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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 21, 2012 23:33:26 GMT -5
I recently purchased a Godaikin Golion and I received it today. This is the fifth one Ive owned and I'm not sure this one is legit. I have been told it may be a late version. I have compared it side by side to my other godaikin and there are definately some differences. The black lions looks like he's been repainted, the paint is not smooth it looks like there was water in the paint and there is a chip where you see grey primer underneat. All the lions have stickers that say bandai 1984 G as well as the gb 36 sticker. the swords space cutter and most of the accessories are not actual chrome but silver paint. The joints on red and green are grey and heres the kicker all the teeth are dull and the GB36 stickers are more round like the matchbox and some appear to be tampered with. I am wondering if anyone can verify that this is a legit version of the golion. The seller has agreed to refund my money but with paypals rules I have to have a signature confirmation which is gonna cost me $200.00 in shipping. I paid top top top dollar for this so if anyone here can help me I will reall appreciate any input you have. Here are some pics Dull Teeth  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 Part Chrome, Part Painted  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 Painted  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 Chrome next to painted  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 Dull Teeth  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 This sticker doesn't have a hole in it the chrome behind the sticker has been rubbed off and the sticker has a good crease  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 This sticker may have been removed don't know why  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 This sticker looks creased as well and the cannon is painted  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 The tail and cannon are both painted  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 The one on the left has dull teeth the one on the right is my other godaikin  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 The sticker is rounded and upside down. All of these have the thin bandai sticker also  By crpdiablos at 2012-03-21 |
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Post by zeomare on Mar 22, 2012 1:59:06 GMT -5
i do not recall these being painted like that all the chrome should be the same it looks like maybe the original owner or owner prior to the person you got it off of repainted some parts because the silver was worn on it, or paint was damaged the Primer may be a dead give away as i have never seen a 1980's toy with Primer on it. as for the stickers being upside down i do not think that is a big deal these were 1980's toys i do not think there was a real concern at the time of making sure every sticker was straight and aligned properly like the newer toys of today sold to collectors remember these were sold to kids to be played with. as for the teeth being rounded that may be a nation standard for toys not having sharp edges? maybe this is a USA or Europeon version were the sharper ones are imported ones just guessing and lastly why so expensive on shipping it back? i have sent huge resin kits over seas with confirmation and it never cost over $200.00. also i am curious how much did you pay for it?
thanks
chris
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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 22, 2012 13:14:23 GMT -5
Weel to ship it back to Hong Kong and get the paypal protection the require proof of delivery,tracking and proof of signature. The proof of signature is what is causing me to have to use fed ex or ups. The post office offers signature servuce but there is no way to confirm the signature and at thus point I do not trust shipping this back only to have him say he never received it. As far as what I paid if this was what I was told it was worth it. I paid 790.00 shipped all the accessories are in their tray both manuals are there. The Bandai Stickers are the only thing making me want ti keep this cause on the other four of these Ive owned and the othet one I own right now that sticker diesnt exist. If you know a goid way to ship this please let me know. Thanks
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Post by chachipower on Mar 22, 2012 22:07:48 GMT -5
Ok, here is my thoughts since Ive come across so many friggin bots of these although I only own one Golion. Imay be mistaken, but if this is a Popy Golion (japanese box) it shouldnt read bandai on the bottom of the lions, it should just have the japanese foil logos.
The foil logos are just that, foil- with a layer of clear plastic over it. If it is missing foil, then they have been removed and or tampered with.
Dull teeth are a very bad sign. At the time they made these, it seems safety was not a big priority, missiles shot out, teeth were sharp etc. Rounded teeth were more for later US/outside Japan releases.
It appears either the chrome is corroded OR they sprayed "chrome" paint over a badly cleaned part which explains the crazing on some parts. Hard to tell, but if it looks painted to you, it probably is.
The first pic of the black lion looks to have a very candy like red paint app on the cheeks which Ive only seen on lesser bootleg/modern reissues like the diecast Trendmasters and those teeth are instant giveaway as is the bad paint. These never used primer as far as I know. It was paint over bare metal.
I have to say this is not legit. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Getting my Golion was a highpoint in my collecting and I'm sure this was for you too seeing what you invested in it.
The shipping seems expensive but I tried to send back a small box according to what paypal requested and it was like $60..more than the item cost.
Did you use Paypal with your credit card? You can always call your credit card company and explain what happened and that you think its unfair to have to pay all the shipping when you got ripped off. However, they may require you to follow Paypals procedure since they technically are providing a solution. Still, I would call and express dissatisfaction with your purchase. If CC files in your favor Paypal cant hold funds from a credit card company. Paypal doesnt want to give your money back until you jump thru hoops and they hope you will give up and say screw it. Ive dealt long enough with paypal to know that.
