Spiral Studios

[Mac Daddy MM]

All of this over some silly niche figure few are going to buy and life will go on once it's released.

Screw that! No-holds-barred cage fight death match!! Who’s with me!!

Yo.

https://youtu.be/XaWtJ-yHfJM?t=1

[shadowgigan]

THAT'S not a problem in your eyes

No. It’s not really that big of a deal. Life goes on.

He just hates Spiral man. I don’t even know why we bother responding.

Are you getting paid to do damage control or do we just have another Narutu65/TAS situation here in blatantly ignoring the arguments presented.

I understand your arguments, but it appears you are having some sort of tantrum about it, which I find odd. Your posts are strangely aggressive as if you’ve been personally wronged. I understand you think they are too expensive and this is moving the market in the wrong direction, yada yada. You speak as if your opinions are objective fact.

Which is it? Do you know how this hobby works or not? Because everything I'm sensing here is just damage control/blatant apologist behavior because you know/are friends with the people at the company.

I don’t collect sofubi, so I can’t speak specifically to that market. So if you are referring to sofubi, you may be correct. But I’m not sure what that has to do with the broader Godzilla collectible market, which I would argue is in a great spot - Bette Ethan it’s ever been. I’m not sure how my relationship with anyone would matter to such a discussion. I don’t own any Spiral pieces because I can’t afford them. But I’m not mad about it and I don’t think it’s ruining the market. There’s a lot of “high end” stuff out right now and we shall see which direction the market goes. I think there’s something out there for pretty much every type of collector, and that’s a good thing.

[Mac Daddy MM]

I understand your arguments, but it appears you are having some sort of tantrum about it, which I find odd. Your posts are strangely aggressive as if you’ve been personally wronged. I understand you think they are too expensive and this is moving the market in the wrong direction, yada yada. You speak as if your opinions are objective fact.

I don’t collect sofubi, so I can’t speak specifically to that market. So if you are referring to sofubi, you may be correct.

You just answered why I'm so pissed. I *DO* collect these types of figures. When you announced them in this thread, the Not Marmit was instantly up in the Top 5 "Must Gets" of the year. So why is MM so mad about the cost?



The last OOP Marmit I bought was this, for just a few bucks more than what Spiral is offering their G'19. Once again, this SpaceGodzilla is a HELL OF A LOT HARDER to get than the Spiral G'19, and yet Spiral jacked theirs to the same price as after market. You know why I'm pissed? Because I *DO* collect this shit and am not looking forward to seeing what happens when Marmit catches on westerners will spend upward to $225 on basic, non limited releases with a slew of color options right out the gate. What Legion was talking about with Bandai? Yeah, same exact concept applies.

I also just wanna' throw out I was met with the same exact type of resistance and arguments when I said SHMA would start doing repaints and reissues way back in 2013-2014, because Tamashi just doesn't "work that way and they never did it before." I have over 10 years in manufacturing experience, I know how this shit works.

[king_ghidorah]

They showed off a teaser image of their 2014 Godzilla today.

I’m all in and will continue to be part of the problem I guess…

[Legion1979]

They showed off a teaser image of their 2014 Godzilla today.

I’m all in and will continue to be part of the problem I guess…

Shame on you for ruining this hobby. How dare you!

[king_ghidorah]

I guess I’ll just have to learn to live with myself. Oh well. It’ll be hard but a sweet 2014 figure will make it easier I imagine

[Executive Hamster]

I don't think MM is wrong, in fact I largely agree with his sentiment, but I feel like its kinda a waste of everyone's time if every single toy thread falls into a discussion about prices and inflation.

[Mac Daddy MM]

Man, I'm really getting proven wrong by all this salt being thrown at me. Good thing I have plenty of french fries.

[Voyager]

I’m all in and will continue to be part of the problem I guess…

Many such cases…

Admitting you’re part of the problem is the first step to resolving the issue at least.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Let me understand this controversy:

Marmit, and other such companies/people have been releasing small batches of collector vinyl toys for decades. These high end vinyls are made by 1 to a small group of people, and distribution is limited. Being made in Japan, by individuals who make their entirely livelihoods around these figures, and they aren't meant for mass retail. This "justifies" or at least warrants the price, which makes them, in comparison to Bandai, much more expensive than the average mass produced "Made in China" figure.

Over the last five years, there has been an increase in Godzilla's brand internationally due to the Monsterverse, Shin Godzilla, and efforts by Toho to make the franchise more accessible to purchase merchandise for.

Spiral, a relatively new company, is now making vinyls, to sell in America. However, these vinyls are the same price, if not more expensive, than the Marmit and other specialized vinyls. However, these Spiral vinyls are much more mass produced(?) and the perception is that they're easier to make, but retain the same price as the Marmits(?). The same can be applied to statues and other products.

