u/bagel2boiledboogaloo

Kaiju Go! was a total blast. Hedorah is my wife's favorite so we had to stay til the very end for the screening and boy am I glad we did. This event captures the very best aspects of Dallas: between the tight-knit and welcoming atmosphere, the gorgeous old theater for a venue, and unbearable heat (obviously.) I don't think they peruse reddit but I have to say how grateful I am to Robbie and Ryan (@spiderscave_horrorcollectibles and @leviathon_collectibles_dfw on Instagram if you use it.) Please check out their stuff and you must visit their little slice of heaven at North Dallas Antique Mall if you ever get the chance. The sheer amount of amazing conversations I was able to have with the people who inspire me most still has my head spinning. I feel so bad about all the awsome artists whose tables I didn't get pictures of to look back on, but hopefully I will do better next year. I feel so lucky to have spent so much time with these amazing people, and I can't wait to see what everyone has cooked up next year. Also hi Gigi, Ash and I will absolutely treasure your art, and I'll make sure you get to see pictures someday after we are moved and have them all framed up. 👍

Kaiju Go! was my first event, pretty much of any kind, and certainly won't be my last. The conversations I was able to take part in and friends I was able to see and make were by far the most special part, but, coming in at a close second in priority, the toys:

Magitarius - Arakus 1/1

Plagued Earth - Slizz Overlord, Moonking, Slizz Nugget (from space hell)

Wonder Goblin - Skunky

Studio Kabuto - Fresno Nightcrawler, Cambrigon

Mile High Sofubi - Trilobite

A very special package has arrived on my door step... a plague. Plague Terry is here and just as perfect as I had hoped he would be. Plaguedearth has done a phenomenal job with wonderful, vintage style paintwork and top of the line vinyl to boot. His front head is excitingly unsettling and his rear head is adorable and has a huge amount of personality thanks to its articulation. He is a harder vinyl but with his right side left blank you can just feel the squish if you so desire. You have done an exquisite job sir, and your daughter's handwriting is beautiful. Meanwhile, the marusan is showing its age a bit, and not without defect as it is a gacha figure. The vinyl is rock solid and likely a bit sun damaged; the paint has some bubbles, and his neck joint is glued and leaves a fairly significant gap at the back of his head. I do love him though, the flaws tell a story and my wife (for whom he was a gift) is an even bigger fan. Lastly the mogera: delightfully soft, a perfect fit for your palm, and in excellent condition for a 1997. I honestly never have much to say about bear model sofubi, they're just great.

My second Marusan figure, and a very exciting addition for me. Previously I have only purchased sofubi that I have found in person, but when my favorite colorway of my favorite mold of my favorite kaiju by my favorite sofubi maker showed up on ebay... well let's say I couldn't let it slip away. The pink actually has darker tones in it which are easier to see in lower lighting, which is certainly a treat. I am so excited to give this amazing figure a new home with my growing sofubi collection.

After today's trip to NDAM (what is now an almost bi-weekly ritual), I have returned with the latest and largest member of my collection. I have been eyeing this fearsome creature for a while now, long enough that I have actually begun to find him cute, and finally could not leave without him. Pachi is not a sofubi maker with whom I have much familiarity, but this figure in particular captures an emotion that enraptures me. This unholy love-child of an apatasaurus and an antlion possesses the texture and softness of a gold standard company like Marusan, an extremely vintage visual style thanks to his basis on a 70s bootleg kaiju artwork, and excellent neck articulation that adds a ton of personality to him. He measures 15.5" long and 10.25" tall.

Picked up a bunch of pint sized friends from NDAM. Max Toy Co - Mini Alien Argus, Bear Model - Sparky Tentaclon, and Bullmark - Mini Gomess and Kanegon. Argus is a harder, more plastic-like vinyl, but still feels high quality and is molded with a pleasant, dimpled texture. The Tentaclon is still firm, but has a look and feel that I find much more reminiscent of vintage figures from the 70s and 80s. The Bullmark figures, however, are extremely soft. A slight squeeze to the torso can warp the entire body, which I find similar to the smaller Bandai Godzilla figures. I'm very excited to add a Max Toy Co figure to my collection, but from this bunch I think my favorite has to be the Bear Model. These will fill space nicely on my shelf and make good company for my mid size and larger figures.

A third member joins the sofubi sect of my kaiju collection. I have been a big fan of Mori Katsura's designs since first discovering sofubi, so when I spotted this little guy at North Dallas Antique Mall (which you should absolutely check out if you are passing through the area) I had to have him. He gives me a power rangers villain vibe that meshes perfectly with my ultraman kaiju. RealxHead's vinyl is a bit harder than my beloved Marusan figures, but still incredibly high quality and pleasing to the touch. The fight figure scale makes him a real pleasure to hold.

I recently found a Marusan 350 Zetton at an awsome antique and collectibles store. It's the first Marusan 350 I've seen in person, and the first high end sofubi I've found in person that I loved enough to drop the money on. He has given me the confidence to share my collection (though the 1980s Vakishim is the only thing I have so far that I really consider to share the same category). I feel reinvigorated.