Interesting times - changes at Yamato Toys

[plutoniumhunter]

Crap! They're gone! They're all gone! Last night I almost bought one but now that choice has been taken away

There's still some at Hobby Search. I think their shipping is a touch pricier though.

[Benbot]

Nippon-Yasan has them too, at least as of last night.

[alchemo]

Yup Not saying bandai wont milk it for every dime. But at least it will be limited breakages. Maybe ! lower prices. While I do love my valks, and I have a lot, not like some here who have multiples, cause I have no idea where they earn their money, with myself in a sort of decent job with family to support could never afford. In some respects its become an elitist group and basically yamato has marginalized themselves to a small core of collectors that from a business perspective isn't sustainable

I would like to add a few word here. In the case of Yamato. the first lot is always way too expensive. but later on the second lot would be 30% to 50% cheaper then the original retail prices. In my case, as I started late in collecting so I got most of my VF-1 and my VF-0(s), YF-19(s) at bargain prices, then I pay premium for the VF-19(s) and VF-17(s). if I were patient enough I would have got my VF-19 Kai, 19S and 17S at 30% to 50% discount (through retailers in HK or web shops) so it is not fait to say that yamato "marginalized themselves to a small core of collectors", In fact they are just doing business in a common way that those who wish to own the item early pay more and those who wait will pay less.

Edited February 14, 2013 by alchemo

[Shaorin]

I'd have to disagree about the 1/65 VF-17S/D being less durable than the 1/55 VF-1. I've broken 1/55s before (especially head lasers), but I've yet to break a Bandai VF-17. I've got a dozen of them bought in 1995 and they have been used and abused, jam packed into a toy chest with other toys, hurled across the room, hit hard with a rolling pin (by my son), dropped, soaked in the bath, but nothing has ever broken. Despite being all plastic, they are built like tanks. The proprtions are not too bad also. To this day, the Bandai 1/65 VF-17D/S are still amoung my all time favorite Macross toys, for their ease of transformation, durability and the appearance is not too bad in battroid mode, or top down view in fighter mode. Bandai certain did a good job of adding all the correct panel lines. Of course, the attrocious Bandai 1/65 VF-19Kai/S is a different story altogether. Graham

well yeah, most of my experience is with that gawdawful -19k, my favorite MACROSS toy (up until i got my first 1/55 right around 2000/2001ish)

i did get myself a 1/65 VF-17D a couple years after that -19k, and i agree, while certainly not perfect, it comes much closer to the ideal

than the almighty 19k could on it's best day.

still, my love for the -19 series VFs, and desire at the time for a quality non-parts-forming variable 19 model and/or toy

placed the atrocious 19k well ahead of the 17 and it's "Guppyish" FIGHTER mode.

today, i wouldn't mind a 1/60 VF-17S or D at all, but if i were ever to acquire one,

it would be after the VF-19S and (preferably) the VF-11B.

all that said, i still have both those old BANDAI 1/65s put away somewhere, doubt i could even give them away these days...

[biggooftoybox]

Wow talk about shocking news but really not too surprised. Nowadays when we hear Yamato, the first thing we think of is Macross. I think that overall has hurt them. For example i never even knew Yamato made VM50 dolls at all. Whenever i saw the VM50s i always thought those were from Volks, so i guess as a company this makes sense for them.

Yes i too noticed that sudden rush of VF-19P sales from, HLJ. I guess HLJ didn't have to discount in the end. I've bought many Yamato Valks in the past and well, the've always been rather expensive.

Actually, does anyone know, those original Yamato 1/72ish Valkyries from Macross Plus ( you know the ones the originally started with), are those worth anything anymore? YF-19, YF-21, VF-11 etc?

[jvmacross]

biggooftoybox, on 14 Feb 2013 - 14:48, said:
Actually, does anyone know, those original Yamato 1/72ish Valkyries from Macross Plus ( you know the ones the originally started with), are those worth anything anymore? YF-19, YF-21, VF-11 etc?

Not so much....

http://www.ebay.com/csc/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=yamato+macross+1%2F72&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc

[Valkyrie Magnus]

I'll check it out. Thanks

[slaginpit]

Where are people getting "elite" from? Probably not the right term in this case. I sure as shi_t wouldn't be collecting a bunch of Valks as a status symbol of my place in society if I was elitist. Most of us likely don't make any more money than you guys anyway. Just like you, we know where to budget our money and what we have to give up in order to pursue our hobby.

