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[treatment]

HLJ re-opens pre-ordering for the Arcadia 1/60 Roy and Hikaru Strike VF-1S (both non-PF), as of this posting:

 

Arcadia 1/60 Strike Roy (non-PF):  https://www.hlj.com/1-60-scale-completely-transformed-vf-1s-strike-valkyrie-roy-focker-special-movie-ver-aca82166

 

Arcadia 1/60 Strike Hikaru (non-PF): https://www.hlj.com/1-60-scale-complete-transformation-vf-1s-strike-valkyrie-hikaru-ichijo-boarding-machine-movie-ver-reissue-aca82131-2#

 

update/edit:

now on Order Stop status again as of this update/edit:

If you missed out again, try ordering them again during scheduled release-date...

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 05:15 PM by treatment
updated

[26662]

1 hour ago, treatment said:

HLJ re-opens pre-ordering for the Arcadia 1/60 Roy and Hikaru Strike VF-1S (both non-PF), as of this posting:

 

Arcadia 1/60 Strike Roy (non-PF):  https://www.hlj.com/1-60-scale-completely-transformed-vf-1s-strike-valkyrie-roy-focker-special-movie-ver-aca82166

Arcadia 1/60 Strike Hikaru (non-PF): https://www.hlj.com/1-60-scale-complete-transformation-vf-1s-strike-valkyrie-hikaru-ichijo-boarding-machine-movie-ver-reissue-aca82131-2#

 

Can anyone speak to the quality of these?  I swore off Bandai’s HMRs for a number of reasons and these look like those HMRs (or the early 2000’s Yamatos).

[no3Ljm]

10 minutes ago, 26662 said:

Can anyone speak to the quality of these?  I swore off Bandai’s HMRs for a number of reasons and these look like those HMRs (or the early 2000’s Yamatos).

One of the best.  

You can also check @jenius' in-depth review for both Yamato and Arcadia VF-1 releases here: https://anymoon.com/blog/?p=4599

[MKT]

8 hours ago, 26662 said:

Can anyone speak to the quality of these?  I swore off Bandai’s HMRs for a number of reasons and these look like those HMRs (or the early 2000’s Yamatos).

Definitely check out the link @no3Ljm posted. 

I'll just say that for a 16 years old mold, the tolerances & precision beat many toys today, including the DX, and that qualifies the Arcadia as a legendary mold in my view. It may not have the heft of a DX for its size since it has very little metal, but the plastics are strong, withstands many transformation cycles (though there are one or two areas that need caution less they break), and the joints won't really go weak over time. 

Edited Tuesday at 01:30 PM by MKT

[Radioguy]

Not doing PF on these either after the SDF news has me dumbfounded. I mean, Arcadia quality is the best at 1/60 scale, but if you don't even want people to think of considering Valkyrie Factory KOs as cheap alternatives, why not go back to the PF versions that they won't do to seal the deal?

Are the added tampos really that cost-prohibitive?

[Sanity is Optional]

8 minutes ago, Radioguy said:

Not doing PF on these either after the SDF news has me dumbfounded. I mean, Arcadia quality is the best at 1/60 scale, but if you don't even want people to think of considering Valkyrie Factory KOs as cheap alternatives, why not go back to the PF versions that they won't do to seal the deal?

Are the added tampos really that cost-prohibitive?

I don't think it's the cost of the tampo as much as the added cost on the figures makes them real shelf-warmers.

Moreso for some valks than others, but who here remembers how long the Max+Milia premiums and the VF-4 premium sat around at HLJ with constant discounts?

[Radioguy]

1 minute ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Moreso for some valks than others, but who here remembers how long the Max+Milia premiums and the VF-4 premium sat around at HLJ with constant discounts?

I'd seen them fluctuate, but what was the lowest ever HLJ price? PF Max and Mirya with super parts are still listed there, but nowhere near this Max/Roy price right now. One might wonder if that price difference is what the PF cost is, but that's difficult to accept.

[Sanity is Optional]

2 minutes ago, Radioguy said:

I'd seen them fluctuate, but what was the lowest ever HLJ price? PF Max and Mirya with super parts are still listed there, but nowhere near this Max/Roy price right now. One might wonder if that price difference is what the PF cost is, but that's difficult to accept.

Based on Arcadia's statements, it actually is what they cost, plus what is likely a larger percentage share for the vendor to justify them carrying something that sells slower/ is a higher risk to stock.

The curse of being a smaller business:

• Smaller volume means higher per-unit production costs
• Smaller company means less bargaining power with stores, less marketing.
• Lower consumer demand, no "premium" branding due to less well known company
• All of the above means that vendors want higher profit margins.

As a (rectally extracted) example, say a figure sells from Bandai to HLJ at ¥10,000 and HLJ charges ¥12,000, HLJ has a profit margin on the sale of 20%. Being a Bandai toy, it will likely sell well, and HLJ anticipates it won't cost them much in time/storage to make that 20%.

