Toy OTD: Nostalgic Heroes Tetsujin-28 Vinyl Figure: Satan (Late '90s)

This toy is part of a great late-'90s line of old-school Tetsujin-28 characters, not surprisingly made by a company called Nostalgic Heroes. They really seem to understand what's appealing about Japanese vinyl from the '60s and '70s!

For starters, it's packed in a plastic bag with a hang card, just like the originals. Not much in terms of shelf presence, but NH stayed true to the roots of these toys. The color work is within a limited (but striking) palette - while there might have been only one or two passes back in the day, good use is made of the additional colors. The application is also nicely done, reflecting contemporary manufacturing techniques.

The sculpt is simple, but reflects the style of the original manga very well, and in an appealing way. There's a boldness to the shapes that makes it stand out, in spite of its muted color scheme.

There's only six points of articulation, but even that number is a little more than it might've been thirty or forty years ago. Most of the assemblage is fine, though the hip joints make it difficult for the figure to stand properly, the biggest detraction.

There's another colorway available in green, so you don't have to buy this color scheme if it doesn't appeal to you. It's always good to have choices!

I bought the robot pictured above at Super 7 some time ago for about $60. If you can read Japanese, and if they ship internationally, it looks like you should still be able to buy it directly from the NH website for $62.00 + shipping. The figure is also listed at coolstuffvideos.com, so you may want to try emailing the store owner to see if he can help track one down for you. Other than that, there's always the time-honored eBay favorite search, or a Japanese auction bidding service. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Billiken B19 Maboroshi Tantei (Phantom Detective) Vinyl Figure

Some time ago, Billiken released a retro-styled line of various manga characters, complete with old-school bags 'n' hang tags! I bought a few Astro Boy figures, and later on, this Maboroshi Tantei toy (aka Phantom Detective, or National Kid). 'He' looks to be the star of a late '50s/early '60s manga, as well as a live-action television series!

If you like this style of vinyl figure, it's a really sweet toy! The sculpt is very simple and streamlined, emphasizing the graphic qualities of the original manga art. The colors are great, too - a perfect match with the comic's palette. I think most of the toy is made from dyed vinyl, which really adds to the overall look!

The pose is asymmetrical, but not so pushed that it would cause stability problems. While a display stand is never completely unnecessary, it's not as critical here. If I remember correctly, the feet rotate at the ankles, which can be very useful to help adjust the figure and improve its balance.

Beyond the ankles, there's the usual amount of articulation for this type of toy - neck, wrists, shoulders, and waist. For the most part, though, none of these rotation points really improve on the original pose very much.

The bag-n-tag packaging is appropriate to the retro-toy concept, but aside from the nifty tag art, there's not much to it.

You can still get this figure online, although I think it's a little pricier these days. I think I paid about sixty dollars or so for it at Kimono My House, but it's selling on eBay right now for $112.99. A little more bargain hunting may be in order... good luck!

Toy OTD: Fewture Artstorm Hajime Ningen Gyatoruzu Vinyl Figures: Piko, The Hinemoguras

I was intrigued by these odd designs several years ago, and still haven't learned very much about the source manga (or anime), Gon the Stone Age Boy (aka はじめ人間　ゴン, Gyatoruzu, Giatrus The First Man or First Human Gon). The characters are very appealing - sort of a cross between The Simpsons and The Flintstones. At some point, I'd like to watch an episode or two, if there's any available with English subtitles!

Considering how stylized these drawings are, I think Fewture Artstorm did a fine job realizing them as toys. When I first bought the Hinemogura couple I assumed they were monkeys, but upon seeing the source drawings now, I'm not as sure. I'd like to see the sculpts get pushed even further, emphasizing the chubby limbs, wonky proportions and tilted feet. Still, they're good compromises, working well on their own!

There's only a few point of articulation (in fact the Hinemoguras have none at all), but the paint work is decent, and the colors are sharp-looking. The bright side of a more conservative sculpt is that there's fewer balance issues. Display stands are always a good idea, but they're hardly needed here.

It's been quite a while since I've seen the packaging for either of these figures. Here's a box for another toy in the line, and I seem to remember the box design being fairly similar. Nothing spectacular, but at least it's decorated with logos and drawings from the show!

