What's Up With the Guitars Listed Multiple Times on eBay by Japanese Sellers? (Not a Scam)
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2024
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro - Check Links In Description!
0:14 - Is This a Scam?
1:50 - How It Works
3:18 - Why It is Wrong
3:56 - Why It Is Good 1+2
5:22 - Returns + Guarantees
7:29 - Nightmare Buy Story
8:41 - Returns Continued
9:18 - Things I Don't Have Answers For
/ How Much They Make
10:52 - How to ID a Legit Seller
11:23 - Final Thoughts
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Is It Safe to Buy the Guitars on eBay from Japan? ...and Why Are They Listed So Many Times?
The Story Behind the Guitars Listed Multiple Times at Different Prices by Japanese Sellers on eBay
Why Are There Guitars Listed Multiple Times on eBay by Japanese Sellers?
Why are there so many different listings for the same guitar offered at varying price points by multiple sellers and are always located in Japan when shopping on eBay? Let me answer this for you.
First off there are TONS of scams on eBay but this is not one of them. I repeat, this is not a scam. You have no reason to fear these listings or make posts complaining about them. If you do in fact order one of these instruments, one of two things will happen. The guitar will arrive in a few weeks time OR more often than not you’ll get a message saying the item is sold out as well as an offer for a full refund or a replacement item. Here’s why…
If you look further into these shops, you’ll notice the same thing about all of them. THOUSANDS of listings with varying backgrounds usually with very vague descriptions. I don’t care if you’re Norms Rare Guitars, you don’t have 7,000 different guitars listed for sale online. You might have them stored away in warehouses, but they are not offered online by an artsy photographer setting up new photoshoots for each of them. These shops do not own a SINGLE guitar. They have no inventory at all. Most times they are young entrepreneurs with a dream. They dedicate all their time to making these listings.
When you choose to buy something from a shop like eastislandcrew or guitar_trading_jp, you are most likely unknowingly purchasing from a guitar broker. A broker is someone who buys and sells goods for others. How much they upcharge is up to them, hence why you get different price points. Here in the USA, most people associate the term with a stock broker. There are times when people hire me as a broker to help them find rare guitars.
Once you have completed payment for the item, the broker will then take your money, contact the shop and purchase the instrument. From there, the instrument is then posted off to you. Since they have advertised thousands of items they can’t possibility check each one’s available everyday so this is why, more often than not you’ll get that “sorry - out of stock” message.
Now that you know how this works, you might feel ripped off and that this is kind of a dirty business scheme - or you want to do it yourself to make some easy money. Ethics vary culture to culture so while this might be acceptable to do in one country it might not be in others. For example, if you try doing this in the USA, people throw a fit and shut you down so fast which is why these types of listings on Reverb. I’m not even entirely sure if its acceptable in Japan, but it happens. What most people have a moral dilemma within this situation is they never disclose to you they are just brokering the deal which makes them feel lied to.
Did you know about this before? I get asked this question a lot so it will be really handy to just send them this video now instead of typing out the explanation
Related Article: troglysguitarshow.com/2019/06/07/this-is-not-a-scam-multiple-ebay-listings-of-the-same-guitar/
Current Inventory: reverb.grsm.io/CurrentInventory
This is another reason why i subscribe to troglys this is the kind of stuff we need to know, knowledge is power!
I had bought a guitar from a Japanese seller the guitar was in very good condition close to mint just the frets look suspiciously worn down, maybe that's the way it was made IDK but I end up selling it but luckily there were no extra custom fees etc when I got it. Kinda regret that I've sold it.
No, I didn't know this was how things 0perated, but I have purchased a guitar from a Japanese seller. It all makes sense now. I just don't like seeing all those repeat listings.
Haha I’m the guy that needs Trogly for a guitar broker! That was weird to see. Thanks again man.
What’d you end up buying?
Squidward's Testicles nothing yet. Looking for a mid 70’s gold top.
mraycgz cool, hope you find something
Squidward's Testicles thanks bro. I’m not super picky and those guitars aren’t super desirable or rare so it should work out.
Thanks for explaining this. I see this on eBay a lot.