I bought an item on ebay, payed with paypal and item turned out to be defective AND counterfeit. I filed a claim, Paypal required me to return it. I called BS because they shouldnt be selling me fake defective stuff in the first place. I said I AM NOT GOING TO PAY TO SHIP IT BACK. I had to fight a couple of more times but in the end I said doesn't matter, Ill call my bank to get my money back and voila, money back into my account.
Good luck with that. Stuff like that pisses me off.
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Mar 24, 2012 21:15:58 GMT -5
I am not a voltron expert either, but I do have an original Godaikin Golion and two sets of the Matchbox Taiwan (lead) lion force voltrons, and I can say I am pretty familiar with the general differences.
If you can post some clearer pictures, I will weigh in more, so as of now I will only say that it is "possible" that someone may have "done a good job" putting this together.
The box, foam and overlay look right, as do the large missile launchers. I don't think there is an issue with those.
The sword/shield may have been repaired or could have been dropped in from the matchbox version - they are the correct style, but for matchbox they were also sold separately. The weapons that you say look like painted chrome may be painted, or they may have come from the trendmasters 1998 reissue set because those can have a weird look to them. Or they may in fact just be "painted" with a chrome spray paint as you say.
Your instruction booklet could be a repro if the color looks off, compare it to the toy brochure next to it (printing style, stock, etc.). To me the instruction booklet looks a little too new, and I am not aware of anyone reproducing the toyline booklet but don't hold me to that.
The lions could be a GB-36 Japan matchbox set that was in good shape and swapped in due to the color and teeth you are showing. If the only part of your lions that fires is the heads off the arm lions, but none of the other launchers on the lions themselves fire any of the missiles, you have a Matchbox Voltron subbed in.
Other than that, are you sure the black lion is not chipped? It is very strange that these would be "primed" rather than cleaned/stripped and then just painted over. If you have ever had a golion or matchbox voltron break on you, the die-cast metal underneath is actually a dark, greyish silver. You would see the same color under "chipped" paint areas as well.
Please let the forum moderators respond before posting any of the information below this line:
Did you purchase it privately or do you have a link to the auction you purchased from? I know we really don't post auction links, but if it was from an auction, it will be a closed auction which may show possible fraud on the part of the seller. It may be interesting to look at that if the forum moderators will allow it.
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Post by chachipower on Mar 24, 2012 22:07:10 GMT -5
oh wait, I kept thinking this was the Popy boxed one...hmm, I think this one did have those little "Bandai" stickers on the bottom, but this is one I do not own boxed, so dulled teeth may have made it into this release just not those crazy round ones to my knowledge. Although I own an INSANE amount of Voltrons I only have one boxed one which is the Popy.
Not to get off subject, but I shoulda jumped on one of these earlier, in fact some guy was selling a case of these over a decade ago for less than $1000....sheesh
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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 25, 2012 1:41:15 GMT -5
I actually bought an upside down belt lionbot from him and asked if he had a bandai version and he said he had a friend that did so we were gonna do a private auction but I ended up doing it outside ebay. I did see that all his auctions are private which was weird. Also as soon as this was shipped he was offering me a Killer Deal so he said as a one time offer for a Voltes V for $900.00 and the offer wouldnt last. Then it popped up on ebay for $899.00 when I turned down the offer. I am dealing with paypal and the seller right now. He isn't ducking me at all so I don't believe he knew there was a problem. He swears it's legit and it might be a very late version. All of the missles do shoot so they would have had to put the springs and buttons in everything. I was wondering about the brochure looking so new also. My other one you can tell is 30 yrs old but this one looks brand new and even smells brand new. I did ask him if he could get a new box cover made up for display purposes as this one had a split and he said he had done that in the past but I would have to flatten the box out to do it ...so he has printed stuff before.....
When compared to my other one side by side you will see that you can't see a reflection at all in the chrome but even the one I know is legit isn't a mirror finish like the diamond belt, its accessories are mirrored. Now some guys are telling me this is an extremely rare edition and I should keep it for my collection. No one is sure. I need someone from Bandai. The thing leading toward it being authentic is the Bandai 1984 G sticker the extremely white plastic and the packaging. Oh I love the packaging. I just need to find a nice mint Popy and Ill be happy. Ill post some more pics when I get a chance
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Post by Chen on Mar 25, 2012 13:16:05 GMT -5
I have a feeling it was a cobbled together Voltron with painted parts and pieces put into a Godaikin box. That's the thing with this figure, there have been so many releases, bootlegs, re-issues that its easy to put together a set and sell it as original. Sorry for your luck but I hope things work out.
