Greetings everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting (week and a half.. -.-;;), unfortunately, Spring Break snuck up on me, with Easter and what have you. Next time, I'll be SURE to remember the holidays.. PROMISE! ^_^;;
In any case, this week we're going to start looking at the Gashapons that BSSM and PGSM have to offer! Starting with the NEWEST to the OLDEST of the Gashapon's. So, let's get started!!
What they look like: The first Gashapon's we'll be looking at, is the PGSM Gashapons. Most people wouldn't consider them as such, due to what they are. But they are in fact, considered "capsule" items, as originally they DO come in Capsules. What is a "Capsule" you ask? A Capsule is actually something quite similar as to what you get in a gumball machine. Only as a fully round ball, and typically MUCH larger than what you receive in any of the North American machines. Typically they are 1/2 clear, and the other 1/2 a varied color. Inside, you'll find the item (sometimes assembly required) in a small baggie, with a little pamphlet of all the other items you could obtain.
In this case, we had 2 kinds of PGSM Gashapons. The first being the electronic toys. We had a good bunch of miniature electronic toys; Light up wand, Light up Senshi Phone, Light up Brooch, and interchangeable Jewelry Star Bracelet (Tamborine, and Luna Phone Sold seperately in BOXES). When I say "Electronic" I mean essentially, they lit up. Press a button, and voila! They lit up! They aren't really for anything more than collectables.. and really weren't that well made. Most of them coming apart or not working at ALL. But, they did make GREAT cake decor:
http://www.star-lights.net/images/kittiepink/1.jpg , as you can see on the cake I made for my daughter. (Image hosted by Star-Lights.net)
Now we also had 3 more capsule sets.. 1. PGSM Keychains, 2. PGSM Gashapon Figures, 3. PGSM Magnets. All of which, I think are pretty self explanitory. Though, the keychains are adorable this time around, giving a good deal of detail in them. The Gashapon's leaving us wanting much more than what it had to offer (hence, the 'real' figures), and the magnets simply adorable pieces as well.
But the one on EVERYONE'S list when PGSM came out, was the bracelets, necklace, and brooches with earrings inside. These items were HOT on the list, and hard to find because of it! The earrings were simple clip on's, replica's of the one's worn on the show (which, incidentally, if you look CLOSELY, you'll note they were clip on's as well. ;)). The brooches having just as much detail on the rims, as those on the show as well. Making them PERFECT size for cosplay purposes!! (For kids that is) The bracelets were a combination of Aluminum (my best guess considering the light nature, and flimsy metal) and plastic. They are quite detailed too, perfect for the child cosplayer. And finally, Sailor Moon's necklace, which was made of the SAME material as the bracelet.
Unfortunately, if you're looking to use these items, save your money. The paint on the items come off so very easily, and being a cheap metal and plastic, well, you get what you pay for. You at one point, could find the items at $3-$5 each. Now, being so rare, I've seen the necklace go for a good $20 or more alone. There is the occasional set that pops up on ebay, where you can try your luck at winning the entire cosplay package for $20. But more often than not, it goes for around $30-$40 or more. Personally, each item looks to be about $3-$5 in worth, at the very most. But be ready to pay a whopping $10 per item or more, should you be looking for them.
You can still find the keychains, Gashapons, and even the magnets at MOST Anime shops online, and easily on ebay yet. Some being as low as $5 for the entire set, but typically up to $5 per each item as well.
All in all, these items are a great addition to your Sailor Moon collection. A must for any PGSM collector, but definitely something that could be passed up as a cosplayer. You probably could make something much better out of sculpey 3 clay if you really put the time and effort into it. But, if you're like me, and like to go official.. these are likely going to be on your list as well.
Well, that's all for today! Next week, we'll take a look at the BSSM Capsule Figures, and wrap up with the BOXED Gashapon's floating around out there. ;) Thanks so much !! Take care everyone !!
