| In the last couple of years I've become interested in | | | | didn't know all this at the time, I just didn't want to |
| a couple of Japanese related subjects. Zatoichi, "The | | | | pay the price that they had bid up to.Buying stuff on |
| Blind Samurai", which I accidentally clicked into while | | | | eBay takes a certain predisposition for patience, I've |
| watching "Samurai Saturday" on the IFCTV channel is | | | | got some of the stuff but on the whole I would |
| number one. In case you are not up on Zatoichi, he's | | | | have to confess to a general shortfall of it. I made |
| a chubby, blind, Yakuza who is kinda lovable, but is | | | | the decision and I decided that I would wade in and |
| deadly when it comes to cutting up people with his | | | | buy a Hiroshige woodblock that I had found, I would |
| special sword.The funny thing about that sword is he | | | | have gotten it too if I hadn't been outbid - in the last |
| holds it upside down. I finally figured out that because | | | | 30 seconds. |
| he was blind, they wouldn't let him go to the regular | | | | Now, I'm neither cynical or overly skeptical, but the |
| Samurai school, so he just stumbled along as best he | | | | fact that this person was able to skin me just a few |
| could and ended up teaching himself. I doubt he even | | | | seconds before the bell hit a sour note with me. I |
| knows he holds it upside down.There was a guy a | | | | repeated this exercise a couple of times with the |
| couple of years ago who went around in the movies | | | | end result being I still didn't own a print. I decided |
| claiming to be Zatoichi, but you could tell right off he | | | | that there may be some "black ops" software out |
| was a fake, even before the first arm was cut off | | | | there that allows one to better advantage oneself in |
| because he had blond hair. Zatoichi, with his shaved, | | | | this, the art of eBay battle.Okay, I got to it and did a |
| monk looking hair was ahead of his time and at no | | | | little sniffing around and sure enough, I found the |
| time would he have dyed it blond.My second interest | | | | software that would put me on equal footing with |
| is Japanese woodblock prints. Once I saw the bright | | | | these 30 second guys. I did a little better than that |
| colors of these Japanese style woodblock art and | | | | though, the one I found would let me hold my bid |
| the everyday life of the Japanese people subject | | | | close to my chest, and with only 3 seconds to go, I |
| matter, I was hooked. It also interested me because | | | | was able to raise and it was too late for the other |
| those Japanese artists used the same technique, at | | | | guy. I'm sure he is still trying to figure it all out.The |
| least to me anyhow, that the old comic book printers | | | | thing that will kill a new hobby faster than anything, |
| used. | | | | at least that I've been able to dig up, is that no |
| I began to read about woodblock prints and looked | | | | matter how much you argue with yourself that this is |
| at a bunch of them on the Internet and in a few of | | | | the last one you are going to buy of this or that for |
| those giant coffee table books that never end up on | | | | a while, you always seem to run across another one |
| the coffee table. They are usually used by your | | | | you really can't pass on.To prove my point in the |
| spouse mixed in with a stack of other coffee table | | | | clearest way I can think of. just go through Jeff's old |
| books to provide a steady base for a lamp. Not long | | | | posts and add up all the camera stuff he has |
| after, I discovered that you could buy these prints | | | | managed to put in inventory. I'm not saying Jeff is |
| on eBay.Soon, I began to try to buy a print. I was | | | | addicted, or anything of that nature, but he sure |
| most interested in seeing if I could get a Hiroshige | | | | seems to have a tendency to get more than a few |
| for a good price. Hiroshige was what I would say | | | | fancy gadgets that he "just happened" to run across |
| was the Japanese version of Norman Rockwell. eBay | | | | on his way to the train station. |
| is an excellent place to buy things. I bought a laptop, | | | | I'm satisfied with the prints I have now and don't |
| credit card terminal printer, a Sanada Hiroyuki movie, | | | | plan on buying any more in the near future, the chief |
| and a few other items that are now used to stack | | | | reason being I don't ever travel by train. I have them |
| lamps on.I almost bought an antique Samurai sword, | | | | framed and mounted on the wall of my office here |
| but luck being with me I was out bid by what I | | | | at home. It's satisfying, looking at them and thinking |
| eventually found out to be a shill who was bidding for | | | | about the Japan I remember. Of course this was |
| the company selling the sword. He was trying to bid | | | | after the Meiji period, but before the eBay period so |
| up the price. As a proper reward, they ended up | | | | I expect my memories of Japan don't match the |
| buying their own fake, Chinese made, Japanese | | | | reality of Japan.Steve McArthurSteve writes articles |
| sword because I didn't take the bait. Of course, I | | | | on a varity of subjects that he is interested in. |