I think hardcore fans love the bags, to have sets, or pairs in specific colorways. Less hardcore fans might not want a Gargamel shelf all filled with the same colors. Also, Gargamel bags have had unpainted Deathras and Zags for the past few years so their appeal probably isn't as great even if they're great colors.
Yeah it is hard not to think some people are just playing the zodiac lottery and dumping the bags after.
Bags in the past have come with the poster card of the new years zodiac animal. It's not just something that comes with the figure.
Well, I didn't buy a bag this year but, if I did, I would want to resell it as well - I'm really not liking this year's stuff. I might be alone in this opinion, but maybe others feel the same.
^i feel the same, not much variation at all and i would be kind of upset about a two zag bag however im a sucker for coke bottle green but it wouldnt justify the purchase of a bag
When I look at what Gargamel produces in terms of 1 offs I am blown away. It gets tough to compare a LB to any of those, but having a mostly unpainted bag, for the last few years, starts to be less appealing to most people. I think if both standard size were painted, or if the unpainted were a new figure, bags would be much more appealing to the average person. That said, Gargamel in general is not hyped toys or todays hot item. They're also not going away, they have a dedicated fanbase. Maybe in the future people will think twice about buying a bag assuming they will get a zodiac toy or something ultra rare. If the problem is over saturation it is hard for Gargamel to tell because bags sell out in minutes.
Painted pieces and rare toys aside i think the Walking Killer blank's for this year are really cool. Lots of color variety with them this year compared to the last time they added them in which was more of a chance to get one rather than a guarantee if i remember right.
The issue with this year's bag, for me at least, was the lack of painted pieces. With the pocket and mini sizes, there are no painteds to trade for. With the standards, there are only two variations of "common" painteds. Selling (for the most part) is easier than trading this year. Also, Mecha Zag as the "common" painted two years in a row was a bit of a bummer. I do love mine though, and will be keeping it since I had to sell mine from last year to cover a vet bill.
Also the Bako isn't really a popular figure, judging by the all the people who're selling them. Only toy i liked this year were the Cyborgs... Hopefully next year we'll get some good stuff again!
I got the double Zag bag and couldn't be happier. A Mecha Zag is a first for me, so that's obviously awesome. The unpainted Zag is excellent too. It's such a great figure that you want to play with it, but I don't want to risk scratching up one of my painted ones. Now no worries. The micros are great too. That pink is blinding.
The new Asian craze...now the collectors are so obsessed they have to buy multiples and have 2,3, even 5 of everything.
This can't be a real trend, I hope. I see the multiples on IG, but I assumed it was for getting more chances at different sculpts or rarities.
Unfortunately it's not just lucky bags. though it makes much more sense with lucky bags. It's everything.
Weapons of mass acquisition. Taking 'Gotta catch 'em all!' to whole new levels! I look forward to the bubble bursting . . . or has it already!
Gargamel isn't like any other maker. The scope and types of releases they do are much broader then everyone else. They do licensed figures, produce figures for other artists and of course do their own varied lines and on top of that they do their customs which aren't really comparable to the production figures. This leads to a lot of different people with Gargamel toys in their collection and there is no way to make them all happy. On top of the diversified fan base you have a rising cost of production. People tend to look at the US retail price and say there is plenty of room for profit, but the Japanese retail price is lower and they wholesale a good amount of bags. This leads to a smaller amount of figures in the bag and less painted figures, or guts inserts. To further complicate things Gargamel has been around for so long that different people have different preferences. People who have been around for a few years want older releases like the Bakobas, where newer fans really want the Mecha Zag/Miborah, Garudan etc. All those different fans buy a bag and in the end everyone isn't always happy. That's the fun. I think for $300 the bags are still a great buy and that zodiac Zag in it's simple color with slight sparkle is amazing. Not everything needs to be marbled, clear, or glittered to the max to be visually appealing. If anyone has mastered simple elegance in vinyl form it's Gargamel. In conclusion, Gargamel forever and sell/trade me your Zodiac Miborah.
^ Very well put! ^ I feel if they kept the same exact bags but painted some of the minis there would be a different response from people. Buying multiple bags is something you have to deal with, its not just an over seas thing, people in the US do it as well. Last years bags really raised the bar, first painted cyborg zag, tons of painted minis, even a clear Doranekon with guts. Maybe people were expecting this year to be more like the last years bags. One things for sure, there have been A LOT more Miborahs this year, painted cyborgs and unpainted zodiac versions. To each their own though.
Yeah they are one of the top producers in quality vinyl. I still think these bags this year were great. Rewind 5-7 years with these lucky bags and nothing would be found for sale. I think the problem is people are desensitized to gargamel. I just pulled out my Micros to see what i am missing and fell in love again.