2 things happen every time I watch a Trogdog video: 1) I learn something new - often more than one thing, and 2) my heart is warmed by his friendly, positive attitude. :) Happy holidays!
No "Welcome back Troglodytes" no watch video!! Yup, I have this video paused at the 30 second mark, and will not watch the rest of it since I did not get my welcome message, don't you know it makes me feel special? Lol, of course I jest my friend!!
Hmm, this was a GREAT informational video and I think, if it's possible, you should somehow post it on various guitar forums and purchasing sites, it explains a lot and is easy to understand, great job Austin!
This is not an issue for someone like me, I rarely buy anything from Ebay and the only used guitars I will buy are from local people where I can see, feel and test the equipment in person. Other than that I have purchased, and will continue to do so, purchased used guitars from you Austin and maybe if I was to ever sub to someone else on You Tube who does similar work like you do AND I feel they are trustworthy. But for those people looking to buy that hard to find guitar, purchasing from Ebay or from a foreign source this information is crucial. Do I think these guitar brokers are a scam? No, they are just simply small business people who found an area where they can make money, more power to them. I do think that a $300 +/- profit margin might be a bit steep for the little work they actually do, UNLESS they offer a good and reliable return policy.
I am a truck driver and I know that there are other drivers who make money off their company's recruitment bonuses simply by running ads on places like Craigslist. Most trucking company's will offer their drivers a referral bonus of anywhere from a couple of hundred to a couple of grand for every driver they bring on board. These are usually paid in two or three increments as the new driver must show he/she is going to stay on, usually the last pay out is at the 90 day mark. So, I have seen where a company driver will create a craigslist job listing and give you their contact info. From there they take your info and pass it on to the driver recruitment office personnel and now that their name is attached to so and so driver, they qualify for that referral bonus. I have often times thought of doing it myself lol. So what these guitar brokers are doing is similar however since they are dealing with, usually, "used" goods I think this is reason to be more cautious with them, unless they offer a reliable return policy.
One thing is for sure, a person really has to be very cautious whenever they buy anything off of Ebay lol. This video was so good I even downloaded it and have it in my "Important Guitar buying/selling" folder!
Haha I thought you had put some "asian sounding" boarderline offensive flute music on this entire video but when the video ended I heard it coming from outside my house. One of my neighbors is practicing flute.
I've noticed the same thing with Japanese watches, I was wondering what it was all about! Thanks!
Sam Bowmer especially with vintage Rolex and most Grand Seiko
Thank you for dropping the knowledge.
Wow thanks for clearing this my friend!!
I was wondering about this. Thanks Trogly
I've bought many guitars from Japan on eBay, I guess I've gotten lucky and so far their descriptions are pretty accurate. And yes, the smell is there on most haha.
I would not buy from a Japanese broker, prices are almost always way more than American equivalent merch, plus you pay the large shipping cost whether it's an actual shipping cost or built into the items price. Now if the advertised item is not available anywhere else, it is pretty much a personal decision that needs to be made whether to buy from a broker or go thru the added hassle (but cheaper) of finding the store that sells the particular item.
GREAT VID, TROGZZ!!!
thanks for sharing this important information!
Thanks for making this video. I'm tired of having to explain this over and over again. Now I can just point people to this video. For a new guitar, it makes more sense to deal directly with the store that actually has the guitar. Although a lot of the bigger stores like Ishibashi and Ikebe say they won't sell new merchandise internationally. There are buying services for goods from Japan that can do the same thing. It may end up cheaper going this route. The issue is the the buying services are not guitar experts. These eBay sellers are also often the only way around CITES paperwork. Most Japanese stores won't do the CITES paperwork. So this becomes a factor for guitars with rosewood.
I always wondered why their are multiple listings from Asia.
And why do they have all the cool guitar??!!
Phil McKnight talked about this on his channel once. He said Japanese buyers come to the west coast of the US a couple times a year and buy huge amounts of used inventory and send it back to Japan to sell. He's in Arizona and used to own a shop so he's seen it personally.
also many buyers would probably go to guitar shows in US to hunt down rare guitars.
