>>48112129Well, since you offered. Here's the basic rundown of how a proxy works:
You start by finding the item you wish to import on the proxy site itself. Most proxy sites will allow you to search major retailers/auction sites for what you want, and many will also allow you to manually add an item by linking the product page and specifying instructions if needed. The proxy places an order for you, and you will eventually be billed for the item + domestic shipping + proxy fee. Fees as well as billing time can vary by service. ShoppingMallJapan, for instance, didn't require you to pay in full until they had the item in their warehouse, but they did require a deposit to even start bidding/purchasing. Speaking of warehouses, once the proxy receives your item they'll store it in a warehouse until you decide it's time to ship it to you. You'll of course have to pay for shipping, and you can't keep your items stored in a warehouse forever, even if you opt to pay fees to keep them there for an extended period of time. In the end, you're essentially paying for a middleman service. More expensive than if you could buy outright, but far cheaper than buying second hand after the fact. You mainly use it for exclusives these days, as there are at least three JP online shops that will ship retail items to international customers.
>I haven't regularly used 4chan in at least 5 yearsThat would explain a fair bit, ESL started to pop up as an insult on this site around the mid-2010s. Around the same time EOP came into common usage, at least as I've observed lurking /v/.
I'm actually curious as to what sort of imageboards you've been lurking instead. I've stuck mainly to this site, much to my detriment, thanks to the power of pure habit.