Now, MM and a few others are worried that because of this trend, Marmit or some Japanese company will raise their prices to match/exceed Spirals because people in America are buying what is perceived to be lower quality/more accessible for a lot more than they are selling their own products for. All of this coincides with a general overall trend of more and more people buying collectibles for properties they are not familar with due to modern internet hype/consumer culture, which is causing MM to be frustrated.

Am I correct in my breakdown?

[canofhumdingers]

I think you’re missing a few key points.

First, the Spiral Toys sofubi are priced at near double what an equivalent Marmit or Marusan would initially sell for.

They are not lower quality. In fact, it is the same Japanese guys designing the sculpt and paintwork as some of the very best Marmits ever produced.

And finally, it’s not just the vinyl figures(which actually have their own thread). It’s also the insanely huge (like 3+ FEET tall) and crazy expensive statues.

[Mac Daddy MM]

Spiral, a relatively new company, is now making vinyls, to sell in America. However, these vinyls are the same price, if not more expensive, than the Marmit and other specialized vinyls. However, these Spiral vinyls are much more mass produced(?) and the perception is that they're easier to make, but retain the same price as the Marmits(?). The same can be applied to statues and other products.

The issue I have is they aren't in the same ball park for a typical new Marmit or similar release, which generally hover around $150-$180 from personal experience and depending on size and general means of getting the new release (exclusives, etc). They are priced at after market prices. A simple Marmit Godzilla will not sell for over $200 unless its something EXTREMELY unique, super bigger, or super limited.

Now, MM and a few others are worried that because of this trend, Marmit or some Japanese company will raise their prices to match/exceed Spirals because people in America are buying what is perceived to be lower quality/more accessible for a lot more than they are selling their own products for. All of this coincides with a general overall trend of more and more people buying collectibles for properties they are not familar with due to modern internet hype/consumer culture, which is causing MM to be frustrated.

Am I correct in my breakdown?

More or less. I've already noticed a solid trend on X-Plus figures becoming more expensive as similar lines take off. Even back when they released the 30 CM Megalon a few years ago, I was able to snag one for less than $200. While I don't follow X-Plus nearly as much as other lines, I'm fairly sure that there hasn't been many, if at all, less than $200 30 CM releases for sometime. Coincidently alongside other "newer companies" doing similar, large scale vinyl statues/figures that may be a bit smaller or bigger than your typical 30 CM.

My point with that is these companies all exist to make money. Bandai, Spiral, X-Plus, Marmit, etc. Every single one of them is watching what sells, how it sells and how much people are willing to spend. If one company sees another company is raking in a monstrous amount of cash for a similar product that they're selling, that company is going to start looking to get a bigger piece of that pie. This is a fact. It is how business work. Legion is 100% right with his complaints about Bandai in that thread, even if he was just using it to try and poke the bear sorta speak (or not, lol. Idk, Sorry Legion, but you and I went at it enough in the past).

So yes, I am EXTREMELY frustrated over this turn of events and how some people are openly and blindly embracing what they are doing. This isn't a small creep in price like Bandai over a few decades, or making a new BS premium line for the sake of collecting the almighty Yen from collectors dumb enough to buy certain releases that are barely any better than the MMS releases (looking at you, Premium JJ). It should also be noted that most of Bandai's stuff IS directed at kids. The MMS line IS a kids' toy line. Trying to compare the price hikes in the MMS line from 1990whatever to today to what Spiral just did is like trying to compare the price hike from a Playboy magazine to an iPhone.

This is straight up jacking straight to after market releases for a non-limited, not hard to aquire release.

So if me saying "You're part of the problem" makes you salty because you're willing to shell out $225 for something like this release. Well, oh fucking well. Because you are part of the problem.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I had no idea that it was essentially double. Wow, that's pretty steep.

My point with that is these companies all exist to make money. Bandai, Spiral, X-Plus, Marmit, etc. Every single one of them is watching what sells, how it sells and how much people are willing to spend. If one company sees another company is raking in a monstrous amount of cash for a similar product that they're selling, that company is going to start looking to get a bigger piece of that pie. This is a fact. It is how business work. Legion is 100% right with his complaints about Bandai in that thread, even if he was just using it to try and poke the bear sorta speak (or not, lol. Idk, Sorry Legion, but you and I went at it enough in the past).

So yes, I am EXTREMELY frustrated over this turn of events and how some people are openly and blindly embracing what they are doing. This isn't a small creep in price like Bandai over a few decades, or making a new BS premium line for the sake of collecting the almighty Yen from collectors dumb enough to buy certain releases that are barely any better than the MMS releases (looking at you, Premium JJ). It should also be noted that most of Bandai's stuff IS directed at kids. The MMS line IS a kids' toy line. Trying to compare the price hikes in the MMS line from 1990whatever to today to what Spiral just did is like trying to compare the price hike from a Playboy magazine to an iPhone.

