Gamera Heisei Gamera Action Figure ...Japanese, I think Gamera Vinyl Figures Item No.: No. ??? Manufacturer: BanDai Includes: n/a Action Feature: n/a Retail: $12.99? Availability: ca. 2005 Other: From Heisei period
PREVIOUS	RSS	NEXT

I go out hunting for toys not because I expect to succeed. It's a compulsion - there are places I go eat for lunch solely because of their proximity to places to look for a toy or a record or something. Heisei Gamera was a surprise find in a thrift store, bagged with a SpaceGodzilla and Rodan. As I mentioned in here previously, someone's Kaiju collection got dumped at $1.99 a sack, and I will buy pretty much any vinyl monster toy at that price - especially if that price is for three of them. I don't know a heck of a lot about Gamera other than the quotes from Mystery Science Theater 3000 that the long-suffering Mrs. 16bit has made at me, so all I can really do here is say if it's a neat toy or not. It's pretty neat.

At 5-inches tall, he's a bit shorter than Toho's monster toys. Marked on the feet with some Japanese I can't read as well as 1999 TNHN and BANDAI 2005 MADE IN CHINA 39916, this little guy looks a lot like a mean, mutant turtle and not immediately like a friend to children. His tusks and teeth are a lot more sinister now that his eyes are smaller, and sure enough his hands and feet look a lot like a mutated turtle. They're wide and broad, wrinkly and significantly less fanciful than monsters of the contemporary Godzilla films. His shell is pointy and jagged, and he's got a long tail - I assume because it looks cool.

Articulation is decent, but not fantastic. The legs and arms are jointed, as is the head at the base of the skull plus his tail. You get the level of movement you might expect our of a hollow vinyl toy, and my sample was abused en route to me. Either the previous owner or the infidels at the thrift store banged him around and his left leg was knocked in, rattling around inside the body and likely crushing whatever internal organs he would have had. I managed to reset it and it looks as good as new... or as good as newish.

Going through these thrift store Godzilla and monster finds certainly has adjusted my toy tastes. Hollow vinyl figures are typically cheaper to produce and can look really good - the sculpting on Gamera is surprisingly sharp, with the metallic underbelly of his shell given all sorts of amazing rings. It's almost beautiful. If you stumble on one of these for cheap (let's say under $20) you should totally get one, and the same goes for other, similar toys. I bought most/all of the Final Wars stuff a long time ago and the format is quite appealing, but mostly ignored in the USA outside a few Ben10 toys and, of course, the occasional Godzilla line. How come I can't get the monster from Cloverfield like this? Why aren't there super cheap vinyl Pacific Rim robots and monsters? Or, if I'm being unrealistic, a Rancor monster or the Gorax or Kraid or any of a number of killer beasts? It's just such a lovely expression of a character, and I assume it wouldn't break the bank to develop (ignoring of course, the licensing).

Additional Images

See more BanDai figures in Figure of the Day:
Day 22: Tamagoras Get Back To Job Lion
Day 150: BanDai Final Fantasy VII Extra Knights Red XIII Action Figure
Day 167: BanDai Final Fantasy VII Extra Knights Barett Wallace Action Figure
Day 185: BanDai Final Fantasy VII Extra Knights Tifa Lockheart Action Figure
Day 216: BanDai Tick Bounding Tick Action Figure
Day 236: BanDai Final Fantasy VII Extra Knights Sephiroth Action Figure
Day 268: BanDai Megaman Trading Figures Jumping Megaman Action Figure
Day 310: BanDai ThunderCats 4-Inch Lion-O Action Figure
Day 1,360: BanDai Godzilla Tokyo Vinyl Mechagodzilla Action Figure
Day 1,370: BanDai Godzilla Fusion Series 1968 Godzilla Action Figure
Day 1,377: BanDai Godzilla Fusion Series Gigan Action Figure
Day 1,386: BanDai Godzilla Anguirus 2004 Action Figure
Day 1,393: BanDai Godzilla SpaceGodzilla Action Figure
Day 1,408: BanDai Godzilla Rodan 2004 Action Figure
Day 1,458: BanDai Gamera Heisei Gamera Action Figure
Day 1,625: BanDai Shin Godzilla Third Form Vinyl Figure
Day 1,773: BanDai Xyber 9 New Dawn Ikira's Speeder
Day 1,980: BanDai Saban's BeetleBorgs Metallix Mega Spectra Titanium Silver Sector Cycle Vehicle with Action Figure
Day 2,021: BanDai Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog The Drageen Action Figure
Day 2,135: BanDai Shin Godzilla Second Form Vinyl Figure

