Post by rooster on May 25, 2006 7:06:31 GMT -5
Hi! Im new to this board, but I thought you guys might like my story. In 1997 or so I had just began my second year of college and was living off on my own. As you'll remember, the new Star Wars figures had hit the market, and they were being bought up as though they were gold by people my age. They had nastolgic value. I remember talking to my roommate about other toys that we loved, and at the top of my list was the diecast Voltron III set my best friend had, but my parents could never afford. SO I began to look for a set. The internet was still ruled be "high speed" modems cranking out a neck snapping 28 baud, so the internet was a difficult place to find anything, and eBay was a joke with very little for auction and scarcly a picture to be found.
I ran into a guy who said he had the Voltron, but it was called something else "Golion". Hmm - whatever - as long as it looked the same. I bought this near mint condition Godaikin Golion for a mere $30, complete and in the box. I began to research and came across some guy in NY who knew and sold these guys - he offered me $350 if it was a Japanese box. It wasn't, but I knew I was onto something. I promptly put the golion back into his box and wrote the guy who sold me the piece to see if he had more.
I waited two agonizing days for a return email, but finally got one. Yeah, he had more. A lot more. $30 each said the email, or $350 for all - so I said Ill take everything you have, and I mustered up and borrowed to get all that I needed.
I paid him and waited. I just bought a bunch of robots I had never seen before or even heard of! I was now penniless and anxious....he sent them out - then the money hungry union theives (I still hate Unions to this day) at UPS went on strike, and held my robots hostage at the local facility.
"AAAAHHH!" two agonizing weeks went by. Then I got the boxes. And what did I get for $350? Shoot, I didnt know what they were, but all were mint, complete, DX, in their boxes and unplayed with -
2 Godsigma, 2 Godmarz (both box styles), 3 Combattra (both box styles), 2 Voltes V, 2 Guardian (both boxes), 1 additional Golion (Unique KO that I havent seen since), 1 Bioman, 1 Diamos, 1 Daitetsujin 17, 1 Vavilos, 1 Laserion, 2 Dynaman, 1 Dyjupiter, 1 Biodragon, 1 Daltanius, 1 Leopardon, 1 Machine Dolphin, 1 Dancougar.
And, yeah, I sold them all. I sold them for much, much more than I paid, but much much less than they would go for today. I dont remember the exact total, but I did buy a motorcycle with it.
I only wish I was a collector at the time - kind of. I still have my Harley, and I plan to paint at least one Chogokin on it as a testiment to how I got it. More importantly, it lauched me into buying and selling (and collecting!) these fantastic toys. As a poor child, I never had the opportunity to have any of these as a kid.
So now I collect the Godaikins and their Popy counterparts, but I have a special place in my heart for the Godaikins in the american boxes.
Anyway, I guess I thought youd like it because everyone wants to find something like that. And I bet there is still some guy out there with an attic full of toy robots he's forgotten about. And I hope I find him - only this time, Im keeping the robots!
Brandon
I ran into a guy who said he had the Voltron, but it was called something else "Golion". Hmm - whatever - as long as it looked the same. I bought this near mint condition Godaikin Golion for a mere $30, complete and in the box. I began to research and came across some guy in NY who knew and sold these guys - he offered me $350 if it was a Japanese box. It wasn't, but I knew I was onto something. I promptly put the golion back into his box and wrote the guy who sold me the piece to see if he had more.
I waited two agonizing days for a return email, but finally got one. Yeah, he had more. A lot more. $30 each said the email, or $350 for all - so I said Ill take everything you have, and I mustered up and borrowed to get all that I needed.
I paid him and waited. I just bought a bunch of robots I had never seen before or even heard of! I was now penniless and anxious....he sent them out - then the money hungry union theives (I still hate Unions to this day) at UPS went on strike, and held my robots hostage at the local facility.
"AAAAHHH!" two agonizing weeks went by. Then I got the boxes. And what did I get for $350? Shoot, I didnt know what they were, but all were mint, complete, DX, in their boxes and unplayed with -
2 Godsigma, 2 Godmarz (both box styles), 3 Combattra (both box styles), 2 Voltes V, 2 Guardian (both boxes), 1 additional Golion (Unique KO that I havent seen since), 1 Bioman, 1 Diamos, 1 Daitetsujin 17, 1 Vavilos, 1 Laserion, 2 Dynaman, 1 Dyjupiter, 1 Biodragon, 1 Daltanius, 1 Leopardon, 1 Machine Dolphin, 1 Dancougar.
And, yeah, I sold them all. I sold them for much, much more than I paid, but much much less than they would go for today. I dont remember the exact total, but I did buy a motorcycle with it.
I only wish I was a collector at the time - kind of. I still have my Harley, and I plan to paint at least one Chogokin on it as a testiment to how I got it. More importantly, it lauched me into buying and selling (and collecting!) these fantastic toys. As a poor child, I never had the opportunity to have any of these as a kid.
So now I collect the Godaikins and their Popy counterparts, but I have a special place in my heart for the Godaikins in the american boxes.
Anyway, I guess I thought youd like it because everyone wants to find something like that. And I bet there is still some guy out there with an attic full of toy robots he's forgotten about. And I hope I find him - only this time, Im keeping the robots!
Brandon
