Chiikawa Hachiware Mainland China-Only Card Case: Reading the Chinese Label ("卡套", "Not for Sale") and Why You Should Check Your Card Size First

Card cases that hold a favorite card or photo and clip onto a bag have become a staple of character merchandise. Taking the Chiikawa Hachiware card case listed at Loop KOBE (Mercari Shops) as an example, this guide uses the shop's own photos to go through what is worth checking before buying goods that were handed out in mainland China.

According to the product page, this card case was obtained as a purchase bonus in a campaign run under the official Chiikawa license in China (Alifish). It is new and unopened, and only the Hachiware version is listed.

The front: the Hachiware part and the "China" insert

In the photo the card case is still in its clear bag. The body is light blue, with a die-cut Hachiware wearing glasses at the top and a light-blue ball chain threaded through it. "HACHIWARE" is printed below the window, with small illustrations in the corners.

What shows through the window is a grid-patterned insert card with Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi and a ribbon reading "China". The product page describes it as an insert card with a "China" design. Once it arrives, you can display it with this insert or swap in a card of your own; if you swap, it is worth keeping the insert safe.

Reading the Chinese label on the back

A white label is stuck on the back, and "非卖品" (not for sale) and "©nagano" are also printed near the bottom of the case. The main items on the label, as far as they can be read from the photo, are set out in the table below.

On the right side of the label there is also a box reading "合格证", a mark indicating the item passed inspection. The "alloy" in the materials list most likely refers to the metal parts, such as the ball chain. We were not able to confirm the title of the standard number given under "执行标准", so it is not named here.

The "not for sale" notice and the statement limiting the sales region to mainland China are also common on other Chiikawa campaign bonuses in China. The Koetsu journal has previously covered a Chiikawa Shanghai flagship store bonus bag that is likewise marked "not for sale".

Related: Chiikawa Shanghai flagship store crab vinyl bag. For more on label terms such as 材质 and 执行标准, see Reading the back label of a Chinese character luggage tag.

Check the size of the card you want to use first

The most important question when buying a card case is whether the card you want to use will fit. Trading cards are commonly said to come in two main sizes, standard (about 63 x 88 mm) and small (about 59 x 86 mm), but some makers and goods use other sizes. A card in a sleeve is a little larger again.

The product page for this card case does not give the outer or inner dimensions or the card sizes it is meant for, and this guide has not measured it either. If you want to use a card you already own, measure its height and width and ask the shop about the inner dimensions through the shop question feature before buying.

Checklist before buying

• Contents: one card case (model C031) with a ball chain and a "China" design insert card
• Condition: new and unopened. When it arrives, check the whole item and the back label while it is still in the bag
• Labeling: a genuine item distributed in mainland China (imported), with a Chinese-language label marked "not for sale"
• Size: inner dimensions are not listed. Measure the card you want to use and ask the shop
• Shipping: shipping included, sent by Yamato Transport from Hyogo Prefecture (as shown on the product page). Overseas shipping is not mentioned on the product page

The product page notes that the images are photos of the actual item and that colors may look different depending on the lighting. If the exact shade of light blue matters to you, ask the shop before buying as well. If you are looking for Hachiware goods, you can browse other listings on the Loop KOBE shop page.

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