Don't overpay for PS Vita, PSTV or PSP again!

Welcome back everyone, today I'll show you how to import PS Vitas and PSP's from Japan at a much more reasonable price compared to what you'll find on Amazon or eBay.
Music in video:
New Serena - Yakuza 3
Rose Hip - Yakuza 5
Links for sites I've used in video:
zenmarket.jp (Japanese proxy service)
jp.mercari.com (My preferred Japanese online marketplace)
#playstation #psvita #psp #japan #nostalgia #retrogaming

[@EuroThingy]

Thank you everyone for the support and comments. Seeing as the main topic this video revolves around is the pricing, I want to further clarify some information unclear in the video. • Pricing: The pricing I compared to are products from Amazon Japan & eBay Japan. In markets where there are vastly more Vita's it may not be worth it to use this method for a cheap Vita (as the more common something is, the less valuable it tends to be price wise) unless you want to import a specific color in what would be referred to as "Rank A" (very little scratches overall 8/10 condition) by Japanese sellers on eBay. If you really want a good deal, you need to be patient and take a day or two or a week of browsing. Most of these are private sellers so you can't just browse one person's profile selling multiple quantities of a single item. I've managed to grab an Aqua blue PS Vita for just $55 dollars, but bare in mind other people are also looking for these items for either their personal collection or to be re-sold. So you need to be fast when you find something you like. On the contrary, in regions where the PS Vita and PSP are rare in local market places, this video is aimed to help reduce the cost. I understand potentially a $20 - $30 difference in price may not be worth the effort to import a Vita within a market that has a strong currency, but depending where you are based for some people $20 is a huge difference. • Shipping costs This really depends on which country you are based in. I can't give a general pricing. Yet still, shipping costs fall back onto "pricing." If PS Vita's are uncommon in your country, importing one + proxy + shipping fee would still be cheaper than buying one off eBay/Amazon and definitely cheaper than your local market. A safe estimate for a boxed PS Vita's weight (1000 & 2000 model) would be 500 - 600 grams (1.1 - 1.3 pounds) if you were to inquire about a quote for shipping. • Niche products Items such as the PSP GPS antenna can be found for as cheap as $5, but other items such as a PSTV may be in a similar price range as eBay. If you take your time you can find a white PSTV Value pack (dualshock 3 controller + 8gb memory card) around the $125 to $150 mark. It's similar to prices found on eBay in the U.S market for just a PSTV (after proxy + shipping) except these are boxed and generally in a much better condition. As one comment very well stated, "Your milage may vary". Unfortunately this isn't 100% the solution for everyone as either the pricing isn't what they expected or shipping related issues. But feel free to reach out to me and im more than happy to assist if you are unsure about anything.

[@mattai2354]

I bought 2 fully working US region PSPs for $30 a couple weeks ago :^)

[@EuroThingy]

Yooo congratulations, which platform did you buy it from?

[@mattai2354]

@@EuroThingy Got it from Ebay, both were listed as "for repair/parts" but I talked to the sellers and the issues ended up being extremely minor. Like 1 of them literally just didnt have it's shell screwed in all the way, and the other had a defective charging port but came with the replacement one - i suppose the seller was too lazy to repair it himself

[@EuroThingy]

@@mattai2354 absolute steal

[@PyhisPahis]

@@mattai2354 ​ I won 2 auctions on ebay for a black US region PSP for around 20€ and a Japanese pearl white for 30€. both were listed as for repair/parts, but lo and behold they're also fully working. one even had a 4GB memory stick pro duo! would've probably cost a fortune back in the day

[@jimmymcperson]

Awesome video, I love the New Serena theme in the background

[@PyhisPahis]

I used to buy from Japan before the pandemic but import fees have gone so much up it's little point in buying from there anymore

[@EuroThingy]

Interesting to hear, Vita's are scarce in my country costing nearly as much as their listed launch price for a heap of garbage and importing from the U.S also has shipping prices 35% - 40% the price of the Vita itself. It's even worse for PSP's and basically anything that's 10+ years old in tech.

