Just curious ... why is Bandai almost never mentioned here? Is it because their toys are too traditional for neo-kaiju collectors? Too inexpensive and common? Too cheap-looking compared to the boutique toys?

These are just "educated guesses" but I don't really know. In my opinion "the other stuff" does indeed tend to be more appealing and higher quality. I think of Bandai toys as toys you'd give to a kid to play with ... they're tough enough to endure rough play for awhile, and inexpensive enough that it's no tragedy if they get ruined.

Some of Bandai's sculpts are impressive, some of the monsters very cool. For some reason though, I find their vinyl and paint jobs to be sort of a turn-off. However, some of their top tier toys look quite nice.

"One of these days" when I buy an airbrush kit, I'll probably buy a bunch of cheap Bandai monsters to practice on. In any case, any thoughts on this company's products and history would be fun to read.

u need an airbrush?

I think it could have less to do with the product and more to do with the nature of the collectors around here. Most of us, I assume, are in our twenties, thirties, and forties, and grew up in a time when toys looked like toys. To see what I mean, look at a Bandai Godzilla compared to the original Marusan Godzilla.

You tend to see a similar divide among Star Wars collectors, those who are into the vintage stuff and disdain the new toys, which are very realistic. It doesn't make one thing "better" than the other, I just think it's a deeply ingrained preference that was formed during our childhoods.

I really like when you can see a human touch to the product...i feel the vintage ones show this more....i still see some bandai that I like though.

I have an almost complete collect of Godzilla Bandai vinyls, if that makes you feel better.

I still but Ban Dai figs, takem' to the offuce , give them to the little ones, I like 'em plenty, but prefer the retro figs!

Actually that's VERY impressive.

I don't feel badly that the company isn't really discussed here ... just a newb's curiosity, that's all.

Roger your astute comments make perfect sense, and I'm sure you're right about preferences.

Maybe I'm confused, but when people say they prefer the vintage toys, do you mean Bandai vintage? In my memory, most of the kaiju I had as a kid in the 70s was Bandai ... or am I experiencing false memory syndrome?

The definition of "vintage" around here varies. Personally, I think any toy produced before the end of Japan's bubble economy qualifies for "vintage" but there are a lot of people who would probably disagree with me.

The Ultraman and Godzilla kaiju from the 70s were made mostly by Bullmark and Popy. The Godzilla's Gang vinyls that were released in the USA by Mattel were modifications of Popy toys. Those might be the kaiju you're remembering.

It wasn't until the 80s that Bandai reabsorbed Popy and produced Godzillas under the Bandai banner.

Aha, thank you very much! No clue why I'm mis-remembering. Perhaps it's just that it's the same Godzilla and Ultraman monsters. Unfortunately my boyhood kaiju didn't survive ... only the Tonka trucks.

I am just starting to get into them. Some are pretty cool!

Never realy thought about it that way, but that sums up my prefferences for sure. Interesting.

SATAN BEATLE!

Roger is right on with his comments.

I have plenty of Bandai in my collection, but in the early/mid 90's companies like M-1Go turned me on to the retro style toys and made me aware of older Bullmark, Marusan and Nitto stuff. That gave me an appreciation of the history of kaiju toys.

Now I am mostly interested in the older style of toys. I prefer the less realistic and more stylized sculpts, colors, and paintjobs.

Also, Bandai stuff is mass produced and made with a different type of vinyl that leaves something to be desired once you've gained an appreciation for thick funky Japanese made small batch toys.

I have a complete set of the large size bandai figures from Godzilla 1991 release through current day. I have every stupid Baltan Seijin paint and mold variation except one (of about 50) and all the King Joe as well.

I think you hear less about the Bandai, because they are (relatively) inexpensive and easy to get. No need to hunt much. Secondarily, like Roger said, the collectors that usually go for hyper detailed "realistic" figure rarely go for the highly interpreted and stylized vintage stuff, so they all yap over on GodzillaC or on the die-cast boards.

As much as I love those large vinyl figures, they still pale in comparison to the vintage and the new kaiju stuff.

I really appreciate all the educational responses. At its best this board is like an encyclopdia but more fun.

Oh man, King Joe. Gotta get one! Somewhere on some hard drive I've still got a 3D CG model of KJ. There's a modeller in Hong Kong who has made tons of giant robot and other kaiju models for the Poser 3D program. There's also a woman who has modelled all of the Ultras including Ultrawoman. I should get my art computer fixed and get back into it.

Again, thanks all for correcting my misconceptions and offering some background and opinion.

Dean

Some of the newer Bandai vinyls like the recently released Goji sculpt from "G vs Hedorah" and the Jet Jaguar are mighty nice. Also looking forward to the semi diecast SOC King Joe, out soon.

Some of the old 8" Bandai Kaijus like the Hedorah or the Megalon have fantastic sculpts and nice colorways.

http://www.clubtokyo.org/listings/popVa ... tentID=660

http://www.clubtokyo.org/listings/popVa ... tentID=660

The newer Bandai Monsters are easy to get cause they were produced in enormous numbers, so I guess these toys are no topic here, although the 8" Godzilla figs from 2004 meanwhile are hard to get and they are offered on yja for 2500 to 4000jpy. Unfortunately the German collectors don't like the clear versions of the Bandais like the theater specials or the actual toydreams set with the 55godzilla and the angurus in 6".

Lots of Ban Dai love at the office.
By the case is the way to go.
We collect the factory cases too so no choice. Less easy to get those.
If you like "hard to get" check out the Ban Dai Kamen Rider S.I.C. figures.
Big moola on some of those.

What do you think of the Den-O designs, David? I'm still not sure yet (though I haven't seen any of the eps yet, either).

I love the show actually.
Very different this year.
I usually love the toys and feel kinda so so about the shows but this one is hilarious. Wait till you see the train with the tracks that appear/disappear behind it.
Wacky.
The Den-O guy did look like something from REVLON at first but it grew on me.