strange or rare yahoo auctions post here (after theyre over)

Sometimes nothing but the OG will scratch that itch, but in this case and many others I wholeheartedly concur Steve.

 

@ultrakaiju - Steve, I completely agree, of course, and I have the M1GO versions of the baby gojiras myself. I do find the originals to be delightful though, especially with the original packaging. I put up a couple bids on this one last night without success:






I artwork on the box is wonderful, imho.

 

Love those.
I own the wind up Goro from Ultra Q and it's super cute. The box is pretty damn cute as well!

 

So here's one that affected me personally. Remember years ago (2012) I found a Bandai Giant Thundermask on YJA in great shape (the silver paint was for the most part intact):


Well I guess vintage wasn't as hot a commodity as it now because this was listed as junk and I won it for under 7000 yen. Only flaw was no removable mask and me being a bit of a completist I really wanted that mask:

http://skullbrain.org/bb/index.php?threads/mask-for-giant-thundermask.43893/

So I searched and searched, 5 long years and nothing ever appeared. Till the other day. I almost could not believe my eyes and had to triple check against exisiting pics I have of the Bandai Giant Thundermask. Was it the right mask? Indeed it was. Last night it was only at 1300 yen and I set my alarm to bid. I figured ok, maybe I'd have to go 20000 yen tops. I woke up around 5am though and was in for a shock: It already had reached 32500! Ironically this was also listed as 'junk'!

Oh well, way beyond what I can afford. People could argue: "Oh you only paid $70 for the main body, and if you paid the $520 for the helmet that would be the going rate for a complete one!" No way, I got a deal back then and no way I'm dropping $520 for a mask. Honestly the mask is missing one of the golden points over the eyes and it is pretty beat up paint wise. I think my toy deserves a cleaner version lol. I guess someone out there is even more desperate than me to put a mask on his/her Giant Thundermask! Also I truly believe I will find one, but I think I'm destined to go to Japan to find it. It will be one of my quaint stories on how I walked into some old shop and they had spare parts in a bin lol.

Here you go, 51600 yen for a friggin mask?!:








For the record that idea I floated out there years ago that someone with a 3D printer and access to vintage complete toys could make a fortune selling replicated masks etc to people like me- someone should still do it! Fuck licensing- DIY underground style baby!

Guess I'll enjoy my Thundermask family as is for now:
http://skullbrain.org/bb/index.php?threads/thundermask-more-pics-giant-bandai.43082/

 

Thank you for sharing your story @Lixx Chris, I know what you feel; I have had that same feeling but with the cloak for the Tiger Mask, I bought it about three years ago with the same description as junk for 5,000 ¥. The figure only had some black paint stains that fortunately I could remove, a year later I see the auction for a Tiger Mask nakajima cloak that stared in 1 ¥, I thought it would be the right opportunity to complete my Tiger Mask and what is my surprise that when I wakeup in the morning to make the bet, I see with surprise that the last bet it´s for 20,000 ¥ . The same has happened to me three times with the Tiger Mask cloak. And I have a similar story with the boots for Kamen Rider's standard villains. Maybe I can sound a bit pedantic but as a result of that I try to avoid the incomplete figures of helmets and cloaks, the weapons is something that I can pass, therefore I feel that they do not affect so much the esthetic of the figure.
By the way your Thundermask bootleg is one of my favorites.

 

@Alebrije yeah normally I don't buy incomplete toys either. I think then 2012-13 I was just starting to buy vintage toys so I didn't realize how hard it would be to find missing parts later. Also I got the two incomplete toys (Thundermask and Ultra Ace giants) pretty cheap so I figured what the hell? But I know what you mean. These days it's not worth the aggrivation and constant reminder of the missing part, because YJA has turned into a horror show price wise for vintage collectors for even the missing parts!

Thanks on the bootleg Thundermask, I think he suffered a minor crack on the leg in the move here though

 

@Lixx
@Alebrije

Thanks for sharing, this is the kinda stuff that makes Skullbrain gold

I was fortunate with my Nakajima Tiger Mask, there was no mask in the photo but he did have a cape. I bought him with a bunch of other TM figures. When I opened the package in the UK, in the box was the mask too. I was absolutely delighted, as I'm sure you can imagine!