I can't remember whether nor not these characters were packed together or not. Information about the manga/anime/merchandising (at least, info in English) is spotty and scattered all over the place. You may want to try searching here (at http://goods.ruten.com.tw/) periodically, as they do have a couple of other figures from this line for sale right now. I can't find much of anything else for sale online, so your best bets are an eBay favorite search, or a Japanese toy search service. I'd expect to pay at least $40-$60 for each toy. Good luck!

PS - If you'd like to watch a(n annoyingly dubbed) episode of the anime, click here, then click on the "screening" link.

Toy OTD: Sekiguchi Moomin Vinyl Figure: Snufkin (2003)

I don't know very much about the Moomin stories or comic strip, but I was intrigued enough by the drawings to buy the books. I've read a little of the first one, and to my adult mind they seem really weird. I'll have to reach back into my inner six-year old so I can appreciate them more!

Regardless of how that ultimately sorts out, the drawings are pretty neat - sort of a cross between Crockett Johnson and James Thurber - and they've inspired a lot of merchandising. Like many overseas successes, it's not only popular in its home country (Finland), but in Japan as well. And if you've got Japan... there's going to be toys. And cool ones!

I'm not all that familiar with Sekiguchi as a company, but if the Moomin toys are a good indicator, they're a name to watch. Much like Medicom's figures, the sculpt here is very faithful to the source drawings, and the construction seems to favor dyed vinyl over paint. Not much articulation - the neck, and maybe the right wrist and boot-tops - but the execution is finessed more than enough to compensate in my book! The fishing line is an especially nice touch.

I've got two or three other Sekiguchi Moomin figures, and it looks like there's at least seven or eight in the line. I can't find this particular character for sale anywhere right now, so you'll have to hire an auction search service, or set up a favorite search (something along the lines of "sekiguchi moomin" or "sekiguchi snufkin", or both) on eBay. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Medicom, Disney Vinyl Collectible Doll: Ariel (2002)

I bought this toy for my wife Anita because she's such a big fan of the film. This is executed so well, though, that I don't mind having it in my collection one bit! It's really a wonderful 3-D execution of the 2-D design.

The sculpt is simply terrific, and the figure balances nicely thanks to the choice of a seated pose. It's a logical answer to balance a mermaid character, but you'd be surprised how many toys there are that don't choose the obvious solution!

Like many other VCD figures, this toy utilizes paint and dyed vinyl extremely well. The facial paint work is really tight and delicate, plus Medicom gets big points for making Ariel's waist fin translucent - just another example of how they go the extra mile in their products. There's no artiuculation here, but the pose is dynamic enough that you don't really need any.

The packaging isn't particularly imaginative or attractive, but at least the money is in the toy - plus credit is due for how well protected VCD figures are in their sturdy clamshell/box containers. Warping and pain rubs are extremely rare in this line!

There isn't one of these figures for sale online right now, so you'll need to warm up another eBay favorite search. Good hunting!

Toy OTD: Mega House Panda-Z Figure: Hamugear (Yellow Version, 2004)

Here's another figure from Mega House's Panda-Z line - I've never seen the anime, but the character designs look great! I fell in love with the minute I first saw them. Cute animals driving cute-animal-robots! What more do you want?

Overall, these are great toys - the sculpts and paint work are very strong. The minimalistic details are captured well, and the execution doesn't compromise the design work one bit! There's not a lot of articulation here, but it's not a big deal to me - these designs can only pose so much to begin with, I imagine.

The packaging is a blister on a back card - functional but not exceptionally striking. The biggest minus of these toys is the construction - the legs often warp, which doesn't affect how they display in the blister, but can render the occasional figure wobbly (I have at least two or three from the line that aren't as stable as they could be).

As far as variants go, there's a gray version and a yellow one. The gray variant seems to be cheaper, so I'm assuming it's more common (or less desired, or both).

Originally, I think I bought this figures at Super 7 for less than $20. The price seems to have skyrocketed on eBay for some reason ($225!!), so you'll want to hunt around for better prices. Good luck and be patient - try giving Super 7 a call...

Toy OTD: Medicom Toucan Sam Vinyl Figure (2004)

I can't exactly remember where I got this toy from - I think it was Hobby Link Japan - but it was before Dark Horse began to distribute them (at a much lower price) to comic shops. D'oh!

