I moved to Japan about 4 years ago, and my aunt said she wouldn't let me store anything at her house. I had a huge collection of limited edition GBAs, rare PS1, PS2, Game Cube, and GBA games, and a bunch of sweet accessories. I ended up selling them in a hurry because time ran out and I had no other options. That remains one of my life's biggest mistakes because now I see the same stuff I used to have, and the prices are not only much higher than I originally paid, but several times higher than what I sold them for.
My advice to anyone who collects and has to move or otherwise potentially get rid of their collection, is to get a small storage unit. It's totally worth the price. That, or beg friends and family to hang onto stuff (split small boxes among houses, and keep a list of where things are).
This is especially important for people who can get a little obsessive or neurotic about collecting. I have a problem where if something is numbered, and the total number is relatively small, I feel compelled to collect the whole set. Or if something's my absolute favorite, I often end up buying multiple copies for no goddamn reason. My current stupid thing is buying GB/GBC/GBA games that have non-standard shells (like Pokemon Pinball or Robopon).
Hmm, places to go then please? I'm heading there in four weeks.
Mandarake is the only decent big chain for retro shit in great shape if you don't wanna get fleeced. Outside of that there are resale shops like hardoff and local places, but you never know what you are gonna find.
I like going to Hard-Off myself, especially in suburban areas where they're less likely to overprice their goods. Plus, I get a good giggle when I see the name of the store. Other options under the same company chain include Book-Off, Book-Off Bazaar, and Hobby-Off. Those all usually have at least a small selection of games.
I've never intentionally gone to a Mandarake, but that's because I never paid attention to the name. I used to live in Nakano, which is where I think their main set of stores is. Looking at their site, it still looks expensive, but I might check it out in person anyway.
