Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others

Discussion in 'Japan Toys' started by chimply.kaiju, Aug 18, 2011.

  1. zindabad

    zindabad Line of Credit

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    @smurph I agree with you analysis but not your conclusion that the deep pockets must make dedicated fans. A good few makers have raised their prices, or become more exclusive with their boom in popularity, or both. But at the end of the day they're toymakers; their target market is nerdy adults. Hirota is changing that way. Seeing his work show up on Murakami's account and his collaboration with Haroshi, I feel he's also making a name for himself in regular old fine art collecting circles. And that's fine; he doesn't owe fans anything and he can sell as he wishes. But that target market is deeper pockets than I can dream of, and a whole lot of bullshit. It's absolutely collectors regarding each piece as an investment. So I'd guess a good few buying at these prices are also making a gamble: I could own an original Hirota now, before it's worth five times even what I paid. Different game altogether.

    I know I'm speaking prematurely and hope this is one of those Skullbrain opinions that ages really badly as the future unfolds. But to my eyes Hirota is going the way of KAWS in the designer toy scene. Not painting himself into a corner but actually trying to sail away.
     
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  2. doomsDAY

    doomsDAY Toy Prince

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    I wonder if we can pinpoint the exact moment when the NNN hatred transitioned to HS. :roll:
     
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  3. smurph

    smurph Comment King

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    Didn't say nor mean to imply that at all.

    Just a different viewpoint regarding some toymakers' rationale in the "Johnny scenario". Which shouldn't be seen as rewarding those who have enabled flippers, but as the artist taking the only real punitive action possible in an unwinnable war against them: removing from the equation by selling direct to the overzealous fan(?).

    Not a once-size-fits-all case, and sure some Johnny's are likely hedging bets that the inflated price they paid will continue to do so. A foolish assumption typically made by newbs who haven't seen the hype/popularity of different toymakers wax and wane over time for little-to-no discernible reason.

    Standing by my "painting into a corner" statement, at least regarding old-school fans & collectors. Not gonna dip my toes into the murky "toys vs. art" waters, but will exit with saying HxS is becoming less the former and more the latter with each passing day... and all these new money burgeoning "art" collectors would be far better off investing in a Monet or van Gogh to put that baby through college.
     
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  4. BrickBat

    BrickBat Addicted

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    I know you went ":roll:" but I'm going to answer like you didn't. For me it was when he jacked up the prices on his regular lottos. It became obvious he wasn't making toys for the average (me) collector anymore.
     
  5. zindabad

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    My bad. That's about how I feel about the whole thing, then.
     
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  6. gatiio

    gatiio Post Pimp

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    you should all remember that collecting has tiers, in any market, and this artist has moved on. The way its supposed to go now is we can either cash out or keep our collection and move on to other artists closer to our budget.

    Thats. how. collecting. works.
     
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  7. GoldenArmKid

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    I used to like this thread.
     
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  8. badteethcomics

    badteethcomics Post Pimp

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    I used to like thinking that I had a chance of winning and affording a toy from Hirota
     
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  9. skaldavsatanssol

    skaldavsatanssol Toy Prince

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    Skateboards tho
     
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  10. kichigai

    kichigai Removed by request

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    Would gladly take several pages of photos over a single word added good or bad.

    Deep pockets or average collector, none of us collect words! Help it along people.......


     
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  11. The Moog

    The Moog Die-Cast

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    ^ None of us collect words, but one of us italicizes every word for no good reason.
     
  12. kichigai

    kichigai Removed by request

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    If the remembrance and honouring of one's deceased father, because he typed this way (for reasons known only to us) is "no good reason" for me typing in this style Joe.......

    Then I apologize for not meeting your sanctimonious standards.
     
  13. The Moog

    The Moog Die-Cast

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    Very good. I accept your apology.
     
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  14. kichigai

    kichigai Removed by request

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    Quoted only to preserve your ignorance.
     
  15. The Moog

    The Moog Die-Cast

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    [​IMG]
     
  16. skaldavsatanssol

    skaldavsatanssol Toy Prince

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    I’d like to thank my fellow Skullbrainers in this thread for helping me out by adding some word grails to my collection.
     
  17. taviq

    taviq Toy Prince

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    Ugh I know. I think this is how he determines a real fan. If you waste money on a deck then he'll sell you an eight hundred dollar toy.
     
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  18. Anti Social Andy

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    . . . annnnnnnd the shitshow is back! *devilhorns*
     
  19. zindabad

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    For the record, a dude hit me up a few months ago asking to buy the deck I'd put on my wall. He didn't know the first thing about sofubi, just collected skateboards and thought it was cool. I sent him Hirota's account and told him he might release another one in future. Today he hit me up saying he won :) so at least one deck went to a regular old skate nerd
     
  20. kichigai

    kichigai Removed by request

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    @zindabad Can you post a photo of your HXS skateboard deck that you are speaking of? There were variation of them, curious which one you got.
     
  21. zindabad

    zindabad Line of Credit

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others

    [​IMG]

    Haven't paid much attention to the photos out there. What are the variations?
     
  22. ---NT---

    ---NT--- Prototype

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    I'd set one of those up and ride it! But only if it's priced like a skateboard and not a toy.
     
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  23. kid_miracleman

    kid_miracleman Comment King

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    ~ $250 for the last one
     
  24. kichigai

    kichigai Removed by request

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    Hirota Saigansho: Gorilla-ju, Mecha Gorilla-ju, & Others
    Seems like a fair price considering Zorlac decks in the mid 1980's were over $50.00, throw in trucks , grip tape and Zombu wheels, you had about $100 skateboard.

    I had a 188 customer paper route and washed dishes in a Chinese restaurant for a few months to afford one in that era.

    The closest thing to collecting Soft vinyl was........

    Soft vinyl via Billiken. Those kits are still way ahead of the time. Would be cool if HXS produced more uncut kit style of his line of Monsters

    Everything seems so disconnected
     
  25. ---NT---

    ---NT--- Prototype

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    Booo.
     

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