Creature Squirt Gun on Ebay

[Toy Ranch]

Some stores have shelves, other stores have hooks.  Manufacturers offer packaging for both, but if they don't get a significant order for a style (or an item), they don't produce it.  The toy fairs are usually held before they go into production and then they produce toys based on orders they receive.  Catalogs usually have photos of prototypes and packaging mockups if it's a new item.  Even if it's a holdover from the previous season, most of them don't shoot new pics. 

[darkmonkeygod]

That's impressive but also VERY selfish. Someone shouldn't hoard something that so limited when other collectors should be able to enjoy it as well...

Madcow,

Respectfully, I completely and strongly disagree. I don't believe there's any truth to labeling that hoarding nor selfish. I believe it to be the order of magnitude in collecting that I mentioned in my previous post. Obviously I don't speak for Frankenkid, (he and I have never met nor even corresponded, though I'd love to) but I imagine his motivations to be like mine. He is collecting the display. Not twelve water guns, but the AHI Universal Monsters Water Gun display, which happens to contain 12 pistols. Had I the means, I do the exact same thing. The rarity of that, the history in terms of monster toys, and that is what we're discussing, is staggering. I've often found it hard to put into words my attraction to the ideal I have of this, my love of promotional items, paperwork, original and concept art and paperwork, but this example puts it best:

If I could, I would put together all the elements of that photo. Six Kong squirt guns, 3 Franks, 3 Gills, one original display box. Barring luck, the price of that, especially compared to my economic class, is staggering. The display box alone could fetch 10K give the right circumstances. But, supposing I could did such a thing, and then one came onto that market that was all original, a box that had been removed from it's shipping case, popped open and set up and no piece in it ever sold let's say, I'd buy it to replace the one I replicated by piecing it together, even if I couldn't resell the others. That's the kind of desire and respect I have for monster toys. I fully realize that many would label that at least a little nuts - I recognize it's atypical - but that's the sort of passion I have for collecting, and the kind I'd make a medium sized wager that a number of us do, including Frankenkid. I don't believe that to be selfish. Self-fulfilling, yes, but to label it selfish seems short-sighted and insulting in my estimation.

Best,

Shannon

[Mike Scott]

If I could, I would put together all the elements of that photo.

Are there enough AHI (KK Creature Frank) squirts in existence to fill up a counter box? I'll bet there aren't enough mint ones.

[tat2ist]

I'd have to assume that there WERE carded frankenstein and Creature Guns. Reason being... I HAD the kong in hand, and I also had Both Apes in hand. I'd think that maybe those were released carded at the same time, but seeing that each series had it's own display box leads me to believe that they were all sold in both formats.  Having them myself, I can also state that they were all MINT, but the bubbles didn't stay on the cards very well. Of the three I had, all three had excellent cards, with mint guns. but crappy bubbles. Perhaps the creature being the largest of all, it simply didn't stay on the card very well, therefore, the cards were probably discarded once the gun had fallen out. Just my opinion.
dave v

[Toy Ranch]

Madcow,

Respectfully, I completely and strongly disagree. I don't believe there's any truth to labeling that hoarding nor selfish. I believe it to be the order of magnitude in collecting that I mentioned in my previous post. Obviously I don't speak for Frankenkid, (he and I have never met nor even corresponded, though I'd love to) but I imagine his motivations to be like mine. He is collecting the display. Not twelve water guns, but the AHI Universal Monsters Water Gun display, which happens to contain 12 pistols. Had I the means, I do the exact same thing. The rarity of that, the history in terms of monster toys, and that is what we're discussing, is staggering. I've often found it hard to put into words my attraction to the ideal I have of this, my love of promotional items, paperwork, original and concept art and paperwork, but this example puts it best:

If I could, I would put together all the elements of that photo. Six Kong squirt guns, 3 Franks, 3 Gills, one original display box. Barring luck, the price of that, especially compared to my economic class, is staggering. The display box alone could fetch 10K give the right circumstances. But, supposing I could did such a thing, and then one came onto that market that was all original, a box that had been removed from it's shipping case, popped open and set up and no piece in it ever sold let's say, I'd buy it to replace the one I replicated by piecing it together, even if I couldn't resell the others. That's the kind of desire and respect I have for monster toys. I fully realize that many would label that at least a little nuts - I recognize it's atypical - but that's the sort of passion I have for collecting, and the kind I'd make a medium sized wager that a number of us do, including Frankenkid. I don't believe that to be selfish. Self-fulfilling, yes, but to label it selfish seems short-sighted and insulting in my estimation.

Best,

Shannon

Well-said and I wholeheartedly concur. 

[Bogey]

Agreed.  Nothing wrong with putting together a set.  Kind of  "Indiana Jones" cool if you ask me.

[Toy Ranch]

Are there enough AHI (KK Creature Frank) squirts in existence to fill up a counter box? I'll bet there aren't enough mint ones.

There are enough Creatures and Frankensteins.  6 Kongs is probably going to be the hardest (although probably not the most expensive).

