japvinyl

Index & Auction Links

2011-02-03T22:49:00.000-08:00

That should be all of it, scroll through or jump to what you're interested in. Pics are low rez so click through to get a better look.
As the different lots get put up for auction, I'll post the links inside this post.

BTW, the toys that have been opened have been in my glass display shelves, in good condition, not tossed around or chewed on by some dog. No one in the house smokes so the toys only smell like vinyl & plastic, like they should.

Mechtorians [blog link] [ebay link]

Devil Robots [blog link] [ebay link]

Devil Wrestling Fighter [blog link] [ebay link]

Kozik 5" Happy Labbits [blog link] [ebay link] (sold)

Kozik Misc. [blog link] [ebay link](sold)

Monsterism [blog link] [ebay link]

Scavengers [blog link] [ebay link](sold)

Tokidoki [blog link] [ebay link]

Play Tofu Series [blog link] [ebay link](sold)

Rolitoland [blog link] [ebay link]

Bentworld Vandals [blog link] [ebay link](sold)

Be@rbricks & Kubricks [blog link] [ebay link]

Dunny Misc. [blog link] [ebay link]

Dunny Series 3 [blog link] [ebay link]

Dunny Series 4 [blog link] [ebay link]

Dunny Series 5 [blog link] [ebay link](sold)

Dunny 2-Faced [blog link] [ebay link]

Dunny Ye Olde English [blog link] [ebay link](sold)

Dunny Azteca [blog link] [ebay link](sold)

Dunny LA [blog link] [ebay link]

Dunny French [blog link] [ebay link]

Dunny 2009 [blog link] [ebay link]

Dunny 2010 [blog link] [ebay link](sold)

Mechtorians

2011-02-03T22:31:00.000-08:00

Complete Set of six Mectorian figures. [mindstyle]

The display boxes slide off with no seal, but the figures have not been removed from the inner plastic, so technically opened, but not handled.

Devil Robots

2011-02-03T22:30:00.000-08:00

+DekoBoko Boys, Camo paint (Devilrobots Version) [Pi]

Set of two with display box.

+Devil Gookii

This is a rare vinyl figure designed by Devilrobots, as an exclusive for taipei toy festival. Approximately 8.5"tall, articulated legs, arms, & head, sealed in it's original plastic bag. I haven't seen these outside of Taipei before.

Kozik 5" Happy Labbits

2011-02-03T22:28:00.001-08:00

+ 5" Happy Labbit Series 1 [kidrobot]

Mouth accessories: Popsicle, gas mask, hot dog.

+ 5" Happy Labbit Series 1 [kidrobot]

Mouth accessories: dynamite, fast food cup, pipe, pacifier.

+ 5" Happy Labbit Series 1 [kidrobot]

Mouth accessories: carrot, lollipop, corncob pipe, beer bottle.

+ 5" Happy Labbit Series 1 [kidrobot]

Mouth accessories: mustache, banana, bubble gum bubble, ice cream cone.

+ 5" Happy Labbit Series 2 [kidrobot]

Unopened. Mouth accessories: drool, wax lips, bone, rocket pop.

+ 5" Happy Labbit Series 2 [kidrobot]

Unopened. Mouth accessories: zipper, mustache, hamburger, human legs.

+ 5" Happy Labbit Series 2 [kidrobot]

Unopened. Mouth accessories: smile, carrot, ice cream cone, party whistle.

+ 5" Happy Holliday Labbit Series (Christmas) [kidrobot]

Unopened. Mouth accessories: Present, Candy cane, Elf legs, Holliday light.

+ 5" Happy Holliday Labbit Series (Easter) [kidrobot]

Mouth accessories: Lollipop, Tulip, smashed ice cream cone, carrot.

Kozik Misc.

2011-02-03T22:27:00.001-08:00

+Potamus 6" figure [toy2r]
Signed by Kozik

+Green 5" Mongerforce Sarge [kidrobot]
Unopened.

+Desert Camo 5" Mongerforce Sarge [kidrobot]
Unopened.

+"Monger farms, Country time breakfast" set [kidrobot]
Unopened.

+"Lil Gimp" Smorkin' Labbit set [kidrobot]
Unopened.

+"Jungle Magic" Smorkin' Labbit set [kidrobot]
Flocked, Unopened.

+"Platinum Pimp Disco Godfather Special Edition" Smorkin' Labbit set [kidrobot]
(Flocked Colorway A) Unopened.

+"Platinum Pimp Disco Godfather Special Edition" Smorkin' Labbit set [kidrobot]
(Flocked Colorway B) Unopened.*

*box has dent in rear but it's too shallow to affect the toys inside.

+"Platinum Pimp Disco Godfather Special Edition" Smorkin' Labbit set [kidrobot]
TWO duplicate sets, (Flocked Colorway C) Unopened.

Monsterism by Pete Fowler

2011-02-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

+ Tribes of Monsterism island volume one, the Molvox, Complete set of

four [playbeast]

Complete set of 4 figures as pictured.