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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 25, 2012 15:15:51 GMT -5
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Post by repairtechjon on Mar 25, 2012 17:13:48 GMT -5
If it's a genuine Godaikin set, it must have been one of the VERY last releases possible. The box, paperwork, weapons packs, all look fine.
The flag goes up with the "Bandai 1984" stickers.
The Popy, and later Godaikin sets were all pretty much done 1981-1983.
The Godaikin box and papers are hit with "1982".
If 1984 is showing up, that's much more likely a Voltron released lion, but still could be a very very last boxed Godaikin. None of my Godaikin boxed sets had "1984" stickered on them, but it'd be nice if someone could confirm having a late release, and what stickers are on them.
I never bothered owning a Matchbox Voltron set, so curious what is the date printed on Matchbox packaging? 1984? 1985?
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Mar 25, 2012 21:02:29 GMT -5
On my Matchbox Voltron box - the fully "sealed" version, with no flap or window display (which I believe was the second release, not sure) it says copyright 1984. Like Jon, I have never seen that Bandai 1984 sticker on any voltrons that I have now or have owned, nor have I heard of it on any others. I can check some parts ones this week when I dig them up. I will also check my used boxed godaikin golion that came from the original owner, I am going to say mine don't have that bandai sticker either, and I am the type that would not have overlooked something like that had they had it.
I will try to check my weapons on the godaikin golion also. The ting that throws me way off is the teeth. I don't see the reason for the safety teeth with the firing missiles on everything else. Also to me, it looks like the green and red lion heads are clearly matchbox voltron style, but the yellow and blue ones are matchbox style or somewhere in between that and golion (may be the focus of the pictures though). I will also try to analyze my stickers as well.
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Mar 25, 2012 21:30:36 GMT -5
Ok just checked my boxed godaikin golion and my parts lions and weapons. I can say that your lion weapons look ok, still can't comment on the sword or shield and I can tell you that my Godaikin lions look like the sharp teeth one you posted, nothing like this one you just bought.
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Mar 25, 2012 21:37:25 GMT -5
Also your new golion's sword and shield looks like a set that I have loose that were being advertised as loose matchbox voltron versions (remember they were sold separately on the blister card w/ bubble) and then sold to me. Your original golion sword and shied look like my original golion sword and shield. I am seeing the same coloring and mold differences you are seeing. Putting the weapons aside, are you mistaking the sword and shield from this new one as "painted"? What I mean is my matchbox ones look extremely smooth, almost as if they were chrome dipped (which is unlikely, it's probably just a clean plating job), and my original golion ones look as if they were chrome plated or vac-metallized, hence a slight bit rougher.
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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 25, 2012 21:46:37 GMT -5
Yes of the 4 other godaikin I had the teeth were all sharp. Some had partial chrome joints others did not have chrome joints. I have been looking around and have been told that some of these did come with dull teeth in the very last runs of these and if that is the case then this is quite a rare edition. As of now though no one can confirm this is legit whcih sucks because it lands in the grey area because it could be legit but there is no way to tell and there is no way to know for sure that its fake either. All in all had I known it had the dull teeth I wouldnt have bought it. At least it has made for some excitement trying to figure out what I got.
I found this on another site. Looks like these were sold here in 1984. It says in their original styrofoam so they aren't talking about matchbox but becasue of cost they didn't last. This goes with what I have heard that this may be of the godaikin line for the us market:
Godaikin
Godaikin – An Innovative series of Super Robots
The Godaikin brand was developed by Bandai America in 1984. Bandai had gotten word that shops were selling imported Japanese Chogokin toys in America, and they thought there would be a market in the US for these giant robot toys. The toys were metal and plastic, some transformed, and some shot missiles. Each was unique, and like nothing else seen at the time.
Aside from the packaging, the Godaikin versions of the toys are identical to the Japanese releases. The toys actually came in their original Styrofoam trays, and were re-packaged in the states.
Due to the high price tags and fragility of the toys, the line did not last long. Some of the toys retailed for as much as $80.00, and that is in 1984 dollars. The market was also crowded with many other transforming toy lines, such as Transformers and Go-Bots.
