Update: October 23, 2009
Back
in the early 90s when we were still
dabbling in Zippo lighters, NCS bought
USA versions in bulk for under $15 each.
Some were as low as $5. Imagine our
bewilderment in 1998 when we received a
preorder offer from a Japanese vendor
for the
Beatmania 3rd Mix Zippo.
Cost to us? A lofty $60. For a lighter.
Sure, the Beatmania lighter was limited
to only 500 pieces but it was a Zippo
and we normally paid a quarter of that
asking price. The Beatmania Zippo was
our introduction to Japanese Zippos and
over the years, we've imported even
pricier models featuring Transformers,
Lupin, Final Fantasy, Sakura Taisen, and
many more.
NCS imports yet another limited edition Zippo today and this one's a doozy. The price is pretty high but that's because the lighter was limited for sale only on a Banpresto website for a limited time between October 23 to November 6. Add in the unfavorable yen/dollar exchange rate, shipping charges from Japan, and vendor handling costs and we have severe price inflation on our hands. We had to get them for our own collection (the Sega historical vault) however and NCS also imported a sizable quantity for interested customers with refined tastes.
NCS imports yet another limited edition Zippo today and this one's a doozy. The price is pretty high but that's because the lighter was limited for sale only on a Banpresto website for a limited time between October 23 to November 6. Add in the unfavorable yen/dollar exchange rate, shipping charges from Japan, and vendor handling costs and we have severe price inflation on our hands. We had to get them for our own collection (the Sega historical vault) however and NCS also imported a sizable quantity for interested customers with refined tastes.
The Sega Saturn Zippo looks like a
perfect recreation of Sega's original
Japanese 32-bit console which was
colored gray. We sold the Saturns for
about $600 back in the day and the OG
Playstation was about $800. The Zippo's
Saturn facade includes the power button,
eject, and reset buttons along with the
cartridge port on top and snazzy Sega
Saturn lettering. The only giveaway that
this is a Zippo is the little hinge on
the side which allows the top to be
popped over so you can light up a
cigarette, stave off the cold, or set
fire to kindling. Since we got them in
time, the Sega Saturn Zippo might be the
perfect gift for that special someone in
your life who still plays Saturn games.
In the basement. Late at night and
usually accompanied by Cap'n Crunch
cereal with a splash of milk.
Jan Code: 4983164567496
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