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Post by rodman75 on May 14, 2012 18:47:12 GMT -5
I'm at the point in my collecting where I haven't purchased a Jumbo in approximately 3-4 months and I'm getting restless. I love looking at my Jumbo display as it is, but feel the need to add another soon.
Collecting all the Mattel Shogun's was/is easy. I bought them all at one time from a collector looking to move on from the hobby. I then searched the globe (via the worldwide web) before acquiring a Popy Grendizer and then grabbed a Taiwanese D-17 and then a Uni-Five Gaiking.
Since then I haven't purchased any Jumbos and despite my wife's pleas to stop the insanity, I secretly scour E-Bay and YJ with irresponsible intent. I know I can't be the only one with this condition. How often do you guys pick up new jumbos? Have you ever traded with other members or other people? I'm just trying to think outside the box (no pun intended) on how I can further my collection. I think buying all the Shogun's in one shot has jaded me a bit.
Thoughts, experiences, advice?
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Post by willohio on May 14, 2012 20:58:33 GMT -5
Yeah you took 1/2 the fun out of collecting when you bought them in one big lot lol. Are they complete? Missing any projectiles? That's something to do with the Mattel line anyway. Complete them parts lists. Get all the boxes and instruction sheets. I even see dead stock of th Mattels show up now and again. Do you have the different versions? Great Mazinga went through 3 distinct revisions. Dragun has 2 different major decal/modifications. Raydeen also went through 3 distinct versions and the 1st edition with a Bowfist. Do you have Rodan & Godzilla? Those 2 were only produced in America(yes I know there is a JM Zilla-but Mattels came 1st if you believe that).
I am often buying, selling & trading with people I've met on this and other boards.
I see a few (not) astronomically priced vintage jumbos on EBay right now (Kamen Rider). And a few bootlegs (Aquaman, Goro).
And even some Clover Jumbos (Aurora Battler Dunbine) and there is a Giant Gorg. A few vintage Popy's. how about the 1st jumbo... Astron Battinger....
You also have the 2 Toynami Voltrons, Super7 Stortrooper Shogun and a couple Uni5's worth tracking down(Great Mazinger w/wing & Mazinga Z with Wing). Usually hover in the $200-$400 range.
There are also the unique Jumbo Megazords...
There is plenty out there for you to scratch the itch & won't break the bank or cause the little lady to cancel your credit cards.
~Will
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Post by rodman75 on May 14, 2012 21:30:04 GMT -5
Hey Will, the thing with the Shoguns is that they're all complete and absolutely perfect, although they don't have boxes which is something that I'll eventually get around to collecting.
I do have Godzilla boxed but I don't have a Rodan and am not quite sure I'll be hunting one down anytime soon. Eventually, after I've found all the jumbo's on my list, then I'll try and find a Rodan. I was bidding on a Uni-Five Mazinga Z on E-Bay a few weeks back before the seller removed the listing all of a sudden. It was the seller who had a mint in box Goldorak and all the other Shogun's as well. He must've gotten an offer from someone circumventing the auction process. So, that's one I'll be keeping an eye out for.
My Goldorak was in tough shape until you supplied me with repro stickers which look even better in person than they do in photos, thanks again.
If I never stumbled across this board and saw the collections of Eyeone, MikeDeco, Kitsir, Bourno and a bunch more collectors, I would've been perfectly content with what I had. Those guys are in the big leagues while I'm still hitting the ball off the tee!
I have a few boxed G1 transformers that I might be posting on E-Bay soon in order to make a few bucks to put towards another jumbo. Unless of course, anyone out here wants to trade G1 transformers for Jumbos!! LOL!!
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Post by eyeone on May 15, 2012 1:12:25 GMT -5
Wow I made it onto the big league list  I still feel like I'm lagging way behind the other guys you mentioned, but thanks for the props! I've been at it for a while now, but sites like Jumboland and Collection DX, and collections like those of Chairman Sjoen, Tom Franck, NekroDave, MikeDeco, etc. still make me drool  Maybe it's an L.A. thing, but through my other endeavours I've come across people with equally awesome collections that aren't on the boards at all. Just a few days ago I was staring at a Hasami Jaguar at a friend's place. A fellow L.A. graffiti writer used to have a giant chess board painted on the floor of his studio with Jumbo villains and heroes for some of the pieces :0!!! I saw the post with Hannet and that TV show with Jumbos in the background and it makes me think there are more collectors/specimens than accounted for on the boards/ Facebook/ etc. The Jumbos are out there. It may take time (and unfortunately money,) but you can eventually come across most of what you are looking for. My approach was/is to have a list of what I want and work off of that. I am also super tolerant of Jumbos missing parts, in beat up shape, etc... It is fun for me to try to spruce them up if necessary. When I can't, I look to the big guns on here for their repro expertise. I personally am in admiration of the boardies here that do repro work, restore old Jumbos, and customize parts. Here's to Bourno, WillOhio, Shogun Plastics, Kitsir, MikeDeco, WTFunks, 1Old and all the other cool people on here!!! Plus, I think the searching and waiting are part of the fun Hang in there, your collection is great shape! |
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Post by devoidofemotions on May 15, 2012 3:22:09 GMT -5
Its not about the deepest pockets that makes this hobby interesting. A super rich can finish off the hobby by buying everything that appears but will not enjoy the entire process.
