping + international shipping + whatever else they decide to charge you for. The upside is that it gives you access to the many items that can only be found on Yahoo Auctions, and you're using an English interface so you know what you're doing.
There are quite a few proxy services around, but the most popular ones these days seem to be Buyee, Celga, Jauce and FromJapan. I recommend checking the sites for yourself before deciding which one to use, but here's a quick comparison:
Payment method
- Buyee: charges credit card or PayPal directly once you win the auction
- Celga: deposit money via credit card or PayPal before bidding (you can have any excess refunded)
- Jauce: deposit money via credit card or PayPal before winning the auction (you can have any excess refunded)
- FromJapan: deposit money via credit card or PayPal before winning the auction (excess gets refunded automatically, I think)
Automatic auction sniping
- Buyee: Yes (bids 5 minutes before auction ends)
- Celga: Yes (always bids shortly before auction ends, unless requested otherwise)
- Jauce: No
- FromJapan: Yes (bids 5 to 10 minutes before auction ends)
Site fees
- Buyee: 200 yen (+ 300~500 yen if you want insurance/package inspection) + 5% of item price (minimum 150 yen)
- Celga: US$2 + $10 per 10,000 yen item price (minimum $5)
- Jauce: 1100 yen (700 yen if you win another auction within 24 hours) + 8% of item price + deposit fee (40 yen + 3.9% of deposit amount)
- FromJapan: 390 yen (or slightly higher, depending on payment method) + 5% of item price + 5% of total shipping price (domestic + international + insurance)
(You can avoid the 5% fees if you pay with FJ points, which you earn from winning auctions at a rate of 1 point per 1000 yen)
Package consolidation
- Buyee: 500 yen for two packages, 1000 yen for three or more
- Celga: free
- Jauce: free
- FromJapan: free
Protective packaging
- Buyee: 1500 yen per package
- Celga: not specifically offered (try asking?)
- Jauce: 1200 yen per package (or double-boxing for 2400 yen)
- FromJapan: 1000 yen per package
Maximum item holding period
- Buyee: 90 days (EDIT: As of November 2016, Buyee will charge a daily storage fee after the first 30 days)
- Celga: until they need more warehouse space (usually several months)
- Jauce: 60 days, or longer if you pay a monthly storage fee
- FromJapan: 30 days
(For the record, I mostly use Buyee because it doesn't require a deposit (with the sneaky associated fees) and
- USING YAHOO AUCTIONS
Some proxy sites let you search a machine-translated version of the Yahoo Auctions site, but if you want to use the main site instead, here's some tips.
- Searching for "zoids" actually works just as well as, if not better than, searching for "ゾイド". However, if you're looking for a specific item, you'll probably need to use its Japanese name. Hanegaru's site can help you here.
- The bar to the left of the search results lets you filter your search. The first section is Categories (more on that later), second is price range, third is All/New/Used, fourth is seller location (don't bother), fifth is newly listed/free shipping/negotiable price/store pickup, sixth is all sellers/stores/individuals, and seventh is all listings/auctions/Buy-It-Now.
- There is a specific "Zoids" category, which you can search from here. However, not all Zoids items will be in this category.
- To search for auctions that have already finished, click the small 落札相場を調べる link above the search results, or go here. Keep in mind that closed auctions are deleted from the site after 90 days.
- To change the order of search results, use the dropdown menu just above the list of results. The default is 人気＋新着順 (popularity + newly listed), but you're probably most interested in 価格の安い順 (lowest price) or 残り時間の短い順 (ending soonest).
- The numbers to the right of each search result are the current price, Buy-It-Now price, number of bids, and time remaining (日 is days, 時間 is hours, 分 is minutes). 最低落札価格あり under the current price indicates that the auction has a reserve price, while 送料無料 means free (domestic) shipping. 値下げ交渉あり under the Buy-It-Now price indicates a negotiable price, but if you're reading this guide you probably don't know enough Japanese to negotiate.
- List of categories:
すべて = All
コンピュータ = Computers
家電、AV、カメラ = Electronics, AV & cameras
音楽 = Music
本、雑誌 = Books & magazines
映画、ビデオ = Movies & videos
おもちゃ、ゲーム = Toys & games
ホビー、カルチャー = Hobbies & culture
アンティーク、コレクション = Antique & collection
スポーツ、レジャー = Sports & leisure
自動車、オートバイ = Cars & motorbikes
ファッション = Fashion
アクセサリー、時計 = Accessories & watches
ビューティー、ヘルスケア = Beauty & healthcare
食品、飲料 = Food & drinks
住まい、インテリア = Home & interior
ペット、生き物 = Pets & animals
事務、店舗用品 = Business & store supplies
花、園芸 = Flowers & gardening
チケット、金券、宿泊予約 = Tickets, coupons & reservations
ベビー用品 = Baby products
タレントグッズ = Celebrity goods
コミック、アニメグッズ = Comic/anime goods
不動産 = Real estate
チャリティー = Charity
その他 = Other
- USEFUL TERMS
状態 = condition (新品 = new, 中古 = old, 美品 = like new, 未開封 = unopened, 開封 = opened, 未組立 = unbuilt, 組み立て済み/完成品 = built, 塗装済み = painted, 動作確認済み = confirmed to work, ジャンク = junk)
あるかもしれません/ある場合がございます = may have (ダメージ/傷 = damage, スレ/傷 = scratches, 汚れ = dirt, 凹み = dents, 破れ = tears, 外れ = missing/loose)
画像の物が全てになります or variations = what you see is what you get (literally "what's in the photos is everything")
付属 = includes (箱/外箱 = box, 取り扱い説明書 = manual, デカール = decals, シール = stickers, カタログ = catalogue, 特典/おまけ = bonus items, 帯 = the little banner thingy they put on books and CDs)
揃っています = all present (全 = all, のみ = only)
欠品 = does not include (欠品無し = nothing missing)
価格 = price (開始価格 = starting price, 現在価格 = current price, 即決価格 = Buy-It-Now price)
残り時間 = remaining time (開始日時 = start date, 終了日時 = end date)
旧ゾイド = old Zoids series (mostly OJR)
限定 = limited
海外 = overseas
セット = set (まとめて = group lot)
同人 = doujin (i.e. unofficial)
- SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
- Unlike eBay, Yahoo Auctions has an option to automatically extend the bidding period by 5 minutes if someone places a bid within the last 5 minutes, making it much harder to "snipe" auctions. Almost every auction will use this, but if you want to make sure, check for 自動延長 (あり means it will extend, なし means it won't).
- Sellers usually have the ability to end their auctions early, although this very rarely happens. If you want to make sure, check for 早期終了 (あり means they can, なし means they can't).
- Most auctions will specify "no claims, no returns" (ノークレーム・ノーリターン). Make sure you want that item before buying it, because you're highly unlikely to get that money back.
- User ratings are taken rather seriously on Yahoo Auctions. Some proxy services may not let you bid on an auction if the seller has a poor rating.
- It is illegal to ship certain items internationally. You're probably not going to run into this when buying Zoids stuff, but here's a general list and some lists for specific countries, just in case.
- A lot of auctions seem to end at around midnight (Japan time) on a Sunday. Just something I've noticed.
Let me know if I've forgotten anything important!
EDIT (June 2016): Added Celga, updated Buyee fees.
