Things are looking good for my Pachinko World!

[RandomTask]

My best friend since the 8th grade is Japanese and has lived almost full-time in Japan for the past 13 years. Although we're almost like brothers, I didn't think I could ask and rely on him to handle any sort of convoluted favor because he runs his own business and is very busy.

However, in a few recent email exchanges, I showed him my latest pachinko acquisition. I also linked the website for one of the pachinko machines that I really want and complained that nobody here is importing it. He then offered to be an accomplice in the importation of that and whatever else I want! He said he'll register and bid on YJA. All I have to do is email him the URL of the item and he'll do the rest. He also said that he needs no money up front. Rather, he'll keep a running tally and occasionally he'll ask me to ship something to Japan that's not available there.

So, hopefully in the next couple months I'll have a couple new hard-to-find additions to my collection!

[dattia]

Wow...that is awesome! Of course, you'll have to keep us updated

[Trey314159]

Wow.. that is awesome.

Since they have all kinds of nifty gadgets over there in Japan, if a time machine comes up, get one! I want to send a note back to myself in 8th grade to be nicer to that Japanese kid who was going to move back to Japan in a few years!

[RandomTask]

Well, we made a successful bid on a 2005 Sankyo Kagetsu Gaiden!
It will be in my friend's possession tomorrow. From there, we just have to figure out how we're going to ship it. The options are:
1. Intact, Express Mail Service
2. Send just the cell and playfield via EMS, dump the rest and look for a case stateside.
3. Send just the cell via EMS, and ship the playfield and case components via EMS in a separate shipment.
4. Sea mail. Not happening baby!

I'll probably choose option #1 because my friend really isn't into breaking out the screwdrivers. So, I could have it in my hands in as little as a week!

[compirate]

Well, we made a successful bid on a 2005 Sankyo Kagetsu Gaiden!
It will be in my friend's possession tomorrow. From there, we just have to figure out how we're going to ship it. The options are:
1. Intact, Express Mail Service
2. Send just the cell and playfield via EMS, dump the rest and look for a case stateside.
3. Send just the cell via EMS, and ship the playfield and case components via EMS in a separate shipment.
4. Sea mail. Not happening baby!

I'll probably choose option #1 because my friend really isn't into breaking out the screwdrivers. So, I could have it in my hands in as little as a week!

Fantastic! Removing the cel only takes a couple minutes, no tools required. Would ship pretty cheap then, about $65 by slo-boat (6 weeks, no tracking/insurance). Luminas are easier to find here now, your friend could always sell the case there, won't get much for it though. Your gonna love it!

[RandomTask]

My friend ended up being less cooperative than anticipated and he kinda bi+ched at me about taking the cell out of the machine, and that was after I found out how easy it is and I sent him Dr Crippen's video on cell extraction from a Lumina case (the whole operation requires no tools and takes only 3 minutes). He then told me that he basically had other people do all the leg work, handle the bidding, payment and receipt and it supposedly was a big sweat off everyone's asses so basically he owes them all favors now. I don't see what the hassle was; bidding is an easy process, and the seller takes credit cards. I understand that he is busy, but cell extraction really is effort free, and he would have a smaller package to handle. I guess he never really thought I'd take him up on his offer.

I asked him to get an EMS quote and a sea mail quote. Faster would be better, but if the sea mail was super cheap, I'd like to option of tossing it on a boat. I never did get the shipping costs and after a second 5 day stretch of silence, I got an email from him saying that he shipped the machine intact via EMS. I can't wait to find out how much that cost. I had a rough idea, but it would have been nice to know the exact total damage to my wallet before the machine shipped so I could commit to one method or another.

I feel a bit jilted by this whole experience, and I think that after my friend got married he puts less stock in our friendship as demonstrated by his hands-off approach to this matter. And to think that a few months ago, I offered to drive 200 miles to help out his parents if they ever needed a hand with something (I've done it for him as well when he was living at home). I guess I won't be getting the two other machines I want.