@@ScutMonkey That's a bit of an exaggeration. They have A.D.s in Japan for any significant brand, and have new versions of these guitars in spades. Much of the used custom gibson stuff is cheaper there, and it may still be true (or could have changed) that new gibson goods were cheaper in japan than in the US, even after you add on a 9% consumption tax in japan (as in, their retail prices were about 20% cheaper there than here, which seems awfully unfair of gibson - the japanese market has more competitive sellers, though).
The real issue and reason is that a lot of the guitars listed from japan for reasonable prices just don't bring anything there. I bought an aria pe-R80 recently with case for $640, and four mahogany body (non pancake) yamaha les pauls for an average of $365. That includes an SL700C and an 800s. The catch is that it costs about $180 to get each here from a proxy service, and someone packing less conservatively may be able to do it for $100.
A typical SL500 yamaha may bring $250, or for something more typical for americans, an older custom shop les paul classic may be 20% less there. If that's the case, of course people will relist it. They can make a few hundred dollars just by selling to the US and western europe. All they have to do is order a guitar and ship it.
See any yamaha studio lords selling in the US for $200-$350 in good condition? What about the higher range, like the SL700C - $540 for one in primo shape with an OHSC. Dead ringer (all mahogany) for a les paul custom with great pickups.
It only takes a couple of enterprising individuals to go through ishibashi and other places online, search sale history and list just about everything they can find.
The Japanese importer for Gibson, as an example, will only accept instruments that are exceptional. A lot of the less than exquisite tops you see here, or bursts that are a little "off" color wise would be rejected in Japan.
Very interesting to hear an explanation for that. That said I don’t have a problem with brokers in theory, but I have a BIG problem with not being upfront about it. Or upfront about anything for that matter.
Thanks for this video. This was enormously helpful, as I was just wondering why so many cool lawsuit Les Pauls seem to have multiple eBay listings. I kinda figured it was what you say, but the confirmation helps. One question--have you ever been able to get more detailed info from the brokers? Often, the pictures aren't sufficient to get a good enough idea of the guitar's condition to risk an international purchase.
Knowing this now i think its actually a pretty useful thing to be able to view all of the music stores in a country, instead of using foreign websites not already in English
Fantastic informative video❗️
I've actually noticed this before, like Trogly says, they're just online agents & whoever sells the guitar for the client gets the commission. I often check out the Japanese listings, 'cos you do see some beauties at fairly reasonable prices. The only downer is we have to pay a pretty hefty duty on Japanese imports here in the UK & I'm not a trader. I just buy guitars for myself to play (& annoy my better half lol)
Thanks for the clarification. I have wondered about this for a few years.
I personally think I would avoid buying from these sellers, but possibly in only rare occasions when ots a rare model. Ive recently been watching a Gretsch corvette silver duke listing and I may or may not go through with the purchase.
One thing ive noticed is that most of these listings are 2 to 3 times above what you'd pay for the same guitar from a local seller for the same model. So, if the markup from the seller is up to $800. It seems as if the value of (mostly American) guitars is a bit higher in Japan. Then again I could be wrong and the markup can be 100 to 150%. Making a guitar valued at $1000. Listed for 2k or even 3k.
Usually a guitar valued at $1000. Is around $2200. From my experience. Just my .02 cents.
Yes I would do this, I buy many guitars but have not delved into buying through eBay from japan so thanks for explaining this.
Thanks for the information (as always!)...Are you aware or have you done a video about sending instruments with Rosewood Fretboards to Canada? I guess there is a form or certification required to verify the wood is not from an endangered species. or something to that affect... Are you in ATL for the Guitar Show this weekend?
