^^^ agree with all the above, but time's they are a'changin' and the licensed stuff is an easier sale and less risk. SB is a business and Hiddy does what he needs to keep the lights burning. Making lemonade out of lemons . . . I've saved a fuckin' fortune and reduced my stress levels since the demise.
The overall disappearance of the fight figure has for sure been a bummer as well as the lack of painted pieces. I do understand a changing business model as it’s not just Secret Base but Super7 as well. It’s like that song “where have all the cowboys gone” but in my head I just here fighters instead of cowboys lol
^^ true, I should’ve included S7 in that thought process as well, but I think it’s been a foregone conclusion in my head that they are pretty much out of the sofubi game. I would say it’s about 90/10 in terms of liscenced gear, reaction figures, muscle figs and then the 10% sofubi.
I definitely miss fight figures. Aside from the Obake Dog, they were the first toys I collected in droves, not to mention a Balzac Baghead being the first sofubi toy I ever bought. It’s a huge bummer that they’re pretty much exiled from production at this point. I totally understand the business model of licensed stuff to keep the lights on, but I think appeasing the fighter crowd with some not - so - crazy run numbers would be rad. At least in SB’s store they still have the locked up vault of fighters against the wall!
Unsure if you're thinking of the old store above BxH and opposite Erostika, but that shut down awhile back and the vault contents emptied/dispersed/sold off!
I just went there in 2015! It wasn’t above BxH, that was next door in another building. There weren’t a huge amount, but I’d say at least 50 or more. I’ll have to dig through the photos from my trip and see if I still have ‘em. No idea if the store is still standing today, though. I’ll be back in March.
Yeah, that's the place . . . I was there last Spring and they moved out mid 2016. They're represented in the basement of the ATMOS store and in Three Tides Tattoo studio but both are lacklustre by comparison. The white tiled 'store' with red/black canopy featured on the website, blog and in their PR isn't actually a store . . . just the office.
@Anti Social Andy Aye. That’s such a huge bummer. That store, though small, had so much cool shit in it. There was also a little fenced crevice in the wall that had a collection of Obake Dogs, many of which were from the second Whiz76 series.
I cant believe there are Screwbiters still showing available. Had this drop been 5 yrs ago, they'd be gone in 60 seconds. Hardcore Toy is Dead.
If it was a normal Skull Brain, I’d have jumped on it. But I personally hate those new Pus arms. They don’t coincide with either the body or the brain.
Shades of recent ‘bait & switch’ open run KAWS! Just when everyone’s anticipating them being uber limited . . . make a shit-ton!
Man, I knew they moved, but had no clue they sold off all the vault stuff : / massive bummer. As for the new screwbiter, even though I’m a Pus fan, I just hate the way the SB head fits with the arms. Plus, I’m not sure why the body is marbled but the head isn’t. Just weird to me.
On the other hand, if the vault stuff was sold off... you may have a chance at finding some of them one day. On the new Screwbiter, I'm happy to see it, and waiting to receive my order. Agree that the new Pus stuff isn't a great fit with the old SB head aesthetically, but I appreciate the nod to the old releases. My only minor issue is that I wish the yellow were a little darker, to match the original release.
It looks like they just took what would be a new skull hevi and put a screwbiter head on it. I'm thinking the eye would look like shit on the marbled, so they just went with the og style, though as akum6n said the color is off . And I'm wondering why the head under the brain was marbled and not matching the brain. The whole thing looks like it was thrown together at the last minute, but I still really like it. I have mine unopened under the tree (as mandated by my wife for all packages until christmas ) so I still need to see it in hand. Personally, I think it would've been a great looking new marbled skull hevi. Would have made a nice little set!
Given it happened almost 18 months ago I'd say anything that may have been offloaded has long-since found a new home. There are still a few primo items 'For display only' at Three Tides . . . just not the same mind-fuck as the SB store vault. With regard to the anniversary Screwbiter . . . . everyone'll view it differently and have an opinion on how it could be 'improved' but I dig it just as a tribute in its own right. A nice nod to the OG (eye tampo & brain covering) with a new 2017 twist (marbled and Hevi arms). I can confirm that it was definitely not just 'thrown together at the last minute'. My main beef is the price tag . . . I miss the weekly sub ¥5,000 fighters!
It’s not at all a perspective of improvement for me, but rather preference. As with all of the toys we collect, it’s all subjective. I’m not a fan of pretty much anything Pus has touched, toy wise, sans the Skull Wing and his HP style. Unfortunately for me, I was never privy to such a generous price tag for fighters. I jumped in during the time of $65 retail. However, it’s infinitely been more than worth it.
Perhaps its a dig at those 2ndary market assholes that say something is brand new when clearly they resealed and didn't even bother to line up the staples to the holes.