+ Monsterism Island woodland Vol 3 figures [playbeast]

Five figures with boxes & cards as pictured. Sancho, Chef, Brownie, & two Green figures.

Scavengers

2011-02-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

+Scavengers figures from: Series 1, 2, & exclusives. [mindstyle]

16 figures, each with bubble wrap, magnetic box & slip.

It's difficult to tell from the photo, but there's a pink Masao in between the S1 White & S2 Black ones.

The other chases & exclusives should be easily visible by the photo.

There are two blanks (white & red), & two additional blanks (White VP exclusive & Red S1 blank) that have been customized & signed by Kathie & Brandt with a different face on each side.

Tokidoki

2011-02-03T22:20:00.001-08:00

+ 10" Yakkun Trexi [Pi]

Yakkun is a 10" Trexi, the top half of the head is removable & holds a

second 3" trexi "Yuki-za".

+ Sabochan figure [strangeco]

Unopened.

+ SANDy figure [strangeco]

Unopened.

+Moofia Mozzarella Figure [strangeco]

Unopened.

+Moofia Milk minifigures [strangeco]

Nine minifigures pictured. (I have two of the mini boxes.)

+Cactus Pups minifigures [strangeco]

Eleven minifigures pictured sealed in their bags, with boxes.

Play Tofu Series

2011-02-03T22:19:00.001-08:00

+Play To-Fu Series 1, Complete Set [Pi]

This is a complete set of the Series 1 alphabeTO-FU series which

includes the 12 regular figures & BOTH of the chase figures from

Tokidoki & Touma (It's not possible to pull both chases from one box).

Each figure has a box & I have the display box that holds all 25 figures.

In addition to the basic 12+2 chase, there are extras for: Musuko x2,

Okan x2, Alien, Evirob, Strawberry x2, Cute, Yakko, & Devil for a

total of 25 figures.

Rolitoland

2011-02-03T22:18:00.001-08:00

+Rolitoland Safari, Complete set of 6, (A through F) [toy2r]

Each package (unopened) comes with two figures, and a small black
plastic bag (visible in the base of the package) that when combined
with the other set's black bag parts, create the secret 13th figure.

+Mini Rolitoboy [toy2r]

This is the black-tinted transparent variant mini rolitoboy. Same
scale as the Safari figures, standard rolitoboy design with a second
face visible inside the outer head.

+Rolitoboy Mini Book (Boxed Set) [toy2r]

Contains:
-Rolitoboy mini book, softbound on heavy weight paper, full color 168 pages.
The book includes contributions from 52 popular artists, (full list on
back of box).
-3 mini figure set (Antonio, Antonio Jr., & Black hole)*

*Blackhole (gaping mouth cat) & Antonio (larger of the two birds) each
have a smudge of blue color where their body made contact with the
box's blue plastic slip. I've talked to others who own this set & they
all have the same problem so it seems to be a common problem with
construction.

Bentworld Vandals

2011-02-03T22:17:00.001-08:00

A box of Bentworld Vandals by MAD & Kid Robot.

24 figures with boxes, & a postcard.

fingures come in new (clean) or used (covered in ink or paint) versions.

Contains:

Mr. Chisel (New x2 & Used x2)

Rolls (New x2 & Used)

Fat Can (New & Used)

Skinny Can (New x2 & Used)

Da Flow (New & Used)

Sloppy (New & Used)

Steady (New & Used)

So Fine (New x2 & Used)

Biggie (New x2 & Used)

Be@rbricks & Kubricks

2011-02-03T22:12:00.001-08:00

Assorted Be@rbricks & Kubricks.

See photos for contents.

Dunny Misc.

2011-02-03T21:32:00.001-08:00

These are some dunnys that are from a few odd sets that don't make sense to sell separately so I'll just combine them into one set. & a few Fatcaps as a bonus.

Dunny 2 Tone Series & Dunny Endangered Series

Maxx242, Aaron Meshon, Tad Carpenter & Sket One, Chuckboy, Kronk.

Cheese & Ribeye Dunnys & Holliday Dunnys

Fatcaps

(I don't have the card for the upper right fatcap.)

Dunny Series 3

2011-02-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

13 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with it’s box & card (unless specified: I only have 11 S3 boxes. I protect the box-less two figures with boxes from another series.)

Top Row: Alex Pardee, Huck Gee, Friends with you, Joe Ledbetter, Tristan, Damon Soule, Ron English.

Bottom Row: Attaboy, Craloa, Tilt, Tokidoki, CW, Mishka

Extra Photo: I Forgot to photo Mishka’s accessory money bag in first photo, so it’s here.

Dunny Series 5

2011-02-03T20:49:00.001-08:00

25 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with it’s box & card (unless specified), This set will complete the dunny 5 collector’s checklist.

Aside from the Kozik, Reach, Raccoon, Mishka, and Mizuno Dunnys, all are in their plastic bags.

Top Row: Reach (x2), Clutter, Aya Kakeda (x2), JK5 (x2), Dirty Donny.

