Japanese Vintage Economics

We get a funny newsletter at work from a company we purchased some Japanese items from for Silk last season. Here's a particularly enjoyable example from their most recent letter:


Dear Customers & Friends

Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.189.
Most customers must know some kinds of American(and European) vintage cloths are very popular in Japan. Paticular types of Levis jeans are very expensive, and paticular used tops and jackets are also popular. For example, an used old levis is sold at 68000yen(approx 600USD) and tops are sold at about 5000yen( 45USD).

I hear these items are not valuable in United States, and they were picked up from garbage. Secondhand clothes dealers collect all used clothes from garbages, and select them to some markets. I hear that most of them are send to Africa, but before packing them to Africa, they carefully choose paticular items, which can be sold at higher price in Japan. The second items are picked up, a trash becomes suddenly an EXPENSIVE VINTAGE CLOTHING! That situation has similar points to vintage kimono market here, especially till 10 years ago. It is interesting that these secondhand clothes dealing is family business both in United States and Japan.
Those treasures of vintage clothes are sent to Japan, and displayed at stores in Harajuku with expensive price tags.

So if an used T shirt with 'AC/DC' logo is hanged in a shop in Harajuku(Japan), we can imagine HIS personal history as below.
As you know United States is the major producing nation of cotton. HE had to be born and cultivated in cotton plantation of southwest United States, and shipped across the Pacific to China. HE became cotton threads, and woven as cotton fabric there. Factory girls from deep west China cut and sewed as T shirt shape, and printed 'AC/DC' logo on HIS chest. HE was packed and sent to United States back across the Pacific again. HE was sold at a stall of the hall during their concert tour. HE was bought and worn by a young rock fan. With time, HE became to stay longer time in the drawer. Owner might change once or twice( his son might think HIM cool and wear HIM!), but anyway at last, HE was abandoned in garbage. HE was collected and gathered with other clothes. Used clothes included HIM were streamed on the conveyor-belt, and an expert screening staff noticed HIS logo and picked up, and confirmed that HE could be a special merchandise for Japanese customers. Otherwise HE had to sent to Africa. He was bought by a Japanese vintage clothes dealer, and shipped to Japan across the Pacific again!
That's why HE is here in Harajuku shop. HE must be bought by American vintage clothes mania in future Cotton's length of life is very long, and HIS hapless life never ends yet. He may be bought by a traveler from UK, and carried to London, or may be shipped to Asian country as aid supply.

Thank you for reading to the end. We are very happy if you feel above story is fun to know how the world economic works.