It's a question that I struggle with and I would love to hear some input from the folks that watch me. I feel as though the "Godzilla toy review" genre is pretty saturated with some heavy hitters, to the point where I don't know if I have anything unique to offer in the space. I started doing my content because I felt that these discussions were lacking in the community, whereas I feel as though reviews are quite abundant. That being said, I am open to the idea! If you folks think I have something to offer that isn't already being done, I would love to hear more!
@@kaijucanuck4492 I personally think it would be cool if you did a figure review every once in awhile while keeping the discussions as your main form of content. Ultimately it’s up to you, I really enjoy the channel so I’d be happy either way 😊
@@kaijucanuck4492 I'd say do a merch review if it's something you're super jazzed about! Discussions and commentary of course would still be the main focus of what you want to do, but maybe once in a while if something really catches your eye and you enjoy it, I'd be down seeing a video about it.
Honestly I'd love to see you do like a discussion type reviews going more into the concept of the figure rather than the usual. You could offer a whole lot especially with the super 7. Though I understand the reservations they become very by the number and you can get like Diegodoom where his reviews are good they are very, very formulaic "absolutely fantastic!" Etcm
@@kaijucanuck4492I agree with the two lads above me, discussions and commentary should be your main content still. It is sooo lacking in the community. I feel like we have a mob mentality issue within the community that makes us sometimes afraid to voice a contrarian opinion that goes against the general consensus. Having a place open for and even welcoming different opinions, to me, is something necessary. However, you'll need a break once in a while from all the commentaries , and maybe do some filler videos about the stuff you enjoy. One of it could be a review . It could be a casual review or an in-depth one, reviewing new stuff or stuff you've enjoyed for a long time that may not be new, whatever makes you happy and comfortable .
Honestly, Mondo is trash. I used to order a bunch of records from them. The last thing I ordered from them was the Rodan soundtrack. When I ordered my reissue of the Gojira '84 vinyl (record) it arrived so incredibly warped. Really we should blame funko, the current owners of Mondo. I hear Death Waltz Recordings was a great vinyl record company before Mondo got a hold of them.
Strange..I have had the direct opposite experience from them. I picked up the Hellraiser vinyl when it came out, and the slipcase came in damaged from shipping. I reached out, and they replaced it. I also got Godzilla vs Destoryah and the device that made it roar didn't work. All I did was send them a heads up that there may be a quality issue. But they again did me right even after all i wanted to give them a heads up. Other than Waxwork/Mondo vinyl reissues have the same exact art as the first run. They have been excellent in customer service.
@@0PsychosisMedia0 Waxwork Records is really good at customer service. I got the Darkman Film Score from them, the vinyl had a lot of surface pops and static, so they sent me a new copy at no charge. All I did was send them a video of the record popping and the parts with static (which isn't even a requirement I just wanted to be thorough). I had only one mishap with the TMNT re-issue, but that was an issue with sloppy handling with the delivery process, I made a video about how it could have been avoided if Waxwork would ship albums to direct buyers with the vinyl disc outside of the sleeve to prevent seem splits by default. I got the Ghoul double live album "live in the flesh" brand new and the distributor knew to ship it with the vinyl discs outside of the sleeve. Axeslasher did the same thing with their only vinyl release "Dead Alive". IDK maybe I should upload that video I made about the TMNT album sleeve to RUclips. Edit: Also nice. I too have the Hellraiser release from Mondo, as well as Hellbound: Hellraiser 2. The Godzilla vs Destoroyah arrived at my home with no issues. I actually have quite a bit of Mondo and Waxwork releases, I've just slowed down on buying soundtracks as i have most I want on vinyl and am concentrating more on collecting Metal and Goth albums.
Manufactured / Artificial Demand. Make something just enough to keep hype up. Produce limited quantities so your produce stay sought after and your company doesn’t go the way of the beanie babie. I mean just like you said Funko bought mondo and they are the masters of getting people on their band wagon to purchase their products
I definitely agree with what you’ve stated in the video. I had never really heard of Mondo, but seeing how beautiful some of the figures look I wanted to get one immediately. I found some really nice ones for *500 dollars!* it was a cherry blossom Godzilla. I really hope Mondo listens to customers, I would love to get some of their products!
I’ve literally never managed to get figure directly from them. Every “drop” is sold out in seconds via scalpers and the sole figure of theirs I got was from somebody with buyer’s remorse on eBay who was selling a G ‘84 for less than what Mondo sold it for
This was Mondo’s model from the start though. This is also what there day 1 customer want. People were mad when Funko bought them because they thought they would flood the print and toy market. I’m mad I missed out on the Groman Godzillas but there’s probably going to be more color ways so I’ll probably have more chances. I know on some of there figures they’ll do timed editions but I’m sure the Godzilla license won’t permit that. They seem to be a lot more strict with sofubi licenses.
I like the idea of never rereleasing the exact figure. Having different color variants is a great way to have another of the same figure on the market, and it ensures that there won't be any "pegwarming" because everyone is gonna be trying to get whatever figure it is, so mondo won't have any issues making money if they constantly sell out due to demand or fomo or whatever. I like the idea of everyones collection being unique. I've seen so collection videos for other lines and it's like "yep. yeah. uh huh. alright you have all the same things I do or have seen before." but for these it's fun because while someone might have an orange space godzilla, someone else might have a purple and green one. Makes it a little more fun I think. On top of that, look at Hasbro with their Carbonized collection (just one example). The first initial wave of them was a one time run, hard to get, exclusive and elusive. It seemed like no two people had the exact same ones. Then people wined about this and Hasbro started making the Carbonized collection much more accessible and much more available in larger quantities. What happened? Now everyone is sick of them and most people don't care about them anymore. I bet if mondo were to do the same thing Hasbro did, making there stuff more widely available and remade old things, the line would start to fall off. JUST MY OPINION I enjoyed watching your video man. I just got into Godzilla vinyls from a few different companies and it's been fun seeing what there is to see. Like you said, some of these figures made me develop an appreciation for beautiful translucent and shiny plastic figures lol
If I’ve gotta be honest, I gave up on trying to snag the Mondo vinyl figures after the Trendy Spacegodzilla. I wanted that thing so badly, but when the time came, I found myself struggling to talk myself around to the price tag. Literally, by the time I had deliberated (maybe 2 or 3 minutes) the friggin’ thing was gone. Between that and the exorbitant prices (retail and aftermarket) and lack of consideration from Mondo, I decided that those figures are nice to look at, but not worth acquiring. The whole thing admittedly feels a bit masterbatory to me personally. Which sucks because they are SO PRETTY and I’d love to have them, but alas Lol
I’m so glad I’m not into all of this stuff. For me it’s all about Japanese releases. I mostly just collect Bandai ( mostly everything from 1983 to 2007 with some current stuff added to the mix ) X-plus, Banpresto and similar stuff to those brands from Japan.
I completely agree I stumbled onto mondo figures a few weeks ago and was disappointed to see almost everything sold out or horrendously expensive on the secondary market, would've loved to have owned the "trendy" variant spacegodzilla
Mondo is just creating artificial scarcity just to make the line exclusive and must have. It's like having an exclusive without saying it's exclusive. Mondo is horrible by not setting purchase limits and they let bots run crazy. Trying to get one of these soft vinyls or any art posters is a literal nightmare because of the bots and people buying multiple at a time.
I was able to get the DCon Online Rodan Exclusive. It sold out in about a hour. I was curious to know how long it would take for it to sell out and that’s about how long it took.
