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4 – Collectibles

Shintaro in color
24 Feb 2020

Shintaro in color

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 4 - Collectibles | 0

The Samurai was Japan’s first major ninja export to the English-speaking world, bringing the adventures of invincible sword-slinging detective Shintaro and his shinobi-sidekick Tonbei the Mist to millions of fervent fans in Australia in the mid-1960s and generations of followers … Continued

menko, menko cards, Shintaro, The Samurai, Tonbei
Zukins, zukins, zukins…
6 Apr 2019

Zukins, zukins, zukins…

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

Check out this awesomeness! This 3×8-inch sheet of kids’ temporary tattoo image transfers has somehow survived the decades, and is aging in delightfully weird ways. No manufacturer or year, and I won’t even guess, but it’s FAR from new… Sword-slingin’ … Continued

kurozukin
Possibly the BEST menkos I’ve ever come across…
21 Aug 2018

Possibly the BEST menkos I’ve ever come across…

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

The somewhat physical card game of Menko (aka Bettan or Patchin) — wherein players ‘fwap’ cardboard rectangles or circles down on each other then claim whatever flips over — isn’t the most conducive to collectible items surviving the decades. These things … Continued

menko, menko cards
Kagemaru Tattoos
25 Nov 2017

Kagemaru Tattoos

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

The rarest antiques are the things that are the most disposable when produced, and its hard to think of anything (outside of ice cream bars maybe) with a shorter shelf life than a sheet of temporary tattoos for kids. Somehow … Continued

Kagemaru, Mitsuteru Yokoyama
8 ninja vendors I accidentally found on Etsy
8 Mar 2017

8 ninja vendors I accidentally found on Etsy

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 6 - History and Martial Arts | 0

I had never even been on Etsy before last Christmas, when a friend who practically lives on there turned me on to some jewelry crafters for Christmas gifts. So while there, I did a quick “ninja” and “shinobi” search and what … Continued

Hear the sounds of REVENGE, meet the crew!
15 Jan 2017

Hear the sounds of REVENGE, meet the crew!

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 8 - News & Notes | 0

FINALLY – the inexplicably uncommunicative entity known as Varèse Sarabande has gone live with a web page and release date for the Revenge CD! WE HEAR YOU SERIES – Revenge Of The Ninja: Enhanced Edition goes on sale January 20th, but the … Continued

REVENGE OF THE NINJA, Robert J. Walsh, Sam Firstenberg, Steve Lambert
NINJA DART BOARDS
23 Nov 2016

NINJA DART BOARDS

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 6 - History and Martial Arts | 0

One staple of martial arts mail order that not only made the transition from the kung-fu 70s to the ninja 80s was the dart board. What started as “Chinese throwing star target boards” quickly transitioned into the profoundly more successful … Continued

We’re still looking for more KOSUGI KICKS
16 Oct 2016

We’re still looking for more KOSUGI KICKS

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 3 - Toys and Merch, 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

Vintage Ninja still has an open call out for what we call “Kosugi Kicks” — images of ninja in movie posters, VHS sleeves, toy packaging, advertising, whatever, that are cribbed from the iconic two-sword jump kick publicity shot Sho Kosugi … Continued

Kosugi Kick, Sho Kosugi
Botan Rice Candy Stickers
18 Sep 2016

Botan Rice Candy Stickers

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

I love me some Botan Rice Candy! I was first exposed to the slightly citrusy chews with their dissolving edible wrappers and souvenir stickers in the 70s by my uncle Hiro, and saved a ninja-themed one from the 80s. They … Continued

Botan Rice Candy
Up close on some old SHINTARO cards
17 Mar 2016

Up close on some old SHINTARO cards

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 4 - Collectibles | 0

How many times, in a jealous fit of childish resentment, have I openly cursed all Australians on this site? Seriously, that continent probably hates me, but dammit, their head start on the ninja craze outside of Japan beat us by … Continued

Scanlens, Shintaro, The Samurai, Tonbei

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Welcome to VINTAGE NINJA — dedicated to old ninja movies from Japan’s 60s boom to the 80s American exploitation craze and beyond, with a ton of vintage toys, comics, and sharp pointy stuff thrown in for good measure.

Read the Definitive History:

Categories

  • 1 – Film and TV
  • 2 – Books and Manga
  • 3 – Toys and Merch
  • 4 – Collectibles
  • 5 – Art and Advertising
  • 6 – History and Martial Arts
  • 7 – Ninja Miscelany
  • 8 – News & Notes

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  • Some Commonly Used Terms
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