What Would You Like?

Hello everyone and welcome back to Tiro Finale where we ask the all important question a figure-collector is often asked, what would you like? Personally, with the exception of the rarest dolls or the most expensive premium figures, there usually little that I can bring up owing to my rather small pool of characters whom I collect figures off. Nevertheless, I found myself at the receiving end of that question once more as OG, one of our content producers, made his annual pilgrimage to Tokyo. 

First up, we have Alter's stunning 1/7 Toujou Nozomi figure which, need I really say more about? Objectively, the selection of this particular figures is as perfect as it comes from Alter's initial costume selection (China Dress), the finer details (box, packaging) and, not forgetting, the figure itself. Since its release in August of 2016, the price of a mint Alter Nozomi has only been on the up and up. Pre-owned ones can still be gotten at a reasonable price, granted anything in the vicinity of 15,000 Yen is considered to be reasonable for you as a collector. Indeed, Alter hit the nail on the head when it came time to finally produce a Nozomi figure. A perfect figure in my books in every area that matters. Except there is one big catch, I already happen to own Alter's Nozomi, a figure I pre-ordered after having seen the figure in the flesh in WonFes a few years back. So, let us move on to the next selection shall we?

Candidate number 2 comes in the form of another grail figure for many Love Live fans and figure collectors, the Alpha x Omega Ayase Eli Halloween Version. This extremely coveted figure of Muse's clever beauty, is a product of the collaboration between Alter and MegaHouse. The collaboration between the two giants of the figure industry results in Alpha x Omega, a group with only a very small (~42 as of writing) figures in their resume. But each and every one incredibly sought after by collectors. Halloween Eli is no different and has only gone up in price even more now that Alpha x Omega has made a Halloween version of Nozomi too allowing the two to be paired up together in matching outfits. Used samples hover around the 17,000 Yen mark while, mint unused ones fetch north of 20,000 Yen and even more so for Nozomi. Certainly something I would not hesitate to add to the collection if and when the price is right. 

Speaking of the right price, here is another figure that has been on my list for quite a while now but, has yet to join the midst of my collection. Nendoroid No. 703 Gudako is perhaps one of the few "rare" Nendoroids out there in the market today and adamantly refuses to drop in price as FGO's relevance has remain unwavering since the height of its popularity. Used examples can be found for 7,000-8,000 Yen whereas mint, unopened ones fetch over 10,000 Yen. Absolutely insane when you consider just how much she cost initially. Perhaps my wish of owning a Nendoroid Gudako would never ever come to fruition?

What a steal! At 11,600 Yen, that is one of the best prices I have ever come across for the humongous RAH MGM Tomoe Mami Magical Girl Version doll/figure hybrid. Though not as rare as the limited School Uniform Version, the standard RAH MGM Mami often demands quite a bit of coin from collectors even for a used version. Mint, unused versions tend to go for a much, much higher price and this remains to be one of the biggest divide in price between used and unused when it comes to Mami figures. Fortunately for me, I already have a mint, unopened version sitting cozily in my collection. 

From rather obvious picks that align with my interest, we take a slight deviation to another series that I am a fan of. Few readers would actually have known that I am a fan of the Hypedimension Neptunia series of video games having owned almost every installment of the game series. That being said, I have never actually collected any of the figures from the series despite their almost cult-like following among figure collectors. I say that because the few figures of the series often makes rather astonishing leaps in value post-release and can almost be seen as an investment to pre-order one only to sell it later. It certainly helps that each one made is of very high quality. But, for now, I am happy to settle with just the games. 

Another figure I would suprisingly turn down despite being a fan of is the recently released Wedding Dress Super Sonico. This particular figure of Sonico was released to much fanfare and excitement mostly because it was to commemorate Sonico's 10th anniversary. That and the fact that it is Sonico in a skimpy wedding dress. The dress aside, I am actually a big fan of the ornaments and flowers. Unfortunately, the dress is far too much of a deal breaker for me and there is only so much fan service in an outfit that I can tolerate before I have to call it quits. Perhaps this means I am starting to get weary of Sonico figures?

Well, what have we learned from the few selections that OG has made for me? One thing is for sure, I am certainly one tough fool to get something for. So whatever it is that comes my way, I am more than ready to accept it with open arms. What about you? Do you have similar issues when it comes to figures as well, being too picky with just what you would like to be added to the collection? Do let me know in the comments section below, we would love to hear what your think. Until the next time, thank you so much for reading and have yourself a wonderful day ahead!