Weekly Review - Crescent Moon Wand

moonkitty.net

The Crescent Moon Wand first appeared in the manga in Act 5 "Makoto - Sailor Jupiter" where it was actually referred to as the Moon Stick (ムーン・スティック - Muun Stikku).
In the anime, it appeared in Episode 25: "Jupiter, the Brawny Girl in Love" (Episode 21 in the U.S.) where it was given to Usagi (Serena) by Luna. It was called the Moonlight Stick in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (PGSM - live action version of the series) where it first appeared in Act 1.

WikiMoon

Uses: The wand was generally used to purify or heal people by saying "Moon Healing Escalation" in the dubbed version of the anime the phrase was "Moon Healing Activation." In the anime only,  the wand also had powers to detect the "Rainbow Crystals" and would flash when they were nearby. The wand became more powerful once the Silver Crystal (幻の銀水晶 -Maboroshi no Ginzuishou) was added to it. In PGSM it had the same attack as the manga, but the Silver Crystal was never attached to it.

Merchandise:

1992 Bandai Japan:
There were two releases of this wand, Japanese and European. They came with three different colored rings which you could place into the top of the wand. This version of the wand is not as commonly seen as others. Only the packaging is different, the wands themselves are the same.

Requires: Two AA batteries.

Operation: When the button is pressed, it lights up and plays two different types music depending on whether the ring is attached to the wand or not. (Video)

Price: Generally this wand costs about $25-40 loose, the European version sells from $50-90 MIB, and the Japanese version MIB sells from around $70-100.

*** Apparently there is also a Chinese release of this wand, the box looks almost exactly like the Japanese version, but the wand itself has "Bandai Asia 1995" molded into it! ***

1995 Irwin Release:
This version was released by Irwin in Canada and the United States. It comes with one ring which you can place at the top of the wand. It is relatively easy to obtain as it is the most commonly seen version of this wand. It is very similar to the 1992 release, but the ring which attaches to it is different.

Requires: Two AA Batteries.

Operation:  When the button is pressed it lights up and plays the same two tunes the 1992 Japanese release does. (Video) 

Price: $20-50 loose, and $50-100 MIB.

2001 World Version:
This is a 10th Anniversary Special Edition of the wand. It is considered the "most accurate" version by many collectors due to its more rounded crescent shape and the "silver crystal" attached to it instead of the rings in previous versions. It is highly sought after and somewhat rare to find.

Requires: Two AA batteries.

Operation: It lights up and has two buttons to play two different tunes.The first one being different from the other versions, but still relevant to the series, and the second being the same as other versions without the ring in them. (See video here)

Price: This is the most expensive version of this wand. It sells for $130-190 loose, and generally $300-360 MIB. There are a few instances where it has gone much higher.

2003 Bandai Moonlight Stick:
Based on the PGSM live action show, this wand does not come with any form or interpretation of the silver crystal. It can come in two different types of packaging, but they are the same wand. It is unique in that the crescent is a crystal-like gray color rather than the gold in all other versions.

Requires: Two AA batteries.

Operation: Plays two separate tunes different from all other Crescent Wands, it also lights up. (Video)

Price: $30-35 loose, $50-75 MIB.


2011 Italian Re-release:
From the looks of it, this wand may have been made from the same molds as the original 1992 release, but it only comes with one ring. It was highly anticipated by collectors, only to be met with a bit of disappointment due to its lack of features and no cosmetic differences from previous versions.


Requires: Two AA batteries.

Operation: Lights up and... sounds. The downfall of this wand is that the sounds have nothing to do with the show and don't sound good at all, it basically just has a strange beeping noise. Seriously, check out the video.

Price: This wand originally retailed for $21.99 in February 2011. When it sold on eBay soon after buyers in the US generally paid about $35-60 plus international shipping. Prices more recently are usually in the $25-45 range and the wand does not show up very often.

sailormoontoys.com

2001 Sonokong Asia:
This Wand is very strange, according to sailormoontoys.com  this wand plays music from the SuperS (fourth season) wand, yet it looks like they combined elements from the Crescent wand and the Spiral Heart Rod from SMS (third season). It is an officially released Korean wand though! This wand is very uncommon and not really sought after by collectors.

Requires: Two AA(?) batteries.

Operation: The heart piece at the top lights up, and it also plays two sounds depending on which button you push. As previously stated, the sounds played are from the SuperS season, check it out here.

Thanks to msmaria

Price: I don't believe I have ever actually found one of these for sale.

1996 Lip Rod Crescent Wand:
This is a miniature crescent wand which contains a tube of lip gloss released by Irwin America. It is actually quite rare and hard to find.


Price: $30-35 loose. I have not seen it sell still Mint in Package.

GE Animation

2012 Moon Stick Key Chain:
Newly released by GE Animation this year! This is a PVC/rubber key chain.

Price: According to otakufuel.com suggested retail price is $4.99. This may appear in stores like Hot Topic or FYE which are carrying some of the newest merchandise, fans are also finding them at anime conventions for sale.


*All Prices are roughly based on my 2011 and 2012 price guide spreadsheets.

I hope you enjoyed my review! Did I miss anything? Feel free to leave comments and/or review suggestions for the future!