Greetings from Japan. (1 Viewer)

[hangarqueen]

Hi everyone,

I’m a board gamer from Japan, and I’ve finally decided to stop lurking and say hello. My journey into the world of chips started with a stroke of incredible luck a few years ago.

I bought a bulk lot of "junk" chips for my board games, and to my shock, I unearthed over 500 Paulson Starbursts. But the surprise didn't stop there—I also found about 100 Matsui-branded chips with the MG mold.

Of course, since I found them in a junk pile, their condition was... well, let’s just say they’ve lived a very long and exhausting life lol. But here’s the kicker: I paid less than 5,000 JPY (about $35 USD) for the entire lot. That lucky find is what led me to this amazing forum.

I found a photo of some of them during the cleaning process, so I’ll leave it here. It's just a part of the lot, but you can see the variety!

Looking forward to learning more from you all!

 

[SixSpeedFury]

Welcome! Nice collection you have there! The rabbit hole will only get worse from there.

 

[FedorOfSpades]

Hello and welcome for PCF! Sick find on the Paulson Starbursts!

 

[FatStack]

Welcome!

 

[SwissChip]

Welcome!
Definately nice ‚junk‘! : )

 

[LifeForm]

Welcome! Nice chips, colors are popping! I’ve never seen the domino rack filling method.

 

[croatan]

Welcome! What a great start!

 

[foreverdev]

Nice find!

 

[ukas]

Welcome! Not a bad start there. Great pick up with those starbursts BTW.

 

[Argenchino]

Welcome!
One of my favorite things to do when in Japan is touring stores like Treasure Factory and local thrift stores. Unfortunately I have never found a good poker set in one of those visits yet but hopefully I can get lucky too Japanese really know how to take of their things!
Curious where did you find these Starbursts?
I am going to be in Tokyo (not thrifting unfortunately) for a few days late March and would be happy bring something from the US if there was something in particular that you needed

 

[WJP]

very lucky find. Matsui clays are very rare. Congrats and welcome!

 

[Baldeagle9]

Welcome, lots of good people here. Tons of great advice, information and products, enjoy!

 

[mipevi]

Welcome!

 

[Tonysquander]

Welcome to PCF!

 

[Fran]

Welcome to the community !

 

[hangarqueen]

Welcome!
One of my favorite things to do when in Japan is touring stores like Treasure Factory and local thrift stores. Unfortunately I have never found a good poker set in one of those visits yet but hopefully I can get lucky too Japanese really know how to take of their things!
Curious where did you find these Starbursts?
I am going to be in Tokyo (not thrifting unfortunately) for a few days late March and would be happy bring something from the US if there was something in particular that you needed

Thank you so much! It’s great to hear you enjoy visiting Treasure Factory and local thrift stores here. They are fun to explore, but unfortunately, the probability of encountering high-quality poker chips in those brick-and-mortar shops is shockingly low. It's almost like a myth!

I actually found this lot on Yahoo! Auctions (Yahoo-Oku). It was a complete gamble because there was only one photo, and the lot was listed as "junk." From the picture, it looked like nothing but a giant mountain of cheap plastic dice chips.

Also, thank you for your kind offer to bring something from the US, but please don't worry about it.
While we don't have many chips in Japan, we have a ton of Nintendo and Angel playing cards. They are much easier to find and make for great souvenirs for your poker nights back home!

I hope you have a wonderful stay in Tokyo this March!

 

[horseshoez]

Yahhō and welcome to PCF. Enjoy the journey.

 

[Argenchino]

Thanks and nice find!
This place is great, full of information and the best place to buy more chips to add onto that set (maybe after Yahoo-oku lol)
Is there somewhere I can get high end angel cards besides online? Read about those here but never actually tried them

 

[TheChipVault]

Welcome!

 

[hangarqueen]

Thanks and nice find!
This place is great, full of information and the best place to buy more chips to add onto that set (maybe after Yahoo-oku lol)
Is there somewhere I can get high end angel cards besides online? Read about those here but never actually tried them

Sorry, I’m not exactly sure which specific model you’re referring to as the "high-end" Angel cards, so I’ll assume you mean the "Sugo-Trump" (凄トランプ) series or their standard retail 100% plastic line, which are Bridge Size and readily available to the public.

If that’s the case, your best bet is to check the toy section at Yodobashi Camera or Bic Camera. If you want to be 100% sure you get them, the most reliable way is to order them through Yodobashi’s website for "In-store Pickup" (Tenpo-Uketori). The Yodobashi in Akihabara is especially convenient because you can pick up your orders 24 hours a day!

As for the Bridge Size Angel or Nintendo cards that we Japanese consider "standard" quality, don't worry too much about finding them. You can find them almost everywhere—even in the corner of a stationery section at a local supermarket!

 

[Argenchino]

Sorry, I’m not exactly sure which specific model you’re referring to as the "high-end" Angel cards, so I’ll assume you mean the "Sugo-Trump" (凄トランプ) series or their standard retail 100% plastic line, which are Bridge Size and readily available to the public.

View attachment 1624619

If that’s the case, your best bet is to check the toy section at Yodobashi Camera or Bic Camera. If you want to be 100% sure you get them, the most reliable way is to order them through Yodobashi’s website for "In-store Pickup" (Tenpo-Uketori). The Yodobashi in Akihabara is especially convenient because you can pick up your orders 24 hours a day!

As for the Bridge Size Angel or Nintendo cards that we Japanese consider "standard" quality, don't worry too much about finding them. You can find them almost everywhere—even in the corner of a stationery section at a local supermarket!

Thank you for the detailed explanation!! Sometimes things are harder to find with the language barrier haha. Will definitely make a stop to get some

 

[jxfan]

Ohayo and welcome to PCF!

 

[Jers28]

Welcome to PCF!

 

[greenchip]

Great find we never know where chips are hiding. Japan is a beautiful country and nice to see you here welcome

 

[Sway]

Welcome!!

 

[Kyle]

Welcome to the forum! Any hookup the Angel Bridge Jumbo setups? You would be a hero here if so.

 

[davdave]

Welcome! I hope some of your good fortune rubs off on the rest of us!

 

[Godzilla28]

Welcome! Do you have a picture of the Matsui chips?

 

[hangarqueen]

Welcome to the forum! Any hookup the Angel Bridge Jumbo setups? You would be a hero here if so.

Haha, a hero? That sounds like a big title!

To be honest, I'm still very new to the chip and card world. Most people in Japan (including myself!) would find it hard to believe that Nintendo or Angel cards are so highly valued overseas. Here, international brands like Copag or KEM are actually seen as more "premium" and rare.

Because of that, I never really paid much attention to domestic cards. I didn't realize Angel Bridge Jumbo was such a "Grail" for you guys! But now that I know, I'll definitely keep my eyes open for them. If I happen to find a secret route in the Japanese market, I'll let you know!

 

[hangarqueen]

Welcome! Do you have a picture of the Matsui chips?

Thanks for the welcome!

Regarding the Matsui chips, I’m afraid I don't have many to show yet. Other than the one in my Avatar, I only have one other type of Matsui coin inlay chip. I'm sorry to disappoint you if you were expecting a big collection.