Middle Row: Devil Robots, Jesse LeDoux, Steven Harrington, MAD, Amanda Visell (x2), TOOFLY (x2), Kathie Olivias, Mishka.

Bottom Row: Mad Barbarians, Kozik, Huck Gee(x2), JMGS, Sneaky Raccoon.

Extra Photo: Junko Mizuno

David Horvath 2-Faced series 2

2011-02-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

11 Dunnys from the 2-Faced series 2 (individually sold as opposed to series 1)

Photo should be pretty self-explanitory.

I do not have boxes or cards for these dunnys.

Dunny Ye Olde English Series

2011-02-03T19:57:00.001-08:00

23 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with it’s box & card (unless specified)

Top Row: Peskimo (x2), Triclops (x2), Jon Burgerman (x2), HiCalorie x Julie West, ilovedust.

Bottom Row: Mimic (x2), Uamo (x2), Tado (x2), Clutter, Kenan Duffty (chase), Frames (x2), Triclops, Shok-1 (chase x2)

Dunny Azteca Series

2011-02-03T18:52:00.001-08:00

24 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with it’s box & card (unless specified)

Top Row: Hula Hula(chase x2), ? (x2), Artemio (x2), N.A.H.U.A.L. (x3), Kraken, Quique Rangel, Beast Brothers (x2), v.m. 06 (x3)

Bottom Row: Carlos Dufour, Beast Brothers, Artemio (chase), Artemio (x2), Mocre (x2), Jenkah (x2), El Muerto.

Dunny Series 4

2011-02-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

24 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with it’s box & card (unless specified)

Includes the uber rare GID Huck Gee Dunny.

Top Row: Jon Burgerman (x2), Kozik (x2), Mist (x2), KOA, Nico Berry (x2), Michael Motorcycle, Gary Baseman (x2), David Flores.

Bottom Row: David Flores, Twelve Car Pileup, Joe Ledbetter, Mad Barbarians, MAD, Huck Gee (GID chase) Sket One, Tara Mcpherson, Mr Shane Jessup.

Dunny French Series

2011-02-03T18:15:00.000-08:00

25 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with it’s box & card (unless specified)

This is missing the 123klan dunny, but is otherwise a complete set with both chases.

Top Row: Skwak, Secret Lab (x2), Mist (x2), Tizieu, Superdeux (x2), Genevieve Gauckler, Jack Usine, koralie, Supakitch (chase x2).

Bottom Row: KOA, Oktus, Tizieu (chase), Tizieu, Tilt, AJEE (panty chase x2), Trbdsgn (x2), Nasty (x2), Der.

Dunny LA

2011-02-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

13 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with it’s box & card (unless specified)

Top Row: tara mcpherson, Blaine Fontana(do not have the card for this one), Painkiller, Buff Monster, Blaine Fontana

Bottom Row: Shepard Fairey, Michael Motorcycle, fawn Gehwiler(x2), Chad Phillips(x2), Joe Ledbetter, fawn Gehwiler

Dunny 2010

2011-02-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

22 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with its box & card (unless specified).

Top Row: Tizieu (x2), Sneaky Raccoon (x2), Triclops Studio, MAD, Amanda Visell (x2), Travis Cain, Shelterbank (x2)

Bottom Row: Sket One (x2), Huck Gee, Kozik (chase), Dok A, Esther Kim (x2), Damarak the Destroyer, Michelle Valigura

Dunny 2009

2011-02-03T17:10:00.000-08:00

21 Dunnys (see photo). Each comes with its box & card (unless specified).

Highlights are: Pon’s Chineese Takeout Dunny, Huck’s 1/50, & Mori Chack’s Chase.

Top Row: @my Ruppel, Amanda Visell(x3), Pon (chase), Jeremyville, Blaine Fontana (my mistake (it’s LA series) but it’s taped up in the box so… bonus.), Kozik (x2), MAD.

Bottom Row: Shawnimal(x2), Devil Robots, Huck Gee, Kronk, Luke Chueh(x2), Mori Chack(x2), Mori Chack (chase), Mr. Shane Jessup .

Devil Wrestling Fighter

2011-02-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

Devil Wrestling Fighter Trexi Series by Devil Robots & Toki Doki

Full set of eleven Trexi with Devil Robots’ “Black Skull” chase.
Each Figure comes with it’s box & card.

Hiatus

2011-02-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

Been gone for a while, & while it's good news (going to have a daughter soon), it means that I haven't had time to do the blog & really need to clear out the area I have my toys in, so, you know, the baby can have somewhere to sleep.

So, in the coming day's I'll be putting a good chunk of my collection up for auction, check the blog for descriptions of the different lots & links to the ebay pages.

Lot's of good stuff to see, & with the economy as it is it'll be a great way to get some great toys.

So bid often & high, the proceeds will go to... diapers. ; |

Tochukaso Yggdradon

2010-02-06T01:58:00.000-08:00

The figure’s name is “Tochukaso Yggdradon”. Tochukaso is the classification & as far as I know there’s no English translation. Literally the Kanji mean: ‘Winter Insect Summer Plant’ & refers to a form of life that changes from insect to plant form depending on the season. Yggdragon is the Kaijyu’s name.

