Hard off, f**k off!

Hello again.
Recently, I've been spending most of my time visiting hard offs.

"What are hard offs?" you may ask. Opposite of hard ons? No. Not even close.

They are a chain of stores selling used goods or hardware (hence the hard in the name - the 'off' part is perhaps a Japanese English equivalent of getting rid of, taking away, selling...).

Here's their website (it's in Japanese): HARD OFF.

There are also book offs - selling...well, books.
hobby offs - for models and various toys, etc
garage off - for car enthusiasts (haven't been to one yet)
off house - furniture, household items (no house off - perhaps it sounded a little too much like 'hose off'. "What you need is a good..."

Finally, for clothes, no, not clothes off, as I would have hoped (various combinations can be done with that one "Excuse me, is this the clothes off section?" "Hey, lady! The sign says clothes off!". No sir.
This place is called mode off. Missed out, there.
As you shop, they have this catchy tune that has a chorus of "hard off, hard off!" but sounds so much like "hard off, fu*k off!". Makes me wonder sometimes if they are actually telling us to 'f**k off".

Anyway, these places have old computer games systems and games, which is what I've been gathering recently.
A good friend (who shall remain nameless but for the purpose of this blog let's call him 'David' - which, by pure coincidence, just happens to be his name) bought a Sega Dreamcast for about 1,000yen. Whoo! Cheap!
I think he did this because:
a) the system was cheap
b) the games for it are good and also cheap
c) you can use emulations to play other system games with it.

I researched the Dreamcast on the web.
It looked interesting.
It seems it is actually a very good gaming system, but was unfortunate in its release date, just before the release of Playstation 2.
The playstation ultimately took the fame and also the gamers.
Sega eventually cut their losses and stopped making the dreamcast in around 2000 and focused their energies solely in designing games and arcade machines.
Now, the mahcines are no longer made, they have become quite cheap.

A few weeks after he bought his, I came across a rather special dreamcast in a used goods store in my prefecture (more on this and many other stores in my 'recycle shops' section - to be completed soon.
It was pink, semi transparent and had the 'Hello Kitty' logo on it.
Normall, I hate Hello Kittty, but this machine was funky.
I managed to get it for 1500yen (including 5 games!), thanks to my friend at the store giving me a generous discount (thanks, dude!).

Here's a pic of my baby:

It had begun.

Have you seen my babies?

Damn - I lost my cameras!!!!

Here's what happened:
On Friday, at about 6:40pm, I was taking the Chuo - Sobu line to Akihabara.
I had my headphones on. The kind with deep, deep bass.
These babies:

These headphones are so good at blocking out external sounds, that I was effectively 'in the zone'.
When my train arrived at akihabara, I quickly got off and proceeded to my first destination, which was Sofmap, shop 8.
I went into sofmap and spent about 15 minutes looking at used cameras, mp3 players and cheap used LCD monitors. Then I left that shop and walked to the next shop on my list, Sofmap Shop 1.
It was when I got to Sofmap 1 that I realised I didn't have my green rucksack with me.

Shit!

I thought I must have left it on the train, so I rushed back to the station. I talked to the conductor and went to se the lost property department, on the platofrm. It took a while to explain everything (because I couldnt be sure what time I got off the train at Akihabara) and the conductor called ahead to Chiba (the trains for Akihabara go as far as Chiba!) and asked them to check for my bag.
I also went back to Sofmap 8, to see if my bag was there.
It wasn't.
I asked a shop assistant if anyone had handed in a green rucksack with two digital cameras inside.
He checked but sadly, no one had handed in my bag.
Insdie were my new, black Sony Cybershot DSC-P150 and my old, silver, damaged Sony Cybershot DSC-P100. Also, a 256MB memory stick (with some photos on!).

They cost over 70,000yen.

I brought 2 cameras with me, because I wanted to buy a soft waterproof case for my new camera. I was going to use the old camera to check that the case fitted the new camera (the 2 cameras use the a very similar casing).


I also had my small tripod in my bag. Also, the new camera had the attachment for my new gorila mini tripod.
This meant that the rest of my tripod was effectively useless. Nuts.

I went back to the station and the conductors told me that nothing had been found in Chiba and that the trains I thought I had taken (I could only give a 20minute time period as to when I got off the train) would be coming back through Akihabara soon.
I decided to get on each train and travel one station and look for my bag in the train. Then i would get off and get on the next train and do the same.
After more than 10 trains, I still did not see my bag.

I have since gone to Akihabara police station and filed a report and gave them details of my bag and cameras. Also the same with JR lost property.
I also checked Sofmap again.
No luck so far.
I feel like I want to check all the used recycle stores on the Chuo line, as far as Chiba, but there are so many!!
Who has my cameras?

Bastard.

I miss those cameras.
They were my babies.

The old one was the first digital camera I ever bought.
Many memories there.

Now, I need to find another cybershot.
I am left with memory sticks, 2 batteries and two boxes with all the cables, software, etc.

The hunt begins...

The perfect present

coming soon...

Damn, I lost my cameras.
(click for my 'have you seen my babies?')

Woohoo! I bought another camera!

Treasure factory hunting and 'Hard off, f*ck off!'

Doh! I broke my camera!

Searching for another camera... ..ooh, lava lamps!

Yes! Found another camera. - Jim'll fix it time.

Out and about on a sunny day.

and more.