Three Prices for Gamera: Bandai’s 1999 Monster Shelf

One Gamera stands on a shelf. Another fires a pink missile from its mouth. A third is advertised at roughly half a metre tall. In Bandai’s early-1999 catalog, the same movie monster stretches from a ¥600 figure to a ¥16,800 display piece.

The one that fires back

Two jobs for Plasma Shooter Gamera 1999: swapped parts produce the flying pose; the back button fires the mouth projectile. Bandai · 1999 catalog, PDF p. 18.

Plasma Shooter Gamera 1999, at ¥2,800, occupies a whole page. The main photograph puts it among orange buildings and broken slabs. The smaller photographs explain the play: exchange parts for flight mode, or press the back button to launch the plasma-fireball missile.

The flight image is especially effective. Instead of merely offering a more expensive standing figure, the page gives the child a second silhouette and something to operate. Those two details distinguish this Gamera from the small figure on the next page. Bandai catalog, PDF p. 18.

Three ways to own the same monster

The Daiei range places small numbered monsters, a seven-figure box and the large Gamera on one page. Bandai · 1999 catalog, PDF p. 19.

The neighboring page offers Gamera 1999 at ¥600, Gyaos Hyper at ¥600, and Iris at ¥980. Beneath the smaller figures, the collector’s Gamera is advertised at about 500 mm and ¥16,800. A separate ¥4,500 seven-figure box includes a visibly rounder Gamera design.

The three individual Gamera prices tell the story without a complete shopping list: ¥600 for the small figure; ¥2,800 for the missile-and-flight toy; ¥16,800 for scale and display presence. The box offers a different pleasure—a group of monsters together. Catalog, PDF p. 19.

Across the catalog, another monster crowd

Fifteen numbered Toho figures crowd the back cover. Original Godzilla receives a separate inset. Bandai · 1999 catalog, PDF p. 24.

The Toho range uses a similar price ladder. Godzilla and most of the roster cost ¥600; larger winged characters such as King Ghidorah and Destoroyah are ¥980. The Mothra larva is ¥480. Rather than building a whole page around one play feature, the photograph makes the variety of creatures its attraction. Catalog, PDF p. 24.

The complete Toho price list

No.	Name on page	Price
G-01	Godzilla (ゴジラ)	¥600
G-02	Mothra (larva) (モスラ(幼虫))	¥480
G-03	King Ghidorah (キングギドラ)	¥980
G-04	Mechagodzilla (メカゴジラ)	¥600
G-05	G-Force Moguera (Gフォースモゲラ)	¥600
G-06	Gigan (ガイガン)	¥600
G-07	Anguirus (ボウリュウ アンギラス)	¥600
G-08	SpaceGodzilla (スペースゴジラ)	¥600
G-09	King Caesar (キングシーサー)	¥600
G-10	Fire Rodan (ファイヤーラドン)	¥600
G-11	Mecha-King Ghidorah (メカキングギドラ)	¥980
G-12	Destoroyah (デストロイア)	¥980
G-13	Rainbow Mothra (レインボーモスラ)	¥600
G-14	Cretaceous King Ghidorah (白亜紀型キングギドラ)	¥980
G-15	Original Godzilla (初代ゴジラ)	¥600

A premiere and a permanent crowd

The catalog is dated the end of January 1999, shortly before Gamera 3 opened on March 6. The Gamera pages surround that new movie with choices: pocket-sized figure, action toy, boxed group or imposing display piece. The Toho page presents a long numbered monster roster, with Original Godzilla singled out in an inset.

These are historical suggested prices and catalog claims, not sales results; Japanese wording is presented in working translation. The comparison is visible in the layouts themselves: a movie launch gets several ways to play with one star, while a standing collection gets a whole crowd to choose from.