avocadomaki

Noodle Stoppers

I really like Arknights character designs ~

Arknights - Lappland
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1571229

Arknights - Kal'tsit
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1298997

Arknights - Amiya
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1293738

Hakurei Reimu - Touhou: Lost Word
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1129091

Hatsune Miku - Villain Ver.
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1128615

Hatsune Miku - Sailor Suit in Love
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1370066

Current Mood: sleepy

Take a guess what the latest hand-wringing on MFC is about. No prizes for getting it correct.

(It's prices again.)

I say that as if I haven't been affected by crazy prices recently. My shipment of Gekisou ver. Yuki, a small and standard 1/8 scale, got hit with a shipping charge that was 2/3 the cost of the figure itself. (6000jpy for the figure, 4000jpy for EMS). It was honestly painful to look at, and it made me realise shipping figures individually is an awful idea right now. Either I'll buy them locally or wait to create big hauls that can be sent via surface, spreading the cost of shipping between multiple figures.

Onto the comment that caught my attention most!

https://myfigurecollection.net/blogposts.php?mode=view&blogPostId=55267&tab=comments&page=6

jumpluff says:

It's a long-term trend that predates COVID, shipping issues, manufacturing issues, current continuing supply and inflation issues, etc. tho. I just feel it accelerated it. I feel like, due to various constraints and profitability, for various reasons, the figure market moved towards more premium, fancier figures (even 1/7s with elaborate bases etc., or just FuRyu slapping obscene price tags on stuff, etc.) and less trying to hit all the middle targets at once (think like Kotobukiya, who license a lot of things and put out relatively simple, respectable scales). Companies like Good Smile show increasing polarisation, spamming a lot of 'cheaper' lines while moving towards more expensive scales and Nendoroids.

As somebody who began collecting during the pandemic this is a very insightful comment.

As far as I can tell, mass-produced scale anime figures only became a thing during the early 2000s. Before that point, garage kits were your only option. There's four things which I think formed a feedback loop that made figure prices slowly creep up:

1. Manufacturing methods are improved.

2. Figure quality and quantity go up.

3. Otaku take notice and start buying.

4. Profits increase.

Eventually this reaches a point where the market is large enough that a significant minority exists within it who are willing to spend large amounts for luxurious figures. And if a company could make huge profits off these people... they would, right? The current price increases are just the natural consequence of that feedback loop.

This comment also explains why I like Kotobukiya a lot. I want my figures to be painted with care and have detailed sculpts - but I don't mind a few small errors here and there, and I'm definitely not looking to pay hundreds per figure. This puts me right in the mid range of the figure market. (Join me! Prices are great over here!)

I think the new equivalent of mid-range scales are premium prize figures. Some of Taito's most recent offerings are difficult to tell apart from a scale figure at first glance, while still being incredibly affordable - rarely more than $60, and often half that. I know I'm eyeing up their Shiro (https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1452801) to add to my shelf.

Scale

Ordered figures are written in italics and not counted in the total number of figures owned. I don't preorder figures; I only buy them second-hand, which saves me a lot of money, I think. And preorder prices are getting ridiculous these days anyway.

1/8 (6 figures)
I've really been appreciating how detailed 1/8s can be while being compact enough for a small space.

Hatsune Miku - Lat Ver. - Good Smile Company
Nagato Yuki - Alter
Feena fam Earthlight - Swimsuit Ver. - Max Factory
Tachibana Kanade - Taito
Akemi Homura - Y-style - FREEing
Ayanami Rei - School Uniform - Aizu Project
Oshino Shinobu - Kotobukiya
Senjougahara Hitagi - Kotobukiya
Nagato Yuki - Gekisou Ver. - Max Factory
Tomoyo Sakagami - Kotobukiya
Fujibayashi Kyou - Kotobukiya
Suzumiya Haruhi - Good Smile Company

1/6 (5 figures)
When I started out, I wanted to focus on 1/6s because they seemed more impressive to me, but they're difficult to actually, you know, collect. A single 1/6 figure takes up a substanial amount of space when display areas are limited. Not many anime characters are produced in 1/6 scale, which further limits your options when it comes to collecting. That being said, I really like the 1/6s I have.

