Wanted to see if anyone could help me with this situation - I purchased a custom from Blobpus/Kaji in early July of 2012. (paid him via paypal and mailed him figure to paint). He confirmed receipt of funds, and figure. Received an email from him in September, and then again in November 2012, and he basically said he was working on it - and would probably finish it in a few weeks. That was the last time I heard from him, and he hasn't responded to any emails. He painted a custom for me before this - and it was no problem. Not sure what to do at this point ~ Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.
Re: Blobpus I am guessing the man is swamped with work right now. Either he put it on the side and has forgotten and the email buried under a ton of others. Better to send him another email and get on his social media outlets and let him know. If enough messages of the same thing come through via different places I am sure he will take notice. Best of luck, I love his work and I am sure you will be pleased when you get the toy.
Re: Blobpus Thanks ~ I emailed him 3-4 times this year with no response. I know he is probably really busy. I just recently realized it's been over a year since I paid him, and 8+ months since the last communication.
Re: Blobpus He was at TAG back in February, this could’ve been a good opportunity to talk to him face to face and clarify any misunderstanding. he always post on instagram
Re: Blobpus Unfortunately, I've recently had a similar experience with Kaji myself and have been told an even worse story by another board member. Caveat emptor.
Re: Blobpus Sorry to hear that - but thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one having an issue with him ~
Wow, unbelievable, at least try to have him refund your $, i mean if he's busy and can't work on it, he should give you your $ back, good luck w this.
Look at the longview, you are getting an awesome piece from an artist you admire, and clearly you aren't the only one waiting. Blobpus has bigger runs with deadlines for shows, events, collaborations, etc. Yes it would be nice if he communicated and maybe some artists are better at that... I waited over two years for a custom and the artist surprised me with a second piece because I never complained. Kaji is amazingly talented, I don't collect his work but I certainly appreciate it. His paint application takes time, wouldn't the quality suffer if he just cranked out pieces to keep up with demand? Would you even want to collect anything from someone who worked like that? Unless you are quitting the whole sofubi scene tomorrow, I would recommend sticking it out and being gracious when your custom is completed. Anyone telling you OMG GET YOUR $$$ BACK is clearly new to this.
Kaji had done custom toys for me twice. He only used 1 month each time. In my mind he is a very good man. Did you send a right email address ? his mail is shopping@blobpus.jp
Yes, thank you. That is the address I have, along with another one. I have been in contact with him up until November 2012, which was the last time he messaged me.
Jared sorry to hear you're going through this. Yeah Blobpus might be in demand, very busy, but no replies to emails since November 2012? That's 3 months shy of a year! He's had the toy for over a year. That's just very poor communication on his part. Making excuses that he is some precious artist and you can't rush these things is just idiotic. For some reason my inner Larry David voice wants to say "Ohhhhhhh the precious artist, can't rush the artist, the delicate artist can't be bothered!"
Thanks Chris ~ Yes, the time sure flew by - I didn't really realize it until I looked at the dates on the email exchanges we had.
Did you have any contact with the artist over the 2 year period? or did it just show up at your house after 2 years?
There is no excuse for grabbing the money and stopping communication. I'm convinced Kaji is a straight guy, but seeing all his recent releases for shows proving he's still very active (maybe too much ?). It's kind of reassuring but must be frustrating at the same time. He doesn't seem to update his blog either... Hope it will be solved quickly. One year is way too much.
Thanks ~ Next week will be 14 months since I paid him. Yes, that is my main issue - is just the lack of communication. I don't mind waiting for him to do it, but not hearing from him since last year is a concern. Just for the record - I paid him $400 and sent him a $150 (large) figure to paint - One that he mentioned in email that he was excited to do since it was his favorite figure, and he had never painted one before. In the 3 weeks since I posted this thread, I have messaged him on his 2 email addresses, and twitter - and have had no response. I have also heard from several other people who have lost communication with him. I know he hasn't disappeared from the scene, I see his customs everywhere. I know he is very busy - and I am ok with that... I'm not mad, and I don't think he is a bad person - just a bit worried that I might be out a combined $550.
If BLObPUS is on schedule, I believe he's probably knees-deep in Enma production (the black/gold version that was available for pre-order in July)... That being said, this custom story is troubling. I'm really hoping you hear some kind of response in the near future, six7777. Kaji may very well be (probably too) busy, but that's no excuse for not taking a minute or 5 to touch base via email. The littlest bit of communication goes a long way... Please keep us updated to any developments.
Re: Blobpus/Kaji response First off, let me say - I sure appreciate all the messages I received since I first posted this thread. Just to update ~ I attempted to contact Kaji over the last 5 or so weeks, and didn't receive a response, until today. He wrote me saying my figure is finished, and he has shipped it.
Re: Blobpus/Kaji response Yes, I will post picture - I am looking forward to seeing what 14 months looks like
Re: Blobpus/Kaji response Glad you got a response. I'm curious as all hell to see this custom now too!
t9g Thanks ~ prepare to be underwhelmed - not sure it was the right choice for custom paint Untitled by six7777, on Flickr
