Candy Models come in two main forms in Japan “Shokugan” and “Gashapon”. Everyone will be familiar with “Gashapon” the literal translation being “Capsule Toy”. In the UK you will have seen Gashapon in supermarkets or outside some newsagents. Stick in a coin, turn the crank, and out comes a toy in a plastic bubble. In Japan the toys are of a much higher quality than you would receive from a UK machine, and are usually figures. The second form, the much more interesting from a collectors point of view are the “Shokugan”. “Shokugan” translates as “Toy Candy” and these are sold in sealed random boxes over the counter in Japanese shops. Each box will contain one model, an assembly sheet and a packet of sweets, which it is probably not recommended to eat, but if you are adventurous then there is a sell by date on the bottom of the box. Depending on the manufacturer each set will be 6-8 models & one case model or 10 models and one case model. The case model is usually the most sought after of the set and is always the hardest to get. The case model, as its name implies, generally only appears once per case (a case contains 40 -72 models).

The two main features that make the Candy models so collectable, apart from the high quality mouldings and superb attention to detail, is their size and the obscurity of the vehicles chosen for the sets. As each Candy model is between 5CM and 14CM in size, you can have, and display, a huge collection even in the smallest of rooms, which solves the main problem that most collectors have. Each set, and this applies to Star Trek more so than the others, will have the standard vehicles that everyone knows well, but the designers will also include many of the support vehicles and ships that other manufacturers never issue in model form. In some cases the Candy Models are the first time that some crafts have ever been modelled! Each model comes pre-painted (hand finished for some), and sometimes requires assembly of a few pieces E.G. engines or wheels, but this is only a matter of a few seconds snap-together. Some models will come with an additional decal sheet for further customisation.

Candy Models have been around for many years in Japan but it is only in the last few years that the Japanese have started producing models based on UK & US TV and film franchises. Of the many companies that produce candy toys in Japan there is only four that deal with non-Japanese licenses: Bandai, Furuta, Kotobukiya and Konami. Bandai have the license for the recent live action Thunderbirds movie toys and have released a limited set (6 models, no case model, what a waste of a license!) of the new style Thunderbirds vehicles, and to date this is the only set of candy models that Bandai have issued. Furuta on the other hand have two licenses Ray Harryhausen and Star Trek. The Ray Harryhausen set is a beautifully sculpted 11 figure set from the some of most well known Harryhausen films; Sinbad, Earth Vs the Flying Saucers and Jason and the to name but three. However their second license is the big one: Star Trek. There have been two sets of  Star Trek ships released so far with the third due possibly around December. All Furuta sets are 10 base models and 1 case model and with the case size being 72 the case model ratio is 1:72 approximately. The third is a recent entry into the world of Candy Model manufacturers, Kotobukiya. Kotobukiya have to date been best known for large statues of Star Wars and Batman, however they have now taken this experience and applied it to Candy Models, and with spectacular results. The first two sets from this company, Batman and Predator have set a new standard in sculpting. The fourth licensee and probably the biggest is Konami. They hold the rights to most of the Gerry Anderson programmes plus a few other licenses. In general candy models are manufactured in one run and then production ceases. When they are sold out in the shops, which happens very quickly in Japan, within a few weeks, that’s it. No More. However, Konami have re-issued two sets: UFO and Thunderbirds (Volume 1 and Volume 2).

This is where the Japanese show an understanding of the collectable value of what they produce, unlike the Americans. When the UFO set was re-issued the case model (Lt Gay Ellis) was completely re-modelled thus retaining, if not increasing, the value of the original version. When Thunderbirds Volume 1 & 2 was re-issued, the two original 6 model volumes were amalgamated into one 12 model set, but without the original case models (Parker & Lady Penelope). Considering that Candy Models are sold in Japan as children’s toys the same way corgi and matchbox cars are sold here, the quality of design, manufacture and materials used is unbelievably high. It does not matter which of the manufacturers sets you look at, they all put the same high level of attention to detail into every model from every set. When you examine the lettering on any the Star Trek ship's engines, and even though it is only 1mm high, it is crystal clear and very sharp. There is more detail in the candy models than I have seen in models costing 10 times as much. If you are a collector of any of the genres mentioned in this article the Candy models are a must have.