WOWEEEE Roger! Just saw your Tiger after his bath! It's spectacular! Very nice indeed! Congratulations Thanks for posting him here for the record, he's gorgeous
Sharing this one here, for records' sake and in case anyone didn't happen to see it (unlikely). Another auction with some strange 'circumstances' behind it. This one was originally listed at a much higher value, then pulled outright, and then finally made an appearance again this time with a reasonable starting bid. It was actually down within the margin of reality for me all but up to the end. Alas, another bolted kitteh slips by, but the time may come. May. Actually, I do not think the price is so bad, considering history, but then again, still a lot of change for me to drop in a go, and he is not without certain condition issues (morevisible in photos below) that make some buyers I am sure a little more hesitant. https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/l563010720 Spoiler: More photos And, just for the record because I had it open, Keep on dreamin'.......
I remember a few years ago when I started in the collection of sofubi I saw a Tiger Seven at auction with gloves and the inside cards that went for 35,000 yen, at that time it seemed too much money, but with the prices of now it would seem that we only had to miss those times.
Thanks for "archiving" that Tiger auction Stevie. I wonder what is causing that head tilt? It looks like it would clean up quite well, but I also notice the peppered shoulders (vinyl bubbles filled with dirt). I wonder if he managed to find a home among the Boardies? I love Tigers! (toys and furry ones )
Time thing rare Soft Vinyl Bullmark Iron Tiger Seven Showa Retro I didn't think this auction was going to end so high considering the condition of the figure. Went for: 59,000 yen
Wow! That's a record for Tigers in the "Battle Worn" category! There was a time when you could adopt a pristine Tiger for that price. I hope a Boardie was able to adopt him, as I would love to see what he looks like after a bath (the TIGER that is! ). As "warrior-ed" as he is, he's still very handsome, and I wonder if this is a Yellow Head version. Thank you for sharing Roger!
Grace seems to me that it is not the yellow head version, in the back part of the head you can see the orange color that covers almost the entire back.
True, I guess it's wishful thinking on my part . I haven't heard an answer as to why the Yellows are so much harder to find than the Oranges?! Odds are 98% of the T7 auctions are all oranges. FYI, here's a Yellow Head that I picked up 5 years ago for 13200 JPY! He is extremely color bleached on one side (probably due to sun bleaching from being posed sideways facing a window sill) and he has graffiti on the back. At the time, I thought he was an orangie, when I bid on the auction. When he finally arrived on my doorstep, I was shocked to see he was a Yellowie! Auction photos can be difficult to interpret, due to exposure, lighting, etc... Despite the defects, he's a great Tiger! Here is the original auction photo... Here he is after his bath, he is on the far left. Another Yellow is on the far right, with an Orange in the middle...
@Mr. Humphreys You are right Grace, Sometimes it is very difficult to know through the photos the exact color or the real conditions of the piece, sometimes they surprise one for good and others for bad. But without a doubt to see the high prices that these tigers are reaching worries me, because every day I see more difficult the possibility of catching one in mint condition, with gloves and headercard thinking the expensive that will be to have one complete.
Prices can be frightening, but if you happen to catch one that is not described as a Tiger 7, or if for some reason, toy traffic is slow, then you might get a break in pricing. It took me 15 years to finally get a T7 with gloves, header, and backing card! Good luck Roger!
@Mr. Humphreys Grace compared to your years of dedication I still have a long way to go and at the same time you give me a ray of hope knowing that I can still catch that Tiger with gloves. Thank you!
Another update, before the auction information for this one disappears. And this time, for one of those rare once-in-an-incredible-amount-of-time-if-ever appearances. A Bullmark Tiger-7 which sold over the weekend, still in its - albeit worn and aged - packaging. Behold, So, we had a lot of discussion around this guy offline, and I think understandably it was a difficult one to gauge where it would go. I mean, no question here, especially in today's market, it will get a lot of attention and fetch a goodly price; it is a Tiger-7 after all. But what sort of buyer would go all out for this version with his bag, and what would the end price be, is very much an unknown. Well, you can see it climbed up fairly high, even with these factors considered. Spoiler: Toy Rant Without a doubt, this is a special opportunity. The premium of having the header (AND backing) alone, is something pretty special, but a potentially OG sealed toy is a cool thing to pop up for sale. The problem, if there is one, is for myself [and I imagine some portion of other collectors] we want to display, enjoy, play with the toy in our hands. Packaging on vintage stuff is a tough issue, and comes down to a personal choice (i.e. whether to open or not). It's something we've debated here quite a bit. But when you have that extra factor of something sort of rare, I think it's a safe bet it generally pushes consensus more towards the 'keeping sealed' camp. [Versus bagged bootlegs as an example, which can be found regularly for a few thousand yen.] Then there are some other factors here to consider. One of which is plastic/toy aging inside of sealed packages. One of the reasons I am always an advocate of opening is the chemical reactions that can occur over time in totally sealed environments. Paint oxidation, tackiness, vinyl stickiness, erosion of rubber, discolourations, etc., are just some effects. In this case though, the bag has clearly been torn open, which therefore mitigates the potential of these. In fact though, you can also consider the extreme