After searching the forums I found a few threads which look great for this humongous city... but may have dated information.
I will be in Tokyo during the middle of January 2010 (starting on the 5th).
What i am looking for are good card shops where I can browse singles as well as sealed products. Naturally, like the rest of you, I am after the Japanese DCI cards & hard to find or fun oddities...
BUT, lol....
I don't even know what Japanese cards are considered hard to find... my collecting has been 100% English. *big grin*
I am SUPER willing to bring sealed products to Japan + trade in person and have already bought 4 sliver box sets ++ in English, just in case.
Can anyone assist me?
My thanks and happy new years!
~Robin in Columbia, SC
PS: I have send Volcano an e-mail... hope he is still around :)
I am visiting Tokyo! :) Need help/ advice
Moderators: cataclysm80, hammr7, l0qii, Apocalypse2K, berkumps, dragsamou, mystical_tutor, pp
-
Faustgeist
- Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:40 am
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
-
andytalaga
- Librarities Legend
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed May 14, 2008 7:04 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
There are three main areas for cards although it is easier to just list the major stores and where they are at.
There are two stores that I now tie as best stores to go to in Tokyo.
1. Yumeya King - Akihabara. Go down Chuo dori towards electric town. About 3 blocks down you'll see this brand new building (i honestly forget what it is called). There is a McDonalds right there and a Taito Game Station.
-At this corner if you look up you should see a sign for Yellow Submarine RPG store. Amenity Dream Akihabara is right there on the 6th floor which is a store definitely worth going to although is strictly worse than the other amenity dreams since it is in the heart of the Akihabara and often cards don't sit on the shelf for too long.
follow the sidewalk around the new building and make the first right. this will take you to a side street. go down the side street about 2 blocks and on your right hand side you will see Yumeya. It is on the second floor. This store is awesome for singles and is the only store I have ever sold cards too that have reasonable prices.
2. Amenity Dream Power 9 Store in Ikebukero. (this is convoluted to get to and took me like 3 tries before I found it).
Go towards the sunshine city 60 exit. follow the crowd down the main shopping street. It is closed off to vehicles so you can't really miss it. You will see a bunch of theaters etc. There is an HMV music store, a Tokyu Hands, and some other stores (toy'r'us comes to mind). go to the end of the shopping street and make a left. you will now just be walking on the side of the street and will look completely normal. go down 2 blocks and on your left hand side you will see the blue amenity dream sign (although it would help if you can read Japanese for the sign).
This store specialized in vintage as well as carrying the normal fair of the amenity dream chain. tons of foils etc.
the rest.
Amenity dream in akihabara (see above)
Amenity dream in Shinjuku. You want to go out of JR nishiguchi exit. go to your right down about 2 blocks you will come to a huge intersection. cross the street and continue down about two blocks. It will be on your right hand side above a za-watami izakaya, on the 4th floor in the back.
Card Shop Ignis in Ikebukero. Go down that same shopping street. 1 block before you would need to turn left to get to Amenity dream p9, turn left and go in about half a block. This store is on the 3rd floor above a hair salon. They used to have better stock but it looks like the bigger stores bought out most of the good stuff last time I was there. This was my secret Japanese Portal 1 and 2 store but last time like i said there was just nothing.
There are some other smaller stores around but I honestly wouldn't even bother. I've been to most of them and these 5 stores are really it in Tokyo.
A word of warning. Single cards are expensive in Japan and older cards are very hard to find. Hello $100 underground seas and $40 Elspeths. If a card became popular recently (like undiscovered paradise) expect them to be in the 3000-4000yen range. I wouldn't be surprised if Baneslayer Angels were retailing for 6000-7000 yen (~$65-80).
Don't get sticker shock. I remember Bitterblossoms retailing for $45 each and Cryptic commands were about the same.
