Selling or Donating Your Things

Donating –

Oe Kindergarten

Please clean and box the items and include a 1000 yen donation to help cover the shipping costs Oe Kindergarten will incur in sending the items out.

Address: 2-49 Kuhonji 2chome, Kumamoto city.

TEL: 096-364-4474.

YWCA Ryugakusei Recycling Center

Address: 27 Kurokami 2chome, Kumamoto city. TEL: 096-346-3419.

Recycle Shops

There are many recycle shops around the prefecture that accept used items.  Look in the Townpages under “ri”, or search for “recycle shops in Kumamoto” on the Japanese Yahoo! and you will find quite a few options.  Some shops do pick up as well as free estimates for the goods you are selling. 

Other Charities

Contact the international community in Kumamoto through the Kumamoto-i Yahoo! List or the Kumamoto JET Google Group to ask about other local charities that accept donations.

Selling to your Successor –

The sale/transfer of things from predecessor to successor is an important part of the initial JET experience.  It’s a process that helps both the buyer and seller.  Occasionally, JETs have unfortunate experiences making deals with their predecessors or successors.  This adds a tremendous amount of stress and breaks down essential trust within the JET Community.  Even if you think you got a bad deal from your predecessor, don’t do the same thing to your successor!  Be honest and reasonable in your dealings and your item descriptions.  Annette Watkins, a former ALT in Okinawa Prefecture, wrote up an excellent set of guidelines for selling stuff.  We’re borrowing it from her, with a few alterations to fit Kumamoto:

1. Always deal in Japanese currency.  Your successor and you both reside in Japan and most goods in question were bought in Japan.  Therefore it is justifiable and easier to deal in Japanese currency. (If you must receive money from your successor in a foreign currency, agree on the price in Japanese yen. Then convert it to an agreed upon currency using the official exchange rate.)

2. Make a precise list of all items.  Include an individual price for each item and avoid simply quoting a price for “the whole lot.”  Your successor has the right to decide which items they do or do not want to buy or receive from you, just as you have a right to choose which items you do or do not want to sell or leave to them.  Do not exaggerate the age or condition of items.  Send color photos of what your apartment, car and goods look like.  Eventually the person will see the goods and realize the true age and condition.

2. Be realistic about prices. Find the receipts for large items such as a car, telephone, or major appliances.  Have these available to aid in negotiations.  Be careful, honest, and thorough about the original price and the depreciated value.  Your goods are all used products, so please devalue them accordingly.  Ask yourself the following questions:

 - How often did I use the goods?

 - How well were they maintained?

 - Will they be useful?

 - How much did I pay for them?

 - How old are they?

If you are unsure of the value of the goods, have an evaluation by a second-hand dealer or ask the opinion of a local.  Use this as a basis for your asking price.  Remember, appliances and household goods are comparatively cheap from department stores.  Think about how much anyone currently living IN Japan would pay for your goods – including your car!

4. If possible, wait to make the final agreement until you meet your successor in person. Send the list, pictures and asking prices ahead of time and don’t let the negotiations stretch out for a long period of time.  Finalizing the deal at a single face-to-face meeting will eliminate many potential problems.

5. Clean out your apartment. Ask your successor if there are any household items (hand soap, spices, toilet paper, laundry detergent) that they would like you to leave, but as a general rule DO NOT leave any personal items (clothing, cosmetics, toiletries) in the house. These are unnecessary and often useless items for your successor.  Do not leave pets or houseplants unless your successor agrees to take them.  It may be a pain for you to get rid of these things, but it will be even more of a challenge for someone new to Japan.

Remember you are part of a community and it is your responsibility not to unfairly profit off your successor.  Be loyal to the community.  Try to recall how you felt when first arriving in Kumamoto and remember how overwhelming it was.  Try to be accommodating to the needs of your successor.  Please treat your successor like you would like to be treated!