Godaikin toys were a gateway to the larger world of Japanese Toy collecting. Many people who had these as children seek them out in their adulthood, discovering a whole new world in the process
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Post by xtrlowz75 on Mar 26, 2012 16:06:58 GMT -5
It looks like a legit Godaikin Golion package mixed with a Taiwan Lionbot with Trendmasters Voltron Weapons. The weapons have the more rough silver chrome, than the nice Godaikin chrome. I compared your weapon pics with my Trendmasters Voltron and the weapons look the same. The missile launchers look like they came out of a Lionbot, along with the lions. Last, the stickers are not legit Bandai Y&K stickers, they look like repro stickers. Now, thats not to say this isn't a Golion. Most people do not understand that the Diecast Metal Lionbot comes from the identical mold of the Godaikin Golions, so they are technically the same. Just the Diecast Metal company cut corners and costs by applying cheaper, thinner lead filled paint The Golion has Bandai Y&K foil stickers with nicer paint and chrome, where as the Lionbot doesn't have stickers, and the paint is a little thinner. So altogether it looks like you have a bit of a mix and match Lionbot, Trendmasters Voltron, Golion. For what you paid I would get your money back. You can pick up a real Golion on Ebay for about $450 or so.
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Mar 26, 2012 20:07:12 GMT -5
Are you in the US? Also godaikins started here in 1982-1983, not 1984 because they were resurrected from Japan's super robot slowdown in 1979. Also 1984 was the year that godaikin and pretty much every other line got slapped around by transformers, and godaikin with already shaky sales due to the high end pricing and fragility of some of their offerings began to falter and then barely limped through 1985-1986.
I think the pictures are throwing a lot of us off. After reading this thread through yet again here is what I think:
Red and green lion heads from matchbox voltron gb-36 Japan release.
Sword and shield from matchbox voltron set.
Large missile launching weapons are from Lionbot, or actually are real if they look very good.
Non firing lion weapons are from Trendmaster 1998 set if they are really grainy. Could be Lionbot or just a really rough golion set also, those grainy blades aren't always perfect.
Brochure is real, instruction booklet could be repro. Box, overlay, and box bottom look legit godaikin. Foam is either godaikin or Lionbot.
The lions are still throwing me. I can see that the stickers do look repro/fake but the lion bodies and teeth on the foot lions look in between sharp and rounded in the pics. The black lion, if it's Taiwan Lionbot doesn't have the grey inserts on the wing folds so the wings may have been swapped. Also the green lion is not the usual off color green we see in Lionbot sets. The colors are pretty much spot on. I think he would know if he had Lionbot lions because they would just look like sh*t even if they were unused. I say that due to the amount of golions he has or has owned. I still think the lions are some odd form of matchbox Japan even with the possibly fake or repro stickers.
If this ends up to be a piece together, someone went through a lot of trouble to do it. It wasn't cheap to put together, hence the price they charged you. If its real, I feel you did overpay a bit.
Can you private message me the sellers name or a link to his auctions so I can take a look at what else may be questionable?
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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 26, 2012 23:12:52 GMT -5
I am in the states but this came from china and had been bought from Japan prior to my purchase. Paypal is asking me for some information. I need a third party to fax them a letter saying this is not legit and why it is not legit. There needs to be a letterhead and it needs to be a business or an organization. Is anyone willing to do that. I spoke to bandai today and they can't authenticate it. If anyone can help me so Paypal will refund my money please let me know. I only have a couple days to get this done in and there are no extensions.They have made it almost impossible to get my money back.
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Post by JoshB on Mar 27, 2012 8:21:57 GMT -5
Is it possible that this is an export version - for UK, Asia (HK) or Australia? Done at the tail end of the production run?
Otherwise, yeah, it seems like a mix and match piece from different versions. The chrome stickers don't look replaced as they rarely lay back down correctly and without major creases. I have never seen the bandai sticker on them though. Interesting.
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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 27, 2012 10:50:30 GMT -5
I have been wondering the same thing but the quality in person is pretty shotty and if you look at the sticker on the yellow lion the foil underneath it is missing as well as the same thing on the red lion. And the red lions halves dont fit flush one side sits higher than the other. After further inspection you can see.that the red paint on the shoulders is sprayed over another set of paint. You can clearly see it through the top layer as well as spatter throughout the rest of the red and black on the chest. Trust me Id love to hear that this is a very rare legit piece. Ive even contacted bandai and they have no one that can verify it.
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Mar 28, 2012 19:24:52 GMT -5
As much as I don't want this discussion to die off, I think you're going to have to dump this one. You paid a lot, and yeah, Bandai wouldn't really be any help with IDing it. If you've had that many, and think it looks that suspect/sh*tty then I would say just get rid of it and get your money back. Even if it did turn out to be a "super rare late run variant" you could always say "hey I owned it once".
Post something like the seller's auction id if you think a lot of his stuff is shady/fraudulent. It would be good to know another possible problem person to avoid.
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