902 subscribers? I told you this channel was growing fast. I've never heard of Mondo, but now I've pretty much understood them. They put out a figure every once in a while and hype everyone up but you probably won't end up getting it without going through some trouble. Them saying they 'don't want to make more so the value on the market stays the same' doesn't really make sense to me. They could be getting so much money and popularity from their products but instead they decide to only make 150-300 products. Honestly, if they want to make products that they will only make a handful of, that should be things like the 'Super Godzilla' and stuff like that which will only be available at events, which would make it not only much cooler, but more fun.
I agree I’ve tried several times to get figures from them and there either sold out or they only sell them at special events not fair quite frankly I hope they get there act together and start making more and let customers know that there so called glow in the dark figures only work with Black Light
I've had a few different videos on Mondo themselves and their products. They make amazing stuff, but their production runs are too small and sell out way to fast. Their glowie stuff never hardly glows. And yeah some stuff only being exclusive to cons I get it but it's also trash and hurts those who may want all variants or a specific variant. They even promised things being better and it has yet to happen. They have lots of issues to work out from production numbers to QC issues, shipping issues, customer service issues.
I got Mondo Jet Jaguar and the gnarly one with the bones on preorder. Actually I already paid but it hasn't come out yet. Then i saw at some con they already have a burning version ready and a green version. It kinda pissed me off but with Mondo you just gotta pick one, the one you like, and roll with it. Don't intend on getting every version and you'll save money and sanity.
me and my son just like godzilla/kaiju. his favorite character is Destoroyah. Just received the pre-order from bbts a few weeks ago and couldnt be happier. i collect plenty of things so i get it, but the super7 figures look great. i dont care how much they are worth
They probably can guarantee ROI on the hyper limited quantities, where if they put out a dud colorway, they don't have to worry about deadstock. Someone will buy it. Even before the figures you mentioned, the original 84 colorways were all hand numbered on the header cards. I've got number 66 of 150 on the pink colorway. They would never be able to re-release those colors now that they have locked in that quantity where they were all hand labeled in house. Totally get the frustration. But it makes a ton of sense for their marketing when that hyper limited stock element comes in, they can keep bumping and bumping the price of these figures and they will always sell out. I believe the initial wave of 84s from 2021 were only about 80$. So we can easily see they are price hiking these based off demand. Wild figures. Cool video idea. Interesting to see somewhere sharing their thoughts on this. Would be interesting to see if they released a new figure of some hype kaiju in like. a 2k quantity batch or something a few years down the line with a 500$ price tag. Would the hyper limited quantity FOMO mindset they set up after years drive that figure to sell out, even at a huge price tag?
Before I go into how unbelievably stupid and wrong you are, let me ask you how many stylized sofubi do you even own outside of the modern stuff from Spiral and Mondo?
As someone who has been following mondo since 2017, i can say, when they release something you like, you better be there the second it drops or hope that its something that no one else is really interested in. They are a collectibles company, they dont plan on making anything other than limited and exclusive products.
They aren't making collectibles, they're making investments mostly for people who only care about money, not the figures themselves. It's so frustrating trying to collect toys nowadays.
I really enjoy their Pulgasari line and collected them all but it's a shame the way almost all their products are sitting on eBay instead of people's shelves. I love their figures but it's hard to get hyped for their releases knowing I'm gonna probably be paying double.
It’s an art toy brand thats just their business model. The western godzilla collecting fanbase might not be as familiar w the scene as others so it can be frustrating but it’s what keeps the brand and the product seen as a luxury and ultimately that status can = more dedicated customers even if the pool is smaller.
These aren't toys or even collectibles anymore, these are artificially limited investments mostly marketed towards people who only care about money. I wish toy collecting was still a fun hobby and not just a frustrating mess of a "career" designed to bankrupt you. EDIT: Why don't they re-release their figures? Because FOMO is a GREAT marketing tool.
I get the frustration as a sofubi collector with seeing the best variants of certain molds sell out. I think they want to replicate that trend Japan has with their sofubi and how insanely hard it is to get ones you even want.
@@Godzillafanfreaks nice! Im keeping on the look out. Thanks! Wish Super7 would do a Hanna Barbera Godzilla and maybe a few villains like AXOR. That series is underappreciated.
I don't think it just applies to the Godzilla stuff, but the whole Sofubi market seems to thrive on FOMO. There would be no Sofubi craze if there was no FOMO. They could honestly push them out in mass if they have the capital to do it. I wanted the Space Godzilla, still haven't been able to get him because it sold out so fast. Which is funny because I got the Biollante movie cover variant and I remember that thing sat on the store for a while compared to other Mondo Sofubi. I say funny because generally people love Biollante and crap on Space Godzilla as far as the movies go and yet Space Godzilla is selling faster. I'm not too bothered though since many of Mondo's artist seem to have an affinity for pop art that shows in their work and I don't really care for it.
I understand the collectors market however at the very least they could create a base edition that releases every so often and have limited exclusives. There's an answer somewhere but I'm not chasing that mess. There are Godzilla albums left for Mondo to release and after that, I'm not buying a damn thing from them.
Got my Doom slayer 1/6th scale figure from them, come to find out they made a red variant. And guess what they charge? $295 + shipping for the color change because he's "exclusive". Average price for the normal slayer is around $250 so it baffles me that they are trying to squeeze another $45 out of a recolor. It would make sense if it was the classic slayer or maybe a remake of the preator that 3A did back when they were still a company. Again they live off of fomo.
Hear me out. I have my gripes with Super7 but tbh I am still happy to see a lot of there products. I originally wanted mondo figures but then I seen this mess and I just gave up on the first day.
They're marketing via FOMO. All art toys do. If they were readily available, nobody would buy them, because $85 for some grody ass retro vinyl isn't remotely worth it unless said vinyl is a limited release. For $85 you can collect the SH Monsterarts line instead. They're propping up an objectively inferior product with scarcity. I go to the Taipei Toy Show every year and see plenty of ugly, random releases sell out in minutes - outselling some really brilliant toys - because they're limited drops by boutique art toy companies. It's the same reason people will line up and pay hundreds for a plain black hoodie with the Supreme logo, and how Supreme leveraged that into getting their "collector fanbase" to buy dumb shit like literal bricks.
@@kaijucanuck4492 Cheers. But yeah, I will occasionally buy one of the less limited vinyl toy drops if I genuinely like the design, like you did with those at the start of the video. Trying to collect them all though... it's either a rich man's game or a fool's errand. Flipping multiples is pretty much required if you want to trade for rarer ones to keep for your own collection and you're right - it doesn't feel great once the whimsy of collecting starts to feel more like daytrading. My two cents, at least.
if they can license it for a limited production run, they can always license it again for a second production run. doesnt seem like a valid reason why they cant make more. if it was profitable the first time and the demand is still there, why wouldn't it be profitable a second time?
I love visiting California... It's a really neat state. But I HATE that so much is focused on living there, like movie events, Tiki bars, convention exclusives. If you don't live in California, eff you! 😤 As for Mondo, I haven't dealt with them very much as a store owner, but from what I can gather their business model is very much around the collector market. Lots of small runs, lots of variants, and then on to the next thing. They make their money through these limited runs of high-value product rather than meeting full demand. And I guess they're happy doing it that way... The result for me, though, is that I just don't bother with them. I don't collect them myself and I don't even bother with wholesale for my store (I'm also not as confident that I'd even find a buyer for something that wholesales at $100+ dollars). A cute Godzilla vinyl is not worth the headache.
Most of us who live in Cali can't afford these events so they really don't care about us residents either. Lived in Cali all my life and could never (and still can't) afford to go to SDCC or WonderCon. And I would say unfortunately can't go to G-fest (though that's a midwest convention) but more and more my desire to go to G-fest dwindles.
