I’m a big fan of the video games and anime. I do like enjoying opening a random pack here and there. But prices have spiked massively since this year. I do not have time for Discord groups that post links to deals that sell out in minutes, even though I would enjoy to make money off my hobby. So during my visit to Japan I might make use of it to start investing. In my country (Holland) there is no Pokemon center. Would items that are only sold there (like sleeves and playmats) mean more profit than the cards?
Or are there any special boxes that can be bought at a PC without having to camp outside for days?
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Lol
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Welcome to the forum!
Unfortunately Japan is not some oasis of financial opportunity. Shelves are picked clean of all modern TCG product just like in the West. In the past you could find deals at card shops, but now card shop prices are very similar if not more expensive than western marketplaces like eBay. Really the only benefit now is that you get to see cards in person and check out flaws.
In terms of merch, anything that’s available is only available because it can’t be resold at a profit. There are many specialty stores in Japan that cater to reselling to the West, and they have already optimized any profits that can be extracted from items. You may have some luck reselling items on a small scale because you can bring them back tax-free under a personal exemption, but we’re talking maybe a few dollars (or euros) in profit and nothing scalable.
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You’re about checks watch 5 years late friend. Welcome to the forum!
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Welcome to the fourum
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Welcome to the fourum!
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Welcome to the foruem
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You are looking at the wrong items, with those you’ll surely lose money. What you really can focus Japanese investment on is the culture and rich sense of community. Invest in those and it’ll pay you back tenfold in value.
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As someone who has travelled to Japan multiple times, I agree with the sentiment that it’s far from an oasis of financial opportunity.
Here are some cool reasons to visit Japan besides Pokemon:
Rich culture and history, unlike anything in the Western world
Delicious cuisine that is reasonably priced
Robust transit system, allowing you to see most of the country quickly
Clean, hygienic and safe. Lots of English signage in the major cities
Of course, if you’re into anime, video games and Pokemon, there’s no shortage of this stuff in official stores and second-hand shops. Just don’t expect to find amazing quality cards for low prices as most stuff is either extremely common and cheap or extremely expensive and rare. Japan has been experiencing over-tourism for quite some time now, with many “investors” thinking the same thing as you, so stores have adjusted their prices accordingly to serve the over-ambitious gaijin.
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Welcome to the forum!
Short answer: no.
Long answer:
Despite the weak yen, card prices haven’t really become cheaper, as Japanese shops compare their card prices more with international markets. With Mercari being so popular among international buyers, prices have just aligned with international levels. If you go to Tokyo and only plan on visiting the 5 to 10 most popular stores, you won’t find any deals. If you put in some effort, finding smaller shops or even going outside of the big cities, you have a chance of finding some good deals. But it’s not really worth it investment-wise unless you do it on a big scale.
My recommendation: just go to Japan, have fun, and buy some items here and there.
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Skip the card shops (or at least don’t make that your focus) and enjoy everything else Japan has to offer.
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Welcome to the fourum! 
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Like a wise man once told me “the best time to be in the hobby was 10 years ago” or sumthin idk.
Anyway, welcome!
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They were handing out illustrators at the Tokyo airport in '15
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Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Curry Udon, a tea ceremony, and Mount Fuji. Cuz mountain pretty
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Yes of course I’m going to Japan to enjoy the culture. Buying pokemon is not my main focus haha. Perhaps my questions was a bit limited because this is a pokemon forum so I just talked about that.
But I just thought that while I’m there anyway, I might be able to grab some deals. Since my country doesnt even have a pokemon center, some items might be profitable (and pay back a bit of this expensive trip).
But there are no smallish items that are in demand? Or if there are, theyre already scalped/prices hiked?
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