Just got an email from Celga. This is their reply...
"Unfortunately, the way it works is that they remove just the last bid and it goes to the max of the next higher bidder. ;_; I've had this happen to me personally as well. I'm not sure why their bid was removed, but unfortunately it doesn't drop down to what it would have been with the next person. I don't think this was a deliberate act, since they did end up the winner and it took 6 days for the bid to be removed."
Still seems odd

this pirate kaiju went for 25 000 yen

From what the consensus seems to be here, I've been too conservative on my bids on most things...vintage is for da ballers. That said, is 25000 that much for the pirate up above? I'm definitely all at sea about valuation. Love the old paint even though that amount of wrinkles makes me think of shar peis and lucky pigs!

this pirate kaiju went for 52 0000 . whats really strange is i picked a bubble blower from what
looks like from the same series for only 2500 .i guess what something worth is really what 2
people are willing to pay for it .

Whoa! Cool blower! Would have been happy with the plain pirate at 8x the price you paid for the bubbler! I have a lot of learning ahead...

One just sold in better condition for 10 000 yen less. Go figure.

Seems odd until you realize that eBay actually does the same thing, but in a different way that clears things up.

If someone doesn't pay for an eBay auction you can always send a "Second Chance Offer" and that is usually exactly like this; the next highest bid.

But the big difference is the eBay method is not automatic. The seller has to decide whether to go with second chance offer or just re-list. I personally always re-list.

It seems like for Yahoo! Japan Auctions the process is automatic and the default is always for the next highest bidder to get it at that price. Which is weird, because in my experience if I don't win something I'm not going to hold my breath for a second chance offer. I'll just start the hunt again.

I'd ask Celga if the process is automatic and if there's an option for you to refuse/accept a "Second Chance Offer" at the time you place a bid.

FWIW, YJA listings are always listed over and over and over again automatically for no charge until the item is won/bought. So that might explain why YJA doesn't offer the option to re-list; it just happens anyway if it doesn't sell.

Thanks again for your input MicromanZone. I sent an email to ask Celga if you can decline the "automatic second chance" offer. I'll keep you posted if I hear back. I didn't realize that YJA listings are on auto-repeat until sold. I keep wanting to post pics of toys, but when the auction ended with no sale, they are reposted, so I can't post a pic here.

Wanted this one (a dirt cheap 10 yen!), but when Hubby heard me saying, "ooooooooooo!", he said I can't buy everything on YJP!

The auction info mentions UFO Daiaporon Base Apollo, by Bullmark. Reminded me of the Star Trek Enterprise when I saw it

Cool score, Mr....uh...Mrs?

Yes, that's Bullmark's Apolon Kichi. You starting to get bitten by the chogokin bug???

Oh, it's Mrs.
"Mr. Humphreys" is the name of our Kittee! I had to look up chogokin on Wikipedia--new toy factoids for me. Wow! It's nice to see photos of that toy in new condition. Does it actually fire off those yellow missile thingies?

Oh yes! Put yer damn eye out, too!

Wow! That sounds so cool! Hmmm....
(Hubby starts shaking a finger at me )

What are those old cars that are shaped like a blue Rhinoceros Beetle and whatnot. I think theyre chogokin too but I am too Fresh Meat to be sure/

Are you thinking of the Mekabuton from Time Bokan, maybe?

YUP! Got any japanese characters for those guys

Sure...

Time Bokan = タイムボカン

Mekabuton = メカブトン

Update from Celga, re. second chance offering:
"If a choice is offered we always ask the customer if they want it. I'm not sure why sometimes they make it an offer and sometimes they just remove the bid and we just get it as if we'd won originally"[

Anyone care to hazard a guess on this blue/silver Kanegon coccoon?
http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e84262050


I checked on the Club Tokyo toy database, and first thought it was the Blue Lottery version
http://www.clubtokyo.org/listings/itemL ... ntentID=30

The JYP version looks darker with more silver. The M1Go markings appear silver instead of yellow (like those in the Club Tokyo pic), but it could be a faded yellow? The "Engrish" description mentions it was a "not for sale" toy, so it seems to support the Blue Lottery version. If so, does anyone know how many Blue Lottery versions were made? Thank you!

Looks like the blue lottery to me, just darker lighting for the photo.

Forgot to post these in December. Can someone chime in as to the rarity?

Ultraman kaiju set for a whopping 300,000

http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k106405886



And I was surprised that this "Orange" kaiju went so high as well:
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n65397431



Side note, is this guy a cousin to "Dumb Donald" from Fat Albert?:

Hmm, not surprised on the Zandora considering it's still in the bag. Even so- wow.

Whubbut thubba fubbuck?!

I think that is the same one. They might have done 20 to 50, who knows. It probably was a lottery item at a couple of shows. Surprised to see how high the auction went. Looks the top 2 were US bidders(assumming cel***=celga). Good to think there is love for kanegon in the US.

Thanks Club Tokyo! I ended up winning that auction (Celga)--yay! I submitted a higher bid than probably what's normal, as I really love Kanegons, and Kanegons-in-coccoons are near and dear!

Ended at 34000 yen. Beautiful, especially considering it's nearly 40 years old! Looks almost like a wood carving.