Why are Japanese items always so clean?

[stalepie]

Whenever I get a game from Japan through eBay or just look at items their carts and everything else are spic-n -span. But this raises the price. Sometimes I don't really want a game that much and just want the cart and don't mind if it has some crud on it, which might knock off a few bucks

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Well, generally speaking Asian cultures tend to take care of their possessions much better than other cultures. However, that general statement isn't all reaching and doesn't apply to everything.

I've got a number of Famicom games I've bought from sellers in Japan that are in pretty rough shape to be honest. My copy of Balloon Fight would make you cry.

[Parodius Duh!]

people dont throw money away over there, they buy something and cherish it. Unlike most westerners who buy a game, beat it and consider it to have little replay value, leave it out of the case face down on a table, use the cases as a coaster, or even worse just throw the case out, etc. I mean where else in the world can you buy a brand new game for 60.00 then the very next day sell it back for what, like 15 bucks?

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I have a number of Japanese games with writing on them. I am assuming that, like Americans, some of them wrote their names on their carts.

JY

[Kitsune Sniper]

I thought Japanese games had a habit of having uh, tobacco smoke damage.

[Atariguy]

I have a number of Japanese games with writing on them. I am assuming that, like Americans, some of them wrote their names on their carts.

JY

Yeah, I saw this occasionally when I was in Japan, and my copy of Rockman 4 has "Mizunara" written on it.

Anyway, I think another thing to keep in mind is that Japan has traditionally had a bias against used products. This changed a bit in the recession of the 90s, when the used bookstore chain "Book Off" became popular through selling products that were as close to new condition as possible. So even if Japanese stores buy dirty products, they probably put a lot of effort into cleaning them up before selling them.

[stalepie]

(deleted long post here)

Never mind, I'll just contact the sellers sometime.

[Aussie2B]

I thought Japanese games had a habit of having uh, tobacco smoke damage.

Why's that? I don't think the Japanese are known to be particularly heavy smokers, and of the hundreds of imports I have, I don't think any arrived smelling like smoke.

Anyway, to answer the question, it's a combination of the Japanese being a bit more inclined to take care of their possessions and that the sellers offering imports to the West are generally going to list their best stuff. A junky loose cart isn't worth exporting. The worst stuff stays in Japan for the most part.

[fahlim003]

I thought Japanese games had a habit of having uh, tobacco smoke damage.

Ding ding ding. I have a Model 2 Japanese Saturn that was a nice shade of brown when I got it. It works fine mind you and after a scrub of the shell it came back to a nice clean white as it was originally. Pardon countless items having tobacco smells or stains, no real issues with Japan. Same for Mainland China.

[InsaneDavid]

I thought Japanese games had a habit of having uh, tobacco smoke damage.

Nicotine stains were so bad on some of my SFC games that they were sticky. One particular copy of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon was so bad it ended up in the trash.

Why's that? I don't think the Japanese are known to be particularly heavy smokers.

That has to be one of the funniest things I've ever read on these forums, no offense intended. Pull up a couple videos of some pachinko parlors.

Aside from tobacco related problems, I haven't had many other issues to be honest.

[stalepie]

Hmm, well, I just looked at about 2 dozen pachinko videos on youtube and couldn't find a single cigarette!

I did however find one person saying cigarette smoking contributed to the loudness ...

[stalepie]

Wait! I found one! At 40 seconds in, there's a guy smoking a cigarette... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxo6NqdKU_I

[LaughingMAN.S9]

isnt it because game rentals arent legal in japan so people tend to buy games, beat them in a day or something then turn around and resell them or trade them in to used game stores?

[Aussie2B]

That has to be one of the funniest things I've ever read on these forums, no offense intended. Pull up a couple videos of some pachinko parlors.

I would expect any gambling place anywhere in the world to reek of smoke. :P

I meant like how some countries have a reputation for being big on smoking like France. I've never heard such a stereotype being applied to Japan. *shrugs*

And maybe I've just been fortunate, but I am heavy on importing from Japan, not just games but books, toys, you name it, and I haven't had anything smoke-damaged or even smelling of smoke. While I have had that happen with many items from eBay and elsewhere that I've bought within the US. Granted, this could just as well go along with my point that the crappy stuff usually stays in Japan.

[Parodius Duh!]

I have never recieved a smoke damaged item from Japan and Ive bought 100's of items, mostly off of yahoo as well so its not the best of the best thats catered to the western audience on ebay. It is totally legal to rent games in Japan, its just not a common thing. I have a famicom game and a few SFC with rental stickers on the cart.

[Emperor Megas]

I've gotten quite a few used items from Japan and I never recall anything smelling like smoke yet. I'm extremely sensitive to the smell of tobacco products, too (it makes me break out).

[Robocop2]

I must be part Asian then because I'm very OCD about my games, systems, DVD's and most importantly, my truck. I think alot of it also has to do with upbringing, I always tried to keep my stuff as new and complete as possible even as a kid. But I was always expected to pay for my stuff with my own money at least after a certain age. Too many people nowadays are used to just having stuff handed to them and rarely appreciate it at all.

[StealthLurker]

I am heavy on importing from Japan, not just games but books, toys, you name it, and I haven't had anything smoke-damaged or even smelling of smoke. While I have had that happen with many items from eBay and elsewhere that I've bought within the US. Granted, this could just as well go along with my point that the crappy stuff usually stays in Japan.

I'm the same way. Not just toys and games. I also order most of my stuff directly from Japan, only ebay once in a blue moon. A vast majority of the second hand goods are of very good/clean condition. In fact I would say that in the descriptions of their items, sellers in Japan tend to rate the condition of items much more harshly than in the west where sellers tend to exaggerate on how "mint/excellent" an item is.

Like others have said, I would say it's a phenomenon common in asian cultures but more so in Japan (I'm asian and have lots of friends from diff asian countries). The up bringing I get from my parents is that it's somewhat "shameful" to let someone borrow/use let alone sell something to a friend/stranger that is in poor condition. There was always a lot of "stuff" one "should do" to maintain a respectable image to others. Not saying that westerners are slovenly, but in contrast to my western friends and their possesions/homes... I'd say they had a more "relaxed" attitude towards things.

Of course there are always exceptions/anomalies here and there.

.

[The 1 2 P]

I wish Gamestop treated their used games the way they do in Japanese game shops. As for the off topic, I also have literally imported hundreds of games and magazines from ebay and direct thru Japanese import stores and have never gotten anything that smelled like smoke or was smoke stained.

[stalepie]

Well, I just wanted cheaper prices. Don't really care if the label on a SNES cart is damaged a bit or whatever.