# Japanese imports > Japanese cards, figures, snacks and fashion bought in Japan and resold in the US. Landed cost decides your margin. US buyers pay a premium for things that only ship in Japan: Japanese-language trading card sets, prize figures, limited sneakers and stationery. You buy through a proxy service, a Japanese marketplace or on a trip, and sell here on Whatnot, eBay, Mercari or Depop. Your margin depends on the landed cost: the item, Japanese domestic shipping, proxy fees, international shipping, then any customs duty and the carrier's brokerage fee. Work it out per item before you order. Counterfeits are common in popular lines. Buy from sellers with a long record and check every piece when it lands. ## How to pack it - Wrap each boxed figure in bubble wrap so the Japanese box arrives without creases. - Box figures in a single-wall box, and ship single cards in a rigid card mailer. - Weigh the package, then pick the cheapest service its size and weight fit. Avoid: Boxed figures in poly mailers. Collectors buy the box as much as the figure, and send dented ones back. - **[Small corrugated boxes, 25 pack](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/single-wall-boxes)** ($12 to $25): Use these for boxed toys and beauty sets that a poly mailer would crush, when double-wall board costs more than you need. - **[Rigid card mailers, 6 × 8 in, 100 pack](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/rigid-card-mailers)** ($35 to $50): A sleeved and toploaded card in a rigid mailer stays flat through sorting machines and costs far less to ship than a box. - **[Bubble wrap, 12 in x 175 ft](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/bubble-wrap-roll)** ($15 to $30): A long perforated roll costs several times less per foot than the small packs sold at the post office or a drugstore. - **[4 × 6 in thermal labels, 500 fanfold](https://sellersetups.com/us/product/thermal-labels-fanfold)** ($8 to $16): Fanfold stacks feed flat behind the printer and hold more labels than a roll. 4 × 6 in matches the label size USPS, UPS and the marketplaces print. ## Shipping per order - USPS Ground Advantage, under 1 lb: $6.93 to $8.95. Clothing, cards in a mailer and other small items under 1 lb. Tracked, with $100 insurance included. - eBay Standard Envelope: $0.82 to $1.40. Tracked letter for eBay cards and flat items selling under $20, up to 3 oz. - USPS Ground Advantage, 1 to 2 lb: $7.61 to $13.42. Shoes, jeans and boxed items up to 2 lb, tracked with $100 insurance. ## Working out the landed cost per item Add up the price in yen converted at your card's rate, the Japanese seller's shipping, the proxy fee, your share of international shipping, any duty and the carrier's brokerage fee. Divide by the number of items in the box. Compare that figure with US sold prices, minus platform fees and domestic shipping. If the gap is thin, a delayed box or a new tariff turns it into a loss. ## Using proxy services and Japanese marketplaces A proxy buys from Japanese sites for you, holds the items in a warehouse and ships them on together. Compare fees per item, storage time and shipping methods before you pick one. Read listing photos closely and run the description through a translator. Japanese sellers grade condition carefully, so a note about a small mark usually means a small mark. ## Checking stock when the box lands Open every box on camera or with photos, in case something broke in transit and you need to file a claim. Check each item against your order list. Inspect print, holograms and box seals before you list anything. Set aside anything that doesn't look right and don't sell it. ## Selling Japanese stock live and online Japanese booster boxes and blind box figures suit Whatnot breaks and openings. Explain on camera that the cards have Japanese text, and show the box seal before you open it. For eBay, Mercari and Depop, put Japanese edition in the title and photograph the language on the card or box. Clothing needs measurements, because Japanese sizes run smaller than US labels suggest. ## Packing imports for US buyers Keep original Japanese boxes in good shape: collectors pay more for clean packaging. Wrap boxed figures in bubble wrap and ship them in a small box, never a poly mailer. Single cards go in a sleeve and toploader inside a rigid mailer. Weigh each order and buy a USPS Ground Advantage label on Pirate Ship or your platform's label tool. ## Tax, records and seller duties Keep every import invoice, proxy receipt and customs bill. They are your costs when you report profit on Schedule C, and the IRS expects records whether or not you get a 1099-K. Reselling imports for profit makes you a business. Your listing has to match the item, including its language and edition, or platform buyer protection will side with the buyer. ## Common mistakes - Pricing from the yen figure alone ignores fees, duty and brokerage, so work out the landed cost first. - Buying hyped items from new sellers with no record invites fakes, so pay a little more for a trusted source. - Leaving out that a card is in Japanese leads to returns, so say the language in the title. - Assuming small packages still enter duty free can wipe out your margin, so check cbp.gov before you order. - Throwing away import paperwork leaves you without proof of costs, so file every receipt and customs bill. ## Setups - [Japanese import reseller with proxy buying](https://sellersetups.com/us/setups/japan-proxy-import-desk): Prize figures, Japanese-language card boxes and stationery bought through a proxy, then sold on Whatnot shows and eBay listings from one desk at home. ## Questions ### Do I pay duty on goods from Japan? US import rules for low-value packages changed in 2025, and duty-free entry for small shipments has been suspended. Check the current rules on cbp.gov before every order, because carriers now charge duty and a brokerage fee on many packages. ### How much duty is there on goods from Japan? It depends on the tariff classification, the value and any tariffs in force on Japanese goods that year. Look up the item in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule at hts.usitc.gov rather than guessing. ### Should I combine orders into one shipment? Combining through a proxy saves on international shipping, but a bigger box carries a bigger duty bill and may need formal entry above $2,500. Run the numbers both ways. ### How do I spot fake Japanese cards and figures? Fakes show blurry print, wrong colors, flimsy boxes and missing holograms or official stickers. Compare against photos from a trusted shop. Selling counterfeits breaks federal trademark law and every platform's rules. ### Can I list items as Japanese versions on eBay? Yes. Put Japanese or JP in the title and say the text is in Japanese, so buyers know what they're getting and don't return it as not as described. ### Are Japanese electronics safe to sell in the US? Japan runs on 100 volts with a similar plug, so many devices work, but they lack US safety listing like UL and some run hot on 120 volts. The simpler route is cards, figures, clothing and other non-electrical items.