Shopping Guide
HELP / FAQs
By onemall 
TL;DR
Hard Off is a Japanese reuse chain of 1,111 group stores selling used instruments, audio, cameras, PCs and games. Its online store, Off Mall, quotes shipping only to Japanese prefectures and rejects foreign-issued cards; a separate eBay shop launched with used guitars. To buy Off Mall listings from the US, paste the link into OneMall LinkBuy.
- What it is: Hard Off Corporation’s namesake reuse brand since 1993, alongside Off House, Hobby Off, Mode Off, Garage Off and Liquor Off.
- Shipping: Off Mall serves Japanese addresses and cards; the HARD OFF JAPAN eBay store sells abroad.
- LinkBuy fee: 5% of the item price, min ¥200 / max ¥1,000 per item, plus the store’s domestic shipping.
- Junk: ジャンク items are sold as-is, without warranty.
As of October 2026, Hard Off sells abroad under its own name on eBay, but we treat that shop as a side window: the real hunting still happens on Off Mall, where stores across Japan post one-of-a-kind finds every day.
Below: the brand family, the official channels, a six-step LinkBuy walkthrough, junk tips and the Akihabara 1st store.
What Is Hard Off Japan?
Hard Off (also written Hardoff or HARD OFF) is a chain of reuse shops that buy and sell used goods, run by Hard Off Corporation Co., Ltd. of Shibata, Niigata. It began in 1972 as Sound Hokuetsu, an audio and video retailer, opened its first reuse store in 1993, and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market.[1] Its store pages counted 1,111 group stores on October 9, 2026.[2]
Its own site calls it a recycle shop; think of it as a thrift store for used electronics, split into specialist brands:[2]
- Hard Off: instruments, audio, cameras, PCs, video games, vinyl records and tools.
- Off House: furniture, appliances, clothes, outdoor gear and luxury brands.
- Hobby Off: trading cards, figures, plastic models and model trains.
- Mode Off: clothes, bags, shoes, accessories and luxury brands.
- Garage Off: tires, wheels, car audio and bicycle gear.
- Liquor Off: wine, whisky, brandy and sake.
Hard Off vs Book Off is the other mix-up: Book Off (BOOKOFF) is BOOKOFF GROUP HOLDINGS’ chain for comics, books, CDs and DVDs, though Hard Off Corporation runs some BOOK OFF stores as a franchisee. For manga, see our Book Off guide.
Weighing Hard Off vs 2nd STREET or Suruga-ya? Both are integrated into our site, so no link-pasting is needed: ¥300 per item on most marketplaces; from ¥200 per item on Yahoo Auctions and LinkBuy. See our 2nd STREET guide, our Suruga-ya guide or the other marketplaces we search directly.
Does Hard Off Japan Ship Internationally?
Not from its main online store. Off Mall, the official Hard Off online store (the former Hardoff NetMall at netmall.hardoff.co.jp), is a Japanese-language site whose FAQ says cards issued outside Japan cannot be used; checkout runs on Japanese options like PayPay QR and cash on delivery.[3] Its shipping estimates list only Japan’s 47 prefectures. Hard Off’s English-language website, hardoff.info, is corporate only.
The exception is the Hard Off eBay store, HARD OFF JAPAN, opened on October 1, 2025, separately from Off Mall and chosen for eBay’s reach in Europe and America. It started with used guitars and plans to add audio, cameras, PCs, brand bags and hobby goods.[4]
If you searched for Hard Off international shipping, here is how the channels compare:
| Where to buy | What you can buy there | Ships to the US directly? | How to buy it with OneMall (steps / fee) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off Mall, the official online store | One-off used items from six store brands, junk included | No: foreign-issued cards refused; Japanese prefectures only | Paste the link into LinkBuy; 5%, min ¥200 / max ¥1,000 per item, plus domestic shipping |
| Hard Off group stores (1,111) | Shelf stock, including items never posted online | No: unposted items cannot be ordered remotely | Wait until the store posts the item on Off Mall |
| HARD OFF JAPAN on eBay | Used guitars first; more categories planned | Opened for overseas buyers; check each listing’s shipping | Not needed: buy on eBay (LinkBuy takes Japanese domestic sites only) |
| OneMall LinkBuy | Off Mall listings, minus prohibited items and lottery, purchase-limited or ID-verified goods | Yes, by ECMS or DHL from our Tokyo warehouse | Link → review → pay within 24 hours → warehouse → ship; 5%, min ¥200 / max ¥1,000 per item |
LinkBuy fee: 5% of the item price, min ¥200 / max ¥1,000 per item — OneMall LinkBuy shopping guide, checked 2026-10-09.
