Toys story: Who's keeping the retro gachapon machines in Singapore alive?
Similar many Singaporeans who grew up in the 90s, Alvin Khua remembers the gachapon (capsule toy) auto fondly. But when he first told his friends almost taking over one such business, they thought he was out of his mind.
"Almost of them actually laughed at me when I said it would be interesting if nosotros took over the business and kept these one-time toy machines live," said the 44-year-old founder of Koala Life, one of the few gachapon companies remaining in Singapore.
Nostalgia was no reason to enter what seemed like a dying merchandise. But doubt later turned into a leap of organized religion when Khua and his friends made a joint venture out of it.
"Although it is not a very lucrative concern, it does hold some sentimental value to us at least."
A 41-YEAR LEGACY
The gachapon business organisation had been effectually for decades. Its capsule machines sabbatum quietly in Singapore's heartlands long earlier "branded" ones started sprouting at arcade chains and the likes of Don Don Donki.
In November 2021, Khua decided to take over i 41-year-old business and rebrand it Koala Life. The machines and toys left behind by the previous owner now sit in a warehouse in Tagore Lane, which is a time capsule in itself. From this place, Khua'southward company services, loads, and deploys the machines to locations such equally bell-ringer centres and minimarts.
And if yous remember the gachapon machines we see now are retro enough, CNA Lifestyle spotted during our visit two unusual (and incomparably "un-gachapon") wooden contraptions in the warehouse that looked even older.
"When I first came across this thing, I thought it was a pinball motorcar," explained Khua. "There was one solar day when one of my workers, my warehouse assistant, was packing up the stock. I saw how he used it, and I realised this was actually a sorter."
Each pigsty in the wooden contraption holds up to two capsule toys, making counting a less menial process.
"Looking at it, I believe this should be from the showtime-generation owner… Information technology's a niggling scrap broken but the intelligence backside information technology is wonderful. It'due south still working perfectly, and we are (notwithstanding) using it every day."
The packing station was decked with the latest sensory toys in the market: Slime, squishy balls, and "pop it" packs. Meanwhile, the oldies were relegated to stacks of storage boxes. Among these were the Beyblade-inspired tops from the early 2000s, back when gachapon machines had not learned to spit out one-time S$1 coins yet.
And while the Pokemon-inspired figurines remain a hit afterward all these years, the Doraemon and Minions-inspired ones are slowly existence phased out.
"Some of the toys are from 10-plus years ago, some even 20. And it's actually a lot of sentimental value just past looking at the posters," shared Khua, referring to some of the colourful posters the previous owner had left in his care.
THE Toll OF NOSTALGIA
Being the custodian of these memorabilia may sound romantic, but the technical problems that plague an ageing armada are far from rosy.
Under Khua's care are two machine models: The upgraded M300 and the older M200, which has been in the market for more than than two decades. He affectionately described the latter as the "Merdeka" generation of gachapon machines.
"Some of the parts of M200 are non bachelor right at present, and then nosotros sometimes have to tailor-brand them. The toll of maintaining an M200 can be slightly higher than the M300," he said.
"The most 'headache' function is because they are made out of plastic. Over the years, the colour actually tends to fade. We have to re-spray and paint it to make it (look) new once more."
To ensure smooth deployment, a dedicated technician works 5 days a week. He starts his twenty-four hour period at 7am and troubleshoots problems reported through the night. Simply fifty-fifty after part hours, the hotline – aye, there's a hotline for gachapon – is non spared from calls.
"Nosotros also have customers complaining to the states that the machine is not working even at 11 pm. Considering of this low-profit business, we couldn't continue this service crew on a 24/7 basis."
So now, when a machine acts out, Khua notes the customer'south details, pays for a stamp and mails them the toy in an envelope.
"We merely earn about ten cents per toy. But nosotros are nevertheless happy to do that considering it makes the client happy, and we are happy to keep them happy."
AN UNEXPECTED CLIENTELE
With improved capacities and mechanisms, the M300s is more than capable of succeeding the Merdeka generation. But Khua is reluctant to retire the M200.
"We are ever also in the dilemma that because we took over the business for the sentimental value of the machines, if we were to phase out the oldest generation of vending machines, information technology kind of defeats the purpose of us taking over the business."
As it turns out, the M200 does accept its fan base that echoes his sentiments exactly.
"We appreciate information technology when we sometimes have phone calls from young parents saying that they yet capeesh these old vending machines instead."
SOMETHING Sometime, SOMETHING NEW
Tan is non the only one to accept ventured into the gachapon business this year. YLF, a confectionery distributor that sells childhood snacks similar the Pikin processed and Yupi gummies, besides entered the scene during the pandemic.
"During this COVID-xix, we saw that in that location is a silverish lining for us. Then we started branching out to toys and even vending machines," said Jarene Lee, a marketing executive in the family unit-run business organization. "I remember this silverish lining came about because people cannot travel, then parents are purchasing more (sheathing toys) to entertain and pacify their children at home."
The capsule vending car and its larger analogue, the big ball machine, hold licensed collectables from franchises such as My Little Pony, Curiosity and Transformers. At first glance, they expect mode besides hip to be a throwback. But have a closer look and you lot volition detect that the toys still incorporate archetype gachapon trends.
"There is this sometime school Due south$1 boisterous ball that kids always play with. Those are very popular considering kids tend to lose it all the time."
Today, Southward$2 gets you a Nosotros Bare Bears bouncy ball, some candy, and a sideslip showing other collectables from that serial.
Steven Zhang, a sales director who leads a roving crew servicing more 1,000 machines across Singapore, has worked in YLF for ten years now. He mans the hotline that the public uses to written report technical issues, but also frequently finds himself receiving photographs from happy customers. Avid collectors accept even forwarded him TikTok videos of their stash.
His most memorable message nevertheless? A request to return over 100 empty capsules for recycling.
"At that place was an uncle in his fifties who spent over Due south$200 on this (regular army vehicle figurines) series... I initially thought he purchased the toys for his children, but after institute out they were for himself," recalled Zhang.
"Growing up, he could not afford these figurines, particularly the ones modelled after army vehicles. At present, he is slowly building his collection."
"I felt rather surprised that our toys can help someone in his fifties fulfil a babyhood dream he had missed out on."
Editor's note: An earlier version of the article identified Alvin Khua every bit Alvin Tan. Nosotros apologise for the error.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/gachapon-capsule-toy-vending-machine-singapore-293526
0 Response to "Toys story: Who's keeping the retro gachapon machines in Singapore alive?"
Post a Comment