See more otherwise uncategorized figures in Figure of the Day:
Day 22: Tamagoras Get Back To Job Lion
Day 35: Mattel Xtractaurs Comic Series Battlespike Styracosaurus
Day 133: Kenner Q*Bert Wind-Up Q*Bert Action Figure
Day 200: Hasbro Cloverfield Electronic Action Figure
Day 216: BanDai Tick Bounding Tick Action Figure
Day 286: Mugo Kung Fu Panda 2 Po Designer MP3 Player
Day 325: Spy Monkey Creations Doppelganger Armory Series 1 Accessory Pack
Day 352: Mezco The Goon Action Figure
Day 357: McFarlane Toys The Maxx Action Figure
Day 384: Beeline Creative Parks and Recreation Ron Swanson Bobble Head
Day 392: Blizzard Starcraft Zerg Hydralisk Action Figure
Day 399: Tyco Looney Tunes Marvin the Martian
Day 483: Pineapple Ltd. Glow Ghosts Baggs Collectible Figure
Day 485: Remco Mel Appel Extraterrestrials Captain Evets Collectible Figure
Day 494: October Toys Zillions of Mutated Bodies Infecting Everyone (ZOMBIE) Series 1 Neon Orange Minifigures
Day 524: NiStuff Terrestrial and Outer Anomalies Metallic PVC Figures
Day 526: Jazwares Mortal Kombat 20th Anniversary Shao Kahn Action Figure
Day 541: NECA Terminator Kyle Reese Action Figure Day 615: Deep Fried Figures Mechawhales Action Figure
Day 645: Tim Mee Toys Battle Mountain Playset
Day 700: Elly Font Art Elephant Magnets Overview
Day 748: Funko Land of the Lost SDCC Exclusive Glow in the Dark Sleestak
Day 751: October Toys Zillions of Mutated Bodies Infecting Everyone (ZOMBIE) Series 1 Blue Glow in the Dark Minifigures
Day 785: Topps MiniKins 4-Pack Mini-Figures
Day 874: Yujin Shooting Game Historica Metarion Capsule Toy
Day 1,049: Tim Mee Toys Galaxy Laser Team Blue and Green Figure Set
Day 1,065: Tim Mee Toys Green Galaxy Laser Team Star Patrol Jumbo Figure Set
Day 1,087: Tim Mee Toys Green and Grey Legendary Battle Figure Set
Day 1,092: Tim Mee Toys Brown Backwoods Battle Frontiersmen Figure Set
Day 1,146: Wendy's Night at the Museum 3 Jedediah in the Wild West
Day 1,189: Remco Mel Appel Extraterrestrials Trebor
Day 1,215: Tim Mee Toys People at Play Atomic Family Putty and Green Figure Set
Day 1,232: Tim Mee Toys Green vs. Green Soldiers Figure Set
Day 1,237: Tim Mee Toys Tank Command Desert Command Vehicle Set
Day 1,241: Funko Hikari Vinyl Gigantor Power Vision Gigantor
Day 1,276: Tim Mee Toys Combat Patrol Army Vehicles and Artillery Vehicle Set
Day 1,330: Tim Mee Toys Shadow Ops Black Helicopter Strikeforce Figure and Vehicle Set
Day 1,372: Tim Mee Toys Tan vs. Green Soldiers Bucket Figure Set
Day 1,396: Funko Pop! Television Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Vinyl Figure
Day 1,406: McDonald's Changeables Egg McMuffin Robot
Day 1,418: Jesse Narens Stegoforest Brown Stegoforest with Acorn Warrior
Day 1,423: McDonald's Changeables French Fries Robot
Day 1,458: BanDai Gamera Heisei Gamera Action Figure
Day 1,474: Remco Mel Appel Extraterrestrials Egroeg
Day 1,539: Pineapple Ltd. Glow Ghosts Catcherpillar Collectible Figure
Day 1,563: A&A Global Industries Dogs in Disguise Nanner Action Figure
Day 1,620: Funko Son of Zorn Zorn Action Figure
Day 1,637: Funko E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Elliot, E.T., and Gertie ReAction Figures
Day 1,746: Hasbro Littlest Pet Shop Pets in the City Puttin' on the Glitz #24 Pony
Day 1,773: BanDai Xyber 9 New Dawn Ikira's Speeder
Day 1,777: Funko Pop! Television Ash vs. Evil Dead Entertainment Earth Exclusive Bloody Ash Pop! Vinyl Figure
Day 1,841: Funko Pop! Animation Glow in the Dark Reptar Pop! Vinyl Figure
Day 1,852: Funko Son of Zorn Office Zorn
Day 1,891: Parker Bros. Q*Bert Flying Disc Action Figure
Day 1,957: Funko VYNL The Life Aquatic Steve and Ned Vinyl Figures
Day 1,976: Burger King Smurfs: The Lost Village Brainy Smurf Action Figure
Day 1,980: BanDai Saban's BeetleBorgs Metallix Mega Spectra Titanium Silver Sector Cycle Vehicle with Action Figure
Day 1,982: Titan Merchandise Cartoon Network Collection Samurai Jack
Day 2,021: BanDai Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog The Drageen Action Figure
Day 2,026: Unknown Diplodocus Figure
Day 2,045: Funko GLOW Debbie Eagan vs. Ruth Wilder Action Figures
Day 2,054: Max Toy Co. Designer Con 2018 Exclusive Glow in the Dark Otta Otter Sofubi Vinyl Figure
Day 2,061: Just Toys Intl. Fallout Mega Merge Nuka T-51 Power Armor
Day 2,070: Mechazone Mechanauts Epsilon Buggy NP-03 Action Vehicle
Day 2,077: ThreeZero PopFuzz Glow in the Dark The Robot Vinyl Figure
Day 2,132: Pineapple Ltd. Glow Ghosts Boohoo Collectible Figure
Day 2,203: Sonic Kidrobot Dunny Strawberry, Lime, and Red Button Action Figure
Day 2,211: Super7 Toxic Crusaders Glow in the Dark Toxie Action Figure
Day 2,235: Super7 Ultimates Voltron Action Figure
Day 2,244: Funko Pop! Television Schitt's Creek David Rose Action Figure
Day 2,315: Funko Soda Devo Satisfaction Vinyl Figure
Day 2,344: Orbitdyne Gee Two HEAP Vinyl Figure
Day 2,358: Super7 Killer Bootlegs Rhamnusia's Revenge Action Playset with Draco Knuckleduster and Phantom Starkiller Action Figures
Day 2,526: Super7 Vincent Price Master of Mayhem ReAction Figure
Day 2,574: Garden State Kaiju Space Beasts Mudbelly "Wild Type" Soft Vinyl Figure
Day 2,582: Orbitdyne HEAP Glow Head Vinyl Figure
Day 2,594: Super7 Mars Attacks Destroying A Dog ReAction Figure