Buying From Japan

This page extends from my Getting Started Guide. And, is a part of the greater Minidisc info hub.

You were linked this page or one related to it because you may have expressed an interest in buying MiniDisc hardware from Japan.

This page is an adaptation of my existing Reddit post: PSA on Location:Japan eBay : r/minidisc (reddit.com)

 

When to Buy from Japan

My general advice is, when possible, buy your first minidisc machine domestically. If you want or expect "customer service" - getting it from within your economic and shipping zone is easier.

However, be aware that MiniDisc is a vintage format and if you send a machine from, say, eBay back to a seller, they are probably going to throw it in the trash instead of themselves attempting maintenance or repair, reducing the overall pool of available hardware. It's worth becoming familiar with basic maintenance and repair.

Sony, and most other MiniDisc vendors started selling different hardware in Japan and the rest of the world starting in roughly 1998, when Sony made it's commitment to re-launch the format outside of Japan, with new cost-reduced hardware. High end or flagship models and most decks (things like MZ-R50, R55, N1, N10) sold globally. But, models like the MZ-R37, N707/505, NE410 and N510, varyingly, only sold outside of Japan. This can vary even further, e.g. the NetMD "4-series" appear exclusive to North America, with N510 available in both NA and Europe, and the N710/NF810 being far more common in Europe than NA, or the N910 having an European but not North American release.) Similarly, many bookshelf stereos and some player-only units are exclusive to Japan, and Japan is home of many "second to highest end" portable recorders (R910, N920) which were sold there because NetMD and HiMD weren't very popular there.

So, you should consider buying rom Japan if you need or want something that sold in much higher quantities there, was only available there, or is cheaper there.

You can define this in any number of ways.

The best buys tend to be hardware that was somewhat unique to Japan, is widely available, and, say, doesn't have things people put a high value on. (Player-only units, or specific models such as the Sony MZ-B10, are great examples.)

Japanese Selling Culture

It's important to know a little bit about Japanese second-hand culture.

First is that "junk" doesn't necessarily mean something is in bad shape or is known to not work correctly. It usually means what "untested" means in English. A Japanese seller might list a MiniDisc machine as "junk" if they don't have a way to test it. Or, if they did test it, but don't want to accept returns or be asked for help using the machine. "All sales final" would be another way to think of this.

Second is that, the most recommended method of buying from Japan is using a proxy service. These proxy services will buy an item for you and receive it at a warehouse inside Japan. In theory you can ask them to test hardware or make second examinations of devices, and you can in theory ask them to communicate with the seller for you.

However, many proxies have their own "all sales final" policy on top of one set by a seller, so if you ask a proxy to return something for you, they may say no.

This is part of why things cost less.

Taking Risks

With that in mind, it's important to consider any purchase from Japan as a potential risk. Maybe even more than you might consider a local purchase to be a risk, because unlike if you buy something off eBay in the US, there is almost never any returns.

Again, that's part of why the stuff sometimes costs less than what it does in other markets, either for specific machines or per-functionality.

Hardware That Needs Specific Accessories

The next thing to consider is that if you are looking for specific functionality, such as NetMD, it's important to remember that most Japanese companies sold only higher end units, or units that conform to a particular shape and size, in Japan.

If you look for an MZ-N910, to extend the NetMD example, be aware it uses a semi-custom type of battery referred to as a gumstick. There are new-build gumsticks avaialble from a few "brands". These machines often had other accessories such as a sidecar to allow the use of an AA battery externally, and the original remote controller. Some machines such as the MZ-N10/10 and Panasonic SJ-MR230/240/250/270 and many Sharp recorders, require docking stations for certain functionality.

Further, some of these machines absolutely require working nimh gumstick batteries to do some things, such as "work on the dock at all". Panasonic was the worst for this, but consule the manual for any given machine to confirm which accessories you may want.

Within some brand-specific ecosystems, accessories are often shared. For example, a very large number of other Sony models use the same sidecar and remote as the N910, so if you're buying several machines or if you already have some machines, a new one might not need all pieces.

To bring this back home, if you are looking for your first NetMD machine or to add a NetMD machine to an existing ecosystem, remember to account for the additional cost of buying a machine that includes these accessories.

On average, you may pay up to 2x as much for an N910 or N920 that includes these things, and, say, has a clean gumstick compartment. These may cost even more than domestic options. Remember, NetMD and HiMD weren't popular in Japan. (But this doens't necessarily mean "completely nonexistent" either.) And, machines that have NetMD are often the most desired.

So you may be able to find a Japanese machine without netMD for like half what a NetMD machine costs. And, similarly, a domestic NetMD machine might cost less overall, and have the same functionality.

Location:Japan eBay

Japanese eBay is mostly a scam.

How to Buy from Japan: Japanese Proxies

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