But then it's not really collecting, either, it's just buying. There's no activity, no hobby, just spending money for goods with no other actions (like hunting, searching, talking to people for advice, getting to know people etc.) other than consuming.

It's not classism or exclusivity if it's random, like almost all of the Zollmen stuff. It's a lottery system. I hate to echo it again, but just being patient and persistant can get you almost anything here.

Not directed at you or your post in particular, but what's with the undertone of resentment going on lately, or am I off for asking? It just seems there's more than ever, really unsettling.

Not to say this to encourage having my head bitten off, but classism seems less prominant with distribution of Zollmen than say...Gargamels' highly desired limited editions....like the Camo Zag, for which the lottery mysteriously disappeared... (or did it?)

Well the Camo Zag in Japan was just show up, be first, buy it right? Or was there a lottery? Either way, for the Japan batch you still had to BE there. (jason, scott, anyone else correct me if I'm wrong, just what I remember.)

For non-Japan, Pogue just said S7 hasn't gotten any, though they're expecting them, and don't know what's up.

The Camo Zag was a lottery sale.
And yea, Super7 is still waiting for them.

And I'm going to win one.

Exclusivity to who? people who are lucky enough to win toy lotteries?


You know, it was that way in Japan long before SB existed.

Also,
Painting and packaging over 30 toys without slaves.

Leave that up to Mattel. As much as I love doing it, it's a repitious drag.

See where I'm comming from?

Oh, first, let me start off by saying that I'm not *actually* trying to shit on Zollmen even though it sure sounds like it when I read my own post!

I own several Zollmen pieces, I love 'em, and I wouldn't ever think of parting with them. That said, I still find the whole secret-Rory-thing really odd. Some people are pissed and think it's a conspiracy to rip us off. I'm fairly indifferent to the whole thing...Zollmen, Bemon, whoever...I'm still paying big bucks for toys that I like...

But I can totally see how being lied to would piss people off. Oh well.

@ BloodDrinker6969: Well, I guess I just don't define "collecting" the same way you do. I don't mind building connections with people overseas, traveling to various shows, meeting new people and rapping about the industry. All that shit's fun to me. But I don't necessarily limit my definition to that sort of activity.

For example, LOTS of people collect Transformers toys. I have a lot, myself. But...you just go to the store and buy them. You're still "collecting", but you're just buying.

I define toy collecting as appreciating the toy. If you love the thing, it's all good. That certainly applies to us and it applies just as much to hardcore TF collectors.

As for my statement about classism and exclusivity, that wasn't much directed toward Zollmen as it was to address what Paul said, in general. Like, if I have a Mad Baron...what in fuck's name does it matter if 199 other people have one, too...as opposed to only 29 others? If everyone on planet Earth has one, it doesn't magically melt the vinyl in mind, make the pieces fall off at the joints, or make the paint drip off. IT'S THE SAME TOY...and I should appreciate it just the same.

@ PaulKaiju: Yeah, like I said above, I wasn't trying to poop on Zollmen, in particular. Lotteries are fine, I guess. But when I refer to "exclusivity", in general, I mean this: Does everyone on this board who wants a Mad Baron have one? No. Now, do people want one *because* they're great toys...or because they're hard (albeit, fair-to-all) to get? I just think that more often than not, the "R@RE" mentality tickles our classism a bit too much and makes us more enamoured with a toy than we would be if anyone could get one...

Oh, and I certainly defer to you regarding how repititious 30 figures can be, but that's for one person, right? Are we assuming that all these "companies" are one guy? I mean, M1 and Marusan are a pretty tiny companies, but they put out amazing figures in much larger runs.

I can't agree more. Part of the fun of collecting is hunting down stuff and in the process you generally get better aquatinted with the community.

Well, shows what i know. I'm glad to see there's still a slight glimmer of a chance. (though realistically I know i probably won't win the chance to buy one)

One solution. Leave Zollmen alone and let them keep producing what they produce at whatever levels they want.

But, also have S7 work out a build to order release with Zollmen, brand it in orange etc, and create a list on the board.
However many people sign up, that's how many are produced.

Isaac used to do similar stuff in the past with RxH and others.

This way, there are hard to find releases but also a common release for the masses.

But c'mon, there are still HARD figures to get with Transformers, right? Short packs, etc? So the hunt, in a sense, still exists. Just at a different rate of difficulty.

I see your point, and I don't really define it so tightly, but the point was more "collecting" is something that takes a long time, it's a goal, and if it was all just easy pickens, a 1 shot deal, well than it wouldn't be collecting would it? Insta-collections are no fun. That's really more what I meant. I love easy to get toys too!

I don't get what the big deal is. From what I can tell, Kingbee just does runs of Zollmen figures. So what? They also seem to make the Zollmen toys more accessible to U.S. collectors by holding online lotteries. What difference does it make who the person behind it is? Most of the Zollmen rumors and hurt butts seems to focus on the Maza and Kingbee has not done a Maza.

I have still not one a single lottery from Zollmen yet, but I still have fun trying each time. I think if you get irritated not wining this stuff all the time you might lose sight of what makes collecting this stuff fun.

ha, don't you mean "not collecting"?

No, lotteries are pretty fun, but I also like just being able to buy what I like too. it makes the lotteries even more fun/exciting--to me anyhow.

I like what Zollmen is making, so I can play along for a little while until I score a couple things.

Ultimately I think a company has to have a variety of ways they release their toys to be successful (notable exceptions are Anraku & Bemon). Of course they'll always start out with small runs as it's generally dictated by finances. But if they meet with success then it would seem to behoove them to, at least occasionally, release a figure that's more widely available. Mix in small runs, event exclusives, and lotteries. If everything is a short run you're going to lose a lot of potential customers as eventually their interest will lead elsewhere after not being able to get anything. And if you release a crap load of everything then that'll kill interest as well (Space Troopers).
Companies like SB, RxH, Gargamel have done well with utilizing various run sizes and sale methods.

Ha! Paul was nice enough to sell me the mini's he painted awhile ago...So I have had some luck with Zollmen just not the lottery ones. I haven't tried to get every piece that has been offered on Garimpo so I know odds are against me.

NT I think the price of the Space Troopers is what turned a lot of people off, more so than the huge variety that Toygraph released in a short period of time.

Could be - but I don't think pumping a billion out within a few months is very smart either.

@turtletooth: I dunno. It's a weird situation. Maybe there's some sort of conflict of interest that my dull eyes aren't seeing. I mean, Paul's obviously the fucking Man...and he says they're some dudes in Hokkaido. A number of others who are just as trustworthy are telling me it's Rory. Either way, it doesn't bother me much...but there's definitely some drama (if not a "conspiracy", as it were). I'm just curious...



When it comes to these small-time designer vinyl operations, I totally agree with this. By the nature of the medium, you're just not going to have new sculpts everyday. You have to recolor...my robot-collecting brethren sometimes don't get (read: respect) this, but it is what it is. As such, you have to keep it fresh.

I don't like the hyper-exclusive nature of some of these toys (super-secret e-mail lists for Anraku? c'mon)...to me, that's such a fucking turn off. Also, I don't like hype (I loved the Space Troopers, but Toygraph was going NUTS producing them and burning people out on them...I'm happy with the 10 or so I have)...if there's no substance.