toyboxdx toy blog brog: is graceful art of daily expressing japanese toy
November 30, 2012
November 25, 2012
November 11, 2012
Bullmark: Godzilla sofubi
“No, I don’t collect kaiju sofubis. Collecting kaijus gonna ruin me.”
Did I say that? Don’t remember. ;-)
Today it’s time for a bit extra love for the King of the Monsters. Godzilla.
A few weeks ago this Bullmark Godzilla showed up on Y!JP.
The auction fotos weren’t the best, but Gojira looked on them like a
vintage Bullmark version. After some research and the “yes, looks vintage”
(thanks Jim & Mike!), I placed my bid…and won it. Weeks later Gojira
arrived in germany with lots of other toys in a big parcel. After an intensive
cleaning, Godzilla really looked nice. I think I mentioned this before:
Dirt conserves condition
Enough talking…enjoy Gojira.
To be honest, this Gojira is looking more like some dinosaur.
But who cares. I love him and always wanted him!
More as usual in the BBS.
November 4, 2012
Bullmark: Survivors!
I worked on this BROG for some time, but always something else
prevented me from finishing it…like Kemler. But no excuses anymore,
here you are!
The story begun in germany nearly 40 years ago.
A country that is not only famous for great cars, tasty beer and
tactical submarines. NO. Also famous for the fact that you could
find vintage Zenmais in the forrest. Why do you think is a famous
forrest near Freiburg im Breisgau (south of germany) called
“Der schwarze Blechfiguren Wald”. Translated that means something
like “The black tin figures forrest”…
OK. Bullshit. This is not a good start for the BROG.
Have to add more action and realism in the story.
The story begun in April 1975 in Xuan Loc, Vietnam.
Captain P. Hershell (33rd Ranger Battalion), who just came back from Saigon…
OK. No “Missing in Action” or Rambo-esque story.
The truth now! I bought this 2 wonderful Zenmais on Y!JP a few months ago.
Nobody was really interested in these guys, so I got them without any epic
“bid-battles”. No wonder. The condition of this Ultraman & Ultra Seven Zenmai
wasn’t the best. I guess a solid C-0,4. But I immediately recognized the immense
“potential” of these rusted beauties.
What “potential”? At least potential as photomodels.
A few weeks later a pretty beat-up Ultraman Leo showed up on Y!JP,
but a few other “rust lover” also showed interest and the price went up.
So, no Leo for me.
Enough bla bla. Here are the two guy.
From the underwood to the glas display, rusted in dignity!
Finally they escaped the evil humid jungle. Nearly rusted away.
Now a dry & nice place waits for them. Hopefully for the next 30 years.
Now a few details shots. Click to enlarge.
Looks like a happy end.
No I only could hope that these 2 Survivors will be
accepted by the others.
That’s it! As usual more photos etc in the BBS.
November 1, 2012
Marushin: Kemler’s Dirty Secret II
I was working on another BROG when a parcel from japan arrived.
With a few other toys, finally a Marushin Kemler found his way
to germany. Amazing toy, love him! The other BROG has to wait now.
I read Matt’s Kemler BROG before I got Kemler and was aware that
the little green monster might make some trouble.
When I bought him on Y!JP it was a bit risky, because I had no clue if
he has stripes on his wings (no way to see it on the auction fotos).
The seller also wrote in his auction description, that Kemler has a
“few problems” with his rocket launcher.
Cool…sounded like the perfect auction to spent a few hundred bucks ;-)
…I always asked myself why Kemler is so expensive. Now I know why!
Because he has real diamond eyes. Hope the stones a real.
Happy end! Kemler was in perfect condition, the box is nice, BUT I couldn’t
see any red lever for the disk launcher and the red mouth rocket launcher was
fragmented in Kemlers mouth. Ok, no happy end.
The mouth rocket launcher was no problem, set the parts together, screw
him back into the mouth…function test…works…perfect.
But where’s the goddamn red lever?
Found him and the black plastic part with spring inside Kemler’s body,
when I opened the black back plate.
Kemlers plate wasn’t fixed with screws. Also the “spring mechanism” wasn’t fixed
with a screw to the plate and was loose inside the body.
The “repair” was easy. I just mounted the “spring mechaism” on the plate
with a screw and put everything together. The only problem was finding
a srew that has the right size and looks of the orginal Marshin screws.
I used a vintage one from a beat-up Bullmark Diapolon ST Gokin. Fits perfect!
Now you could “load” the disk and fire it. Usually when the mechanism isn’t fixed
to the plate, it won’t work when you push the disk inside. Because it simply fall apart.
Even cooler happy end! Kemler has his full fire-power back.
Here’s my litle disk firing movie.
More in Matt’s hijacked BBS.
P.S.: Why I used Ludwig van Beethoven as soundtrack for my film…WTF, ask YouTube…
;-)