Some people prefer to buy ten cheaper Transformers every month and that's fine. Others prefer to skip all of those and get one Masterpiece every four or five months. How is that elitist?

Just give me a quality piece every so often and I'm happy. Yamato or Bandai.

I happen to prefer Yamato because they built something with me in regards to MACROSS over the better part of a decade where Bandai has not.

I dont disagree but I see people with 4,5,8 valks of the same mold with different colors. Spending money on multiple uber expensive Mac Frontier Valks and you dont consider that elitist? I collect a little of everything. Macross, Soul of Chogokin, 3PC formers, and Gunpla. I still cant afford the pace of some of the members here. Maybe elitist is the wrong word. Maybe Premier is a better word but there are a few here who can really afford the line. Others like myself have to pace myself. Now I think change is refreshing. Thank you Yamato for all those years of giving us fantastic valks that are fun realistic and break easy. But I welcome change and even a little bit of a break. Looking forward to less expensive and durable. Maybe a SOC VF-19?

ALSO what is all the love with the VF-19P That this is all kinds of yuck

[xrentonx]

I don't consider it elitist. I also have to pace myself but I don't collect much else.

[Kicker773]

I don't collect much of the frontier v2 valks . Elitist....hmmm, maybe not....my pace has been steady =P I think..

19P is loved because basaras ass was on it. LoL

[mechaninac]

Elitist...

Macross collecting is characterized by products that, for the most part, cater to an older, more affluent consumer base of collectors willing to pay a premium price for a premium product. That there are many among these collectors with the financial wherewithal to afford multiples or any one, or all, of these premium items is not elitist in the least; after all, these folks aren't professing their superiority over those who cannot keep up. They are simply endulging their particular fetish within the bounds of what they can monetarily support. And for a company to cater to this affluent group of collectors of a very niche property within a niche hobby isn't elitist either, it's ambitious, commendable, and risky.

The buying habbits of some collectors can certainly be considered as examples of conspicuous consumption and, in some rare cases, even hoarding, but elitist... no.

Edit: In other words, don't get elite confused with elitist.

Edited February 15, 2013 by mechaninac

[Kicker773]

<]~~~~~~ macross hoarder maybe.....(puts on his macross helmet on before he hops on the MW forums)

[Graham]

I don't collect anything else apart from Macross.

Graham

[Archer]

Lol, I might buy like 1 Macross fig every 5 or 6 months to be honest. But it's very exciting when I actually do get one, so I tend to enjoy them to the fullest. Honestly speaking, Bandai releases are almost in the same price margins, and when you add in the Nippon Yassan inflation (see what I did there ), it ends up being about the same in terms of cost.

But yeah, except for a few here that devote a lot of their monetary earnings to Macross, I think the stark majority of people here are more like me, a few limited purchases over the course of a year.

Heck, a lot of us, including me, here are poor college students (look at location ), so we kinda have to keep things to minimum so we can afford to go to college

I think I know what you are trying to say slaginpit (i.e. Yamato stuff is expensive), but they do make nice things that I can enjoy from time to time, even though I'm not in a financial position to be spending the majority of my free cash on toys.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Archer

[aceoftherebellion]

Haha, you know with all of this wild speculating and guesswork and random hopes, I'm just gonna go for broke and hope that this new company structure somehow makes the chances of finally getting some sort of MII merchandise go up. Come on, Arcadia, your predecessor finally made the VF-4 happen, some of us have been waiting almost as long for a VF-2SS! This is what I will be crossing my fingers for now.

[anime52k8]

But yeah, except for a few here that devote a lot of their monetary earnings to Macross, I think the stark majority of people here are more like me, a few limited purchases over the course of a year.

I'm in the poor college student boat as well, and I have a whole bunch of other things I like to throw my nonexistent money at. (Naked lady statues don't come cheap )

Needless to say I don't buy Macross toys very often, and They're typically the biggest ticket items I can get in a year.

Edited February 15, 2013 by anime52k8

[ff95gj]

If it is only justifiable for a company to release 2 Destroids instead of all 4, I hope Aracdia would release the Spartan and Phalanx.

