The World of Unknown Toys

Uncle Moroboshi Look, this is a toy shop in the shopping street, so you CAN buy them at a toy shop!

Hoshino Hee-hee-hee. Since I have to go now, Dr. Baltan here will show you around.

Dr. Baltan Fo-fo-fo. Nice to meet you.

Anne OK, we'll see you later, Uncle Moroboshi. Dr. Baltan, do a good job, OK?

Dr.Baltan Fo-fo-fo.

Uncle Moroboshi Where can I buy these monster dolls?

Dr.Baltan Fo-fo-fo. You won't find them inside the shop. They are only sold outside the shop.

Uncle Moroboshi Outside?

Dr.Baltan Fo-fo-fo. Exactly. Here they are.

Uncle Moroboshi Hey, these are gacha-gacha, capsule vendors! Look how much it costs now, 200 yen?
It was only 10 yen when I was little.

Dr. Baltan Fo-fo-fo. You may want to try putting some money in there and turn this around.
---Click!

Dr. Baltan Fo-fo-fo. That is a figure made of vinyl chloride. This machine is called a vending machine. Toy manufacturers sell vending machines with these toys to special wholesalers who rent little spaces in front of toy shops to place the machines and sell these toys. The wholesalers visit the shops periodically to refill the machines and give the shops a percentage of their sales.

Uncle Moroboshi Wow, you appear to be a Baltan star man, but you are so knowledgeable. When I was a kid, I only cared about getting these little pistols and cars that I wanted and never knew how the system worked.
OK, I will try another one.

Uncle Moroboshi This is so carefully colored and has been made with such precision, and this only costs 200 yen. Good deal, isn't it? The only problem with these machines is that you can't choose what you want.

Dr. Baltan Fo-fo-fo. Exactly. That's the secret of the low price. They produce a large quantity of toys and this method of sales avoids the risk of dead stock,which in turn keeps costs low. See?

Uncle Moroboshi I see.
Well, let me buy another one.

Dr. Baltan Fo-fo-fo. They started with 10 yen machines, and for the last decade, 100 yen machines have been the mainstream. The manufacturing costs increased and they could not produce the time-consuming colored toys domestically.
The 100-yen shops where big and cheap toys made in China were sold became popular, and this slowed the sales of vending machines.

Uncle Moroboshi Gee, you are really informed. Do you happen to be from one of the makers?

Dr. Baltan Fo-fo-fo. You just listen to me.
Now, I will get one from this machine, too.

Uncle Moroboshi Oh, I want that one!

Dr.Baltan Fo-fo-fo. Try to get one yourself. Recently the Chinese production has become large in scale because of improved production technology. This lowered costs and made quality coloring possible. There at the local factories, workers put thin brushes between their fingers and color these little dolls one by one. This is how we started having 200 yen figures four years ago.

Uncle Moroboshi It would have cost a lot to do that in Japan.
Now, another one.

Dr.Baltan Fo-fo-fo. Their original molds are made in Japan, but sometimes metal molds are made in China. The volume of their market is nearly 15 billion yen. This means that more than 100 million of such dolls are sold every year.

Uncle Moroboshi These dolls are indeed well-made.


Uncle Moroboshi	Look, this is a toy shop in the shopping street, so you CAN buy them at a toy shop!
Hoshino	Hee-hee-hee. Since I have to go now, Dr. Baltan here will show you around.
Dr. Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. Nice to meet you.
Anne	OK, we'll see you later, Uncle Moroboshi. Dr. Baltan, do a good job, OK?
Dr.Baltan	Fo-fo-fo.
Uncle Moroboshi	Where can I buy these monster dolls?
Dr.Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. You won't find them inside the shop. They are only sold outside the shop.
Uncle Moroboshi	Outside?
Dr.Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. Exactly. Here they are.
Uncle Moroboshi	Hey, these are gacha-gacha, capsule vendors! Look how much it costs now, 200 yen? It was only 10 yen when I was little.
Dr. Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. You may want to try putting some money in there and turn this around. ---Click!
Dr. Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. That is a figure made of vinyl chloride. This machine is called a vending machine. Toy manufacturers sell vending machines with these toys to special wholesalers who rent little spaces in front of toy shops to place the machines and sell these toys. The wholesalers visit the shops periodically to refill the machines and give the shops a percentage of their sales.
Uncle Moroboshi	Wow, you appear to be a Baltan star man, but you are so knowledgeable. When I was a kid, I only cared about getting these little pistols and cars that I wanted and never knew how the system worked. OK, I will try another one.
Uncle Moroboshi	This is so carefully colored and has been made with such precision, and this only costs 200 yen. Good deal, isn't it? The only problem with these machines is that you can't choose what you want.
Dr. Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. Exactly. That's the secret of the low price. They produce a large quantity of toys and this method of sales avoids the risk of dead stock,which in turn keeps costs low. See?
Uncle Moroboshi	I see. Well, let me buy another one.
Dr. Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. They started with 10 yen machines, and for the last decade, 100 yen machines have been the mainstream. The manufacturing costs increased and they could not produce the time-consuming colored toys domestically. The 100-yen shops where big and cheap toys made in China were sold became popular, and this slowed the sales of vending machines.
Uncle Moroboshi	Gee, you are really informed. Do you happen to be from one of the makers?
Dr. Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. You just listen to me. Now, I will get one from this machine, too.
Uncle Moroboshi	Oh, I want that one!
Dr.Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. Try to get one yourself. Recently the Chinese production has become large in scale because of improved production technology. This lowered costs and made quality coloring possible. There at the local factories, workers put thin brushes between their fingers and color these little dolls one by one. This is how we started having 200 yen figures four years ago.
Uncle Moroboshi	It would have cost a lot to do that in Japan. Now, another one.
Dr.Baltan	Fo-fo-fo. Their original molds are made in Japan, but sometimes metal molds are made in China. The volume of their market is nearly 15 billion yen. This means that more than 100 million of such dolls are sold every year.
Uncle Moroboshi	These dolls are indeed well-made.