[MadCow]

Madcow,

Respectfully, I completely and strongly disagree. I don't believe there's any truth to labeling that hoarding nor selfish. I believe it to be the order of magnitude in collecting that I mentioned in my previous post. Obviously I don't speak for Frankenkid, (he and I have never met nor even corresponded, though I'd love to) but I imagine his motivations to be like mine. He is collecting the display. Not twelve water guns, but the AHI Universal Monsters Water Gun display, which happens to contain 12 pistols. Had I the means, I do the exact same thing. The rarity of that, the history in terms of monster toys, and that is what we're discussing, is staggering. I've often found it hard to put into words my attraction to the ideal I have of this, my love of promotional items, paperwork, original and concept art and paperwork, but this example puts it best:

If I could, I would put together all the elements of that photo. Six Kong squirt guns, 3 Franks, 3 Gills, one original display box. Barring luck, the price of that, especially compared to my economic class, is staggering. The display box alone could fetch 10K give the right circumstances. But, supposing I could did such a thing, and then one came onto that market that was all original, a box that had been removed from it's shipping case, popped open and set up and no piece in it ever sold let's say, I'd buy it to replace the one I replicated by piecing it together, even if I couldn't resell the others. That's the kind of desire and respect I have for monster toys. I fully realize that many would label that at least a little nuts - I recognize it's atypical - but that's the sort of passion I have for collecting, and the kind I'd make a medium sized wager that a number of us do, including Frankenkid. I don't believe that to be selfish. Self-fulfilling, yes, but to label it selfish seems short-sighted and insulting in my estimation.

Best,

Shannon

How is it insulting? Short-sighted is an opinion from 2 totally different types of collectors...

Collecting the display is besides the point IMHO...

While I see and understand what he is trying to do, I also see the other side of the coin which is that of the collectors that are getting shut out from owning just one of these pieces. I can understand the passion and see why someone would want to do it. But just knowing the rarity of the item you are trying to obtain multiples of and knowing that there are others out there without one who would love to own just one is selfish to me. It is taking away from others for the sake of benefiting your own desires...

Agree to disagree, it's my opinion...

[Mike Scott]

But just knowing the rarity of the item you are trying to obtain multiples of and knowing that there are others out there without one who would love to own just one is selfish to me.

On the other hand, when one of these comes up for sale, you can always outbid the other guy and get one.

[Toy Ranch]

MadCow~  You're certainly entitled to your opinion. 

It's available to anyone who wants it bad enough to obtain it.  If you want it now, you can buy it or trade it out of Frankenkid.  If you wanted it before, you should have bid high enough to get it.  By the standard you cite, all collecting is selfish.  Someone gets it, others don't.  If it's worth collecting, not everyone who wants one is going to get one.  There are plenty of things you can choose to collect that are in greater supply than demand, and won't have to worry about "selfishness".  More things on eBay go unsold than sell every day. 

By your standard, I'm selfish.  So are many of us here.  Understanding your view on this, I'm not particularly concerned or insulted that you feel that way.  Collecting is a competitive hobby.  We are friends, but we are also competitors for the same items for our collections.  By that standard, collecting is a self-centered, egocentric, self-absorbed, selfish hobby.

[Sleepyhollowstudios]

I belong to several collectible and memorabilia websites and the issue of "hoarding" has sprung up, at least once, on all of them. Hoarding, in my opinion, is a word that carries negative connotations. If a person were hoarding every AHI squirt gun, be it Creature, King Kong, or Frank, he came across for the sole purpose of keeping them from others, then yes. What he is doing is completely selfish. I know people who have bought out entire inventories of items simply to keep them out of the hands of others. This is a selfish act.

However, if you have the money and time required to invest in such a project (such as assembling the AHI squirt gun countertop display,) simply for the love of it and the desire to own it, then by all means go for it.

It doesn't matter if he's trying to piece together the entire display (six Kongs, three Franks, three Creatures, and display box,) or just the display box itself. That's irrelevant to the topic.

In my opinion, Frankenkid's intentions are not malicious. I don't think he's trying to wipe out the few remaining squirt guns simply for the fun of it. It's what he's passionate about and he's got the cash.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the Green-eyed monster lurks in us all, and when we call someone selfish simply for having the means necessary to acquire such an incredible piece, then we might as well call ourselves selfish, because basically we're saying it should belong to us, and not them. "He's got the money...I don't have the money. He owns several...I don't own any. He doesn't deserve it...I deserve it."

That's a weak argument if you ask me.

Am I saying I'm not jealous? Hell no! I'd love to have that little guy sitting on my shelf, as well as the rest of Frankenkid's collection (from what I've read so far it's pretty spectacular), but I'm not going to call him selfish simply for having the means to buy it..

Did any of what I just said make sense?

-Andy

[roheimiana]

Maybe I can help Dan sell some more AHI catalogs by letting folks have a closer look at the Water Gun ad:



BTW, I wonder how Frankenkid is going to decide exactly what to include in the display box. The photo on page 2 of this thread only showed 3 Creature squirters but the AHI ad has 6. Perhaps the boxes were filled more or less randomly because I remember seeing another picture which had mostly Frankies. That really made my mouth water!

[tat2ist]

I would guess (and hope) that anyone would not collect to the extreme of trying to match an actual photo of a display box. We all know there were not only one of these. And unless noted on the box, usually they differ from case to case. If it were me, as long as I had enough of them to fill the box, I'd be happier than a pig in... well you know. He feels the same way.
The kid is a crazy collector, but I don't think he's that compulsive to actually match a random photo.! Maybe if these were readily available, one would be. It's not like we're talking about a pencil sharpener display here. By the way, I'd like to correct the fact that I said he's a collector's nightmare. Don't think he got what I was trying to say, and out of respect... He's a great guy and doesn't hoard things so others can't have them. He's passionate, and a respectable person. He's not collecting just so others can't have what he does. that's crazy. We're all a bit crazy, but it's different to be malicious about such a thing.
dave V

[lappys22]

Hi, This is my first post, so this is only a test.

[Dr.Terror]

I'd take em carded, or at least with the card. The art on them is fantastic and unique. The display box just uses the "Stock" Ahi art.