The actual phenomenon itself is a result of spores that inhabit the host's body & ultimately overcome it. If you want more you could try looking up a few of the more susceptible species like 'Cordyceps Sinensis' or if you just want to see some more craziness then try doing a google image search for 冬虫夏草.

...& A few pics for more accurate measuremet:

Mr. Komatsu shared an interesting observation that I've been hearing a lot lately from vinyl makers: That the size of the larger pieces triggers something from childhood. The feeling of holding a giant toy in your hands. It's a shame, but something is lost with the change of scale.

Stitch Sale

2010-02-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

Stitch in Daikanyama will be moving it’s store to Tokyo soon, & I have it on good authority that there will be a storewide sale as they do their best to reduce inventory for the move. The number I’ve been hearing is 50% off, which is significant, especially if you’re looking to pick up some recent Medicom releases.

It's a me, Gargamel!

2010-02-04T04:50:00.001-08:00

Stopped by Gargamel HQ & they have some amazing & very limited vinyl that are going to be available at Wonderfest. There are three sets & all will only be available unpainted. The first set is Mario (from before he became super) & one of those pesky pipe crabs. The second and third sets are ghouls & ghosts themed. The Nintendo/Capcom licenses are only good for the duration of Wonderfest, so they won’t be available online, or anywhere else.

Tochukaso Yggdradon Proto

2010-02-04T04:28:00.000-08:00

Mr. Komatsu of Monstock was nice enough to show me a bit of his soon to be released Kaijyu "Tochukaso Yggdradon". More accurately though, I was drinking at the bar of Monstock AP & when I glanced over at what the the bartender was doing I saw some awesome vinyl taking shape here's some pics:

First off, just for the scale of this monster. see how the beer can is dwarfed by this thing!?! The pics don't do it justice, IT IS HUGE!

Don't forget Jr.!

Here's links to a few more pics: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Wonderfest starts on the 7th.

2010-02-04T01:21:00.000-08:00

If you're in Japan don't miss the Wonderfest, starts on the 7th. Expect to see a lot of familiar artists there with some great limited edition goods. Wonderfest's site is here.

Something big is coming from Monstock!

2010-02-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

...coming soon.

BE@BRICK19

2010-01-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

As always there are going to be a bunch of surprises but series 19 looks good.

Fatale

2010-01-14T10:58:00.001-08:00

The Lineup for the Dunny Fatale is out.

It looks, ...not too exciting, probably going to pass on it like the wildlife series.

besides having a lot of tepid designs, there are a lot of of Dunnys that look an awful lot like ones I already have in my collection...

It's not worth trying to track down a hard to reach Dunny for what will be at best, a companion piece.

New Dunny series.

2009-12-27T23:26:00.000-08:00

Not too excited so far, I'll hold judgement until more pics are out though...

Toy Soda

2009-12-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

Medicom had also released a limited run of Be@rbrick Soda.

Awesome.

To get one you would have had to show up to the Parco 40th event, & spent 4,000円.

You would then get a chance to press the button on a vending machine that would give you one of 40 different can designs.

(click on the vending machine on the left to see the 40 can lineup)

Flavors ranged from green tea, fruit juice, to milk & coffee.

Limited run promotional drinks aren't a rarity in Japan but not by designers like these, & not 40 of them, awesome.

Euro Lotion Update

2009-12-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

Hope you preordered your Crème de Corps before they sold out.

I must retract the previous post which claimed the figure was the 'exact same one as the orig-fake colab, which it was (based on the promo pic that collete released).

No, clearly the team went back to a blank slate to create this new fig.

Or, they just carved the arms off & pulled the censor bar off the eyes for the actual release.

Parco 40th Show

2009-12-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

Looks like DVRB & some other artists will be participating in Parco's 40th anniversary.

The anniversary runs from Dec 19th to the 25th.

DVRB also released a new platform figure "Peck" which will receive an exhibition at FewxMany on Dec 21st to the 27th.

Kawsolaboration

2009-11-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

Well looks like the OriginalxFake/Kaws colaboration continues.

If you were to stop by the Aoyama shop you could pick up some new items for winter from their red collection. Like a Cashmere Knit for 28000円,

...or a pair of socks for 1800円.

Hey speaking of Kaws, ( this is really late but still postworthy ):

You can get a new collectable bottle of kiehl’s creme de corps at collete with kaws tweaked label & "with bottle caps exclusively designed for colette."

Hey where have I seen that before?....

Oh wait, I know, that's the same exact minifig. Freed from the furry embrace & glued to the top of that bottle. !Exclusive!

Hey, at least it's for charity.

Medicom toy blog

2009-11-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

Medicom started it's own official toy blog.

http://www.medicomtoy.tv/blog/?p=88

yup.

