why are the prices for these so high? is it the retail price or is demand so much greater than the supply... that's just what u have to pay in the secondary market. I'm not looking to buy any (but i would like a goga to paint), I was just wondering why so expensive.

I think they are a bit bigger (13" or so) than regular full sized kaiju. giving it the $140 price tag instead of $110. the demand may also drive prices up.

Supply and demand.

the invisible hand

that's what i was suspecting

Does the invisible hand wear a glove...? Cuz I thought I saw a glove with no arm going through my collection about 3 weeks ago!@!!

While the subject is being discussed, what's the quality like on the Anraku stuff? I've never handled one myself, but I've been told about thin vinyl, parts that didn't fit that well, etc. Just curious.

I have heard these complaints, but never experienced them myself. So I guess I don't really understand where these comments are coming from. My response is based on the figures in my collection... but I would be surprised if there was much variation in quality.

I'm my VERY limited experience (2 pieces --- clear blue Nue and Yellow Glutamin), the vinyl is very thick. Blue Nue is suprising thick and sturdy for a transparent piece, and Glutamin is a brick. All parts fit tight.

However, from the pics I've seen, it looks like the Goga is kind of flimsy. I know that's weird, but it just looks that way.

There's a thread on the board that references a few complaints about how the tail fits into the main body of the Goga. When i had mine shipped the tail came off in shipping but nothing was damaged and it slips back in and out quite easily. I've never had it fall out from handling so i'm still quite pleased with the sculpt.

The clear blue anraku set has awesome quality and are some of my favourite pieces to stare at. The yellow Dako i received also seemed very heavy-set and high quality.

I have got lots of gogas, and never noticed this problem with any of them.

I also have a few Gogas in my collection and never seem to have any problems that people have been talking about. Perhaps their may be some bootlegs out there?

My thoughts on how the tail fits into the body are in other threads. Again, it's not a big deal, just kind of loose/ill-fitting on some of them. Vinyl quality seems on par with other jp neo-kaiju.

Part of may be that the tail is just not intended to be "articulated". Yes, it is attached separately, but I have never imagined that you were supposed to be able to "pose" the tail. I dont' really consider the Goga an "articulated" figure, despite the fact that it has separate parts.

My Goga (clear orange) is def. the most flimsy of my Anraku, but still not that bad really. The tail is easy to remove, but never just popped off on it's own. Generally they're hardy figures, paint is TOP notch and I think the run numbers, even for neo-kaiju, are super low.

No matter what though, they're some of my favorite pieces.

I think there might be a a difference between the quality of the vinyl used for the gogas and for the other figures - in terms of a thicker vinyls seems to be used for the other figures and as others have said, it's top notch - very heavy gauge vinyl, first class paint jobs. The feel of them reminds me of the old bandai 6" ultra-monster series before they started making them is soft, squishy vinyl.

The gogas seem to be slightly thinner, more flexible vinyl (or perhaps the shear size of them makes the vinyl seem thinner) - I've only got two but have noticed some of the joins fit a little roughly - doesn't matter to me, though, that's part of their rough-hewn charm. Overall, the quality is fantastic and it's funny because to me, the vinyl feels different from M1, for example, as well as other makers like B-Club and Gas Bawers.

How about some people seeing what their toys go for on the secondary market and feeling that they should be the ones making the profit so they raise the retail.

I could buy that. I think that there is also a strong effort to avoid selling to flippers and pinpointing sales to true collectors who won't resell.

Indeed. I wasn't allowed to buy the "reissue" vader dako because I already had the "original" one...hardcore!

Hey Mr. Anraku, I wont resell a nice green painted goga with guts!

I guess the three reasons for the prices of the anraku stuff are:

a low number of production, ~50pcs each version (specials 10-30pcs)
and a bigger demand. Anrakus Kaiju aren't mass products. Making 5 USD
on a toy wich sells 10.000 times its ok but if you just make 150 a month?

Baikin already said it, the makers don't like that their toys are abused by flippers

they are huge toys wich need a lot of work by hands, production, painting..