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

[SAgirl2004]

Ever since she was announced late last year by CollectA, my personal holy grail was their new giant anteater. After the struggle of getting her imported into the US from MiniZoo in Australia, I finally got the chance to own her. With giant anteaters being my favorite animal, I am honestly amazed by how anatomically and color accurate she is.

[Shane]

My current holy grails, I would say, that I'm constantly checking eBay lots for, are

- Safari Tennessee Aquarium Mudpuppy
- Safari Vanishing Wild Gemsbok
- Safari Smithsonian Luna Moth
- Kaiyodo Mega Sofubi Blue Whale - This used to be plentiful on eBay, although it was always expensive. But now it doesn't even seem to be available anywhere, for any price.

[NSD Bashe]

I guess my current ones are
Sun Wai/Club Earth "squirting" boxfish/cowfish
Club Earth "coin bank" boxfish
Toy Major pale/white anglerfish
Boley brittlestar
the Play Visions sea slugs
Think of it flashlight fish, pinecone fish and pony fish
Yowie gogo tube-nosed fish

and possibly a few other miscellaneous.  I have managed to obtain the majority of existing figures I was particularly after, but it's fun in a way to have something out there to search for

[sbell]

There's still a few Aqualand fish I'd like to find for reasonable amounts...or at all (gar, arowana) but I'm resigned to it never happening.

And some of the Yujin Freshwater fish special figures... findable but unjustified for my budget!

Overall, I'm pretty good at tracking down what I want... even managed to get the Safari Lamprey!

But my wish list also tends to be fairly small now.

[bmathison1972]

Yeah I don't know if I have any more Holy Grail figures now that I have completed most of the early PV, CE, WM insect sets. I guess I still need a third Safari Smithsonian bumblebee.

[MudpupWaterdog]

Likewise I think I have most of what I really want but there are a few things out there I just keep looking for, like the F-Toys Creatures of the Waterside aquatic inverts set, and the old Safari Ltd. IC bat star. I guess they count as holy grails because they're the toys I want to find the most but I also wouldn't pay exorbitant sums for them. They also don't show up on eBay often...I don't think I've ever seen the bat star.

Since finding out about the Safari lamprey I do really want that one too but I see that it's not really for sale. And more for the Dino board but the Toyway WWD Postosuchus would be a dream find.

[sphyrna18]

When I was very young, in the 80's, I always wanted a hammerhead shark, but despite every family member looking for one everywhere they went and asking every store manager/owner they could, they were never able to find one for me.  Other than some erasers, I went hammerhead shark-less until Safari released the MBA figure in 1991 or 1992, and I got it as a Christmas gift. After that, the floodgates opened, and suddenly hammerhead shark figures were much more available.  But I have found some evidence that Imperial made a hammerhead shark figure in the 80's and there was another one or two generic Made-In-China hammerhead shark figures from that time.  They sometimes show up on eBay, but rarely, and it seems I always seem to miss them.  Anyway, that's one of my grail figures: hammerhead shark figues from the 80s haha.

[JimoAi]

For me it will be the MBA Sperm whale and MSA blue whale since they're so hard to find and expensive too

[brettnj]

My current holy grails, I would say, that I'm constantly checking eBay lots for, are

- Safari Tennessee Aquarium Mudpuppy
- Safari Vanishing Wild Gemsbok
- Safari Smithsonian Luna Moth
- Kaiyodo Mega Sofubi Blue Whale - This used to be plentiful on eBay, although it was always expensive. But now it doesn't even seem to be available anywhere, for any price.

My source and I can get you the whale.

Please PM if interested.

Thanks.
Brett

[brettnj]

The only (existing) holy grail for me in terms of actually wanting it would be one of the big dino models (professionally assembled and painted) that I'm still considering.

For rarity, I always cite the Kitan Nature Techni Colour giant squid as the rarest gashapon. It was extremely limited with, though I always forget the number, less than 200 made, I believe. Sells for $2000ish now.

The rarest dino gashapon is likely the Kaiyodo Siamotyrannus variant 4.

I look hardest for Dawn of the Dinosaurs figures to resell. Stay tuned for an announcement in the classified section next month about those if interested. And those Sega vignettes now that I think of them. And the Favorite saurolophus. Etc.

For theoretical entries, I and many others are anxiously awaiting the Ikimon Yangtze River set, images of which appeared several years ago. It is supposed to release this year, at least that's the impression the company gave back in the winter.

I suppose a final holy grail would simply be the wish that Kaiyodo would return to making animal figures, with greater numbers, variety, etc.

Brett