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Valkyrie Driver

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    Gundam Plamodel Thread IV

    in Anime or Science Fiction

    Posted · Edited by Valkyrie Driver

    This came yesterday. Haven't started yet, I need to do some thinking about how I plan on painting it. Since I don't want it to be standard colors...

    2017-11-10 17.01.54.jpg

    Edit:

    How should I go about this? Do I prime on the sprue, or should I take the individual pieces off and prime? Do I paint the whole thing once assembled, or as individual pieces?

    Online Vendors to Buy Japanese Toys

    in Anime or Science Fiction

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

    Sir, the only solution for your 'serious' issues is to leave cuckanda wherever that is and just live in Japan where you can get your stuff personally and worry-free from shipment and shipping boxes. You worry too much about the box. You worry too much what they plaster and print on their shipping box. And you worry too much if your neighbor or your wife finds out that you purchase a toy. I mean, why? Why worry too much? You LOVE WHAT you're buying, right? Be proud of it.  

    I mean, c'mon, try to run a business like theirs and see if you could make it better. And if you do, then go to their warehouses afterwards and tell them how to run it. We already get it. We already understand your frustrations against HLJ. So hopefully this time all those links and shop names we gave you helps. 

    Just sayin'.

    QFT

    29 minutes ago, slaginpit said:

    Right! I dont care if your logo is on the box. It just goes into the recycling bin. Do they think the truck driver cares? What about the airport staff that loads the the box unto the plane? What if I do not want my neighbor or my wife to know I have purchased a toy? Heck even LEGO doesn't plaster their name on the box. Probably because there is an additional cost to do so, and they are a billion times larger than BBTS. 2.1 Billion in sales and yet they do not need to put a stupid tampo. Just a plain simple box. And anything over 35 bucks is free shipping that their warehouse in the states ships out. Yes yes I know they may own their own distribution but I wont go into the details how this is  bogus excuse for HLJ and BBTS.

    Um, So what? If you don't want your wife to know, maybe she has legit concerns, and you should talk about it? As for your neighbor, who cares? Your complaints about the box are probably the most inane thing I've heard in a good long while. Also, if you don't care that the logo is on the box, why are you making such a fuss?

    34 minutes ago, slaginpit said:

    I live in cuckanda the land of money laundered properties, feminists SJWs and funny money. 

    I'm assuming you meant Canada, and this forum is supposed to be apolitical, so you can keep those comments to yourself, we are here to discuss what we have in common and to unite as a fandom, so I'll say it before a mod does. Or if you prefer, we can get a mod involved...

    39 minutes ago, slaginpit said:

    -In regards to HLJ. This is bogus. They have a huge overstock of products they cant push. This is also a part of a business that items would remain on the shelf. Have you seen the number of useless trinkets that remain unsold and they try to pawn off as a sale item every year? And I guess the 10k they did receive in business from me doesnt matter.

    Much of that is probably from people who have cancelled pre-orders. Also, for a company as big as HLJ, your 10K is a drop in the bucket. I'm sorry about your issues, but that's their business model, and it seems to work quite well for them. I'm going to reiterate what @no3Ljm said, you run a business like that and then you can criticize.

    47 minutes ago, slaginpit said:

    Thats like saying If I bought a specialized tool from you and then changed my mind later on my next purchase you do not want to deal with me on business. Not a good model when you have a very niche market. Money is money. Otherwise sell direct form manufab to customer.

    That's not at all the case. You said at least 15 times that you had cancelled pre-orders, that establishes a pattern. Patterns can be predicted, and they decided that doing business with you is a risk that they don't want. You may not agree with their model, but it is their model, and a majority of their customers don't seem to have a problem. Anyway, you can't seem to do business with them anyway so this point is moot.

    53 minutes ago, slaginpit said:

    And its stupid to say what whatever he market will pay. Just think about Beanie babies. Its more often Greed and scalping. Which are different dynamics

    Actually it isn't stupid. It's completely accurate, because it's the cornerstone of free market economics, which by the way, a form of which is practiced in most of the westernized world (That means, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, most, if not all, of Europe, even Russia to an extent). Maybe you need to take an economics class, and actually try to understand how markets work, review supply and demand, and then you'll understand collecting as a hobby and an investment. Besides, if someone wants to sell a thing for $1000, it's either worth it, or it isn't. If it is, that means the market supports the price tag, if not, the thing will stay on the shelf, and the guy is only hurting himself. He can charge whatever he wants, the market will determine it's actual worth. Just because you can't afford it doesn't mean it's an unreasonable price.

