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I honestly don't mind going to NRT vs HND. NEX and the Skyliner don't cost very much, and it's kind of a wash compared to taking the train from HND (saves you maybe 20 minutes?). And Haneda tends to be more expensive, in my experience.

I'm usually too tired to care enough about getting to central Tokyo as fast as possible anyways. :P We're way off-topic now.

Cereth, please enjoy Japan and share cool stuff with us if you have time!
 
Highly highly recommend Sakurai Tea Experience to anyone in Tokyo!
 
Yep, it isn't as simple as rewrite makes it out. This is my experience, residing in a large metro area:
  • A lot of banks won't offer coins at all. Bills only.
    • Those that do, often have limits on how many coins they'll allow you to get. Some may also charge extra.
  • Currency exchanges are more likely to provide coins, but their fees & the spread they charge sucks. Bad
Whoever you try and get them from on here is going to charge you anyway, so that's negligible.

Never had an issue with Chase or Wells Fargo. It's really as simple as I made it out to be, I've done it.


@TodoRojo unfortunately credit unions don't do much of anything well, I'm not surprised you had poor luck with them. Weird hearing BoA couldn't take care of it though.
 
So are you like specifying to the bank that you want it in 100yen coins specifically? Seems like it wouldn't be an accommodation they'd make unless you're in an area with a high Japanese population and they have it on hand from constantly exchanging their money. If they have to order it, can it still be specified?
 
That’s why people callin’ you out on this @rewrite, have you pulled 100yen coin from a large variety of banks across the country? Your experience being in LA is not the same experience people everywhere in the states is going to have. That should be pretty plain to see.
 
Yeah I don't doubt his experience is real but banks are typically not very accomodating with stuff like that in my experience unless it's something super easy for them to do in the moment (granted I haven't tried, but I will next time I'm in a Chase or WF as I hold accounts at both)
 
I use WF and any of the automated systems to request foreign currency don't have an option for coins. I never tried to get coins by speaking to someone (irl or on the phone) because I ended up using nickels. I'll call them tomorrow and see if I get anywhere being a Saturday. If not, I'll try Monday.

You cant beat 40 coins for $2 going with nickels. $24 and I have more coins than I need split across my 6 cabs. In yen that would be $345 right now without any fees. At least its still money though. You can turn your yen back into purchases. You'll have a hard time trying to pay bills with tokens.
 
That’s why people callin’ you out on this @rewrite, have you pulled 100yen coin from a large variety of banks across the country? Your experience being in LA is not the same experience people everywhere in the states is going to have. That should be pretty plain to see.
I lived in Maine when I got into this hobby... LA doesn't have anything to do with it. ME, NH, CO, CA, no problem.

It's definitely easier now than it was 2 decades ago. You just go in, tell them what you need, worst case they order it.
 
Sounds like nobody’s wrong in this case then, probably have to try more than a few places if at first you don’t succeed.
 
Just yet another reminder, please, I make my policies clear in my posts and in private conversation. If you can't follow those policies, please don't waste my time going all the way through a discussion just to ignore it all at the end. It's incredibly rude.
 
Just yet another reminder, please, I make my policies clear in my posts and in private conversation. If you can't follow those policies, please don't waste my time going all the way through a discussion just to ignore it all at the end. It's incredibly rude.
Who is it?

As @SNK-NEO-GEO said

“You hold him, I’ll punch him”
 
An update for both outgoing freight that would have been expected this month, and California deliveries. We only got 1 of the expected containers for this month, and that one came literally 12hrs too late for me to unpack myself lol. 3 more are at port, and haven't been released. Fully cleared, paid, customs cleared, all that, but they can't be accessed. For sure that means no deliveries for the rest of November.

The above situation is a very frequent one, and why I tell people to NEVER expect good accurate estimates of when a container will arrive in my warehouse. EVERY step of the way has potentials for weeks of delays. That is why I give a wide range of expectation, and make sure people know that even that can't be relied on 100%. Please wait, as I'm making sure everything flows as much as possible when it is ready!