Designfest 31

2009-10-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Designfest 31 just happened in Japan, a good place to see the up & comers. Juki had a strong showing with his booth, most of the pieces sold out before anyone could get pics of them, but here's the booth:

Featured are some special halloween-themed rings that he created for the event.

Some familiar faces were also in attendance.

Touma x Starwars

2009-10-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Last time we talked Touma mentioned that he was focusing on getting his hands on more licensed material to apply his style to, looks like he's making good on that prediction.

Scuttle Genbu

2009-10-06T21:34:00.001-07:00

OneUp is getting closer to a rework of the scuttle design.

According to the guys @ OneUp the design was submitted about two years ago but met with problems due to changing sculptors. All of that behind now, the wax prototype is complete.

Heavy

2009-10-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

ThreeA released pics of the upcoming 'Heavy'.

Munny world

2009-10-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

KR is releasing pics of the 'rooz' & 'raffy'.

If these are just new platforms then they suck.

If these can be cannibalized for parts interchangeable with the munny then they're awesome.

If you're threatened by happy meal toys...

2009-09-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

So the Bellhedz thing didn't really amount to much, KR was the only ones handing out toys, and it sounds like everyone got a taco.

I was talking to a friend about it, who said it better than I could last time:

"If you're threatened by a Taco Bell happy-meal toy, then it's time to reexamine your shit."

word.

Kaws

2009-09-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Well look what came in the mail today...

Bellhedz Shenanigans

2009-09-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

So Taco Bell released 'bellhedz' & they're the Dunny form, and they're either ripped-off or derivative Dunny designs. Some people got excited, but not the end of the world, nor the first trespass into mainstream culture. (Qee's at Target & a lot of Kidrobot crap comes to mind ironically enough...)

Then it became a bigger deal. Taco Bell had a truck in NY on the 4th, doing a promo handing out food & the toys. Kidrobot shows up nearby to 'Hand out 1000 Dunnys' (i.e. leftover stock) in what they dub a "Death to False Vinyl" event.

Everyone is making a big deal about the new toys, or the the fact that Kidrobot was there to initiate some sort of Toy Showdown, which seems ridiculous to me.

If I was KR, I would be more worried about ANY association with the KR toy lines, Period. If KR wants to slap Taco Bell for the copies & they're close enough to the originals, then sue Taco Bell.

The Bellhedz are derivitive crap, that's easy to see by anyone who is into vinyl. If you're a vinyl nerd who's worried about the devaluation of your collection by the introduction of a cheap sub-species, then you've been buying toys for the wrong reasons.

Now, instead think how it would look if you weren't a vinyl nerd (i.e. no one reading this.), & as you walk down the street you see the showdown! Some Taco Bell shlubs giving out toys that look a lot like the toys some other weirdos are giving out nearby, except not as good. Now do you think that, as they try to fill your hands with a bunch of plastic crap, you're instilled with rage that Taco Bell ripped off the designs, or that feeling that these guys are clearly in competition with each other selling the same product at very different prices. hmm?

Dunny 09'

2009-09-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if these are truly good, or they just seem that way because the endangered series sucked so hard. Love the Tofus. Check out this great chase:

Futurama

2009-09-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

I'm a Futurama fan, so that's definitely affecting my view of these toys, but having said that not too shabby.

When KR released the Simpsons toys I took a pass, I really didn't see the need to further deform characters into a stubby Munny body that were already that deformed to begin with. Wasn't able to resist buying a few of these though. Now that I've had some time to play with them I think they did a good job at preserving the feel of the characters even in this form, & there's tons of extras & accessories (bender's chest box even pops open)

There are some sloppy lines on the paint application but I'm willing to overlook that due to the curvaceous nature of the sculpts (making the lines crisp on the bulging Groening-style eyeballs has to be tough.)

One head-scratcher though is why the neck pegs are different for each figure. They all are so squat there isn't any physical need to make them different sizes. It would have been fun to mix & match, might have even made me buy a few more.

As is, nothing too special but a decent job.

How much would you spend on a blind box?

2009-08-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Now dont get me wrong, I'm a big 3A fan, but (assuming that the preorder prices that I'm seeing are correct) what is with the scheduled brambles and cubes having the nearly the same price point??

The next question is which is at the wrong price, & I think most would agree that it would be the square² series.

Then the thing that really starts to bother me is who pays 40-50$ for a blind box? especially if it's a cube with legs & a kick-ass paint-job. I've technically spent that much on a blind box toy... but it was over 6" and there were only two variants. at over 600$ a case no one is actually trying to collect these are they?

OneUp releases

2009-08-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

More T-Boy variants from OneUp:
Back in July there was the 'Pure & Peace'

& coming soon there's the 'SKY in da SEA'

There's also a GID OneUp Budog, & a retro-color Musyubel.

Bramble preorder

2009-08-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

You have to be a major forum troll to ever have the tiniest clue as to what's happening at 3A toys. Their site is the informational equivalent of the cratered landscapes that their WWR's clunk around in. So that's why it's exciting to see a few places offering preorders on the brambles (five variants I've been able to find, probably a few more limited versions to come.) The price point is the about 20$ more than the recently released 'Square²' series so it should be on the smaller side.