@@KaijuKitty Well I guess that makes me feel better 😆 If I was going to travel for something, I'd much rather go to Japan for Godzilla Day than to X, Y, or Z random con, because then I'm in Japan too!
@@kaijucanuck4492 Cali is nice... I've been to Disneyland multiple times, and every time I've gone I've seen more of California and wanted to see even more yet. We were supposed to go to Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks via Sacramento and San Francisco in June 2020, but... uh... that didn't happen. Now I'm not so sure that I'd want to go anywhere near SF anymore, but I want to do Route 66 at some point and it ends in Santa Monica. But yeah, I dig the Hollywood history, Art Deco and Mission architecture, Tiki culture, Disney (well, vintage Disney), the deserts and mountains, and I can't even imagine any living thing as big as a Sequoia. I'd live there in a second if it wasn't, y'know, the United States. I like having healthcare and relatively low crime 😆
@@MonsterKidCory the best thing to do in San Fransisco is go to shops. There is the bridge, but you go there once and there is little reason to go back unless you actually need to travel over it. Japan town is fun. There's a little mall there and somewhere hidden in a hallway is this little hole in the wall collectible store where you can over pay for anime and kaiju figures, statues and bootleg shirts. LOL But Yosemite is a fun place to go hiking. I highly recommend that. And I agree, going to Japan (be it on Godzilla day or not) does sound a lot more appealing than going to any convention here in the states.
It sounds like mondo is parroting similar business practices that encourages scalping my sister told me how she was trying to get a special cup from target but she never got one and she found alot of people buying them in bulk for around 300$ a cup this scalping culture has gone bad that I believe there are laws being considered in areas around Europe that ranges form being financially penalized or prison but im going from memory there so don't quote me on that part but it is a thing.
Other than the con exclusive figures, if you pay attention to their channels, you won’t miss a drop. Sure they sell out fast but these are limited run collectibles. I love the Jet Jaguar and it was around for months. I don’t really want them to change anything about it tbh. These are the only domestic ‘art Sofubi’ that we can get for Godzilla, everything else is much smaller runs in Japan. Exclusivity absolutely has a value in a business like mondo. If the runs were in the thousands they would sit around, collectors wouldn’t be as interested if that bit of hype and exclusivity wasn’t there. Many collectors don’t want to acknowledge that but it’s factual.
@@kaijucanuck4492 they have been increasing edition sizes. Go check out the website for the sizes increasing from ‘84 at 150 to Biollante in the 250s to space G in the 300s. Some color ways are slightly more limited than others. Then look at the jet jaguar molds which are still in stock and heavily discounted at a 400 production count. This is a more delicate game then you realize.
they have no respect for the fans at all, i used to get this way about mezco one 12 collective, they are unnecessarily limited and expensive so 90% of the time you are buying it off jimmy on ebay for double the price, so when they do things ike sell xmen figures you're likely not going to finish the crew without bankrupting yourself.....life of a collector
"maintain the value" ugghhh yeah this is exactly what is wrong. theyre focused on inflated aftermarket prices to drive sales from scalpers. ive seen dorks who get mad that companies do second production runs of limited items and those are the most pathetic kind of collectors. really lame stuff
Mondo doesn't want or need my support so I won't give them the time of day. They make figures that are expensive and only available for like minutes at a time. On their end they see it as a success because they sold all of their stock but they'll never reach any really substantial growth or a new audience so they will always just kind of be stuck at where they are if even that, eventually you'll have people lose interest or give up on them if you burn them out enough. They make these things intentionally limited so that the figures increase in value in the aftermarket. So they want the resellers to make money while Mondo could profit off of those dollars. Stupid practice. People act like exclusivity helps businesses by relying on FOMO but all that does is self-limit your audience and sales. They don't want you buying their stuff, cool, then don't. I'd otherwise have given that company my support beyond my initial purchase of the Hanna Barbera Godzilla statue but all those Sofubi figures they make are hardly what I'd consider accessible so I will probably never bother. Too bad considering how many figures I do buy. They could have a loyal customer with me and many others but they opt to just want a few people actually own what they make. A lot of modern businesses have this weird habit of only wanting certain buyers when they could profit from an approach that says, "EVERYBODY'S MONEY IS GOOD HERE!" Its silly and a status/brand thing. Funko overproduces and their products sometimes aren't worth a damn but hey, they're everywhere and they want your dollars. Seems like Funko is doing well for themselves compared to Mondo.
Every figure I've wanted I was able to get I don't know what anyone in the comment section and you are talking about. Lol just got Rodan with no problem. Set alarms, IDK or just don't buy them. I don't understand complaining about this.
Their point is that they want to keep the economy of the community alive. There's a lot of collectors who won't buy new releases if there's no value held later. It's the same reason Funko refuses to rerelease the standard version of Homer or SpongeBob despite continuing their lines. It's really stupid and sucks for the average consumer, but I do understand why they do it. They don't want to burn people who spend the most on their products.
Mondo went so downhill , the writing was on the wall when Funko bought them. Funko would then lay off the people that got Mondo to where it was. Haven’t bought a screenprint in so long and i do not see them producing posters as they once did. Like the posters, their vinyl figures will lose luster down the line. You’re better off getting an M1/Marmit off eBay than forking over hundreds for cheap vinyl made in China product.
I collect Mezco One 12 figures, (though you might know them better from their line of Godzilla 5 points figures) and they used to be HORRIBLE about this exact same thing. Put out a figure of a character everyone wants like some variation of Batman or one of their very unique and cool original characters and they'd be gone in minutes. Thankfully they've gotten far better about that, keeping more product in stock and doing sometimes multiple re-releases. I can only hope Mondo follows their example.
Hello 👋🏾 advid sofubi collector here. Just a reminder it's not just mondo who has limited releases. As you know all sofubi makers do limited release. One thing I love about mondo is you actually get a chance to grab a product at release. Rather than some sofubi companies who only let you get one if your "in the click". With that said I've never had a problem grabbing any sofubi release, but I always have reminders set and I grab one exactly at drop time. 🤷♂️js
Are you new to collecting? This is basically how specialty toy companies, especially those that cater to a specific niche, then yes, they thrive on artificial scarcity. It's maddening, but that's how it is. If you want to see the reverse side of it, look at funko pops.
Mondo would be liars if they re-released certain figures. And like it or not, fact is value is tied to supply. Some things are only worth the price because they're rare, like some cards which are just paper. Many companies overproduce and the prices plummet. Most people don't want to pay full retail for something and see it half price or less later on. That doesn't happen much with Mondo. They're doing something right in my opinion. Typically, if you're there in 10mins, you'll get one. If they sold out in seconds, then that's a legitimate problem.
