Game Saru Japan Container Import Megathread (check regularly for updates!)

[Cereth]

Table of Contents:

1) Introduction / Order Status
2) Machines For Sale (Available Now)
3) Machines For Sale (Incoming Containers)
4) Machines For Sale (Future Containers)
5) Kits & Parts For Sale
6) Special Requests
7) Information, Rules, & Policies

Introduction:

Hey everyone, I'm Cereth a.k.a. Kenchan a.k.a. David, founder and owner of Game Saru, an importer of Japanese arcade machines and related goods. I have a long time been an enthusiast in the hobby, and my goal with the company is to provide a more in-touch import service for these goods to my fellows in the community, and to provide rental services for Japanese arcade machines to various events. This thread serves to fulfill the former of the two.

Over the last three years, I've built up everything I feel necessary to provide a better overall service in importing these goods to North America. I want to make sure all games purchased meet the requirements of a buyer. I generally try to get photos of the cabinets to show the cosmetic and monitor condition, as well as information about specifics where necessary, and will work one-on-one with you to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

If you would like to ask for anything that is not listed, please refer to "Special Requests". For any information on payment policies, rules, about the process, please refer to "Information, Rules, & Policies".

Order Status:

Currently, there is one container arriving sometime after January 10th. After that, no containers have been scheduled to ship yet. Bookings are currently very hard to get in Asia, and costs are going up significantly. With the exchange rate dropping steadily as well, cost flexibility is harder to manage. Please note that I have a very full list incoming, and very likely if stuff isn't picked up sooner than later, it will get shuffled to a later container. A LOT of stuff is sold and a lot of the stuff I have coming is going to people on waitlists.

 

[Cereth]

Machines For Sale (Available Now):

CROSSxBEATS $1,750 x1 PENDING - these are getting harder for me to find
DISSIDIA: Final Fantasy $1,000
Groove Coaster - Offering for interest, currently awaiting a Type X Zero repair and monitor does not work, can fix X Zero and replace monitor, or sell as-is
Gunslinger Stratos $1,500 x2 PENDING - non-compact version, work being done to link support them
Lindbergh $750 x3 PENDING - 1L3B, monitor working but has "streaks", probably will want these to be replaced
Noir Full HD $800 x1 PENDING - last of the batch, in rougher shape
Nostalgia $1,500 PENDING
SDVX Real Generator $650 x2 - both have some paper/toner left
Vewlix F $1,400 - This cab has had a basic clean on it, JVSIO, official 2L14B panel, the monitor is aftermarket, currently in vertical orientation, not sure if it'd be easy to rotate back, can scrape up some more current photos but it is the cab used in the linked video and later (after servicing) in the exA cabinet test video on my channel here.

 

[Cereth]

Cabinets For Sale (Incoming Containers):

These all have an expected arrival date around March/April

beatmaniaIIDX $4,000 / $3,500 / $3,000 - Price with and without Rootage offline kit, and restored cab
BeatStream $3,500 / $3,000 x15 - Price with and without header, these are getting a full restore first, possible negotiations for parts/gutted cabs
CHUNITHM $7,000 - Tentatively one available pending priority requests
Dance Dance Revolution (Black CRT) $4,500 x2 - Includes current hardware
Future TomTom $2,250
Mini-Cute Reproduction $1,500 - Monitor, speakers not included, buttons/joysticks/PSU available for an extra $100, preorder period ends January, price increases to $1,750 after the container ships (includes buttons/joysticks/PSU)
PRas 3 $1,750 - Cab only, no PCB
Vewlix DIA Blue $1,750 x6 PENDING - More later, container is very full
Winning Eleven 2014 $900 x2 - Samurai Blue cabinet

 

[Cereth]

Cabinets For Sale (Future Containers)

These are all cabs that have been pushed back due to space on previous containers, if you want them sooner, you will need to order early

CROSSxBEATS Rev. Sunrise $1,750 x1 - these are getting harder for me to find
Dance Rush $12,000
Densha De GO!! HD $5,500
Hammer Champ $1,250
Initial D Zero $7,500 pair x4 - Almost certainly give priority to anyone buying as a pair due to how they work, please inquire if interested in a single (will only sell singles to 2 people at a time)
jubeat $1,250 x2
Nostalgia $1,500 - pending photos/condition
Pop'n Music HD (Type E) $2,750 - Is in rough condition
Pop'n Music HD (Type F) $3,250
Project DIVA: Future Tone - $1,750 x3 - VERY robust features/network added
Sound Voltex V $2,750
Vewlix DIA Black $3,000 x3
Vewlix DIA Blue $1,750 x10
Vewlix DIA Orange $3,000 x2
Vewlix F $1,250 x3

 

[Cereth]

Kits & Parts For Sale:

NAMCO System 357C $350 Shipped - These are Gundam EXVS or Tekken Tag 2, let me know if you are looking for any particular games
NAMCO System ES3 $400 Shipped - These are Tekken 7 FR, let me know if you are looking for any particular games
TAITO Type X3 $350 Shipped - Arriving in March/April
SEGA RingEdge 2 $300 Shipped - Arriving in March/April

