Strange Co-incidence?

[dishpan]

It has been very interesting to follow the recent flood of both cheap and newer models of Pachinkos being sold from Samuraislot and Panchinko/Panchinko Casino.

It wasn't very long ago that the machines that were available on eBay were both older models and their price levels were generally fixed at a much higher level. True bargans/steals were few and far between and were nothing compared to the flood of cheap machines that we are seeing in the last month or two. The only new model machines that we eagerly awaited were imported by Arby.

The following is presented with my tongue solidly packed into my cheek but the co-incidence is very spooky! This list represents the newer games that I've imported in the last year and have written reviews on:

Reviewed:
CR Top Gun
CRF Julie Pinball
CRF Milky Way Railroad Story
CRF Neon Evangelion - New Century
CRF Shin Sangoku Musou (Sold as Samurai Warriors)
CRF Vicky Chance REV.
CRF Indiana Jones
CR Maharaja

This a list of games that I have imported but did not review on this site.

Not Reviewed:
CR Aqua Paradise
CR King Star
CR New Road Construction
CRF Positive and Negative Principals Teacher
CRF Streetcar Go 2!
CRF Super Stadium
CRF Transmission Outside Kagetsu
CR Rocky & Hopper
CR Best Parody Mortar

Now do you see the pattern here? There is a on-to-one correspondence here and all are relatively new. The reviewed games are or have been sold by the afore mentioned Samuraislot and Panchinko/Panchinko Casino (CF Exports) for excellent prices. As far as I know, the non-reviewed games have not been sold by them. Now don't get me wrong, I think that this is a very good thing! It's also very spooky.

Now this is where I pack my tongue further into my cheek and ask. What are the additional new games that you want to see sold for these very inexpensive prices? The sky's the limit here. All I have to do is write and post a review on this site.

What do you think? Am I being paranoid? Do you think I should be asking these people for a commission?

The bottom line is that It's great to have a buying alternative; one that offers new games and at a competative price. The other side of the equation is how can they keep doing this and still make a profit? What and how can the traditional domestic vendors compete and still remain viable? Will there only be one main importer in the future?

[luckydog]

maybe you are Zoltar

[dishpan]

So I should be heading to the "Stock Trader" section of the "Game Room"?

[Tulsa]

No, he's not Zoltar. He'd be saying, "I am at your service, eh". :lol8:

[slothappy144]

:lol8:

[arbycoffee]

I was told it is cheaper to send the machines here that to send them to recycle and pay the fees there.

Does that mean everything sold here is gravy ?

[compirate]

They've got 100s of 1,000's being retired every month. They've got to be only a few dollars wholesale in Japan. I agree with Arby, trashing them cost more than they're worth over there.

They probably wonder why we spend so much money on their 'trash'!

[dishpan]

Psst ... wanna invest in a garbage heap?

[luckydog]

one man's trash is another man's treasure

[ocpachinko]

I was told it is cheaper to send the machines here that to send them to recycle and pay the fees there.

Does that mean everything sold here is gravy ?

Especially when your business was already to buy these machines and recycle the lcds, and the price of lcds is falling. This is a smart thing for them to do.

http://www.cf-export.com/english.html

[compirate]

Psst ... wanna invest in a garbage heap?

Look at my 'Toys', I've already invested heavily!!!

[dishpan]

I was told it is cheaper to send the machines here that to send them to recycle and pay the fees there.

The volume of machines that make it here is a very small drop in the bucket compared to the 100's of thousands that are built there every year. In my rough estimation it works out to a fraction of one percent.

Whatever we do consume here, I'm sure that we're "off the radar" to most people in the industry there and definately not a significant factor to anyone. Whatever their re-cycling costs, with what we consume and divert from the trash heap, it wouldn't cover their costs of sending them here. Besides, aren't the manufacturers making big "Brownie Points" bragging about the percentage of machines re-cycled every year?

Overall, I don't see how anyone is making any money with these machines period.

Step back and consider the costs of; collection from Parlors Japan, the preparation, warehousing, shipping to dock, slow-boat freight, unloading, more freight, more warehousing, sorting, "refurbishing", marketing, and other sales costs. After that you sell a game for $50-100 only to find it was lost or damaged in shipping or has a few burnt bulbs. Tech support people have to take the time to answer these calls, find missing or brocken parts and ship them to the customers.

You'd have to sell a lot of machines at $10 or $20 profit (before taxes) to make the whole venture worth while.

Where is the sales volume to float this boat? Selling games at $50 or $100 will sink us pretty quick. Grab the bargans while we can. It can't last long.

[fronzdan]

Remember when Samurai and Pachinko first came on the scene? They had all auctions with high reserves and I'd bet 95% of them closed without a sale. They've definitely moved to a high volume profit model with their low starting bid auctions. I'd bet more than 90% of their auctions sell now.

Sure some have gone for dirt cheap, but quite a few are still in the $120-$150 and up range. Plus they DO have that heavy ship charge. They are making some on that as well I think. They've definitely taken over the ebay market. I have to wonder what the other larger volume ebay sellers are going to do to counter this. They haven't lowered their prices, that's for sure.

SS has all the "hot" machines (thanks to Dishpan's excellent picks...insert Twilight Zone theme here) at the best prices and they are a decent seller all around. As a buyer and not a seller of pachis...I'd be happy if this lasts for a long while.

Now if the Pachinko Zoltar could fortell that Jaws also flood the market this year, that would be even better.

[ocpachinko]

From a Pachinko perspective, the arrival of CFExport here in California is a wonderful thing. No one has ever been in a better position to spread our hobby to lots and lots of new people then they are. I would again venture that loading those machines on a container and shipping it to LA harbor is likely cheaper (considering fees and taxes) than any available disposal option in Japan, and may even be likely to attract industry/government subsidy. Reducing this type of environmental (waste) problem is a BIG deal if, over the years, the volume grows. There isn't much overhead in Ontario; they're pretty smart, and I'll bet they're committed to give this a go for a while.

Why do I live in California? Because I have TWO Disneylands! For now.

[dishpan]

I've heard second hand that in Europe (Germany) that the onus is on the manufacturer of the product to also provide for the disposal of the product once it is no longer wanted.

Does anyone know if that is the case and if so does it apply in GB or Japan?

[daverob]

I've heard second hand that in Europe (Germany) that the onus is on the manufacturer of the product to also provide for the disposal of the product once it is no longer wanted.

This is the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations (WEEE). This is a European wide directive, and hasn't been adopted outside of Europe yet. At the moment the law has not been fully implemented. But in the UK at least it will be in force by mid 2007.

The basic principle is every bit of electronic equipment produced, or sold within europe will be marked with the producers (or importers) identification, along with a standard label indicating that it should not be disposed of in normal household waste.

As part of the scheme the producer will be charged for the costs of recycling an equivalent amount of waste electronics equipment to the amount that they produce, this will go to help pay for recycling schemes to be set up.

An alternative is to arrange your own collection system, where the end user can return the equipment to the manufacturer (with the manufacturer bearing the collection and transportation costs), you must then provide evidence of re-use/recycling or export (outside the EU).

If you export outside of the EU, then the regulations also state that you must comply with any waste regulations in the destination country.

[Zoltar]

Coincidence are foreordain meetings of two or more forces in time a crossing.
Time is but a Boot string we are on, fully crisscrossed on itself.
We are able to cross back and forth this string with self control of our minds.

We are very akin to a part of the Pachinko Machines we enjoy.
We are the spheres bouncing against pins on the board trying to reach a goal of equanimity.


I am at your Service