Options for Buying Japanese Denim

[braid]

for those of you unable to read japanese, let google translator do the talking...so easy, a cave man could do it.

[Bona Drag]

plus, as has been demonstrated numerous times, the resulting engrish is comedy gold

[toufu]

lol i didnt know you had to confirm the shipping charge...my order got cancelled XD

[link]

Looks like this hasn't been added but OWN magazine ships directly from japan using EMS. Appart from Skulls and other Alchemist / Fab four gear they stock a few different designers. Everything is in English.

https://own-magazine.com/store/index.php?manufacturers_id=17

Thanks for the tip - it's an awesome site with everything in English. Great selection too.

[AsherC]

whats the worst the members on here have been stung by customs?

i recently order a pair of evisu shorts from hinoya, they cost about $120 including shipping but got held up at customs where they got charged approximatley $70.

[Dick Danger]

whats the worst the members on here have been stung by customs?

i recently order a pair of evisu shorts from hinoya, they cost about $120 including shipping but got held up at customs where they got charged approximatley $70.

are you in the US?

[AsherC]

no im in rip-off britain, but would like to see how other members have experienced customs charges in different countries and my own

[Dick Danger]

I've ordered tons from Japan a never paid any duties, the only time I've ever been hit with a duty charge was on an order from the UK.

[AsherC]

yeah the UK sux the governement is only interseted in making money.

i thnk i'll just reject the parcel and have it returned, im not paying $190 on a pair of shorts, hopefully hinoya may even give me a refund but i doubt it

[kiya]

Wow, that's nuts..

We mark all packages as "Gift" and value them all at $100 and haven't had anybody get hit with a high charge yet.

[LFC4ever]

In the UK if the package is valued at around $20 and marked as gift they won't charge you. Any higher and you will get 17.5% VAT (on the goods AND shipping charge) plus usually a mail clearance fee of $16. You may also pay duty (in which case you get charged VAt on the duty as well!)So on $100 even if duty isn't charged that's about 40% but a lot less than the actual value. It's why my black SExIH were only $20...........

[moykky]

yeah the UK sux the governement is only interseted in making money.

i thnk i'll just reject the parcel and have it returned, im not paying $190 on a pair of shorts, hopefully hinoya may even give me a refund but i doubt it

Are you saying that you have to pay 60% for customs? How do they count it? Wheres your Robin Hood when you need him...

[AsherC]

yep nearly 60% extra, its totally ridiculous the shorts cost about $90 without shipping and when i worked it out they charged me over 30% vat (that should be 17.5%) plus import duty and a clearance fee

[indigo_junkie]

WTF?!?!?! That's insane!

The customs charges are pretty basic in Australia (as I understand them). You get charged for any item above AUD$1000 whether it is marked gift or not. 10% plus another 10%GST on the customs charge, so 11%. I think that's how they do it. I haven't been charged a customs fee yet... (touch wood).

[AsherC]

in the uk you dont get charged for stuff under $20 or about $50 if marked as a gift.

it crazy when i think i get some okinawas 2 months ago and 4 sda tees last month both packages worth over $200 and no customs charges atall.

[kbuzz]

Can someone provide some assistance in ordering some stuff to the USA from both hinoya and earthlink.I understand i have to get an id from rakuten here at http://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/super-rag/info-en/#bottom

However, how do you then order from the vendor. Can you go direct to their site and somehow enter your id. if this is the process does anyone have any help on how to do this.

Or do you have to shop only through the superrag site which does not appear to be as comprhensive as the individual stoe.

im at caledoniasoulmusic-tubes AT yahoo.com

thanks in advance

newbie

[fadeaway]

Can someone provide some assistance in ordering some stuff to the USA from both hinoya and earthlink.I understand i have to get an id from rakuten here at http://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/super-rag/info-en/#bottom

However, how do you then order from the vendor. Can you go direct to their site and somehow enter your id. if this is the process does anyone have any help on how to do this.

Or do you have to shop only through the superrag site which does not appear to be as comprhensive as the individual stoe.

im at caledoniasoulmusic-tubes AT yahoo.com

thanks in advance

Just go to hinoya or whatever site and when you go to checkout put in the email address that you registered on rakuten when it asks for your ID and password. Then just follow the instructions. It's very easy to use. Follow the step by step instructions on the english super rag page.

[Chponglasia]

You don't actually have to register and get an ID from Rakuten. Just use the instructions on Super Rag as a guide when you check out on Hinoya or Earth Market.

[ZawBanjito]

Please forgive me if I sound naive, but... do people want to buy Japanese jeans at Japanese prices from other people? Is it now so easy to do it yourself from the west that it would be pointless to try? I'm seeing a little frustration but I don't know if it's ENOUGH frustration.

