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Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1


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I've never heard of this company before, but they've only opened shop since this year (2019).  But, they have a physical address and phone number in Japan.  I didn't take the time to search the inter-webs for feedback on them either.  But, the price is what it should be ($188 with EMS shipping).  Only downside is upfront payment.  Desperate measures may call for desperate times for those wanting to grab now.

https://okini.land/en/8955-dx-chogokin-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-use-bandai.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/okiniland

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okiniland

Edited by DYRL VF-1S
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10 minutes ago, DYRL VF-1S said:

I've never heard of this company before, but they've only opened shop since this year (2019).  But, they have a physical address and phone number in Japan.  I didn't take the time to search the inter-webs for feedback on them either.  But, the price is what it should be ($188 with EMS shipping).  Only downside is upfront payment.  Desperate measures may call for desperate times for those wanting to grab now.

https://okini.land/en/8955-dx-chogokin-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-use-bandai.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/okiniland

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okiniland

It’s a gamble. I’ll bite. Using PayPal.

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I avoided this site for days because I wanted to avoid the parade of triumphs.  Everyone getting theirs while I sat in the corner and sulked.  Sites crashed, cartjacked, etc.  But lo!  Every single person had the same problems I did!  Thank god for you guys!  Misery loves company!

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1 minute ago, DYRL VF-1S said:

I’m debating a second one from here. You can make a claim for PayPal up to 180 days so it would be in the window if the launch doesn’t get pushed.

That’s what made me jump

the gun. At least I have PayPal. Thanks!!

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38 minutes ago, Checkmate said:

It’s a gamble. I’ll bite. Using PayPal.

Willing to do the same, I tried to check out and only had 1 in cart but it keeps giving me an error of adjusting my quantity since there is a max of 3 yet I only have 1 in cart...did you run any issues?

Edit: looks like they ran out...

Edited by canklebreaker
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8 minutes ago, NeoVanguard said:

Has anyone tried Okini.land before? https://okini.land/en/8955-dx-chogokin-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-use-bandai.html    Looks like a really new japanese company. 

I would probably avoid Okini.land.

Doing a WHOIS lookup of this domain name (https://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=okini.land), the fact that there is zero contact information there is NOT reassuring....

image.png.fa705c16d675e95883d6edf1c1a70679.png

 

Edited by Shizuka the Cat
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55 minutes ago, DYRL VF-1S said:

I've never heard of this company before, but they've only opened shop since this year (2019).  But, they have a physical address and phone number in Japan.  I didn't take the time to search the inter-webs for feedback on them either.  But, the price is what it should be ($188 with EMS shipping).  Only downside is upfront payment.  Desperate measures may call for desperate times for those wanting to grab now.

https://okini.land/en/8955-dx-chogokin-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-use-bandai.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/okiniland

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okiniland

Thanks much for posting this.  I went ahead and grabbed one using paypal since I hadn't snagged one yet.  We'll see what happens. 

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They have an eBay store with 100% rating though seems to come up in Europe. I wound up not picking it up since I have a pre-order already. Hoping the gamble pays off for those that grabbed em! But for the price and protection from PayPal I think it’s worth the gamble.

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16 minutes ago, eggy99 said:

If Okini Land end up being reliable I think they will be one of my go to places. Good price and no GST charge for Aussies. What was the shipping charge or is shipping charged later?

If Okini Land ends up being reliable, they'll start selling out in a second just like every other store. Curious, though. Hopefully, this turns out to be a real thing for those who preordered there. 

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6 minutes ago, gingaio said:

If Okini Land ends up being reliable, they'll start selling out in a second just like every other store. Curious, though. Hopefully, this turns out to be a real thing for those who preordered there. 

I hope so too. The info from @Shizuka the Cat and the eBay store from Europe does raise some red flags. Thanks anyway, @DYRL VF-1S

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Im curious how many Yamato 1/48, Yamato 1/60, Bandai 1/60 and Bandai 1/55 MISB valkyries are sitting in people's attics, basements, and storage spaces. Likely thousands if not more. 

Collectors tend to hoard toys they feel are collectible. Problem is that plastic toys that degrade over time are a poor long- term investment and poor currency. But I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do with their own money. Hoarding like that leads to fatigue and eventually market collapse. 

Bandai should simply reissue tours for which there is high demand. They really screwed up on the 31A, they lose money every day on that one. 