Sakagami Tomoyo - School Uniform - Kotobukiya
Ayanami Rei - Black Plugsuit - Kotobukiya
Shikinami Asuka Langley - White Plugsuit - Kotobukiya
Odette - Skytube
Odile - Skytube
Jin-Lian - Skytube

Prize Figures
These are a bit of a gamble since I've always regarded prize figures as not really worth it when I can spend $15 more and get a 1/8 scale. Sadly, Rei only gets cute outfits when she's a prize figure...

Black Hanekawa - Sega
Hatsune Miku - Breath You - Sega
Ayanami Rei - French Maid - Sega
Ayanami Rei - Gothic Night - Sega

Nendoroid Petits
I like Nendoroids but don't feel like $50+ for a single nendo is justified. Petits are adorable and cost very little! I wish GSC still created them. They're also a good way to have a little piece of characters I don't love enough to drop large amounts of money on.

Tomoe Mami - School Uniform
Akemi Homura - School Uniform
Madoka Kaname - School Uniform
Tomoe Mami - Magical Girl Costume
Hatsune Miku - Cheerful Japan Ver.
Nakamura Yuri
Angel Beats Set 02 (Tachibana Kanade, Otonashi-kun, Yui)
Vocaloid - Append Set (Kagamine Rin & Len, Hatsune Miku)
Sayaka - School Uniform Ver.
Sakura Kyouko - School Uniform Ver.
Asahina Mikuru - Maid ver.
Meiko V3
Touhou set 1 (Marisa, Patchouli, Alice)
Touhou set 2 (Reimu, Aya, Suika)

Colours

White (6 figures)
Blue (5 figures)
Black (4 figures)
Purple (3 figures)
Yellow (2 figures)
Red (2 figures)
Grey (1 figure)

My collection loosely follows a white/black/blue colour scheme right now. Some figures I own, like Kanade and Tomoyo, don't really fit into it, and the number of outliers in that regard is only going to increase once my seamail parcels arrive. I might try arranging figures according to colour if some of them clash too much.

Overall

I feel happy overall with my collection right now! Especially as I've moved to smaller, less expensive figures, collecting doesn't feel like a huge burden any more and it's returned to being fun again. I think my figures look good next to each other and I can't wait to get more. I don't feel too bad about moving away from a set colour scheme; it would make my shelf more vibrant to have a variety of colours there. The one thing I'd change is getting another bookcase to display things in.

Current Mood: satisfied

This is what's being discussed in the latest trending article on MFC.

The Good Smile Company's Nendoroid Problem...

https://web.archive.org/web/20220727084627/https://myfigurecollection.net/blog/55247

A lot of collectors think that as GSC has increased the number of nendoroids they produce each year, their quality control and design have deteriorated significantly. Nendoroids now release with fewer props and face plates than they used to. A significant minority of new nendoroids release with paint flaws or parts that don't slot together properly... and of course, their prices have gone up from around $30 to $60+.

Nendoroids such as the Bloomed in Japan Sakura Miku are what inspired me to start collecting in the first place. Their uniform art style meant that displaying characters from vastly different series actually looked good, the chibi proportions are really cute (and work well if you have limited display space), and the swappable/poseable parts let you create silly scenarios of the type only a 14 year old could dream up. While I don't have an interest in buying them any more, I still completely understand their appeal.

The reduction in extra parts is understandable to me, since most collectors rarely change the pose of their nendoroid once it's on display. (I only changed the parts and pose of my Legacy of Revoltech Rei once a month - at most - during the time I owned it.) Isaloid says:

Yeah, the number of face plates and accessories has gone down, but how often do you really change them? As long as the nendo has the most popular accessories relevant to the character I think it's fine.

Some nendoroids fail to include key facial expressions for their character, or forgo a siginificant prop, and those are definitely design issues on GSC's part. Yor's (from Spy x Family) is a great example of this, since she doesn't have her trademark assassin face. Flaws like that can absolutely make a nendoroid not worth buying. But if a character has alternative expressions that capture their personality and props which reference common scenarios they get into, I'm not going to feel so bad about fewer parts being included in the set compared to five years ago.

Secondly, with the increase in oil prices, the price of plastic has gone significantly up too. Fewer parts lets nendoroids continue to be manufactured and sold in the same price range they target even as inflation begins to eat up profit margins. Nendoroids are still relatively affordable figures, typically retailing for about 5000 - 7000JPY these days, which is a reasonable increase due to inflation - unlike the runaway price hikes for scale figures.