A similar toy might cost Arcadia ¥12,000 to make. To get the same profit margin the MSRP would have to be ¥14,400. However, if HLJ expects that it will take 2x as long to sell, and is more of a risk for them to stock, they'll likely want a higher profit margin, say 40% which puts the MSRP at ¥16,800. So the Arcadia one ends up being way more expensive.

 

[davidwhangchoi]

2 hours ago, MKT said:

I'll just say that for a 16 year old mold, the tolerances & precision beats many toys today, including the DX, which qualify as a legendary mold in my view. It may not have the heft of a DX for its size, as it has very little metal. But the plastics is strong, withstands many transformations (though there are one or two areas that need caution less they break), and the joints won't really go weak over time. 

 

[Lolicon]

Arcadia's VF-1 (inherited from Yamato) is the best VF-1 toy.

[Slave IV]

12 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Based on Arcadia's statements, it actually is what they cost, plus what is likely a larger percentage share for the vendor to justify them carrying something that sells slower/ is a higher risk to stock.

The curse of being a smaller business:

• Smaller volume means higher per-unit production costs
• Smaller company means less bargaining power with stores, less marketing.
• Lower consumer demand, no "premium" branding due to less well known company
• All of the above means that vendors want higher profit margins.

As a (rectally extracted) example, say a figure sells from Bandai to HLJ at ¥10,000 and HLJ charges ¥12,000, HLJ has a profit margin on the sale of 20%. Being a Bandai toy, it will likely sell well, and HLJ anticipates it won't cost them much in time/storage to make that 20%.

A similar toy might cost Arcadia ¥12,000 to make. To get the same profit margin the MSRP would have to be ¥14,400. However, if HLJ expects that it will take 2x as long to sell, and is more of a risk for them to stock, they'll likely want a higher profit margin, say 40% which puts the MSRP at ¥16,800. So the Arcadia one ends up being way more expensive.

 

Echoing that the Arcadia 1/60 is excellent and still I'm many ways better than the DX. To me, the original 1/55, Yamato 1/48, Yamacadia 1/60, DX and HMR VF-1's all have merit and claim to being the best VF-1s ever made in different ways and all still worth collecting to this day.

The point quoted above and regarding stock sitting on clearance is simple but seemingly overlooked by people always asking about prices and "just making more". There just isn't that much demand and profit in Macross for companies to be making more than we are already getting of these things. Get what you can when you can and if you missed out, high aftermarket prices are going to be normal when stock runs out and  the total amount of products is so low compared to other similar products from much more popular franchises.

[jenius]

Every Macross fan needs at least one Yamato or Arcadia 1/60 v2. It is still great, no doubt. 

[Radioguy]

Yeah, I only cited the KOs as existing and being a potential threat, but an Arcadia 1/60 is a must have. I'm glad to own a couple.

[treatment]

On 4/22/2024 at 8:42 PM, treatment said:

HLJ re-opens pre-ordering for the Arcadia 1/60 Roy and Hikaru Strike VF-1S (both non-PF), as of this posting:

 

Arcadia 1/60 Strike Roy (non-PF):  https://www.hlj.com/1-60-scale-completely-transformed-vf-1s-strike-valkyrie-roy-focker-special-movie-ver-aca82166

 

Arcadia 1/60 Strike Hikaru (non-PF): https://www.hlj.com/1-60-scale-complete-transformation-vf-1s-strike-valkyrie-hikaru-ichijo-boarding-machine-movie-ver-reissue-aca82131-2#

 

update/edit:

now on Order Stop status again as of this update/edit:

If you missed out again, try ordering them again during scheduled release-date...

 

 

 

fyi

new release date schedule for both is 8/24, per   https://arcadia.ac/user_data/news

 

 

[MisaForever]

18 hours ago, Radioguy said:

Yeah, I only cited the KOs as existing and being a potential threat, but an Arcadia 1/60 is a must have. I'm glad to own a couple.

There are KOs of Valks? I mean I shouldn't be surprised, just haven't ever come across any online.

[no3Ljm]

7 hours ago, MisaForever said:

There are KOs of Valks? I mean I shouldn't be surprised, just haven't ever come across any online.

Yup, since 2017.

[Radioguy]

12 hours ago, MisaForever said:

There are KOs of Valks? I mean I shouldn't be surprised, just haven't ever come across any online.

Well, KO's of Arcadia VF-1 valks. I think they are still on eBay, and some third-party retailer sites. They are sold under the Valkyrie Factory "brand".

More recently, there's another "brand" called FuGu that solicited a VF-1S (presumably from the same Arcadia KO mold) in Jetfire colors to compete with KitzConcept's "God of Flame" VF-1S that tries to attempt the same color scheme. That's garnered some added attention lately.

[jvmacross]

Any additional "KO" discussion can be posted here....thanks!

 

[Spark-O-Matic]

On 4/24/2024 at 3:01 PM, treatment said:

 

fyi

new release date schedule for both is 8/24, per   https://arcadia.ac/user_data/news

 

 

I missed it, the Cell Unicron was released and had to buy it as my preorder came up. got an AmiAmi Email this morning to retry again in August and this time ill order both.