So I'm not really sure exactly which forum this belongs in, so if it needs movin, feel free to relocate it.

Anyway, last night's New Years Eve, we're gonna shoot off some fireworks and all that, so of course I'm bringin my camera bag. It just so happens that my River Children Tokoji Seijin kinda lives in my camera bag, because he's pretty much my favorite toy. After snapping some pics of friends & family, out comes the Tokoji for some shots with the fireworks - but obviously not close enough to any of them to take any damage.

I take some shots, get up to change lenses, and hear my friend yell "oh shit, don't touch that!" and turn around to see his nephew by Tokoji. The kid's been goin crazy with the punks you use to light the fuses, waving it all over the place, and using it like a toy sword. He decided to poke my Tokoji in the eye.



WTF do I do about that? What CAN I do about that? I know better than to scold some 4-5 year old kid and be a dick and rain on everyones new years eve, so I just put him back in the bag, and grumble. But what would you do - with the toy? I scored it at a cheap price, and would be MUCH more pissed if I bought it for like $100.. but do I try to fix it? All I could think of to do was make him a little eye patch because I think color-matching that neon paint in the eye would be a tough task..

Anyway, suggestions? Advice? I need it. I'm still ticked

Take some acetone to it and make an unpainted.

He has character now

There is nothing you can do.

these are true words of wisdom coming from a fellow collector. cheers.

I agree with leaving it as is.

I know some collectors here (and I really don't have a problem with it at all), who don't even move the head or arms on any of their kaiju or fight figures. But to me, these toys are all about being played with and loved, like the old kaiju toys of years gone by. I really think you miss the whole point by obsessing too much about its condition- not unlike the husband in the Nathaniel Hawthorne short story "The Birthmark." So I say let them get nicked, chipped, squished, dropped, and otherwise loved in any which way imagineable. The more expensive the better!

Case in point, Fink Shit. Does anyone have one that is fully mint ??

Mine has scratches all over and I love him all the same

I can't find one that is.
They all have paint chips and rubs at the same places.

But anyways, it does give it a little story you'll always remember.

Welcome to vintage.

Inevitably stuff gets scratched or dropped or cracks or fades or yellows.
I used to get upset about it, but eventually learned to accept it, especially when I started collecting vintage toys.

Like Lash said, now he has character and a story.

I know mr clean magic erasers help with paint rubs. You could try it.

Mr. Clean Erasers ARE magic!

same here

Magic Eraser only works on marks on the paint. This looks to me like the paint on the eye was scratched off. Nothing can be done about that.
I know it hurts but you gotta live with it.

what that means to me is that now theres no reason to not play with him...i say its time to have fun

Believe me - I do Tokoji goes anywhere and everywhere my camera goes, and I try to stick him in a scene of ANYTHING I think is cool enough to photograph. It's also funny that this is the eye on his right side, and it seems a vast majority of my Tokoji pics have been of his left side, lol. Actually, over my Christmas trip, I kept my Shikaruna Siberian Beast in the same bag with him, and the tips of the horns had the white rub off, and I didnt care - but Tokoji's the vinyl version "My Buddy" to me and I freaked when he "got hurt"

One thing I will say is this: I'm very pleased and impressed that I didn't get any reactions like "kill the kid / make them pay for it" or anything irrational. I had 3 friends that don't collect vinyl, but are very familiar with my addiction, who said "what the hell, they/the parents didn't offer to make it right?" which I thought was totally over the top. I'm glad people here are as comfortable and understanding of mistakes & injuries involving our beloved toys as much as I am. Will get some REAL shots of him and his new lasic-gone-wrong in SLR quality soon

you need to beat the crap out of that little punk

I thought it would be more suitable to stab HIM in the eye with an ignited punk... "an eye for an eye, Bao!" & learn em a life lesson then and there

Kids are kids.
And honestly, what we collect are toys bottom line.
They SHOULD be played with.
But it's cool how you kept your cool.
Respect.

My general rule of thumb, if its in the case and something happens I freak. But if I take it out than all bets are off.


O and when no one was looking I would have slapped the kid silly

Hahaha, if he was OLDER, like say 2nd grade or older, I know he should know better, and I'd have been like "wtf kid?" but not at that age. Not to mention I wasn't gonna rain on his parade, he was havin a ball, they got back from Vietnam on the 30th, big family dinner and belated xmas, then lobster dinner + fireworks + videogames that night - they were havin a BALL. Easily the kids best Winter/Holiday yet!

...and now I have a one-off Tokoji lol