This capsule toy model of a Japanese public telephone got a great reception on Twitter!
What is it that makes miniature versions of things so darn satisfying to look at? We can’t get enough of the makeup sponge cleaner fashioned to look like a teeny-tiny washing machine, for instance. Is there anything that can’t be given a new lease of life just by shrinking it down to a fraction of its size?
Apparently not! Even the most obsolete of products — like, say, a public telephone — can draw masses of fans once shrunken down. @hotkenobi, a fan of miniatures, wrote up a glowing review of this public telephone toy, fresh from a gachapon capsule toy machine:
▼ Adorable! (translation below)
公衆電話のガチャガチャ回してきました。精密に作られていてマクロレンズで撮影してもミニチュアに見えない。ボタンは押せるし釣り銭返却口のカバーまで動く。底面まで塗装あり。なんなのこの尋常じゃない拘り方は。しかもこれで300円って……ガチャガチャ界のオーパーツと呼ぶことにします。 pic.twitter.com/HB3ln0Lmsy
— ホットケノービ (@hotkenobi) November 29, 2019
“I tried my luck on a capsule toy machine for public telephones. The detail on it is so intricate that it’s hard to tell it’s a miniature even when shot with a macro lens… You can press the buttons, and the change return slot even has a movable flap. It’s painted on all sides, even the bottom. A very unusual level of detail, here. Plus it only cost 300 yen (US$2.73)… This is on a completely different dimension to what you normally see in the capsule toy world.”
We were then treated to a side-by-side comparison of this capsule toy model with a Re-Ment figure. Toymaking company Re-Ment are the usual standard when it comes to miniatures in Japan, selling everything from tiny terrariums to itsy-bitsy utensils.
▼ “I used to think the public telephone model made by Re-Ment was well-made, but look how different they are when you compare them…”
リーメントの公衆電話もよく出来てると思っていたけど比べると全然違う😅 pic.twitter.com/rTjU8aqnrx
— ホットケノービ (@hotkenobi) November 29, 2019
The public telephone pictured is just one of the random prizes you can win from this Takara Tomy capsule toy machine, but the modern green model is probably the most well-known at this juncture. You’re most likely to see them at train stations or outside of police boxes.
▼ “I’m still deciding whether to buy one or not…”
自分は購入迷い中。 pic.twitter.com/qBA0arl2sW
— ima2045x 飯テロショートストーリー終末のグルメ連載🍈飯テロ系ツイート多め🍓🍌🥝🍇 (@ima2045x) November 29, 2019
But why was @hotkenobi so eager to purchase a tiny, plastic telephone in the first place?
Well, you may have guessed from the username, but this Twitter user is a hardcore fan of Star Wars (as well as other American franchises such as Marvel movies and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). In fact, the majority of posts on the account involve miniature figurines in bizarre domestic situations…
And those situations need tiny props.
▼ This photo was taken back when @hotkenobi bought the Re-Ment version!
「母ちゃん、俺もうデススター作りたくないよ」
— ホットケノービ (@hotkenobi) November 30, 2019
(リーメントの公衆電話を買った時の写真) pic.twitter.com/hnVsiwUl6Y
While they may not be as niche as the public telephone, we have plenty more teeny tiny treasures for you to feast your eyes upon. You might be surprised at how many uses there are for tiny versions of regular everyday items!
Source, featured image: Twitter/@hotkenobi
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