How Do I Buy from Hard Off from the USA?
Off Mall isn’t one of our directly searched marketplaces, so the route is LinkBuy; our LinkBuy guide shows the same flow for other stores.
- Step 1: Find the listing. Note the tax-inclusive price (税込), the condition rank and which store holds the item.[3]
- Step 2: Paste the link. On the LinkBuy page, paste the netmall.hardoff.co.jp URL and enter the item name, specification, tax-inclusive price and notes.
- Step 3: Batch your finds. Add each link to your submission list, then submit them together under My > Shop Freely > Pending Submission.
- Step 4: Pay within 24 hours. After the approval SMS, pay the item price plus service fee within 24 hours or the order cancels automatically; we accept Visa, Mastercard and PayPal, settled in USD.
- Step 5: Wait for the warehouse. Off Mall’s user guide says stores ship 3–6 business days after payment; in-stock items then usually reach our Tokyo warehouse in 3–5 business days (estimated average). If the shop sold the piece first, we refund in full, service fee included, within three business days.
- Step 6: Consolidate and ship. You get 90 days of free storage after arrival (30 days after consolidation), and the first 6 orders consolidate free, ¥100 per additional order. Then pay international shipping plus the store’s domestic shipping, by ECMS or DHL.
Fee math: anything under ¥4,000 pays the ¥200 minimum, so a ¥3,300 cordless impact driver in Off Mall’s junk section costs ¥200 in fees, while the ¥22,000 PS4 Pro listed there hits the ¥1,000 cap.
As with any LinkBuy store, items that need a lottery entry, have purchase limits, or require Japanese identity verification or a members-only account cannot be bought. Check Garage Off or Liquor Off finds against our prohibited-items list, each carrier’s rules and US import rules before you pay; wet batteries, engines and flammable liquids are on the list.
Bulky amps and speakers are billed on chargeable weight, the larger of actual and volumetric weight (L × W × H ÷ 5000, cm to kg, on the outer box our warehouse uses). For fragile vintage audio, add unboxing photos (¥500 / ¥700) or reinforcement from ¥100 by parcel weight; items over ¥20,000 get free exterior photos, and items over ¥30,000 free full unboxing photos.
Since August 29, 2025, US-bound parcels of any value go through customs and pay applicable duties, taxes and fees — the $800 de minimis exemption no longer applies.[5] Duties, taxes and clearance fees are paid by the buyer.
What Is Worth Buying at Hard Off?
Every piece is one of a kind, so the skill that matters is reading listings closely, starting with the junk label.
Hard Off junk (ジャンク品) means items sold as-is, broken ones included. Off Mall describes junk as things that look worthless at first glance but can hide finds to repair or strip for parts, and excludes junk from the warranty.[6] On October 9, 2026, its junk section showed 12,830 items on sale, from ¥330 for a Hitachi coil nailer or a mixed 30-record set.
Junk is a condition label, not a price tier: the same page listed a retro Game Boy Color at ¥7,700, a Nikon F4 film camera body at ¥19,800 and a Marantz CD6006 CD player at ¥16,500. A ¥330 find still pays the ¥200 LinkBuy minimum plus domestic shipping, so batch your junk.
