Obviously she doesn’t want to tell me so maybe someone can guess or assume what could it be.
– she speaks only Polish and English and lives in Poland
– she flies to Japan with her sister once a month and buys some stuff and takes it back to Europe in her luggage
– sells it on internet and makes enough to rent a big apartment and own two average cars, doesn’t have any other work
– most likely she has no idea about anime/manga or Japanese culture in general and she used to be an unknown model (that’s how we met)
Do you have any idea what could it be? My guesses are either clothes or cosmetics but it’s hard to believe someone is able to bring enough in few suitcases and sell so fast every month with big profit.
25 comments
Yamazaki 55yro
I’ve met a couple people that do very well in the watch trade. Usually buying in Japan and selling in America. This was a few years back but I assume the scene is the same.
Um…..I’m gonna take a wild guess that she’s selling herself and just going back with trinkets and novelty items. Do I win a prize if I’m right?
Chingy albums with Japan bonus tracks
She’s a prostitute.
Kurwa perhaps?
I briefly dated a Thai cabin attendant who flew to Tokyo every Friday, bought Murakami Takashi sunflower accessories and regional or limited Starbucks tumblers to sell online back in Bangkok.
She only stopped when the customs guy in Bangkok started confiscating.
No idea, but a friend living in my 3rd world country is buying second hand cameras and lenses from Japan and selling it here.
some girls from USA comes to japan and sells kimono back in the US and its their only job too
strong zero
You sure she’s selling something in Europe rather than here?
She could be escorting when she comes here.
Might have a suitcase full of used panties to sell while she’s here too.
If she gets gifts from rich clients she might bring those back to Europe to sell too.
You’d be surprised at what people overseas will pay for some of this stuff.
I remember c. 2010 they had these big limited edition Final Fantasy ‘Elixir’ drink sets. They were 3500yen (later discounted to 2000yen) but people were paying $200-300USD for them on eBay (that was a good summer…).
I had one guy in Korea pay $400USD for a set of 20 light sakura Coke bottles (150yen/each)
And I was just a casual. People doing that full time can do quite well (Japan Post kneecapping them, notwithstanding)
>most likely she has no idea about anime/manga or Japanese culture
Be careful not to confuse lack of knowledge about the culture with lack of knowledge about what’s popular. ie maybe she doesn’t know a single Zelda character, but she knows Zelda goods sell well.
“Can u tell me so i can do the same?
How to create rivalry 101.
She makes bank? She could be selling used brand named fashion items. Much of the items at pawn shops, Mercari etc are in good condition and can be resold in other countries for profit.
It’s so cute you’re that naive.
nah bro something is fishy. if she regularly flies from Poland to Japan and back, always arriving in Japan with empty luggage and leaving with full luggage, surely immigration in either country would eventually notice. and if she was found to do it commercially she’d probably be on the hook for a bunch of taxes or fees. also flight tickets right now are so expensive, she’d need to make serious profit on any item she moves. let’s say she fills two suitcases full of any kind of item, she’d either need to be moving around very small and light things like jewelry (which would 100% be caught by immigration right away) or move less suspicious things with some serious profit margins. and even then, she’d actually need to sell these items fast enough to actually make a worthwhile profit fast enough.
most realistic options I’m seeing is some kind of escort service which would make the most sense if she used to be a model.
She is either:
– into sexwork
– illegal gold import
– flipping second hand brand items/watches/electronic
My educated stab in the dark would be baby formula.
I’m from the UK and now live in Japan. I remember around 5-8 years ago I knew of multiple Chinese & Eastern European students buying baby formula in the UK and then selling it in their home countries. The reason for this was because the regulatory standards are much lower for baby formula in their home countries than what the standards are in the UK. It was also difficult to import.
High income families would pay a massive premium for their babies to have higher quality formula.
The game has most likely changed now though. I think there was a law around importing foreign formula in those countries before which is why this gap in the market existed. I don’t think it’s the case anymore, but who knows.
Let us know when you find out OP!
How about anime costumes and makeup goods for Cosplay. There are a couple of shops in Akihabara and I saw on TV many oversea tourists are buying those stuff and spending load of money. These can fit in a couple of suitcases and can sell immediately online.
I speak with people living in Poland (Ukrainian refugees). They tell me a lot Japanese products are hot there – cosmetics, watches, cosplay (?). One of them has a friend who does that. In Warsaw. On a side note, my college roommate would give everyone $50 for our used blue jeans, no matter the condition (late 80s). We thought this guy was an idiot. He would fly to Tokyo, and sell them for $1,000 each pair. Paid for college. And made enough to open a subway sandwich shop after graduation (not the subway chain). 22, 100% paid for school, no loans, paid cash to start a business. He now owns 2 dozen maybe. And we called him the idiot.
Bodily services is my guess. There isnt much you can buy and fit in a suitcase once a month and sell at volume to make decent money like that because if there is something, 1000 other people are doing it.
A quicky once a month ja feasible though
It has to be something that can reliably get past airport security, both for being legal and for not obviously seeming valuable.
The profit margin, considering airfare, has to net about 5-10 grand/month or more or it’s not worth her while.
It can’t be something she could just ask someone to send.
It is something that is reliably available, with a reliable buyer waiting on the other end.
…. Lacking ideas, I’m forced to conclude that she’s some Japanese elite’s once-a-month mistress.
It may not necesarily be a question of the “list price” of some of these items, but rather rarity value and supply. I have a friend in the USA who sometimes asks me to send him highly specific model kits – and he always sends me more than enough to cover the postage and packaging too, and is delighted because he simply can’t get these specific models in the USA.
For some reason Japan seems to have a glut of certain items. I’m not sure why, but I have a Chinese friend who is always shopping like crazy before they go home. They get a long list of luxury items that are in incredibly short supply in China for some reason. Think Louis Vitton handbags. Apparently they’re like gold and used in business transactions as “presents” (bribes) to secure contracts. While the list price is roughly the same in both Japan and China they’re in short supply in China and you need to “know someone” to get them.
I suspect the same thing is going on here. There are probably highly specific goods that are in short supply in Poland, but easily available in Japan, that are in demand in certain circles. You’re unlikely to know what these items are unless you know the country and culture, and unable to be able to sell them on unless you move in the right circles.
Given that this person is an ex-model it may be something fashion-related that she’s selling.
At the end of the day you could just ask her. She might be willing to cut you in, particularly if it is as profitable as it seems. You can assess the legality once you know what you’ll be carrying.
Probably snacks, cosmetics or limited Starbucks items. I’m from Poland and most of this kind of services selling this type of things
I know a guy who did this in Montreal, Canada. It was luxury Japanese street wear. Expensive undercover denim and that kind of stuff.