Im glad they only make a few, it makes them more valuable that way, if you miss out on it then you miss out and thats it, me personally i like owning collectibles that are worth money
Not great lol I should of better said they are trying to emulate that world of toy collecting, not so much succeeding it appears. I don't have any Mondo pieces but from a far in photos they look great lol @@idcjake10
Well no, that wasn't part of this video. If you know the world of sofubi you know that it's not about the money or consumer satisfaction. It's the hype, limited quantities, lottery buying options etc. Which is what Mondo is trying to emulate, are they succeeding? Probably not, idk to be honest. But when informed about this side of toy collecting, some of the points in the video seem a bit like " well yeah, of course" lol @@kaijucanuck4492
@@cesarvillarreal6625 I was able to snag the cherry blossom hedorah that had gid features When I got it in person it was maybe the same height of my iPhone pro max. Felt light af. And even with a UV light to it it barely glowed in the dark lol then I saw it was manufactured in China / so I know the Sofubi mold process didn’t apply here and made me feel like I got burned lmao All to say way after I saw a bidding war on eBay end at almost a grand on the exact figure (figure retailed $75 + shipping - a ripoff then tbh). I ended up selling mine to the most likely loser of that bidding war at maybe 8 bills. Sold in less than a day of listing. I know that guy has buyer remorse , because in hand the figure was a letdown imo. Can’t compare to a marmit or M1 that you can get at a fraction of the secondary market cost. But hey, us collectors dictate the market 🤷🏽♂️
I recall a couple months ago I watched a video of statue collector complaining that Prime1 didn't do this. Basically unlike Mondo, Prime1 re-released a desired piece, though to not completely screw over the original buyer, iirc they make it smaller and change a bit of the coloring (tho not so sure bout this 2nd one) as well as mirroring it. The collector is mad cuz that basically makes the value of their collection dropped. And he said that collecting (in this context) is sorta need to be an investment. Ngl, I think investing in these sort of collectibles is kinda risky and not really recommended. He basically has a problem with Prime1 basically screwing over him and other statue collector. Now I'm not really sure what's my stance on this, and even more uncertain on Mondo's context. For statue, it is an expensive high-end collectibles, so I guess you would want the value to stay high and rarity stays scarce. Mondo is a vinyl, but its style and choices suggest me it's targeting niche market, one I would consider quite high-end as well. In a broader context, I hate exclusives that still falls into canon alt forms (especially important forms) or popular/new characters. For example, SHMA Godzilla spitfire ver. (2014). Such a release to me shouldn't be a Tamashii Web exclusive, as it is an important and canon form. SHMA Godzilla night battle ver. (2019) however, should be an exclusive. In this case it's a Tamashii Store exclusive. Why I think the former is bad while the latter is good is bc the latter issa conditional lighting. Conditional lighting is what I would call colors on a character that is from their surrounding as suppose to their own body. I put it in the same category as a event related color variant. And thus it's not canon form and it's not wanted by the general market. It being an exclusive is the draw to them, and they make for a good memorabilia for the place it is sold, like Tamashii Store or Comic Con. With Mondo, since I saw a lot of their vinyls got some... "unique" color variants, maybe they can make those like rarer. Maybe have the movie accurate ones the main reprintable releases. Others, if correlates to a specific season or event, could be only reprintable at such time or only in some special occassion. Then for the truly "for collectors only" sorta investment thing, they can make one special variant. Isolate it in a small number, like let's say a single mold got reused 4x, then only have 1 that is the actual rare investment-worthy piece. And ofc, not new mold. This is just my take, but I think exclusives shouldn't be a new mold (new character) since it's meant to be a novelty addition or memorabilia as suppose to an actual new product. This is why I quit gundam collecting, since they just constantly releasing new molds on exclusives. I accept it if it's niche (which is kinda hard in context of Mondo as they are already niche), but 95% are new mold, new characters, even important ones. I get it, for Bandai it is due to Japan's plastic waste policy. Maybe those kits got pilled up (a mount of plastic waste), so they ended up making it Premium Bandai exclusives (made by orders). Adding to this is the plastic being more brittle and soft. Which both issues could be solved had they just move their factories to China like the red Bandai products. But back to the main topic, I think ppl are mistaken for treating exclusives or limited items as investments. They are meant to be novelty, memorabilia, not items you battle royale for reselling. Maybe this is too much of an uncharted territory for myself. I personally only bought Hiya Toys Monsterverse line, Neca kaiju figures, and two SHMA flying turtle. The most niche I got are the Eva Frame candy toys, since it's on the same scale as Hiya Goji and soo good that it's better than some actual model kits. So I am a virgin in this market, a greenhorn, so correct my assumptions if mistaken. I believe that a company shouldn't really pay attention of maintaining rarity of their product post-sales, unless ofc they already advertised it as a "only (insert number here) piece will be released", like how some statues or high-end collectibles are like. Mondo, to me doesn't seem to be like that. A made by order, maybe but not necessarily limited releases. So I think they shouldn't mind reprinting the desirable molds, and from now on just make a special line or releases, that are simple reusing molds, for that investment market. Your main market shouldn't be the toy investors that'll get more money than you, especially when you got a huge potential customers begging for you to take their money.
I definitely agree with you that unique molds should not be exclusives. I think Super7 ran into that with their early Thundercats stuff, where they made relatively popular characters con-exclusives and have only very recently re-introduced them as general releases. I also agree that treating high-end collectibles as investments seems like a bad idea, as they're all going to crumble away eventually. I think you should collect things that mean something to you. Mondo makes some great stuff, I just wish it were fun to collect.
@@kaijucanuck4492 I think these toy investors truly what ruined collecting for me lots of times . Tho to me a more fundamental issues truly lies in the company and their decision making. Making a product, especially great ones, virtually inaccessible for ppl, just makes the experience sucks for the actual fans/supporters . On Mondo's case, it felt like they were focusing on the wrong customers. I can't relate to the collecting Mondo stuff, but I can relate to the core issue, as it was my struggles with Gundam, and is my struggles with SHF Ultraman & SHMA Godzilla. I could only hope for Mondo to get a grip and be better, so you may have better experience, especially when they make their Titanosaurus . Cuz god knows Bandai is beyond help. I won't even entertain the imagination of them changing ways . I may will never get a better experience with SHF and SHMA nor Gundam, thus putting my hopes on Hiya Toys (for Godzilla) and ZD Toys (for Ultraman), but I do hope you can get better experience with Mondo , given that they seems rather humble and honest to my knowledge.
Are you ever going to get into figure reviews into the future or be more of a discussion channel going forward?
It's a question that I struggle with and I would love to hear some input from the folks that watch me. I feel as though the "Godzilla toy review" genre is pretty saturated with some heavy hitters, to the point where I don't know if I have anything unique to offer in the space. I started doing my content because I felt that these discussions were lacking in the community, whereas I feel as though reviews are quite abundant. That being said, I am open to the idea! If you folks think I have something to offer that isn't already being done, I would love to hear more!
@@kaijucanuck4492 I personally think it would be cool if you did a figure review every once in awhile while keeping the discussions as your main form of content. Ultimately it’s up to you, I really enjoy the channel so I’d be happy either way 😊
@@kaijucanuck4492 I'd say do a merch review if it's something you're super jazzed about! Discussions and commentary of course would still be the main focus of what you want to do, but maybe once in a while if something really catches your eye and you enjoy it, I'd be down seeing a video about it.
Honestly I'd love to see you do like a discussion type reviews going more into the concept of the figure rather than the usual. You could offer a whole lot especially with the super 7. Though I understand the reservations they become very by the number and you can get like Diegodoom where his reviews are good they are very, very formulaic "absolutely fantastic!" Etcm
@@kaijucanuck4492I agree with the two lads above me, discussions and commentary should be your main content still. It is sooo lacking in the community. I feel like we have a mob mentality issue within the community that makes us sometimes afraid to voice a contrarian opinion that goes against the general consensus. Having a place open for and even welcoming different opinions, to me, is something necessary. However, you'll need a break once in a while from all the commentaries , and maybe do some filler videos about the stuff you enjoy. One of it could be a review . It could be a casual review or an in-depth one, reviewing new stuff or stuff you've enjoyed for a long time that may not be new, whatever makes you happy and comfortable .
Honestly, Mondo is trash. I used to order a bunch of records from them. The last thing I ordered from them was the Rodan soundtrack. When I ordered my reissue of the Gojira '84 vinyl (record) it arrived so incredibly warped. Really we should blame funko, the current owners of Mondo. I hear Death Waltz Recordings was a great vinyl record company before Mondo got a hold of them.
