I totally understand where you are coming from. This is getting to be a huge pain, and it really seems like there is no reason it should be. I am not going to get in to all the details, but suffice it to say I also jumped through a million and one hurdles and went through a lot to try and score this release - only to have it blow up in my face. The real sad part is, I know these are just toys and it shouldn't make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but knowing that truth doesn't seem to soften the blow for me.

I have accepted the fact that, as much as love Butanohana figures, they are largely something I will never have, since I just can't afford the dollar figures these are changing hands for these days. But to miss out on all the 'new' stuff too is an extra yank on my underwear that is none too pleasant. It's unfortunate that, with the relatively small market of sofubi fans (comparing to other general merch) we can't just be satisfied without all the flipping and aftermarket BS. Sure, some of us are always going to miss out, that is the same with any release - but with Buta it is almost the norm. With other toys things generally even out later with different people having luck at different times, hence swapping, selling, whatever.

Anyways, rant over. I hope some folks on here had some luck anyways. It was interesting to see the blue Goji released again. Not that I expect it will bring down the former prices any.

And just because we could all use some cheering up:

Ka-Pow~

Yeeaaaa!!!

Okay, so not everyone is thrilled

I'm still waiting to hear on if i got lucky on this new batch, i'll definitely go much further for Butanohana than anything else i collect and it's really become increasingly difficult in the last 12-18 months. Lets just hope they release a second batch like they did with the Matango, Griffon etc in 2010.

Definitely becoming a headache. I'm seven away from being complete or so I believe. But five of those are from the last two releases. I wouldn't be surprised if certain agents are buying them up in bulk to resell them.

Not sure how I feel about the reissue of past releases.

edit: reissue
edit: I'm not including all of the dines as there's too many variations including the GID Grumbles

Wowza only missing 2 old ones? That is remarkable. I was foolish to have traded/sold some away in the past.
Repros are god send for newer collectors and bane for old timwers unless u dun have that particular release.

Lixx is rite, the anchor gara was gone in less than a second. Almost like it was never offered. But it was definitely online. The goji lasted for a while, so any agent should have no problem scoring. Must have been a bigger release in comparison to others?

i gave up collecting buta a year or two ago when the demand became too much to bear

it seemed like they used to be so easy to score! still hoping to one day find the og oodako

I more or less quit on Buta over a year ago. Seemed too much; too much dough, too much jockeying to get into position to even get one, too much crowded into the new releases. But I still have a handful, and just got one more of the "easy" old ones (GT dino). What I wonder is how did it all change and why does GT no longer deal 'em? (Moomf, blarf blargle. NfingMM! Take yer hand off my MowfMMwaNF). Is there a short form of the story that I don't have to troll through the archives for?

I like em'super limited. Sucks when i miss out but it def keeps me interested. Long Live the Nose of Pig!

Don't look at me, I only go for the Toho bits! I think Buta should take it easy on all you Tsuburaya guys, and just go Toho only


Since GT was the only North American vendor you mentioned, does that mean that S7 is not still getting Buta? I thought for sure they do, I just don't bother trying through them as they presumably get more traffic & publish the time/date the toy will be made availabl - which means less odds of me successfully checking out with the toy

Side tracking slightly, but does any one else here have trouble accessing GH's site, eShop and the ilk? For the life of me their pages just don't wanna load for me, EVER! It's annoying as hell

I don't think there was any one singular turning point. The closest thing I could find to that would probably the Buta show at Thrashout. It seems like Shigenobu was grinding for years, selling small runs of his stuff to shops, at WonFes/SuFes, as well as on his own site. It seems like not long after the Thrashout event prices started to trickle upwards. That was almost two years ago so it kind of lines up with your observations.

Onion is right. Basically if you're after any older Butanohana (I'd say most releases before that fated Thrashout show years ago) forget about it unless a kind soul willingly parts one to you for a low price. There is a reason why the older releases are harder to find. I'm pretty sure they were not made in the quantity they are today and most never leave collections. Add to it their wild popularity since that show and you can pretty much see where the laws of supply and demand take over. It's been said over an over here in many threads about many different toys: You can blame hype and flippers all you want but when silly people pay astronomical prices for older figures it just makes it all the more lucrative and ruins it for the average collector.

Astronomical prices you say?

at least this is for a piece that almost never pop up.
if u are a newer buta hard collector, that is probably one of the very few shot at it.
unlike the oven fresh skullheadbutts official auctions, immediately propelling it to the realm of kaiju super-star prices.

That's just silly, who would ever want a pink Baltan anyways

yeah, I wish I'd picked up the bargain green one instead for 40500

Or I was just smart enough to buy the pink GID Baltan on GH for $50 back a few years back (I must have clicked on it 50 times) At least jefftallica was (smart enough):

Yeah, not that I had the money that week but those ending prices make me bummed
that I couldn't jump at them for $175 a piece when they were offered to me last year.
So crazy that it almost seems like an okay price for them now...

Definitely not the kind of waters that I can swim in... or we can start a rumor, like "Hey! Don't buy that Buta! It's covered with germs!"

Reminds me of when RxH peaked...

And then crashed.

guys, when buta crashes, I'll be glad to take them all off your hands for alittle below retail.

definitely dont see buta "crashing" exactly. I do hope the prices go down some though, but being what they are I cant imagine people not being that into them later on. They seem timeless to me and I wouldnt be surprised if some of the really old pieces go up even more in upcoming years. we'll see..

I love the figures, but 45,700 yen seems so insane IMO for a toy that could be pre-ordered in 2008 for $50.00.
You're blowing past alot of the vintage Kamen Riders at that price...

like liquid says, it does remind me of the peaking of sb, rxh etc
buta runs are not micro small even for the older releases, definitely higher than some of the old rxh.
they are also open to the idea of re-issues. a few bad moves like what mori did with some of his classic fighters reissues and some poor releases would be game over for buta in no time.
what works for buta is they did not rise to instant fame. the fan base was built up steadily over time both in japan and overseas. so i guess this will keep them going for a while.
the funny thing in this hobby is when prices are high, everyone wants a piece of the action. and when prices fall like a knife, the undying love is suddenly gone.

[quote="maxaltoman" ]... the funny thing in this hobby is when prices are high, everyone wants a piece of the action. and when prices fall like a knife, the undying love is suddenly gone.[/quote]

True!

No one wants to bother stealing my SB Brain's even if I were giving them away

Does that pink one glow?

Yep, but gently -
(The little light in the dark) says Google translate
but Babel Fish prefers (at dark place a little it shines).
http://sofutoyakigangu.blogspot.com/200 ... st_25.html