[@rasenganb41vtx]

Pandemic lol

[@rasenganb41vtx]

Why yall kep saying this 😂😂😂

[@PyhisPahis]

@@EuroThingy Vita's are probably fairly scarce in my country as well, I've seen them on marketplace, in facebook groups and local auction sites every now and then though. You just gotta be patient and check all the channels regularly and if you want to get a good deal you can always try to haggle with the seller. The average businessman expect buyers to do it so they set an asking price accordingly. If they're asking 200, try 100. if they're asking 100, try 50 and go from there. If it has some notable defects, mention it and see what they say.. You can get things cheap if you know how to play your cards. PSP's also don't pop up that often in my country. I recently managed to get a CIB PSP Street for just 30€ though. Some people just want to get rid of their old stuff and not try to become rich from it

[@PyhisPahis]

@@rasenganb41vtx what about the pandemic? are you in denial or something?

[@lawful_laughter]

Do a video on which games are in English for Sony. Non Ps5 and 4. Do a separate video for that. Interesting stuff. Pricing and best sites too. 🎸

[@Zero-Saber]

Thank you for this. It's a really useful information since I wanted to get a handheld for myself.

[@WeanaBala]

i admire your work ethic and your dedication to your channel! ️

[@EuroThingy]

Much appreciated :)

[@MacyP]

Got my vita for my older brother for $180 but it was in great condition with all accessories and lots more. Got the vita TV for about $140 with an SD card which wasn’t great nor bad but it’s opened so much potential and I play it more then my PS5 sometimes

[@kidrobot.]

i don't think the vita came with accessories other than the charger

[@magorzatamaniak3454]

@@kidrobot. I think it had ar cards

[@kidrobot.]

@@magorzatamaniak3454 i think that was the 3ds

[@MacyP]

@@kidrobot. it was the DS indeed but I got the travel case as well and wall charger, my bad I didn’t see your reply

[@kidrobot.]

@@MacyP no problem, thank you!

[@kahchiatsaw5874]

I love your title. They are ridiculously pricey these days.

[@onlyVetements]

i love you dude

[@roninstormYT]

thank god i keep my ps vita i did not get rid of it i emulate my psp games on it i pre order my vita 1000 phat model in 2013 i glad i got ir day 1 it has not crashed or caused problems

[@juancrack97]

I've heard about mercari and is the cheapest place to buy 2nd hand japanese import games, the problem is that in my country, the postal service is bad and sadly not very reliable :(, so I only have Amazon Japan left since the shipments are made there by DHL or Fedex but of course, it raises the price and apart from that there aren't many offers available and some sellers don't accept international shipping ;_;.

[@EuroThingy]

Most proxy services support DHL, FedEX & UPS. You are absolutely right they cost way more, but you might be able to make up some of the costs buying from Mercari if you're not urgently looking for the games right now.

[@rommelflores2618]

During my trip to Tokyo last April cherry blossoms season went to a walk in Akihabara and purchased a preowned Ps Vita 1000.

[@EuroThingy]

Akihabara is on my list to visit in the future! What color was the psp you got?

[@rommelflores2618]

@@EuroThingy Black Ps Vita 1000. I got a PSp decade ago two of them one is silver and another piano black. Still working fine. Akihabara is magical, would love to go back there in the future.

[@andreigtx1711]

Not necessarily related to the PSP, but I just ordered myself a DS Lite complete in box for very cheap, through a Japan proxy like in this video. The used console market in my country is kinda shit and full of scammers, so I hope this works 😁

[@EuroThingy]

This is totally related! Some of the benefits when it comes to buying these old tech from Japan is how well they're taken care of compared to most other markets. Congratulations on your new DS Lite :)

[@vivienlynn2585]

I don't really see the financial benefit tbh. A Red Vita 2000 is 190 € when bought on local ebay. In Japan 120 €. + 3 € Proxy handling + 3 € Shipping to Proxy + 20 € Shipping to my country + 6 € Customs handling + ~18% import (=~22 €) == 174 € I wouldn't be surprised if they also add conversion fees, since we probably need to pay in Yen. (+ 5 € ?) I am all in for saving some money, even if it is just 10 €, but this seem not worth the effort. Especially since with such a tight calculation it can easily happen that the Japanese Vita ends up costing more..

[@EuroThingy]

@vivienlynn2585 I've noticed 4 things 1: Shipping to proxy, is your proxy charging you, or have you chosen a seller that wouldn't cover shipping? 2: customs handling, once again, is this your proxy charging you, or is it customs themselves?. 3: You can use wise to convert Euros to yen and may have a better rate than your banks conversion. 4: import tax, yeah, understandably, nothing we can do about this one.

