New Products Jul. 06, 2010 - 06:04AM JST ( 4 )

TOKYO —

Walt Disney Japan will start selling Vinylmation miniature figures on July 16 at Disney stores in Japan and online. The series features miniature vinyl figures of Mickey Mouse in various stylized forms, painted to resemble various characters and objects from Disney theme parks.

They first went on sale in the U.S. in November 2008. Because of their uniqueness and huge variety of designs, they have become collectors’ items. One of the features of this product is that you cannot see what is inside. As once one series is sold out, they are never put on sale again. Many trading events between collectors have been held in the U.S.

The series that will be sold in Japan are the first “Toy Story” series (12 types in total). On Aug 25, the second series, “Have a laugh,” will go on sale. The number that will be sold in Japan will be limited to 8,000 models, and there are no plans to restock figures that are sold out. After a third series, there will be one new model every one or two months.

The figures will be sold at the Disney store in Shibuya and at Tokyo Disneyland. Each Vinylmation figure costs 990 yen.