How to buy — read codes, years and the total cost

This page explains three things international buyers ask about most: how buying actually works on this site, what the letters and numbers in a Japanese model code mean, and what to expect to pay once duty and tax are added — country by country.

How buying works here

This site does not sell anything and there is no checkout here. Every “View on eBay” or “Find on eBay” button takes you to eBay, where the seller (usually based in Japan) ships and handles the sale. We only compare the specs and estimate the total cost so you can see which size and which listing is worth clicking. Some of those links are affiliate links — see our About page for how that works.

Why we send you to eBay

Most sellers of Japan-market tackle who ship worldwide list on eBay. Buying there has three practical advantages for overseas anglers:

• Everything is in English. The listing, checkout, messages with the seller and tracking are all in English, in your own currency. You do not need to read Japanese or use a Japanese shop’s checkout.
• You can often check out as a guest. On Buy It Now listings under US$5,000, eBay usually lets you pay without opening an account. Guest checkout is not available for every listing or country — eBay shows the option at checkout when it applies.
• eBay’s buyer protection applies. If an eligible item does not arrive, is faulty or damaged, or does not match the listing, you can open a request with eBay — within 30 days after the estimated delivery date if it has not arrived, or within 30 days of delivery (or the seller’s return window, if longer) if it does not match. The protection is that of the eBay site where you check out: on ebay.com it is the eBay Money Back Guarantee, and other country sites have their own equivalent. It does not cover parcels sent through a freight forwarder or mail-redirection service you arrange yourself — have the seller ship straight to your address. See eBay’s Money Back Guarantee page for what is covered.

eBay, a proxy service, or a Japanese shop?

Proxy services can reach shops and auctions that never list on eBay, so they are useful for rare items. For current models listed on eBay, buying from the seller directly is usually simpler, and the total is shown up front.

What the total on our pages includes

The total we show is the eBay item price plus shipping to your country, plus our estimate of import duty and tax. The duty and tax figures are estimates — your carrier or customs collects the actual amount on delivery. See how we estimate.

Reading a model code (LT, XH, and the rest)

Japanese makers pack the spool size, body size, gear ratio and handle type into one code, for example FC LT2500S-CXH-DH. Each maker has its own system, and we decode it from that maker’s own published tables — not by guessing:

• Daiwa model codes explained
• Tailwalk model codes explained
• Alphatackle model codes explained
• DEPS model codes explained
• Yamaga Blanks model codes explained
• Miya Epoch does not publish a code table, so we do not decode its codes.

Or paste any code into the model code decoder to look it up directly.

Reading the year (generation code)

A model name usually starts with a two-digit year, like 24 Certate or 25 Certate. That is the year the maker released that generation, not the year the specific reel was made — a “24 Certate” bought new in 2026 is still a 24 Certate. Two things trip buyers up:

• Same model name, different generation. Makers reuse a name across years (Certate has existed since long before 2024) but change the internals each generation. Always check the year in the title, because specs — weight, gear ratio, line capacity — differ between generations even when the name doesn’t.
• Discontinued generations. When a maker replaces a generation, we mark the older one “discontinued” on its page rather than removing it, since used and new-old-stock listings for it still appear on eBay. A discontinued generation is not necessarily worse — it is simply not what the maker currently sells new.

Duty, tax, and shipping — what changes by country

The total we show on every model page (item price + shipping + estimated import tax) is calculated live for the country you select, using published government and eBay rules — see the “Source” note under any total on the page for the figure and date we used. This section explains the general pattern by region; for the exact number, always check the total shown on the model page itself, not this page.

• United States — no de minimis exemption. We estimate the item price at roughly 12.5% import duty (the combined U.S. rate for goods made in Japan); state sales tax may be added separately by the marketplace or carrier. Items made outside Japan may be charged a different rate.
• United Kingdom — items priced up to £135 (shipping not counted) are charged 20% VAT at checkout; above that, 20% VAT is collected on delivery and we estimate 2% customs duty. Duty is 0% if the seller provides proof of Japanese origin under the UK–Japan trade agreement.
• European Union — VAT rate depends on the destination country (it ranges from about 17% to 25.5%). Items priced up to €150 (shipping not counted) pay VAT plus a flat €3 customs duty; from 1 November 2026 every item also carries a €2 EU handling fee; above €150, VAT is collected on delivery and we estimate 3.7% customs duty (0% if the seller provides proof of Japanese origin under the EU–Japan trade agreement), and the carrier may add its own handling fee.
• Australia — 10% GST, no import duty.
• New Zealand — orders up to NZ$1,000 have 15% GST collected by eBay at checkout, duty-free; above that, GST is collected on delivery plus a clearance fee, and rods specifically may carry a small duty.
• Canada — fishing tackle from Japan is duty-free under CPTPP (up to 6.5% without proof of origin). Sales tax is 5–15% depending on the province, charged on delivery; we estimate with Ontario’s 13% HST.
• Switzerland — duty-free; about 8.1% VAT is collected by eBay at checkout.
• Hong Kong — no import duty or GST.
• Singapore — about 9% GST.
• Malaysia — orders up to RM500 have a 10% low-value goods tax collected by eBay at checkout; above that, a 10% sales tax is collected on delivery, duty-free either way.
• Philippines — orders up to ₱10,000 (FOB) are duty- and VAT-free; above that, roughly 3% duty plus 12% VAT is collected on delivery.

For any country not listed above, we do not have a verified rate, so the page shows the item price and shipping only, without a tax estimate — check your own country’s customs threshold before ordering.

Shipping time and tracking

Most listings ship from Japan by EMS or a comparable tracked courier; delivery time and tracking are shown on the eBay listing itself, not on this site, since we do not handle shipping.

What we can’t promise

We are not the seller and we do not see the final checkout price eBay charges you. Our total is a same-day estimate meant for comparing sizes and listings, not an invoice — the number eBay shows you at checkout is the one that counts.