I stumbled onto this forum completely by accident a couple months ago and have become completely obsessed with Japanese denim. I live in Japan, speak the language decently enough, and often go to Osaka and Kobe, where recently I have enjoyed hunting down, staring at, and trying on denim that I can in no way talk myself into affording all at once.

Then in my researches I have discovered the strange fact that is being discussed in this thread: that denim is way waaaaay cheaper here than in America.

Immediately, I think two things:

1) It makes long term economic sense to buy MORE JEANS NOW (I'm sure you guys will be able to see the logic here...)

2) Maybe, MAYBE, I could SELL jeans to BUY jeans. If I sold five jeans at a 20% markup, I could buy ONE JEANS. These maths are compelling to me.

I'm not talking about a proxy service, because I don't want to take orders. I honestly don't want to step on anybody's territory. I don't want to start a big operation. I just want to buy jeans. I want somebody to enable my newest addiction. I want to find jeans, and then sell jeans on eBay (or wherever) so as to have enough profit to buy those jeans without breaking my budget. My question is, would this work? If you saw some 33inch Union Star jeans for sale for $155 on eBay, you pay shipping from Japan, would that be tempting enough for you to think about buying them? Or how about the jeans that have some cautious interest but no rep, like The Steam Locomotive, or those Needleworks Ninja jeans?

I could even gift wrap them with a bow and include a nice little card, sealed with a kiss.

Please, seriously, excuse my rudeness. If there is rudeness.

[indigo_junkie]

^^sure if it was a little nickel and dime thing you do on the side. If it got any bigger, you'd end up like Zipangu Treasures (a loss indeed).

[ZawBanjito]

Yes, yes. Nickel and diiiime. I like that. "I have a side, nickel and diming premium Japanese denim." Har har har.

Thanks for mentioning Zipangu. I read that thread... very informative.

[niubi]

QUESTION! I placed an order with vari and forgot to include my postal code, they've already given me a tracking number, will this be a problem?

[iamstarwars]

ANSWER! It might very well be one. Can mail even be delivered without a postal code?

Send them an email about that, and after they get the package back (i assume it will happen), they can send it again properly.

[niubi]

I just got the following email:

Hello.

An answer becomes slow and is sorry. [

The article arrives without a zip code.

When an article does not arrive, please contact this shop.

Manager Udono Hirobumi

こんにちわ。

お返事が遅くなり申し訳ございません。

郵便番号がなくても商品は届きます。

商品が届かない場合には当店にご連絡くださいませ。

店長　鵜殿博文

I'm not sure what to make of it. :confused:

[toufu]

umm...if it doesnt arrive..the guy wants you to contact the shop...?

[LaiShin]

usually they'll only need your post code to know your suburb...guess they're doing it the opposite way.

[slomayutebenos]

Is there anyone who can school me in rakuten more than just making orders?

Actually I'm stuck in process - I ordered a thing, got an automatic answer from rakuten. Then I supposed to be contacted from shop itself for order confirmation as ace-web did for example, but it didn't happened. I wrote an e-mail before ordering and didn't get any answer, though the shop (fabrics) claims to ship overseas. So I would like to know if there any possibility to get detailed info, whats going on with my order.

In member page in right column there is a option - 購入履歴／商品レビューの公開 , showing my order, but there is no info, whats going on with it. I fear that my or their message couldn't get past spam filters or smth. One more thing - seems that I collected some rakuten points, corresponding to price, what does it mean? Transaction went OK or it just doesn't mean nothing?

[Darkeside]

Wow, that's nuts..

We mark all packages as "Gift" and value them all at $100 and haven't had anybody get hit with a high charge yet.

i ended up paying about $90 import duty on the 2 shirts I got from selfedge even though it was marked down. its Parcelforce being bastards but the one local to me must want blood from me!!!

Stuff from japan seems less problematic than stuff from the USA so I'm leaning towards using a proxy for my next big order

[herpsky]

こんにちわ。Hello

お返事が遅くなり申し訳ございません。Sorry for the delayed response

郵便番号がなくても商品は届きます。The item can be delivered w/o a zip code i.e. zip code is not needed

商品が届かない場合には当店にご連絡くださいませ。

If you do not receive the item, please let us know.

[herpsky]

Is there anyone who can school me in rakuten more than just making orders?

Actually I'm stuck in process - I ordered a thing, got an automatic answer from rakuten. Then I supposed to be contacted from shop itself for order confirmation as ace-web did for example, but it didn't happened. I wrote an e-mail before ordering and didn't get any answer, though the shop (fabrics) claims to ship overseas. So I would like to know if there any possibility to get detailed info, whats going on with my order.

In member page in right column there is a option - 購入履歴／商品レビューの公開 , showing my order, but there is no info, whats going on with it. I fear that my or their message couldn't get past spam filters or smth. One more thing - seems that I collected some rakuten points, corresponding to price, what does it mean? Transaction went OK or it just doesn't mean nothing?

You can exchange rakuten points to get discounts on future purchases.