[@malant2719]

Ive got 3 of them. 1 for my official account another was bought already modded and the last one was for me to tinker with but then i got a steamdeck and lost interest in all 3 of them 😅

[@z00kz]

awesome editing on this video, love the new serena theme as i love yakuza myself, im on yakuza 6 right now

[@EuroThingy]

Me too! I just started playing 6 a few days ago.

[@z00kz]

@@EuroThingy nice!

[@Zippy_Zolton]

I'm close to beating Kiwami but it's the only title I have on Steam (I bought the entire 0-6 bundle during a sale but it was on a friend's gift card that got a stupid chargeback so I have to wait to play those) so I'm going to play the two PS2 titles to fill my Yakuza fix until they come on sale again

[@z00kz]

@Zippy_Zolton im already on yakuza LAD😭, i finished yakuza 6 in like 2 or 1 day, it was so short but had a really satisfying finale fight

[@Zippy_Zolton]

@@z00kz Have you played the PS2 games or just the Kiwami remakes?

[@DarshanB30]

I brought my PS Vita last year for £100 and I love it

[@X862go]

100% they are actually better than say an anbernic device.

[@iTheBeep]

In terms of build quality & novelty? Yeah for sure. But in terms of performance, no. I bought my 405M because my Vita was just not up to the task for some of the emulation I wanted to do. It can't even run Yoshi's Island at full speed. I'd MUCH rather use Duckstation with physical L2/R2 over using the PS1 emulator in Adrenaline, with awkward back touch controls.

[@chaoschalice]

​@@iTheBeepyou can set those back touch screen controls tho, i usually set mine on the front screen but most ps1 don't even use L2 & R2 buttons so unless the 405M can play PS2 ganes i stick with the vita

[@4kumetsu]

I love you bro

[@Im_to_james]

Thank you.

[@ThatIceChampion]

I got a phat PSP with 2 memory cards (32 MB and 2GB), 3 Games (Ratchet & Clank, Little Big Planet and SSX On Tour) a Mini USB cable and the original charger and battery for 90 bucks locally

[@dorayaki5494]

My vita costed me 140€ Then again it was also in mint condition with box and used once or twice. No scratches, stains and it's the 3G OLED model. Thinking to open it up and replace the SIM card reader for an SD reader. Slap a 1TB sandisk and have the game card reader slot free.

[@Rob0_t]

Thank you for the video, man. I never knew this was an option... I've been looking to buy myself a ps vita for some time but I could never find any good deals before, they're all overpriced... So I'll see if this option works for me.

[@EuroThingy]

@Rob0_t Reach out to the proxy of your choice for a shipping quote. A boxed PS Vita is roughly 500-700 grams, and their shipping calculator estimated it would be $40 USD via DHL, when in reality, it ended up being $20 USD.

[@Rob0_t]

@@EuroThingy thanks for the tips. The shipping for my country really is the only thing worrying me since I already confirmed I can find Vitas of the model I want in pretty good condition in the jap marketplace for cheaper prices than ebay. Hopefully it will work out.

[@mjstwocents4568]

I got mine for a very reasonable price fortunately

[@spandi23]

Right now I'm just trying to get the ff7 edition psp, trying to be patient and get it at a good price

[@lxcas5401]

i bought a really good condtion complete in box ps vita 1001 with a oem sony 64gb sd card, 2 really good games and a carrying case for $200

[@zackfair872]

i have the same psp in thumbnail!

[@jackipiegg]

4:40 are these prices include shipping to your doorstep?

[@EuroThingy]

Short answer: Nope, it depends on which country you're in, but roughly add $15 - $20 USD on top if we consider shipping. Detailed answer + my experience: Personally, I'd order some extra stuff, whether it's another console or a couple of games to make up for it. I'm nowhere near Japan, and my estimated shipping via DHL was $40, but the final actual price came down to $20. This includes a boxed PSTV, boxed PS Vita, brand new PSP-1000, boxed PSP-2000, and several games and accessories. ( The reason for so many is related to future videos that are in the making.) Your milage may vary depending on what you choose, and from experience, I'd say definitely take your time and don't jump on the first deal you see. DHL was the most reasonable for me, but once again, it depends on the country you're in as maybe FedEX or UPS may have a better pricing for you. IF you are considering to import a PS Vita, and you want to get a quote or an estimate for shipping the weight of a boxed PS Vita is roughly 800g (with everything in the box including charger and paperwork.)

