Hey guys!
I’m still new to the whole process of collecting and am trying to save as much money as I can whilst completing sets so I can get my cards graded eventually.
I just wanted to gauge the opinion of fellow collectors (especially those who collect Japanese cards) and see where they get their cards.
I’m well aware of Y!J, eBay and sellers like AmiAmi but have only just discovered TCG Republic. Do people use TCG Republic? Where else can I find Mint Japanese cards?
Many thanks in advance!
Depending what you are looking for, there are tons of Japanese collectors on this site that may be able to help you?
I personally just use Y!J for singles, with the occasional asking friends if they have the card for sale.
Is pokecen still up and running? That site is good.
There probably are, not sure why I’m hesitant to ask, probably because of the shipping costs. I also don’t feel comfortable asking you guys for cards because I still don’t have a grasp on values and would hate to insult anyone.
The reason I ask about TCG Republic is that they have free shipping and some cards are very competitively priced.
I still need to ask a friend in Japan if they would act as my middleman for Y!J but am pretty happy with their pricing from what I see. Haven’t heard of pokecen, will have a look though, cheers!
For Y!J you can also sign up for a middleman service such as noppin, fromjapan or treasurejapan 
I’ve read about them. Might be cheaper to use a friend though. I’ll see =)
TCG Republic looks interesting. Never used it, but I might put in a small order to see what’s what. Only issue is I can find nothing about card condition anywhere on the site.
Edit: Placed an order. Some of the prices were so good that they’ll be worth it even if the cards come in crap condition.
Why not @japanime?
TCG Republic guarantees excellent condition cards. Not sure if that is excellent on our scale or their wording for Mint. They specifically state what USED means though.
I agree though, some cards are just too good in price to not take a chance.
@ozenigma I got a bunch of old-school ex cards for $5 or so each, and a FA Groudon (BW3) for $12. Damn nice.
I thought these were well-priced: tcgrepublic.com/category/subcategory_page_1575.html
If anyone is placing an order please lmk and maybe we can both go in on S&H. 
I might place another one in a day or two, got some money coming in from buylist orders and eBay auctions. (If my buyers find it to their liking to pay).
How much are you thinking of ordering?
I also offer a middleman service. Kind of wonder why you didn’t mention me. 
Sorry Glenn!
I totally forgot 
-squishes @japanime tightly-
I’ve got some cards being Shipped back to me from Glenn in the next week or so. My Promo Shiny Rayquaza’s + some stuff I had him order off of YahooJapan for me!
No worries. 
Yes, soon! The turnaround on getting the promos back from the redemption center has been really slow, unfortunately. I’m hoping to get the majority of them (including yours) this week.
My TCG Republic order arrived today. Pros: Great prices on some cards, site is easy to navigate. Also got a bonus Pikachu keychain! Cons: Handling time, it took 1 week for the package to be shipped out. And the big one, card condition. I ordered 5 cards and they were all in VG-EX condition. No creases or bends, the front of the cards look really nice actually, but edgewear is a big issue. PSA grades would probably range from 5-7. They’ll look fantastic in my non-gradable card binder, but that’s about it.
I personally will not be ordering from them again as I want mint cards. But if you aren’t a big stickler for card condition and handling time, go for it. The prices really are quite nice.
I have what I think is a sealed promo on the way but this has me worried, gonna try mandarake.co.jp soon though
I’d be considering returning them. I’m fairly certain I read on reddit that they guarantee high quality cards. I think someone asked if that meant mint and they said yes. Could be wrong though.
@ozenigma I’m happy with the cards, I was just hoping a few would be gradable. I don’t want to go through the process of a return to Japan/PayPal claim, etc.