My strategy is to pick the pieces here and there and try to complete one piece at a time.... ;D
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Post by rodman75 on May 15, 2012 11:31:28 GMT -5
True, this hobby is not about the deepest pockets. If it was, I'd be on the sidelines forever. However, the prices of the Popy's are getting outrageous and you need to shuttle out a lot of money whether you buy a beater Popy or a mint Popy.
I bought the Shoguns as a lot because the seller was giving them to me at rock bottom prices and they were pristine. I knew I would never come across such a great deal again, so I had to pull the trigger. Since then, I've been acquiring pieces one by one. Unfortunately for me, I have little patience and want what I can't afford or at least shouldn't be buying right now!
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Post by willohio on May 15, 2012 13:18:00 GMT -5
You could acquire items for trades. Everyone needs something. You could scratch a little of the itch whilst making the hobby pay for itself...If only on the pretext to help stay your patience.
Will
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Post by bourno on May 15, 2012 21:02:00 GMT -5
True, this hobby is not about the deepest pockets. If it was, I'd be on the sidelines forever. However, the prices of the Popy's are getting outrageous and you need to shuttle out a lot of money whether you buy a beater Popy or a mint Popy. Jumbo prices are quite high currently, even for the popy "beater" ones like you mentioned. It is hard to say how long this will or won't last. Most of my collection are the Mattel ones and only have a few popy jumbos. There are a couple more I wouldn't mind getting at some point, but with all the repro and custom projects I have been doing, I am not in a hurry as I spend a lot of time working with the jumbos and don't need a "fix" for rushing out to track down another. Though, I am a sucker for buying any cheap found ones on ebay that are in pretty decent shape. For jumbos, I really just wanted to get the common ones and then work on getting the Marvel trio. I am glad I don't have the urge for wanting to be a "completist" for these guys. Seems like I have been doing this for a much longer time than just January of last year. |
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Post by rodman75 on May 15, 2012 23:29:38 GMT -5
I haven't been collecting for that long either, however growing up with these toys and playing with them makes me feel like I am being reunited with a loved one after many years apart. I had no idea 30+ years ago that some of the die-cast Shogun Vehicles that I was playing with had Jumbo Machinder counterparts such as Jumbo Poseidon & Getter Liger. That just amazes me.
I would love to amass half the collection as some of the big leaguers here on this forum, however I think most of them began collecting these when they were a fraction of the cost they are now.
I would be interested in knowing how many 'new' collectors have picked up a bunch of Popy Jumbo's in a short amount of time. I've been collecting for less than a year and only have one Popy Jumbo.
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Post by willohio on May 16, 2012 6:32:11 GMT -5
I've been collecting since around February of last year. I just got my 1st Popy last week.(Mazinga z).
I got my 1st bootleg sometime last year(Taiwanese D17).
Will
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Post by kitsir on May 16, 2012 9:17:57 GMT -5
My first Jumbo is not expensive. It was Taiwan D17. It started my obsession with collecting JM. I can't afford mint in box JM, so I started to buy junk JM & fix them. I really feel grateful to all those who lend me their orginal parts for reproduction.
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Post by eyeone on May 16, 2012 11:26:26 GMT -5
My first Jumbo was a gift from my parents when I was four years old. (A Jugarama Aquaman aka Kamen Rider X.) It was used, beat-up, and missing a fist, but I was hooked. My older cousin had a bunch of Mattel, Popy, Jugarama, and European bootlegs. He rarely let me play with them, but I have fond memories of just staring at his collection. So I guess you can say I've been at this for a long time, slowly picking up Jumbos when I can. Usually these are in beat-up shape, but I don't mind. My nephew and I play with them like crazy anyway, so anything MIB wouldn't last mint for long I only recently jumped on the forums and have been amazed by all the resources and cool people involved in this "sport." |
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Post by KingboyD on May 16, 2012 13:01:18 GMT -5
If you are having withdrawal and can't afford more JMs, try delving into other toy mediums. When I started collecting, I was exclusively a diecast collector. But I slowly branched out and now have a decent collection of all sorts of related toys. I get just as much satisfaction with new purchases in these other areas (and in many cases, more so these days!).
