Purchasing 2.5

Hello, I'm Obata, a buyer.

Recently I went to Thailand for about 10 days to buy goods.

This was my first purchase since I started this blog, so I thought I'd write down the log.

I can't write in chronological order enough to call it a soul-buying travelogue, but I hope to convey the essence!



When I first landed at the airport, which had a local feel and was my first time using it, the smells and sense of life that permeated the air (I'm not particularly fond of it, but I got used to it in a matter of seconds) made me realize that I was back in this country.

Naturally, I was excited from the first day, so after checking into the hotel and taking a shower, I headed straight to the market.

So I thought about it right away.

It's expensive lol



It's a double whammy of a weak yen and soaring prices for used clothing.

I'm sure vintage clothing lovers are tired of hearing this story, but the speed at which prices are rising is incredible.

It's obviously more expensive than the last time I came, which is pretty scary...it wasn't that long ago, was it?



In response to these times, vintage clothing has quietly shifted from being "a cheap and fashionable item" to being "old items, so it's only natural that they're expensive."

We understand both sets of values, but all we want is to have loads of fun at a reasonable price.
Is there anything that can be done about this?



It's important to complain like this, but complaining won't get you anywhere on the ground, so we just kept working!

The only saving grace for this trip was that it was the dry season, so unlike last time, I didn't nearly die of heatstroke while shopping in the scorching heat.

However, the PM2.5 alarms were going off all the time, and at those times I was often in situations where I had to use a motorbike taxi, so as expected my throat, exposed to the outside air, took a beating.
In the end, it didn't change the fact that we were subjected to the onslaught of nature.

In addition, because I have a weak stomach, I try to be careful about what I eat and drink when I go shopping, but in the end, I always end up affecting my health because of what I eat and drink.

But I've gotten used to it, and after about three days I build up a tolerance and feel fine, so once I get over it, I can finally start again...lol





Now, when it comes to the crucial purchasing, I actually wanted something different from what I had done up until now.

This is because, having gone on purchasing trips several times, I was able to clearly see areas for improvement and reflection.

The point was to increase purity even further.

I've always been cheap, or rather, I'm not very good at shopping, so I had a habit of buying things even if they weren't that good if they were cheap.

But in the end, those clothes end up unsold, and it's depressing to have them around.

So this time, I placed more importance on deciding what not to buy than on what to buy.



But that's easier said than done, as finding clothes you like is already a difficult task, so if you continue to do things the same way as before, you'll only end up buying less clothes.

So this time, in addition to the places I'd been to before, I decided to visit various unexplored dealers, shops and markets, and this paid off.

I frantically chose what not to buy, negotiated prices while my throat was scraping, and walked around a lot, but my legs were originally as thick as logs.

As a result, we used up all of our budget and achieved 1000% purity.

I was nervous before purchasing, so I was relieved.



PS

A girl I met working at a second-hand clothing store in Thailand during my last shopping trip invited me to a friend's birthday party, and it sounded fun, so I decided to go.

I was the only Japanese person there, and I couldn't speak either English or Thai, so the only means of communication were translation tools and vibes.

He took me to a place like a karaoke bar and sang some famous Thai songs for me lol





It was a fond memory, and I received a vintage dragon sticker as a good luck charm, so I gave him the PaRappa the Rapper pin that I had attached to my cap as a gift in return.











postscript

Hello, I'm the owner, Sakakibara.

Well, what did you think of this blog?

Actually, this is the finished product of me making significant additions and revisions to the text that Obata-kun first presented to me lol

It's a collaborative effort, just like in a store.

However, it's a technique I've never heard of before, and even if it's something that's commonly done, it might be taboo to talk about it publicly lol

Well, I wanted to let you know so that there wouldn't be any misunderstandings and because I think it would be more interesting.

But more than that, it's all about purchasing.

This time it's really great.
I feel like they have finally made the purchase I have been hoping for for so many years.
This has brought us much closer to our ideal of having a wide range of genres while carefully selecting high-quality items.

The quality we are talking about here is completely different from simply referring to quality, nor is it the reputation that is firmly linked to brand value.

It's the unique context and brilliance of the design that can be found in the clothing.
Well, anyone who looks hard enough and with an open mind will understand.

Anyway, Obata-kun did a great job.

Our products are starting to appear in stores one after another, so please come and see them for yourself.

See you later.