Korean Job Discussion Forums

yospeck · Joined: 29 Aug 2006

Okay, dont know whether this gets done a lot, but having looked around the forum a bit lately, and seeing such threads as the 'what do you wish you had brought with you?' along with 'Will I have enough money to live if I bring <insert amount> to Korea?', this got me pondering...

How much money, realistically, could be made by someone coming to Korea bringing those luxuries so many of you miss and selling them to their prospective buyers who could have possible put an order in before hand? Of course you could only do it with those folk who are based in the same city as you really, but having seen someone willing to pay $10 for marmite on the Buy/Sell board then I have to ask the question.

How much would folk be willing to pay for their little luxuries?

I remember from the list stuff like body deodrant, tampons (decent ones, not that I'm an expert...), PB cups, etc. seemed to be regular things people wished they'd brought more of. If someone were coming to Seoul, would it be a decent way to make a little extra cash when you land by packing your case with a little less clothing, and a little more stock to sell? (airport customs permitting). Make a post saying 'I'm arriving in <insert city> on <insert date>, anyone want anything?' then perhaps charge a double mark up for the effort? Little much missed luxury for the buyer, little extra spending money for the seller.

Anything like this already go on?

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

Most of those things are readily available in Korea. Anybody that has been here for more than a month shouldn't really have trouble finding most stuff, especially if you live in Seoul. I think a lot of the complaints are from smaller cities where there just aren't a lot of foreign products. So, realistically, how much money could you make? I would say very little.

kermo · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 5:29 pm Post subject:

I'd pay for some duty-free Crown Royal whiskey.

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

You are forgetting the most precious goods when traveling

Wheight and Space, or the lack thereoff.

Flying into this country you pay a high premium on the extra wheight, they almost charged me 600 euros for 20 kilos extra. Luckily i could use my frequent flyer miles.

yospeck · Joined: 29 Aug 2006

Damn women and their heavy tampons...

Boodleheimer · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 6:16 pm Post subject:

I'd pay top dollar for a bottle of Ardbeg ... or Talisker.

Wangja · Joined: 17 May 2004 Location: Seoul, Yongsan

..... and coming from UK, you get 20 kg of baggage allowance.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

It's an interesting idea but I can't think of anything that you could mark up enough to be worth the hassle. People mostly miss idiosyncratic little foodstuffs and toiletries, so it'd be hard to find a cash cow.

re:cursive · Joined: 04 Jan 2006

I thought about doing this when I last came back to Korea. I only had carry on luggage so theoretically could have brought in a fair bit of stuff and checked it all in. Thing is, I really couldn't be bothered and have better things to do with my time than making a few bucks profit on some deoderant or vegemite. Good luck to you, but I really doubt it will be worth the effort. The only things I can see you making a significant profit on is high risk products and I won't be recommending that.

adverge · Joined: 16 May 2006

I was worried about tampons when I came here so I brought a year's supply of tampons with me. Ended up the size of a small pillow and weighing about the same.

Then I found the exact kind I use in the Wal-Mart in Daegu.

Actually, my mother packed me with enough drugs and stuff to outfit a small Canadian pharmacy. Not such a bad thing though as I've been sick for the past two weeks.

I'm sure if I can force myself to come back to this place a second time I won't be bringing as many 'essentials' as I did the first time.

My foreign co-workers think I didn't bring very much with me but I brought two large 40lbs suitcases that I had to drag about Incheon while being lost.

Boodleheimer · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 3:42 am Post subject:

won't somebody offer me Talisker or Ardbeg?

kermo · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 3:58 am Post subject:

I think this sort of thing would be best done by people who are in and out of the country on holiday, not first timers who are trying to lug their lifestyle in two suitcases.

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

aek541 · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Location: Anyang Si, South Korea

The onlything dutyfree is good for is chocolate, cigs and alcohol.

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005