A Glimpse Into Japan's Retro Mega Stores (56K DEATH!)

[BIZ]

this guy has a few awesome videos of shopping at these stores

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkmGAmwiH0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAgMNrmMelQ

[Dakinggamer87]

I've got to go to Japan some day. Seriously...

[CookieMonster]

Glad to see someone else is big into Mandai Shoten in Tohoku. I've found that the prices have escalated since about a year ago, especially in Kitakami, and the Furukawa shop seems to have gotten rid of a lot of the best stuff (thousands of PC Engine games, for instance). I agree with you 100% on Super Potato though. How they can charge such prices when other shops in Sendai sell the same stuff for much less is beyond me.

I also am a big fan of late night visits to the Shirakawa store, I usually stay overnight in the Toyoko Inn nearby and then move on the next day. Have you been in the Minami Sendai shop recently, I'm wondering if they've done any tidying and sorting out lately, I can never find anything easily.

There's still a few I haven't been to yet, the one in Kumagaya and those in Akita, are they any good?

[hashiriya1]

Glad to see someone else is big into Mandai Shoten in Tohoku. I've found that the prices have escalated since about a year ago, especially in Kitakami, and the Furukawa shop seems to have gotten rid of a lot of the best stuff (thousands of PC Engine games, for instance). I agree with you 100% on Super Potato though. How they can charge such prices when other shops in Sendai sell the same stuff for much less is beyond me.

I also am a big fan of late night visits to the Shirakawa store, I usually stay overnight in the Toyoko Inn nearby and then move on the next day. Have you been in the Minami Sendai shop recently, I'm wondering if they've done any tidying and sorting out lately, I can never find anything easily.

There's still a few I haven't been to yet, the one in Kumagaya and those in Akita, are they any good?

Haven't really noticed any price changes within the last couple of years. I did talk to several managers at these stores and they said their prices are either determined by someone who knows the retro scene, or somebody who knows nothing about it. That's why you see prices vary from place to place, month to month.

Kumagaya has a large selection, but nothing really good. The store is BIG, but the 1st floor has nothing. The second floor, has all the good stuff. Akita stores are golden, but only one in particular has really good stuff for really cheap, right in the heart of Akita City. Aomori stores are so/so, the best one being in Hachinohe. The Furukawa store is a complete let-down unless you're looking for cheap PS2 games or cheap YOSHIDA PORTER goods (I'm a PORTER whore, even have the PORTER FINAL FANTASY PSP case). I always pass that place up. BUT the Furukawa and Tome Book ****** have goodies, but I think I bought most of them. There are some hidden places in Tohoku and Kanto that also have goods, but I'd be kicking myself in the teeth if I revealed where they are or what they're called. They're not game shops, but they sell games. Let's just say they get away with selling really rare things for below original retail, and nobody buys them. Only me, it seems.

I memorize the stock at the Sendai Minami, Sendai Izumi, and Tagajo stores. The same goes for SEAGULL and the unnamed source. The Sendai Minami store has gone thru so many changes in the past month, but I always keep my eye on the good stuff. Some of it they have hidden, for some reason. I had to ask the manager if they still have it. He just said "Don't worry, nobody will buy it, it'll be here when you decide to!"

The Kitakami store moved to route 4 (replaced an old COOP IWATE building). The prices there are fair. I've bought many things from there. They have a gold BABY MILO DS Lite that I might pick up. Tha Morioka stores are really nice, too.

The prices at these places vary from day to day. I watch them closely. The whole idea behind "Takara Hakken" is not that you'll find something rare, but once in a while they will put something out up to 75% cheaper than what it should be. It's your job to find it.The Shirakawa store does this a lot. They usually hide it in the back under all the junk. I've picked up some really nice things for dirt cheap.

Fukushima's Adachi store also has really good stuff at decent prices, as well as the Koriyama stores. Last time I went to Shirakawa a couple weeks ago, I picked up a MOTHER 3 GBA Micro COMPLETE for 5,400 yen. They usually go for 10,000 + yen plus.

Nagano stores are also good because they don't get too much traffic from retro collectors, the same goes for shops in Ishikawa and Gifu.

I've pretty much been to most of these stores in Kanto, Chubu, and Tohoku, and a couple in Kyushu and Hokkaido Tohoku reigns supreme. I have ETC in my car, so on the weekends it's REALLY cheap to use the highways.

[CookieMonster]

Haven't really noticed any price changes within the last couple of years. I did talk to several managers at these stores and they said their prices are either determined by someone who knows the retro scene, or somebody who knows nothing about it. That's why you see prices vary from place to place, month to month.

Kumagaya has a large selection, but nothing really good. The store is BIG, but the 1st floor has nothing. The second floor, has all the good stuff. Akita stores are golden, but only one in particular has really good stuff for really cheap, right in the heart of Akita City. Aomori stores are so/so, the best one being in Hachinohe. The Furukawa store is a complete let-down unless you're looking for cheap PS2 games or cheap YOSHIDA PORTER goods (I'm a PORTER whore, even have the PORTER FINAL FANTASY PSP case). I always pass that place up. BUT the Furukawa and Tome Book ****** have goodies, but I think I bought most of them. There are some hidden places in Tohoku and Kanto that also have goods, but I'd be kicking myself in the teeth if I revealed where they are or what they're called. They're not game shops, but they sell games. Let's just say they get away with selling really rare things for below original retail, and nobody buys them. Only me, it seems.

