emerson

Don't get me wrong, I buy all the new stuff too! But the sense of satisfaction in unearthing and slowly bringing together scattered, forgotten treasures from the corners of the world...one lonely item at a time..., then stepping back to see what you've meticulously pieced together runs deep. It takes true effort to achieve a collection like yours. Maybe it's just human instinct. The thrill of the hunt is absolutely real. On the other hand, shopping at BBTS or Twin Moons can sometimes feel like the toy equivalent of grazing. For me, there's a thrill when there's a new toy scoop. Sure. But by the time the new toy is actually in hand, we've already seen every prototype photo, every promo shot, and everyone's already nitpicked the thing to death over the the course of the preceding 6 months. It's all so anti-climatic! Your vintage collection deserves an actual "Kudos and congratulations!" Man, I can't get over how nice your mountain of Takas look. It's been a LONG time since I saw a collection that was so, um, inspiring? Anyway, I gotta go troll Yahoo Japan now haha! Damn you. I assume you're still hunting for the 1/55 Millia and 1/100 Max?

Wow, your Brutishdog's custom weathered finish makes it fit in perfectly with the 1/18s....Beautiful!

Totoro242, you need to seal all the Takas in a glass case and charge admission. WOW!!! Vintage collections always inspire me so much more than those of modern toys, no matter how large. Anyone can set up a preorder pipeline with any of the reliable online retailers and just watch the pieces roll in every month. But vintage....sure, money is an issue. But it takes effort, and persistence, and luck, and PATIENCE as well. I know I like this collection because it makes me want to improve mine. (Didn't Jack Nicholson say that in a movie once?) I hadn't thought that some of the more obscure Taka toys were worth collecting, their quality paling in comparison to the 1/55 and 1/100 valks...but seeing it all amassed there like that. Wow, their collective impact is irrefutable. NICE JOB!

Should be there soon! Looking forward to updated pics.

Is that how they packed it?? I use HLJ all the time, and usually get some form of packaging material thrown in. Way to go on the collection....looks like you're ramping up QUICK haha.

The Metal Composite RX-78-2 is nice, but it seems somewhat soul-less. I can't put my finger on it. The Arch Enemy RX-78-2 just has more "personality." And the two Metal Material Gundams from Seed just ooze heavy metal quality. I was hoping the Metal Composite RX-78-2 would be more like the MMM's...freezing to the touch on a cold winter's day..., but it really just does seem to be just a bigger, cleaner FIX figure.

Haha, yes cassette cases. I have HUNDREDS of them. Am I old?

Oh haha. I'm not even sure. My brothers and I have had these Ride Armors since the mid-80's. I know the two in front were Gakken releases, but the "naked" guy in back with the red arms....I have no idea where he even came from haha.

Hehe, I must be missing something..."Cotobye?"

And finally...

Some more:

Some shots of my (non-Godaikin and non-Jumbo Machinder) collection.

Thanks, everyone! One of these days I'll get everything into some proper display cases, but for now, just the Godaikins/Chogokins/Daigokins are ensconced in glass... Cube, Sithlord...YOUR collections are the ones to envy. Where did you guys get your display cases?

Something a little different just to switch it up a bit. Sorry, no Macross stuff here. Macross and the rest of my collection are all about 100 miles from here. This is just the stuff I have space for in my little one bedroom haha.

Ok, great. That's what I thought. Thanks!

Having another brain fart today. Years ago, I sold off my 1/72 VF-11B in favor of the FAST-packed version that came out a little bit later. What I'm struggling to remember was how many versions of the original, sans-FAST pack VF-11B were released. Were there two, with the second addressing the broken hip situation? And if so, did the packaging have a sticker explicitly denoting that it was a Version 2.0? (Similar to the way the 1/72 YF-19 packaging designated version numbers...) Thanks!

This guy is GREAT. Drop him a line. http://tokyohunter.blogspot.com/

Great, thanks Drifand. I remember reading an old post of yours where you stated Orguss was perhaps one of your first first mecha loves, so I had a feeling you'd emerge to address my query! I guess the smooth box is a very tangible manifestation of Takatoku's declining fortunes in the early 80's, and in that sense a bittersweet piece of history.

Temporarily derailing the current topic (apologies all around) to get back to the original topic regarding vintage Orguss toys... Random question: For those in the know, does the 1/40 Nikick MBG-24A only come in a "smooth" box, as opposed to the "textured" box all the other Takatoku Orguss (not to mention Macross Valk) toys come in? I've yet to see one in a textured box, so am just curious.

Nevermind, answered my own question....Man, those look nice. http://www.g-system-shop.com/cp-zlk/mob/Mob-35.htm

Thanks, Major Tom! Those G-System busts look great, but the price has always left me a bit cold on these. Some great pics over in a recent thread at ToyboxDX are making me reconsider though...Very tempting. What do you think of these? Worth the price? Do you have a list of which busts have been released thus far?

Kotobukiya released a set of Gunbuster trading figures in 2004 under their One Coin Figure Series. Check Noriko Takaya's signature for pics of box and toys in the Gunbuster Index. I have the RX-7 Noriko, RX-7 Kazumi and Sizzler Black, and think they're great little figures. They look great displayed next to the SOC Gunbuster. Besides, I think they're pretty much the only toy representations of these mecha that you're ever to likely see. I used to have the Gunbuster as well, but sold it. With the SOC on the market, I just didn't see the point...

Yea, shipping for the jumbos is pretty expensive, as it's heavy too. According to HLJ, box size and weight are: 61.4 x 36.5 x 23.5 cm/3600g. Note that this is the second, "Marking Type" version, and not the first non-marking version. http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN938531. Personally, I prefer the original. As for the Sazabi, not sure about scale. 1/60ish? It's part of the DX MSiA line that was repackaged for sale here in the U.S., though I purchased the Japanese-boxed version from a seller in HK back in the day. Same one here: http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN908095. There were also Nu-Gundam, GP01FB and GP02 releases in the line, as well as comparable DX Shining Gundam and Dragon Gundam toys. You can see the Nu-Gundam in the above pic, sans the fin fannels.

Yea, they're gigantic. And heavy! They may have practically no articulation, but since I don't play with my toys, I only require that they look good haha. The 1/144 figures (Gundam FIX, Kado Senshi, etc.) come up to the ankles of the Jumbo Grades. But beyond their size, they're also beautifully sculpted, painted and weathered. Super solid display pieces.

Reposting my (crappy and old) pics from an earlier post in this thread. I happen to LOVE the Jumbo Grades. I've since added the real color version as well...Can't deny their presence.