Robo Hacchan (8-chan) ロボット８ちゃん Vintage Popy toys

So far I haven't had many chances to talk about vintage toys, mostly because I've had my hands full covering indie sofubi. But the toys of yesteryear are amazing in so many ways. So are the nearly daily sights and sounds of Japan that make you say, "Huh wha??"

And so the confluence of these strands brings us inevitably to Robo Hacchan (aka 8-chan). I had seen some of these toys (made by Popy in the early 80s) tons of times at shops. I'd see the postman or telephone booth figure and do a "Huh wah - cool!" But I never pulled the trigger...until yesterday.

 

I saw the pair in Nagoya, and not only were they nicely priced, but they were both deadstock. So I picked them up and started this new journey.

The figures are characters from a tokusatsu (特撮 - live action) TV show called ロボット８ちゃん, which is sometimes translated as Robo Hacchan, or 8-chan (the name of the main character).

More after the jump:

VIntage Popy grail @ Mandarake?

I spotted this vintage Popy set yesterday, in one of the Nakano Broadway hallway displays. I like the way it's just put there, sans pomp or circumstance, next to whatever other figures happened to still be on the shelf. At more than $8,000, it may be the most expensive toy I've seen for sale at a Mandarake.