Toygraph...

Discussion in 'Show Your Collection' started by PaulieVinyl, Aug 27, 2008.

  1. deafmetal

    deafmetal Comment King

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2016
    Messages:
    1,199
    Name:
    Mark
    Toygraph...
    @ultrakaiju - Steve, I really share your appreciation for these '54 Toygraph Gojis, and I'm pulling your excellent photo of the maquette version on green vinyl from page one of this thread! :)

    This specific toy has always caught my eye, and I agree with you that it really seems to be the colors that draw you in. After reading through this entire thread again, something finally clicked in my brain. As many of you might already know, Shuji Kajimoto-san of Toygraph is a collector and enthusiast of vintage Godzilla toys, and I'm convinced this specific toy is a tribute to the ultra-rare lime green '66 Marusan Godzilla with silver and blue sprays:

    [​IMG]

    The above photos on Club Tokyo were actually provided by Kajimoto-san from his own collection. Steve, I know this rare version is familiar to you, but did you ever connect it with the one you have? Kajimoto-san has also painted serveral of his gojis with vintage Bullmark and Marusan paint styles. I would love to find one of the '54 gojis with the Bullmark Hawaiian tribute sprays, but they seem to be incredibly rare. It's almost painful to look at the original retail and early aftermarket prices for some of these rare Toygraph figures now.
     
  2. IronPaw

    IronPaw Side Dealer

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2012
    Messages:
    2,017
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Instagram:
    iron_paw
    Toygraph...
    Can anyone that has collected plenty of Toygraph send me a message please?
     
  3. Michael Beverage

    Michael Beverage Line of Credit

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2013
    Messages:
    1,826
    Location:
    The Dirty South
  4. chimply.kaiju

    chimply.kaiju Side Dealer

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2009
    Messages:
    2,286
    Location:
    USA
    Name:
    Anthony
    flickr:
    chimplykaiju
    Toygraph...
    Just felt like showing Toygraph some love.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  5. animator

    animator Mr. Freshly Smacked Ass Staff Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2008
    Messages:
    6,042
    Location:
    Hollywood
    Name:
    David
    Instagram:
    davidjcoffman
    Toygraph...
    My favirite Gamera toy in existence. Today was a great mail day.

     
  6. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2011
    Messages:
    11,771
    Toygraph...
    My word! I am right behind you in that line, David. What an excellent mail day indeed for you, congratulations. And major thumbs up on that incredible trio you have collected! :D Such a lovely bunch.
     
    xSuicide Squadx likes this.
  7. patrickvaz

    patrickvaz Addicted

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2014
    Messages:
    866
    Location:
    Baltimore City, MD
    Name:
    Patrick
    Instagram:
    thelynxevades
    Toygraph...

    Been working on this lil baby collection for a couple years. It's seen many forms as I've bought, sold, and traded to get these little babies. Although I would love to someday track down the other Guirons, I'm super happy with this iteration of this crew! Super fun gang that just makes me feel happy!
     
  8. Mr. Humphreys

    Mr. Humphreys Mini Boss

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2008
    Messages:
    4,318
    Location:
    Land of Plush
    Toygraph...
    patrickvaz likes this.
  9. chimply.kaiju

    chimply.kaiju Side Dealer

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2009
    Messages:
    2,286
    Location:
    USA
    Name:
    Anthony
    flickr:
    chimplykaiju
    Toygraph...
    Toygraph Space Trooper Oct.
    [​IMG]
     
    wingnut0, zindabad, bryce_r and 5 others like this.
  10. SpectralNight

    SpectralNight Toy Prince

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    Messages:
    264
    Location:
    Oregon
    Name:
    Robb
    Toygraph...
    So, I haven't been collecting for too many years.
    Yet I'm still kind of surprised how common M1 Matangos are, but how rare Toygraph's version is.
    Well, maybe "surprised" is the wrong word, since Toygraph's looks 1000× better.

    In all my years of looking, these are the only 3 color variations that I am aware of.
    I've only seen one pop up for sale briefly, and it had a hurtful price tag attached.

    So, does anyone have one in their collection?
    Any theories of Toygraph might do another run someday?
    Wonder what the approximate quantity was that they even produced?

    [​IMG]
     
  11. chimply.kaiju

    chimply.kaiju Side Dealer

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2009
    Messages:
    2,286
    Location:
    USA
    Name:
    Anthony
    flickr:
    chimplykaiju
    Toygraph...
    The prototype sculpts for the M1 Matango and both Toygraph Matango & Enoki version were sculpted by Masami Yamada. M1 has had over 20 years to release different versions vs Toygraph which introduced the above Matango sculpt in July 2010 and only had around 6 months before they closed. Toygraph released 4 color versions. The picture you are missing of the other is on yellow vinyl.

    I have 3 of the 4 colors, specifically the pictures above. Production runs are very small on the Toygraph Matango. I think around 30 or less, maybe smaller. Probably why you do not see them up for sale to often. Near the last half year of Toygraph all the runs were much smaller.

    Yellow vinyl version.
    [​IMG]
     
  12. SpectralNight

    SpectralNight Toy Prince

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    Messages:
    264
    Location:
    Oregon
    Name:
    Robb
    Toygraph...
    Interesting! I suppose I can appreciate the stylization on the stubbier M1 version.
    I just have a thing for the more "movie accurate" detail on the Toygraph release.
    Is the Enoki version the version made up of lots of little mushrooms?
    Love that one too, I just decided to prioritize the primary version since those guys aren't cheap either.