Regardless, this is a great figure through and through! The idea to make vinyl toys of '60s Kellogg cereal mascots is terrific, the sculpt is wonderful and the construction is subtle but solid. Last but not least, the paint apps - not trivial on this toy - are (for the most part) accurate and crisp. It's just a joy to behold!

Toucan Sam was one of three cereal characters in this line - Medicom also made Sugar Pops Pete and Cornelius the (Corn Flakes) Rooster. They're cool too, but Sam is the best of them if you're on a budget, and have to prioritize.

Since the only difference between the Japanese (I think I paid around thirty or forty dollars originally) and domestic releases is the packaging, the latter is still easily available. In fact, it's on sale over at Things From Another World for $5.99 + shipping! Wow - snap it up!

Toy OTD: West Kenji Booska, Chamegon OP Animation Completed Set (Monochrome Version - 2007)

I bought this set at my first Vinyl Toy Network show. I've always kind of liked Booska (even though I've never seen him in anything), but this stylized interpretation put me over the edge and finally got me to hit the 'spend' button. The pair cost me sixty dollars at the time.

I like the colors in Booska's design, the monochrome version was sufficiently attractive. I suspected that this might be the case, but I didn't know until just now that this set is designed to look like the opening animation of the program. Not to mention that I got his girlfriend (?) Chamegon in the bargain! Pretty cool.

The sculpts, color palette and paint jobs are great - the only real minus is that the interchangeable arms don't fit into the body as well as I'd like (see photo). The package design isn't mind-blowing, but I rarely keep that stuff anyway. Average-looking boxes are easier to recycle, so in a way it's a plus!

I can't find either set online right now, so set up a favorite search and keep casting that net. Be prepared to pay north of a hundred dollars, as they've been sold out for a while. Good luck!

The End Is Near...

... because I got a bargain at a toy show. Seriously. This never happens.

Here's how things usually go:

A) I buy something at a premium (before it hits stores) because I'm so excited that it's been released. Later on, I find it remaindered for half as much because it turns out that I was the only one who wanted it.

B) I buy a lot of movie merchandise at a premium because I'm so excited that its film is finally coming out. It premieres six weeks later, and I don't like it at all. The toys immediately becomes a monument to my impatient stupidity, and I give them all to Goodwill because none of my collector friends want them either.

C) I buy a vintage toy at a decent price, but wind up buying it again when I find one in better condition - I rationalize it by promising myself that I'll sell the other one. Of course, the object of a once-hotly-contested auction now sits on eBay like it's infected with the plague.

D) I see something that vaguely interests me, but don't buy it. Six months later, I change my mind completely, and wind up paying ten times retail for it.

But not this time. This time I waited, and it paid off.

I'd always liked the Kotobukiya Star Wars vinyl kits - the sculpts and paint jobs are really nice, and - compared to the quarter-scale Sideshow figures - more affordable and easier to display. But I picked the Sideshow line to pursue, so I decided not to go down two expensive paths at once.

Until I found out that Kotobukiya was going to produce a kit of Ralph McQuarrie's concept painting of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker dueling with lightsabers. It's one of my favorite concept paintings, so I was kind of screwed. It was going to cost two hundred dollars, but I had to have it!

It came out last summer for Comic-Con, but I'd bought a lot of other stuff already, and it was big and expensive to ship, so I held off. I kept checking on it, but it was always the same. Two hundred dollars. Two hundred dollars. Two hundred dollars. Plus shipping. So I kept waiting, firmly believing that I was setting myself up for another category D.

Like many times when great things happen, I wasn't even thinking about it any more. I missed WonderCon, so I was really ready for a toy show, and The San Jose show was right there to fill the bill. I got there as close to the opening of the show as I could, paid my early bird admission price, and started to wander. And there it was, at a booth.

For one hundred and twenty dollars.

I couldn't believe it. I walked on, past the staggering bargain, hanging on to my rule of "make one complete sweep before you buy". I'm not sure, but I do think I finished going over all the the tables before I went back.

The cheapskate Vermonter is chanting too good to be true, too good to be true, too good... in an attempt to be practical, I asked the dealer, "Is it in good shape?"

"It's unopened," he said.

"But that's... a really good price." I said, probing for a loophole. What the hell is the catch here? Will I be drafted into the Army if I buy it?

"I know," he said.

"Okay," I said, no resistance left. "I'll take it."

