Question 1

Is it better to sell to a recycle shop or on Mercari?

Accepted Answer

Mercari typically sells for 2-5x more, but you need to factor in fees, shipping, and effort. If the difference is more than ¥2,000, Mercari is usually worth it.

Question 2

Does Bookoff or Mercari pay more?

Accepted Answer

Mercari sells for more in most cases. Bookoff's buyback price is often only 1-5% of retail, while Mercari listings commonly sell for 20-50% of retail.

Question 3

How should I think about the effort cost of selling myself?

Accepted Answer

It helps to convert the time spent listing, packing, and shipping into an hourly rate. At 30 minutes and ¥1,000/hour, that's a ¥500 effort cost.

Shop	Best for	Notes
Bookoff	Books, CDs, DVDs, games	Fast appraisal, lower prices
Hard Off	Electronics, instruments, hobbies	Buys junk/broken items too
2nd Street	Clothing, designer items	Trendy items fetch higher prices
Geo	Games, DVDs, phones	Good deals during campaigns
Daikokuya	Designer goods, watches, jewelry	Strong for high-value items

Buyback vs Selling Comparison

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Selling to a buyback shop

Selling on Mercari

Major Recycle Shops — Buyback Tendencies

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