GID Hariken minis

2009-08-18T19:41:00.001-07:00

Little late with this one, but this is what the Hariken mini's look like in GID vinyl.

Hariken Mini Madpanda straps

2009-08-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

The limited release of the madpanda mini's has been expanded and they're ready for market, check One-up for yours.

Passcode

2009-08-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Glyos Passcode instalments just keep getting better.

Be@rbrick Update

2009-06-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

Every time I think things are getting out of hand over here, all it takes is a quick peak at Japan to remind me that it's just the tip of the iceberg.

Let's look at Be@rbricks:

First off here's an awesome buy, a Chogokin (metal) 200% Be@rbrick in black. Medicom's been hitting the Chogokin lately, (the tofuoyako one was great too,) tipping the scales at 400g at 14.5cm. All diecast metal, cant wait to see how it moves, & screw holes in the back ...check.
They started with a white version, but this black looks way better, it seems that it was the hottest item at the recent Medicom show. Easy to find as a preorder at your favorite retailer.

On the other end of the spectrum we have the Karimoku 'Piano Black' 400%.
It's made out of wood, then given the black piano finish paint job, then to make sure you have buyers remorse when you realize that the same figure could have been executed in plastic, they attached a one grand price tag. Although if you're buying 1000$ 400%'s then you're probably not worried about it. Might make a statement all by itself in some posh pad somewhere, but it would just get lost in a normal be@rbrick collection. Besides Karimoku is just some mid-range furniture store, this luxury item seems a bit mis-matched with it's host brand.

For a grand how about a Be@rbrick made of walnut with a transparent finish? Still out of reach for the most of us, but at least that would be worth it.

You can even buy Be@rbricks for your iPhone.
Cayto offers cheap apps (.99) that have a Be@rbrick that you can interact with, along with a clock & weather forecast while it's running.
It looks like they're even Trying to make them collectible, once a series has sold for a while it's gone replaced by a new wave of Be@rbricks (all recreations of previously published designs.) looks like the Japanese version of the site has links to the older apps though...
(click through for a video of the app in motion)

This post could be endless because there really is no end to the Be@rbrick madness, but here are a few Japanese sites if you want to delve deeper, and trust me this rabbit hole goes DEEP.

Be@rbrick mania
Awesome blog run by a desperate collector, almost every post is focused on a different individual Be@rbrick release and 99% of them have pics so you don't need to read Japanese to enjoy it. He does post some blasts from the past now and then so if you're just following the pics some of them might not be upcoming releases so don't be too upset if you can't find them on preorder.

Bearbrick.hk
Slick flash site being constructed with pics of Be@rbricks by Nupchu. With a little time & filling out the series it might be a good resource.

killer lau deal

2009-06-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

George has the hookup for some massive lau crylon seven year specials.

Recap here if you missed what these toys are. (via toysrevil)

210 w/shipping, awesome.

ToyCyte down

2009-06-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

I'm really late on this but ToyCyte scaled back & stopped paying their greatest asset, Jeremy Brautman. Toycyte seemed to specialize in editorial, and was rarely the one to drop any of the news. Without him I'm wondering what the site could continue to offer... But that is the point of this post anyway, to draw attention to him. If you're unfamiliar with his writing you should definitely read his five part article on blindboxes.

Fat Cap Chair

2009-06-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

Fat Cap Chairs? Yes Please.

http://www.capchaired.com/Welcome.html

a sight of what might have been

2009-06-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Saw this on a KR shelf a while ago, 8.5" wood, eboy-cool.
I've said it before & I'll say it again: It's a shame eboy didnt stick to their pixelated roots and make a series more along these lines than that Pecol crap.

Wheelin' & Dealing, & a chance to do something about it.

2009-06-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

Not sure if it's common knowledge or not, but when a company approaches an artist with the intent to produce a figure, direct monetary compensation is rare.

Rather the artist usually gets a percentage of the run of toys, to do with as he/she pleases: i.e. sell directly or create customs that would sell for more than the base toy. The other motivation is to expose their art to a potential fan-base increasing demand for their art as a whole.

This is why, when you have the opportunity, buy directly from the artist as your $ will actually go towards supporting them, & not the company that produced the toy.

And today just such an opportunity arises as Dok A has the Asian exclusive version of the 8" LePodd: 'Sweeny Podd' available on his store. Buy it, as it's sure to be gone soon.

Epic Visual Metaphor Fail!

2009-06-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Lau & MindStyle have released photos of the complete godfather figure.
Only one problem, and I couldnt have said it better than Clutter's Geoff, so in his words:

"I know the puppet element mimics the original logo but the Godfather is the puppet master not the puppet...interpretation of visual metaphor fail!!!"

lol.