I lugged it about for a while, which did start some conversations (It's a big box). I bought a McFarlane Yogi Bear figure for ten bucks, a couple of Justice League Unlimited figures for another tenner, and four Dudley Spare toys from Cars that amounted to another sixteen dollars. Neat stuff, but most of it was utterly eclipsed by The Bargain.

I know eventually I'll open and display the Star Wars kit (otherwise, what's the point?), but for the first time, I'm wondering if it can really make any happier anyway. What if it's broken, or warped from sitting in the sun or something? Maybe it's better to leave The Bargain as just that.

Naaah.

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PS - I almost bought a category B, but it's for sale online - you can pre-order it for a couple of bucks less than it cost at the show, or wait even longer and get one at Toys 'R' Us for a few bucks less than that.

Toy OTD: '90s Doraemon Vinyl Squeeze Toy

Thanks to my buddy Bill Presing, I was finally able to read some of the Doraemon manga in English! He found some collections in San Francisco's Japantown - they're bilingual so that young Japanese-speaking children can learn English.

The drawings are really fun, and the stories are short and simple - Nobita will have a problem (doing his homework too slowly, wanting more toys, etc.), and Doraemon will produce something from his his fourth-dimensional pocket (like Felix the Cat's bag of tricks) to help out. The helper gadget usually comes with a rule that Nobita winds up breaking, and hilarity ensues. Gadgets might include pills to make you quicker or slower (!), a black belt that hurls anyone you touch away from you, animal picture books that produce real animals, and so on. Super cute stuff!

Anyway, I've been a big fan of Doraemon's design long before I knew anything about him. This isn't the most elaborate or well-executed toy, but it's pretty faithful to its source, and that goes a long way. Even though the pose is very symmetrical, the design is still charming because its intrinsic variety of shapes is strong.

It's a simple toy, but its one feature is also true to its source. Doraemon has a propeller that will pop out of his head so he can fly around (like Inspector Gadget). Thus toy has a hollow propeller with vents on the sides of the rotors (you can see one on the left rotor). If you squeeze the toy, air is forced out of the vents, and the prop spins. Very clever!

I bought this over ten years ago, so getting this exact toy might be very difficult. I can't find it on eBay or Google, but if you're stubborn and put a very open term like "doraemon" in one of those search engines and dig like crazy, it might turn up. If you can find it, at least it shouldn't be all that expensive - I think mine cost under twelve dollars. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Medicom Vinyl Collectible Dolls: Alice (In Wonderland)

Another toy touchdown from Medicom! Alice isn't one of my favorite Disney films, but it's hard to resist another wonderful sculpt. The pose is a bit symmetrical, but I love how simply the shapes are executed. They also do a great job of combining different colors of vinyl rather than painting, which looks really awesome (it inspired me when I was designing my toy).

Even though there's not much paint on this figure, the factory really did a nice job. Check out that face! Granted, the expression's a little cold, but it's very tight paint work.

It's not pictured here, but the figure does come with its own display stand. Big points (as usual) for that!

This figure's been out for a while, so it'll be a little tougher to get. You can buy one right now from eBay for $29.80 + $27.80 shipping. Usually, these toys cost around $20-$40, so that's not a lot of markup. Happy shopping!

Toy OTD: Gargamel Vinyl Figure: Smogun

I don't have a lot of old-school Japanese vinyl - it was an acquired taste for me. Initially, I was turned off by the soft sculpting and airbrush over-spray painting style - they looked like toys you should be able to get at a gas station for five dollars or something. Little by little, I grew to like that aesthetic, and started to buy both vintage and modern pieces. This is an example of current artists echoing that retro style (I think Gargamel is a group of artists, but I'm not positive).

I'm pretty picky about this type of toy - they have to appeal specifically to me, because I don't have any nostalgia for the style or the characters. I like this one mainly for the character - I just think it's cool that someone designed a monster made of tires and garbage, with wrecked cars for its head and feet. The colors are striking to me, too, and the faux-naive sculpt/paint work combine with its diminutive size (six inches) to make it cute and charming - at least, in a kaiju sort of way!

I think I paid $40 for this at last spring's Vinyl Toy Network. It's available in several different colorways, but you can still get this one for $43.00 + shipping from giantrobot.com. You can get a green version at ningyoushi.com for $40 + shipping, and Super 7 has the green version, and a pink colorway as well, both for $40 each. Use Google Image Search if you want to know what other versions are out there!