The rise in paint errors and loose parts, to me, is the real issue with GSC's newer nendoroids. These were rare with older nendoroids, and especially with the price increase and reduction in parts, having proper quality control is the least they could do. As LovelyIdiot says:

I feel like quality control should be more important than number of accessories and price point. If they sell me a nendoroid for 7000 yen with a set number of accessories and parts, it is up to me whether or not I choose to buy it. If I feel like its too expensive, I'll pass. But should I choose to buy it, my nendoroid should be sturdy and not fall apart at the smallest disturbance. I should be able to put it in the poses they advertise it in and I shouldn't have weird paint splotches or finger marks on it.

Current Mood: sleepy

The summer Wonfes is currently going on! While I'm not going to be throwing money at any of the figures announced there, I'm always happy to see seemingly dead projects finally get updates, or seeing a favourite character get new figures.

Idolm@ster: Shiny Colours got a bunch of new scale figures announced. Madoka, Chiyoko, Asahi (who was lucky enough to get the Alter treatment!), Koito, and finally, Yuika. I'm very happy to see this game getting more figures at last - most im@s scale figures are from Cinderella Girls, which I haven't played and therefore don't care much about.

Of course, I kept an eye out for any Rei Ayanami figures too. (She's my blorbo). Sega announced a prize figure of Rei 09 in her final white plugsuit, Hobby Max is going to make another Radio Eva figure of her, and Revolve has plans to make... something of her. I'd love it to be a long-haired Rei, since there is only one scale figure of that design so far.

Last of all are any original characters (note - most of these are nsfw) that catch my eye. The black swan counterpart to the wonderful Avian Romance ballerina released by Wave has gotten an official name: Kuratori no Onnanoko (lit. "black bird girl"). This is one of the figures I'm most looking forwards to, and the one I'd regret not preordering the most.

Skytube's Rina, illustrated by Saitom, had an updated prototype shown off. Wa Sailor-chan came back from the dead with a painted prototype; her eyes look odd compared to her original illustration, which is a shame. Neonmax, which is a company I've not heard much about, came out with an announcement for a cool-looking pinup figure called "Noir", a fantasy-inspired demon nun. It's quite a unique design compared to the usual sailor uniform/maid/bikini outfits that pinup figures wear so I hope this project gets seen to completion!

I also went ahead and purchased a couple of figures off my wishlist recently ~

Feena Fam Earthlight - Swimsuit Ver. - 1/8 (Max Factory)
https://web.archive.org/web/20220725081113/https://myfigurecollection.net/item/200

I can finally strike Feena off my wishlist. I love the visual novel she stars in, so she deserves to be part of my collection. I originally thought of getting her school uniform figure by Kotobukiya but most copies of that figure seem to be heavily discoloured by now and it put me off purchasing it. Plus - the swimsuit version was available on my local eBay for a good price, so she'll arrive very quickly! :)

Tomoyo Sakagami - 1/8 - Kotobukiya
https://web.archive.org/web/20220725081644/https://myfigurecollection.net/item/27

While aimlessly browsing Neokyo and telling myself I wouldn't spend any money... guess who happened to be in stock? This figure is relatively cheap (6000jpy) but also rare; I leapt at it so that I wouldn't end up waiting another year for her to appear again. She's going to look very cute next to my Kyou.

Nagato Yuki - Gekisou Ver. - 1/8 (Max Factory)
https://web.archive.org/web/20220725081521/https://myfigurecollection.net/item/5439

I've had my eye on this figure for a while, and she was available brand new on Rakuma for 6000jpy, which is a pretty good deal for mint condition. Since I was spending money on Tomoyo anyway, I decided to indulge in purchasing this figure too. (I know that "I made one purchase, so all my efforts to save money are null and I'll make ten more!" is a terrible mindset to have... heh)

Current Mood: content

Thanks to the rampant inflation rates most countries are experiencing, the prices of collectible anime figures have also gone up, and that has caused a lot of collectors to be priced out of buying figures which in the past could have been affordable. My response to this has been to focus on older figures which get sold for low prices - which means I can collect without breaking the bank.