Aaaaaanyway, rant mode off.
I'm still eager to receive this machine and it should be here on Friday or maybe Saturday.

[RandomTask]

Holy Crap, it's here!!! I can't believe it got here from Japan in only two days!
It was marginally packed, but the two layers of bubble wrap along with Sunday's paper protected the machine sufficiently and probably kept the weight down enough to impact the shipping cost.

The machine is awesome. To my surprise (because I can't read Japanese) the machine is cyclic. I'm neutral on this, but will probably eventually convert it back to parlour-ready. The machine arrived pretty clean and ready to play (as clean as my Sakura from GW and cleaner than my Ukiyoe from Pachislot777). There is a very nice volue control installed by the seller, but the transformer is pretty wimpy and I'll need to change that before I leave the machine on 24/7.

I really like the style of the Lumina frame. The sound is excellent, as are the graphics. The light show is stunning and very colorful, and the LCD is larger than expected. The reaches are neat and the fever round is beautiful. The only things that I don't like about the machine:
1. The Lumina case bezel uses incandescent bulbs instead of LEDs for the bright red & white lights.
2. During normal play, there is only one tune. It's a nice tune, but only several measures long, so it gets a bit monotonous if you're in a dry spell.
The above are just minor notes and in no way should make anyone shy away from this machine.

Here's the damage report:
Bid: 12,001 ¥
Local shipping (he didn't tell me, so I'll estimate) 2,500 ¥
EMS (Express mail to USA) 34,900 ¥

Total: 49,401 ¥ Converted at today's exchange rate of 121.5¥/USD:
$406.41 ... Expensive, but not outrageous.

In retrospect, I'm very glad I did this, and I'd do it again for that special, hard-to-obtain machine (assuming my friend will play).

I'll post pix once I have the machine installed in my bookcase adjacent to Ukiyoe late next week.

Thanks for indulging me in my sharing the pachinko importation saga.

[compirate]

2. During normal play, there is only one tune. It's a nice tune, but only several measures long, so it gets a bit monotonous if you're in a dry spell.

Haven't played it in a while, but doesn't the tune change based on what season it's in?

And, Welcome to the Black Hole that is Direct Importing!

[RandomTask]

Haven't played it in a while, but doesn't the tune change based on what season it's in?

The "big reaches" change with the seasons, but not the main spin tune.

[dishpan]

I thought also that the music and colors change with the seasons, but I must confess that I haven't played mine in a while.

Nothing cycles scenery and music faster that my "Captain Herlock" although Newgin's "Parodius" comes close.

[RandomTask]

I thought also that the music and colors change with the seasons, but I must confess that I haven't played mine in a while.

The colors change (beautifully) with the seasons, and it's neat that if you want to change the season on a whim, you just smack the "Chance" button when there are no spins banked.

[dishpan]

Have the seasons changed for you automatically during game play yet? Perhaps that's when the music alternates.

[RandomTask]

The seasons changed automatically twice. Once there was no change in the music. The second time, it rapidly cycled through all 4 seasons and started playing these massive drums. The cards brust into flames on each spin when the drums play. I've also had the drums playing in the post-fever action.

[compirate]

As always, right after you get one, there's another up

[RandomTask]

That's the same seller where mine came from. He appears to deal in a lot of machines.

[new in town]

The English Version : Just learn'd how to do it. Wanted to see if it would transfer to a post...

http://www.google.com/translate?u=ht...&hl=en&ie=UTF8

[compirate]

Anyone interested in what this machine looks like can go here:

Kegatsu Gaiden Movies

These are Sankyo's movies showing the reach actions.

[RandomTask]

I'll post pix once I have the machine installed in my bookcase adjacent to Ukiyoe late next week.

Has it been a week already??? More like two! Anyway, here are pix . I added the luau lights from IKEA yesterday for that extra festive look.

[hanabi]

That has certainly got the 'Wow' factor!!

[Tulsa]

Are those all books on playing pachinko next to the machines?