Thank you so much for this video! can't see the pictures on the answer for sale stuff on eBay or any of that stuff because I'm blind but I do know this or I did notice all of things guitar you know subject and popping up on eBay again and again and again and you certainly solve the mystery so I appreciate it. And I think I might try something like that if I was so inclined to buy a guitar from overseas for us thousands of dollars LOL thanks for this video again it was really cool. And I want to thank you for a reply that you sent me on a comic bad babe I really appreciate it it's nice to get a reply as usual I got to end this so I don't have to end this but it cuts off comments of are you illiterate what's wrong with you learn how to write you no excuse any typos misspelled words definitely lack of punctuation my blinds not even a little red believe it or not I'm just blind using Speech-to-Text which has a mind of its own as always I'd like to sing the internet and everybody else for letting me comment :-) symbol keyboard
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that was a genuinely interesting video, thank you. I did order guitars from Japan twice and I think I had a broker in at least one case. Nevertheless, if you're out to purchase a guitar from a Japanese seller make sure enough photos and a proper description are given. The seller shouls also be able to give you more photos if you request so. If not or your gut feeling says nope, stay off that offer.
So you're telling me.i missed a 1800$ esp kh2 neck-thru listed a least three times thinking it was a scam were it's actually not?
Is it new or used?
@@crosswalklarry made in the japan custom shop, used, the only major thing i saw was a ding on the back of the neck, around the headstock
@@crosswalklarry i don't know if it's still available, or maybe the price went up
@@arnaudborne6904 Nice!
@@arnaudborne6904 Do you set up alerts that tell you when a new listing comes up on Ebay? That has helped me snag a few things. Some things last less than a half hour before they are bought.
I can confirm the smoke smell from most used Japanese guitars, I was doing this back in the early 2000's, doing bank wires to Ishibashi music and a few others, no issues...damn, I must have been super lucky, I probably bought 20-30 guitars over 5 years or so.
This video was super helpful and informative as always, you're the best Trogly ! I don't have any issues with guitar broking, it's really a win/win. We get better return policies, they get some money for their work, it doesn't seem like a bad thing at all to me.
Ya with a 30 days retern and a reasnable higher price than the origenal owner why not they realy help sometimes specialy with finding rare guitars
This is a very common practice in Japan (I live there) they also like to do this with Yahoo Auctions with car parts...
Yes, it's called 転売(tenbai) and people hate it.
That was very interesting. I think as a buyer/collector who plays what he buys, I’ve always wondered about these multiple listings from Japan. Very tempting indeed, especially when you see that much coveted 1979 LP custom silverburst. But hey, great information. Thanks for passing that along, definitely helpful. Thanks!
These listings may not be prohibited by eBay, but they are indeed a scam. A broker is someone who provides a service by finding items you want to buy at an agreed upon percentage. They DO NOT falsely advertise an item they do not own (that would be fraud). I can't imagine a reputable brick and mortar auction house tolerating something like this. It doesn't matter whether they eventually give your money back, they still accept it under false pretenses. They also get an interest free loan while they stall you over shipping an item they don't have plus the time PayPal takes to handle the exchange of money. It may only 5-7 days for the money turnaround, but the scammer can do a lot of eBay business in that time. This happens frequently on eBay because they don't hold the payout until the buyer ships with tracking. Since you must give the seller a specific amount of time before filing a claim, your hands are tied.
You're a broker, Trogly. The guys making these listings are scammers.
FWIW watch out for vendors on Amazon doing drop shipping at higher prices. Discovered this when I almost got my daughter an American Girl doll through Amazon. Was a huge mark up. Pretty sure it was just a guy going to the store and buying it then shipping.
just go to Digimart, the reverb-like site for Japanese stores/guitar shops and...you know, rest is better! (well maybe its because im japanese and what not, but.....)
Never bought a guitar from Japan/China on ebay for that same reason of high cost of returning it, losing some change with no guitar to show in the process. Great information on brokers though. But me, being, a frugal buyer, I tend to do my homework to get the best deal, on anything. Even waiting for those days when ebay itself throws in a 10-15% discount code.
I am though, seriously considering buying through aliexpress, dhgate, or alibaba since these seem alot cheaper and I'm guessing one is dealing straight from the guitar shop. What do you think of these order companies? Lots of beautiful guitars just playing with my lusting eyes.
