Following Limiteds!

I think one of the biggest surprises about the keshi collection scene now, is how it's so alive and full of excitement.  This is something of  a comeback in the States, with there being more independent artists and toy lines popping up all the time.  There are companies making keshi variants for their existing products, and every convention seems to have a little more exposure to the art toy collector.

We in the States still have a long ways to go, compared to Japan, who have museum-like store fronts exclusively selling Kinnikuman and other keshi figures.  Even other Japanese companies, some from videogames, release limited edition keshis of characters in their franchise.  I've seen many of them on Ebay now, from Bomberman, Megaman, Mario, Kirby, and Dragonball.  For the most part, these are pretty expensive and hard to get, however I do wish to have a lot of these in my collection someday.

One thing I enjoy a lot about the toy scene right now is following all the limited edition releases that come out now.  Whether it's a Instagram-exclusive 3D Retro robot or a limited-run Z.O.M.B.I.E. color variant, I can't get enough.

The most anticipated limited release I've been able to get into lately was a Japanese release of Kinnikuman figures.  As a brand deal with Georgia Coffee, limited edition coffee cans came with a special little keshi inside.  What was even cooler was they were completely new sculpts, and not just color variants.  The set was six figures, all a different color, and themed to all be doing a different job.  Buffalo Man was brown and is positioned to be a cellphone stand.  Wars Man was blackish-grey and could keep your headphones from tangling.  Robin Mask was blue and Terryman was yellow.  Both of them could hold small objects up for you.  Kinnikuman was orange and could prop up a business card.  Ramen Man can sit on the edge of something.  Not much of a job, but it looks like he's busy making soup anyway.

Getting this set wasn't the cheapest, but it was really fun to be a part of the buzz when they were released and I certainly look forward to more releases.