Kaws and be@rbricks (Part 2)
So, it has been a week since the last post. I can’t imagine being so busy at work during this time of the year but well work’s work. Hope everyone’s having a good break, recharging for 2014!
Back to where I left off – OriginalFake was the brainchild of Medicom, KAWS and NexusVII. Created in 2006, the brand offers streetwear fans garments and collaborative toys. KAWS has also earned a proper retail platform, something that has been absent for years.
For the opening of OF Flagship store in Aoyama, Japan, a variant of the Companion Be@rbrick was actually released in 1000%, 400% and 100%. The pictures of these Be@rbricks are so difficult to obtain due to its small quantity released. It is highly sought after now, fetching crazier prices than its predecessors.
Picture courtesy of Trampt
The dissected companion was very much the vinyl to have. With the dissected companion being the icon of OF since 2006 – the dissected companion be@rbricks in Brown, Black and Grey are released in Feb 2009, Mar 2010 and May 2010.
Picture courtesy of Hypelicious
Given the fact that mono seems to be the colour scheme of the Kaws Companion, it is supposed to be most popular piece of 3, but mono gets the least votes. From my observation since its release, the brown used to the colour to get, but the black piece became more sought after since 2012. The market price of the 400% as of today, looks like this
1. Black – US$350
2. Brown – US$320
3. Grey – US$250
No one knows what caused the prices to be in such a way, but I do know that prices will continue to escalate to the value of Companion and Chompers. These dissected pieces are becoming the soul (quite literally) of most be@rbrick collectors.
The creation of the 1000% be@rbrick was the swansong of OF be@rbricks (why didn’t they inform us?!) The Circle Teeth Paste pattern sums up the look for the whole be@rbrick. It is a piece that is fetching US$1300 now, too much hype and not as attractive as the dissected in my opinion. If you would release the dissected be@rbricks as 6th anniversary pieces, they would fetch as much too.
Picture courtesy of OriginalFake
OF has concluded their collection with the Spring/Summer 2013 releases, introducing toys comparable to the rate of Toys’R’Us. A successful collaboration over the past 7 years, and it is certain that the partnership between KAWS, Medicom and NexusVII will not end there. Who knows, it might be a blessing in disguise that KAWS has more freedom in expressing his designs on the be@rbricks.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday season!
814 Be@rbricks read this post.