using the link to yahoo japan???

[jason_mazzy]

I am trying to use the links provided by this wonderful community, and I am lost as it gets to Japan. I do not speak Japanese, and when i use the link I am so oconfused i do not know where to enter a bid, how to enter a bid, or how much time is left. Is there any one on here far more versed than I?

[Rich S]

You might try putting the Japan URL into Google's translation engine.

 

Rich S

[Rich T]

Hello Jason, these links, which I put together originally, are meant for the most part, to be just looked at. Yahoo Japan auctions are in Japanese yes, as...... well...... they are in Japan. Go figure.

 

As Rich suggested, you need to translate the page to work out what's going on. If you are willing to trust those translation web pages of course. of course. Looking at a description of say a tsuba that comes back as " red nightingale duck balls in top hat fancy pants" while hilarious, is not very helpful.

 

TO bid, you need a Japanese address and a Japanese bank account or credit card to be able to bid. So, basically, you need a friend, living in Japan, who is either Japanese, or speaks Japanese to bid for you. Or, you can google for any of the Japanese Yahoo Auction bidding services.

 

So, while this is not very helpful to you, it is what it is.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[Brian]

What Rich said

They are there to browse and envy. For the most part, they are not accessible to 99% of the Western collectors.

There are Japanese auction assistance sites that will bid for you, but the logistics of translating, knowing what you are buying, and the fact that they don't do swords make this a difficult option too. Give it a skip, there are plenty of tosogu fakes there too, so you really need to know what you are doing.

 

Brian

[jason_mazzy]

Thank you all for your help. I had noticed a couple sets of menuki that i thought if we had a better way of translating or a good board friend in Japan that helps out I may be able to give it a try. lots of neat stuff on it

[Eddie]

Jason, google some auctions bidding services ( bid on Japan yahoo ), they charge a commission but you can buy what you like when it comes to tosogu. Swords, most wont handle some will. You have to use translating service to get an idea what the descriptions say, but as others have stated its hit and miss with the translating services.

 

Beware that it is like ebay there are alot of fakes and good ones, that take a keen eye to spot. but the good stuff goes for high prices like ebay so there are no bargins to be found on there.

 

ive personally bought lots from Japan yahoo but iam warning you be carefull, expect to pay top dollar for good quality items.

 

Also because your using a bidding service its not like bidding on ebay, you have to place your bid and hope for the best, you cant place a bid at the last seconds to try and win an auction like on ebay, so if you find something you like work out how much you want to pay and then place your maximum bid and hope for the best. Also you will have to pay upfront first if you donot win the auction to can get a refund from your auction bidding service. Thats the only way we westerners can bid on there unless you know someone in Japan.

 

My advise would be to try and buy good items from known dealers, yahoo and ebay is mostly full of junk that the good collectors donot want with the occasional good item thrown in.

 

regards Ed