Re:Not really a big deal in Japan (Score 1)

Actually, this is causing major headaches for some folks in Japan (who probably constitute a niche market) - musicians (yes, I am an amateur musician). We still want to be able to buy vintage tube amps, synths, organs, consoles... some of the vintage "mojo" people seem to worship is really ridiculous, but there definitely is a need for vintage gear.

Realistically speaking, I don't think that it will be impossible for us to buy vintage gear in Japan. Some of the larger stores are getting registered as "manufacturers," which can authorize old stuff so it can be resold. I've heard that some stores are thinking of renting stuff (which will continue to be permitted) for a stiff fee, then give the customer an option to get the gear for free, effectively selling the item in question. We'll have to see if the government will tolerate that. In all, it looks like this will mean less competition in the vintage gear market = more price gouging. Japanese musicians like Ryuichi Sakamoto have started an online petition, but it's probably going to go nowhere. Not a very good situation for us.