Read condition notes before prices. Off Mall uses a six-step condition rank, from new and unopened to heavily damaged, and staff add test results: a ¥8,800 VICTOR TD-W313MK2 double cassette deck noted that neither deck ran and suggested it for parts. The FAQ adds that speakers are sold in pairs unless a listing says otherwise.[3]
Visiting a Hard Off Japan Store: The Akihabara 1st Store
The official Hardoff Japan store search (www.hardoff.co.jp/shop/) filters any Hard Off store Japan-wide by prefecture and brand. In Tokyo, the HARD OFF Akihabara 1st store (ハードオフ秋葉原1号店) fills the 2F, 3F and B1F of the Rock Building, 3-11-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku. On October 9, 2026, its page listed hours of 11:00–20:00, open year-round, with no parking.[7]
Its directions: from Akihabara Station’s Electric Town exit, go behind the Sumitomo Fudosan Akihabara Building (Bellesalle) on Chuo-dori to the building next to Mandarake’s black eight-story building. Store photos show instruments and effects pedals on 3F, audio, cameras, watches and games on 2F, and junk on B1.[7]
The catch: the manager notes that the shop sells through Off Mall but also stocks items not posted there,[7] and Off Mall’s FAQ says unposted items cannot be ordered.[3] Back in the US, the group’s overseas list shows six stores in Hawaii and California, trading as ECO TOWN or ECO TEK.[8]
Conclusion: Is Hard Off Worth It from the US?
Yes, if you treat it as a hunt, not a catalog. Off Mall holds one-off stock from stores across Japan, the eBay shop suits music gear like a used guitar, and LinkBuy covers the rest at 5% per item (¥200 minimum, ¥1,000 maximum). Paste your first Off Mall link into OneMall LinkBuy, then batch the next finds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hard Off ship to the USA?
Not from Off Mall, the chain’s official online store: it refuses cards issued outside Japan and quotes shipping only to Japanese prefectures. The company’s eBay store, HARD OFF JAPAN, sells abroad; other Off Mall listings need a forwarding route such as LinkBuy.
Is there a Hard Off store in the USA?
Not under the Hard Off name. The overseas list shows two ECO TOWN HAWAII stores in Honolulu and four ECO TOWN USA or ECO TEK stores in Fountain Valley, Santa Ana and Garden Grove, California; the first Hawaii store opened in 2017.
Hard Off vs Book Off: what is the difference?
Hard Off focuses on instruments, audio, cameras, PCs and games; Book Off on comics, books, CDs and DVDs. They are separate companies, though Hard Off Corporation runs some BOOK OFF stores as a franchisee.
What is the Hard Off return policy?
Off Mall accepts no returns or exchanges for change of mind; for an undisclosed fault or a wrong item, you contact the selling store. Junk is excluded from the warranty, and LinkBuy orders can be cancelled only before the store accepts them.
Is Hardoff NetMall the same as Off Mall?
Yes. The company launched its online store as NetMall in 2013, gave it a new design in 2021, and now runs it as Off Mall at netmall.hardoff.co.jp. Each listing is a single item that may also sell in the shop.
Last updated: 2026-10-09.
References
- Hard Off Corporation — 沿革 (company history). hardoff.co.jp
- Hard Off Corporation — 店舗ブランド (store brands). hardoff.co.jp
- Off Mall — よくある質問 (FAQ). netmall.hardoff.co.jp
- Hard Off Corporation — HARD OFF JAPAN eBay store press release (October 1, 2025). hardoff.co.jp
- Federal Register — Notice of Implementation of Executive Order 14324, Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment (September 2, 2025). federalregister.gov
- Off Mall — ジャンク特集 (junk feature). netmall.hardoff.co.jp
- Hard Off Corporation — ハードオフ秋葉原1号店 (Akihabara 1st store page). hardoff.co.jp
- Hard Off Corporation — 海外店舗 (overseas stores). hardoff.co.jp