Apple Lucky Bags 2007 in Japan

Apple Japan is selling their lucky mystery bags again this year, except this time you can book them through the online store. They aren't cheap though at Y52500 (about US$450 each! But Apple says there is at least Y110000 (US940) worth of audio related products inside so you know there is gonna be an iPod of some description in there.

They are selling 10 bags a day from the 7th December to the 26th December on the online store, and then I presume they will have some more for people to wait in line at the stores in the freezing cold for on the 2nd January when they are actually released.

I am poor at the mo so I'm not sure if I will try to get one yet. The thing is that I don't really need another iPod on top of what I've already got, but the mysteriousness of it all, it's so damn tempting!:D

Here's the link if you are interested: http://store.apple.com/0120-APPLE-1/WebObjects/japanstore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=5193AB3E&nclm=LuckyBag

What's inside the bag actually?

Is there a promotion like this in the US?

Apple Japan is once again offering "Lucky Bags" for sale to customers for the 2007 New Year. These Lucky Bags (Fukubukuro) appear to be a common retail custom in Japan for the New Year.
Fukubukuro is a Japanese New Year's Day custom where merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount, usually 50% or more of the list price of the items contained within. The low prices are usually done to attract customers to shop at that store during the new year.

Unlike previous years, Apple Japan is offering a limited number of bags to online customers. The online sales are limited to only 10 bags a day (limit 1 per customer) for the 20 days between December 7th and December 26th.

These Lucky Bags cost ¥52,500 (~ US$450) but promise to have contents worth ¥110,000 (~ US $940) in audio related products. Apple has previously offered this promotion in Japan (photos from 2006) and even once at the opening of the San Francisco Apple Store.

The $250 Lucky Bag at San Francisco Apple Store Opening (2004) offered the following contents: iLife, Keynote, .Mac subscription, 10% discount card, Bluetooth Adapter, Wireless Mouse, Wireless Keyboard, and either Airport Extreme, iPod Mini or iPod 20GB.

That's the thing, you don't know what is in the bags.
It's an old Japanese tradition where shops sell mystery bags full of discounted stuff in the New Year. Loads of shops do it, but it is usually clothing and accessories etc, rather than electronics.

I read on MR that the San Francisco store did a similar thing when it opened but I don't think US stores do this every year like here in Japan.

Wow those are great deals. I would buy one for sure and then at least resell the things I already have.

I'd love something like this in the US. Good way to give a gift

That is awesome!

I wish they would do something like this in the US!

I will gladly buy a bag that is rectangular and Macbook Pro sized :rolleyes:

hey, this sounds like fun!