As for sealed product unless it is the current block or the last block I doubt you will find anything. Maybe random miser sets like some morningtide but if you are going there under the assumption that you will find like Japanese tempest packs you'd probably be better off looking on Ebay. Additionally unless you are pretty fluent in Japanese trading will be really really really hard. If you do plan on trading I would make sure that 1. there is a tournament going on. 2. that the store allows trading on premises. This goes with this point:
Stores are very small. Rent is very high and there is little margin to be made on selling singles (hence the high sticker prices). Don't expect to walk into the equivalent of your local gaming store and see a bunch of people playing. unless it is a FNM or a weekend tournament the card store will probably not have people sitting around playing. Those that are playing on say a Tuesday afternoon are not the people who are interested in the slivers deck. they would rather you have a binder of baneslayer angels and fetchlands.
*sorry for spelling and incoherency
There are two stores that I now tie as best stores to go to in Tokyo.
1. Yumeya King - Akihabara. Go down Chuo dori towards electric town. About 3 blocks down you'll see this brand new building (i honestly forget what it is called). There is a McDonalds right there and a Taito Game Station.
-At this corner if you look up you should see a sign for Yellow Submarine RPG store. Amenity Dream Akihabara is right there on the 6th floor which is a store definitely worth going to although is strictly worse than the other amenity dreams since it is in the heart of the Akihabara and often cards don't sit on the shelf for too long.
follow the sidewalk around the new building and make the first right. this will take you to a side street. go down the side street about 2 blocks and on your right hand side you will see Yumeya. It is on the second floor. This store is awesome for singles and is the only store I have ever sold cards too that have reasonable prices.
2. Amenity Dream Power 9 Store in Ikebukero. (this is convoluted to get to and took me like 3 tries before I found it).
Go towards the sunshine city 60 exit. follow the crowd down the main shopping street. It is closed off to vehicles so you can't really miss it. You will see a bunch of theaters etc. There is an HMV music store, a Tokyu Hands, and some other stores (toy'r'us comes to mind). go to the end of the shopping street and make a left. you will now just be walking on the side of the street and will look completely normal. go down 2 blocks and on your left hand side you will see the blue amenity dream sign (although it would help if you can read Japanese for the sign).
This store specialized in vintage as well as carrying the normal fair of the amenity dream chain. tons of foils etc.
the rest.
Amenity dream in akihabara (see above)
Amenity dream in Shinjuku. You want to go out of JR nishiguchi exit. go to your right down about 2 blocks you will come to a huge intersection. cross the street and continue down about two blocks. It will be on your right hand side above a za-watami izakaya, on the 4th floor in the back.
Card Shop Ignis in Ikebukero. Go down that same shopping street. 1 block before you would need to turn left to get to Amenity dream p9, turn left and go in about half a block. This store is on the 3rd floor above a hair salon. They used to have better stock but it looks like the bigger stores bought out most of the good stuff last time I was there. This was my secret Japanese Portal 1 and 2 store but last time like i said there was just nothing.
There are some other smaller stores around but I honestly wouldn't even bother. I've been to most of them and these 5 stores are really it in Tokyo.
A word of warning. Single cards are expensive in Japan and older cards are very hard to find. Hello $100 underground seas and $40 Elspeths. If a card became popular recently (like undiscovered paradise) expect them to be in the 3000-4000yen range. I wouldn't be surprised if Baneslayer Angels were retailing for 6000-7000 yen (~$65-80).
Don't get sticker shock. I remember Bitterblossoms retailing for $45 each and Cryptic commands were about the same.
As for sealed product unless it is the current block or the last block I doubt you will find anything. Maybe random miser sets like some morningtide but if you are going there under the assumption that you will find like Japanese tempest packs you'd probably be better off looking on Ebay. Additionally unless you are pretty fluent in Japanese trading will be really really really hard. If you do plan on trading I would make sure that 1. there is a tournament going on. 2. that the store allows trading on premises. This goes with this point:
Stores are very small. Rent is very high and there is little margin to be made on selling singles (hence the high sticker prices). Don't expect to walk into the equivalent of your local gaming store and see a bunch of people playing. unless it is a FNM or a weekend tournament the card store will probably not have people sitting around playing. Those that are playing on say a Tuesday afternoon are not the people who are interested in the slivers deck. they would rather you have a binder of baneslayer angels and fetchlands.
*sorry for spelling and incoherency
-
agzz
- Legendary Terese Nielsen Fan
- Posts: 354
- Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:44 am
- Location: Västerås, Sweden
Great write up Andy, will save this for possible future visits.
