News:

English-language friendly kendama forum open for everyone worldwide. Welcome!

Main Menu

Kendama Packaging Thread

Started by AlexSmith, 27 August, 2013, 03:06:47

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

AlexSmith

So today I was re-organizing some of my kendama collection, and thought that it might be a good time to take and share some photos. I have a pretty diverse and cool collection (at least in my opinion), but I've never really posted any photos of it anywhere. I thought I'd start out by posting some photos you don't usually see: the packaging kendamas come in.

Please add to this thread! If you receive a new kendama in a cool new package (or not so cool package?) share some photos here! As kendamas become more easily available in retail outlets, the packaging has evolved and become more impressive. I'm sure it'll only get more creative as time goes. If we can get enough posts, perhaps it would be worth 'stickying' this thread? (@mods?)

So then!

First up is a small selection of KendamaUSA packaging. The one on the left is the oldest (it might be the first packaging they made?), followed by the package second to the left. The two on the right are a newer style of packaging. These days, many tributes are sold in the rectangular box style packaging, with various designs on the box (pictured is the pro model design). The farthest right is an all-cherry pro model package. These are probably my favourite packaging, they look super classy, though they don't show off the product really (higher end kendama, so it is assumed that the buyer will already know what's inside).


Next up are some Sweets Kendamas packages. The one on the left is obviously the oldest, from when they first started out. The two boxes are newer designs, the furthest right is the newest I have. They've probably had a few other designs over the years, but these are the ones I've saved. I think each package has been a step up in overall quality, and ability to show off the product (note the large window on the newest box).


Here are some Euro-brands! Left is a reeally old Sunrise package, from when they first started out and were being produced in China (they've since moved production to Europe). Unfortunately I don't have any new Sunrise packages to compare with. In the middle is a Play kendama package, from their very first release (again, I'm not sure what their newer packaging looks like). Last is a Cheese kendama box, from kendama.cz. I own number 44, its a really neat collector's piece. Unfortunately the box it came in got a little beat up during shipping (it was shipped in a padded envelope), but thats not the end of the world!


Another Euro-brand (KROM!), and a Terra Pill! The standard Krom kendamas come in a plastic bag, while the Krom Deluxe come in a sleek black box with a shiny silver inner. I like the look of the boxes they use, very minimalist and clean! The Terra Pill is a package I helped design - happy with how it came out for a first package, but definitely a few things to improve upon! We've actually already designed a second version that looks really awesome, but you'll have a tiny bit longer to wait to see that one!


A couple of plastic bags from an old Yumu and a Kendama-co. Plastic bags have been a standard for a long while in the kendama industry. Cheap, easy, and they display the product well.


Brands from China! The 3 on the left are KCN packaging, one is from a collab they did with Circa (a skateboard company). KCN packaging stayed pretty much the same from what I've seen, but they always seemed to change up what extra goodies came with the kendama. Sometimes there would be multiple stickers and keychains, sometimes nothing at all! On the right is a Kendama China box. This one is kind of old, so I'm not sure if they've changed the design in the last couple of years. The box has a couple of cutouts in the side that you can put a kendama into, so it is supposed to double as a kendama stand. Kind of weird, but hey, kind of neat too. The box also works as a kendama stencil. I like how they tried to make the package useful, so it isn't just discarded after being opened. Kendama China was also one of the very first companies to explore a higher quality package, in a time when everyone else was using plastic bags.


Time for the Japanese brands! On the left are two Sakura packages from the 90's. I like how bright the top flap of the package is, and the brown card stock they use for the info book. Second from the right is a 90's Fuji with package. These are great kendamas, they play much better than the Sakuras in my opinion. Farthest right is a new-ish Shin Fuji (though technically they now don't make JKA approved woodgrains), and the mini kendama is a 90's mini-fuji, called a Mameken (it's super fun and playable for a mini!). I'm not sure what sort of packaging the mamekens originally came in, I've only ever seen them in these unmarked plastic bags (I own multiples of this dama, and they all came in the same sort of bag, so maybe the original packaging just had no branding?). JKA brands have pretty much all come in plastic bags, this is probably in part due to the JKA approved status requiring that a kendama not be too expensive. Cheaper packaging keeps costs down! A Shin-Sakura is one of the kendamas missing from my collection, so unfortunately I don't have a Shin-Sakura package to show off. One day!


More JKA! On the left is a Mugen 2/3 package. From what I know, the packaging didn't change at all between the Mugen 2 and Mugen 3, only a couple of small changes to the dimensions of the kendama (e.g. cup depth). On the right are 3 Ozora packages, one white 'OG' package, one black package, and one plastic box that they sell JKA recommended kendamas in. Missing is the newest Ozora package, with a blue/white top (I think it has an image of clouds? correct me if I'm wrong). I think I also have a tower ball package and a cup ball package, both are also made by Ozora, but I couldn't find them when I was taking the photo (I may have tossed them out). The cup and tower ball are sold in plastic bags, with little cardboard fold-overs stapled to the top of the bag. A very simple design.


Last photo for today: Still more JKA! On the left is a Mugen 1, sold in a simple white box. On the right is a Mugen leather holster, also sold in a white box. Up top is a spare Mugen tama, packaged and sold by GLOKEN. I really like the little boxes they made, as well as the stand for the tama, very high quality, GLOKEN makes some great stuff!



Enjoy, dama nerds!






AlexSmith

Oh, and in case the photos aren't loading well / you don't want to read my descriptions, here is a link to the gallery.

HansNickmans

What a great idea! I knew that keeping your packages had some use in the end.

The packages I have are mostly included in your photos, although I have the new Sunrise design and the 2013 Oozora package to complete the lists. Also I didn't see a TK16 package? Did that one change with the new colours?

Also great to see some of your kendama collection, can't wait for the rest of the photos!
Kendama Belgium!