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Sofubi Is At The Center of Mandarake’s New Akihabara Shop, CoCoo

by Eddie Lehecka
Mandarake CoCoo Splash

Sofubi, or Soft Vinyl, collectors toys have been a massive market worldwide for years now. To those who aren’t already familiar with the scene, it can be a daunting world to get into. You may have even seen a variety of different sofubi toys in passing at conventions or collectible shops and not even realized their value. That’s where Mandarake’s newest Akihabara shop, “CoCoo”, might be a massive boon for those trying to get into this world of collectible art.

If you’re not already familiar with Mandarake already, they’re essentially the pinnacle of collectible resellers in Japan. With multiple complexes located around the country, they sell practically anything collectible. Trading cards, music, games, animation cels, manga, toys, cosplay, memorabilia, and more. It can be pretty daunting visiting one of their locations if you’re not already looking for something specific, each complex is practically a museum of sorts with different floors or individual shops specializing in different goods. Being that they’re primarily second-hand, you can find everything from the most vintage collectibles to the newest limited edition item from recent events.

Being that Mandarake is a purveyor of so many different collectibles, it’s no surprise that they already have a strong base in sofubi & collectible toy sales to begin with. Although in some complexes these toys are mixed in with others for the sake of space (such at Kaiju designs being with other vintage Kaiju collectibles at the Nakano Broadway complex), they’ve always carried more than enough of these coveted items to justify giving them their own space. If anything, the announcement of their upcoming “CoCoo” shop seems like it should have come along ages ago. Better late than never though, and this new space is already looking to be bringing the goods.

On the special website for the opening of the new shop, Mandarake has been highlighting some of the extremely rare & collectible pieces that will be available at the shop upon opening. These include everything from Gundam & Mazinger Z collaborations to original kaiju and giant robot designs from acclaimed sofubi makers. Here’s a small sample:

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In addition to the already impressive array of collectibles that will be available for sale, Mandarake has also announced the release of a limited-edition collaboration toy in commemoration of the shop’s opening on Twitter:

Things are already shaping up for this shop to be a serious haven for fans of this unique form of art. As a world of collectibles I’ve only dabbled in and have always watched from the sidelines, this could be a very dangerous new addition to the Mandarake family for my wallet. I’m already hopelessly addicted to collecting original manga volumes and Japanese Game Boy family goods, this is just one other rabbit hole I’m already toeing the line with. Even with my apprehension about going all-in with what is objectively a really cool scene of original goods, I’m definitely planning to check out this new shop upon opening. Being located near the UDX building outside of Akihabara station makes it a really convenient stop on any trip to the area as well, so even if you’re not a collector yourself I would say it’s worth a visit if you’re ever in the area.

For more information check out the official Mandarake CoCoo website.

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