Buy designer (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes, Prada) goods from Japan on Yahoo! Auctions

When you think of big, high fashion brand names, like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, do you think of Japan?

Shrug, maybe you don’t right now. But there are hundreds of reasons to think that way. Japan’s an amazing place for luxury shopping. Areas like Ginza in Tokyo, and the Midosuji in Osaka, are lined with fashion boutiques for world-famous brands.

Offline availability means online resales – people trading in their signature bag for a newer model, or snapping up limited in-store items to flip for a quick profit. We’ve gone over the basics of buying from Japan online before. Time to take a more in-depth look at 1 very popular way to shop: Yahoo! Auctions Japan.

Most of that steady supply of second-hand designer handbags, purses, earrings, necklaces, and accessories (like belts and sunglasses) shows up on Y!A. (Japan doesn’t have eBay.) So, many fashion lovers search there for the wide variety and good deals.

When it comes to costs, you’d be surprised how (relatively) cheap some items go for. Not every auction turns into a bidding war. Time it right, and you might walk off with a bargain under your arm.

When they say ‘pre-loved’, they mean it

The quality level’s always impressive to see – owners know how to take care of their stuff. And that goes double if they’re planning to sell it on.

They keep the original boxes and bags, hallmarks, and the certificate of authenticity, and often show them in the listing. They look after the materials, particularly if it’s something made with real leather or lambskin.

You can see all that clearly from the pics on each auction page. Along with the description, they give you a way better idea of what’s included.

And taking it back to prices, the item condition often means you get an even better deal. We’ve seen many auctions start at the bare minimum: 1 yen. They finish at a higher price than that – obviously – but it’s a way lower entry barrier if you fancy bidding.

Make bids with complete peace of mind

An advantage of buying on Yahoo! Auctions, compared to online shop fronts, is being able to contact sellers. Ask questions, double check what’s on the page, or make them an offer.

That’s all done via us. Send your questions, and we’ll translate and take them to the seller. (We give you answers back in English, too.) That way, you get all the info you need.

Stuff you might want to ask us before you bid:

• Is everything in the pics included? Is there anything included that isn’t shown?
• Can I ask for more pics, or more info? (please be as specific as possible)
• Can you double check the size and weight of the item?
• Is Japanese consumption tax included, or added on later?
• Is the seller willing to end the auction early for X yen?

Bidding on Yahoo! Auctions Japan with DEJAPAN

So we’ve told you why looking for second-hand designer bags on Japanese auctions is a great idea. Now to show you how.

First, you’re gonna need a DEJAPAN account – sign up here. After that, head over to the bright orange ‘Auctions’ tab on the homepage to start searching.

You can search in English or Japanese. Our example here’s ‘Chanel bag’ in katakana.

Results show in ‘Best Match’ order, and 20 items per page, by default. Use the drop-down boxes to switch between ‘High to Low’ or ‘Low to High’ price order, or to see more on 1 page.

See what we mean about auctions with a 1-yen starting cost?

When you spot something you like the look of, click on the listing to see more.

Item pages on DEJAPAN are auto-translated into English, for you to easily check the details. If there’s more than 1 photo, they’ll show as clickable thumbnails under the main image.

Make either a normal bid or a snipe bid, by clicking the relevant button. You’ll see a pop-up, with a box to input your bid in yen. (If there’s a ‘Buy It Now’ price/button, you skip bidding and go through to checkout from there.)

For snipes, you’re also able to choose when it goes in – 10 mins, 5 mins, or 3 mins before the auction ends. Please note all bids take a little time to process.

When you’ve settled on an amount, place that bid!

All bids need to be paid for at the time they’re made, so the next step’s checkout. Log in from there (if you’re not already), and follow the quick steps to make payment by credit card or PayPal.

Once that’s done… keep your fingers crossed until the auction ends. We’ll cancel and refund your bid if it fails (e.g. if you get outbid, or the auction’s cancelled).

Explore second-hand designer fashion auctions

Get straight to an auction category with the links below:

• Chanel on Yahoo! Auctions Japan
• Chanel handbags
• Chanel earrings
• Chanel purses
• Louis Vuitton on Yahoo! Auctions Japan
• LV handbags
• LV accessories
• LV padlocks
• Gucci on Yahoo! Auctions Japan
• Gucci handbags
• Prada handbags on Yahoo! Auctions Japan
• Hermes on Yahoo! Auctions Japan
• Hermes scarves

Come to DEJAPAN any time to buy designer goods from Yahoo! Auctions Japan in English.