Strange..I have had the direct opposite experience from them. I picked up the Hellraiser vinyl when it came out, and the slipcase came in damaged from shipping. I reached out, and they replaced it. I also got Godzilla vs Destoryah and the device that made it roar didn't work. All I did was send them a heads up that there may be a quality issue. But they again did me right even after all i wanted to give them a heads up. Other than Waxwork/Mondo vinyl reissues have the same exact art as the first run. They have been excellent in customer service.
@@0PsychosisMedia0 Waxwork Records is really good at customer service. I got the Darkman Film Score from them, the vinyl had a lot of surface pops and static, so they sent me a new copy at no charge. All I did was send them a video of the record popping and the parts with static (which isn't even a requirement I just wanted to be thorough). I had only one mishap with the TMNT re-issue, but that was an issue with sloppy handling with the delivery process, I made a video about how it could have been avoided if Waxwork would ship albums to direct buyers with the vinyl disc outside of the sleeve to prevent seem splits by default. I got the Ghoul double live album "live in the flesh" brand new and the distributor knew to ship it with the vinyl discs outside of the sleeve. Axeslasher did the same thing with their only vinyl release "Dead Alive". IDK maybe I should upload that video I made about the TMNT album sleeve to RUclips.
Edit:
Also nice. I too have the Hellraiser release from Mondo, as well as Hellbound: Hellraiser 2. The Godzilla vs Destoroyah arrived at my home with no issues. I actually have quite a bit of Mondo and Waxwork releases, I've just slowed down on buying soundtracks as i have most I want on vinyl and am concentrating more on collecting Metal and Goth albums.
Manufactured / Artificial Demand. Make something just enough to keep hype up. Produce limited quantities so your produce stay sought after and your company doesn’t go the way of the beanie babie.
I mean just like you said Funko bought mondo and they are the masters of getting people on their band wagon to purchase their products
I definitely agree with what you’ve stated in the video. I had never really heard of Mondo, but seeing how beautiful some of the figures look I wanted to get one immediately. I found some really nice ones for *500 dollars!* it was a cherry blossom Godzilla. I really hope Mondo listens to customers, I would love to get some of their products!
And the SRP for that figure was $85!
@@kaijucanuck4492 😨
Paying over $50 for vinyl figures is insane to me. These things cost pocket change to make and color.
Make some then, you’ll be rich
Probably costs like 1.5 to make one
This is incorrect
I’ve literally never managed to get figure directly from them. Every “drop” is sold out in seconds via scalpers and the sole figure of theirs I got was from somebody with buyer’s remorse on eBay who was selling a G ‘84 for less than what Mondo sold it for
This was Mondo’s model from the start though. This is also what there day 1 customer want. People were mad when Funko bought them because they thought they would flood the print and toy market. I’m mad I missed out on the Groman Godzillas but there’s probably going to be more color ways so I’ll probably have more chances. I know on some of there figures they’ll do timed editions but I’m sure the Godzilla license won’t permit that. They seem to be a lot more strict with sofubi licenses.
I like the idea of never rereleasing the exact figure. Having different color variants is a great way to have another of the same figure on the market, and it ensures that there won't be any "pegwarming" because everyone is gonna be trying to get whatever figure it is, so mondo won't have any issues making money if they constantly sell out due to demand or fomo or whatever.
I like the idea of everyones collection being unique. I've seen so collection videos for other lines and it's like "yep. yeah. uh huh. alright you have all the same things I do or have seen before." but for these it's fun because while someone might have an orange space godzilla, someone else might have a purple and green one. Makes it a little more fun I think.
On top of that, look at Hasbro with their Carbonized collection (just one example). The first initial wave of them was a one time run, hard to get, exclusive and elusive. It seemed like no two people had the exact same ones. Then people wined about this and Hasbro started making the Carbonized collection much more accessible and much more available in larger quantities. What happened? Now everyone is sick of them and most people don't care about them anymore.
I bet if mondo were to do the same thing Hasbro did, making there stuff more widely available and remade old things, the line would start to fall off.
JUST MY OPINION I enjoyed watching your video man. I just got into Godzilla vinyls from a few different companies and it's been fun seeing what there is to see. Like you said, some of these figures made me develop an appreciation for beautiful translucent and shiny plastic figures lol
If I’ve gotta be honest, I gave up on trying to snag the Mondo vinyl figures after the Trendy Spacegodzilla. I wanted that thing so badly, but when the time came, I found myself struggling to talk myself around to the price tag. Literally, by the time I had deliberated (maybe 2 or 3 minutes) the friggin’ thing was gone. Between that and the exorbitant prices (retail and aftermarket) and lack of consideration from Mondo, I decided that those figures are nice to look at, but not worth acquiring. The whole thing admittedly feels a bit masterbatory to me personally. Which sucks because they are SO PRETTY and I’d love to have them, but alas Lol
There is something about the "think and you'll miss it" nature of these things that is just so wrong
@@kaijucanuck4492 Exactly, thank you!
I’m so glad I’m not into all of this stuff. For me it’s all about Japanese releases. I mostly just collect Bandai ( mostly everything from 1983 to 2007 with some current stuff added to the mix ) X-plus, Banpresto and similar stuff to those brands from Japan.
The true collector, who will keep them and display them in home, never gets a chance, because the scalpers get them all, and then over price them.
I completely agree I stumbled onto mondo figures a few weeks ago and was disappointed to see almost everything sold out or horrendously expensive on the secondary market, would've loved to have owned the "trendy" variant spacegodzilla
Trendy was 150 units and gone in 5 minutes. Ridiculous
Hay just saw your video. Was wondering if you bout sofubi from other makers like bullmark, Marusan, Marmite, or M1 go?
Mondo is just creating artificial scarcity just to make the line exclusive and must have. It's like having an exclusive without saying it's exclusive. Mondo is horrible by not setting purchase limits and they let bots run crazy. Trying to get one of these soft vinyls or any art posters is a literal nightmare because of the bots and people buying multiple at a time.
I was able to get the DCon Online Rodan Exclusive. It sold out in about a hour. I was curious to know how long it would take for it to sell out and that’s about how long it took.
Man this is an underated channel.
It’s a darn shame to see every toy company slowly turn into hasbro……
Mondo just like making artificial FOMO. I got an awesome Godzilla statue from them but I don't even try to get anything else from them
902 subscribers? I told you this channel was growing fast.
I've never heard of Mondo, but now I've pretty much understood them. They put out a figure every once in a while and hype everyone up but you probably won't end up getting it without going through some trouble.
Them saying they 'don't want to make more so the value on the market stays the same' doesn't really make sense to me. They could be getting so much money and popularity from their products but instead they decide to only make 150-300 products. Honestly, if they want to make products that they will only make a handful of, that should be things like the 'Super Godzilla' and stuff like that which will only be available at events, which would make it not only much cooler, but more fun.
I agree I’ve tried several times to get figures from them and there either sold out or they only sell them at special events not fair quite frankly I hope they get there act together and start making more and let customers know that there so called glow in the dark figures only work with Black Light
I've had a few different videos on Mondo themselves and their products. They make amazing stuff, but their production runs are too small and sell out way to fast. Their glowie stuff never hardly glows. And yeah some stuff only being exclusive to cons I get it but it's also trash and hurts those who may want all variants or a specific variant. They even promised things being better and it has yet to happen. They have lots of issues to work out from production numbers to QC issues, shipping issues, customer service issues.
The people that buy just to flip are the worst kind of people.
I got Mondo Jet Jaguar and the gnarly one with the bones on preorder. Actually I already paid but it hasn't come out yet. Then i saw at some con they already have a burning version ready and a green version. It kinda pissed me off but with Mondo you just gotta pick one, the one you like, and roll with it. Don't intend on getting every version and you'll save money and sanity.