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I don’t think it’s much skin off bandai’s back on the 31A...folks are still snapping up bandai products such as the 1/48 scale vf-1 like hot cakes!

plus they can release the 31A again anytime in future and folks will still want them because it was so limited the last time....sneaky...@$>#*%*

Also my opinion on what causes market collapse is not hoarding but unemployment...as long as it doesn’t impact u financially...hoard away!

Edited by seti88
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How about multiple pre order windows that bandai uses to guage demand and produce the proper supply. It would limit scalpers since supply would increase with demand then bandai could increase or decrease allotment of subsequent windows depending on speed of sale out of the previous window. 

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I don’t want to create alarm for anyone that got an order from HLJ, but I had contacted them regarding my cart jacking out of curiosity and got this reply: 

Quote

We got quite a few orders for this one and it is really not possible to say whether or not we could open orders back up. Unfortunately we are already over our limit, so I wouldn't be able to add any additional orders to the list.

 

Edited by DYRL VF-1S
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41 minutes ago, DYRL VF-1S said:

I don’t want to create alarm for anyone that got an order from HLJ, but I had contacted them regarding my cart jacking out of curiosity and got this reply: 

 

Thanks for the update. If they really did take too many orders I wish they would be a little quicker about canceling the extras so we're not left wondering. 

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9 hours ago, Anasazi37 said:

This was the exact thought process in my head when I decided to buy a marked-up one from NY when I got home from work. Waking up in the middle of the night on Monday to snag one, only to get cartjacked on multiple sites, wasn't worth it. It wrecked my entire day and I definitely wasn't going to do it again on Tuesday. I would rather hand over $100 now and not stress about trying to get one for the next five months, probably miss out right after the release because I'd be competing with a lot of other people, then prowl sites like Mandarake for weeks/months until I find one and end up paying at least $100 over MSRP anyway. Bandai's at fault because they make far too few of them, a practice that will continue to alienate collectors and drive them away. Many of the online merchants are also at fault because they encourage and support scalpers by letting them reserve large quantities without having to pay anything up front, don't reward customer loyalty (I've given HLJ a lot of money over the years), and don't think about how their practices impact those of us who don't live in Japan. I've debated giving up on collecting Bandai valks multiple times over the past year because the stress and frustration simply isn't worth it. This is supposed to be fun, and if it continues to not be fun, I have far better things I can do with my free time.

You basically summed up my thoughts exactly.  I'm in this hobby for fun and relaxation, and chasing ridiculous pre-order windows or dealing with scalper prices is neither.  Some sort of loyalty reward or priority for pre-ordering early with a particular vendor would be nice, but even that kind of system could be abused by scalpers (I'm sure many of them are collectors themselves, and also scalp other product lines, so they probably do a lot of business with these online retailers, too).  Still, an early pre-order window with a limit 1 per customer (with bans for people caught trying to circumvent it with multiple accounts/addresses) for long-term customers could help the situation somewhat.

I can deal with this once or twice a year, but if this is the "new norm," I'll just have to go find a different hobby.  That isn't some threat to Bandai or something, I know they couldn't care less, it is just the reality of the situation.  They'll end up quietly losing customers they probably never even knew they had.  Which is partially why the situation is the way it is now, I guess.

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@Anasazi37 and @HardlyNever that's how I am feeling in response to all this too. I settled for the NY markup price and a semi reasonable scalper on Yahoo Japan (wanted one for Battroid display and one for Fighter display). Checking all the selling sites  multiple times per hour for two days following the impossible pre-order to see if an opening popped up netted me zilch. It's good that it worked for a couple of people on here but that's luck of the draw.

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9 hours ago, beatsing said:

Greed.

Scalpers wouldn't make money if collectors weren't interested in paying the amounts they ask for.  

There are peeps who can afford and pay the $100 price hike the scalpers put up.  There isn't a lot of scalping for low margin items, like $10 toys at Walmart.

The transformers MP line has scalping, but it's not as bad as it was before, because the knock off companies started cashing in with low prices.  Sicne there are of cheap knock offs, a lot of buyers didn't bite on the high priced originals on ebay.  collectors get ripped off on fake "originals".   Scalpers' inventory sits.

The yamarcadia are dealing with some KO now too.  If the scalpers didn't drive the prices up, the knock off companies probably wouldn't knock off as much.  If Bandai produced enough quantity, the scalpers wouldn't profit.  

Bandai has done nice for Macross DX line, but just a matter of time what happened to the MP and yamarcadia is for Bandai.   There are already knock off Gundams.  The knock offs also lower the value of our originals.

Bandai has to sue the knock off company like it is now suing some company in China for the copyright.  That cuts in profits.

