gashapon – Miseducated

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I Love Gumball Machines

12/04/2011

Remember the trill of gumball machines? The magic of finding the machine that has what you want and putting in a quarter only to have it pop out a tiny prize?

I LOVED them as a child and I have to admit that I still do. I still eye the quarter machines in the mall in case there’s a Blythe-sized treasure waiting to be found, I still pour yen into gashapon machines when I’m in Japan hoping for the cutest of the cute, and I still love every minute of it. They’re almost like little gambling machines that you win at every time. What could be better?

According to Wikipedia, vending machines were widely used in Europe before they became popular in the United States. In the early 1880s, the first commercial coin operated vender was introduced in London and stocked with postcards.

So this post is in honor of the gumball machine, quarter machine, gashapon (or gacha) and the chicken machine. Each of them have made my days a little brighter and a little more whimsical with their plastic, surprise balls. And you know how much I love surprise balls.

In fact, in honor of my love for the gumball machine I decided to craft my own cameo gumball rings and supply them to you in a plastic gumball capsule to remind you of those wonder-filled childhood days. I’ve also moved the shop here to stay (an economical decision!) so you don’t have to go far to browse. I hope you enjoy them!

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Escapeland

Miseducated Competition Sponsored by RE-MENT

12/12/2008

Grand Prize Winner

“I don’t have space for a dollhouse, so I can set up the “Studio” on the kitchen table and play for an afternoon, dreaming up new combinations, mix and match items, and take notes for my eventual future dream dollhouse. I am NOT too old to play with dolls!”

Runner Up

“I live in a small apartment and my bedroom has become my studio to work on my design. My favorite furniture (my teak dresser) is now used to store sugar creatures and my bed (covered in plastic) is used for air brushing. I like getting the quiet, relaxing bedroom vibe while working although I would not say no to a large, spacious studio where I can make more mess.”

The Contest

This contest is sponsored by Miseducated and RE-MENT Japan, featuring prizes from their new series ‘Flirty Pink.’ This series does not go on sale until December 15, the winner will receive a ‘Flirty Pink’ limited edition blind box of rare archived products hand selected by the RE-MENT company. This contest is only open to registered members.

To enter
1. Send 2-3 photos of your own miseducated space that you enjoy imagining in. What special space makes you smile? Radiates your personality? Strays from conventional mores into a new kind of room?
2. 1-3 sentences about why this room is miseducated (strays from conventional mores and speaks especially to you).
3. 1-3 sentences about why you like RE-MENT and RE-MENT’s miniature series (include your favorite series if possible).
4. Your Name, Age, Location and URL (if any).
5. Email to: [email protected]

All entries must be received before December 15th. Winners will be announced December 20th (date restrictions are due to the release Japan, this is a Japan only release). The grand prize winner will receive a limited blind box from RE-MENT of the new ‘Flirty Pink’ series. Runner up will receive a random selection of a RE-MENT blind box series and limited edition postcards.

RE-MENT also has official Flirty Pink cell phone wallpapers free for fans.

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