On a side note, I am a high ebay spender (specially before Christmas). I NEVER buy huge shipping items because of the return possibilities. Learned my lesson on a big screen t.v. that showed an incredible bargain. Free shipping. Came. Plugged in. Worked for an hour. Burned out. Got the run around from seller saying I would have to pay for return. First, not my fault it was defective. Secondly, I later found out it was refurbished being sold as new. Made a charge back on my visa. And finally, the seller sent a truck to haul it away. No charge to me. Specially since my full refund was already posted back on my card. They had no choice but to pick it up. What a nightmare. Lesson learned. Phew!!
The exact scenario just happened to me as I bought an Edwards LP from Japan. 'Out of stock' message soon followed, but a replacement was soon offered up. The guitar itself is fine, but it is hard to tell and compare apples to apples since the photos they have on their site(s) are fairly generic.
People do this in the U.S. not hard to open a web site with prices slightly raised and most of the time the shipper will take off the return label so you don't know where it's coming from. As a former UPS driver I saw this a lot and it's just people not doing research and buying the first thing that pops up. Definitely not a scam
I know someone who got stuck with a 'rare-ish' guitar through one of those Japanese sellers on eBAY similar to your experience. Broke headstock, changed out pickups other inconsistencies with the ads description. My friend is based in Australia but he also does business trips in Japan several times a year. So after the seller denied his claims and reshipping the guitar for a refund was "major issue"; here is what he did. He took the guitar with him on his next business trip to Japan, showed up at the sellers home and forced the seller to take back the guitar and refund him his original purchase price plus extra for fucking him around. Kind of handy that he is also a federal police officer; so he has access to information that the seller thought he could hide.
as for is a “guitar broker” a ok thing on ebay.
i think it’s a dumb move because if you list items you don’t have i guarantee the likelihood of the guitar already being sold is 50% or higher. so even if you win the ebay auction doesn’t mean anything if they already sold the item a week before you won the bid.
technically i think that’s illegal because you are entering into a contract with someone saying i will pay you this for that and when you win the bid for the item it’s now considered sold and is now the property of the buyer. granted the buyer had to pay to complete the contract but if you click buy it now and pay on the spot you have met all you’re obligations to the seller and ebay.
it would be like me going on guitar center website and looking at their used section and post a used guitar they have listed for sell on ebay for more than they are selling it for and having you pay me to buy it and ship it to you. but chances are the guitar will already be sold on gc website before the ebay auction ends making it not my property and me having zero right to list it.
also this tosses out the whole point of the item having a description as you found out. of course the broker isn’t going to know js about the guitars history or if there’s anything wrong with it. they get probable deniability because they can say well the store never told me about “fill in the blank” and you get stuck with either losing money or getting stuck with something you wouldn’t have paid for.
if they wanted to do this the smart way they would have a partnership with the stores and have them put a hold on the guitar while it’s listed on ebay that way they can guarantee the item is in stock and is ready to ship. list them as buy it now only options and have them listed for only one week. this solves 50% of the problem. next they should have all the information the store has listed in the item description section. this way people know what they are truly getting.
Great information, also the point about the scent. I've bought one watch from a broker, but never a guitar.
I’m tempted to give it a shot. Might just need Austin to hold my hand while I do it. 😂
I took the chance 6 times, 5 times not getting the guitar and the 6th time, no guitar, no refund as the seller literally disappeared. I also doubt this video and it's truthfulness in whole.
Interesting take on this topic! Thanks for the info. I've been curious about this when scouring over Firebirds on Ebay. There's a lot of them being brokered
Lol, my two ads during video were from the "Drop Ship Lifestyle" dude. Found that just to ironic. Thanks for clearing all that confusing stuff up Trogly.
Hi Trogly, I can add a little bit of info for people to take into consideration. Sometimes, the listings of the shops in japan don’t post detailed photos of the guitar. This happened to me the only time I’ve gone ahead and bought online from Japan. Luckily the shop only accepted PayPal payments, and the procedure they had is that they requested the payment from your PayPal. Before accepting it I saw the listings of the guitar on eBay (as you’ve explained) and was able to see just how much wear the guitar had. I didn’t accept the request and that was the end of the story. In this case eBay’s multiple listings helped me complement the information and see additional pictures of the guitar.
In Brazil the *minimum* importing fee is 60% :(
Welcome back Troglodytes!
