Kaiyodo - New for 2015

[postsaurischian]

Shoebill looks really nice  .

I even have to say it looks AWESOME !

[Battatitan]

they are Japan exclusives although there are members here who could provide you what you want like BrettNJ for the new series and other collector members here on ATF like myself (i have a lot of older series Kaiyodo figures for trade only)

Thanks Sauroid That to me seems a bit limiting on their part; if they were to distribute internationally then I imagine they'd do exceptionally well, looking at the quality of their products.

[sbell]

they are Japan exclusives although there are members here who could provide you what you want like BrettNJ for the new series and other collector members here on ATF like myself (i have a lot of older series Kaiyodo figures for trade only)

Thanks Sauroid That to me seems a bit limiting on their part; if they were to distribute internationally then I imagine they'd do exceptionally well, looking at the quality of their products.

A lot of Japanese companies--Kaiyodo, Yujin, Takara-Tomy, Kitan, Colorata, and much of the Favorite line, as examples--do not distribute outside of Japan, and seem to do just fine. Some, like the Dinotales series, made an attempt in about 2005, and it failed miserably. There are several factors--one, there is a cultural tradition in Japan of mini figures (and capsule/blind package/vending machines more recently) of more than just animals that dates back a long time; second, the rules for sale and distribution in other countries can be prohibitive due to product testing and safety regulations that vary; third, worldwide distribution is expensive overall and can stretch a company beyond what it can or wants to do; and finally, the after-market seems to do the work just fine for them, with several middle-agents making a few bucks on the way through (not sure if they care about that or not). Plus, all of these series tend to be limited in duration, which is much harder to do in a broader sales environment.

The Kaiyodo business model of small animals in some sort of blind packaging has been around since the mid 90s at least when the first Animaltales came out. Most of these companies predate that, and are still going strong (with the occasional merging).

So, yeah, it's not going to change unless someone wants to assume a whole lot of risk--I am guessing you are specifically wondering about the North America market, but that is where the Dinotales (under the name Dinomania) failed; the current Yowies (based on a similar Australian product) experiment is kind of playing out the same way.

[brettnj]

There's a new Sendai Aquarium and a new Kaiyodo Sendai Aquarium set!

Here are links to a few YAJ auctions for individual figures.

http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/200712711
http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w123571555
http://page16.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u80854499
http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r130446066

I'll update when I have more info.

[brettnj]

Here's all 9.  A little disappointing...

http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k193738411

I'll post when I have a better image.

But, this is a Sandy Beach Museum (translation on the site)/Seaside Gallery in Kochi (according to my source) exclusive (Kaiyodo) Bryde's whale (taking orders now):

[bmathison1972]

the species selection in that Kaiyodo set is interesting I think (although the crab, the one figure I would want, has been beaten to death in the gashapon industry--I think I have 6 or 7 including at least two already by Kaiyodo!)

[brettnj]

The crab, both fish, and the penguin have been done by Kaiyodo already as have a few sea turtles in various forms (not even counting the early toy-like one(s?) which I never collected.  I'd be happy with this green if the company didn't do such an uncharacteristically (though I've seen it on other Kaiyodo turtle figure shells as well) poor job of painting its carapace.

If I get any from the set it'll likely be the manta though I have the secret with the SCUBA diver so this one's also been done. 

My not liking the porpoise because of the prop is a matter of taste.  Of the other two, the dolphin looks questionably handled (I'd like to be proven wrong when I see a clear image.) and the other--the finless/most interesting species to me--was clearly farmed out to a lesser artist, as we've seen lately with aquarium sets.  It's a baffling choice, to me, to have the top artist work on species already done and turn over iconic or interesting species (sawfish, sea lions, a good number of others) to others whose work comes nowhere near what collectors expect from the company.

With 65 names on my mailing list, though I was and thought others would be excited when I first saw the set existed, I'm now not surprised that I've only gotten one inquiry about this one.

The curious thing is the abandoning of the bottle cap style bases.

[sbell]

the species selection in that Kaiyodo set is interesting I think (although the crab, the one figure I would want, has been beaten to death in the gashapon industry--I think I have 6 or 7 including at least two already by Kaiyodo!)

I just want to know what the second fish is (I know the Lates, but can't make out the other one--is it another wolf eel?).

[brettnj]

Yes.

[sbell]

Yes.

I have sent you an email!

[brettnj]

Here's a link to a YAJ auction that shows the Sendai Aquarium figures in a better light:

http://page4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d171889755

I offered my buyers the opportunity to partake in a group bid (Everyoen tries for only the figures of interest to them.) but I'll extend that offer here as well.  If interested, please PM me with figure(s) of interest and maximum bid(s).

Thanks.

[brettnj]

Making the same offer for this complete Natural Monuments set:
http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r131218075

[postsaurischian]

  Here's the next Gecko set:

[bmathison1972]

Here's the next Gecko set:

this is actually a January 2016 release, and we should create a new thread for it. I am not sure how to create the child thread for all of New for 2016 though!

[sauroid]

they look so realistic. awesome as usual.

[brontodocus]

That's a neat looking set (even though I see no point in yet another colour morph of the Leopard Gecko, the first set already had four versions)! And finally a decent figure of Phelsuma grandis!

[Uroplatus]

That's a neat looking set (even though I see no point in yet another colour morph of the Leopard Gecko, the first set already had four versions)! And finally a decent figure of Phelsuma grandis!

I totaly agree, they could also have painted it as an African Fat Tailed Gecko, which would atleast have gave us another species, and not another boring Leopard Gecko morph.
And, although i like the figure itself, i also don't see the point in having 2 morphs of the Crested Gecko, there are well over a 1000 different species of gecko, and there a few very spectacular ones, i realy like Kaiyodo figures but they could be a little more creative.
I want to see them do a Saltuarius sp. and Aeluroscalabotes sp. for instance...

That Phelsuma realy does look amazing though.