Not having been to Tokyo I can not add much but here is a cuple of google map links for you.
Zoom in, print out, find your way. :)
Amenity Dream
MTG Shops
Not having been to Tokyo I can not add much but here is a cuple of google map links for you.
Zoom in, print out, find your way. :)
Amenity Dream
MTG Shops
Terese Nielsen stuff.
-
Faustgeist
- Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:40 am
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
-
Faustgeist
- Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:40 am
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
-
agzz
- Legendary Terese Nielsen Fan
- Posts: 354
- Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:44 am
- Location: Västerås, Sweden
I did not bring any trade stuff when I was in Japan but my guess is sealed stuff probably will be carried home again. English boosters are readily available in the stores, usually cheeper then japanese ones, don't know about the decks.
Terese Nielsen stuff.
-
Faustgeist
- Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:40 am
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
-
andytalaga
- Librarities Legend
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed May 14, 2008 7:04 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
yes that is correct. English boosters are cheaper than Japanese boosters. Any store you go to will carry both. (not to be mean but) Have you seriously ever encountered someone who was like "Damn I want to trade for sealed boosters of the latest set," because I have not. Similarly, the slivers deck and the duel decks are released in Japan but in a much more limited amount. Again it is going to take a lot of searching to even find someone that wants those products. Moreover, they will need to have something you are also looking for, AND you will need to be able to conduct the trade mostly in Japanese/some broken English.
I personally think you need to re-evaluate bringing any type of sealed product with you. Seems like a bad idea in general.
Andy
I personally think you need to re-evaluate bringing any type of sealed product with you. Seems like a bad idea in general.
Andy
-
Volcanon
- Legendary Snooty Caller
- Posts: 487
- Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:17 am
- Location: Toronto, Canada
Sorry, I'm a bit out of mtg right now.
As for shops - most of what the above said is true.
Sometimes you will find rediculous deals on the sticker stock, like 50 cent mirage japanese mysticals or 1400 yen foil japanese foil misdirection so its worth it to take a brief look.
The best way to buy cards is Yahoo Japan. Not so easy if you're a visitor, but its pretty easy to get a Post Office account, since most people pay through the post office or bank transfer.
Off the top of my head:
Akihabara:
Amenity Dream
Post Hobby
Tsudanuma (Chiba, it's on the Sobu line) & Ikebukuro
Card Shop Ogre
Don't go to Yellow Submarine, they suck. Not even worth a look. They have some cool stuff but the markup is just so high. I think the owner/manager takes prices off ebay and then triples them or something. They are always "sold out" of things that can be resold on the secondary market that they should be selling for retail - like the U/W Crapsnap precon. THey are slightly more tolerable for board games.
As for shops - most of what the above said is true.
Sometimes you will find rediculous deals on the sticker stock, like 50 cent mirage japanese mysticals or 1400 yen foil japanese foil misdirection so its worth it to take a brief look.
The best way to buy cards is Yahoo Japan. Not so easy if you're a visitor, but its pretty easy to get a Post Office account, since most people pay through the post office or bank transfer.
Off the top of my head:
Akihabara:
Amenity Dream
Post Hobby
Tsudanuma (Chiba, it's on the Sobu line) & Ikebukuro
Card Shop Ogre
Don't go to Yellow Submarine, they suck. Not even worth a look. They have some cool stuff but the markup is just so high. I think the owner/manager takes prices off ebay and then triples them or something. They are always "sold out" of things that can be resold on the secondary market that they should be selling for retail - like the U/W Crapsnap precon. THey are slightly more tolerable for board games.
-
Faustgeist
- Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:40 am
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
-
agzz
- Legendary Terese Nielsen Fan
- Posts: 354
- Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:44 am
- Location: Västerås, Sweden
Glad to hear that!Faustgeist wrote:Greetings all,
I had a smashingly successful trip! I also documented my adventures quite well to over nine MtG shops.
I'm in the process of creating a guide to Tokyo & will happily post it here when it's ready.
Thanks for your help and I hope all is well!
~Robin
Looking forward to reading that.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 39 guests