Toy Spotlight: Gigabrain

[Jomei]

I actually really dig the glow, including the eyes and closed mouths. I wonder, though, why they don't put one out with some open mouths and some closed...?

I agree about the black vs more vibrant colors, though. The black looks great, but I prefer bold color.

[Cimmerian Dragon]

I'm seriously tempted to shell out the cash for the black version; but this is the time of year when we get so close to G-Fest, that I'll start restraining myself a bit in preparation for the dealer's room. I've grabbed a few new toys this month, so it's time to clamp down.

Still...that obsidian flesh...

[RedZillaKing]

If I was going to buy a Gigabrain Ghidorah that black one would be it. However I hardly feel like it's worth 300 dollars. Good God!

[GreenAiden555]

$300... $300?! Nope. Forget it. I'll admire pictures, but I am NOT chasing this thing down.

[Jomei]

I think the value is a matter of perspective. Yeah, $300 is a lot of money, but that includes the cost of having to go through one or more proxies to obtain one of these rather limited figures. Then consider that this is a huge figure--many times bigger than, say, MonsterArts Godzilla--and is made with the utmost attention to detail and quality.

With $300 you can probably get the MonsterArts Ghidorah, the Godzilla, and the SpaceGodzilla. Or you can get the Gigabrain Ghidorah. It all depends on what you want more if you have limited funds. Some people buy at least one if not more of each of the MonsterArts figures, which are also fairly expensive for what they are, yet will probably drop in price over time as they are mass-produced and widely available. GB Ghidorah's window has likely come and gone on the first two variants, and, probably much like the Pilot Ace, they will become highly sought-after in years to come.

All a matter of perspective.

[GreenAiden555]

Yeah, I understand that entirely, but I can't, in ANYWAY, justify $300 for that when it takes me a month and a half to make that, and that I am EXTREMELY limited in funding this summer (no jerbs ), so I can't buy it....

Pictures are pretty, though....

[RedZillaKing]

^^None of that makes it any more desirable to me. Especially considering you could get 3-4 SHMs (which are smaller but likely use a similar amount of plastic), like 15 Bandais, etc. I'm not in it for the rarity either. Nor the exclusivity. If I can get one for cheaper than 3 clams at G Fest maybe I'll get one. Other than that I'll be fine without it. Sniff.

The thing is just gonna sit on myself and be beautiful.

[Jomei]

The thing is just gonna sit on myself and be beautiful.

So the main problem is you wouldn't play with it?

I mean, I'm just trying to point out that, for the size, quality, and exclusivity of the figures in question, $300 is not a mind-boggling amount for us collectors. Some of us can't resist the Gigabrain, some of us have to have every MonsterArts figure (maybe two, right?), some pick up most if not all of the X-Plus statues, and others accumulate mounds and mounds of mass-produced vinyls. Many of us buy several or all of the above!

Of course, this Gigabrain is a very special figure, too. One like this doesn't come along every day. It's amazing how much hype it has considering the tiny scale of its production and release compared to the MonsterArts line.

[Legion1979]

I have four Revoltech figures and the MA Godzilla and Mechagodzilla. All they do is sit on my shelf and look beautiful too.

[Jomei]

I have four Revoltech figures and the MA Godzilla and Mechagodzilla. All they do is sit on my shelf and look beautiful too.

What, don't you have a sandbox?

lol as much as people make that joke, I can totally remember playing in sandboxes with my Imperial 6" Godzilla.

[Godzilla 2000]

The thing is just gonna sit on myself and be beautiful.

Dont all of our figures do that?

[RedZillaKing]

True... however, it's nice to have something that isn't essentially in a fixed pose. The Gigabrain stuff is really nice but I like to get a little more mileage from my toys. I honestly can't imagine spending 300 bucks on a single figure. Especially one that doesn't fit in with the rest of my stuff.

And yes... if posing my figures is what you consider "playing" with them then I suppose I play with my toys.

[Captain Aktion]

My issue about buying GB's or even Marmit's at release like this is that I hate knowing that I'm actually paying far more than retail to get it. I mean, I get that MA Space G is a little pricey for some people, but imagine how much more it would be if we could only get them at certain shows in Japan...It'd be well over $100 before shipping if you went through a proxy. I have no problem with paying a high price on a figure, but I like knowing that it's going into paying for the actual figure and not having a third of the bill go to knocking down the hoops you have to jump through at times just to get these exclusives. I know, I know, that's a big part of collecting and I understand, but sometimes I wish there were easier ways of obtaining some of these things and for closer to their actual yen retail.

