eddyjackson

I brought this up in another thread, but I think would get a better response in its own.

I will be moving to Japan around September of this year for school. Minimum amount of time I can see myself staying there is 4 years, but I imagine 6-10+ years is also feasible. Needless to say, I can't survive without my dvd collection for 10 months, let alone 10 years. My collection is currently at around 350 dvds, and will probably be at 400 or so by the time I leave. They are mostly keep cases, though a quite a few box sets and special edition dvds too. Nothing too large or awkward (save for a couple of korean movies in enourmous boxes). Here is a shot to get a feel of its size.Here is a shot to get a feel of its size.

Now how the hell am I going to get these to Japan? I don't plan on taking them when I go. Instead I was thinking of having my parents mail them after I've settled. I was thinking 3 or 4 medium/large boxes, shipped surface mail, but I've never sent anything this big overseas.

Do people have any ideas? Know of any better options? I prefer cost over speed. I don't mind if it takes 3 months, if it's only $100 or so.

Any help would be much appreciated.

DVD Josh

As I mentioned before, you should just settle for having the discs themselves in a binder (or several). Ask yourself how much you really *need* the boxes. If you have internet access, you'll have instant access to information like special features and specs. I just think you are being wasteful with money and space. You will encounter another problem with you pick up ANOTHER 400 DVDs while in Japan!!

But that's just me. I'm currently living in a similar situation and am relieved to not have that many boxes surrounding me.

eddyjackson

thats probably what it will come down to in the end anyways. Do you have any good recomendations for dvd binders?

(and still very open to shipping suggestions. I'm going to keep hope alive until the bitter bitter end)

cultshock

Sea mail would be your best bet. It would probably take at least a month for delivery. I've had packages sent from Japan to Canada using that method, and its always taken almost exactly a month. Depending on the size of the box and weight, the cost could be around $40-60 per box (I'm estimating here, I never sent a box full of DVDs, and I ship from Japan to North America. The opposite way could be cheaper). Sea mail is definitely the cheapest way to go, but you will also want to check to see if you can get the parcel insured.

You might also want to make sure to bring along a R1 player. Region free players aren't that common in Japan (same as North America, they can be found but are not sold everywhere). Good luck with your move, Japan is an awesome place to live.

DVD Josh

Maybe I can blow you away with some prices.

I would not be surprised it your collection, even in empty boxes, cost $500-$600 to ship over. It cost me $110 to ship a guitar over from Japan to the US, and I'm told that was a fair price.

As for binders, I like the CD Projects binders. They are very nice cost wise and have some patented material that does not damage my discs. It would be a waste to buy a DVD specific binder, it's more money and holds less.

DonnachaOne

When I brought home a ton of CDs from Ireland, I didn't bother with the cases - I just brought the CDs in a binder, aong with the liners.

FuzzyBallz

Ok, seriously, just buy a few Case Logic CDW-128 CD binders. There are alternative brands, but Case Logic quality's just better. The next size is 264, but it's too big.

Wannabe

d00d - how much space do you think you'll have? Aren't Japanese residences cramped? One word: Binders.

danwiz

Well, if you're planning to be here for 3 - 10 years, then I imagine that you'll actually be shipping quite a bit of stuff over here. How about your bicycle, skis, pots & pans, blankets (winters ARE COLD), the R-1 DVD player, external speakers, etectric fan (much cheaper in the USA), etc., etc., etc. So, just go to your shipping company and ship everything via Nippon Express or whatever you have locally which ships to Japan. It will take 2 - 3 months by slow boat, but you get charged by the cubic meter rather than by weight. I shipped 27 boxes ranging in size from small boxes to my bicycle in a box (including about 125 DVDs). Cost me $500 on the US side (NYC) and another $500 here to get it through customs and have it delivered to my house.

Those things you think would be nice to have here then become possible to have without paying an arm and a leg for boxes and the US Postal Service!!! Don't shortchange yourself if you truly think you'll be here for 3 - 10 years, it's not worth it! What the heck, bring everything you own except the furniture!

new2theplace

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SlangNRocks

Just put your dvds onto spools of 50. Then you can pack them into your carry on. After you get to japan you can buy cd/dvd binders, amarays or whatever else you want to store them in.

eddyjackson

I was thinking about that too, not that I really have all that much to bring. I have been living the poor college student life, besides of course the extravagant dvds (thank you scholarships ) for 4 years. I dont plan on bringing any dishes, pots or pans, as what I have isn't worth the drive from berkeley to san francisco. The only thing I'm really leaving behind is a bunch of crappy Ikea furniture, 4 guitars 2 amps , my TV, dvd players, most non-japanese books, old stereo, computer, and my matress which sits on the boxspring on the floor. I was planning on buying pretty much everything save for clothes. A bike, skiis eventually, a guitar or 2, and a half decent little amp. Clothes I was thinking of bringing over in batches. (Most of my winter clothes on the initial trip, rest of winter and some summer when I come back home for winter break, maybe the rest of the summer clothes when I go back home next summer.) But I dont think this will work for the dvds. (I can't afford to fly home THAT much). I've moved every year for the past 5 years, so I'm pretty good about getting rid of stuff and starting anew with new cheap stuff.

