Can anyone give me an idea of how much this one currently goes for? http://www.clubtokyo.org/listings/itemListingRpt.php?catID=1&subCatID=12&contentID=1072
From SciFiJapan: Standard Megalon- $5000-$6000 Hawaiian Megalon- $5,500-$6,500 http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2006 ... yesterday/ Please let me know if you might be interested in a custom commission as I am planning a KaijuZoo series with the M1 reissue sculpt. p.s. here's another look at my Hawaii Megalon restoration. http://www.kaijuzoo.com/kzmegalon.html
I would be interested in what people really think of this -I am not trying to slag kiajuzoo at all here, he is a good dude - this is just a discussion on feeling of repaints, reprodcuctions and restorations. Because this is an original vinyl, it has a certain amount of cache, but repainting it in a reproduction style seems weird to me. Since it has been completely repainted, how is that different from having a reproduction? Secondly, if you are repainting something, why would you make it look like it did before, rather than interpreting it to the artists tates (it is signed after all)? Is this essentially making a bootleg paint, even though you are being up front by saying it is repainted? I only ask these questions because the asking price for the "restored" Megalon has been 4k -the same as a vintage toy in slightly lesser, yet completely original shape. My feeling is that the repaint is really worth no more than an M1 reproduction based on the fact that it is a totally remade figure. (No accounting for the time Kaijuzoo put into it -just the figure itself based on how it has been repainted.) What do you guys think?
I can't answer that question in a vintage vinyl sense but there is a similar argument amongst movie poster enthusiasts and restored vintage posters. Especially, for example, when not all of the original poster was even available and parts that weren't were actually recreated on similar age paper and re-added. I could never afford to enter the argument in any sense because I can't afford the vintage paper that was being discussed but a restored (repainted) piece IMO is reducing the value and allure of the original.
Total agreement, and I'm glad you're the one that brought this up. Personally... I loathe repaints. To each his own but when you repaint something to look like something it isnt/wasnt/never would be..you're basically just a hobbyist that is painting a vinyl rather than a model kit. In this case there is no difference between a repainted M1, the figure is now now no longer in original condition, and to me is valueless. The ":estored" version shouldnt be more than $75 to $95 or the going rate for an M1 or B-Club reissue.
Thanks Jeff. And I've seen some of your recent posts of your drawings, especially love the Baltan and Angilas, great artistry!! Great topic for discussion Brian. Believe me, I too had some angst in accepting this commission due to modifying the "cache" of such an OG item. First off by way of background on this project: I was contacted by my client with a request to restore the Megalon which obviously had seen better days with almost all of the red/brown paint gone, long since oxidized away. Per my request, the client agreed that I would be allowed to sign the figure as a commissioned piece and also publicize the project to ensure that it would not be sold later as an original "minty" figure. In this case, I think "restoration" is a more accurate term than "repaint" as the original vinyl is still intact as is some of the orginal paint (e.g. the gold paint on the eyes). And the base vinyl color was left original as is noticeable on the bottom of the tail and feet. Here's an analogy: someone has a rust bucket ol' '57 Chevy, it runs ok but it looks horrible. It certainly is a collectible vintage automobile but the owner doesn't enjoy the vehicle as it is. So he commissions a custom body and paint shop to restore it back close to its original condition. For such a fine old but dilapidated car, should he have left it as is or have it restored? As with most questions, there are right answers, wrong answers and ... sometimes a lot of grey area.
Yes, I have heard of people that do the same restoration to golden age comics, and that has always seemed odd to me, but then again, it does happen to cars all the time (as KZ has pointed out). I guess my thoughts are that usually when someone restores a car, it is not to original factory specs, but usually has updated fuel lines, engine parts, and paint. KZ, I do understand that you were comissioned on the figure, and I do know that no one is trying to pass it off as original, which is great. Additionally, you did a great job on the repaint. My initial reaction to the restoration was that it was interesting (not something I may have done, but not a bad thing), I guess I was surprised that the price tag then attached to the figure from the person that comissioned it was so high! It seemed that the "value" and perception attached to it were very clearly subjective. In the end, it is his figure, and he can do with it as he pleases. As you say, there is lots of grey here (not just in the vinyl color either!) but an interesting case study for everyone.
kaijuzoo does awesome paint jobs but i had the same reaction as Brian - i thought that repainting it virtually destroyed it's value as a vintage piece - why not take an M1 and just repaint it in original colors (you could even distress the paint if your goal is to make it look like an original) - the owner can obviously so whatever he/she wants - but I cringed at the idea of repainting something so old and rare when i first heard about this. FWIW.
