Old year-end gifts are worth a lot of money… Japan’s “Sake & Secondhand Branded Goods” are selling like hotcakes due to the weak yen
Used Branded Bags at the Same Price as When Purchased!
Japanese “second-hand brand goods” are attracting attention from overseas due to the weak yen. In some cases, bags purchased during the bubble period are fetching as much as the list price at the time of purchase. On the other hand, the global popularity of Japanese whiskey is said to be so strong that a domestic whiskey with a list price of several thousand yen can fetch hundreds of thousands of yen. What kind of items, exactly, are highly prized? We interviewed Brandia, which buys brand-name goods, and JOYLAB, which buys liquor, to find out.
The three most expensive brands are Chanel, Vuitton, and Hermes, plus Rolex.
Due in part to the yen’s gradual depreciation, the purchase price of used brands has generally continued to rise over the past few years. Among these, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes have been on the rise. Rolexes are also reported to be at a high price for investment purposes.
The list price at each brand’s directly-managed stores is rising across the board, and the purchase price is also rising.
In addition, Hermes Birkin and Kelly are chronically in short supply, and it has become difficult for non-clients to buy them, so it is not unusual to see pre-purchase prices rise to above the list price.
Japanese used goods are popular overseas because they are handled with care!
Even so, things bought during the bubble period…, but that is not the case, apparently. Japanese people tend to prefer new items, but Westerners are not so particular, and there is a culture of enjoying brand-name items as vintage depending on the item. In the case of Brandia, due in part to the weak yen, overseas sales, which were less than 10% in 2020, now exceed 40%.
For example, if a bag is a Vuitton or Hermes, even if the handle is removed, you can still get a good price for it.
Japanese people are very careful with their goods, and many of our customers say they give priority to items from Japan. They are often surprised when they find a price like this for something they were going to throw away. I was going to throw it away.
Reprints and the retro boom have also triggered price hikes.
The market price may rise due to a revival boom after a reprint of a product that was no longer on sale, or because it was worn by an actress in a foreign TV drama.
Until last year, vintage Chanel accessories with a 90’s look, such as those with a gold CC logo, were very popular, and the purchase price of these accessories, which was 10,000 yen before they became popular, has risen to about 50,000 yen.
The most popular items are those that are easily recognizable, such as Chanel and Vuitton.
The price is higher for iconic items that are instantly recognizable as “that brand,” such as Louis Vuitton’s Monogram and Damier line and Chanel’s chain-shoulder Mantrasset line.
This is a common trend worldwide, and it is said that “ease of recognition” is important for brand lovers. If the yen continues to depreciate, there is a strong possibility that prices will rise again.
Japanese whiskey is also being bought up for speculative purposes
Next, let’s look at alcoholic beverages. Japanese domestic whiskey is by far the strongest.
Suntory’s ‘Yamazaki 25year old’ is sold for more than 1 million yen. The list price is 160,000 yen, but this type of whiskey is no longer available on the market.
The market for buying domestic whiskey has been on a steady rise for years. In particular, since “Yamazaki 50nen” sold for about 38 million yen at a Hong Kong auction in 2018, the market has been depleted due to a speculative buying spree and a shortage of original sake.
Yamazaki 25year old” is particularly expensive, but any brand such as “Yamazaki,” “Hakushu,” and “Hibiki” can easily fetch more than 10,000 yen.
Sake that you bought overseas or received as a year-end gift can be a treasure!
Other than domestic whiskey, brandies such as Camille, Remy Martin, and Louis XIII can be a good way to make some extra money.
They are like something you would have found at your granddad’s house,” he says. Some of the standard high-end brandies, such as Hennessy’s XO, cost more than 10,000 yen.
Unusual shapes of brandy are also of interest. “The No. 1 brandy you might have on display at your parents’ house is this one,” he says.
There are many interesting shapes of brandy, such as a ceramic bottle in the shape of a book or a dolphin, which can fetch 3,000 to 5,000 yen. There is a cycle of people who collect them in their collections giving them away, and then the next collector buying them, and so on.”
Even liquor is important to look good. Don’t throw away the box!
Most unopened bottles of whiskey and brandy can be bought back. The key to increasing the purchase price is to keep in mind the following points: “Keep the bottle in the same condition as when you bought it.
The first step is to keep the whisky in the same condition as when you bought it. Some brands can fetch up to 5,000 yen more if they come with a box. Even sake that is easy to keep at room temperature can evaporate due to temperature changes, causing the liquid level to drop. Although it is subject to a reduction in value, it is still a purchase target in most cases.
What did you think? In this time of the COVID-19 crisis and the boom in discarding, you might want to say to your parents, “Wait a minute, don’t throw it away! It might be a good idea to tell your parents to wait a little longer before throwing things away.
Interview and text： Chimasa Ide
