BANDAI Kame Gashapon Figure Collectible - Rare India "Star" Tortoise

Description

We are very pleased to offer these highly detailed figures of
"Kame"
which means Turtle or Tortoise in Japanese. These highly collectible figures were part of a set which distributed by Bandai, a Japanese toy
manufacturer/distributor,
and were retailed as individual examples in
Gashapon
machines found in Japan. They are amazing with all the components placed inside a package not much bigger than a billiard ball. The details are mind blowing given their size, and the engineering is equally shocking given that all the components move. Utilizing ball and sockets
similar
to our own hip joints, they've created a figure that resembles its natural cousin in every way
imaginable
.
Gashapon
machines are similar to the coin-operated toy vending machines seen outside grocery stores and other retailers in other countries. While American coin-operated vending toys are usually cheap, low-quality products sold for a few quarters,
Japanese
gashapon
are normally a much higher-quality product. They are often constructed from high-grade PVC
plastic, and contain more molding detail and intricately painted features. Many
gashapon
are considered collector's items
, with rare ones fetching extremely high prices in secondhand markets.
These sets of Kame, and all other Japanese collectibles we currently offer, were sold pre-manufacture...i.e....they were only made after they were pre-sold. Often just a prototype was marketed, and dealers purchased cases prior to the product being made. Upon delivery they were then placed into Gashapon machines or sold on the secondary market. We are proud to be secondary market retailers here in the USA. These examples are no longer in production which only adds to their
collectability
. Other sets may still be made, recently a set of 3 different snapping turtles have been available known as set 03.....while these we currently are offering are from sets 01 and 02.
Often, out of a set 3, 4, or 5.... one or more examples would be considered "rare" and highly sought after in that secondary market. Gashapon "mall" owners, places where nothing but Gashapon machines were offered, would they themselves hold back a certain example to create a demand. For example, if you had 100 pieces of each example, but only placed 50 of say the Radiated or Indian Star examples into Gashapon machines, you in effect created demand/desirability because the other examples had twice as many being won in the machines. Marketing genius if you ask me....they sell a product that hasn't been made yet so you have no xtras not sold, then the retailers create demand by holding back what they believe will be the most desirable example. This raises the price considerably in the secondary market of the example they held back all the while creating demand for the other examples in the Gashapon machine. I mean, when you twisted the knob on the Gashapon machine you thought you had an equal chance of getting the most desirable example, but in fact you didn't because retailers held them back. So you kept trying all the while getting duplicates of the other examples, which you then sold on these same secondary markets to people overseas which were very rare for those who didn't live in Japan.
Well, here's your chance to get one for yourself.....right here in the good ol' USA....with
FREE
shipping that won't keep you waiting weeks for it to arrive...if you can find them at all. You can collect the set(s) for yourself, or to offer as a unique gift. Imagine the wonder in a child's mind when he gets a hold of these tortoise. I think they would be awesome in a classroom for all the kids to enjoy! You'll be receiving one of these gorgeous India "Star" Tortoise figures.....one of the harder to find and very desirable examples from the 01 set. Others in both sets are available in our inventory.
We also have Dangomushi (Isopods), very realistic Hornets, and some very rare and super special "gift" items that were sometimes found in a capsule in the form of a lottery ticket. You turned in your ticket at the counter and got your prize.....even the smallest prize is filled with details...and the biggest like super lifelike Hercules and other beetles are amazingly accurate reproductions that Mother Nature
herself
would be proud of...check 'em out in our other listings!