Hi Guys New member to these boards and fairly new collector to vintage Godzilla. I am looking to make my first big Marusan/Bullmark purchase and have included some photos. I'm a huge condition freak. I met a seller who used to work at the infamous Psychedelia in Japan. The Marusan below has got to be THE nicest one I have ever seen. It is left foot stamped, no loose limbs. Have you ever seen one with this much silver spray still left? When I saw it I couldn't believe it. I would like your guys advice on price and anything else I should be concerned with. Want to make sure its 100% legit. Prices are firm, he won't negotiate. $1275 shipped: $999 shipped: $799 shipped: (for middle one) Since I am such a condition freak I really want to go for the $1275 one. It is NOT J-tail of course. (I wouldn't be able to afford one regardless) Please let me know your thoughts. Again, great to be here. Ark
Umm, I can appreciate that you are really excited after discovering this one and are after one in really stellar condition, but I think you should take some time and shop around for a while before jumping in too fast. That is a pretty major purchase (for most people). The Marusan Godzillas are not terribly rare, so before I would drop any kind of money like that, I would watch YJA auctions and store listings for an extended period. For vintage collecting, especially for toys that are 'grails' or cornerstone pieces, it is not unusual to spend years or more hunting for the perfect figure that is what you are looking for - something that is a good pairing of condition you are after and price. And in that time, you will find you learn so much about the toys themselves, such as their condition ranges, average selling prices, how often they come up for sale, etc. It is definitely a hobby that requires a lot of patience. Any of the major vintage collectors will probably tell you something similar. There are tons of variants of the Marusan Gojis, each is essentially unique as they have been hand painted and all had their own history since being sold. You will see some with lots of silver, some with heavy spots, and others with light highlights; depending on who was doing the painting possibly. It is not so much a matter of wear or what is better - it's pretty subjective - just what makes you happy. Of course, it is all what it is worth to you. That is probably the most important thing to keep in mind. These are just plastic toys, and people would roll their eyes at any price.
Be a man, go for all three More seriously, how long has he been trying to sell them? There might be a reason why these haven't sold yet...
Thanks. Great advice. I am beginning to see how patience is key in this hobby more then others. I have seen some during my short stint that are quality similar to the 2nd and 3rd photos. A bit more focused on the 1st one with silver on the entire figure. Its just a beautiful specimen and don't want to pass up if I may not see one with this much silver again. Just considering and being careful with my purchases which is why I am happy to find a board with knowledge of vintage. As for why they haven't sold I just asked the seller. I don't think he is actively shopping these but I will find out.
It is also worth pointing out that there is considerable lighting/exposure difference between the first two image sets. If you look at them all in the case there (not sure if one of those is necessarily the same one or not, but anyways) you can see them at least compared against each other. Make sure you get clear photos of showing you exactly what you want before you send someone that kind of money.
I agree that it sounds a bit expensive. Have you tried talking him down a bit? Something else to keep in mind is that although the one you are most interested in has great silver spray over the majority of the figure, the lack of as much spray on the other figures is not necessarily indicative of wear and paint loss. Many were just painted differently, depending on the individual doing it at the time, or perhaps even their level of fatigue or creative juices bubbling at the moment. Considering these are all hand painted, there is always variation between the figures, sometimes dramatically. (BTW, that Marusan Baragon on his shelf looks pristine too!)
Yeah the Baragon is amazing as well, too bad he won't let it go. You guys have already taught me quite a bit in half a morning of posts. Thanks.
It should be noted that the very first release was the j-tail before the tail was remolded in to what you see now. There are also variations of the SAN logo stamp being placed on either side of the foot, both, or none.
I can't stop looking at that Baragon either. Really like the metallic green sprays. Need to find myself a vintage Baragon. I'd buy Anthony's Giant if I had money to spare. I don't own any vintage Godzilla, nor have I looked so I don't know the going rates, but it appears that often US sellers overvalue toys. Not that vintage is cheap in Japan but with more toys being available it's not such a niche item like here. Rare toys, or toys in pristine shape obviously commanding more of a premium.
Try for the earlier Marusan release of the standard-sized Baragon, Chris. They typically doused the figures with a lot more paint (hence the fuller coverage on the one pictured...which I'm betting is Marusan). And if I'm not mistaken, the green paint Marusan used has more of a metallic sheen than the stuff Bullmark used a few years later. At least that's how it seems in my experience. But back to Godzilla, Brian would be the one to ask, but those prices seem rather steep to me. But on the other hand, you really just don't see them with THAT much silver paint. In fact, the opening scene in Godzilla vs Hedorah with the kid playing on the slide is probably the only time I've seen a Godzilla with that much silver!
Sanjeev, is there any way of telling if the figure has been touched-up with silver spray? When I first saw the photo, I was worried about that. Do you know if the seller is a reputable source? I'm not saying that the figure has been re-touched, but it looks so "perfect". I wonder if it's worth asking for a second set of photos, so you can see the figure at a different photographic exposure, and ask for a close-up, to "inspect" the paint? I have had a few disappointing experiences buying through the auctions and webstores, it's just so difficult to gauge the actual condition of the toy, until you have it in your hands. Just my two cents worth P.S. Lusting after the Kanegon, and it's nice to see those Nakajima Wrestlers with their chest banners still intact!