 

Imagine your face when you opened that box, are those good things that should happen to all collectors at least once.

 

@ultrakaiju

Oh indeed sir, that Nakajima lot was the best value score I ever made, which was even sweeter by the inclusion of the boxed vintage bandai Kitaro figures. I completed my bandai Kitaro collection in one go and also had many doubles to sell, which then later paid for my MVH Berserker when I was lacking toy funds!

 

Rare Ultraman Extra large 36 ㎝ Polypropylene Soft Vinyl Dead Stock
One of the best pieces I've seen lately, it´s the first one I see under these conditions.
I do not really have parameters of other sales to know if it went for a fair price or not, but I really was very tempted to bet on this Ultraman bootleg beauty. Unfortunately at this time I have had other expenses that have limited my budget for sofubi.
Went for: 32,500¥

 

Its a beautiful ultraman and the price didn't go as high as I thought it would, wish I had put some money down for him. I have one unbagged and its a very impressive figure

 

70's Batman at that time Skin roughness bald junk item size 26 cm
I've never seen a Batman like this before...
Went for: 196,000 yen

 

The head sculpt would look more appropriate on a Frankenstein doll. Spiffy cape! Me likey. But not for that price

 

That bat is awesome! Thanks @Alebrije for the share!

 

1960's Asakusa Toy Astro Boy Tank Boat Soft Vinyl
I love the expression on the face!
Went for: 85,001 yen

 

^^^Love windup toys! It would be nice to see Astroboy zipping about in the tub.
Another batch of Toygraph Racers ended a few days ago, and this time with considerably higher ransoms...




compared to the batch that ended earlier this month...

Spoiler

 

These crazy prices make me sad...I'll just play with my one racer for now haha

 

The ultraman bootleg seemed strange to me. Usually these figures are unpainted, and when they are its usually pretty crude. This one just looks too perfect. Like someone painted it and put it back in the bag.

Here is the regular unpainted one I have.

 

What you say may be true, it may have been taken out of the bag to paint it. But at the same time I can say that the seller specializes in vintage products and has a very good reputation, but you never know.
Annex pictures that put the seller of a publication specialized in vintage figures.

 

Oh, man . . .
Your pain is so very, very familiar, Chris. Maybe the cosmos will snap back for you in retribution for saying this, but this was your chance.
I didn't see the auction but it looks like quite a few bids . . . you have that many competing hunters seeking your prey . . .
Don't let another one slip by, if you can at all stand it. One, these are not made really well and this one was actually in quite good shape, with no tear in the back, which is super common, you know. The paint is crappy on these.

Secondly, well, price out your daily torment, which would equal roughly $600 spread over a minimum of five years (not counting earlier years of agony and busting everyone's balls for Thundermask), which equals about three dollars a day, minimum. Use that $3.00 per day value and plug that into your most gymnastic mental algorithm and you will see that there are many, many ways to justify being able to afford it. You know I'm ribbing the shit out of you, but just so you are aware that someone out there knows what you're feeling; you're in good company. Seriously, though, end the agony, my giant Zone is proof. Bring the elephant gun for the next hunt and make that shit happen.
Cheers, man

 

@fission chips - I don't mind the ribbing. Truth of the matter is I just don't have that kind of money ($600) lying around (unemployed) and I'm battling Hodgkins right now, so that ol' magic of making the cash happen out of thin air like I used to....well I don't have the energy to do it lately. I'll live to fight the battle again, and I guess this time I won't be blind-sided with sticker shock. I mean I just logically assumed: main toy is worth a hell of a lot more than just a mask, but then again it's YJA which as great as it is can be the worst place to find something you desire at times.

I can't decide if it was a good thing that I suddenly found it or if I wish I never saw it. Obviously I believe at times I have a sixth sense for these things but a whole lot of good it did me this time.

 

Bullmark Monster Soft Vinyl Kanegon Hawaiian Version
I'm not very familiar with this figure, but the colorway of this piece is one of the best.
Went for: 285,000 yen