I guess it will have to come down to binders or spools, at least for now. Then later have all the boxes that aren't standard keepcases (which I can pick up in japan for cheap anyways) shipped surface mail. Thanks for all the help guys!

DVD Josh

Eddy, now I'm jealous

As a fellow guitarist, let me be the first to reccommend you two guitars that are easy to come by in Japan, but not here.

Fender Japan is on par with US guitars (at a reduced price). They have so many special and reissue models that it may take you 3 years to get to everything.

Orville is like Epiphone, but their quality is on par with US Gibsons. I would love to have an Orville to take to more sketchy gigs instead of my LPS.

Japan also has wacked out effects that you'd NEVER see in the US. And if you find an Ibanez Super Tube Screamer, ST-9, I would be indebted to you forever if you picked it up for me

jough

Shipping the discs in the cases would be ridiculously expensive.

Here's what I would do: pack the discs as tightly as possible (on a spool, even) and remove the covers and inserts and flatten them out to ship separately.

Then buy new keepcases when you get to Japan. It's cheaper to buy new cases than it is to ship the cases you own to the U.S.

The only problem you'll have is with snappers and digipacks (another reason to hate them). Those you'll either have to do without (the cases, I mean) or just bite the bullet and ship them if you're planning on taking them with you.

Five to ten years is a LONG time to be away - it's not like you're just travelling - you're MOVING to Japan. Who knows how long you'll live there - you could get married while you're there and never move back to the U.S. again.

So plan on taking the essentials with you at first, and then you could have someone ship more out to you little by little over the next months/years.

eddyjackson

I'm ALL ready to pounce on the cheap japanese fenders and if I ever get my hands on a ST-9 that bastard is mine.

DVD Josh

They aren't cheap, but they are very good for the money. Halfway between a MIM and MIA, but almost the quality of MIA.

So look for TWO ST-9s

jough

The Japanese guitars are pretty decent - much better than the Mexican Strats, although I do own one of the budget priced Mexican Stratocasters and have found it to be much better than the reviews at the time stated.

Crazy Aoshi

I too am planning on moving to Japan and I have a lot of DVDs to bring. I was thinking of using the binder or the sleeve method. I cut my collection down by like 30%, so I can probably fit everything in 3 binders, with room for expansion. I'll take a look at these "CD projects" brand things.

I was thinking about buying a new bass before I decided I would move (to get a job in Japan). I sold my old one so I don't have to ship it over, and I was thinking of getting a Yamaha after I arrive and save up for a bit. But first is that dell 20" panel.

eddyjackson

Were you planning to have the cases and what not shipped over after you'd settled? I have been looking around for shipping services like Tokyo Express, Japan Luggage Express, and others. The only thing I've heard about any of them are those god awful tokyo express commercials they played on the local japanese channels in sf. Anyone have any experience with any of them?

Most seem pretty pricey if I just want to send over my dvds as I guess they go under the assumption that one would have more to bring to japan than just a bunch of dvds.... Maybe I *will* throw my guitars and a few books into the fray.

And definatly look into picking up a bass guitar in japan. I actually learned bass guitar while in japan for a year during high school. I would always cruise the guitar shops with my friend who was the guitar player, and he suggested I pick up a bass. I just picked one out a cheap one at random and asked him if it was any good. I sold it before I went back to the US for $200, which was pretty much what I paid for it. I wish I knew at the time I had a Standard Fender J-bass for under 200. While it's no Rickenbacker 4003, I haven't found a deal like that on a bass since, outside of Japan. But everytime I go back I have to restrain myself from picking up 3 or 4 guitars because there's no way I'd be able to get them home. In a decade or so maybe I'll post again asking if anyone has any recomendations on transporting 350 guitars from Japan to the US.

Crazy Aoshi

I plan on shipping the disc sleeves and any digipacks etc. to my parents via media mail cause it doesn't matter when it arrives. The cases themselves I am going to either give away or sell. Too much mass and volume for too little value for me to consider shipping.

DVD Josh

I wish I had kept my MIJ 50th strat. Traded up for a MIA that I don't even have anymore. Ah, the follies of youth...

DVD Josh

I agree with Jough on this

eddyjackson

I'll probably end up doing just that. (though perhaps not pack the spindles THAT tight, have had some bad scratches from spindles).

Most HK movie slipcases I could easily do without. Some korean and japanese slipcases are a bit nicer and harder to leave behind but no real big loss. But some of those korean slip cases like these overpriced bastards I couldn't bear to part with. I'll probably end up just bringing over things like LOTR EEs, Memories of Murder style boxes, and the two tin boxes along in my luggage or have it shipped out later and forget about all those crappy slipcases anyways.

jough

Here's another tip I thought of - those things you feel that you can part with now - as long as you can keep them somewhere, like your parents' house or something - you should box them up NOW and put a label on the box so that if you decide a few months from now that you actually want them it's a simple matter for someone to ship them to you.

I'd recommend you do that with anything you're leaving behind - books, CDs, etc.