Getting EVERY version is a fool's errand. It just sucks when the ones you like are gone very quickly
I like your hat. Where'd you get it?
Personally, never had issues getting any of Mondos figures. Just got late into them and missed all the 84s :(
a fellow Canadian Godzilla fan, we love to see it!
me and my son just like godzilla/kaiju. his favorite character is Destoroyah. Just received the pre-order from bbts a few weeks ago and couldnt be happier. i collect plenty of things so i get it, but the super7 figures look great. i dont care how much they are worth
They probably can guarantee ROI on the hyper limited quantities, where if they put out a dud colorway, they don't have to worry about deadstock. Someone will buy it. Even before the figures you mentioned, the original 84 colorways were all hand numbered on the header cards. I've got number 66 of 150 on the pink colorway. They would never be able to re-release those colors now that they have locked in that quantity where they were all hand labeled in house. Totally get the frustration. But it makes a ton of sense for their marketing when that hyper limited stock element comes in, they can keep bumping and bumping the price of these figures and they will always sell out. I believe the initial wave of 84s from 2021 were only about 80$. So we can easily see they are price hiking these based off demand. Wild figures. Cool video idea. Interesting to see somewhere sharing their thoughts on this.
Would be interesting to see if they released a new figure of some hype kaiju in like. a 2k quantity batch or something a few years down the line with a 500$ price tag. Would the hyper limited quantity FOMO mindset they set up after years drive that figure to sell out, even at a huge price tag?
Vinyl figures are actually hard to make. They're also each hand painted. There is no assembly line for these figures
Before I go into how unbelievably stupid and wrong you are, let me ask you how many stylized sofubi do you even own outside of the modern stuff from Spiral and Mondo?
As someone who has been following mondo since 2017, i can say, when they release something you like, you better be there the second it drops or hope that its something that no one else is really interested in. They are a collectibles company, they dont plan on making anything other than limited and exclusive products.
They aren't making collectibles, they're making investments mostly for people who only care about money, not the figures themselves. It's so frustrating trying to collect toys nowadays.
I really enjoy their Pulgasari line and collected them all but it's a shame the way almost all their products are sitting on eBay instead of people's shelves. I love their figures but it's hard to get hyped for their releases knowing I'm gonna probably be paying double.
It’s an art toy brand thats just their business model. The western godzilla collecting fanbase might not be as familiar w the scene as others so it can be frustrating but it’s what keeps the brand and the product seen as a luxury and ultimately that status can = more dedicated customers even if the pool is smaller.
These aren't toys or even collectibles anymore, these are artificially limited investments mostly marketed towards people who only care about money. I wish toy collecting was still a fun hobby and not just a frustrating mess of a "career" designed to bankrupt you.
EDIT: Why don't they re-release their figures? Because FOMO is a GREAT marketing tool.
I hate paying scalper prices!!
I get the frustration as a sofubi collector with seeing the best variants of certain molds sell out. I think they want to replicate that trend Japan has with their sofubi and how insanely hard it is to get ones you even want.
I really want mondo to do a few more of the museum Hanna Barbera line or maybe do a Godzilla animated series Godzilla Jr statue. Here's to waiting 😮
That would be really cool!
They did tease over a year ago a large scale Hanna Barbera Godzilla statue. Not sure if it's still in the cards but we will have to wait and see.
@@Godzillafanfreaks really? Apart from the 7 inch they already have? 🤔
@@theharbinger00 yes
@@Godzillafanfreaks nice! Im keeping on the look out. Thanks!
Wish Super7 would do a Hanna Barbera Godzilla and maybe a few villains like AXOR. That series is underappreciated.
Soft vinyl figures are supposed to be made in limited quantities... otherwise they're worthless
I don't think it just applies to the Godzilla stuff, but the whole Sofubi market seems to thrive on FOMO. There would be no Sofubi craze if there was no FOMO. They could honestly push them out in mass if they have the capital to do it. I wanted the Space Godzilla, still haven't been able to get him because it sold out so fast. Which is funny because I got the Biollante movie cover variant and I remember that thing sat on the store for a while compared to other Mondo Sofubi. I say funny because generally people love Biollante and crap on Space Godzilla as far as the movies go and yet Space Godzilla is selling faster. I'm not too bothered though since many of Mondo's artist seem to have an affinity for pop art that shows in their work and I don't really care for it.
I understand the collectors market however at the very least they could create a base edition that releases every so often and have limited exclusives.
There's an answer somewhere but I'm not chasing that mess.
There are Godzilla albums left for Mondo to release and after that, I'm not buying a damn thing from them.
like youre cap what is it ?
Got my Doom slayer 1/6th scale figure from them, come to find out they made a red variant. And guess what they charge? $295 + shipping for the color change because he's "exclusive". Average price for the normal slayer is around $250 so it baffles me that they are trying to squeeze another $45 out of a recolor. It would make sense if it was the classic slayer or maybe a remake of the preator that 3A did back when they were still a company. Again they live off of fomo.
That's just ridiculous. At least they've moved beyond their "24 hour pre-order window" I found that to be EXTREMELY predatory
Mondo does the same thing with their posters; especially the Godzilla posters.
But whyyyy
Still waiting for my blue Rodan. My bioluminescent cherry blossom biollante took a year to get to me.....
Oof, yikes
Scarcity drives up demand. A lot of people are interested simply because these figures are hard to get your hands on
It's so true. Whenever they put up a release I have to seriously ask myself if I actually LIKE the release or if I just want in on the hype
Hear me out. I have my gripes with Super7 but tbh I am still happy to see a lot of there products. I originally wanted mondo figures but then I seen this mess and I just gave up on the first day.
They're marketing via FOMO. All art toys do. If they were readily available, nobody would buy them, because $85 for some grody ass retro vinyl isn't remotely worth it unless said vinyl is a limited release. For $85 you can collect the SH Monsterarts line instead. They're propping up an objectively inferior product with scarcity. I go to the Taipei Toy Show every year and see plenty of ugly, random releases sell out in minutes - outselling some really brilliant toys - because they're limited drops by boutique art toy companies.
It's the same reason people will line up and pay hundreds for a plain black hoodie with the Supreme logo, and how Supreme leveraged that into getting their "collector fanbase" to buy dumb shit like literal bricks.
The Supreme comparison is one I have not thought about, and I can't stand Supreme lmfao
@@kaijucanuck4492 Cheers. But yeah, I will occasionally buy one of the less limited vinyl toy drops if I genuinely like the design, like you did with those at the start of the video. Trying to collect them all though... it's either a rich man's game or a fool's errand. Flipping multiples is pretty much required if you want to trade for rarer ones to keep for your own collection and you're right - it doesn't feel great once the whimsy of collecting starts to feel more like daytrading. My two cents, at least.
@@CaptainRegular definitely a fools errand
So stingy on runs, even Nintendo would call them out lol
It's all about weaponized FOMO
💯💯💯
only scalpers benefit from weaponized Fomo. i dont see how its a business model that makes sense
I think a lot of these specialty Sofubi figures are only licensed for one production run.
If that is the case, I would really love to see these production runs increase in size steadily
if they can license it for a limited production run, they can always license it again for a second production run. doesnt seem like a valid reason why they cant make more. if it was profitable the first time and the demand is still there, why wouldn't it be profitable a second time?
