Engadget Logo Engadget Japanese version Chinese version Mercari is a treasure trove of metamorphosis smartphones and novelty goods (Dr. Yamane)

When buying a smartphone in Japan, many people will use Mercari, which can be bought and sold between individuals. The same is true for the author who lives in Hong Kong. Now that the new coronavirus has made it difficult to easily go abroad, especially in the cyber town of Shenzhen, China, I am addicted to the Chinese version of Mercari (Xianyu). By the way, in March of this year, Mercari partnered with this quiet fish. Eventually, it is likely that the disused items from both countries will be available for purchase across countries.

The latest smartphones such as Xiaomi and OPPO may be sold at a lower price than the list price, but I think it is better not to use these services when buying the latest products in China. This is because major e-commerce sites such as JD (Kyoto) and Tmall (Tmall) are more responsive in case of trouble, and there is also an official store of the manufacturer. You can also use an overseas credit card.

The author buys metamorphosis smartphones and novelty goods with a quiet fish. I don't see many metamorphosis smartphones these days, but about 10 years ago, metamorphosis smartphones equipped with strange gimmicks often appeared.

In China, it was common practice to produce smartphones from overseas manufacturers, which were then circulated and sold domestically, or imported in large quantities from overseas, remodeled and used domestically. And thanks to the quiet fish, the "treasure" that was sleeping in houses and shops (including wholesalers and warehouses) can now be sold.

Quiet fish can be sold not only by individuals but also by private shops. We are using quiet fish instead of small transactions rather than disused items. There are also many second-hand goods specialty stores. Among such stores, there are stores that tickle the enthusiast's heart, such as "BlackBerry specialty" and "Keitai specialty 10 years ago". And when you look at a product, related products are always displayed, but the user's preference judgment is firmly determined, and you will not get tired of seeing what you want one after another. Sometimes I find something surprising, "Is there something like this?" Looking at the price, there are some that are over 100,000 yen in Japanese yen, but that's a rare item.

The web version of Kayo is no longer available, and only the app version is available.

The author, who has collected more than 1,700 smartphones and mobile phones, owns major products, but there are still many that do not have the original iPhone. I used to look for it on eBay, but I had a hard time finding it because there aren't many old ones on the market.

However, when you look at the quiet fish, the first iPhone is on sale in large numbers. Of course second-hand goods. Also, since it was originally for AT & T and locked, only the contents were remodeled in China. However, some of them come with a box and some are in good condition, so I feel like I'll be able to get one for the collection someday.

Leisure fish can be used by foreigners, but payment is only for Alipay, so you need to make an Alipay account and deposit RMB. Basically, it cannot be shipped overseas, but if you use the forwarding service, you can send it overseas. Of course, you need to learn how to operate the app, but you also need to be able to speak Chinese because the menus and product descriptions are in Chinese characters.

Also, since English is basically not available when asking questions or negotiating, it may not be suitable for people who care about details. I don't even check "when will it be shipped?" Or "is there a scratch on the box?" (I don't have the habit of worrying about scratches on the box in the first place). No matter what, I bought various things at the end, but I haven't had any major troubles so far.

Hi @ContactKingston, @metpoliceuk advise they cannot prosecute this driver as no road markings to say he can't park… https://t.co/qjVkvzGEYU

— Likesbikes Mon Jan 13 21:48:22 +0000 2020

Don't worry, "Isn't it suspicious because it's China?" This is because the personal credit system and the use of quiet fish are linked, and since identity verification is strict, it is difficult to commit fraud. The level of China's major personal credit system "Zhima Credit" (sesame credit) is also simply displayed near the seller's name.

So, I would like to introduce some old smartphones that I bought at a quiet fish. Of course, it's no use now, but it's something I really wanted to collect. There are some fun features that smartphones don't have today.

LG Doubleplay: 2011 smartphone for T-Mobile in the United States. Slide the main unit to reveal the QWERTY keyboard, which also has a sub-display in the center. It was the ancestor of LG WING that was realized more than 10 years ago.

Samsung DoubleTime: This is also named "Double", but it was also released for American AT & T in 2011. It is a side-opening type, and when you close it, a smartphone appears, and when you open it, a QWERTY keyboard appears, and you can use the display behind the main display (both have the same resolution). In other words, the display is double-sided.

LG AKA: 2015 product. The sliding cover does not completely cover the front surface, but the eyeballs are displayed in the vacant part and the expression changes when the main body is shaken. There are four body colors, and each of the four colors has a different character and the facial expression of the displayed eyes. In addition, a figure that matches the character is also included, and it also has an AR-like function that the character moves on the screen when it is passed through the camera.

Patriot A8: 2010, for China. The base is "Leo" released by Altek, a major digital camera manufacturer in Taiwan, and it is equipped with a 14-megapixel, collapsible 3x telephoto camera, which was epoch-making at that time. The aluminum body is also luxurious. The Leo was sold under the name of A8 by a patriot who was a major domestic digital camera maker in China at that time as a "camera smartphone".

While I was writing this manuscript, about 3 other things I bought at a quiet fish are moving in China. The author says that "shopping at a quiet fish is only once a week" as much as possible, but if there is an unexpected encounter, I will buy more and more.

By the way, you can also buy novelty goods and gifts at the quiet fish. In China, we often run a campaign where you can get a mug with the manufacturer's logo when you buy a smartphone. However, it is difficult to buy a smartphone for goods. but it's okay. If you look at the quiet fish, various bonuses are exhibited.

By the way, I'm addicted to realme's cat-shaped character "realmeow". The official doll was purchased via Malaysia, but in China, small realmeow dolls (and other sets) were distributed to smartphone buyers on New Year's Day. When I searched, some of them were listed, so I bought them. The price was over 6000 yen in Japanese yen, but I am satisfied only with the items that are difficult to obtain.

Just as you can find rare things in Japan's Mercari, Chinese quiet fish are also a “treasure of rare items”. It is unlikely that I will be able to stop shopping at the off-season for the time being in order to obtain a famous machine or a metamorphosis terminal that I do not own yet.