Remove KaijuZoo from the statement and just focus on the restoration act, I think it completely devalues the toy. I have gotten vintage toys that have been fixed and my first thought is the trash can. It just not what i collect. It is great to find a vintage toy MIB, but even the wear adds some sort of character to the piece. It is suppose to be 30+ years old. I remember when scott showed me the megalon, it was obvious that it had been painted. The colors were a little off. I have heard lots of stories about vintage toys being sold as original when altered or parts added.
[quote="KaijuZooFrom SciFiJapan: Standard Megalon- $5000-$6000 Hawaiian Megalon- $5,500-$6,500 http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2006 ... yesterday/ [/quote] Just comment on this prices. Even about 5 years ago when vinyl prices were high, these were still very high. Not saying a megalon never sold for that much, but it is not a realistic range. I paid a crap load for mine since it was the last standard sized toho piece i needed and the shop owner apologized for the price(consignment shop) and it still was not close to that range. Then again you still have to find one.
my opinion is that if the doll is damaged noticeably i.e. a tear or rip in the vinyl. or giant marker writing across the face than it deserves restoration.as true to original as possible. Then and only then in the name of history should it be preserved. it will never hold its original value.about half if done well and disclosed. but i hole hardly disagree with repainting do to paint wear or fade or rub.to give new shine to original paint.in seeing this case i would have to disagree with the work no matter how well done, or overdone. when i hear of vintage dolls becoming "custom" when not vital to the doll i am mortified and saddened .
As Nancy Kerrigan screamed after being attacked by Tonya Harding's bodyguard: "Why?!?, Why?!?, Why?!?"
one time i did have a vinyl restored but only because it was completely trashed . it was so bad i didnt believe there was any value left in it so i thought at least i would make it appealing again . my opinion though is once you start altering an original vinyl you better be doing just for you as the value has just been greatly dimmineshed . every hobby has its accepted practices. like car restoration its ok to repaint but if it doesnt have the original moter the price is much less .
i disagree with the "he owns it can do what he wants to it." owning something that maybe 15 pieces known to exist comes with a certain amount of historical responsibility . after all this thing is 30-40 years old aren't we just custodians ?
In a perfect world, perhaps, but we live in a world of 'personal property' and we like to 'own' things. It would be nice if each individual took it upon themself to accept the responsibility of being a 'custodian' of the objects they own, rare or not, but in our world that's what museums are for. Unless you're talking about a one-of-a-kind situation, I don't believe the owner owes it to anyone to keep it original. I don't know the full story on this particular Megalon piece, but I think Brian Flynn wrote something about this piece having an asking price of $4K. If the owner who had it painted is trying to sell it, well, $4k is not at all reasonable. I believe that once it's been altered/painted it is no longer original and therefore no longer holds the value that it did before it was painted. Not even close, actaully. I think someone said that the value would be cut in half. I think it would be even less than half. If I were a vintage vinyl collector, I'd have no use for this piece at all unless I wanted it as a place holder in my collection until I could find an unaltered version. And in that case, I certainly wouldn't be willing to pay very much for a 'place holder'. Just my humble opinion.
I would imagine a collector that would have this figure, and then make a further investement to have it professionally restored must have a very specific vision of how they want their collectable to be, which is definitely their prerogative. It looks great, but I like the charm that comes from "battle damage" with old toys like these.
Not to beat this topic to death, but I’d just like to chime in and reiterate some of the opinions voiced here. An original piece is just that, original. As released by the company the way it was meant (by that company) to be presented to a retail environment. ANY deviation to that product from the time it leaves the factory floor impacts value in a negative way- as it is now further from the ‘ideal’ product. This includes (obviously) removal from original packaging, scrapes, chips, cracks, sun damage, writing on feet, painting, customizing in any way, warping due to heat, etc. The more a figure deviates from this ideal, the more the value drops. So a sun damaged figure that has significant paint loss is STILL worth more as an example of a particular toy than another of example of the SAME toy with the same amount of sun damaged but further altered by the addition of paint. The closer to the original state, the more value. ‘Restoration’ is a fluid term with many definitions, depending on who’s defining it. I won’t get into my opinion deeply here but the value of the restoration depends on who’s doing the restoring. Is it being done by a registered restoration company with a history of (in our case here) vinyl toy repair… or by Uncle Joe in the back of his garage? It makes a difference. If it’s not a professionally recognized restoration any alteration (no matter how masterful) is, in my book, akin to a customization. So the value of the Megalon in this example would be thus- Value of mint example minus any environmental damage over the years minus further alternation by the addition of more non-original elements plus hourly time and effort for customization. Most of the value therefore does not come from the value the tainted product, but from the artistic work applied to the near worthless (from a historical perspective) ‘canvas.’ This is at least how I figure in value when buying toys, and how I would value them for resale… and request of any individual selling to me.