I love visiting California... It's a really neat state. But I HATE that so much is focused on living there, like movie events, Tiki bars, convention exclusives. If you don't live in California, eff you! 😤 As for Mondo, I haven't dealt with them very much as a store owner, but from what I can gather their business model is very much around the collector market. Lots of small runs, lots of variants, and then on to the next thing. They make their money through these limited runs of high-value product rather than meeting full demand. And I guess they're happy doing it that way... The result for me, though, is that I just don't bother with them. I don't collect them myself and I don't even bother with wholesale for my store (I'm also not as confident that I'd even find a buyer for something that wholesales at $100+ dollars). A cute Godzilla vinyl is not worth the headache.
I have a couple of friends in Cali and hope to visit it some day!
Most of us who live in Cali can't afford these events so they really don't care about us residents either. Lived in Cali all my life and could never (and still can't) afford to go to SDCC or WonderCon. And I would say unfortunately can't go to G-fest (though that's a midwest convention) but more and more my desire to go to G-fest dwindles.
@@KaijuKitty Well I guess that makes me feel better 😆 If I was going to travel for something, I'd much rather go to Japan for Godzilla Day than to X, Y, or Z random con, because then I'm in Japan too!
@@kaijucanuck4492 Cali is nice... I've been to Disneyland multiple times, and every time I've gone I've seen more of California and wanted to see even more yet. We were supposed to go to Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks via Sacramento and San Francisco in June 2020, but... uh... that didn't happen. Now I'm not so sure that I'd want to go anywhere near SF anymore, but I want to do Route 66 at some point and it ends in Santa Monica. But yeah, I dig the Hollywood history, Art Deco and Mission architecture, Tiki culture, Disney (well, vintage Disney), the deserts and mountains, and I can't even imagine any living thing as big as a Sequoia. I'd live there in a second if it wasn't, y'know, the United States. I like having healthcare and relatively low crime 😆
@@MonsterKidCory the best thing to do in San Fransisco is go to shops. There is the bridge, but you go there once and there is little reason to go back unless you actually need to travel over it. Japan town is fun. There's a little mall there and somewhere hidden in a hallway is this little hole in the wall collectible store where you can over pay for anime and kaiju figures, statues and bootleg shirts. LOL But Yosemite is a fun place to go hiking. I highly recommend that. And I agree, going to Japan (be it on Godzilla day or not) does sound a lot more appealing than going to any convention here in the states.
It sounds like mondo is parroting similar business practices that encourages scalping my sister told me how she was trying to get a special cup from target but she never got one and she found alot of people buying them in bulk for around 300$ a cup this scalping culture has gone bad that I believe there are laws being considered in areas around Europe that ranges form being financially penalized or prison but im going from memory there so don't quote me on that part but it is a thing.
Other than the con exclusive figures, if you pay attention to their channels, you won’t miss a drop. Sure they sell out fast but these are limited run collectibles. I love the Jet Jaguar and it was around for months. I don’t really want them to change anything about it tbh. These are the only domestic ‘art Sofubi’ that we can get for Godzilla, everything else is much smaller runs in Japan.
Exclusivity absolutely has a value in a business like mondo. If the runs were in the thousands they would sit around, collectors wouldn’t be as interested if that bit of hype and exclusivity wasn’t there. Many collectors don’t want to acknowledge that but it’s factual.
I'm not saying make thousands, but maybe make a few dozen more.
@@kaijucanuck4492 they have been increasing edition sizes. Go check out the website for the sizes increasing from ‘84 at 150 to Biollante in the 250s to space G in the 300s. Some color ways are slightly more limited than others. Then look at the jet jaguar molds which are still in stock and heavily discounted at a 400 production count. This is a more delicate game then you realize.
This is the designer sofubi world my friend lol limited and only released once always, that is half the appeal of it. Think of them as pieces of art
they have no respect for the fans at all, i used to get this way about mezco one 12 collective, they are unnecessarily limited and expensive so 90% of the time you are buying it off jimmy on ebay for double the price, so when they do things ike sell xmen figures you're likely not going to finish the crew without bankrupting yourself.....life of a collector
Remember me when u are famous
"maintain the value" ugghhh yeah this is exactly what is wrong. theyre focused on inflated aftermarket prices to drive sales from scalpers. ive seen dorks who get mad that companies do second production runs of limited items and those are the most pathetic kind of collectors. really lame stuff
Mondo doesn't want or need my support so I won't give them the time of day. They make figures that are expensive and only available for like minutes at a time. On their end they see it as a success because they sold all of their stock but they'll never reach any really substantial growth or a new audience so they will always just kind of be stuck at where they are if even that, eventually you'll have people lose interest or give up on them if you burn them out enough. They make these things intentionally limited so that the figures increase in value in the aftermarket. So they want the resellers to make money while Mondo could profit off of those dollars. Stupid practice. People act like exclusivity helps businesses by relying on FOMO but all that does is self-limit your audience and sales. They don't want you buying their stuff, cool, then don't. I'd otherwise have given that company my support beyond my initial purchase of the Hanna Barbera Godzilla statue but all those Sofubi figures they make are hardly what I'd consider accessible so I will probably never bother. Too bad considering how many figures I do buy. They could have a loyal customer with me and many others but they opt to just want a few people actually own what they make. A lot of modern businesses have this weird habit of only wanting certain buyers when they could profit from an approach that says, "EVERYBODY'S MONEY IS GOOD HERE!" Its silly and a status/brand thing. Funko overproduces and their products sometimes aren't worth a damn but hey, they're everywhere and they want your dollars. Seems like Funko is doing well for themselves compared to Mondo.
Nothing but truth and facts in this video
Every figure I've wanted I was able to get I don't know what anyone in the comment section and you are talking about. Lol just got Rodan with no problem. Set alarms, IDK or just don't buy them. I don't understand complaining about this.
Such a strange thing for people to say "This doesn't affect me, so it's therefore not an issue."
sofubi is cool, but im good. i have original trendsmasters from 99 on my shelf so
Jealous
Their point is that they want to keep the economy of the community alive. There's a lot of collectors who won't buy new releases if there's no value held later. It's the same reason Funko refuses to rerelease the standard version of Homer or SpongeBob despite continuing their lines. It's really stupid and sucks for the average consumer, but I do understand why they do it. They don't want to burn people who spend the most on their products.
Seems to me that mondo is kinda just ripping off actual sofubi companies like m1 or marusan. Most sofubi releases are very scarce welcome to the hobby
The reason Mondo can't make enough figures is because it's run by women and not men.
I still don’t understand the love for mondo
Their products look awesome but their release strategy is stinky
Hub bub btw
What does this mean??
Oh you are new to collecting and supply and demand.
Yup, totally new, that's why I think there's clearly an issue when a product sells out within mere minutes. Cause I'm a noob.
Mondo went so downhill , the writing was on the wall when Funko bought them. Funko would then lay off the people that got Mondo to where it was.
Haven’t bought a screenprint in so long and i do not see them producing posters as they once did. Like the posters, their vinyl figures will lose luster down the line. You’re better off getting an M1/Marmit off eBay than forking over hundreds for cheap vinyl made in China product.
I collect Mezco One 12 figures, (though you might know them better from their line of Godzilla 5 points figures) and they used to be HORRIBLE about this exact same thing. Put out a figure of a character everyone wants like some variation of Batman or one of their very unique and cool original characters and they'd be gone in minutes. Thankfully they've gotten far better about that, keeping more product in stock and doing sometimes multiple re-releases. I can only hope Mondo follows their example.
Hello 👋🏾 advid sofubi collector here. Just a reminder it's not just mondo who has limited releases. As you know all sofubi makers do limited release. One thing I love about mondo is you actually get a chance to grab a product at release. Rather than some sofubi companies who only let you get one if your "in the click". With that said I've never had a problem grabbing any sofubi release, but I always have reminders set and I grab one exactly at drop time. 🤷♂️js
Are you new to collecting? This is basically how specialty toy companies, especially those that cater to a specific niche, then yes, they thrive on artificial scarcity. It's maddening, but that's how it is. If you want to see the reverse side of it, look at funko pops.
