From Martoy's blog. It might not be the scan you are looking for but it does feature the one that just sold on Mandarake you've got there.
Really nice bemon. Unfortunately The prices are going bonkers these days making collecting any difficult. Sad for long time bemon collectors like myself
Unfortunate, for the normal collectors. Good for the new super rich hype driven collectors. I don't think these prices will slow down IG user messiyu. If anything he'll have like five of the same Bemon colorway which he used his private jet to fly to Japan to buy. The amounts of money that guy has thrown around on toys is pornographic. You could probably sell his collection and feed all of North Korea. And then people congratulate him on his collection?!?! Kinda makes me embarrassed for the real sofubi or Bemon fans (like myself). UGGGH, and now he is collecting knuckle sculpts and trying to ruin that for me too! ---EDIT: Yes, I realize how stupid I am for hating the guy and still following his IG. I guess I must love to hate him.
^^ That, and also obviously all the money in the world can't save you from being a needy tool that yearns for recognition & appreciation from the likes of godsendconspire on IG. Sad, really... #DEDICATION
Unfortunately I think there are a few wealthy collectors specifically, sellers are now knowingly targeting and setting the prices because they know they will pay. Like you are saying, very few people willing to pay these prices, and once the guys who are get their figures, the prices will drop.
Here's the best pic I could find Kevin. I didn't think it would sell at that price or at least that fast. The prices on HP's have been at half that for awhile.
These just aren't the people who I see collecting in the long term, maybe 5 years, but not a lifetime. They will likely get bored sooner or later and hop onto something that is new and popular in the design/collecting world, "fine" art, or focus on a hobby that is exclusively limited to people with very large incomes. You have to wonder what their actual taste level is, just collecting what is the most hyped, instead of what I know from "real" collectors who actually love the characters, have been into monsters and toys their whole lives such they have nostalgia for this type of stuff, and most importantly who collect what they actually want and like deep down not what they believe they like and want because people who can't afford them congratulate them on spending stupid money on the stuff. It is sorta sad, at this very moment when something like a Bemon seems out of reach, but it can't sustain forever. Think to '07 when rare 1-2yo Real Head was going for $500, and even Cronic was commanding big bucks. It is hard to give away some Cronic now and while Real Head has continued cranking out great work, most of it is pretty affordable at this point. I realize Bemon is somewhat different keeping production numbers very low, but still its bubble will burst, maybe not to the same degree, but it will in some form. Either way, I would like a GID Bemon, and I have faith with patience and maybe the help of other collectors, someday, be it 5, 10, 15+ years, I will snag a GID Bemon and I won't have paid silly for it.
Thanks phantomfauna! I'd like to make a bootleg shirt for myself one day as I've had no luck finding a shirt with that image
Not hard, just give them to me i am still trying to pick up pieces i don't have but they hardly come up now considering there were tons of customs and small runs from various runs to hunt down.
I know, right?!? Cronic was one of the main reasons I got into this hobby. And I just found out from a top notch boardie that some of his small runs were dyed pieces. Cronic FTW! Sorry for the derail... EDIT: Beautiful Bemon Charlie. Is that a one-off or from a small run?
Thanks Charlie, looking forward to seeing it! The Kougai with HP sludges are my favorite OG series (after the last round of HPs here below which I feel were simply mind blowing and unequalled)! EDIT: Just realised these had been posted before but they're so good I thought I might as well leave them in this larger format Besides all this nice shots of that white 2H giant!
^ Agreed, best Kougai Kaiju run ever. I would so love to own one of these some day. A nerd can dream.