Hi breda...
Do you have the same impression as me?
One or two years ago, most of ebay collectors were bought by japaneses and suddenly, for a reason I really dont know, there's no one anymore...
I was selling records 2-3 years ago and can confirm... I sent a lot to Japan (man, to write the adresses, wow!)
Nowadays, most of my collectors fly to France, UK, US and... Brazil! But no more Japaneses! I really wonder wat happend there... A sudden break after 20 years of reggae addiction, strange...!
No more japanese on ebay?
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wareika
- Posts: 346
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:15 pm
Re: No more japanese on ebay?
The Japaneses you refer were actually a bunch of perhaps 10 people. So far I understood these Japaneses were the one who can write and understand English. Actully, language is a stronge barier for Japanese people as not that much speack English. This point was confirmed by all my friends who travelled ther the past couple of year.
They were mostly sellers who bought on eBay and sell to Japanese fans with some profit. I assume they have large stock of some item qsuch as Wackies, UK reggae and so on. perhaps they don't need more until they sell a part of their stock?
Another reason is due to the $/yen exchange. The yen is so weack nowaday that it makes items more expensive. Same for $/€. $ is so weack that prices express in $ are cheap for people who pay with €.
On this exchange rate issue, I have the feeling that lot's of sellers stop selling in eBay US. They prefer eBay Uk cause £ is quite strong. This is a big issue with eBay cause you have to choose a currency and you support a currency risk. I never understood why we can't put our item on eBay.com with price in € (only $ or £).
wareika
They were mostly sellers who bought on eBay and sell to Japanese fans with some profit. I assume they have large stock of some item qsuch as Wackies, UK reggae and so on. perhaps they don't need more until they sell a part of their stock?
Another reason is due to the $/yen exchange. The yen is so weack nowaday that it makes items more expensive. Same for $/€. $ is so weack that prices express in $ are cheap for people who pay with €.
On this exchange rate issue, I have the feeling that lot's of sellers stop selling in eBay US. They prefer eBay Uk cause £ is quite strong. This is a big issue with eBay cause you have to choose a currency and you support a currency risk. I never understood why we can't put our item on eBay.com with price in € (only $ or £).
wareika
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Dadi Digi
Re: No more japanese on ebay?
Dont worry, those Jap guys are still around. Just when you think your looking good on a bid they will outbid you using sniper tools and the like.
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Litelet
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:28 am
Re: No more japanese on ebay?
Remember doreme_rockers? This japanese bought about all the top collectors during 2-3 years, spending thousands of $$... Yeah, the language must be a strong barrier but still, they were there at that time...
Ive been told that in the 80s, many Japaneses went to Jamaica and brought back to Japan bunches of collectors... Nowadays you cant find any collector in JA or at ridiculous price... This is probably partly a consequence.
Ive been told that in the 80s, many Japaneses went to Jamaica and brought back to Japan bunches of collectors... Nowadays you cant find any collector in JA or at ridiculous price... This is probably partly a consequence.
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Litelet
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:28 am
Re: No more japanese on ebay?
And to add a few words...
In UK, reggae was played and brought by immigrants... and people listen to reggae... In jamaica there is reggae and people listen to reggae... In the rest of Europe, occidental chart music through Marley brought reggae and people listen to reggae (a bit later, certainly)...
But damn... how had this culture settled so strong in Japan, that has a really different musical culture?? Its really a mistery for me, there is kind of magic...!! Of course there was a cultural indluence that came together with the economic revolution, but still reggae has a strooonnngggg echo in this country... why?
In UK, reggae was played and brought by immigrants... and people listen to reggae... In jamaica there is reggae and people listen to reggae... In the rest of Europe, occidental chart music through Marley brought reggae and people listen to reggae (a bit later, certainly)...
But damn... how had this culture settled so strong in Japan, that has a really different musical culture?? Its really a mistery for me, there is kind of magic...!! Of course there was a cultural indluence that came together with the economic revolution, but still reggae has a strooonnngggg echo in this country... why?
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Funkyfred
- Posts: 358
- Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:47 pm
Re: No more japanese on ebay?
Music is universal my friends....
We may all speak in different languages, but we can all feel the same rhytm.
We may all speak in different languages, but we can all feel the same rhytm.
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wareika
- Posts: 346
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:15 pm
Re: No more japanese on ebay?
Litelet, actually, the passion for Black Music comes from the post WWII period.
The story is well known for the Jazz fans from Japan. Here is the how this Jazz passion grew up in Japan. I assume it's the same story more or less with reggae...
When Japan losted the WWII, US troops settle there. Japanese didn't like it at all for several reason. First, because no citizen in any country like this situation. Second because it was the very first time foreigners settle in Japan. Third because the US troops didn't have a respectfull kind of acting... They felt as outcast in their own country and they were very poor an day to day living was a struggle...
Among the US troops there was aslo Black People who suffered from racism from the White. Japanese suffered the same kind of racism and some Japanese made a paralell with the Blacks from US troops. Thus they shared the same difficulties and they felt they were on the same camp. So some Japaneses started to had connection with Blacks and they just discovered the culture, and especialy Jazz. At that time Jazz was still a mainly a Black affair and it was overlooked by the US society. Don't forget there was still segregation on some South states in US (it end up in 64 with the Civil Rights Act). Japanese quicly understand that Jazz is more than just entertainment. It's also a powerfull expression of the Black struggle in those days and an artistic rebellion against a society which didn't give the place Black people deserved.