Spring cleaning

2009-06-07T21:32:00.000-07:00

Going through & cleaning things up I came across a bunch of footage I had meant to upload, but for one reason or another had failed to do so. So here's a few no worse for the late arrival:

Itokin Park came to SF for a custom show at Super 7 this feb, love those amazing clear figures filled with all the smaller figures.

The Mad Barbarians were nice enough to show me some of the cell phone splash screen animations they've been doing, too bad we cant get them outside of Japan.

Ever wonder what Gargamel's shop looks like? Take a close look and you'll be surprised at what you might find hiding amongst all those toys.

Into the Darkness show footage

2009-06-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

See it here, via the wonders of 'unstable-cam' technology.

Marvel vs. Rockin Jellybean Vol.1

2009-05-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

Remember when I wrote that Rockin' Jellybean was working on some heroine figures?
Well, the first one has been announced on the Erostika site.

"Super Mixture model / Marvel vs. Rockin' Jelly Bean Vol.1: Invisible Woman"
Soft Vinyl, 24cm (aprox 9.4")
In pre-order now, will ship in October for the reasonable 8,900円

MCP

2009-05-30T00:08:00.001-07:00

& a MCP skate deck to keep Sark company.

Tons of new Glyos

2009-05-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Matt has dropped all kinds of new stuff, some pics of cool customs, and even a new minigame styled in awesome 8-bit style: Passcode.

Sark

2009-05-29T00:31:00.001-07:00

Here's my custom Munny for the Darkness show.

June 5th

2009-05-21T21:31:00.001-07:00

Karogaro darkness

2009-05-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

Karogoaro sent me a pic of his piece for the Darkness show: Under the tree in the forest of the dark

Serv-o-matics artist series.

2009-05-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

Heard that there is a follow-up series to the serv-o-matics being worked on now. It will feature multiple artists' work on top of the serv-o-matic feet.

Serv-o-matics

2009-05-10T23:49:00.001-07:00

Seems like it's been a long time coming but Brandt's Serv-o-Matics will be released soon.
ten plus a scavenger's themed chase, looks like the same mindstyle price-F**k box as the Scavengers. As an added treat the price went up a dramatic 3.00$ to 14.99 EACH!!
(WTF? are there Vinyl wars happening in China I don't know about driving up prices?)

The good news is that for the rabid collectors out there, if you buy a box you'll be getting the full set of ten standard figures.

Lovin' Brandt's style, not so stoked on Mindstyle's pricing & trademark expensivo-box decisions.

working...

2009-05-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

Coming along well, should be clear by now...

Hariken's entry

2009-05-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

Hariken sent some pics of his contribution to the Into the Darkness show:
Canvas & a custom Mad Panda.

Semantics

2009-05-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

KR introduced a new product category: Art, to join the "toys", "apparel" and "stuff". There you can order 12,000$ sculptures, toy customs, and the other posters & prints that were already there.
Was 'Art' a good idea for the category name? Is all my other KR crap now just toys and not art anymore?

Mr. $

2009-05-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

So, the Mourning edition of Mr. Head is out, it's the standard mechtorian minifig with a custom paintjob & signed by Dok. A, limited to 20 available @ the Spookypop Shop.

I'm a huge fan of Dok's work but the 50£ price tag seems a bit... excessive.

Yeah it's super limited, custom painted & signed... On the other hand it's a 3" minifig, not a new sculpt or variation (such as the earlier Stephen LePodd hat variations), and also the single figure is the price of the entire six piece mechtorian set.

I'm all for limited, high quality, high priced pieces for collectors, but for 50£ could we get a little custom turn key or something to justify the price? Having said that, I see that it just sold out, so there must be enough demand even at that price.

Into the Darkness Show

2009-05-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

DrilOne is curating a customs show in SF, early June:

"Into The Darkness"

Location: 1:AM Gallery
1000 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.

Working on a custom munny & a painting if I can find the time.
Guess who:

TMNT custom dunnys

2009-04-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

Nikejerk3 is working on a series of TMNT custom dunnys, they look great, where's the mousers?

Jab Strong Fierce

2009-04-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Jab Strong Fierce, SF themed art show with a SF4 tourney.
Opens 4-25.

Hyper-Mediocre

2009-04-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

Not impressed, these designs are way too tame.

Hiriken Sofbi Mini's Pt.2

2009-04-19T22:19:00.001-07:00

Here are the other two Hariken mini's, a version of Madpanda, and a "Macho Bowling Pin"

Hackman 3

2009-04-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hackman series 3 is out, 300円.
Find some @ OneUp if you can't wait for them to trickle stateside.

GID Juki

2009-04-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

Looks like Itokin and Juki are working on some more of those clear figures with the minifigs inside, only this time the mini's are GID!

Clutter 14

2009-04-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

Clutter 14 is out, get your copy.

OMFG Hyper extra expensive series!!?!? ...?

2009-04-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

Oh look, KR is going to release an extra dunny release this year. they're calling it their "first-ever hyper series" Excited yet? want more?
How about on top of what seems to be some truly uninspired designs, they'll bump the unit price up a dollar to a whopping 8.95 each!?

Really?