I don't need Tomahawk and Defender version 2.

[Tober]

I've been asked to visit the new office, I'll let everyone know whether they scaled up or scaled down.

.

Spoke to somebody today who knew about the company change prior to Wonder Festival and is happy with what's to come from Arcadia's Macross product line. They wouldn't say anything other than that. Let's hope I can find out more once I go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch.

Could you tell us when you expect to have some actual updates/news to share?

[Save]

.

Could you tell us when you expect to have some actual updates/news to share?

Arcadia just moved to a new office so I'm going to assume it'll take them at least a month before the place is presentable. I'll try to schedule a visit sometime in late March.

[Tober]

Arcadia just moved to a new office so I'm going to assume it'll take them at least a month before the place is presentable. I'll try to schedule a visit sometime in late March.

Cool, thanks.

[Kelsain]

Save, what we really want you to do is stare conspicuously through the glass at a fixed time, every day.

[aceoftherebellion]

Save, what we really want you to do is stare conspicuously through the glass at a fixed time, every day.

In the news today: A man was arrested for repeated trespassing and stalker-like behavior in front of the new headquarters of an unspecified toy company. When questioned, the suspect could only respond with repeated references to a television cartoon from the early 80s. He is currently being evaluated at a psychiatric facility pending further investigation. Details at Eleven.

[vf_1s]

I just did both. check it out in the vf-4g thread

I don't mind paying high prices for perfect transformation masterpieces.
Look at the VF-4G, had it been the FB version, with the Roy looking paint scheme, it probably would have sold out quicker
Instead of the VFX scheme.

Edited February 15, 2013 by vf_1s

[jwinges]

When every release is $150+ it is elitist. At least with Bandai you could buy a 1/55 for around $75, which is still very expensive for a kid. Things become elitist when you marginalize a large percentage of the population interested in the series. Yamato has exceeded in that. They've made it so only the super rich can afford to buy their line. They would have been far better served selling well made transformable TOYS for $30-40 to cater to kids than catering to the elite. They would easily sell 10 reasonably priced toys for every one of their Elitist statues. Look at Gundam...they diversified with lines like the HG models and HCM toys. Yeah they aren't going to really increase much in value but they are a TOY than can actually be played with. Can actually be afforded by families for their kids. At $10-15 per they have nearly as much detail as a Yamato. This is why I think bandai could do wonders with the product line, IF THEY WANTED TO.

As far as durability I gave my nephews each a 1/55 and a 1/65 when they were 4 years old. That was 5 years ago and they still haven't broken them and play with them all the time. Do that with any Yamato product.

I'd love to buy my 3 year old daughter macross stuff...but the reality is that I can't see spending that kind of cash on her for Yamato's crap. And I use crap from a TOY perspective. They aren't a toy...they are a pose-able statue or diorama. Yamato's are beautiful pieces of work but they are buy no means a suitable toy for a child. I wouldn't even give one to a 12-14 year old.

As far as personally being able to afford Yamatos...Yeah I have a decent collection, no where the size as some members here but even with my wife and I, both holding doctorates and good jobs there is no way we'd spend the money to get the entire line, or even 1/4 of the line that Yamato is making. Its just plain stupid the money they are asking for them.

[skullmilitia]

Elitist is the wrong word, its quality over quantity if your in this hobby, you can buy roughly 15-20 Transformers from Hasbro for the Price of a single Valk from Yamato or Bandai. However the build quality, complexity, detail, and craftsmanship of the one far outweighs the Transformers.

So, if you want an entire room filled with cheap action figures, go for it.

If you want a few display cases in your room, with expensive action figures then do it.

Your either a connoisseur or a hoarder. A collector or a Hobbyist, Elitist, that just don't make sense.

[Mommar]

So what I'm gathering is there are a lot of people coming out of the woodwork who are envious others here make more money then they do and are blaming Yamato for catering to the "elite." If you're going to take that route I'll say maybe should have payed attention during school/got some decent scholarships and got a real, useable degree so you could afford this stuff? I wasn't born rich, and certainly can't hold a flame to Kicker's collection, but I do alright, have multiples of many Valks and in no way feel like Kicker is some sort of elitist-douche among us... he's quite lovely really.