Thanks for info! This seems extremely prevalent with Synthesizers and Drum Machines also. This practice is reasonable I guess, but seems dishonest not to list it on the sales, so you can choose not to deal in this way when you don't want to. Points to Reverb! (act 3!)
I want to sell some of my guitars (I live in Canada), is what is the best method to get the highest value?
Reverb/eBay with an asking price and accepting offers
I’ve looked into it too, but not in the detail you have. The Japanese broker listings look ok, but after postage, duties and taxes are added, they turn out not to be a bargain at all: more often more expensive. As soon as I see “from Japan”, I skip the listing; there’s no saving and it’s probably a massive pain. Toooo risky since I’m not a millionaire.
Thanks for this! I’d been eyeing one specific guitar for over a year that keeps showing up in multi listings. I dismissed it as fugazy..but maybe I should give it a shot..
Do recommend a good broker on ebay? I want a guitar from musicland key but they won't ship to usa
Thank You for sharing your considerable experience in this matter. Lots of good info here that really isn't available anywhere else.
Great video, but that is a bunch of horse shit. I hate those broker ads and I feel ebay should do something about it. It really is like trolling or catfishing or you know, exactly what I said in the beginning. Have a great day and keep up the good work.👍
Great explanation and it does help to ease some of my concerns in regards to buying from Japan. 🤘🏻✌🏻
I've always seen this on eBay and have been hesitant to purchase because I wasn't sure. thanks for clearing this up for me
This is 100% currently happening with Hulk Hogan rookie figures on eBay in Japan
So this is year end of 2020 when I watched this , and as some of you might know , Xbox series X and PlayStation 5 are the big things people are buying and selling at double and even triple the price , well I saw one on eBay this guy was selling one at regular price , I couldn’t believe it , hell yeah I’m getting this , I thought anyway. Come to find out , in fine print , the guy was selling a picture of an Xbox series X , and man I am so glad I seen that fine print before I hit the purchase button. Apparently he was doing this to deter internet bots or something , whatever that means , but I was almost the bot LOL. So be careful everyone , it doesn’t have to be a scam to be scammed. He actually did put in the description , this is a picture of the Xbox series X not the actual Xbox. So someone might do this with a guitar as well , so be careful.
👍👍👍✌️✌️✌️
Two things:
1. Japanese quality control is PAINFULLY fastidious. They inspect with magnifying glasses. If you order one from Japan that's brand new (and you get it), you'll be getting the best of the best.
2. The Japanese buyers order a lot of special run guitars that may not ever be available in the states. If you want something unique, it's a good place to look.
OTOH, I bought my 3 year old Explorer from an ebay seller in California. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was still brand new, for $800 shipped. Dig deep enough and you'll still find good deals here too.
Sometimes I’ll see a guitar on some random website that I know can be sold on Reverb for more than the website is asking. I always consider just listing the guitar on Reverb and if it sells, then buy it off the random website and enter in the address of the person who bought on Reverb. Make a few hundred bucks. I’ve never done it though.
I noticed that with Carvin guitars on Ebay. I had to laugh. They are charging 2 to 3 times what it would cost normally. Maybe lost in translation, but I guess the sellers don't realize I can just write down the options and order myself. As far as the free 30 and 60 day returns, it's legit. I have a store on Ebay. But I can tell you they are hoping you don't use it. Also when the seller offers this they get discounts and feedback protection(buyer can't leave negative or it will be removed if seller gives refund). It's not a good deal for a seller especially shipping heavy items and being overseas. I personally have a buyer pays return shipping because of idiots who don't pay attention to what they are buying and then want to return it right away.
I have been wondering about this practice for years. The multiple listings from Japan for the same guitar has been a complete mystery and a total turn off. Thanks for clearing it up, but I don't like it the practice. It still looks like a scam, even if it isn't. I thank you for your research and explanation; very helpful! I believe you, but for me personally, making a guitar purchase from outside the U.S. is more risk/hassle than I am willing to take. I'm not sure how SO MANY vintage U.S. guitars have made their way to Japan, and it seems like eBay has been absolutely flooded with them in recent years. It's to the point where if I find something I like, and the guitar is from a U.S. seller, I'm pleasantly surprised.