    Also, scalping is an integral part of trade, it's only a bad thing when it's illegal. Any private resale of goods is going to contain an element of scalping, since when we sell off our toys, we're trying to make a profit, even if it's small. That's private resale for you. Also, saying it's greed is a cop out, since everyone wants something they don't have. 

    TL;DR, Stop bellyaching and deal with it. This is the hobby. If you don't like it, quit. We're not going to hear any more bitching. Hopefully our suggestions have helped. 

    2 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

    Since you're US based, hope you got refunded on that lost package. But same as tekering said, BBTS have great customer service and they're prompt and helpful when there's a problem. This is based on my experience so BBTS is still good in my books. ;) 

    Actually, I don't think I ever did. But that was years ago so there's really no point now... Maybe I'll give them a try on my next non macross purchase.

    Online Vendors to Buy Japanese Toys

    in Anime or Science Fiction

    Posted

    4 hours ago, tekering said:

    I've always found BBTS to be a reliable source of product that I can't get anywhere else, so I'm prepared to pay higher prices when I don't have any alternative.  Their customer service is top-notch, and problems with products I've received are always dealt with in a prompt and courteous manner.

    I've had some bad experiences with BBTS. Their markup is too high and there was one package I ordered from them that just never showed up. Also being a US retailer, they just don't get the merchandise that I'm after. So Typically They aren't on my radar anymore. 

    4 hours ago, tekering said:

    However, here in Japan, packages aren't usually charged customs duties unless they're clearly merchandise, and BBTS shipping boxes always call attention to themselves in that manner.  I rarely have to pay additional fees on shipments from Chinese retailers, because their packaging isn't adorned with company logos (and often the paperwork is marked "gift" specifically to avoid such customs charges).  

    Ah, I see. The only fees that I saw n the customs website were for storage fees. 

    Super Macross Mecha Fun Time Discussion Thread!

    in Movies and TV Series

    Posted

    As for the YF-29, Looking at the toy, I see 6 Micro missile launchers (2 shoulder mounted, and 2 outboard on each leg/engine nacelle), the back mounted twin beam cannons, the head lasers, and the Beam Gun Pod (which I don't know the technical name for).

    There are ports on the hips, and forearms which look like they should be weapons, and then there are supposed to be guns of some kind in the monitor turret. 

    That accounts for the weapons that I can see, some of which seem unlisted. 

    Is it true that the YF-29 was supposed to have the same performance and firepower of the VF-25 with tornado parts?

     

    Super Macross Mecha Fun Time Discussion Thread!

    in Movies and TV Series

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

    Arguably just three... the VF-1A, VF-1J, and VF-1S.  The VF-1D variant was a rushed conversion of the VF-1A to make a training aircraft1, and the design was retired and replaced by a proper training model (the VT-1) before the First Space War even ended2.

    Even the VF-1J's placement on the list is tenuous, since they were only produced in low volumes as a potential alternative to the VF-1A in the early blocks that never really "took off"3.  Some works like the DYRL? writeup and Macross II's continuity materials4 suggest that most ended up being used as Armored Pack units semi-permanently while the VF-1A and VF-1S did the heavy lifting.  There were some attempts to consolidate it down to one variant, like the VF-1B (Half-S), eventually succeeding with the VF-1X.

    That's a bit more info than I had. That all makes sense though. I was hesitant to include the D since it was a 2 seater, and there are plenty of real world examples of single and tandem fighters serving in the same squadrons (ex. there used to be 1-2 F-106B's in every squadron for checkrides and training). 

    5 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

    Let's lop the -E off that, since sources can't even agree if the -E is a first or second production type.

    When all's said and done, the VF-19 ended up with at least seven variants operating concurrently5, though no more than two at a time in any known location... inevitably in "grunt" and "command" versions.  Some forces were more reasonable, though, like Macross Galaxy's Pegasus Squadron, which was made up entirely of VF-19C/MG21s.