However. That approach is unacceptable for collectors who thrive on preorders, or collectors who are highly dedicated to the hobby and want to own as many things as possible no matter what the figure is. They now have to suffer through very basic figures being sold at prices that previously only the most detailed ones would command. This is something I empathise with; it sucks not to be able to get something you really want and like.

B-style bunnies - large 1/4th scale figures of popular heroines in playboy bunny costumes - are a good example of this. As cute (and/or sexy) as they are, their designs aren't exactly stunning, yet their prices have skyrocketed even more than inflation has. As MidnightFlower (link to page) points out, they shoudln't be worth this much...

"The prices are hardly justified for the figure's designs. As some people have already commented on recent bunny figures, the bodies are pretty generic with the head of a popular character slapped on. While I do enjoy B-Styles time to time, they are rarely creative."

Too many people still rush to get their preorders in for the latest bunnies as soon as FREEing announces them. Then these same people get melodramatic over the manufacturers charging $500 for one figure, buy a bunch of them anyway and cry about the destruction of their bank balance. The cycle repeats with each new announcement that gets made.

Part of being a collector is curating what your display involves. That's just as important as owning figures in the first place. Sometimes curation means giving up on a figure you like because it's just too expensive. Sadly that situation is becoming more and more common, but the best response to rising figure prices is to be more selective about what you buy. Find another form of entertainment that's cheaper, perhaps, to keep you satisfied in between figure purchases.

Here's a comment by murialita which I pretty much agree with (link to page):

"I miss the days where if something had a stupid price, we would say "Wow, that's a stupid price, I'm not buying it." and move on with our lives without the need to write phd disertations on the topic, then order it anyway, with the full intention of cancelling it if the wind blows from a certain direction under the second full moon of the month."

I don't mind people buying hyper-expensive bunnies, but at least put your money where your mouth is. Make a conscious decision to buy one and be proud of the figure you recieve, instead of jumping on the bunny bandwagon due to FOMO and ruining your bank account without a second thought.

Current Mood: bitchy

Original characters often don't sell well, especially not safe-for-work ones, since they've got no fetish appeal. That's totally fine by me. A lower aftermarket price makes them more appealing, and if they're safe for work, they can safely be displayed at home. (Low is relative here, since most of these still go for $100+). If I had unlimited money these would absolutely be sitting on my shelf, but alas...

Liith-chan - 1/6 - Daiki Kougyou
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/746672

She's got a punky vibe and she's a demon!

Mauve - 1/6 - Native, Rocket Boy
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1102235

The cat ears, elaborate base and dessert theme hit so many of my moe points it's unbelievable. Her oversized breasts make this a little less SFW, though...

Kousa - 1/7 - Union Creative International Ltd
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/946264

I love kimono and yukata, plus, she's got cat ears - and this isn't a sexualised figure!

Yukari - 1/6 - Union Creative International Ltd
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/906425

I'm less keen on this one because her bright green hair clashes with the red kimono, but it's still nice.

Swan Girl - 1/6 - Dream Tech (Wave)
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1324718

Her pose is stunning. That's all.

Bao-chai - 1/6 - Skytube
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1259555

She isn't as appealing to me as Jin-lian, but she has just as much detail and beauty. Technically not SFW, but you wouldn't notice unless you stared at her back...

Shoshuu - 1/7 - Wings Inc.
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/1055844

More moe points scored here. Her Japanese-style armour, dark colour scheme, and cool expression have all won me over.

Lincia - 1/6 - Vertex
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/806236

The least SFW figure on this list, I think - but I love how regal she looks, despite being in a battle bikini. Her blue, white and gold colour scheme is incredibly pretty.

Mashiro Ikone - 1/5 - FOTS Japan
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/761432

I like her atmosphere.

Ai-On-Line - 1/6 - Kotobukiya
https://myfigurecollection.net/item/464702

Another Tony fairy ~

Current Mood: calm

These are the last items I want to collect before closing - or "finishing" my collection. I'm focusing on cheaper, older items because figure prices have become exorbitant these days. The more expensive items on the list, like Luka, Nagisa, and Radio Eva. Rei, are more like "nice to haves" than anything, but they're still there in case I buy them years in the future.

hanekawa tsubasa - ichiban kuji premium

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/475849

kiss-shot - 17 year old ver - ichiban kuji premium

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/475845

Feena fam Earthlight - school uniform - 1/8 - Kotobukiya

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/538

Hatsune miku - natsufuku original colours - Taito

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/537793

Tomoe Mami - Madogatari - normal colours ver

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/400935

Ayanami Rei - Rody ver.