I purchased a 79 LPC and and an 84 Explorer using a broker in Japan. The LPC had a twist in the neck and I returned it and was refunded 100%. I live in the Philippines and had no issues with customs. Nice thing about the broker is a year later another 79 LPC came in and they contacted me. Bought the guitar and no issues.
Great video btw.
The only things I've ever bought from Japan via eBay are pedals and guitar parts, I simply wouldn't feel comfortable buying an actual guitar through a broker etc, I'd just be too worried about doing it, plus the import charges are ridiculous!
I legit got an ad on this video with a guy giving a class on how to drop-ship
Two ads for drop shipping during the show ...and watching a lot of UA-cam videos they are often preceded by that annoying American guy talking too fast about selling Pyjamas from China while sitting In front of "his" Lamborghini.
If I was a business, a used guitar trader here in the UK , I might consider using a Japanese broker to find rarities but as a private dude who has to save up a long time to buy their instruments , all this seems like , not a scam persee but just a little underhand & dishonest. Thanks for video Austin.
It's true, I bought many guitars from Japan in the past, prior to the broker phenomenon, but recently took a chance on one. It was a successful buy. Like Trogly explains, the original guitar that was listed that I enquired about, had suddenly been sold. My contact broker proceeded to find me another just like it the very next day, and a week later it was at my door. A thing of beauty. I've never had anything but great experiences from Japanese sellers, and brokers.
There is service called Buyee that is another way to go direct to Japan.
How is it possible at this time for you to import a guitar from outside the US? I thought CITES would put a stop or a significant damper on doing so.
I search ebay every few hours for years now. All these Japan broker listed guitars started only just a few years ago. Now, there’s more of those than US listed guitars. I had to “Refine” my searches to US Only, but quite a few still slip through anyway. Sometimes I get excited, then upon further notice, I find it’s in Japan and feel let down.... Anyway, Thanks for explaining how this all works. To answer your question, I don’t like this whole broker idea. No way would I be OK with an out of stock notice once I buy something, esspecially a guitar I’m excited about.... If it’s listed on ebay, I expect it to be available, period...
Thanks for explaining all this and making a video about it...👍
I see lots of these things come up. Oftentimes scattered in amongst legit dealer that I know. Personally I would never buy something from them. People I know have been ripped off. No guitar, no return and no response from seller. Oh yeah no money back. Not worth wasting my time. Good information by the way. Thanks for sharing.
Got an Ibanez Az from Japan and there were multiple listings just like this. Received the guitar within a week and the condition is amazing! I even got it for an amazingly low price.
Any import fees afterward?
@@jonahlmoore taxes, both federal and provincial (im in Canada)
I have bought one n had problems so I just skip the ad when I see Japan on the shipped from section
could i just message them to know if it is in stock before paying?
Vappo Riesat yes you have to fill out an inquiry form first. They get back to you with details you ask for and ofcourse availability.
@@dohoeijmans2432 nice. So it would be possible to make sure nothing gets lost in translation
yes, a little communication goes a long way. Techincally, they do ask you to do that prior to purchase in their listings
LOL. 30%? In Brazil it’s around 60%!!!! Thanks for making this video. I’m tired of explaining these processes.
I´ve always been wondering about this phenomena (phenomenon?) . Thank you very much for clearing it up!
I have been noticing the same thing with pedals from Japan as well.
Thanks for this video! Very informative!
I am about to, I assumed they were doing something like this. I'm good with it I have found the equivalent guitar stateside but even with fees it's still cheaper to get it from Japan.
How was the tracking? Did they provide a tracking number that provides accurate info as to the shipment and delivery process??
yes - you'll usually get a tracking number fairly soon after purchase (once they have purchased and shipped the guitar out)
Thanks for finally explaining this. Personally, my money is too slim to spend that kind of money on this type of scenario. I also feel there will usually always be something undisclosed about the guitar upon arrival. Unless its just that rare and the only possible way to score it, I’d likely pass
Thanks Austin. I've only purchased two guitars online and was lucky everything turned out fine. Now I won't be soo complacent the next time . Very informative information.
