A Nag Pa I Root (NAGNAGNAG) and der Angora Patio

Thanks for this post, it's nice to see what the "heroes" collect.

 

If it meant something to me, and I meant something to my family, I dunno I think I’d hope that they’d try to do something else with them.

Maybe I should write a will…

I’ll keep saying this…

 

Old thread: http://skullbrain.org/bb/index.php?threads/what-happens-to-your-toys-in-the-end.54903/

I looked at some of the listings, does that Takatoku Ankylosaurus really go for that much these days?

 

Are you even here for the toys?

 

Maybe he is here for the abundant job opportunities. Isn’t why that you resurfaced here to begin with?

I mean….it makes sense. When I think of employment, I immediately think of Japanese toy message boards.

 

I can’t imagine most artists, certainly not high profile ones, that think “I’d better sign this so people will pay WAY more for my work when I’m dead”, whether they’ve got family or loved ones, or not. I think just wanting their art to stand the test of time is forefront. Honda editioning blanks is cool in a cataloging/archiving sense, especially if you’re someone that wants to hunt those numbers down, but I guess I see it differently than signing a name.

 

Brass tacks is that buyers don’t typically care if a work is signed; be it by artist or child. They just don’t.

More than anyone else. Crazy take.

 

I’d also weigh in additionally that it’s only cared about if it’s requested personally, whether prior to purchase, or in person. Not to say it isn’t appreciated when done on the artist’s own volition.

 

Wow you guys are easy lol

 

Hey do you have a portfolio of your other photo work? I'd love to pass it on to some people..

 

You’re clearly bored.

My “work” is an urban legend.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Translation:

When this auction was announced, warnings were given in advance to all those involved in listing items, and the organizer assured us that they would be strictly enforced. However, someone who happened to visit the venue later came to my store and told me, “There were no such warnings at all.” As someone who has run a store dealing in vintage sofubi for many years and takes pride in my expertise, I feel compelled to speak up.

I was the one who sorted, packed, and provided the vintage toys, including Marusan, Bullmark, and Popy items, from a personal estate for this auction. Therefore, although briefly, I personally handled all the items and was able to assess their condition to some extent.

My impression was that “there were an overwhelming number of repainted items.” In addition to that, there were also many damaged and repaired items, as well as some that appeared to be altered to look like vintage originals. Of course, there were also many pieces that seemed fine. However, the individual in question openly admitted to me and others close to them that they had repainted their collection. Repairs are a personal preference, and collecting is ultimately up to the individual, but—

When I learned about this auction, I was beyond dismayed. Even setting aside the general issue of reselling a deceased person’s collection, I was particularly shocked that unfinished works—pieces that had not been completed—were being put up for sale. Given that the deceased had a strong sense of pride as a creator, this act was nothing short of a blatant disregard for their wishes.

That being said, I understand that from the family’s perspective, they had no choice but to sell these items for financial reasons. Still, their complete lack of consideration for the deceased’s wishes is deeply concerning.

This was my personal view, so I refrained from making a public condemnation. However, when I found out that the vintage sofubi I had provided was going to be sold through an auction, I felt it necessary to ensure that collectors were properly warned.

I sent an email to the lawyer handling the estate—marked as “no reply needed”—stating, “If these are going to be sold, collectors must be given extensive warnings about the risks of repaints and repairs.” Later, I felt it was necessary to explain this directly, so I called and left a voicemail saying, “Please call me back,” but I never received a response. I had no choice but to send the same message via text to the family, but they left it on read and never replied. As a last resort, I contacted the auction organizer directly. They responded and assured me over the phone that “sufficient warnings would be given.”

Since they made that promise, I decided not to escalate the issue further. However, if they failed to follow through on that commitment, then that changes everything. Time is running out, so at the risk of being presumptuous, I am speaking up now to minimize potential harm.

Many of the items listed are heavily repainted. This is especially true for the high-priced pieces. There are also numerous repaired items. I noticed many peculiar details—for instance, antennas that were cracked at the time I provided them have now mysteriously been fixed. For those who do not have a trained eye for authentication, I strongly advise against bidding on many of these items.

Generally speaking, when purchasing antiques, returns are difficult once the transaction is completed.

Furthermore, given how the deceased’s collection is being disposed of in this manner, I find it too painful to be involved any further. Therefore, our store will not be offering authentication services for any items from this auction. Please take that as a sign.

I understand that those benefiting financially from this auction may see this post as an inconvenience or an act of retaliation. However, in business, no one should sell products they cannot vouch for. Buyers are paying not just for the item itself, but for the assurance of its quality.