[@jackipiegg]

@@EuroThingy Wouldn't that make the prices comparable with ebay then.

[@EuroThingy]

@jackipiegg It really depends on what you choose, especially if you want a cleaner model in really good condition, then it'll cost similar to a mediocre model on eBay. I picked up a rough aqua blue Vita for $55, so you need to take your time.

[@shrippie-4214]

If you plan on just modding it and just downloading every game just get a Android emulation device, and you'll probably get GameCube and PS2 as a bonus plus easy storage

[@carth85]

I have a huge vita collection I need to sell off. Hard times man. I have no ebay selling experience so I have been putting it off.

[@EuroThingy]

@carth85 aw man :( , well at the least it's important to know the value of what you have. Give this site a try before listing your games so that you don't under-sell anything. www.pricecharting.com/

[@D0M-ds2db]

Chill

[@4kumetsu]

whats the general price for shipping to the uk?

[@EuroThingy]

@4kumetsu A boxed PS Vita weighs roughly 1.8 pounds (816 grams). Depending on which shipping/courier you choose, it'll be ROUGHLY: £13 - £20 (depends on which box size they give you) via AVIA (Japan Air Mail) and about 2½ weeks to deliver. (If it's a Vita with no box, AVIA would roughly be £13.) Roughly £21 via EMS or Fedex (about 1 week for both) Roughly £28 via UPS (about 1 week). I've forgotten to mention some proxies can store your product for a generous amount of time (sometimes up to several months for no additional charge). So you can always buy a bunch of things to ship it all at once and save having to pay for shipping again.

[@4kumetsu]

@@EuroThingy Thanks bro, I really appreciate it. Subbed.

[@japangamejunk]

Even those prices are way too high compared to what you can get in stores here. 20 years ago I used to by stuff to resale abroad but at close to cost just as a way to transfer money between international bank accounts for fun. These days many people just put up stuff online even without having items, knowing there are multiple stores a short drive away and all of them would have the item far less than the listed price. Someone wins the auction and only then they invest the money to get the item to send abroad. I advise anyone to honestly take time to come to Japan for a few days, get a rental car, and go to the warehouse-style used shops in the suburbs and rural areas. The amount you save if you stock up on everything you could want would easily pay for the flight and hotel and rental. And hopefully the people who take my advice are good enough not to strip away the stock to resell and giving others the chance to buy fairly...

[@EuroThingy]

How low would the cost of a PSP-1000 go? Especially the ones labeled as "junk" but they functional fully, just cosmetic damage.

[@japangamejunk]

@@EuroThingy I remember seeing one about a year ago that was 500 yen with a scuff mark on the side and with the analog nub and battery door missing (which of course can be easily replaced). If I recall correctly this was at the Hard Off store in Kamisu city of Ibaraki prefecture, and it wasn't there the last time I visited a couple of months ago. Often you can find them between 1000-2000 yen with the UMD door sticking shut and needing to be pried open, etc. My 1000 model is the same I bought new in December 2004 as first in line at the store and I've taken care of it over 20 years. My 2000 model was 4000 yen in good condition about 10 years ago I think, and my 3000 model was complete in box and beautiful at 5000 yen, bought 6 years ago, because it is the North American version and this "junk" as it couldn't play domestic UMD movies and the X and O functions were reversed. Typically PSP systems loose but in good condition go for between 4000 and 7000 yen if you aren't looking for something super cheap.

[@EuroThingy]

@japangamejunk much obliged your detailed reply.

[@kidrobot.]

that would be too much to buy then you'd have to ship it all back and pay for customs

[@japangamejunk]

@@kidrobot. oh did not think of that maybe you could hide it all in a sock in the suitcase 🤣

[@kryotec2193]

got myself a ps vita 2 years ago for around 80$ on Ebay from a japanese seller

[@bobateaboy04]

vitas arent really that expensive oddly enough compared to the 3ds

[@EuroThingy]

@bobateaboy04 it's even funnier that the Nintendo Switch costs less than the Vita (2nd hand lite) and, to some degree, can also emulate Vita games.

[@AkaiAmeUltsch]

That’s because the 3DS was more popular, even though the PSVita was far better.

[@dongrubb2723]

So you talk about Language options but for the vita and psp they are region free meaning you can buy psp and vita games anywhere and they will work just fine. On i want to play mgs but don't understand the lack... buy the us edition then yes it may be cheaper in Japan but if you do understand the story just bit the bullet.

