[quote="ultrakaiju"][/quote]

I'm not saying all are. Some people are into H&S because they straight up like it, aesthetically/historically/personal significance or otherwise. Some are just conditioned and learn to like it because of what people are saying about it and because it's the cool thing to own (how many 1 post users drop in the WTB and make lists entirely of AA, NNN and H&S?), and others are obviously in it to make a quick buck. It's a mixed bag.

[quote="leucotomy"]

Cure is a case where they have diversified to meet lots of different collector demographics. They do open runs which do quite well in addition to rare location based exclusives. There's something for everyone and they're doing quite well based entirely on the quality of their work. Their price point is enough to make a profit and yet doesn't alienate everyone either. They have a great balance. Not every release is something you have to jump through lots of hoops for. At the same time I don't think a one-off boogie would ever go for 6k, and that's not what they're going for. They're making great toys for good prices and making them obtainable.

Side note, interestingly enough, open runs sometimes don't produce as many as you'd expect. A really good example of this was a 3A sale a while back. There was a sale where a membership exclusive figure preorder was offered but also an open run. Ironically enough almost nobody bought it because everyone else thought someone else would buy it and it would be easier to obtain later. I think he said only 20 something DW/NW WWRP martins were produced. But it they were advertised as 'limited to 100' you could bet they would have flew off the store in seconds.

Then there was the case where a super limited to 20 figure was offered and sold out instantly, then after enough complaints on the forums they decided to offer it up for 24 hour preorder... suddenly a lot of people didn't want the figure anymore.

Totally different company and a bit off topic and but worth sharing anyway. Same principle could apply here.

Agreed these hype companies are if anything only going to alienate new collectors and in the end help destroy the hobby from the inside out. Elitism is a fools mind state. I share my toys with all of my friends and help them find the ones they like because quite frankly its nice to share your passion with other people. Hype and elitism lead to a wasteland of empty terrain where once stood a group of equally passionate individuals. I have been standing back watching all this and it, if anything just makes me happy I designed my toy for me and my friends. You better believe if I ever got to a point where people actually wanted an open run on my toy it would happen. Joe and Rich are handling all of this exactly as you should it needs to be a mixed bag, some rare ones for the hunters and big runs so fans of the sculpt get one. In this field you can really please everyone with your sale distribution if you play it smart and listen.
Let's say open run Mech Ju happens. I would totally get one!!! Let it be known I appreciated this figure but didn't really pay attention to this thread heavily until after seeing a Mech Ju in person at SDCC. Now if I managed to get a Green unpainted (example) Mech Ju and that was the open run I would be stoked to have it. Then after looking at it for awhile I would probably want another and at that point I would probably want one with a boss paint job!
In comic books companies will normally (when they are smart and trying to REALLY build readership) do something special for a number one. Example, Veritgo released every #1 at a $1 for a whole year of releases and did it to help build readership. That year I started reading Sweet Tooth and IZombie because of that price point and they got me for over 25 issues of each book and counting! An open run can create more interest and that interest can return to the back market very very easily.

amethystcape you're the guy who got called out for flipping a black mecha ju, anything you say here is basically reflecting your own flipper mentality. Fuck off and please leave....fuck you very much!

^^
no he wasn't chris. He was flipping the Nzombie thing.

Nicely said. Elitism and info-hoarding will always be around, but as a point of consideration, this very board was created in the spirt of sharing information and access.

Then he was flipping both because he was most certainly flipping a Black Mecha Ju a few months back.

People are always asking for open orders, but have you ever tried to ship out 100 boxes? could you imaging if 75 of them were EMS and you had to fill out forms and go to the clerk and you couldn't even use electronic or automated shipping or lables? Not fun at all.

this is where friends/fans come into play, if one of my buddies/an artist I dig was like "hey deal with this 2 day shipping fiasco and I'll hook you up with some awsome toys" I would be busy as hell for 2 days, also you can cut the ems and customs tape by getting a friend stateside to break down a big box of toys

Thinking you can dictate how a Japanese manufacturer with as much history and credibility as Hirota should run his business is both naive and disrespectful.

Skullbrain creates the hype . . . Live with it!

The rest of this thread, like most these days, is just noise!

I've had that offer man. One guy who offered was Sam aka Busizm. You just can't trust that work to others. if they run off with your shit, or even if there are problems with missing or undelivered packages you have to deal with it.

But just think of it, Joe -- He could have 'represented' you like he did for SEEN! You blew it.

I've probably said this somewhere before, a lot of people that make toys here have regular jobs and do this as a hobby. Also, some people dont want to paint 150 figures. If you've tried you'll understand how much time it takes, especially if you are working regular work days and then coming home to your hobby. 150 figures can run into a few days work for a standard figure.

But what if said collector that is pissing and moaning is entitled to said toy? Ever think of that?

You nailed it! This should be stickied at the top of each page.

Kind of like that sense of entitlement guys who flip toys have towards recouping the ridiculous sums of money they overpaid to get in on the hype.

This is very true.

My guess is that Hirota is making the amounts that he is comfortable with and in the variety of colorways that he enjoys. Instead of thinking he is manipulating the market why not just give him the benefit of doubt and imagine he's just having fun and doing what he wants?

I really can't believe that he continues to weigh in with his .02 in this thread. It always feels like a joke when I see him post in it.


I recently sold a vast majority of my entire videogame collection & model collection. Many were "combined" sales, but still about 50-60 packages going out and about 25 of them were international (and we're talking cartridges / clamshells - smaller than toys). It made my head want to explode. I never want to sell or ship that many things within a 30 day span ever again in my life. Pretty sure my mailman hated my guts. I know the dudes at the PO counter didn't seem thrilled to see me day after day after day.

Us collectors are the ones keeping the USPS alive They should be grateful!

i dont really care how someone sells one way or the other- but my 2 cents on the post office!

i go to a "postal annex" a little middleman post company that does usps, fed ex, and ups all at a little shop. i used to fill out customs forms but they just threw them away- with their computer system they had to manually type in all the information from a customs form- then theyd print out a label and stick it to the box. so now i just write the address on the box, tell them whats inside and how much its worth and they do the rest! takes a load off of my mind whenever i have to ship a bunch of stuff (artwork and books or whatever im selling) they are all really nice as well- so i made the permanent switch from saving a couple coins to going to a small group of cool people. my USPS office sucked and everyone was always mad at life and hated when i brought in a bunch of boxes. OOF.

sorry for the derail! back to monkey business

Does anyone have anymore info for this little guy?..This is very interesting to me...The Gorilla Ju sculpt was clearly taken directly from this other toy..Does anyone know the original company that put these out?..Or the year?..Just wondering...

?

New head for one of the omakes? Hard to say other changes, as I haven't seen such a close up image before. Great sculpt though. The palm eye is pretty cool.

Very cool new sculpt! Although someone needs to rehost the image. Can't see on here.

Works for me. I dunno.


It's an entirely new sculpt.