REVERB DOT COM Question

[AdvenJack]

On that site it's common to see what looks like an attractive guitar,
BUT,
it's located in JAPAN.
Have any of you ever dared to lay out five thousand or more dollars for such a purchase?
If yes, how did everything play out?
Thank you!

[Banksia]

Not $5K but I have bought a guitar from Japan. There are several sites that act as agents for non-Japan buyers. I used Jauce. Yahoo! Japan Auctions English | eBay Japan | Japan Proxy Shopping
They operate as an auction site but they aren't the auctioneers. They just run a feed from Yahoo Auctions. They cover other outlets but Yahoo Auctions has all the guitars you'd want.

[Mick-7]

Not $5K but I have bought a guitar from Japan. There are several sites that act as agents for non-Japan buyers. I used Jauce. Yahoo! Japan Auctions English | eBay Japan | Japan Proxy Shopping
They operate as an auction site but they aren't the auctioneers. They just run a feed from Yahoo Auctions. They cover other outlets but Yahoo Auctions has all the guitars you'd want.

We don't have Yahoo Auctions here in the U.S. but many of the Japanese importers on Reverb are also on eBay, some good and some not so good, check their feedback ratings. International shipping will of course be higher and there may be customs fees. There are quite a few threads in this forum section in which members have talked about guitars they've had shipped to them from Japan.

[starjasmine]

Due to a variety of factors, USA-made Gibsons from Japan tend to be priced ~$2k higher than in the States. They have to be transported there, and Japan has import tax, consumption tax, excise duties and (in some cases) tariffs.

Personally, I no longer buy guitars that I cannot play hands-on before laying out the cash. For these reasons, I don't look at those listings other than for comparison shopping.

That said, there are some serious guitar collectors in Japan who take meticulous care of their instruments, pack them well, etc. But that's a long way to ship, and bad things can happen to a fragile archtop on a long journey.

So, for me (YMMV) the guitar would have to be pretty much a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime find for me to want to take on the risk and expense of buying sight unseen from an international shipper. Within my budget, no such guitars exist. If I really wanted another $5k (or even a $10k) archtop, Norm's or Gruhn's is a cheap flight away, and I could purchase an equally cheap return ticket to strap the guitar into on the return flight and avoid checking it as luggage.

$0.02,

SJ

[Banksia]

We don't have Yahoo Auctions here in the U.S. but many of the Japanese importers on Reverb are also on eBay, some good and some not so good, check their feedback ratings. International shipping will of course be higher and there may be customs fees. There are quite a few threads in this forum section in which members have talked about guitars they've had shipped to them from Japan.

There is a common tactic used by some Japanese sellers on ebay, at least here in Australia. I think I've seen the same system used on Reverb. It's not exactly a scam in the sense that you will probably still get the guitar you paid for. They find guitars advertised on Japanese sites, like Yahoo Auctions, then use the pictures and description to put them on ebay (or Reverb) with inflated prices, hoping to pick them up cheaper on the auction. If the auction price goes higher than their listed price I guess they just say, "Sorry, just sold that one." I'm not sure this qualifies as a "scam." I, as a buyer, haven't lost any money and the "seller" didn't necessarily say he had the guitar in his possession - much like an Ibanez dealer who couldn't possibly stock every model in every colour but still, in theory, has them all for sale.

On ebay Australia there are currently two people selling the same two White Falcons.

I'm sure some of these sellers will deliver the product promptly, as advertised, and the only real loss is that you pay a couple hundred $$ more than you needed to.

[AdvenJack]

The responses above are detailed, informative and clear, and they are truly
appreciated! This forum is indeed filled with cordial and helpful participants!

[olejason]

Haven't spent that much on one from Japan but have bought several higher end guitars from retailers and direct from builders. No problem at all and shipping from Japan to the US is typically extremely fast.

[Mick-7]

There is a common tactic used by some Japanese sellers on ebay, at least here in Australia. I think I've seen the same system used on Reverb. It's not exactly a scam in the sense that you will probably still get the guitar you paid for. They find guitars advertised on Japanese sites, like Yahoo Auctions, then use the pictures and description to put them on ebay (or Reverb) with inflated prices, hoping to pick them up cheaper on the auction. If the auction price goes higher than their listed price I guess they just say, "Sorry, just sold that one." I'm not sure this qualifies as a "scam." I, as a buyer, haven't lost any money and the "seller" didn't necessarily say he had the guitar in his possession - much like an Ibanez dealer who couldn't possibly stock every model in every colour but still, in theory, has them all for sale.

On ebay Australia there are currently two people selling the same two White Falcons.

I'm sure some of these sellers will deliver the product promptly, as advertised, and the only real loss is that you pay a couple hundred $$ more than you needed to.

Yeah, this happens on eBay here in the U.S. too, a few dealers acting as middlemen to sell the same guitars. As you said, the tip-off is that they use the same pics and a similar description of the instruments (often with the same poor English grammar). I would avoid such sellers, a little research can usually tell you who actually has the instrument for sale in their possession.

[Litterick]

I have heard nothing but good about these intermediaries. They take away the risk of buying an instrument in a foreign market. They buy the guitar, pack it, handle the paperwork, and ship it. They are businesses that can be held accountable for their actions, unlike most advertisers online.

[DawgBone]

I've bought from Japan through an intermediary before. My experience is that some of the intermediaries are green on the paperwork and possibly the packing so I'd rather buy straight from Ishibashi or Gakki or other big retailer but if someone with good feedback had something I really wanted I would go for it without hesitating. It's waiting on shipping that's the part I hate. Japan pretty much has all the sweet guitars that I like the most. It's all I own.