    Oh! Wow, does that mean Toygraph isn't active at all anymore? Sorry, I'm super uniformed.
    I guess I thought they were still active b/c I see Space Troopers pop up now and then.

    Wow! That color is incredible. Thank you so much for info and the image.

    I wonder if it would ever be in the realm of possibility another company could obtain the molds, or if they were lost/destroyed?
    From my understanding, that's what happened with the Pilot Ace Harryhausen figures when Marmit re-issued them recently.
     
  13. chimply.kaiju

    chimply.kaiju Side Dealer

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2009
    Messages:
    2,286
    Location:
    USA
    Name:
    Anthony
    flickr:
    chimplykaiju
    Toygraph...
    Then I guess you are very lucky that Toygraph decided not to release the Matango with eyes. :lol: Picture of the prototype with eyes sculpted by Yamada-san.
    [​IMG]
    Prototype without eyes.
    [​IMG]

    Yes, the enoki version is the one with all the little mushrooms with eyes. Toygraph closed December 2010 because Shuuji Kaijmoto had health issues. The Space Troopers you are seeing are most likely old release. Dead stock of unpainted pieces were also being auctioned off after Toygraph closed.

    Pilot Ace Harrysausen series are being reissued by Medicom Toy, not Marmit. There is a chance the molds are sitting in some warehouse. But who knows?
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2020
    SpectralNight and animator like this.
  14. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2011
    Messages:
    11,771
    Toygraph...
    I always had a soft spot for the eye version actually, though the enoki one is also fun and so unique. Toygraph has done such amazing work through the - relatively - short years of their output, and the originality and creativity of the line which Kajimoto is responsible for is up there, in my opinion, with the best of any vinyl maker, of any era.
     
  15. chimply.kaiju

    chimply.kaiju Side Dealer

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2009
    Messages:
    2,286
    Location:
    USA
    Name:
    Anthony
    flickr:
    chimplykaiju
    Toygraph...
    Here is my glow. Not sure I like the new background for picture taking.
    [​IMG]
     
  16. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2011
    Messages:
    11,771
    Toygraph...
    Haha, well it could be the tropical island jungle maybe? :) Lovely toy, Anthony! The subtle metallic paints are a work of art on this, the perfect minimalist but expertly applied skill - new 'artists' should take note. I particularly like the purple spray added to this mushie, it is just the right touch which gives the character that extra bit of mystery monstrous something.
     
  17. SpectralNight

    SpectralNight Toy Prince

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    Messages:
    264
    Location:
    Oregon
    Name:
    Robb
    Toygraph...
    Ha! That's amazing man. I like them all.
    There is plenty of room in this world for any and all Matango collectables that are created.
    Off topic, but it's also way overdue for a decent blu-ray release.

    I see, That's very unfortunate. Hope his health improved, even if the company wasn't able to continue.
    They had some fantastic stuff, and I never had a chance to get any of it :cry:

    Sunovabitch. Yeah I swear I meant to say Medicom. I only even knew that because I got a Ymir in Japan.
    But, you're right- it was a silly question. Might as well have asked you to predict the weather.
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2019
    chimply.kaiju likes this.
  18. rattanicus

    rattanicus Mini Boss

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2012
    Messages:
    4,878
    Location:
    RVA
    Name:
    rei
    flickr:
    rattanicus
    Toygraph...
    :thumbsup:
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2019
    SpectralNight likes this.
  19. SpectralNight

    SpectralNight Toy Prince

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    Messages:
    264
    Location:
    Oregon
    Name:
    Robb
    Toygraph...
    That glow is amazing. Definitely my top pick of the 4.
    I'm with ultrakaiju, looks like you got a nice poison forest for him to hang out in :lol:
     
    chimply.kaiju likes this.
  20. SpectralNight

    SpectralNight Toy Prince

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    Messages:
    264
    Location:
    Oregon
    Name:
    Robb
    Toygraph...
    Finally got around to taking some decent shots of this curvy mushyman. It's so pretty, you guys :shock:[​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  21. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2011
    Messages:
    11,771
    Toygraph...
    It really is such a beauty, and you've done it good justice with such wonderful photos. I really wish such a great toy line hadn't become so inaccessible for most fans.

    Did everyone catch the random batch of Gyaos' that hit recently?
     
    SpectralNight likes this.
  22. SpectralNight

    SpectralNight Toy Prince

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    Messages:
    264
    Location:
    Oregon
    Name:
    Robb
    Toygraph...
    Thanks so much! Definitely the pride and joy of my collection, and easily the hardest to track down. You're right, it's a shame this figure is so insanely rare. Wish the sculpt could find new life through another company somehow. I'd love to see it in exciting new colors! Neon blue, translucent purple... the possibilities!!!
     
    rattanicus likes this.
  23. wingnut0

    wingnut0 S7 Royalty

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
    Messages:
    3,049
    Location:
    Boston-ish
    Name:
    Patrick
    Toygraph...
    [​IMG]
     
  24. gatiio

    gatiio Post Pimp

    Joined:
    May 19, 2011
    Messages:
    2,536
    Location:
    Berlin, DE
    Instagram:
    gatiio
    Toygraph...
    I sold my flesh gamera here and it is still the only sale I have ever regretted

    these photos are so great
     
  25. toothaction

    toothaction Team Tsubu Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2011
    Messages:
    13,150
    Location:
    Detroit
    Name:
    David
    flickr:
    toothaction
    Instagram:
    thebeautifulpuffin
    Toygraph...
    I sold so many Toygraph dolls here... I bail out my regret in buckets daily!
     

Share This Page