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Post by truecrud on May 16, 2012 23:43:39 GMT -5
Rodman..
You can always do what I do…I live vicariously through others when they get an amazing or rare jumbo. I love seeing what the other people here have and what they buy. I also love clicking on the links to the amazing work people are doing with jumbos (WillOhio, Bourno, and Kitsir just to name a few). I really enjoy sharing in what people with my same passions are doing and I hope to be able to share some of my work in the future. After saying all of that I still LOVE that thrill that goes up my spine when I win an auction or have a large box show up to my house.
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Post by rodman75 on May 17, 2012 0:15:39 GMT -5
Well stated Truecrud....I too, enjoy looking at others collections and get a sense of satisfaction from that. I would derive even a greater sense of happiness if I could walk down into my basement and see them in person and actually arrange them in my own display case!
The adrenaline rush from bidding and the spirit of competition amongst other bidders is awesome. I've noticed that Jumbo variety on E-Bay seems to fluctuate. Weeks can go by with nothing unique, then a week will come where rare jumbo's are abound.
What I really like about this hobby and the reason why I don't see myself ever parting with my collection is that there's no maintenance or up keep required. If I go through a lull in my collecting or my interest fades, I can just keep them in their cases and forget about them.
The repro work is ridiculous! All the artists are amazing! They enable the average person (me) to buy less than perfect jm's and make them look new again.
KingboyD mentioned getting involved with other toy collections. I do collect the die-cast Shogun Warrior/Popy vehicles too but my main area of interest is machinders.
When people hear that I'm 36 and collect vintage Japanese toys they just don't get it. Some laugh, some say I have too much time on my hands, others think it's stupid, etc. They don't understand the hobby at all, however, just about everyone I've ever shown my collection to, whether it be in person or through cell phone photos, they all change their tune and say the Jumbo's look awesome and they didn't realize they looked so cool and are that big.
No disrespect to any other genre of toy collecting but the JM's are the biggest, baddest, coolest looking toys going, period.
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Post by truecrud on May 17, 2012 13:54:56 GMT -5
I so Agree on both the people not getting it and the size thing. I am always talking at work about the giant robot I bought this week or the part I am expecting to arrive soon. People look at me like I am crazy then they talk about how much they spent on drinks that they just puked up that weekend. So you tell me which one is waisting their money I am consistently amazed by how big they are. Like the Voltron jumbo...It's huge. I just received a Goldorak from France and something was rattling around inside. It had the handles for the scythe weapons broken off inside. They were HUGE too. I was expecting something a lot thinner but holy Crap those things are big, but they would have to be in relation to the body. There is nothing like walking into the room you keep your jumbos in. They just dominate the place.
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Post by 1oldrobot on May 17, 2012 14:32:47 GMT -5
absolutely right. my angry punk rock friends come over hoping to get into some kind of trouble, and these disheveled 45 year old people with bald spot mohawks are playing with my toy robots and asking "hey! this guy, isnt he gaiking?!" walking into my toy room and living room where my jumbos are gets a reaction from not only visitors, but myself, every time i look at them.
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Post by Derik on May 17, 2012 16:17:50 GMT -5
Hey Rodman75
I was watching those jumbos on ebay too, then suddenly they all ended. What a bummer. I was hoping for the Grendy in the box!
I think the only one that stayed at auction was the Voltron.
I would love to come accross one at a yard sale and just try to contain myself and keep my poker face on. But the saliva would probably give me away!
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Post by rodman75 on May 17, 2012 19:18:08 GMT -5
Hey guys, at least we know we're all on the same page and aren't alone in this hobby!
Derik - I was watching that Goldorak also, however I wasn't going to bid on it. I was watching his Uni-Five Mazinger Z though. I wanted that one badly. I'm always curious what terms the seller agreed to that made him remove their listing. His collection was impeccable, definitely well kept.
If I ever come across a Popy jumbo at a yard sale, flea market or situation like Truecrud had ripped from his hands, my hands would be shaking uncontrollably. My hands would tremble less if I passed a note to a bank teller demanding she 'give me the hundreds, no dye-packs or funny stuff, and nobody gets hurt!'
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Post by truecrud on May 17, 2012 23:43:09 GMT -5
I always wonder about sellers too. What is going through their minds. For instance, the guy in Canada that was selling the uni-five Gaiking at a buy it now price of $199. Obviously he wasn't getting the price and now he has jacked it up by $50. What the heck. I was thinking about buying it but now not so much.
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