[Kicker773]

Okay anyone want to answer that.

I'm on the field so ill make it short. Not to sound arrogant or imply that you can't afford it but base on your tone I sense a little bit of bitterness towards yamato from you not that its evident enough from your posts.

However yamato toys are basically like hot toys. They are not meant for kids. These aren't our 80s or 90s toys. If you wanted to give them to kids then your right 1/55 or 1/65 will do.

If you compare the 1/48 or the new 1/60 to the old toys there's a significant jump in the way they are built. I don't have a doctorate degree and don't have kids yet, but my association fees alone are daycare money. I still purchase a few items here and there. Not that I'm justifying my financial situation but to vent out here about the cost and imply Bandai is cheaper you got another thing coming.

You can call and use the word ellitist you want but it does give some members the feeling of being called arrogant show offs. Hence I will no longer post anymore pictures of my collection. Too bad too since I've completed the album. Just my thoughts.

[eugimon]

yay, another informative thread derailed by people butthurt that they can't buy a high end toy at wal-mart for 15 bucks.

[CoreyD]

Hence I will no longer post anymore pictures of my collection. Too bad too since I've completed the album. Just my thoughts.

Oh come on, don't do that!

[Scyla]

Jwinges, I don't understand that the 1/60th 1/48th Macross line from Yamato has anything to do with a kids toy. They not designed/produced/marketed/distributed with kids in mind. They where created with the idea in mind that they are display pieces with toy-like attributes (to quote Atom from CDX here).

You can't compare these with the Transformers main line or any other toys that are sold for kids. And even if I love the RotF Leader Prime (I add this one because it is a marvel of engineering) it is not the same than a Yamato Valkyrie. You're comparing apples and oranges and I don't know why.

And if you don't want to buy the whole line of SDF-Macross Vakylries you can easily restrain yourself. Buy only a Hikaru or a Vermillion Squadron or the Skull Squadron from DYRL?. I can't afford all the toy releases I want so I applied a buying scheme that allows me to get the toys I really want.

My Valkyries rest in a wooden cabinet with some class doors and I pay attention that they don't get in contact with any sunlight. And every month or so I wear a pair of white gloves and pick one up to transform it or swoosh through the room with it. And frankly I don't trust any of my friends enough that I would let them handle one even if I'm around. Kids don't go anywhere near my cabinets. Oh and I have some toys on my desk to play with to keep my fingers calm. But they are definitely not my Valkyries.

Yamato did an awesome job with their releases and is something I doubt would be possible outside Japan.

[anime52k8]

Elitist is the wrong word, its quality over quantity if your in this hobby, you can buy roughly 15-20 Transformers from Hasbro for the Price of a single Valk from Yamato or Bandai. However the build quality, complexity, detail, and craftsmanship of the one far outweighs the Transformers.

So, if you want an entire room filled with cheap action figures, go for it.

If you want a few display cases in your room, with expensive action figures then do it.

Your either a connoisseur or a hoarder. A collector or a Hobbyist, Elitist, that just don't make sense.

See, now the way you put it does kind of come off as Elitism and snobbery. You make it sound like there's a clear inferiority to collecting inexpensive domestic retail toys vs high ticket imports and that it's an either/or proposition as to which you can own.

That's not to say Jwinges is right because he's not and his logic is totally off base and nonsensical. BTW, I'd love to see some evidence of this supposed massive demographic of children clamoring for playable macross toys.

[Scyla]

Hm when I was a kid I loved to "torture" my toys with a welding torch (oh poor F14 and poor Bismark who I sank in a water bin). I just have images in my mind with my seven year old nephew who has one of my Valks in his hands *shiver*.

To be on topic. It would be really sad to see Arcadia abandon the Macorss line. On the other hand we got all the major Valkyries from the stuff that Yamato had the licenses for. What is missing are some rather niche Valks like the VF-5000 but their appearance and recognition is so minimal that I doubt someone will ever make one. It is a miracle that the VF-4 has seen the light of day.

So we got all we could hope for (and more) and if this is the end than it was a worthwhile journey.

However I doubt that Arcadia will abandon Macross I think they will come back with a bang.

