I'm in Japan and could use some price advice on Popy 8" figures

[AAAAA]

Do me a favor , just bring you and your family back in minty condistion.
keep safe

[bizzaro megomauler]

oh see if there is a Ken Owashi (Battle of the planets)
I would love one of those, and if it's a go at a good price, I will paypal straight away!

[cjefferys]

So far I've come up mostly empty at a few stores I checked. I found a couple boxed Popy Battle Japan figures but they were kind of overpriced (as Mandarake tends to be). One of them was mint in a decent, but not great, box for $150, and the other was in played with condition in a really bad box for $60. Also saw some really beat up Jumbo Machinders going for hundreds and in a couple cases, thousands of dollars. No thanks!

A couple Mego sightings: carded Mohammad Ali for around $150, and a loose 12" Reeves Superman and Moonraker James Bond (didn't see any prices). No Popy WGSH or Bullmark POTA seen as of yet.

I did pick up a few non-vintage items, including a couple MIB Neo Henshin Cyborg figures that were really cheap (they came out around 12 years ago).

I'm heading out to the Mandarake toy store in Shibuya tomorrow, hope I have better luck there.

[highquality]

I'd also really love an Ultraman that isn't damaged.

The one store sounds kinda bland, although I would've loved to see Jumbo Machinders in any condition.

I also used to collect the Bullmark diecast Godzilla line, although I doubt you'll be finding any deals on those.

Good onya with the Neo Henshin Cyborg.

[starsky]

japan is one country i'd love to visit with an empty suitcase!

[cjefferys]

I'd also really love an Ultraman that isn't damaged.

The one store sounds kinda bland, although I would've loved to see Jumbo Machinders in any condition.

I also used to collect the Bullmark diecast Godzilla line, although I doubt you'll be finding any deals on those.

Good onya with the Neo Henshin Cyborg.

I saw tons of Ultraman vinyls, various conditions and prices (some of the rarer ones were a few thousand dollars each). I would have loved to take a pic of the Jumbos, but that store (Mandarake) has a very strict policy against photographing. I was kind of disappointed that I didn't see much vintage in the catagories I collect, but there was tons of vintage overall. And it's always hit or miss, the selection changes daily. The first floor (the building has eight floors in total) has a big selling department, and the day I went, it was packed with people selling stuff to the store (different stations for selling manga, DVDs and toys).

I was keeping an eye out for diecast Godzillas, those Bullmarks are very cool toys. The only one I saw was a Mechagodzilla, it was around a hundred bucks, with it's original box, but the toy itself was missing several pieces, so I passed on it.

[clemso]

I'd also really love an Ultraman that isn't damaged.

Does a undamaged Ultraman suit exist?

[cjefferys]

Oh, Heath was taking about the Popy 8" Ultraman. I've never seen one with an undamaged suit myself, it's a shame.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I hope you are having fun...I remember good times at that multi-level toystore in Shibuya.

[samurainoir]

I'll be hitting the one in Akihabara for sure. There used to just be a little one there, but they recently opened a big one, this will be my first visit to that one. I usually go to the one in Shibuya, but I'm not sure about this trip. Is the Sunshine malll the one in Nakano? I went to a Mandarake there once and it was in a mall full of toy stores, so maybe it's the same place you're talking about?

Yes! It's the one in Nakano. Spent the most money there. The wife and I had just started dating and I couldn't bear the thought of spending $300 on a boxed Popy Spiderman at Mandarake, so she bought it for me! Best Present Ever.

Also got an Eagle Ken Gatchaman Nodder from the 70's at a store there as well as so many other Gatchaman goodies.

There was only one huge store back in the day, but I've head that Akihabara is now the place to be for the best Otaku stuff in addition to being the crazy electronics hub.

[cjefferys]

Akihabara is definitely geek/otaku central in Japan. Stores specializing in toys, DVDs, electronics, video games, comics, cosplay, anime and porn all crammed in five or six blocks. It's awesome!

Well, I ended up having very limited toy store time (tight schedule and travelling with two young children) compared to previous visits, so I didn't have any great finds. The only nice vintage piece I ended up finding was a Takara Star Wars remote contol R2-D2 MIB (released in 1978, 8" tall and fires discs). A really nice piece that I'm very happy with. Looks mint, unplayed with, but the remote control feature might not work well, hence the good price (fifty bucks). Other than that, I got a bunch of newer stuff (Godzilla, Gamera, Kamen Rider, Soul of Chogokin, Henshin Cyborg). Not a bad haul for two days shopping out of eight days vacation. I guess better luck next time for Popy 8" figures and Bullmark boxed POTA figures (the latter of which I have to admit that I've NEVER seen on my seven trips to Japan. They must be quite scarce and/or in high demand). Sorry, I didn't manage to get store pics due to the strict "no photos" store rules, plus me forgetting my camera one day (yes, my geeking out causes me to be completely absent minded at times!)

[clemso]

Glad you and your family are having such a great time, I must visit this Akihabara sometime, sound like a lot of fun.

[cjefferys]

Thanks Clem, Akihabara (aka Akiba) is a blast. And I recommend visiting the place without trying to push a one year old in a stroller and a four year old that has to be constantly carried because "I'm tired and my feet hurt!" through the extremely dense crowds. I'm coming home tomorrow, my wife and kids are staying an extra few weeks in Japan with Grandpa ("jiji"). That means a little bit of the old bachelor days for me.

[cjefferys]

I hope you are having fun...I remember good times at that multi-level toystore in Shibuya.

Thanks Cat, Shibuya is awesome. When you exit the train station and come to that huge, busy intersection with the gigantic TV screens on several different buildings, that was the biggest culture shock I ever experienced. It was almost like friggin' Bladerunner.

[samurainoir]

Thanks Cat, Shibuya is awesome. When you exit the train station and come to that huge, busy intersection with the gigantic TV screens on several different buildings, that was the biggest culture shock I ever experienced. It was almost like friggin' Bladerunner.

We parked ourselves in the upstairs Starbucks overlooking that crossing walk and took video of a light change because we didn't think anyone would believe us to describe the scramble (although Toronto has since instigated a mini version at Yonge and Dundas). Did you see that scene in Fast and the Furious Tokyo drift?

Glad you had such a great time! Is it true that all the cosplay pop star wannabes hang out on the corners of Akihabara now and clog up the sidewalks like girls in Slave Leia outfits at comicon?