[Jomei]

Unfortunately, short of moving to Japan, there really isn't an alternative--a lot of Japanese companies and services don't allow those outside Japan to buy or participate (take their social networking site, Mixi, which doesn't allow you to sign up without a Japanese cellphone email). Same problem with using Yahoo Japan Auctions. But, being in Japan, I bet ebirahsmeg paid a more reasonable amount for his Ghidorah.

C'est la vie. Or perhaps we should say, 仕様がない。

[Petezilla]

@Cap.: This. As nice exclusives are for making up something special that only a few collectors can own, all of what you said is truth. It just comes down to that it sucks being born as a non-japanese Kaiju collector.

[leunames]

For my gold Gigabrain KG I used a contact in Japan who is neither a dealer nor a collector. I paid him 1200 yen extra on top of everything else.

Figure cost 15,750
local shipping 650

actual cost 16,400 then 1200 yen for his trouble. I can't say how much it is to ship it since I had a whole bunch of other crap in a huge box.

let's say 80 yen exchange rate. 17,600 yen = $220

Now, Monsterarts figures?

King Ghidorah 12,000
Space Godzilla 6000

That's 18,000 yen = $225

the shipping would be slightly more for the gigabrain but considering how relatively heavy the monsterarts figures are as opposed to hollow vinyl, it should be a wash.

When we're comparing the prices of monsterarts to Gigabrain, you can't make any comparison without using the upcoming monsterarts King Ghidorah. Saying you could buy monsterarts godzilla and little godzilla and rodan, etc. instead of the gigabrain KG is the same as me saying I can buy two gigabrain godzilla/jet jaguar/gigan figures for the price of 1 monsterarts king ghidorah.

[Poe Ghostal]

Or we don't compare them at all and let everyone collect what they like...speaking to myself here too

[RedZillaKing]

When we're comparing the prices of monsterarts to Gigabrain, you can't make any comparison without using the upcoming monsterarts King Ghidorah. Saying you could buy monsterarts godzilla and little godzilla and rodan, etc. instead of the gigabrain KG is the same as me saying I can buy two gigabrain godzilla/jet jaguar/gigan figures for the price of 1 monsterarts king ghidorah.

Wut. You can get a Gigabrain Gigan and Godzilla for 4900 yen before shipping? Because I thought SHM Ghids was 9800 yen...

And if you can get two for the price of one SHM Ghidorah please point out where. I would love to have some Gigabrains. Particularly Gigan and Godzilla.

Anyways I'll probably never get a Gigabrain Ghidorah for the same reason I won't get an X Plus 30cm figure. I just can't justify the cost. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate it for how beautiful it is. Like art is sometimes beautiful. I don't collect art though. I collect action figures.

[leunames]

When we're comparing the prices of monsterarts to Gigabrain, you can't make any comparison without using the upcoming monsterarts King Ghidorah. Saying you could buy monsterarts godzilla and little godzilla and rodan, etc. instead of the gigabrain KG is the same as me saying I can buy two gigabrain godzilla/jet jaguar/gigan figures for the price of 1 monsterarts king ghidorah.

Wut. You can get a Gigabrain Gigan and Godzilla for 4900 yen before shipping? Because I thought SHM Ghids was 9800 yen...

And if you can get two for the price of one SHM Ghidorah please point out where. I would love to have some Gigabrains. Particularly Gigan and Godzilla.

Anyways I'll probably never get a Gigabrain Ghidorah for the same reason I won't get an X Plus 30cm figure. I just can't justify the cost. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate it for how beautiful it is. Like art is sometimes beautiful. I don't collect art though. I collect action figures.

well the retail price is 12,000 yen for the monsterarts KG. whatever it ends up being in actuality is anyone's guess.

the gigabrains come out in japan at around 5000 yen base cost. they're mail order from gigabrain itself. i'm not talking about the show exclusives which are only sold at the tables of the show in question. I'm talking about conventional releases of the figure.

[GreenAiden555]

well the retail price is 12,000 yen for the monsterarts KG. whatever it ends up being in actuality is anyone's guess.

I have never seen that price anywhere. When it was given a release month earlier this year, everyone mentioned the price tag at $125, or ~10290 yen.

12000 yen is ~$150.