[Mechapilot77]

Jwinges,

Not to sound rude, but I think you are trying to impose your morality/ideas on money/the toy market onto yamato and criticize them for it. Sure, yamato's transforming valkyries do cater to higher end collectors. Does that make them elitist? No. They are a business in business to make money (while presumably doing and desingin and making things they themselves would enjoy?). They must have done more than enough market research to figure out that those interested in this franchise would like a certain "feature set" if you will and are willing to pay a certain price point to get it. If anything, they have backed off and made concessions to the market. Clearly there was lots of work and passion put into the 1/48 scale VF-1's. They were an engineering marvel (by collectors toys standards) at the time, and people loved them. Unfortunately i'm sure their sales data showed that the market could not support an entire line of VF-1s AS WELL AS OTHER Valkyries in that scale (due to pricing and costing analysis i'm sure). Could you imagine how large a 1/48 VF-19 or VF-4 would be and assuming they'd want to operate at similar margins....how much that would cost?! Clearly the shift to 1/60 was done as an adjustment to the market. Also your point about every release being $150 is moot....they have macross items at far below that....in their GNU line for example.

Hm when I was a kid I loved to "torture" my toys with a welding torch (oh poor F14 and poor Bismark who I sank in a water bin). I just have images in my mind with my seven year old nephew who has one of my Valks in his hands *shiver*.

To be on topic. It would be really sad to see Arcadia abandon the Macorss line. On the other hand we got all the major Valkyries from the stuff that Yamato had the licenses for. What is missing are some rather niche Valks like the VF-5000 but their appearance and recognition is so minimal that I doubt someone will ever make one. It is a miracle that the VF-4 has seen the light of day.

So we got all we could hope for (and more) and if this is the end than it was a worthwhile journey.

However I doubt that Arcadia will abandon Macross I think they will come back with a bang.

I REALLY REALLY hope it continues on. Sure we have the current "definitive" version of many valks, but many could also use improvements as well as more variants. I think the market could support it. :-)

[Scyla]

Oh, I hope so too. And especially Bandai fans should hope that Arcadia continues. If Bandai has no counterpart on the transforming Valkyrie market I fear that all of their future releases will look like the V1 VF-25s.

And I think the Yamato releases are worth the price-tag they are going for. But I think everything above 20,000 Yen MSRP is a bit much for the 1/60 line so I hope the VF-4 is not the future regarding the price.

And don't start to reason on the basis of any other currency the the Yen because that is the currency and economy these toys were produced for. I'm sure Yamato knows how much disposable income their Japanese target audience has. So I assume their pricing fits for Japan. And that is all that matters for Yamato: the Japanese toy collector scene. Not some dirty Gaijin that is rambling on a foreign message board (yeah it's sad to admit this )

Edited February 15, 2013 by Scyla

[skullmilitia]

See, now the way you put it does kind of come off as Elitism and snobbery. You make it sound like there's a clear inferiority to collecting inexpensive domestic retail toys vs high ticket imports and that it's an either/or proposition as to which you can own.

That's not to say Jwinges is right because he's not and his logic is totally off base and nonsensical. BTW, I'd love to see some evidence of this supposed massive demographic of children clamoring for playable macross toys.

I'm just going off my own personal collecting Habits, I have displays for the cheap hasbro American figures, and I have a display full of expensive designer, and Japanese toys. the "Elite" call is just another jelly word... Kids don't know Macross, they certainly won't remember it, and If you have a kid and want to share, buy a easy to find 1/55 reissue.

The point is, Elite means nothing, there's guys with 1000's of Transformers contained in an entire room. Then there are guys with 4 display cases full of maybe 10 Valks, is one more elite? that doesn't even compute. Some people are hoarders, they buy to collect and show off, other people are Hobbyist, and have a general Love for their group of items and are loyal to the end ( i would ground kicker into here, based on his wonderful displays) then there are people like me, Entusiasts, we don't spend a lot, but we pick and choose, because we want a piece, but also want pieces of other.

IMO there are only four groups of people in the toy world

Childhood Hoarder.

Collector.

Hobbyist.

Enthusiast.

Elitism can't trully exist in toys, as the buyers, but by the sellers.

Bandai is an elitist company in terms of toys.

No single toy buyer can determine the availability to others.