aging and condition of the plastic bag as a perfect example of how detrimental some long-term storage can be on these toys. The bag obviously lost its transparency and evidently is very brittle. SO, with these mind, you also then have to consider what the end goal is of this packaging. Given the deteriorated state and bare visibility of the bag, is it really worthwhile to keep such a toy in the bag, even if it is 'original?' While a nice historical aspect, you could still try and preserve the wrapping and still display the toy well. All these questions are rhetorical of course; there is no one answer. Ultimately, this comes down to a level of personal choice. The obvious premium paid is justifiable, and I would not argue against it, but then would not be my own personal choice, knowing I value the toy more as itself, versus a piece of history. I want to play with, check out, and just enjoy the Tiger-7 for what he was meant to be. But I would not at all suggest this is of greater value than someone who wants a 'display' piece. My argument is solely that I would much rather find a great version which is already loose, and (let's hope!) would also cost me a lot less. BUT, I am still incredibly impressed to see this example of a Tiger-7 in its package. Of course, the package itself may also be a hindrance, because we cannot easily see or gauge what it underneath. It could be a minty fresh toy, never touched by human (child or otherwise) hands since its original production. But imagine if you will that upon opening such an item (if that was the choice that was made, of course) you discover a part of melted plastic, stuck wrapping, major scratch, etc. Yes, I fully agree these are unlikely occurrences, but the point I am trying to make is that even in the package, this is an expensive gamble. I would relate it to bidding $1k on a toy based on a very fuzzy listing photo; how many of us could 1. afford to do that, and 2. be willing to take that chance? I mean, it is sort of moot, because any collector dishing out this amount of money can should be able to afford it, but you never really know. And certainly I'd be guilty of paying more than a 'reasonable' amount for a silly vintage toy because I loved it. Added spoiler tag to the above, because I know not everyone might want to read these random toy thoughts. Thank you if you've taken the time to indulge this old weirdo's rantings about plastic dollies. Discussion aside, this is a piece which probably deserves to be in a highlighted display case/toy museum. The bag condition is unfortunate [see above], but still a wonderful addition. As a cornerstone this would make a wonderful addition to nearly any vintage collector's toy family. But even without that, you have to consider the potential shot at a completely minty Tiger-7. In either situation, I am not too surprised the auction ended where it did. Yes, a lot more than a going rate (if such a thing exists anymore), but comparably and in light of this example, I am not overly shocked. Spoiler: Full pic set Again, sorry for all the toy thoughts. Just interesting points of vintage collection discussions.
Thanks for archiving the listing here. It was a great auction, so rare to see the elusive gloved one, still in the original cocoon! As of last year, I'm a 100% convert of unbagging all toys now (I finally unbagged the buta Alien Zarab and little guy saucer sets--both pink and yellow!). Seeing and hearing stories of sticky sweaty toys, it's really not worth taking the risk. Nope, I don't save the baggies, but it makes displaying (and playing with the toys) much nicer! The fact that the bag was so worn (was it chewed on by a pet I wonder? ), was it "dead stock" found in some warehouse, or in the back of a long lost closet? What a find though!
It was a nice version. I thought I would wait, hoping for gloves or maybe less paint scuffs, because the King Flasher got all of my attention (and imaginary funds), but now I sort of regret not taking a stab at this befurred fella.
A very crushed Tiger with some major defects ended at a whopping 33833 JPY https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k495110044 Crushed head on the left side and left back, crushed upper back, possibly crushed left leg on the back calf, some serious mottling on the entire body, marker marks, right hip/leg joint distorted, scraped belt and paint. A lot of moolah for a battle worn tiger.
This Tiger Seven in a great condition was sold last week for 52,000 yen, a very fair price for this amazing toy. End of auction 25 Jul 2021
Missed that one! Beautiful specimen. Thanks for sharing. I just realized my watchlist hasn't been set to accommodate for the number 7, only katakana.
A beautiful Tiger recently sold on JYA for 104000 yen on 6/20/23... https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/s1095456359 Not sure if the eye on the right side of the photo is paint damaged or just dirty? Just noticed this now, after enlarging the photo. Gloves and boots are spotlessly clean, no damage. Made me wonder if the discoloration on the head and chest was just dirt, and if it would wash off, making this a minty feline. Haven't seen one like this in quite some time! p.s. yes, I wish I could've adopted him, but I already spent some major moolah on a Cat! Catalytic converter that is!
@Mr. Humphreys Grace seems to me that it is just dirt, it gives the impression that the vinyl it’s a bit sticky and that has caused more dirt to accumulate on it but nothing that a good bath with dish soap cannot remove. The person who won this tiger definitely won a great figure.
@Alebrije Thanks Roger! I am hoping the Tiger was adopted by a Boardie. I would dearly love to see him post bath, shiny and "new"! Who doesn't love tigers!
Listed yesterday, but ended early today. Possibly sold behind the scenes for a negotiated offer? Quite expensive listing price, 1978880 JPY, considering the painted dot on the forehead and wear. I wonder if it's the type of paint that would come clean if scraped lightly?
A rarely seen YELLOW Head Tiger 7 ended on 7/28, sold for 127000 JPY. Quite a high price for a considerably worn and marked feline.