The Last Plugs, Pulled

 So an update in my ongoing downsizing efforts, I took apart my Colorado Rockies collection (including the Kyle Freeland mini-collection), my Star Wars collection (split across Fuji and DefGav), and finally moved into the last two things I had that were relatively untouched.

My Chunichi Dragons and Sega Card Gen collections.

My Dragons collection is currently in stage two of this teardown. The first stage was sending the bulk to NPB Card Guy. The second stage is dismantling the remnants in Nagoya.

This is by design since in Nagoya, the Dragons' home turf, other Dragons fans and collectors can find them and give them new homes. With all due respect to dedicated collectors/fans in the US and elsewhere, I wanted stuff like my certified Shigeru Sugishita autographs back in Nagoya where they matter a lot to local populace who still pass down the legends and stories.

As for the Sega Card Gen collection, it was time.

It's one of my favorite sets ever for sure but the 2012 set was also a 408 card behemoth. After completing it in 2014 it spent the following decade largely locked in a box and taken out maybe once or twice a year. I had a wonderful time collecting the set and playing the arcade game but I can't lie that a big chunk of it is stuff I can do without. I sent the 2012 base card set and a few misc cards from other years to Night Owl Cards. Unlike the Dragons they're technically MLB cards so y'know, kinda fits they end up over in the states.

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It was also a good thing I sent out all of the large packages when I did because near the end of August Japan Post announced they would suspend taking in packages headed for the US if the contents exceeded 100 USD due to the Trump Tariffs.

As simple as that sounds I expect sending stuff in general to get needlessly complicated (I love you all but I cannot bring myself to dabble with international DHL or UPS or FedEx on my dime) so it's really good for me that the last of the bulk is gone and whatever's left can be done via PWEs.

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A little before the announcements about global shipping shake-ups I had read an article in the Japan Times that various countries were considering revising their policies on duty charges for low-value imports (up until now they've largely been exempt) as they were established before online shopping and global shipping was as commonplace as it's since become.

While not as directly related, it does suggest that more shake-ups and potential charges are on the way and I figure it's better to strike now as opposed to later. I already messed up a bit by not getting rid of a lot of stuff while I was in the states, delaying it further would only lead to more headaches.

This is basically why I kicked the last of the teardown into high gear in July and August. If I tried to send what I sent to folks in the past two months right now it'd be impossible since the post office wouldn't even accept them.

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Anyway I'm now finally at what I'd consider the final point of the teardown, I'm soooo close to everything fitting in one single shoebox. The now empty storage boxes serve as temporary staging areas for cards that are on the chopping block and they themselves will be discarded when their contents are gone.

With Card Gen out the door a lot of other cards I'd consider "sentimental" became obsolete as well and while some cards remain, the bandage is off and it'll be easier to get things going again later.

Time to breathe a sigh of relief.

Then begin the downsizing cycle anew when I feel like it to make that one last push towards everything being in one box. Then you know, the push after that to move everything to a smaller box, and then...

As always thanks for stopping by and take care.