You lift the lid and, like magic, a small mirror projects a colour picture: that is how the 1983 Panorama Screen models work, and they are among the most sought after. This Popeye works, buttons and sound included, and its mirror is not scratched. It comes with its outer box, inner box and leaflets, but without the instructions. The box is barely rubbed at the corners. A display piece, at a display-piece price.
Squish is the little creature squeezing between closing walls: one of the less common Multi Screen games in the series. This one is complete, with its box, polystyrene tray, almost unused instructions and two leaflets. The seller is honest: the lower screen has yellowed in places, and it is sold “as is” even though it switches on. A lovely piece to complete a collection, less so if you want a perfect copy.
Toy line
Game & Watch
Condition
Used, lower screen yellowed, switches on, complete
Playtime snacks never looked so good. This pink lunch box from 1988 is British: it was made by Bluebird, the future home of Polly Pocket, under licence from Hasbro. The partying ponies are printed onto the plastic rather than stuck on, and the original flask is included. The seller bought it in a vintage shop in England and mentions a few small scratches, but no cracks. It measures 22 × 20 × 10 cm: perfect for keeping treasures in.
Sea Ponies were the first generation's water family: a curled tail instead of legs, and a mane to brush like all the others. This one has kept its pastel colours, pale blue and mauve. The listing names it Seawinkle, a name to check against the photos. Before you fall for it, look closely at the mane: that is what suffers most on these ponies.
Toy line
My Little Pony (G1)
Condition
Used, looks in good condition, completeness to check
Among the ponies' friends, there was a zebra! Zig Zag belongs to the “Pony Friends”, the first generation's line of animal companions, far rarer than the ponies themselves. This one has never left its blister and still has all its accessories. The seller mentions sticker glue marks on the plastic and small creases on the edge of the card. It is an expensive piece, for a collection looking for something exceptional.
These two teacups come from the same bank as the My Melody money box already among my finds: the Taiyo Kobe Bank gave them to its customers in 1984, and the bank disappeared in 1990. Made of ceramic and never used, they show My Melody watering a little garden. Bank gifts turned collector's pieces: that is the whole charm of hunting in Japan. Before you fall for them, ask the seller about chips on the rim or the base.
In 1997 you could not buy this notebook: you won it from Banpresto prize machines in arcades. Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee face off on the cover, “Punch” against “Kick”. It has never been used, although the inside has faded a little over time. A simple souvenir of the first Pokémon wave, at a very small price.
Pokémon Kids are the small soft vinyl figures Bandai sold with a card in the sweets aisle. This one dates from 1997, the very first series, and its box has never been opened: inside is number 59, Geodude, and a surprise card. The first boxes are getting hard to find still sealed. A small price for an untouched piece of 1997.
Ash's Pokédex, as a toy! Bandai released it in 1997, and this one is still in its plastic film. Note that it is a toy sold with a sweet, like many Bandai products of the time: the candy inside is of course long expired, so do not eat it. The seller mentions two small holes in the film and a scratch on the back of the box. A lovely piece for a Pokémon display.
Toy line
Pocket Monsters (1996 à 1999)
Condition
Never opened, two small holes in the film, complete
Remember those erasers that were far too pretty to use? These have never left their bag: a dog, a rabbit, a bear, a lion and a hippo, in candy-coloured translucent rubber. Zippy Zoo is one of those small Sanrio lines from the 80s that almost never turn up in Europe, and the set was made in Japan. The header card is slightly torn on the back, but the erasers are untouched. A tiny price for a real piece of an 80s pencil case.
Toy line
Other Sanrio characters
Condition
Never opened, header card torn on the back, complete
The red slide, the wooden swing and the fireplace where you pictured a cosy fire: three classics from the early years, each with its box. Enough to let a whole family play in the garden and then warm up in the living room. Old boxes were often thrown away, so three at once is a lovely find. Before you fall for it, check in the photos that all the small parts of the swing are there.
These pieces were never on sale: Epoch gave them to members of its Sylvanian club. A house, a figure, clothes and their hangers, carefully kept for about 25 years. I should say that this is more recent than most of my finds: we are around the year 2000. The seller mentions slightly faded colours and a few stains on the dress. For anyone who loves pieces you cannot find anywhere, it is a lovely curiosity at a small price.
Toy line
Sylvanian Families
Condition
Used, faded colours, stains on one dress, completeness to check
Twenty stamps, all different, each topped with a tiny figure. In 1997 you could not buy them: you won them in arcades, from Banpresto's prize machines. These have never been used and are still sleeping in their capsules. A complete set in this condition is a really lovely find. Before you fall for it, check in the photos that no ink has leaked inside the capsules.
Toy line
Pocket Monsters (1996 à 1999)
Condition
New, in their capsules, complete
Listing price
¥11,111 · about €62
Already gone
These pieces have found a new home. I keep them here as a memory, and because they help estimate prices.
In Japan, during the summer holidays, schoolchildren keep an “えにっき”, a diary where you draw your day before writing about it. This one was never used: its pages are still waiting for the memories of a summer in the 70s or 80s. On the cover, Hello Kitty rides her bike among the sunflowers, and the original price, ¥180, is still printed on it. The auction starts very low: it may climb, but pieces like this usually stay affordable.
Do you remember the little gifts you got when you opened your first savings account? In Japan, banks gave these lovely vinyl piggy banks to their young customers. This one bears the name of the Taiyo Kobe Bank, which disappeared in a merger in 1990: so you know straight away that it really dates from that time. And it has never been opened. Just imagine: a piggy bank that has lived through more than thirty years without a single coin! Before you fall for it, check in the photos that the bag is the original one and that the vinyl has not yellowed.
Toy line
My Melody
Condition
New, never opened (according to the seller), complete
My favourite of the week. Mario Bros (model MW-56) is the two-screen Game & Watch where Mario and Luigi keep a bottling plant running. But this one is special: it bears the name of Pokka, a Japanese drinks brand that gave it away in a promotional campaign. It was never sold in shops, and you come across it far less often than the standard model. Before you fall for it: it has scratches, and the seller has not tested it. Assume it might not switch on, and have a look at the battery compartment in the photos.
