This sucks.. No respect for the wishes of Gargamel only a couple of months after this was posted on their blog...

http://blog.livedoor.jp/gargamel/archives/55161291.html

^^^ I think that's the worst part. I would be so frustrated, saddened, and furious if I were Gargamel. It's really a shame.

And as consignment, I'm willing to bet the true seller is Angel Abby.

That hurts. How could you go to a show, smile at the creators, look them in the eye, then turn around and eat off their work? I wish would just boycott all of them, and let them starve. Spend thousands of dollars with 0 return. That would be great.

Yea, looks like the guy, Messiyiu, who posted the pic above on IG, recently posted 6 he got from the show

It's super easy to be upset at how a few aspects of the show went down. However, at this point the complaints are starting to overshadow the congrats on the show. Gargamel did a truly amazing job. They continue to evolve in both sculpting and painting and it's been nothing, but a pleasure to watch, even if my dreams of owning some of the sculpts/paint schemes have been deferred due to recent events.

Wow, just checked that out. It trips me out when collectors score more than a single one off at a show.
Isn't it enough that you got a single one? I understand LB or actual runs, but does a collector have to
own all the one offs from a show?

Instaspam hero worship!

I'm sure he can afford the 7 from M-World too

This guy wont last. Just another trend collector looking for instagram likes for how deep his pockets are. I'm pretty sure he just validated all the flippers overnight on his HxS collection. So sad.

^ sad that shenanigans ensued but it seems to always happen to some extent or another with toy shows but lets get back to the discussion of everything that did go right at this show of which there is a lot to discuss…ehem camo Bako

It seems crazy thinking back on it now, but that Camo Bako sat around for a LONG time. Messiyiu was debating on getting him or not. I kind of wish I got him now. He is truly a beautiful piece!!!

That Bako and the Cyborg with pink vinyl arms were my choices. One day Id like to just get 1 1off from them. Gargamel are by far the best painters in the business.

I feel you...
You know how the camo zag and battle miboras were staring at me
I looked back at the weekend and wonder why am i so soft and hesitant this round.

Actually messiyiu played it fair and square, flying in for the event, joining the queue, drawing numbers and then picking the pieces just like everyone else. We cannot blame a guy for being blessed with resources assuming these pieces he picked up are for his collection.
i hope he last in this hobby. The hobby needs more hardcore collectors, not cheer leaders or amatuerish makers. if he doesn't, there are certainly some pieces in his collection that i hope to pick up for reasonable prices

This is sadly achieveable, once you stomp very hard, any feelings of being ashamed and replace it with outright greed.

You also have to make that pair of pesky things called conscience and consideration disappear too. But once you get rid of those feelings of being ashamed, giving those two the boot should be a piece of cake.

Once you have reached level shamelessness you can fuck over anyone with a smile while holding hands with entitlement and douchebaggery.

My two cents.

Fair enough. If there we're no restrictions set and I had a ton on cash I'm sure I would have walked out with a handful too. I would have loved to do that when I attended a show a few years back but unfortunately at that time it was one per person which I'm sure was to allow everyone attending a chance to score something.

The event is and was one per person, but after the initial line went through you could pick numbers and go again and then even after that pieces remained so . . . it was all good.

Its nice seeing gargamel toys becoming more and more expensive. Like theres some kind of inner circle of collectors and everyone else gets the left over micros.

Prices are pretty much the same as they have always been. It's just the flippers.

Gargamel prices may even be better than they used to be and flipper prices are worse than they used to be

Yeah, but judging from his IG feed, his collection is all flavour-of-the-month toys. I respect collectors/tions like yours a lot more, Joe!

These toys are really still small potatoes. He could sell his whole collection, and probably not come up with enough money to buy a Jeff Koons balloon sculpture.

So, he spends money, do I think Hirota is mad he is buying his King Gorillas at 2k a pop? I'm sure he feels appreciated. What Maxaltoman said is spot on. It's like most people who collect this stuff want it for dirt cheap and don't care about showing appreciation to or valuing the people making it.

It seems like the de-rail of this thread has been de-railed to a discussion about a single collector and his habits. Rich's post is evidence that people who attended the show and were true fans of Gargamel had toys they may have been chasing snapped up by greedy flippers who care less about Gargamel's great work and more about making a 200% profit.

Sure you can say "that's life" or "that's how art shows work" but I know if I had saved up all month to buy a custom Zag and then get to the show and have somebody (and their friends) snap up a whole bunch before me only to see it show up for resale a day later I would be annoyed to say the least.

I'd rather see a collector who is able to buy multiple toys and fairly do so, end up with several GGML toys as long as he keeps them, regardless of his collecting habits.

That's one big step up from flippers who don't play by the rules, snatch up everyone's top choice, then turn around to flip them for twice the original price.

+1. When I see a great piece go to a collector who's collection I really admire and respect it definitely makes me happy. Completely different from a flipper buying a bunch of pieces.