I'll include the additional photos when I get them here. Should be today or tomorrow. The person selling the marusans is a friend of a 100% feedback kaiju seller on ebay. I asked him about re-spray as well. They both live in Osaka. I can guarantee you that this collector would not sell re-sprayed items. I have often had similar concerns as you and I rely mostly on the expert opinions of any one of a number specialists when buying high end items. This is one of the authorities that I trust. If we were just buying from some random site I may be more worried, but this guy is legit. The photos were taken from a friend's collection. He is a high end collector of impeccable reputation in the local community who only focuses on getting the cleanest figures. He likes to get the kind of items that are so clean they look brand new. Of course these types of items are extremely scarce, and the prices reflect that. He gets most of his items from other collectors. I suppose he is a specialist in his particular field of getting the impossibly nice condition toys. I don't think he would write a letter, but I can definitely ask him about its history (like where he got it from etc, but Japanese tend to be quite private people when it comes to personal information). I'm not sure what other information I could get to confirm its not re-sprayed. Just for fun here is a shot of the giant bullmark goji he has. I saw another thread with this topic so included. And Sanjeev, funny you brought that up about the kid at beginning of the movie. That's partly why I got so excited when I saw this one with so much silver!
Love that giant Goji! Good to see that you're doing your homework too! P.S. Welcome to the Boards! Nice to see another vintage enthusiast!
Ha, thanks! I've been trying to make myself NOT get into as much as possible. Just can't keep resisting... Dabbling in 1980's Tagged Bandai stuff for a while but I think its about time to get into the roots!
Psychadelia Osaka is a wonderful store, and has amazing toys, but it also has the highest prices of any shop. All of these prices seem to me to be especially high on all variations of the Godzilla figures. It is true that the more silver spray a Godzilla has, the more expensive it is, as almost none have heavy silver spray. That said they are not impossible to find. Typically you can find "covered" spray Marusan figures easier than Bullmarks, but there is no real determined reason for it, and can be just the style of the day or painter. Early Marusan figures have the "stripe" configurations on the legs, and a heavier chest spray than the common light spray on the chest. The stripe variations are thought to be the first spray pattern, and the heavier sprays come later. Because the "covered" sprays are very uncommon, they carry a premium, but Godzilla as a whole is still a very inexpensive figure relative to most other Marusan and Bullmark figures. That said, finding a sprayed face Baragon is much easier to do. Then there are various shades of Orange and Brown, the darker shades being harder to find, but once again, not especially hunted for as Baragon is such a common figure. The early Marusan versions have a sprayed face and either brown-orange or medium orange vinyl. The brown is harder to find than the medium.
The pictures of this shop is located in Kobe. The store name is Mozuraito. My question is why are you being charge $1,275 shipped? It is listed from the shop for only 100,000 yen ($1000) tax included. Shipping doesn't cost that much and I understand you need to grease the hand of your friend to help get it. But $275 added to an already high price, ouch.
Thanks for the insight. I had no idea about that or the pricing. I'll go back to him with that info as well. You're a lifesaver!
Video of the Mozuraito shop in Kobe. This video was shot a month ago. The kaiju toys start at about 1:16. The photo of the case where the Godzilla was taken starts at 1:26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYGWWncOJ8s Also forgot to post this. Exact pictures and pricing.
^^^ I think you deserve a PhD for Vintage Vinyl! What a find Thanks for sharing that! I think I'd definitely have a moment if sensory overload if ever I was to set foot in that toy store. Or for that matter, any decent vintage toy store in Japan! P.S. Brian has Mr. Wizard credentials P.P.S. It makes you wonder, though... I might be worth it to see the toys in person, and buy directly--esp. if you are going on a vintage binge . Perhaps we should all save up and go on a vintage buying trip to Japan. We need a reliable guide though... (cough cough... someone with Mr. Wizard credentials!)
I tried sending an email direct to the store to negotiate price and more details on this. Not sure if they understand but maybe they can translate there. No reason to go through this guy who wants a huge commission. Unsure if they are willing to negotiate but doesn't hurt to try.
As a general FYI, most shops in Japan will not negotiate on the price. I am not saying it is a hard and fast rule for everyone, but I would not expect it - and how your attempts are received is another matter for interpretation. This is just another aspect of collecting vintage toys that you will pick up with experience. It is all a learning process, and one that continues even after decades involved in the hobby.
Think about it this way. If you were the store owner and some unknown foreigner sends you a request in another language to negotiate price on one of the vintage items in your store, what would you do? I know what I would do. Not saying that no one negotiates. But you're already asking these guys a big favor to negotiate with you directly in English, figure out how to accept payment from you, deal with the overseas shipping hassle, etc.
Yeah that makes sense. I thought about it from that angle as well. I'd brush it off and not even respond. Was just saying its worth a shot. All that could happen is no response at the worst.
Well, e-mailing the store directly to get the asking price of ¥100k still nets a decent discount. So definitely worth a shot. Anyway, Grace, that's a good point. I suppose someone *could* repaint a vintage figure...and then drag it behind their car around to simulate a vintage wear pattern! I'm not saying that doesn't happen, but in all my years of collecting, I don't think I've ever gotten screwed over like that. Or, at least, not that I've noticed! eBay's a whole other story though... And I agree with Brian: while it'd be nice to have a "rare" figure like the all-over silver Godzilla, I'd be far more interested in that middle $799 one because it has a nice, high-contrast scheme. See, my general rule when it comes to Bullmarks (or other vintage toys where a lot of different variations exist) is to pick the version that is the most visually appealing to me. Then rarity be damned, I hunt that one and that one alone...even if it takes years to save up the cash or track it down.
