p.1 #1 · Getting around the hype prices - YEN/Buyee
The more I look at this the more Buyee seems like a good idea.
Anyone use them successfully?
For those that don't know - Buyee is a services that allows you to purchase from the domestic only Japanese auction market and then they receive the item and forward on to you internationally.
For professional stuff it makes no sense but for film camera collecting and avoiding the hyped up prices on some things it seems like a good angle.
p.1 #2 · Getting around the hype prices - YEN/Buyee
If you can find a decent price on an item, then sure. Buyee usually works well. However the Japanese market is less and less of a "deal" and most prices are matched to USD equivalent or there about. The market there has the best selection but it is getting harder and harder to find a deal.
p.1 #3 · Getting around the hype prices - YEN/Buyee
The whole reason that I bought my new Leica M6 was because the GBP had collapsed to it's lowest level in history vs the USD. So I bought it from the UK, shipped to USA.
It seemed like such a great plan at the time... until I found out that my camera was defective (it's a Leica thing - they ship out defective gear but pack them with cute hand signed quality assurance check cards). Then it became a huge PITA and I wish I had never bought it as I could not easily return to seller (customs fees etc were already paid).
So for me, I prefer to pay a little more and buy domestically knowing that if there were any issues, I could easily return the item.
p.1 #4 · Getting around the hype prices - YEN/Buyee
The thrust of the YT video is that Buyee is an option for finding rare gear that you won't easily find on Ebay or won't find as cheaply. I might consider them.
p.1 #5 · Getting around the hype prices - YEN/Buyee
I live in Japan and get paid in USD. There are certainly deals to be had over here, but they often require a lot of looking. Interestingly, on new mass-market cameras/lenses, sometimes the used price is locally the same after yen conversion as if I were to buy new from B&H.
