Odd that the UK Tokais never seem to come with cases.
That one in Sheffield started with a 'Buy It Now' of ?699. As you say, by the time it gets to that sort of price, you may as well cut out the middle man.
Dealers in the UK have often sold the guitar and case seperate when dealing with Fender Strats, it used to piss me of no end.
They still wanted the full price for the Strat and then they tried to sell you the case on top. I think its fairly recent that most dealers understand a case should come with a guitar costing over ?500.
You were bang on the money (pun intended, I guess) with the ES-120, as it went for ?600. I was out gigging when the auction ended, so temptation was out of reach for me.
It's absolutely ridiculous that they don't include a case for these instruments, more so when we know that Tokai provides them in Japan even if not here.