Anime action figure prices double due to foreign demand

[thomas]

Anime and manga merchandise means business!

The rising costs of raw materials are driving up the prices of new anime and manga action figures, while their global popularity is expanding due to successful movies and a growing international fan base. This surge in demand is reflected in the increasing prices of secondhand figures, with many collectors willing to pay a premium for coveted items. For instance, a French tourist in Tokyo's Akihabara area quickly purchased a Roronoa Zoro figure from the One Piece series, despite its size and cost, because such items are hard to find outside Japan.

For example, the average price of Mobile Suit Gundam figurines was 6,354 JPY from January to May, up 130% from the annual average price of 2,812 JPY in 2014. Dragon Ball figurines posted a 190% upswing during the same period, while prices of One Piece products jumped by 110%. [...] One reason for the higher prices for secondhand items is the rise in prices for new ones. Advances in manufacturing technology have revolutionized the creation of anime and manga figurines, resulting in meticulously crafted statues that exquisitely capture the unique nuances of each character -- the intricate details of their costumes, the subtle expressions on their faces and their iconic poses. [...] The price of a certain secondhand figurine of Majin Buu, a major antagonist in the Dragon Ball series, has increased from 8,800 JPY 10 years ago to 150,000 JPY. Mandarake, which sells toys and books, also reports a shortage of stock for the character's figurines, including limited editions. The prevalence of streaming sites like Amazon Prime and Netflix has enabled fans abroad to watch anime simultaneously as those in Japan. "Popular works in Japan often gain worldwide popularity quickly," said a Mandarake executive.

Paywall alert:

Anime action figure prices more than double on overseas popularity

Collectors travel to Japan to hunt for favorite characters in secondhand market

asia.nikkei.com

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I'm waiting for comic books to come back in value. For a year or two , they were bringing in big bucks and I couldn't bring myself to sell. Now I have around 1000 or more taking up room in my cellar I'm ready to sell. I still regret when I joined the Navy , I gave my barber shop around 1000 comics from the 50's & 60's.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Speaking of comics , I didn't realize we have a famous member.

 

[dracuella]

View attachment 117347View attachment 117348Speaking of comics , I didn't realize we have a famous member.

Haah, that's so funny! Dracurella was the comic that inspired my nick back in.. what, '94 or something? I had to find a nick for an email account and being a long time lover of comics, I figured Dracurella would do (it also sounded occult enough for my 19-year-old self). I just couldn't remember exactly what the comic was called so I ended up with Dracuella without the 'r' which has stuck with me to this day xD

PS: I swear I'm not in any shape or form related to either Dracula or the evil queen xD

 

[Grandpa Frank]

You can bite my neck anytime , LOL.

 

[mdchachi]

The rising costs of raw materials are driving up the prices of new anime and manga action figures

Luckily my kids although they watch anime they don't have any interest in the action figures. On this last trip to Japan they bought a bunch of clothes and the older one bought two watches and the younger's main purchase was an Airsoft.

I'm waiting for comic books to come back in value. For a year or two , they were bringing in big bucks and I couldn't bring myself to sell. Now I have around 1000 or more taking up room in my cellar I'm ready to sell.

No point in waiting. Sell them and fund one last trip to Japan.

 

[dracuella]

You can bite my neck anytime , LOL.

Sorry, Frank, blood gives me an upset stomach; the only thing I drink these days are raspberry fizz xD

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

The Wonder Festival is held in Makuhari Messe Kokusaitenjijo of Chiba on July 28.

"
The Wonder Festival, or Wonfes (Wanfesu), is a semiannual (February and July) event held in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan.
It is sponsored by the Kaiyodo manufacturing company.
The main focus is to display and sell "garage kits", which are sculptures that usually represent not only anime and game characters, but also popular mecha/sci-fi characters and creatures such as Kuratas.
These models are extremely detail oriented, and many of these sculptures appear in very small quantities due to the amateur nature of their reproduction.
Unusually skilled artisans are promoted specifically during the "wonder showcase" (WSC), in which their works are given special attention and limited quantities of their masterpieces are sold for high prices to avid collectors.It also showcases future releases by major toy companies.
"