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Astro Boy Candy Keychains?!?

Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 3:19 am
by Binzhou5
What the heck are these!? I'm looking for the value of these mini keychain things that also appear to candy as there are nutrition facts on the back. I was wondering if anybody had a clue as to what these are, and what I should do with them. :confused:

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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:24 pm
by Earthshine
They do seem to be food of some kind considering the ingredients list, but they also appear to have little loop tabs that would suggest they are cell phone charms or something...

If I could see the writing under the bubble plastic it may just say what they are supposed to be but since the product is covering it up all I can see is a couple katekana characters that don't tell me much.

I'm not sure what you should do with them other than don't eat them. They are really interesting though and some of them are pretty cute.

They might also be for cake decorating and you're supposed to break off the loop tabs before placing them on whatever you want to decorate.

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:44 pm
by Binzhou5
Thanks very much, the front's coming off, so I'll send you a picture of the cardboard by itself.

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:07 am
by Fauna
I think these are bootleg versions of blindbox candy toys, which came out in 2003/4. I have a few myself:

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They were originally put randomly in little boxes with tie-in candy, and you couldn't tell beforehand what figure you'd get. The Atlas is pretty sought-after, apparently.

These look like someone made a cast of the official figures, and mass produced them with scans of the Japanese packaging. I haven't seen these figures bootlegged before! I do have a soft spot for bootleg merchandise, and if your figures are still cute and sturdy, that's all that matters.

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:27 am
by Anapan
I want to eat a candy Atlas! Those aren't edible- nyoron~~~? Reminds me of when I was one month too late to get an Excel Saga Can-o-Menchi. (pic no longer available (backup cd in storage if it's still readable)), but that relabeled canned chicken would've been devoured on the expiry date!) I was also not able to get any Digi Candy :( .

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I bet it was Konpeito, but I will never know if it was actually closer to formed Flintstones vitamins with a hard-candy coating.

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Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 2:38 pm
by Little Brown Fox
I want those durn little keychains! Omigosh!

Also, I definitely feel like I've seen the Atlas before. And maybe one of Uran...

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:34 pm
by Earthshine
Why are they candy though? I'm not proficient in the manufacturing of toys nor am I a collector so this is a subject I know nothing of.

They are really cute though.

Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:54 am
by Fauna
"Earthshine" wrote:Why are they candy though? I'm not proficient in the manufacturing of toys nor am I a collector so this is a subject I know nothing of.

They are really cute though.


No, no, the figures aren't made of candy! They just come with candy. Usually a blind box figure and its candy are wrapped separately from each other. These figures are still stiff resin.

And Anapan, I'd certainly hope they came with konpeito, too! Star candy would be perfect to put with Astro Boy.

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 8:35 pm
by Earthshine
Ah that makes so much more sense! Thanks for clarification, Fauna. I was having nightmare images of these things getting sticky and fuzzy and all sorts of nasty.

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:37 pm
by Tetsuwan Penguin
"Earthshine" wrote:Ah that makes so much more sense! Thanks for clarification, Fauna. I was having nightmare images of these things getting sticky and fuzzy and all sorts of nasty.


I guess they were like the 'prize' in a box of 'Crackerjacks'.