I memorize the stock at the Sendai Minami, Sendai Izumi, and Tagajo stores. The same goes for SEAGULL and the unnamed source. The Sendai Minami store has gone thru so many changes in the past month, but I always keep my eye on the good stuff. Some of it they have hidden, for some reason. I had to ask the manager if they still have it. He just said "Don't worry, nobody will buy it, it'll be here when you decide to!"

The Kitakami store moved to route 4 (replaced an old COOP IWATE building). The prices there are fair. I've bought many things from there. They have a gold BABY MILO DS Lite that I might pick up. Tha Morioka stores are really nice, too.

The prices at these places vary from day to day. I watch them closely. The whole idea behind "Takara Hakken" is not that you'll find something rare, but once in a while they will put something out up to 75% cheaper than what it should be. It's your job to find it.The Shirakawa store does this a lot. They usually hide it in the back under all the junk. I've picked up some really nice things for dirt cheap.

Fukushima's Adachi store also has really good stuff at decent prices, as well as the Koriyama stores. Last time I went to Shirakawa a couple weeks ago, I picked up a MOTHER 3 GBA Micro COMPLETE for 5,400 yen. They usually go for 10,000 + yen plus.

Nagano stores are also good because they don't get too much traffic from retro collectors, the same goes for shops in Ishikawa and Gifu.

I've pretty much been to most of these stores in Kanto, Chubu, and Tohoku, and a couple in Kyushu and Hokkaido Tohoku reigns supreme. I have ETC in my car, so on the weekends it's REALLY cheap to use the highways.[/quote]

Ok, thanks for that, I don't think I'll bother with Kumagaya so. The prices in Kitakami definitely went up, most of the PC Engine games were made the same price, about 2480 yen maybe. Also the same with the Neo Geo games, all 20000 yen, which is way too much, except for Garou, which I sold for $355 when I was finished with it. I got a Mushihimesama there for 2980 last year, but it costs much more now.

I went to Aomori to visit friends recently in Hachinohe, so I've been to the shop there, and also went over to Aomori-shi and then back down home to Miyagi, stopping in Morioka etc.

Yeah, I got some great stuff in Tome too, though some games are expensive there, but they are very rare. There's a similar shop in Koriyama I recommend, got some great AES cartridges there. Oh, and a bunch of MVS carts in Kitakami for 980 each. I know they've moved, I remember going to the old place and the retro consoles were gone so I asked the girl with the pink woolly hat, and she told me they went to the new shop, so I had to get her to explain exactly where this was, as I always got lost driving to that shop. Good job it's on Route 4 now. I don't use the highway, just Route 4.

[Flak Beard]

Weird, I can't get the pics to load at all for me.

Retro shopping in Japan truly is amazing though. My trip to Akihabara and Super Potato last year is one of the best experiences of my life.

[hashiriya1]

Weird, I can't get the pics to load at all for me.

Retro shopping in Japan truly is amazing though. My trip to Akihabara and Super Potato last year is one of the best experiences of my life.

Hope you didn't buy anything at Super Potato!

[hashiriya1]

Ok, thanks for that, I don't think I'll bother with Kumagaya so. The prices in Kitakami definitely went up, most of the PC Engine games were made the same price, about 2480 yen maybe. Also the same with the Neo Geo games, all 20000 yen, which is way too much, except for Garou, which I sold for $355 when I was finished with it. I got a Mushihimesama there for 2980 last year, but it costs much more now.

I went to Aomori to visit friends recently in Hachinohe, so I've been to the shop there, and also went over to Aomori-shi and then back down home to Miyagi, stopping in Morioka etc.

Yeah, I got some great stuff in Tome too, though some games are expensive there, but they are very rare. There's a similar shop in Koriyama I recommend, got some great AES cartridges there. Oh, and a bunch of MVS carts in Kitakami for 980 each. I know they've moved, I remember going to the old place and the retro consoles were gone so I asked the girl with the pink woolly hat, and she told me they went to the new shop, so I had to get her to explain exactly where this was, as I always got lost driving to that shop. Good job it's on Route 4 now. I don't use the highway, just Route 4.

This weekend I'll be taking a drive down to Niigata to check out those stores. FYI, SEAGULL sells a lot of AES games for a lot less than 980!

Get a Navi, you'll never get lost! I recommend the Sanyo Gorilla series. I used to have a Panasonic one, but it wasn't very good.

[CookieMonster]

I've not yet been to Niigata at all, actually. My car's not exactly great, one of the doors has no handle, and it actually jumps when changing gears. It also makes a strange noise when going to the left but not the right. Maybe I'll get a new one when the shaken runs out. In my local Seagull I got great Neo Geo CD deals actually, as well as a lot more. I'm very famous in there, one of the staff came to my house with a wedding present.

[hashiriya1]

I've not yet been to Niigata at all, actually. My car's not exactly great, one of the doors has no handle, and it actually jumps when changing gears. It also makes a strange noise when going to the left but not the right. Maybe I'll get a new one when the shaken runs out. In my local Seagull I got great Neo Geo CD deals actually, as well as a lot more. I'm very famous in there, one of the staff came to my house with a wedding present.

You don't have a Toyota Starlet do you? They are notorious for jumpy transmissions! I had to work on one, it was no fun and I nearly gave up.