So I got some Ultrasevens, Redman, and Thundermask in. Pretty excited about these! All had very cheap because of condition I'm sure. I used a soft toothbrush and dish soap to clean them. The main dirty culprit was the larger Marusan 66 Ultraseven. I think he might have some ancient crayon marks on his face. Here are some before pics:


Ultraseven & Redman by Beautification Syndrome, on Flickr

Dirty Bastard! by Beautification Syndrome, on Flickr

Marusan Ultraseven by Beautification Syndrome, on Flickr

Now cleaned and with friends (could be just the light):

Marusan & Bullmark Ultraseven, Popy Thundermask & Redman by Beautification Syndrome, on Flickr
Close up of all the Minis. I really dig the Popy Thundermask and Redman:

Popy Thundermask & Redman, Bullmark Ultraseven by Beautification Syndrome, on Flickr

Now I just have a red Bullmark Ultraseven mini coming in and I'll have my own little vintage corner. One day when I get back on track financially I'll track down more vintage. So much more rewarding than new stuff.

That's a nice haul and agreed on vintage being more satisfying than new stuff. I lucked out and found that big Ultraseven at a flea market in southwest Virginia back when I was in college.

Nice Lixx!!! So jealous!

Thanks. Tall guy was a steal. $58 clams if I remember. Not bad for a toy that came out 45 years ago. Thanks to xvivahatex for steering me that way instead of a more expensive repro.

Really sweet finds Lixx. It is surprising how much a little condition flaw can save you huge money on vintage sofubi. I know some vinyl folks are super nitpicky, and most diehards would not even touch a figure with writing on him, I love them loved.

Seriously? Great price!! And even more jealous now!!! haha




I don't mind writing on my vintage ones! I just wish I had more!

NIce clean-up job! Those are not crayon marks. They are scuffs/paint rubs from doing battle with other vinyls.

Ahh you're right! I figured that when they didn't come off while washing. Still I like that they've battled!

I've been looking at more standard sized Thundermask and Redman auctions. You know the Bandai/Bullmark ones with removable helmets? Would love to own a Thundermask or Redman that size. Most go for 30000-70000 yen Happy with this little assortment though.

You can find a standard Bullmark RedMan removable mask for cheaper than that (and, if you don't mind playing the waiting game, get the mask loose and body separately.) ThunderMask, however, will cost you. Keep an eye out for a nice bootleg, but even those can get pricey.

congrats Lixx, you are traveling down a down a road that will bring you collecting bliss!

Or madness! Either way, you're smiling!

Nice pickups Chris!

Sometimes I like to bargain shop on vintage stuff, and see what I can find on the cheap.
Myself, been chasing Kamen Rider mini villains which are really cool.

Thanks. Seems vintage is hit or miss and it's all about condition. Good luck on your villain minis!

Kamen Rider villains, Triple Fighter, Zone Fighter, Thundermask, Godman, Redman, Condorman, Rainbowman, and all the various Ultras. It's like a whole new world for me!

More great stuff, Chris! And, yeah, there are most definitely some great deals to be had if you don't mind "well-loved" condition. I get why flawless toys command such high prices...but I just see no problem at all with a toy that's got a lot of mileage on it. Hell, my Gorosaurus has writing on his chest!

I'm no stranger to toys that need cleaning.
These are great finds.

I know some may not condone this, but if you want to remove paint rubs - acetone is your friend.
$3 at your local drug store.

Get a soft cotton swab and ever so gently test a rub mark. if the color comes off - it's working.

IF you try to remove a paint rub that is on a painted area of a toy, you may also loose the underlying finish.
I've been able to clean off rub marks and keep under-paint on, but I used an actual fine tip paint brush.
And a gentle touch. And I think I may have talked dirty to the toy...

Anyway, just putting it out there.

Congratulations Lixx! I wash all of my newly adopted vintage in soapy water and allow to air dry thoroughly. I'm too chicken to use the micro-sponge as I think it's too abrasive. The Thundermask received his simple bath when he first came over. He really will have a wonderful home with you! Your collection is amazing. Just remember that vintage is EXTREMELY addictive!

P.S. My co-workers missed Thundermask the very next day! I was surprised they noticed. Now I'll have to replace him with another toy on my desk

@diceone- knowing how clumsy I can be I'd be afraid I'd spill some acetone over the painted eyes of the Ultraseven and totally have to bang my head against a wall afterwards.
@Mr. Humphreys- I know! I know! It's too addicting. I have to stop myself from looking. I've been keeping myself occupied lately with researching going back to school for geographical studies.

Here is that last Bullmark Ultraseven mini. I heard from some people that it's pretty rare. I saw other variants but I definitely wanted the one with the gray painted collar?:



Joining the crew:


There is just something about Ultraseven! Only space I could find was on a SK shelf.

Great finds Chris!
Btw, a "Mister Clean" sponge works serious wonders on skuffs, especially if they are on the base vinyl.

I took your advice Ralph and decided to be daring this morning. Knowing full well I could not live with knowing poor Ultraseven's face was all scuffed up. So what I did was tear small pieces of a magic eraser sponge off applying full on finger pressure to the scuff marks. I would wet the sponge and ring it out so whatever the hell strong cleaner is on those things did not drip onto painted parts. I throughly went through and took out all the scuff marks on the head and body that were unpainted. Afterwards I used a damp paper towel to remove any cleaner residue. The result is spectacular!:


Marusan Ultraseven cleanup by Beautification Syndrome, on Flickr

Keep in mind this auction was listed literally as "junk". I feel I've restored it to a respectable condition if you take a look at the before picture below:


Dirty Bastard! by Beautification Syndrome, on Flickr

Ah, very excellent touch up work. I have always avoided anything remotely harsh to clean my vintage guys, and since magic sponges are infused with chemicals I have stayed away. Good to know though, I will definitely try this out in the future. Quite a few of my guys could stand with a little more gentle care.

Great job! looking good.

Nice!

I'm just curious, is it bad form to do a repaint, if the toy is going to be permanently in your collection? I think it looks great as-is, but I would be very tempted to restore it, with Japanese toy paint.

Also I can't believe how good it turned out Chris. Did you work on the marker on the back, at all?

I don't think I'd ever try an repaint it. First I don't own a airbrush, nor do I own vinyl paint. I doubt I'd even be able to find the exact color match. I also think it would be a big faux pas to even attempt it. Vintage remains in it's original form, no question about it. Removing scuffs is one thing but repainting is a big no no (IMO).

I attempted to remove the marker on the bottom of the feet. It was far enough away from any painted area and I knew I'd have to be vigorous about it, just to see if it would work. It definitely lightened it, but like many have said here, nothing ever truly removes permanent marker. I'm ok with it though.

It's fantastic to see how much cleaner the figure looks. If you are thinking of applying the same method to another toy, can you please post the results too? Looks great!