Aime Card $6 up to 9, $5 10-49, $4 50+
eAmuse Card $6 up to 9, $5 10-49, $4 50+ BACKORDER
NESiCA Card $6 up to 9, $5 10-49, $4 50+

B1 Poster Frame*** $42 - Orders closed
B2 Poster Frame*** $42 - Orders closed

TAITO 43cm Stool* $105 - VERY limited stock around May
TAITO 48cm Stool* $105 - VERY limited stock around May
TAITO Bench** $350 - VERY limited stock around May

* These are recommended in batches of 3-5, there's little to no difference in shipping cost ordering fewer. These can be stacked on a cabinet to save shipping cost.
** I only order these at special request. If you are buying a cabinet, it will only cost around $25 to add it to the freight shipment. Otherwise, I will only personally deliver these on my normal delivery routes (see 7th post) or ship FedEx (got the rates lower, but still around $140). In the case of FedEx, be prepared to lose all insurance claims, they have proven themselves tenaciously against accepting ANY fault.
*** Recommend ordering these in quantities of 6-10. Any less is a very large cost per frame, I have no way to lower this cost to you. I will also pack with delivery routes (see 7th post) and on cabs when possible.

 

[Cereth]

Special Requests:
If you have interest in ANY large items, be it parts, cabinets, etc., don't hesitate to ask. However, I have restrictions on Yahoo! Japan auctions and candy cabinets (see below). otherwise, I am happy to give you information on pricing and availability of everything, as well as find what you are looking for. I love to talk, maybe too much. Feel free to reach out! I'm most easily reached on Facebook Messenger (David Rocovits or Game Saru) and Discord (Cereth#0265), or send me a PM here.

About Yahoo! Japan:
I offer the service of bidding/buying on Yahoo! Japan for large items not easily sent through the mail (e.g. arcade cabinets, large parts). I have a limited number of such orders I can do per container, and as such, this service is ONLY offered to close friends/colleagues and regular customers. If you do not know me or have not worked with/spoken with me before, I will deny any request you make. For those who qualify, there will be a premium of $300 or 20% (whichever is higher) on top of all finishing costs, domestic and international shipping. Additionally, auctions will be accepted at my personal discretion for any number of reasons. In rare cases I cannot meet the above policy in extenuating circumstances. Please understand that there are some items I can't help with!

About Candy Cabinets:
Same as above, this is ONLY for close friends/colleagues and regular customers. If you are not one of the above, I WILL IMMEDIATELY BAN YOU FROM ALL FUTURE BUSINESS. DO NOT trifle with me about this. The vast majority of requests are people asking for candy cabs, and 99% of those go unfulfilled. It takes up an excessive amount of time to process, has a pitiful profit margin, and there aren't even enough cabinets to service the MOST basic of needs, much less picky condition requests and high failure rates due to age and CRTs. I can't even meet the demands of my closest colleagues, much less the general public.

 

[Cereth]

Information, Rules, & Policies

About Payments:
I generally accept all payments PayPal Friends & Family. I will accept other forms of payment as an exception if you ask. Large payments are worth looking into Wire Transfer; Zelle/Venmo work as well depending. I will NOT accept payments via PayPal Goods & Services or send a PayPal invoice except in extenuating circumstances, and ONLY if you agree to pay the cost of fees, NON-REFUNDABLE. In case of refund, PayPal keeps the fees out of my account. They have rotten seller protection; I keep a good reputation specifically so that there is no need to pay PayPal for theirs. If you send a payment Goods & Services anyway, you will be asked to pay the remainder, and will NOT be refunded the amount of fees for ANY reason.

About Shipment/Delivery:
All items unless mentioned ship from my warehouse in Reno, NV. I ship via STI, through Michelle Bianchi. It is safe to assume a normal sized cabinet ranging from a Vewlix to a roughly 3' x 3' cabinet will cost around $450-$500, two such cabinets to add around $25-$50, and something larger like a beatmaniaIIDX to cost around $600-$650. My estimates are usually pretty accurate. I will also do semi-frequent delivery trips to SoCal, Bay Area, and VERY infrequently, up to Seattle or out towards Salt Lake/Denver. I will deliver smaller items like poster frames and stools on these trips. This is good if you only want one or two of them, as I won't have the hard restrictions that FedEx does. I will also service the benches on these runs.

About Cancellations/Problems
Depending on circumstances, I can handle order cancellations. Refunds will only be paid when I find a new buyer for the goods cancelled. In case of problems with an order, I will back the purchase to the best of my ability, including but not limited to repairs, replacements, and involvement on insurance claims. Please understand however that there is only so much I can do.