[@kidrobot.]

yes they are region free. but rarely will a game have multiple language options

[@Katastrophe03]

This is useful even for New Nintendo 3DS XL?

[@EuroThingy]

Absolutely! Although I covered Playstation handhelds in this video, really you can import anything that is allowed. So yeah you can get the New 3DS XL or even fishing equipments, light bulbs and so on.

[@Katastrophe03]

@@EuroThingy thank you for your fast answer

[@slyde3575]

i wish i knew this years ago before i paid 150$ for a PSTV 😭

[@EuroThingy]

@slyde3575 Don't feel that bad, PSTV's have gone up everywhere at this point. The only way you'd be saving money is if you aimed at buying the value pack which came with a controller and 8gb memory because they can be found for around $140 (including shipping) where as just the PSTV is around $120 after shipping (both from the Japanese market.)

[@HungNguyen-to7dg]

What is the game he is showing at 0:30

[@EuroThingy]

Yakuza 5

[@gcm4156]

haha this is how a got a beautiful Japanese wii u for like 25 dollars, gamepad and everything!

[@yournightmare9999]

Still have almost 300 physical psvita games

[@EuroThingy]

@yournightmare9999 woaaah how long did it take to get that many?

[@yournightmare9999]

@@EuroThingy 2-3 years when everyone hypnotized by new switch, at that time price for vita games was great

[@8bitnation419]

I over paid for both the Vita and the PSP. But they were both boxed special editions and were well worth the extra cost. Will use Mecari next time.

[@kidrobot.]

what versions were they?

[@8bitnation419]

@@kidrobot. Red Vita, Red PSP with Black Buttons both OEM.

[@user-ep5sd9br3s]

I have 3, one modded, one I'll keep unmodified and the other I was changing the shell but burned something with screen. I don't know how to solder to fix so I'll give away for free to anyone who knows how to fix.

[@Alpha_Anthony]

I know how to solder

[@leobgoo6350]

👍

[@mikeyoutube3665]

What’s the game on 01:26

[@EuroThingy]

Yakuza 5

[@soulsleak]

luckily my freind just had a vita laying around so when i asked how much he just gave it for free

[@EuroThingy]

@soulsleak Great friend you got!, which model is it?

[@soulsleak]

@@EuroThingy 2000 model but I won’t complain over something free haven’t got any games though most are really expensiive

[@EuroThingy]

I'm working on a list of games you can import from Japan that also have the option to be played in English. (Not Japanese games, but games released in the Japanese market). Will discuss it in the upcoming video as it's a topic too short to have a video on itself.

[@Peace.and.knowledge1]

​@@EuroThingythat's awesome

[@owokill]

i win psp 1000

[@harleyofallthings]

I think it is important to keep in mind that ymmv. In my case I get a $30 discount on the ps vita ignoring shipping. With shipping it ends up being more expensive than buying one on ebay. Personally I think it is probably better to buy it on ebay for most people, unless you are specifically importing from japan because of some specific console type.

[@basti.9022]

Do not pay 200 bucks to these scalpers.

[@Wierie_]

You don’t need this. Once the nostalgia wears off you have old games on a tiny screen that are pretty boring if you ask me.

[@TerminatorAyan]

Underrated comment

[@Peace.and.knowledge1]

True for some . Others though , could be a good time for awhile 🤓

[@De-Latte]

I beg to differ. This is a subjective matter. People who prefer original hardware get to experience it as a whole (includings all the cons that comes with aging hardware). And the people who don't like the idea of getting this don't really miss out anything at all thanks to emulation. Either way, there is no right or wrong way.

[@miguelhxrnandez]

you don't need anything. matter of fact, you don't need to be alive either. Go to the nearest bridge and jump off it. Once the nostalgia goggles wear off on life, you have an aging piece of meat that deteriates daily. Pretty boring if you ask me.

[@nathanglynn7443]

I play my psp religiously, every day, I own a ps5, a switch, a Xbox x and a pc. Some people like older games and as someone who grew up with the ps1 I love what the psp offers. The original hardware isn’t for everyone, but I use mine for games and car photography all the time. The problem is, everyone is going to have an opinion and feel like their opinion is right and the reality is options are subjective so while you’ll find some people agree with you, there will also be thousands who don’t.