ReproLabels: Popy Dairugger DX / Matchbox Vehicle Voltron I

Reprolabels has produced a set of sticker sets to make your vintage Vehicle Voltron stand out. It can be done up as Dairugger or Voltron. We need these for the Miracle Voltron too please!

Clover Seven Daitarn 3 Mini Gokin

Suppose it's like late 70's early 80's and you were a kid in Japan and you loved robots. You want a DX size robot but your parents can't afford it or they just plain don't wanna spend the money. Let's also suppose that maybe you had family visiting or your parents are coming home from a long day at work and they get off the  train station and they wanna pick you up something cool without spending a lot of money. What is one to do?

Well it seems many Japanese toy companies saw that there was an opportunity to sell cheaper version of their toys at places where an adult may grab one to bring home or strategically place them where kids would come across them and beg their parent to buy them. And how about slapping a nice low price to it while still giving kids a quick Gokin fix?

That's exactly what Clover did. So as not to taint the Clover name with cheaper toys or to just plain differentiate different price points, a subsidiary of Clover was created. They called this sub Seven. Popy also did something similar with Victora where they made cheap little diecast figures. The example I have for you today is a case fresh Daitarn 3. Since this does not transform, Seven sold different small sets with Daitarn in Jet mode and another in Tank mode. I believe the fourth set was a small Mach Attacker. For now, I only have this one. I won one of these a while back on eBay for $8 shipped and the seller turned out to be a scammer. So forward a few years later and picked it up from seller redstarrobot for a decent price. Enjoy this little gokin.

What a delightful little box. It has no back, it simply clovers the tray underneath.

Even though the figure is small and meant to be a quick fix for a little child, they still lovingly use a Stryofoam tray which make it look a bit more important. The chrome bits are done very well.

Although there are factory stickers applied, Seven provides a sticker sheet and instructions to bring more life into this figure. No doubt a cost-saving measure.

The colors are completely inaccurate to the robot, but they work. The diecast metal is composed of the white section of the toy. The rest is just a durable type plastic.

Although the figure does not transform, it has steel wheels on it's back. Strange but cool. Another cost saving measure is the hollowing-out of the backs of the arms and legs- no doubt later inspiring Hasbro to do the same on Transfomers.

Banpresto Mazinger Z GA-01 reissue

Chogokin figures have become so advanced lately that some of us have forgotten where the roots of modern Chogokin lie. It's with the original Mazinger Z GA-01 that was released by Popy back in 70's. Their popular Jumbo Machinder line showed off the size of these massive robots but something was missing. How about some weight? Not only did the idea of using diecast metal come up, they had the ingenious idea of marketing plain old metal as being the same "Super Alloy" or Chogokin that the real robots were made of. Of course kids went nuts. It took off. So this is the first one that kicked off a line that continues to this day. The GA-01 Mazinger Z. While I would be in heaven if this was an original GA-01, this is only a reissue. To make this reissue as authentic as possible, new molds would have to be made from original GA-01's as the original molds were no longer good or gone. Two mint GA-01's lent themselves to this effort.

So in 1999 Banpresto popped out a few of these for the collecting market, they didn't make it an easy purchase. No sir, it was a prize item. If I am not mistaken, you needed to buy 5 Super Robot Wars video games to be able to purchase it. While this makes it difficult to come across one, it doesnt make it impossible. Hence the reason I have one. I was looking to pay $100 maximum, but I had to go over a bit to get this one.

The box is suprisingly small, only slightly bigger than the figure. Notice that although this is made by Banpresto, it sports a Banpresto logo. This is because Popy was absorbed by Bandai and Banpresto is a part of Bandai. The artwork is simple and shows what seems to be the Jumbo Machinder (Shogun Warriors) verison of Mazinger Z.

The back also features some great old school artwork. It most definitely has some charm to it. You have to love a robot that not only has Rocket Punch but also Rocket Titties.

Side panels are pretty much more of the same.

Here are all the contents of the set. Just like the original. While later Chogokin used the popular styrofoam to protect the contents, this just used foam...I guess the styro part din't exist yet. Accessories come in a little baggy. The instruction sheet is also included and looks like it may have been printed in the 70's, but it wasn't.

They didn't have CAD rendered illustrations so they got the next best thing to make the drawings, a 6 year old.

Although ideally I would have preferred a super mint boxed specimen, I was more concerned at having a nice figure and aside from a paint defect right across his ding dong, it's perfect. Some of you might see this and think, "what's the big deal?" I guess I would have to say you "get it" or you don't. The figure is mostly metal save for the head chest fins and arms.

The back is just as simple as the front. The screws are super exposed. No need to hide these, they were going to sell tons to kids regardless. Notice the simple rivets on the knees. Forget ratchets.

Mazinger Z's Rocket Punch was the inspiration for the name of my blog and Youtube Channel. If you love fist firing robots, you may want to thank this guy for starting the trend.

He also shoots titties..I mean Breast Fire. I prefer to say titties.

Oh and he also comes with a pair of Iron Cutters.

This has to be one of my favorite figures...let me explain. Although there are figures WORLDS more complicated and precision crafted, but I absolutely love the raw feel of these figures which were originally made to be given to kids who would play all day with them and not fall apart in their hands. It's a piece of history, even if this is only a reissue.

Some comparison pics with other Mazinger Z figures.

Reissue GA-01 next to THE Chogokin GT-00 (mini reissue of the GA-01)

GA-01 Reissue next to another GA-01 (5th Version replica)

GA-01 Reissue next to Super Robot Chogokin Mazinger Z

GA-01 Reissue next to Super Robot Chogokin Shin Mazinger

Check out CollectionDX review of the GA-01 Reissue.

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Vintage Popy Ultraman vinyl

Once in a while I come across some cool little cheap vinyl. Got these guys for $20. Don't know the year but the condition and sculpt points towards vintage. I love the look of Japanese vinyl. It has a cool shiny look to it that I dont find in modern chinese Bandai vinyl. My daugter is going to go crazy when she sees these on display!

Some collectors my scoff at the idea of picking up figures in this condition, but I actually don't mind. This figure shows it was lovingly played with by a child who probably used his imagination to pretend he was fighting some huge Kaiju. This figure is about 5.5"

The back shows the Popy logo and "JAPAN" and what I can only assume is copyright info.

This is the other figure that came in the lot. It's a bit smaller, possibly 4.5". It is also well played with but not abused.

This figure also states Popy Japan.

If anyone can provide more info on these, that would be great.

Taiwan KO GB-72 Dairugger XV diecast robot figure with video

There are certain times when you just can't back off an eBay auction. For me this was one of those times and it cost me dearly. This is a KO diecast Dairugger that actually separates and combines in to the seperate team modes. Only the Air team doesn't come completely apart.

The background Dairugger is based off of this mold...it's the eBay Dairugger

The ankles are a bit silly looking but they are made out of metal.

The Diecast is on the left and the eBay Dairugger is on the right.

Speaking of eBay Dairuggers, here is a picture I found of one that has been modified to have joints.