Peeps like me are priced out of these high end collectibles.  And I don't feed the scalpers.

That sucks for us collectors, and for Bandai, yamarcadia, Takara, etc. 

When we were kids, Macross valks or Jetfire were just toys, not commodities.  

Now we stress over a 2 second window or pay scalper prices.

Greed doesn't work.  all this behavior is reducing my enjoyment of such iconic art.

Is it just me?

 

"Greed" sums it all up very nicely.

What we had seen in the MP line is interesting, in that KO has effectively flooded the market with extra supply.  Scalpers, after getting burned, retreat from that market.  Disregarding the moral question of KO's in the first place, and speaking purely from a collector's point of view (and one that doesn't plan on selling his collection), this is great.  However, I don't see that happening so quickly with Macross figures - the design requires super accurate tolerances and as we have already seen in the recent Arcadia KO VF-1's, the quality just can't match the original version at all.

If the choice is only between feeding a scalper and supporting a KO line, I might lean towards the latter because at least many collectors will be able to benefit from the increased supply in the market that drives away the scalpers.  Yes it's a blatant infringement of copyrights and yes the money should belong to Bandai in the first place, but if they are not answering to the excess demand, the market takes over and we are left with the less of the two evils to choose from.

Hope that makes sense... just venting my frustration on the whole situation as well.

 

 

Edited by rdrunner
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Maybe we'll get lucky? Maybe Bandai did produce more of these than the last run? Maybe there were more scalpers who pre-ordered than fans? Maybe 1A won't be as popular as 1J? Maybe more of us will not stand for overpriced mark ups? All this would help the price drop. If we all unite and say no to the scalpers the price will drop. At the end of the day we do set the price. My fingers are crossed for finding a reasonably priced one.

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10 hours ago, beatsing said:

Greed.

Scalpers wouldn't make money if collectors weren't interested in paying the amounts they ask for.  

There are peeps who can afford and pay the $100 price hike the scalpers put up.  There isn't a lot of scalping for low margin items, like $10 toys at Walmart.

The transformers MP line has scalping, but it's not as bad as it was before, because the knock off companies started cashing in with low prices.  Sicne there are of cheap knock offs, a lot of buyers didn't bite on the high priced originals on ebay.  collectors get ripped off on fake "originals".   Scalpers' inventory sits.

The yamarcadia are dealing with some KO now too.  If the scalpers didn't drive the prices up, the knock off companies probably wouldn't knock off as much.  If Bandai produced enough quantity, the scalpers wouldn't profit.  

Bandai has done nice for Macross DX line, but just a matter of time what happened to the MP and yamarcadia is for Bandai.   There are already knock off Gundams.  The knock offs also lower the value of our originals.

Bandai has to sue the knock off company like it is now suing some company in China for the copyright.  That cuts in profits.

Peeps like me are priced out of these high end collectibles.  And I don't feed the scalpers.

That sucks for us collectors, and for Bandai, yamarcadia, Takara, etc. 

When we were kids, Macross valks or Jetfire were just toys, not commodities.  

Now we stress over a 2 second window or pay scalper prices.

Greed doesn't work.  all this behavior is reducing my enjoyment of such iconic art.

Is it just me?

 

Totally get you man and you're right with respect to how the "demand" has worked with TF MP toys and now its starting to happen to  yamato/arcadia's VF-1 toys which seem to have a significant drop in the secondary market except for the rare ones with KOs not arcadia reissues haven't touched (btw at least aradia does reissues though some would argue too many!  which bandai did it more so this whole "rarity"  scalper/ko issue coudl be lesseend).

btw, certain $10 walmart toys if popular and underproduced do get scalped...it happens sometimes to things like even star wars black series figures (well $20 toys but you get the tpoint) that aren't well distributed at first...and even mainline TF toys.  happens all the time.  *sigh*

KOs aren't new though.  there were plenty of KO chunky monkeys around when i was a kid.  i only had jetfire and it was cool enough for me.  i half wish valkyrie factory would do a yamarcadia in jetfire deco.  lol. 

i do agree that both the greed on scalpers/ko part and the bad production planning on toy companies' parts are dulling my enthusiasm a bit....also i'm nearing "completing" my collections anyway so there is that.  at least arcadia has a long preorder window as does sentinel.  bandai...i wish they'd do that too.  maybe they like this undeserved fervor over rareness of mass producted toys.

Edited by Mechapilot77
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1 hour ago, rdrunner said:

"Greed" sums it all up very nicely.

