40-year-old gachapon fetching high prices! "You might want to check your closet," says capsule toy enthusiast Wakky Kaiyama [Image included]

For many years, Wakky Kaiyama has been known as Japan's foremost capsule toy collector and has appeared in numerous media outlets.

From a vast collection exceeding 110,000 items, we've once again carefully selected and introduced "treasure-level capsule toys." In this second installment, items that could be obtained for just 20 or 100 yen back then have now skyrocketed in value.

Enjoy the deep and nostalgic world of capsule toys, filled with romance.

40-year-old gachapon fetching high prices! "You might want to check your closet," says capsule toy enthusiast Wakky Kaiyama [Image included]

(Wacky Kaiyama)

Hello, my name is Wakky Kaiyama.

Due to popular demand, here's the second installment! "Top 4 + 1 Capsule Toy Treasures Ranking." Be sure to read this alongside the previous ranking.

→Previous article here

Please note that this ranking is calculated based on our own experience. Prices may fluctuate depending on conditions, so please use this information as a reference only.

■4th Place: Penguin Village

Dr. Slump Arale-chan Penguin Village (Bandai) Capsule Unopened
Dr. Slump Arale-chan Penguin Village (Bandai) Capsule Unopened

5,000 yen (100 yen at the time)

Back then, the "Penguin Village for Sale" real estate set was a huge hit.

Mini plastic models are also available as food toys. This is the gashapon version.

Wouldn't a complete item in its capsule without any stickers cost around this price?

By the way, the photo above shows Akane-chan's coffee pot (unopened). Even when opened from the capsule, it circulates for around 3,000 yen.

This is the Norimaki residence where Arale-chan lives.

Dr. Slump Arale-chan Penguin Village (Bandai) Capsule Unopened

■3rd Place: Asari-chan

Asari-chan (Bandai) with Mini Book
Asari-chan (Bandai) with Mini Book

Two figures for 16,000 yen (at the time, two figures for 100 yen)

Asari-chan, a slapstick comedy based on the original work by Mayumi Muroyama, aired on the TV Asahi network in 1982.

The standard version and Ultraman Asari (not included in the mini-book) have somewhat ambiguous rights, but the sculpting is flawless.

By the way, many Bandai anime figures from the mid-80s are quite elaborate.

Even if an anime was poorly received at the time, people will snap up copies once it's reevaluated over time. Naturally, prices tend to rise.

■2nd Place: Cosmos Car

Choro Car Cosmos Car (Cosmos) with Box
Choro Car Cosmos Car (Cosmos) with Box

¥25,000 (¥100 at the time)

In the 2000s, it was such a popular pull-back car that it was reissued by Medicom Toy.

Around 1985, there were many cool models like Porsches and Volkswagens, but the court ruled the name "Choro-Q" unusable, so they reluctantly changed it to "Choro-Car."

The vehicle type is a gacha delivery truck!

Who would buy this?! I thought, but surprisingly, it was quite popular.

As for the gimmick, the side doors open and close. The rear door opens up and down. The material is thin and prone to cracking, so no complete examples remain.

Unlike the reprint version with the logo printed on it, this one has a transparent sticker applied. The box art is quite something too. Incidentally, it was sold in cabinets known as Cosmos vending machines.

Choro Car Cosmos Car (Cosmos) with Box

■Before the number one spot...

Before announcing the #1 spot, we're revealing the capsule toys to watch out for next!

High School Kamen-gumi (Bandai)
High School Kamen-gumi (Bandai)

At the time, 20 yen

Bandai products start at 100 yen.

Back then, 20-yen capsule toys were all the rage, so this was forced into a capsule and sold.

High School Kamen-gumi (Bandai)

It's making a grand comeback next January! New items are appearing one after another, and excitement is building even before the TV anime airs.

If items from that era get the spotlight, they might also see a price hike.

■1st Place: Con Battler V

Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V Die-Cast (Bandai) with Mini Book
Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V Die-Cast (Bandai) with Mini Book

50,000 yen (100 yen per unit at the time)

Bandai's entry into the capsule toy market was surprisingly late, starting with 100-yen machines in 1977.

The first in the series is the Alloy Series. Among them, this one was the most popular.

Since each combination part was included individually, achieving a full set was an extremely difficult task.

Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V Die-Cast (Bandai) with Mini Book

There was even someone who only had three leg parts. I finally got the waist part too.

Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V Die-Cast (Bandai) with Mini Book

If you look closely, that spot is shining, isn't it?

There's also a gold version, but it's priced slightly lower than the silver one.

Since other alloy series are also quite expensive across the board, it might be worth checking your closets and desk drawers.

summary

How was it?

There are still plenty of items we can introduce around this price point. We'll announce them again when the time is right!

That's all for now.

Profile of Wakky Kaiyama

Wakky Kaiyama
1970 Freelance TV personality living in Sendai
He has collected over 110,000 capsule toys since the second grade of elementary school.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, he became a capsuleer in Morinomiya City and started his career as a gacha researcher, and is currently broadcasting his YouTuber "Wakky Kaiyama Gacha Channel". Author of "Aishii no phony gacha gacha compendium - All about Cosmos", "Fabulous World of Phony Gacha Gacha - Cosmos yo Eternal", "Final Definitive Version: The Truth of Phony Gacha Gacha - Cosmos, Its Love" (Futabasha), "Nihon Kaisashi Gacha Gacha Daizen" (Tatsumi Books), "Gacha Love 100% Wakki Showa Retro Gacha Saikyou Collection" (Graphix-sha), "Gacha Hon 06" (Keichaps), "Cosmos Mounted Paper Collection" (Doujinshi), etc. Media: "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan", "Matsuko Yukichi Angry New Party", "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai", "Tokoro-san Jiken desu yo", "Non-Stop", "Numa ni Hamaite Kiteitaita", "Tamamusubi", etc. He is currently expanding nationwide with Gacha Gacha exhibits and Showa retro exhibits. He was featured in "Showa 40 Year Old Man Vol. 93" as the proud owner of a gacha-gacha (toy toy toy) room.
Official website:http://www.wakky4649.com

Information is current at the time of publication.
.

Recommended Capsule Toys