I'm shipping 2 containers this month, and 3-4 next month to finish most of my demand and needs up through March. I might ship 0 for January to take a break, and also because I intend to be in Japan for a month in March again. I cannot stress enough right now, if you want something ordered that will arrive before APRIL, ASK NOW. I have had a few inquiries where, after providing information, have ghosted me for weeks. YOU WILL NOT GET CABS BEFORE APRIL IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE AN ORDER. Of course some things I have filling space already anyway will be available, but anything that is not, I cannot help you if you choose to ghost me now. Space is at a premium, and I need to plan well in advance.

I probably won't have a listing update until after I get back, but I don't think much has changed, except items being sold. Still feel free to ask about things until then!
 
Nice! I did notice, though, in your purchase inventory post here and your purchase list on your site, your Nostalgia link in both the "Cabinets For Sale (Incoming Containers)" and "Cabinets For Sale (Future Containers)" leads to a Groove Coaster cab album (https://imgur.com/a/YaHnjiT).

Also, loving the pics of the Game Center! It looks great!
 
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I redeployed my old site and gave it a fresh coat of paint, y’all can stop messaging me now GOD
I’m digging your background art.

Is that Rhythm Tengoku a New New City with a different control deck?
 
I’m digging your background art.

Is that Rhythm Tengoku a New New City with a different control deck?
I’ve been meaning to compile that into a sheet for years. It’s the background of my banner, but it wasn’t compiled into a pattern, just dropped manually at random, so I had to rearrange it by hand. I could have done this years ago, I just didn’t because it’s something I allocated to someone else so I could focus on other aspects of the business. I’m allowing myself time to go back to these finer things now. I promised everyone I would.

Rhythm Tengoku if it’s listed is definitely already sold, but yeah, NAOMI Universal? They all are, I’ve never seen one that wasn’t. I’ll probably actually update listings in 2 weeks or so. With 5 containers stuck at port, anything I update now is going to drastically change in the inventory the moment it arrives anyway, so I’d rather not double up on work atm. I can still be asked directly about certain inventory. Still around 20 people I haven’t really talked to because the stuff they are interested in is imminently coming on those containers
 
Updating here since I have no way of reaching out to EVERY person waiting on contact right now.

We got a container yesterday, and got told by the driver "btw there's another driver 2hrs behind me". Normally I get at least 1-3 days notice of an appointment to pick up at port, but with how fucked stuff is right now, we're getting dumped on pretty hard. I just got notice this morning that ANOTHER one is coming in 2-3 hrs. I'm at capacity with the warehouse, and freight is extremely limited in the next 2 weeks, so I have a very serious problem to tackle.

What that means is, I'm probably going to be unable to respond to anything but the topmost priorities for a while. It's also a good thing, because all the concern about these containers that were all supposed to come last month is gone. Just let me get to things. Send me a message if you need anything, but expect anything that isn't an emergency or immediate priority to be put aside. Also, if I reach out about getting something finalized, it's probably a high priority. Please respond as promptly as possible.

I think that's it for now. Needless to say, a fuckton of cabs are going to go out soon.
 
Updating here since I have no way of reaching out to EVERY person waiting on contact right now.

We got a container yesterday, and got told by the driver "btw there's another driver 2hrs behind me". Normally I get at least 1-3 days notice of an appointment to pick up at port, but with how fucked stuff is right now, we're getting dumped on pretty hard. I just got notice this morning that ANOTHER one is coming in 2-3 hrs. I'm at capacity with the warehouse, and freight is extremely limited in the next 2 weeks, so I have a very serious problem to tackle.

What that means is, I'm probably going to be unable to respond to anything but the topmost priorities for a while. It's also a good thing, because all the concern about these containers that were all supposed to come last month is gone. Just let me get to things. Send me a message if you need anything, but expect anything that isn't an emergency or immediate priority to be put aside. Also, if I reach out about getting something finalized, it's probably a high priority. Please respond as promptly as possible.

I think that's it for now. Needless to say, a fuckton of cabs are going to go out soon.
Than you for the update.
 
Lifting emergency status. I still have backlog going back over a month and will be focusing on that, but can accept limited communication and respond accordingly again. Pretty much everything people were going to be waiting on me for has come into the warehouse, so it’ll honestly be better overall as a lot of cabs can be looked over and sold with more information.