I have also heard that the organizer has been mentioning a well-known shop in Koiwa as an appraiser, even as recently as yesterday at the preview event. However, I know for a fact that Mr. A from Koiwa explicitly told them in advance, “I cannot guarantee anything. Do not use my name.”

Had the proper warnings simply been issued from the beginning, I would not have had to say any of this.

This is my advance warning to collectors.

 

A lot of people looking the other way, because they want their cut (by the sounds of it).

 

NNN causing chaos and courting controversy, even from beyond the grave!

 

Seems like drama runs in the family.

Another testimonial from a friend of Shig's:
Seeing so many of the gifts I gave you being put up for auction today, I feel deeply saddened by this outcome. I can still clearly remember how happy you looked when you received them. I miss you very much.

I don't know what the family should have done, but I don't think that this is what doing right by the deceased looks like.

 

from beyond the rave.

 

They should have given them back, so the original artist could sell it as a toy he once gifted Shigeru.

 

When you have the right connections they let you purchase pre auction for 30 percent off original asking price. They also let you purchase in bulk, so say I paid 13 dollars for each Nag, that wouldnt be unheard of.

 

thats not what you were saying a few months ago..

 

@slipstar01 People say a lot of things. Who cares. Talk about toys.

 

https://www.my-auction.co.jp/pdf/result/maa810en.pdf

Some interesting results. I love that a terrible whore bat was mislabeled as a madball bat and sold for about 70 bucks.

I really loved seeing Shigs collection, it really humanized him, and there are some very interesting things in there, you can tell were unlabeled one-offs or things he started experimenting on. Though it seems others suspected they were 1-offs too, based on the bidding prices. Also things he acquired with plans of painting small runs of that never materialized.

Case in point the Caveguard, https://www.my-auction.co.jp/en/schedule/details/810/6. I was hanging out with him in NY at Dave Healey's studio when he dropped off a new tail he had started for the Cave Guard to Dave. It was a paper clay snake that wrapped up over the shoulders. he had finished the form and started sculpting the scales, but you could tell he got tired of texturing it and gave it to Dave to finish, of course Dave isn't a sculptor he's a kit basher, and it was never finished or released. But it's interesting to see what was no doubt supposed to be figures for a micro run to build interest, that never came to fruition.

 

An update from Vintage Toy Kaleidoscope:

After the auction ended, several people who had attended in person came by the shop, and I heard various stories from them.

Apparently, many of the high-priced items were won not by attendees on-site, but by online bidders.

It seems that those who saw the actual items in person could clearly tell something was off. I was told that there were no warnings or notices at all, that some items were sold with descriptions implying they were vintage, and that even for items expected to sell for over a million yen, the sellers refused to allow buyers to disassemble and inspect the figures. It’s not like we’re talking about used cars—just slapping on a “sold as-is” label doesn’t make everything okay.

Now, the items will start arriving to the online buyers, and once they see them in person and start disassembling and checking them, I expect complaints and scandals will inevitably start popping up here and there.

For the sake of the credibility of the vintage toy industry, here’s how our shop believes such issues should be handled if and when they arise:

1. The law trumps store policies.
● No matter what a seller's terms or policies say, if something violates the law, those terms are meaningless. For example, in a real legal case, a seller embedded diamonds into a branded watch and sold it as if it were a genuine product. (The watch itself was authentic, by the way.) Of course, it became a legal issue. The court ruled against the seller for modifying the item in a way that could affect its quality and cause confusion with genuine products.

2. Act quickly.
● If you discover a flaw in your item, notify the seller or responsible party as soon as possible. It’s best to do this through a medium like email, where there’s a record that can later serve as evidence for a third party.

3. For sofubi, warm the parts and disassemble them to check the inside.
● The exterior can often be disguised or touched up, but the inside is much harder to fake. If something feels off, open it up and check.

4. Don’t shoulder a complaint on your own—speak out via social media and other platforms.
● That said, start by reaching out directly to the seller. And don’t forget—any written response from them is copyrighted, so avoid sharing it publicly without permission.

And finally:

They marketed the items as “keepsakes” of the deceased, and just from this auction alone, they reportedly made tens of millions of yen. (Some even said it exceeded ¥70 million.) Even considering the recent surge in sofubi prices since last year, that’s a massive amount. The taxes must be wild...

 

For reference, the detailed results are now locked behind Mainichi member access. Not sure if you [or anyone around here] have such access, or if it would be permissible to grab the list of detailed items, but that would be interesting to have.
One thing I was curious about in Hellgeisha's preview vid was that Itamu/Brutal Monster lot #198 with a final price of Y800k. They were saying something about it already going to some NYC event? auto-cc was probably getting something wrong there [at 35:43]:

 

Well that's annoying you can no longer see the lots to check against the results.