Tamagotchi style NEW AUTHENTIC 1997 Virtual Pet #16

This virtual pet is called "Rikourikou Chan", which is Japanese for "Smarty Time Boy".  It comes with Japanese packaging (I have one left with English packaging that says "Smarty Time Boy") but it has an English instruction sheet.  The only thing Japanese about the operation of this vpet is a built in word game that you can't do unless you know Japanese.  All the other icons and functions are icon-based and therefore obvious to anyone regardless of what language you speak and read.

This vpet is probably the most interesting of all the vpets I sell because of it's advanced programming.  The boy can grow up to be a criminal or a doctor depending on how well you take care of it!

It was made by the same company that made the original Dinky Dino and Yuki Penguin and has the same high quality look and feel, except that it has a couple more buttons.

This vpet is definitely one of the most valuable collectors items I sell, and I only have a few left.  Update: As of 11/4/09 I have 2 Japanese red ones and 1 red one with English packaging.  Yellow is sold out.

Thanks for your interest.  Larry

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You are bidding on one new unopened (until I test it) Virtual Pet, vintage 1997.

THESE VPETS ARE BRAND NEW IN THEIR PACKAGING, AND THEY WERE PURCHASED BY ME 10 YEARS AGO, IN 1997, DIRECT FROM THE FACTORY SOURCES AT THE TIME.

Why is that so important?  Many people are emailing me asking me if these are the real deal.  They say there are all these fakes on the market now, and that they are inferior in many ways.

The virtual pet craze hit the U.S. in full force in early 1997.  During that year there was intense competition and sometimes every week or so you'd see new and different pets coming onto the market.  Then about a year after it began, the fad died down and almost all the virtual pets went away. 

With the exception of Bandai which re-entered the market just recently with their new Tamagotchi series vpets, the virtual pet market now is broken into 2 segments as I now understand it:

1) Authentic vpets from 1997

2) New fake vpets, often that copy the more popular names of legitimate vpets of the past such as "Dinkie Dino".  (Hint:  if you see a "Dinkie Dino" 24 in 1, or 49 in 1, or something like that, it's a fake.  The genuine Dinky Dino is not a multi-pet.)

If you are looking for an authentic vpet, don't be fooled.  There are few authentic new or mint 1997 vpets left in this world.  If you are not sure what you are bidding on, you might want to do your research.

If you want to see all the vpets I have left for sale, please visit my Ebay store! 

 http://stores.ebay.com/Virtual-Pet-Paradise

This auction is for one pet.  The reason the picture may show more than one pet is that it is showing the possible color choices available at this time for this particular pet.

PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR COLOR !!!

(if applicable)

Write it in the Paypal "comments" box or email me.
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I will test each pet going out in this auction and install new batteries if needed.  If the batteries don't need to be changed then I'll still include the spare batteries for you by taping them to the package.

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Many of these pets are becoming collector's items, sometimes selling for many times my price.
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Note: I charge only actual shipping + $1 for the padded envelope.

Shipping and handling is a flat rate of $2.91 for USPS First Class mail.  70 cents extra for each extra pet shipped.  This price includes electronic tracking.

Another option is $4.95 for USPS Priority to anywhere in the continental U.S. They say Priority gets there in 2-3 days, First Class 2-5 days.

I will ship up to 5 vpets via Priority Mail for no additional cost over the shipping cost for the first pet!  (Combined shipping - going to the same address at the same time.)  They can be from this auction or any of my other auctions.

I'll ship your package within 24 hours of your winning bid assuming you've paid and selected your color.

For international shipping the best option seems to be USPS First Class Mail.

Adopt this cute little pet today!

Please email me with any questions.  I respond at least daily, and sometimes within the hour.

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A message from little ol' me:

The only reason I have the Virtual Pet Paradise store and am running auctions for these vpets is that I need to get rid of the remaining inventory from a store in the mall that my parents shut down 10 years ago, that sold all the hot vpets at the time.  I recently re-discovered these pets which were tucked away in my storage area.

I don't have very many of these vpets left.  Once they are gone I'll be shutting down the Virtual Pet Paradise Ebay store and that will be it.  Based on my current sales rate I expect to be out of the vpet business pretty soon.

Walking into my virtual store is like walking into a time capsule and being teleported back 10 years in time because all these pets are new and unused (except as noted), exactly like they were in the store just a moment in time before we packed them all away and put them in storage.

The few that we had out as display models or that were exchanged for bad batteries etc are listed in my store as used but the rest are brand new and have never been opened... except by me just before I ship it to you so that I can make sure the pet works.

My experience has shown that at least 7% of the pets don't work or are flawed in some way and about 40% need new batteries.  The way these pets were packaged, opening them to test them does not damage the packaging, so there's really no reason I shouldn't test these for you.  If you insist that I not touch it and ship it as it is, I'll do that and I'll still throw in a set of spare batteries, but I'm not going to be very sympathetic later on if you tell me the pet doesn't work.

My auctions have definitely affected the bid pricing on these pets since I came to Ebay, and after I'm gone I'm sure they will shoot way back up there to the $100 -$150 mark like they were before.  So this really truly is your last chance to get these pets at a consistently low price and get new ones that are guaranteed to work, as opposed to someone's worn down castaway that they had been playing with for years.

Some people have asked me why I don't cash in on my momentum and start selling whatever new vpets are now on the market instead of shutting down.  Based on conversations with my customers I would not want to do that.  Most of the currently available "new" pets showing up on Ebay are being called "fakes" and the people who buy them seem to be deeply disappointed compared with their experience with the originals.  I would not want to be any part of that.

I don't want there to be any confusion, the only vpets I'm selling are original vintage vpets from 1997, that's it.

The other thing related to vpets that I have that is really unique and worth a look in my Ebay store are a few uncirculated copies of the original and only magazine ever dedicated totally to vpets, circa 1997.  Here's a link to more info on these:

http://www.virtualpet.com/vp/secrets/mag/mag1.htm

If you want to see all the vpets I have left for sale, please visit my Ebay store! 

 http://stores.ebay.com/Virtual-Pet-Paradise

I offer combined shipping which can save you money, since it only costs 70 cents extra via First Class mail to send a second vpet in the same package as the first one.

Also please ask me about bulk discounts for 3 or more pets.

I want to thank all my dedicated and loyal customers from all over the world, you've all been great.  I'm happy to have had a part in making your lives a little more playful and fun while bringing back fond memories of when you first played with these pets.

- Larry