What we had seen in the MP line is interesting, in that KO has effectively flooded the market with extra supply.  Scalpers, after getting burned, retreat from that market.  Disregarding the moral question of KO's in the first place, and speaking purely from a collector's point of view (and one that doesn't plan on selling his collection), this is great.  However, I don't see that happening so quickly with Macross figures - the design requires super accurate tolerances and as we have already seen in the recent Arcadia KO VF-1's, the quality just can't match the original version at all.

If the choice is only between feeding a scalper and supporting a KO line, I might lean towards the latter because at least many collectors will be able to benefit from the increased supply in the market that drives away the scalpers.  Yes it's a blatant infringement of copyrights and yes the money should belong to Bandai in the first place, but if they are not answering to the excess demand, the market takes over and we are left with the less of the two evils to choose from.

Hope that makes sense... just venting my frustration on the whole situation as well.

 

 

I agree.  I think there’s an additional benefit to knock offs - not that I approve of stealing other people’s intellectual property- is that they can be parts for broken originals.  I know there’s shapeways, but someone has to make the part available.  And it’s $25 per part.  A knock off is an entire set of replacement parts.  This issue would not be a benefit though if companies would stand behind their product and provide a service for replacement of parts.  Bandai does have this service but it’s limited to Japan.

 

a buddy ‘s kid broke theor masterpiece which was out of production, so they bought a ko and took the parts from the ko, since the quality of the original is obvious.

 

although some ko companies quality exceeds the original, and others fan company are putting out variants of the originals that aren’t available.  Either way, scalping and prices go down, and the market has inventory.  

If bandai got production numbers closer to demand, the scarcity wouldn’t result in the customers and Bandai getting screwed.

Edited by beatsing
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Greed is the result of capitalism. You can't say you love capitalism and then blame people who are capitalizing on the market when it doesn't work out for you. People love blaming anything but themselves when something doesn't work out. Just step your game up! If you really want to blame anyone, the only ones to blame are the retail shops who should be providing a good service to their customers. That includes websites that can handle the demand when needed. So far, only NY seems to be doing anything to address that matter. 

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3 minutes ago, NeoVanguard said:

Does anyone know if playasia already did their pre-orders already?  And if the pending pre-order message is just a mess up?   https://www.play-asia.com/dx-chogokin-macross-delta-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-custo/13/70cndh

They haven't done their pre-orders yet.

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DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1A TV Max pre-order madness:  April 8, 2019

 

AVAILABLE NOW

249.99 usd  @ Loopaza  https://www.loopaza.com/dx-chogokin-macross-delta-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-custom.html

27,500 yen  @ Nippon-Yasan  https://www.nippon-yasan.com/figures/27881-super-dimension-fortress-macross-dx-chogokin-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-custom.html

27,756 yen  @ Rakuten Global Market  https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/speedwagon/item/10002943/

29,990 yen  @ Nin-Nin-Games  https://www.nin-nin-game.com/en/japanese-import-hobbies-toys-game-character/31513-macross-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximillian-jenius-use-dx-chogokin--4573102567222.html 

31,800 yen  @ CDJapan Proxy Service  http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NEODAI-55157

 

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

16,280 yen  @ Nippon-Yasan  https://www.nippon-yasan.com/figures/27881-super-dimension-fortress-macross-dx-chogokin-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-custom.html

17,100 yen  @ Hobby Search  https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10605111

18,000 yen  @  AmazonJP   https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B07QC9VHJC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AN1VRQENFRJN5&psc=1

18,000 yen  @ CDJapan  http://mag.cdjapan.co.jp/?4_--_3284216_--_1885_--_9

18,000 yen  @ HLJ  https://hlj.com/dx-chogokin-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-use-bans56722

18,000 yen  @ Anime Export  http://www.anime-export.com/product/43703

18,450 yen  @ AmiAmi  https://www.amiami.com/eng/detail/?gcode=FIGURE-047859

18,468 yen  @ Nin-Nin-Games  https://www.nin-nin-game.com/en/japanese-import-hobbies-toys-game-character/31513-macross-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximillian-jenius-use-dx-chogokin--4573102567222.html 

18,470 yen  @ PlazaJapan  https://www.plazajapan.com/4573102567222

259.90 usd  @  Kurama Shop  https://www.bandaionline.com/dx-chogokin-vf-1a-valkyrie-maximilian-jenius-custom-action-figure/

29,399 yen  @ CDJapan Proxy Service   http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/agency/yahoo/product/puremiamuserekuto_4573102567222

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