So Black and Japanese had the same "oponent", the US culture at large (at least the racism in it). They started to share experiences and music throught small coffe shops. In those places they established a kind of ritual around the Jazz disc. Basicly, a Jazz disc cost more than one month salary for a Japanese and noone can really afford it but the coffe shop who trades discs for alcool, or even some kind of traffics. Everybody drunk in front of the bar, the sono and the disc collection. You could ask for a specific disc, then the bar owner put the disc and display the cover to show what was on turntable. The customers could wake up and take back to there seat with the cover to read all details... Actually, the main reason for the success of such places was the disc collection and not the usual stuff that makes bar a place to hang out... It is part of hte Japanese subculture.
From this period the Japanese acquiered a religious culture around the discs as object. this is why they know so much about original LPs cause the oldest of them spent our just reading every detail on the covers. I met once one of these old Japanese Jazz collectors, and I can tell you he knows very well his stuff so far it is Jazz original LP...
I assume the same kind of connection between Black culture and Japanese occures with reggae. Or, perhaps, some jump from jazz to reggae.
wareika
The story is well known for the Jazz fans from Japan. Here is the how this Jazz passion grew up in Japan. I assume it's the same story more or less with reggae...
When Japan losted the WWII, US troops settle there. Japanese didn't like it at all for several reason. First, because no citizen in any country like this situation. Second because it was the very first time foreigners settle in Japan. Third because the US troops didn't have a respectfull kind of acting... They felt as outcast in their own country and they were very poor an day to day living was a struggle...
Among the US troops there was aslo Black People who suffered from racism from the White. Japanese suffered the same kind of racism and some Japanese made a paralell with the Blacks from US troops. Thus they shared the same difficulties and they felt they were on the same camp. So some Japaneses started to had connection with Blacks and they just discovered the culture, and especialy Jazz. At that time Jazz was still a mainly a Black affair and it was overlooked by the US society. Don't forget there was still segregation on some South states in US (it end up in 64 with the Civil Rights Act). Japanese quicly understand that Jazz is more than just entertainment. It's also a powerfull expression of the Black struggle in those days and an artistic rebellion against a society which didn't give the place Black people deserved.
So Black and Japanese had the same "oponent", the US culture at large (at least the racism in it). They started to share experiences and music throught small coffe shops. In those places they established a kind of ritual around the Jazz disc. Basicly, a Jazz disc cost more than one month salary for a Japanese and noone can really afford it but the coffe shop who trades discs for alcool, or even some kind of traffics. Everybody drunk in front of the bar, the sono and the disc collection. You could ask for a specific disc, then the bar owner put the disc and display the cover to show what was on turntable. The customers could wake up and take back to there seat with the cover to read all details... Actually, the main reason for the success of such places was the disc collection and not the usual stuff that makes bar a place to hang out... It is part of hte Japanese subculture.
From this period the Japanese acquiered a religious culture around the discs as object. this is why they know so much about original LPs cause the oldest of them spent our just reading every detail on the covers. I met once one of these old Japanese Jazz collectors, and I can tell you he knows very well his stuff so far it is Jazz original LP...
I assume the same kind of connection between Black culture and Japanese occures with reggae. Or, perhaps, some jump from jazz to reggae.
wareika
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selecta bing
- Posts: 861
- Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:04 am
Re: No more japanese on ebay?
Yes you might think that way because culturally JA and JA pan are quite different but musically there are many similarities.Litelet wrote:And to add a few words...
In UK, reggae was played and brought by immigrants... and people listen to reggae... In jamaica there is reggae and people listen to reggae... In the rest of Europe, occidental chart music through Marley brought reggae and people listen to reggae (a bit later, certainly)...
But damn... how had this culture settled so strong in Japan, that has a really different musical culture?? Its really a mistery for me, there is kind of magic...!! Of course there was a cultural indluence that came together with the economic revolution, but still reggae has a strooonnngggg echo in this country... why?
Traditional Japanese music is mostly MINOR chords and has a whole lot of SPACE within the music. SILENCE IS A RIDDIM TOO
(the music of the southern tropical islands, like OKINAWA, sounds a lot like Reggae...check it)
Even popular Japanese music in the 50s has a similar sound to Reggae !!
My wife NEVER listened to Reggae until she met me in 1987 and she has said this to me several times and I see/hear what she means.
( also Japanese kids learn MELODICA at school from a very early age rather than Recorder/flute)
I am not claiming these are the reasons BUT they have helped in the appreciation of Reggae MUSIC!!!
BUT I would say it is mostly a FAD or fashion!
I lived there from 88~2000 and it was not big there until the mid 90s ....SKA was, but not Reggae or Dancehall.
In Japan they call it a BOOMU which means Boom or Fad, Trend or a fashion and whenever something becomes a Fad it is taken to its' FULL POTENTIAL by the media and merchants and people just JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON so as to be able to say that they are into it too.
It happens with anything ......FOOD,CLOTHES you name it.
BUT I have a lot respect for the real Japanese fan because they get FULLY involved and fully informed and they LIVE IT when they love it.
I have friends in SKA bands in Japan and they LOVE IT with a passion.
SO BIG UP THE CHINEY MAN DEM !! ha ha
Lick it back Selecta!
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leggo rocker
- Posts: 4071
- Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2005 4:40 pm
Re: No more japanese on ebay?
Here's one of the reasons that buyer nationality shifted suddenly on ebay. Compare the results of the same search in different ebay country domains and you'll find that in some places a lot of stuff is missing.
When ebay changed the way they displayed stuff listed outside the USA they cut a lot of people off from their export markets.
You now have to be very careful how you search or you'll miss stuff. Many buyers still don't realise this.
When ebay changed the way they displayed stuff listed outside the USA they cut a lot of people off from their export markets.
You now have to be very careful how you search or you'll miss stuff. Many buyers still don't realise this.