If you watch the whole video, I touch on everything you bring up in your comment (including Funko, who now owns Mondo)
Mondo would be liars if they re-released certain figures. And like it or not, fact is value is tied to supply. Some things are only worth the price because they're rare, like some cards which are just paper. Many companies overproduce and the prices plummet. Most people don't want to pay full retail for something and see it half price or less later on. That doesn't happen much with Mondo. They're doing something right in my opinion. Typically, if you're there in 10mins, you'll get one. If they sold out in seconds, then that's a legitimate problem.
Lame tbh
They’re called COLLECTIBLES. Look up what COLLECTIBLES means. They’re not suppose to be mass releases.
Im glad they only make a few, it makes them more valuable that way, if you miss out on it then you miss out and thats it, me personally i like owning collectibles that are worth money
Youre the exact kind of douche that normal collectors hate. the dude that is just in it for the money. Great job, douche
This is the designer sofubi world my friend lol limited and only released once always, that is half the appeal of it. Think of them as pieces of art
Like the Juggernaut vinyl that's going up for an open preorder this week?
Mondo uses cheap vinyl & is made in China lol
Not great lol I should of better said they are trying to emulate that world of toy collecting, not so much succeeding it appears. I don't have any Mondo pieces but from a far in photos they look great lol @@idcjake10
Well no, that wasn't part of this video. If you know the world of sofubi you know that it's not about the money or consumer satisfaction. It's the hype, limited quantities, lottery buying options etc. Which is what Mondo is trying to emulate, are they succeeding? Probably not, idk to be honest. But when informed about this side of toy collecting, some of the points in the video seem a bit like " well yeah, of course" lol @@kaijucanuck4492
@@cesarvillarreal6625 I was able to snag the cherry blossom hedorah that had gid features
When I got it in person it was maybe the same height of my iPhone pro max. Felt light af. And even with a UV light to it it barely glowed in the dark lol then I saw it was manufactured in China / so I know the Sofubi mold process didn’t apply here and made me feel like I got burned lmao
All to say way after I saw a bidding war on eBay end at almost a grand on the exact figure (figure retailed $75 + shipping - a ripoff then tbh). I ended up selling mine to the most likely loser of that bidding war at maybe 8 bills. Sold in less than a day of listing.
I know that guy has buyer remorse , because in hand the figure was a letdown imo. Can’t compare to a marmit or M1 that you can get at a fraction of the secondary market cost. But hey, us collectors dictate the market 🤷🏽♂️
I recall a couple months ago I watched a video of statue collector complaining that Prime1 didn't do this. Basically unlike Mondo, Prime1 re-released a desired piece, though to not completely screw over the original buyer, iirc they make it smaller and change a bit of the coloring (tho not so sure bout this 2nd one) as well as mirroring it. The collector is mad cuz that basically makes the value of their collection dropped. And he said that collecting (in this context) is sorta need to be an investment. Ngl, I think investing in these sort of collectibles is kinda risky and not really recommended. He basically has a problem with Prime1 basically screwing over him and other statue collector.
Now I'm not really sure what's my stance on this, and even more uncertain on Mondo's context. For statue, it is an expensive high-end collectibles, so I guess you would want the value to stay high and rarity stays scarce. Mondo is a vinyl, but its style and choices suggest me it's targeting niche market, one I would consider quite high-end as well. In a broader context, I hate exclusives that still falls into canon alt forms (especially important forms) or popular/new characters. For example, SHMA Godzilla spitfire ver. (2014). Such a release to me shouldn't be a Tamashii Web exclusive, as it is an important and canon form. SHMA Godzilla night battle ver. (2019) however, should be an exclusive. In this case it's a Tamashii Store exclusive. Why I think the former is bad while the latter is good is bc the latter issa conditional lighting. Conditional lighting is what I would call colors on a character that is from their surrounding as suppose to their own body. I put it in the same category as a event related color variant. And thus it's not canon form and it's not wanted by the general market. It being an exclusive is the draw to them, and they make for a good memorabilia for the place it is sold, like Tamashii Store or Comic Con.
With Mondo, since I saw a lot of their vinyls got some... "unique" color variants, maybe they can make those like rarer. Maybe have the movie accurate ones the main reprintable releases. Others, if correlates to a specific season or event, could be only reprintable at such time or only in some special occassion. Then for the truly "for collectors only" sorta investment thing, they can make one special variant. Isolate it in a small number, like let's say a single mold got reused 4x, then only have 1 that is the actual rare investment-worthy piece. And ofc, not new mold. This is just my take, but I think exclusives shouldn't be a new mold (new character) since it's meant to be a novelty addition or memorabilia as suppose to an actual new product.
This is why I quit gundam collecting, since they just constantly releasing new molds on exclusives. I accept it if it's niche (which is kinda hard in context of Mondo as they are already niche), but 95% are new mold, new characters, even important ones. I get it, for Bandai it is due to Japan's plastic waste policy. Maybe those kits got pilled up (a mount of plastic waste), so they ended up making it Premium Bandai exclusives (made by orders). Adding to this is the plastic being more brittle and soft. Which both issues could be solved had they just move their factories to China like the red Bandai products. But back to the main topic, I think ppl are mistaken for treating exclusives or limited items as investments. They are meant to be novelty, memorabilia, not items you battle royale for reselling.
Maybe this is too much of an uncharted territory for myself. I personally only bought Hiya Toys Monsterverse line, Neca kaiju figures, and two SHMA flying turtle. The most niche I got are the Eva Frame candy toys, since it's on the same scale as Hiya Goji and soo good that it's better than some actual model kits. So I am a virgin in this market, a greenhorn, so correct my assumptions if mistaken. I believe that a company shouldn't really pay attention of maintaining rarity of their product post-sales, unless ofc they already advertised it as a "only (insert number here) piece will be released", like how some statues or high-end collectibles are like. Mondo, to me doesn't seem to be like that. A made by order, maybe but not necessarily limited releases. So I think they shouldn't mind reprinting the desirable molds, and from now on just make a special line or releases, that are simple reusing molds, for that investment market. Your main market shouldn't be the toy investors that'll get more money than you, especially when you got a huge potential customers begging for you to take their money.
I definitely agree with you that unique molds should not be exclusives. I think Super7 ran into that with their early Thundercats stuff, where they made relatively popular characters con-exclusives and have only very recently re-introduced them as general releases.
I also agree that treating high-end collectibles as investments seems like a bad idea, as they're all going to crumble away eventually. I think you should collect things that mean something to you.
Mondo makes some great stuff, I just wish it were fun to collect.
@@kaijucanuck4492 I think these toy investors truly what ruined collecting for me lots of times . Tho to me a more fundamental issues truly lies in the company and their decision making. Making a product, especially great ones, virtually inaccessible for ppl, just makes the experience sucks for the actual fans/supporters . On Mondo's case, it felt like they were focusing on the wrong customers. I can't relate to the collecting Mondo stuff, but I can relate to the core issue, as it was my struggles with Gundam, and is my struggles with SHF Ultraman & SHMA Godzilla. I could only hope for Mondo to get a grip and be better, so you may have better experience, especially when they make their Titanosaurus . Cuz god knows Bandai is beyond help. I won't even entertain the imagination of them changing ways . I may will never get a better experience with SHF and SHMA nor Gundam, thus putting my hopes on Hiya Toys (for Godzilla) and ZD Toys (for Ultraman), but I do hope you can get better experience with Mondo , given that they seems rather humble and honest to my knowledge.