đȘ Pokemon Card Hunting in Japan
đșïž Where to Hunt
Flea Markets ăăȘăŒăăŒă±ăă
- Ohi Keibajo (Tokyo) â Largest, weekends only. Arrive by 7am.
- Yoyogi Park (Tokyo) â Sundays. Tourist-heavy but occasional finds.
- Shitennoji (Osaka) â 21st/22nd monthly. Less picked-over than Tokyo.
Recycle Shops ăȘă”ă€ăŻă«ă·ă§ăă
| Chain | Card Selection | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Hard-Off | ââââ | Often underpriced, check junk bins |
| Book-Off | âââ | Market rate, occasional deals |
| Surugaya | âââââ | Market rate, best selection |
| Mandarake | ââââ | Premium pricing, rare finds |
đĄ Pro tip: Hard-Off "junk" bins (ăžăŁăłăŻ) are goldmines. Staff often don't know card values.
đŽ What to Pay
Flea Market Expectations
- Bulk commons: „10-50 each, or „500 for a stack
- Holos/rares: „100-500 (often underpriced)
- Vintage (Base-Neo): „500-2000 (huge variance)
- Sealed packs: Rare find, expect 50-70% market
â ïž Red flags: If prices seem too good, check for fakes. Vintage reprints exist.
đŁïž Useful Japanese
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| How much? | ăăăă§ăăïŒ | Ikura desu ka? |
| Can you go lower? | ăăć°ăćźăăȘăăŸăăïŒ | Mou sukoshi yasuku narimasu ka? |
| I'll take all of these | ć šéšăă ăă | Zenbu kudasai |
| Pokemon cards | ăă±ăąăłă«ăŒă | Pokemon kaado |
â Quick Checklist
- â Bring cash (most don't take cards)
- â Arrive early (best stuff goes fast)
- â Have this price guide ready on phone
- â Check card condition before buying
- â Negotiate politely â 10-20% off is normal