The holy grail of animal figures

[bmathison1972]

From the Kabaya beetle series I miss the Cyclomatus elaphus, I have a broken one, since the none black beetles in some Kabaya series (those painted all over) are prone to deteriation of the pvc.

I do need the Allotopus and Lamprima from the Kabaya Series 1 still, since mine crumbled. But, I wouldn't call those holy grails since I have other, nice representatives. It would be nice to have the whole set, but it's not a great loss if I don't

[Beetle guy]

From the Kabaya beetle series I miss the Cyclomatus elaphus, I have a broken one, since the none black beetles in some Kabaya series (those painted all over) are prone to deteriation of the pvc.

I do need the Allotopus and Lamprima from the Kabaya Series 1 still, since mine crumbled. But, I wouldn't call those holy grails since I have other, nice representatives. It would be nice to have the whole set, but it's not a great loss if I don't

Your right, I think I have my holy grails with the DeAgostini beetles, the Yujin ones and the four dorcus pupae from Kaiyodo! 

[BlueKrono]

One that has eluded me for nearly a quarter century is the Safari horned frog. I've never seen one for sale, and I want it more than any other extant animal. A second which I only learned about relatively recently is the Play Visions lanternfly.

[bmathison1972]

One that has eluded me for nearly a quarter century is the Safari horned frog. I've never seen one for sale, and I want it more than any other extant animal. A second which I only learned about relatively recently is the Play Visions lanternfly.

I will check later but I might have an extra lanternfly!

[Beetle guy]

Next to the 64 DeAgostini beetles and Yujin insect output. These were holy grails for me! I was very happy to obtain number 4 (under left) two years back.
The two yellow number ones are colour variations of the same number (pupae stage 1).

I plan to display them with the Kaiyodo Dorcus binodulosus larvae and the Kitan/Ikimon Imago of the same species.

[BlueKrono]

One that has eluded me for nearly a quarter century is the Safari horned frog. I've never seen one for sale, and I want it more than any other extant animal. A second which I only learned about relatively recently is the Play Visions lanternfly.

I will check later but I might have an extra lanternfly!

I would be thrilled!

[bmathison1972]

Next to the 64 DeAgostini beetles and Yujin insect output. These were holy grails for me! I was very happy to obtain number 4 (under left) two years back.
The two yellow number ones are colour variations of the same number (pupae stage 1).

I plan to display them with the Kaiyodo Dorcus binodulosus larvae and the Kitan/Ikimon Imago of the same species.

Funny, if you go to the Life Cycles thread I also posted my pupae (I have three of them) with the Kaiyodo larva and Kitan Club adult! LOL

Oh and I do have some holy grails left, starting with PV arthropods I am still missing: the pubic louse from the fleas, ticks, and mites set and the tarantula hawk, sandhills hornet, and paper wasp from the bees, wasps, and hornets set.

[brettnj]

I (was bored and) sent a variation of this opinion piece to my mailing list late last year...

It details what I, from many years of Collecting Kaiyodo figures and 3 of selling them via my source in Japan, believe are the rarest of the Kaiyodo Gashapon/miniature animal figures...

Though there are other extreme rarities such as the

Capsule Q Museum t-rex variant
Capsule Q Museum triceratops variant
2005 Dino Expo t-rex
ZoorAsia secret young okapi and tortoise
Kyoto Aquarium salamander larva, white version
Red Data secret dodo skeleton
Wonder Festival seismosaurus, yellow version
(unknown) mouse with seed
and on and on...

I'd go with...

Hamsters Lunch secret golden hamster with food bowl
Sunshine Aquarium poison dart frogs, 3 paint variants
Dinotales Siamotyrannus paint variant #4

I've not seen any of these sell more than three times in the years I've been selling (I got all three hamsters(!).).

That said, returning to the thread's over all topic, I'd say, at least for me if not in general, the Kaiyodo Naturetales (and some Aqualands (and Dinolands, but that's for another board...)) have holy grail status.  I've not even seen the vast majority of them available anywhere.

But beyond that, there were never any figures I wanted more than (many, many of) those on Kazunari Araki's now minimized website.  I tried for years to find out how to obtain one or to find out if they were even obtainable.  In the end I remember being left with the strong impression that they were never available for purchase.

Not the worst thing practically speaking, as my wallet would have suffered big time, but I would still desperately love to have at least one of those big sauropods.

Like this seismosaurus...
http://dinosaurs.art.coocan.jp/gallery/gallery1e.htm

Brett

[bmathison1972]

oh...I forgot a big time Holy Grail: the Dorcus hopei by Kabaya (Insect Directory). Not that I need another D. hopei, but it completes one of my favorite sets:

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~CH2M-NITU/imeikane.htm