Why would a watch appraised at 3.8 million yen be sold for 3.9 million yen? The answer isn’t on the price tag. It lies in the market price and the human stories behind it. Hachimine stepped into this unique auction show where those two elements collide.
Appraisal Fight Club — A New Kind of Auction Show Where You Bid with Passion
"Appraisal Fight Club" is a YouTube auction show hosted by influencer Kai Haruki. It is produced in collaboration with "Luce Co., Ltd.," a purchasing company that boasts one of the highest numbers of auctions in Japan.
The process is simple. Sellers bring in items that hold special meaning to them, and professional appraisers assess their authenticity and market value on the spot. Then, the company presidents in attendance bid for the items in an auction-style format. The key point is that this goes beyond a simple transaction based on market value. The seller’s resolve, their background, and the story behind the item—when these factors are taken into account, it’s not uncommon for the final bid to far exceed the appraised value.
Hachimine appeared on this episode of the show. He got to witness an episode featuring numerous sellers and their treasures.
A Price That Goes Beyond the Appraised Value: The Price of Sentiment
This episode brought together contestants, each with their own compelling stories. I’d like to highlight a few of them.
Investor Fujimana brought in a Rolex Daytona. It was his first luxury watch—a memorable purchase he made with Bitcoin shortly after becoming self-employed. The market appraisal value was 3.8 million yen. What fate awaited this watch, which had accompanied him on his journey over the past few years, at the auction?
Toshizo of the BreakingDown team put up for auction the Louis Vuitton backpack he’d carried on his back when he moved to Tokyo from Hokkaido, along with the entrance gown he wore during his debut. As he passionately declared, “To change the defensive mindset I’ve fallen into, I want to let go of what’s important to me and regain an aggressive attitude,” the moment transcended a mere appraisal of his belongings—it was a turning point in his life.
And what completely changed the tone of the show was the appearance of Pokegyan. It was a Pokémon card from the McDonald’s collaboration 24 years ago—a complete, consecutively numbered set said to be the only one of its kind in the world. Faced with this “monster item” valued at tens of millions of yen on the market, how did the company executives react?—You’ll have to watch the episode to find out.
The “True Value” as Seen by Hachimine
Like Ms. Horiuchi, who listed a vintage Hermès item, some sellers shared stories about the brand’s history and the artisans’ craftsmanship, expressing their hope that “young people striving for excellence will come to understand true value.” This goes beyond the mere buying and selling of luxury goods; it embodies a culture and a philosophy.
Even for Hachimine, who had long been exposed to genuine items in the nightlife scene, this auction was deeply thought-provoking. Market prices are determined by numbers. But the moment human emotions are woven into them, those prices begin to take on a different meaning. That must have resonated in some way with Hachimine’s own sensibilities, honed through his years of interacting with people in Ginza.
Summary
The appeal of this show lies precisely in the gap between the appraised value and the final bid. As the saying goes, “You can buy a watch, but you can’t buy time.” In this episode, there were countless moments when the stories behind the items moved people’s hearts, transcending market value. To find out how much each seller’s treasure ultimately sold for—and whose story moved the company presidents—be sure to watch the full episode.
