"TYPE-MOON" boasts a rich catalog of works, and beyond the currently trending mobile game "Fate/Grand Order," numerous anime, games, and novels are deeply beloved by Type-Moon fans.
However, an overseas X user recently shared a heartbreaking tale: a fabled "50-piece limited edition" "Tsukihime" demo 3.5-inch floppy disk from Winter Comiket (C57) in 1999, which they finally managed to acquire, was tragically torn apart during customs clearance. The post has since gone viral across both international and Japanese social media.
This particular "Tsukihime" demo was sold exclusively at Winter Comiket 1999, with only 50 copies ever made. While each 3.5-inch floppy disk retailed for a mere 100 yen back then, it's now considered an ultra-rare, dream collector's item from TYPE-MOON's early doujin circle days.
The overseas X user, Keripo, posted that upon finally receiving this coveted item, he opened the package to find the floppy disk completely destroyed. After investigating, he suspects that US Customs, during inspection, removed the packaging's cushioning material, directly damaging the disk beyond any hope of recovery, leaving him utterly heartbroken.
According to his further inquiries, the seller had meticulously protected the item with bubble wrap, dividers, and other securing materials. However, when he unpacked it, he discovered everything had been opened and haphazardly re-packed. He's completely baffled as to why this happened. While he can explore avenues for complaint, the item is broken, and there's no bringing it back.
He even tagged TYPE-MOON's official account on X, lamenting, "Today, an important piece of history is gone forever..." That feeling of utter devastation is truly palpable.
After his post garnered widespread attention, he clarified a few points:
The video is real; US Customs did open the package for inspection, but they resealed it carelessly.
The item itself is genuine, not a fake.
The package was sent by a friend in Portugal, not directly from Japan.
That kind of multi-layered, heavily wrapped packaging is actually a common protective method for fragile collectibles from Japan.
Other netizens chimed in, sharing similar woes about US Customs mishandling collectibles. One user recounted a previous experience where a purchased Pokémon game was likewise torn to shreds.
However, some Japanese netizens offered a different perspective, pointing out that there have been past cases of 3.5-inch floppy disks being used to smuggle drugs. This might make customs agents suspicious, especially since 3.5-inch floppy disks are rarely seen these days, potentially leading them to deem a thorough inspection as legitimate.
Of course, when buying international goods, issues like this can sometimes arise during customs clearance. For high-value collectibles, it seems extreme caution is probably the best policy!