I am very seriously thinking about buying a guitar from japan after watching this video, now that i know whats going on. Just yesterday i was looking on Ebay at explorers and saw many from Japan at good prices
They do the same thing for cameras. I bought a medium format Mamiya c220 twin lens reflex a year ago, and it was amazing!
This is the most informative video I’ve seen on this topic! Thank you!
it may not be a scam BUT i think some of them purposely post guitars THEY CAN’T GET because one day i was looking for a very hard to find guitar and boom that’s when i found these from japan multiple listed ebay listings. not only did they have the guitar i was looking for but i felt something was fishy so started searching for stuff i knew was next to impossible to find and guess what the same seller of the guitar also had three other things that was super rare and hard to find items. so i think they do this to get people that have money click buy and hit them up with sorry out of stock but would you be interested in “fill in the blank”
so basically a bait and switch. i also noticed a lot of these listening don’t sell and end and a week or so later is relisted.
I think you have made a really great point! Anything to get buyers in the door, then sell them something, anything. Like the old school door to door vacuum cleaner salesman, LolI sold Kirby's in the early 80's .
I dont mind this so much. It's when they list at a higher price claiming to be located in your home country. You pay a little extra for speeds sake, Then the package arrives a week later express shipped from china. You have no real recourse because you received the item.
Yes, I'd rock that broker scene.
I can tell you that Ishibashi is not like really Guitar Center since they're really only around Tokyo as far as I can tell. I live in Hokkaido and there is no Ishibashi store here (and maybe northern Japan in general) They do have broker ferms in Sapporo though I think is called like "Music Cash" or something where you sell your stuff there and they post it on ebay. I have bought a 2013 LPJ from them before (which Im noodling on right now by the way) and shipping and packing was extremely good. Also I believe they only deal in used guitars, not new ones.
Shimamura is more like Guitar Center
@@rickychau7687 That's actually a really good comparison.
things also happen on indonesian site called "Bukalapak"
same shit, same lister, different price
I bought an ESP/Edwards that was listed as second hand and from Japan....It was NOS (better for me) and in Russia. My last guitar came from Ishibashi they couldve listed the fret wear a lot better.
Omg. And the shipping...
I think I might have bought from one back in 2013. To get a Japanese P Bass since Fender didn't do Mexican Left Handed P basses at the time. That bass is my favourite that I own so I'm happy with my experience.
Glad you did this. I always wondered about this.
If the person I’m buying from doesn’t have the guitar in their possession, I’m not doing business with them. Way too many chances for things to go south. You can’t even ask them any questions about it and get a straight answer. Let alone deal with the language barrier. If I want a guitar from Japan, I’ll go to the owner. If their terms and conditions aren’t to my favor, I’ll just look elsewhere. Some people chase a flush or a straight to the last card. And lose all their money in the process hoping to hit big. You gotta know when to fold. There will ALWAYS be a deal on a guitar. People that are buying and selling high dollar guitars, I get it. Sometimes you gotta make it work if that’s your business. You have to have an international reach if you’re doing what Trogly does. But it doesn’t come without serious risks. Trogly can attest to that. But some people can’t take 15-20,000$ hits and just grin and bear it.
So once I saw a Greco Les Paul on eBay in Japan. Asked the seller questions but told me he couldn't answer then. Was in Japan shortly afterward and found the same guitar in a shop for hundreds less. Now I know why ... broker!
Love the Everytime I Die music vid snippet of the guy smashing the acoustic thrown in there. Respect.
this is a real public service, trog. I've often wondered about these listings. Would I rock? No, but then I'm not a collector of rarities - i could most likely find whatever guitar I want or need closer to home.
I have been in the tokyo guitar stores many times, those "brokers" are kids who go to barging those guitars and cut some cash for purchasing and send it by Japan mail. The problem is that those guys create speculation, a fake demand which makes the guitars expensive and the real buyer suffer that... the other problem is that those guys don't pay any tax to their countries... I many countries those actions are criminal.
Thanks for the much needed information!
Thank you i have been wondering about this for a while