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/200124

Peace Keeper Daisy - 1/6 - Kotobukiya

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/153069

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/645225

Racing Miku 2019 - 1/8 - GSC

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/806207

Hatsune Miku Tell Your World - 1/8 - GSC

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/236245

Tomoyo Sakagami - 1/8 - Kotobukiya

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/27

Nagato Yuki - Gekisou Ver. - 1/8

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/5439

Haruhi Suzumiya - Gekisou Ver. - 1/8

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/5438

Asahina Mikuru - 1/8 - Alter

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/13

Souryuu Asuka Langley - Loppi Ver. - Koto

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/36519

Furukawa Nagisa - 1/8 - Kotobukiya

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/25

Ayanami Rei - 1/7 - Radio Eva ver.

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/872779

Megurine Luka Temptation Ver

https://myfigurecollection.net/item/464608

Current Mood: contemplative

I'm really hopeless when it comes to cutting down on collecting, aren't I? One look at a pretty figure and I can't help but want it. There's a really cheap, seemingly authentic Shiro figure for sale on my local eBay right now...

The latest additions to my wishlist are:.

Morino Rinze - 1/8 - AmiAmi, Kotobukiya - https://myfigurecollection.net/item/872704

Kikuchi Makoto - 1/8 - Phat Company - https://myfigurecollection.net/item/216142

Minase Iori - 1/8 - Phat Company - https://myfigurecollection.net/item/166953

Heshikiri Hasebe - 1/8 - Orange Rouge - https://myfigurecollection.net/item/396877

Ookurikara - 1/8 - Orange Rouge - https://myfigurecollection.net/item/397003

They're all 1/8, relatively cheap figures from big mobage franchises. Makoto and Iori were some of the girls who I liked most from the original Idolmaster cast, and they have really cute figures, too. (I need to get around to playing the original, honestly!) Rinze is from Idolmaster: Shiny Colors, which I'm really enjoying right now.

Meanwhile, the two Touken Ranbu figures are there because they're cute... which breaks my rule of only buying figures from franchises I like; a necessary limit to avoid rampant overspending. I guess I'll only get these two if I manage to find them for a dirt cheap price. Otherwise, their places would be better used by characters who I genuinely like.

I'm going to wait for next year to purchase these, since I already have a large box of figures coming around Christmas this year, and my bank account can't take anymore. Sigh...

Current Mood: discontent

Yeah, I just had to make that pun.

I spotted a figure I loved for a low price on Rakuma and jumped at it. I even FedEx'd it to myself in excitement... and guess what?! It was a bootleg!

This marks the first time I've ever accidentally bought a bootleg.

I wondered what to do with it for a while. It didn't look awful, but it certainly wasn't scale figure quality. More like a prize figure. Leaving it on my shelf as it was felt wrong. Meanwhile, buying an authentic copy for over £200 just isn't possible for me right now.

I decided to repaint it myself.

I had a lot of fun disassembling it. The seam lines were easy to spot, and the glue was weak enough - or old enough- that the parts would separate cleanly when pulled with a good amount of force. The hair and face were the most difficult, since they were made up of many small, interlocking parts that had to be carefully examined and pried apart.

The next step was sanding down each part. This was much more difficult than I anticipated. Even with low grit sandpaper, it took a minute or two of vigorously rubbing a single area to finally get the base plastic to show. The figure's body also had many rounded, concave parts which were difficult to rub the sandpaper against.

I gave up after a couple of hours and I'm trying to figure out the cheapest solution to strip the paint. Specialised stripper is expensive, and a lot of solvents are noxious or damage plastic. I think I'll go and buy some oven cleaner tomorrow; that seems like the easiest way to do this (and it can be used on the oven, not just figures!)

Entries tagged with figures

Super cute noodle stoppers!

So why are anime figures so expensive, anyway?

My collection themes - Mid-2022

Are new Nendoroids worse than ones from five years ago?

Wonfes announcements & Collection updates

The B-Style Price Panic

Cute SFW Original Character Figures

My Final Figure Wishlist

The madness known as "collecting"

Paint stripping :flushed:

Follow Me

Most Popular Tags