 

[Cereth]

Placeholder for any final notes

 

[Cereth]

Placeholder for any final notes

 

[Cereth]

Just bumping up for now. A container arrived yesterday, I've been pretty under pressure as of late. I got some more cab photos, have been sending them out to people as needed. I'm still here, I'm still operating, just taking care of immediate needs first.

 

[bodine1231]

Just bumping up for now. A container arrived yesterday, I've been pretty under pressure as of late. I got some more cab photos, have been sending them out to people as needed. I'm still here, I'm still operating, just taking care of immediate needs first.

Lol just saw your video. I get a kick out of you climbing all over those cabs haha.

I may be interested in one of the Nostalgias if they aren’t spoken for. How does the online/card saving functionality work?

 

[Cereth]

Lol just saw your video. I get a kick out of you climbing all over those cabs haha.

I may be interested in one of the Nostalgias if they aren’t spoken for. How does the online/card saving functionality work?

I think all taken atm, I haven't been able to update the sales listings here very well since there's always something else taking up my time. I can put you on the list.

There's offline hacks and some private networks that will support the game up to the end of Op. 2. Op. 3 is a mess on the network side, so nobody is really dealing with it.

 

[Cereth]

I added a few things, but most stuff I'm getting offered is going straight to people with reqeusts. Sorry I haven't kept this up, it's been too busy with other parts of the business to do much

 

[Cereth]

Since my investment I've been waiting on for 1-2 months hasn't confirmed coming in, I'm going to presell 4 or so BeatStream. They will be $3,000, complete minus header. They are all in unknown operable status, I'll be shopping them out and piecing together working units when they arrive. There are 18, I don't want to list more than 4 to start out just in case every single one needs extensive work. Hoping to get them on a container end of this month. Anyone interested in BST, whether to buy now or down the line, please get in contact with me so I can put you on the reserve list.

I may also presell DanceManiaX. There are only 7, so at most I'll presell 2. Same as above, I'm taking an interest list, I'm otherwise not selling them until they arrive and have been looked over. They are $2,000 complete/working, can work something out for incomplete cabs to run MAME or Cata's PC build.

 

[Cereth]

Gonna throw this out there for now, I've been busy enough to turn people away for the last two weeks and the workload hasn't gotten any less, if anything it's gotten more. Please understand if I have turnaround times up to 2 weeks on things, including shipping items, customer support, responses with information requested about things. I'm about to receive 7 containers in the next few months, and there's ridiculous amounts of work and planning to be done by just one person. Despite it all, everything is moving exactly to the schedule I laid out. Everyone will still get taken care of. Just please, understand that I am taking care of priorities on an hourly basis, not even a day or week ahead. If you need something, message me, and let me know if it is a priority. I will take care of it if it is, but will probably have to put it off if it is not. I've had 25+ cabs I haven't even bothered listing for over a month because listing cabs hasn't been an immediate priority, if that gives you guys an idea how pressing everything has been.

 

[Cereth]

Update, container that was supposed to arrive next week was pushed back 2 weeks. This is probably a direct result of how backed up shipping lines have been the last few months. From what I've heard, ships are sitting outside port and can't even dock. Please expect these delays on top of delays trying to book transit in the first place. Everything is still within tolerance ranges I estimated from the beginning.

 

[Cereth]

Updated the list to be as current as possible, I've needed to make an update for weeks/months. If something is listed as PENDING, you can still ask about it. Just means that I'm planning on batching it with one of the bigger outgoing shipments, they may not fit and will go back up for sale.

Notable stuff. There is a WACCA available coming in April/May. There are only 5 or so Mini-Cute repro slots left, 1 pink, 4 yellow. One PRas 3 might be available in April. Big stock of RingEdge 2 and Type X3 coming in April. May or later will see 1-2 CHUNITHM, can expect to start seeing more Sound Voltex V. Vewlix DIA Blue/Black/Orange start coming around May or later. Initial D Zero pairs will be available starting May or later. I'll start having some spare ES3 and 357C PCBs, you can run whatever you happen to have or can ask if you need them running anything in particular. There's at least one Dance Rush available. Densha De GO!! HD is available for sale, BeatStreams are coming.

I'm working on fulfilling a LOT of requests; jubeat and reflecbeat are pretty backed up, Theatrhythm demand outstripped supply again, any DDR that isn't a 1st gen cab has about a year waitlist, having severe trouble getting any Pokken, Ongekis are almost fulfilled, cheaper model Vewlixes are in short supply, lot of IIDX cabs but a steady request list keeping up with them. As usual, ask me for ANYTHING, whether it is listed for sale or not. It's actual impossible to list everything available to import, I really more so need to know what people want so I can ask for it.

And really, I'm extremely backed up right now, both in allocating cabs to ship and work at home. Bear with me and if asked to send me reminders when you contact me, please do it or I likely won't get back to you. I've got at least 100 people on my client list right now, I can't remember everything. Expect processing times to be a few days or weeks, including shipping packages. That said, everything IS getting done and everyone IS getting fulfilled as promised. I just need to budget time carefully!