Hiriken Sofbi Mini's

2009-04-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hariken's coming out with a series of four soft vinyl mini's sculpted and produced by TTToy.
Should be avialable through OneUp.
So far just proto shots of two, a banana and stacked darumas.

Pheydenite

2009-04-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

EatYourChildren created the Pheydenite, & Matt finished the set with the Sucklorian.
nice.

KR on the cheap

2009-03-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of KR's clothing design, or more specifically their palate choices for their clothing & bag lines. But for those who are:
I've been seeing a bunch of KR bags of varying sizes showing up at local discount stores (Ross)
128$ bags for 27$. Nice markup.

OneUp is 8 and Chronic is 4.

2009-03-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

OneUp is 8 as of this coming April.
To cellebrate, there are some new figures in the works, as well as a show featuring some recent figures customized by Instinct Toy's Chronic.

More preview Pics here.

Paranoid Boy Show

2009-03-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Take a look,

lots more pics here.

Paranoid Boy Show

2009-03-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

There's going to be an art show at FewMany in Japan starting on the 9th, and running till the 15th, hours are 12:00 to 20:00. There's also going to be a party on Friday the 13th, with all members in attendance.

『妄想少年・フクダシンイチロー　PARANOID BOY』
Paranoid Boy - Fukuda Shinichiro

Featuring: DevilRobots & KaroGaro.
Special Guests: Hariken & Tulip

Touma Signing

2009-02-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

Touma had a signing at ZacPac on 1/24 to launch the ZacPac exclusive Beak Falcon. Also available was the new Orange GID DIY Beak Falcon, both are 4725円. ZacPac is one of the more prominent designer toy retailers in Japan and as you can probably see from the pics.

We talked a bit about the change of style and the appearance of a return to the older, more aggressive style with the Beak Falcons release. Touma said that it was really just a matter of different design lines and that the more aggressive one is timed for yearly releases. The softer cuter designs you see in the meantime is really an answer to the market as Japanese companies are asking him for the cute stuff as it sells the best. Touma said he really wants to expand his design boundaries even further, applying the Touma style to all kinds of goods. It looks like he has been successful so far, with the Monster Hunter crossover work and the recent Star Wars work.

Erostika

2009-02-13T17:15:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to make sure everyone knows about Japan based Rockin' Jelly Bean and his collective: 'Erostika'. He's got a few figures, and, while he was down in Osaka at the time, the guy I talked to who was running the store in his absence said that there were some Super-Heroine's on the way. I love this guys' sticky 70's movie poster style.

Jesse Hernandez

2009-02-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

If you havent seen Jesse Hernandez's work check it out.

His lines are tight, and he's also working on a flic whre he interviews all kinds of designer toy artists that should be good, not to mention a little more real that what's out there now.

He's getting his, this March with a 8" Dunny, the Jaguar Warrior.

Japan 09, One Up, Ashikawa & Juki

2009-02-03T23:22:00.000-08:00

It's going to take me a long time to sort through all the material while catching up on everything else now that I'm home, but here's the first of many:

I droped by Nakano and said hi to Mr. Ashikawa who runs OneUp. When I asked what was hot, he grabbed two things; the Musyubel (by Kaijin x OneUp) & the new T-boy (by Shin Tanaka x OneUp) figures. T-boy is the second version of a toy first produced by Singapore based PI. Notable is the new sculpt, the separately cast T-shirt, and the fact that they are now made in Japan by OneUp. Another one of OneUp's featured designers; "Juki" just happened to be in the shop and showed me a few of his current releases the Kamakozo & Umikozo. Also hard to miss were the OneUp limited editions of Hariken's Mad Panda with custom paint by TTToy. Speaking of Hariken, his original Mad Panda Colorway previoulsy sold out, has just been restocked with the same sculpt and color but with a harder vinyl. On display was the color schedule for the limited 'one color a month' run of Itokin's Mikazukin. Not satisfied to let the fun stop there Mr. Ashikawa pulled us aside and tore open a huge box and gave us a glimpse of the very green Itokin future.

Mr. Ashikawa, Musyubel, and OneUp

Aside from the overall rework of T-boy, it's T-shirt is a seperate cast.

Juki and his toys, Hariken's Mad Panda Customs by TTToy.

Itokin Mikazukin & the March wave of green.

Cackle Factory

2009-02-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

Brandt Peters' Cackle Factory show is tonight in LA, full preview is also on line for those of us who cant make it in person.

Warpzone

2009-02-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

If you're lucky enough to be at NYCC Matt will be selling his new buildman there with a bunch of other exclusive awesomeness if the past CC are any indicator.

The Warpzone is open again,

along with an awesome puzzle with megaman-like renditions of his characters, which links to some normal and secret stores.

Stop taking my money Matt!

29th

2009-01-29T17:25:00.000-08:00

Devil Robots Warehouse, Real x Head

26th

2009-01-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

Mad Barbarians

25th

2009-01-25T17:11:00.000-08:00

Yoshi, & The Fukumen Craftsman