This is straight up jacking straight to after market releases for a non-limited, not hard to aquire release.

So if me saying "You're part of the problem" makes you salty because you're willing to shell out $225 for something like this release. Well, oh fucking well. Because you are part of the problem.

I'd say that everything you're saying here seems pretty rational and I agree with you.

I think it's the "part of the problem" part that people take issue with. What is the solution to that? To not buy the figure? To complain to the companies? TTo educate others on the fact that they're being sold basically the same thing for double the price? To me at least, it feels like an unsolveable issue.

The other issue is there will inevitably be something I, you, or anyone else on this forum, will want to purchase, but to others will seem overpriced/a bad deal. As a result people will label others as "part of the problem".

[Fermix]

I think it comes down to product category. The G19 vinyl is waayyy too expensive for its product category, and I would prefer that people not support the higher price tag. The statues, on the other hand, seem to be priced appropriately for what they are, even if that means they're expensive. I understand MM's concern that the price hike of the G19 could spill over into other product categories, but I don't really see that being an issue with the statues.

[Legion1979]

The other reason being mad about the Spiral G19 is kind of silly is that the designer stylized sofubi market has been stagnant for a long time now. I don't think the price on this figure is really going to change much. There was a time when this type of figure was being made on a monthly basis by a half dozen different Japanese companies for $80-$100. Those days are long over. The few brand new Japanese designer Godzillas that make their way into this company are usually very difficult to get and go for a few hundred if you're able to get them. Like I said, this Spiral figure is going to come and go and life will go on. And again, this isn't some huge problem that necessitates us pointing fingers at collectors and screaming at them for their spending habits.

[Mac Daddy MM]

I had no idea that it was essentially double. Wow, that's pretty steep.

I'd say that everything you're saying here seems pretty rational and I agree with you.

I think it's the "part of the problem" part that people take issue with. What is the solution to that? To not buy the figure? To complain to the companies? TTo educate others on the fact that they're being sold basically the same thing for double the price? To me at least, it feels like an unsolveable issue.

The other issue is there will inevitably be something I, you, or anyone else on this forum, will want to purchase, but to others will seem overpriced/a bad deal. As a result people will label others as "part of the problem".

Just not giving a company your money is the easiest method. Eventually they catch on. This is a hill I am willing to die on. Fuck Spiral Studios.

[Leunames]

Yeah, certainly the overall stylized vinyl market in Japan has died down a bit from the mid 200s to mid 2010s.

An additional fact to consider is that the Godzilla collectables market in Japan, with the exception of Bandai and X-Plus, is largely still relegated to "for sale only in Japan" laws that are dictated by the licenses they've acquired from Toho. Even in this period of expansion where nearly any random collector company that caters to the nerd/genre market is putting out some type of Godzilla merchandise in some form or another.

You have to go enter your name in a lottery to get the right to purchase the latest anraku. You have to be at wonderfest the day of to get the latest Gigabbrain Ghidorah colorway. You have to attend superfest to pick up any of the 10 Baragon model kits that a certain manufacturer makes because they only have a license to sell that model kit for 1 day. You had to make your order in advance for the Monster Heaven shin godzilla because marmit only wanted to pay for the shin license to sell it for a few days, etc. etc. ect.

Contrast with all these "new" companies that sell directly to you on their own website or any of the easy to shop at stores like Entertainment Earth, or Spiral selling you a sofubi made by Marmit, sculpted by the guy who did the Desugoji, all from their website in English without having to jump through hoops. And it goes beyond, from the $80 Destroy All Monsters set from domestic/US company Mezco to the $1200, larger-than-the-xplus gigantic shin godzilla by ezhobbi. From the $25 reaction figures by Super 7 to the $5600 Godzilla vs Kong diorama from Japanese statue maker Prime 1. The breadth and depth of stuff is larger than it's been in a very, very, very long time. And certainly with that your job as a rational collector is to draw a line beyond which you're not comfortable going.

[Greyshot151]

So reaching out to see if anyone here has acquired a Spiral Studio figure before and if so, thoughts on quality. Thinking of picking up the Atomic Charged Godzilla 2019 figure for my brother's 30th, and while everything seems to suggest Spiral is of high quality, figure I'd check in to see general thoughts.

[ebirahsmeg1]

Absolutely not following figure release dates of Spiral (nor any company for that matter, as I no longer really collect vinly figures anymore), but is anyone even buying this Spiral stuff? I've rarely come across any collector showing off their "Spiral collection" on FB G collection groups.

[Godzillakuj94]

Someone must be, that or other online shops are buying them out as a couple are forever gone on their website.