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Mmmm, fukubukuro. One of my favorite things about New Years in Japan. The idea behind fukubukuro is simple yet enticing. Stores put stuff in bags, put a price on it, and don’t tell you what’s in there. All you know is that you’re getting an awesome deal even though you may not get quite what you want. Sometimes you get more than you bargained for, sometimes you don’t. That’s why fukubukuro is fun.
I know it isn’t New Years right now, but as you know I’m moving in order to make Tofugu my full time job. I’ve also decided to simplify my life. I don’t want all this stuff anymore. I was going to sell it on Craigslist, but thought of something a little more exciting (in my mind, anyways). That’s why I’ll be selling Tofukubukuro, while supplies last, which are small (or large) boxes of my stuff. You don’t know what you’re going to get (click through to get more information on what you’ll probably get), everything’s the same price, and it’s a fun little gamble. Plus, the money is going someplace pretty good, I think, and you could get some neat things out of it.
I have 4 large boxes and 15 small boxes. Let me break it down for you:
Small Box ($25): These boxes are pretty small. In general, they’ll have a DVD or Japanese manga, often times both. Almost every box also includes a Japanese keychain, and a thank you card for your purchase. There are also a good number with other random “extras” included, but I’ll let that part be a surprise. There are only 15 of these available, so be quick! [BUY A SMALL BOX]
Large Box ($100): There are a lot of things that are too big for a small box. Those things go in a big box. Big boxes have manga, DVDs, t-shirts, books, Japanese art books, neat Japanese nick-nacks, multiple Japanese key chains, possibly a (good) PS3 or PS2 game, and who knows what else. I like these ones because they’re bigger and can fit bigger things! If you want awesome, big box is the way to go. Definitely more than 4x the value of the small box. There are only four of these available! [SOLD OUT]
I may have more put together over the next week, but it won’t be that many more, so if you want one, you’ll have to get one quickly.
Q&A
Q. Will you ship internationally?
Yep, but it costs more.
Q. What will I get in my Tofukubukuro?
Who knows!? You can get a general idea by looking at the “large box / small box” section, above.
Q. How long will it take to get to me?
That depends on where you live. I am also moving at the moment, so there will be times where I’m spending the day driving. I will send your package out as soon as possible, though, usually within a few days.
Q. What will you use the money for?
Moving costs, for one. It’s expensive. Anything extra will probably be spent on a new video camera. It’s about time Tofugu made more videos and made them a bit better. It’s about time to make the HD upgrade, I think. Basically, it will all go back towards Tofugu / TextFugu in one way or another.
Q. What’s the value of the items in each box?
The small boxes obviously have less stuff (and are cheaper), and the big boxes have more. Bigger boxes tend to have more valuable items, too, but don’t shortchange the small ones! I definitely made an effort to put a good amount of value in each box, though because the contents are a surprise, it’s hard to know what you’ll get!
Q. What If I don’t like the stuff I get?
Sorry, can’t help you, but I hope you do like it!
Q. Are there any items not safe for kids?
Maybe. There are some rated R movies, though I think that’s the extent of it. If you’re a parent looking to get this for your kid, just be warned that I have no idea what box I’m going to send you, because everything’s already packaged up and ready to go. Sorry! Nothing you can get from here gets worse than a rated R movie, though. I won’t be sending anyone my ear, or anything.
Q. How much is shipping and handling?
For domestic U.S. buyers, it is $5 for a small one and $20 for a big one. International is $15 for a small one and $55 for a big one. Sorry, international!
Q. Is the stuff new? Used?
A little bit of both, actually. Every box has at least one new thing, that’s never been used. The point, however, is to sell my old stuff that I don’t want anymore, so there’s going to be some used stuff. I do try to take really good care of everything, though, and all the not-so-great used stuff is already at Goodwill. The Tofukubukuro only contains the cream of the (used) crop.
Q. How long will you be selling these for?
I don’t have that many, so it’s first come first serve. Once these are all gone, that’s (probably) it, for now. I have to move soon, so I want to get this done as quickly as possible too (I’m selling this stuff so I don’t have to take it with me, after all!).
Q. What size is the clothes?
Mostly all medium, though the funny purple sweater on the right is a girls small, I think.
Q. Why in the world would I want to buy a Tofukubukuro??!
Probably for the thrill of getting something random and fun, I imagine. That’s why I’d do it, anyways. You never know what you’ll end up getting!
Buy A Tofukubukuro Now!
Small Box ($25) – - – - – Large Box (SOLD OUT)
Thank you all for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy this more than I enjoy packing and sending things! I’m looking forward to getting this whole moving thing done and setting up a sexy Tofugu/TextFugu office for myself! Perhaps a fish tank with Fugu is in order (I’m guessing there’s something illegal about that, though?).