Some background. We were supposed to get 4 or so containers last month while I was in Japan, and I set up provisions to have crew handle that, manage outgoing freight, keep the warehouse sane. The first container kept getting delayed until it showed up something like 8 hrs after I flew out to Japan (GDI). After that, every single container got delayed until I got back, to the point where the second one had an abandonment notice from the carrier. That is an automated notice that the carrier sends if it sees in the system a container with a LFD (last free day) around 3-4 weeks. The port doesn’t update LFDs until they make the container available, so essentially they didn’t make it available for so long that the carrier was going to salvage it. This in practice wouldn’t have actually happened, but it was a first for me and quite a thing to wake up to lol

Any rate, about 11 days ago, we got it. Then the driver said “btw there’s another driver 2hrs behind me”. Normally we at least get a day notice if a container is available at port, even at worst. This was one we didn’t even get that notice for, it just showed up with no notice from my trucking line AT ALL. Cool though, happy to get stuff out! Except the next morning, I got a call from the driver saying he was 2hrs out. We had barely started processing what we had, but that was fine, there was still just enough space, so we took it.

That night I messaged the trucking company to let them know we’d like to get notice on this stuff sooner since warehouse capacity came fast, and freight doesn’t go out until Friday, 2 days. They responded by saying the container we weren’t supposed to get until Friday night was coming Thursday morning (tomorrow). This is where I went emergency status, since I had a truck to deliver SoCal(which we barely rented in time), a 26’ trailer here from Maryland, and another trailer from Texas, no warehouse space and 7 people on crew already working non-stop. We had to cancel that container, which then got held up by weather over the pass until Tuesday and rent a second storage unit last-minute, and rearrange the entire warehouse to get certain things out as not to disrupt operations later. The delay on the container cost quite a bit too, as demurrage fees for MSC containers after LFD is at least $350 a day. At this point, costs weren’t an issue as long as they weren’t too high, just the logistics of making it all work were massive.

Part of the problem was that Friday was a tight schedule for freight, and the driver wasn’t coming the next week (this week), so we barely had time to throw on everything we could. Having everything actually tested and ready to go was a lot of manpower when we’d already been buried in containers. The weekend was spent trying to arrange SoCal deliveries and loading up the two other trailers. Tuesday, we finally got container 5, followed very quickly behind by container 6, again same day. I honestly don’t know how that worked. That was all the containers expected November or very early December, so great! That’s it!

Nope. Container 7 showed up. When I ship containers, I estimate around 3 weeks to arrive, 1 week to clear and be delivered, then 2-4 weeks for variance because global shipping is fucked rn. This container was one I told people to expect early January, based on the above criteria. Instead, it showed up completely on-time, for the first time since the pandemic. I really don’t remember another container being so punctual! I scrambled to load Bay Area deliveries since SoCal’s truck was back, even though it wasn’t a full run, as well as moving several cabs into the Game Center that would eventually end up there, even though I wasn’t ready for it. Somehow we made enough space, and it all came in.

This truly is the last for the year, though. Everything that hasn’t arrived ships this month, and if on-time, would arrive January at the earliest, with early February as the estimate given to buyers. It’s 4 containers, so I’ve got hell ahead of me if I don’t clear inventory and it all vomits at once. Our convention schedule is pretty savage for January/February as well, and I’m back in Japan for all of March.

Oh also my landlord scheduled yearly heater maintenance now with almost no notice. They need to bring a scissor lift in. There’s literally no path and we’ve all basically worked 16+ hr days for 11 days straight lol, gotta figure that out still. Freight doesn’t go out for a week, I can’t even clear it in time

Maryland is out, Bay Area comes back today, Texas leaves today. In short, got 3 containers in 24hrs, they tried to vomit a 4th a day later, ended up with 4 and 5 the next week, a 6th unexpected, shipped out 5 batches of freight, rented a new storage unit. Could not have done it without a crew of 5-7. Normally only 2 of us. Costly and all time-consuming, but done. Lot to do still, but will start processing people’s requests.

Will post further updates when ready! Feel free to send contact and I’ll at least get you in the response queue!
 
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