    I meant to imply that the E was included tentatively, since as you pointed out we can't know if it was a 1st or 2nd production type. So I have to ask, with the 1st production type VF-19's was it a C model serving as a command version of the A, or was there a VF-19A/C commander type sub modification?

    5 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

    To be fair, those at least had the good grace to all be design-optimized for different operational roles.

    Fair enough. Similar to how the F-4C/D/E/G all operated concurrently, but were mission optimized. The F-4E/G sharing the same airframe modification, but the E being optimized as a fighter/bomber, and the G being SEAD optimized. Am I drawing a correct parallel?

    5 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

    Ech... not quite.  The VF-4 had several variants that were in service simultaneously, though most were optimized for particular operational theaters similarly to the F-356.  (Its known official variant list includes Air Force and Navy versions in addition to the all-regime/Spacy version.)

    The VF-11's a better example of that, as is the VF-171, once you subtract out regional variations.

    Right. I guess my primary concern was less that there were multiple serving concurrently, but that there were multiple variants serving within the same organizational structure (flight/platoon/team/squadron, etc). 

    5 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

    There are two potential real-world motivations I can think of.  One was an old wartime practical concern of giving the most experienced pilots the newest and best possible hardware that they'd have been best suited to making full use of.  The other would be the distinctly Japanese habit of having the larger flight platoon instead of pairs of aircraft, with the leader and most experienced pilot being expected to mentor and, to a certain extent, protect the less experienced pilots in his charge.

    (It was also not unheard-of for experienced pilots to customize their aircraft back in the bad old days of the world wars, though customizations often focused more on defense rather than offense, such as the Soviets removing the wing guns from their lend-lease P-39s or the Japanese up-armoring the cockpits of their A6M Zeros to ensure that experienced pilots made it back alive.  Of course, the most storied example would be Baron Manfred von Richthofen's ace custom Albatross D.III with structural reinforcements.)

    I mean, All of those arguments made sense. I'd never really thought about it in terms of WWII, since I'm so much a child of Cold War era thinking. I don't understand what you mean about the Japanese using a larger flight platoon.

    5 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

    Considering practically every one of its weapons is MDE?  Yes.

    Practically, what ones aren't?

    Your most recent Macross or toy purchase! General thread.

    in Hall Of The Super Topics

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Ignacio Ocamica said:

    Looks awesome. I don't collect figurines, I'm more an only mecha collector but this Mirage is looking very good!!!

    I don't really collect figurines either. This was really the only one I found myself wanting. Mostly because I adore Mirage. She does look good though. 

    I think that If I were going to continue, I'd only want figurines of the pilots for whom I have Mecha. BUt then my shelves would be a sausage fest, and that's not fun to look at...

    1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

    I don't mind if they're cheap. Both the mirage figs were like $30-$35 with shipping, and the Sheryl was I think around $25 shipped.

    I got mine for like $14 shipped, so I had to wait a month, that's fine. At least it showed up on my Birthday, so Happy birthday to me!

     

    Online Vendors to Buy Japanese Toys

    in Anime or Science Fiction

    Posted · Edited by Valkyrie Driver

    Up until recently, I had been going through Amazon for most of my Macross Toys. Shipping was often quick, and often bypassed customs. I have ordered from HLJ, AmiAmi, and Mandarake. I have had very good luck with all of my orders. 

    Nippon Yasan and CD Japan are two that I have not yet had need to use, but from what I understand, they aren't bad either. 

    On 11/8/2017 at 11:02 AM, slaginpit said:

    Part 1

     

    I would like to know where to buy Japanese toys online outside of AMIAMI, NY, HLJ?

    Often I cant seem to pre-order any items like Exclusive Gundams, or any other figure toy made or designed in Japan.

    I know the usual sites are sold out the minute something is released but I dont have much time to stay online and follow and because of the time difference its near impossible to ever get anything. My fallback usually is BBTS but those guys mark up crap to such an unacceptable level that I am surprised they are still in business. Coupled that I have pleaded with them to stop shipping in boxes with the dam logo all over the box. Customs salivate like Cuju when they see it and tag another 40% to 60% on the item. Never happens with many other vendors. So here is a list of vendors I use.  I would list HLJ but I have been banned. Never mind I have spent since I started collected data from 2014 which is around $5220.47. And I have been purchasing from them around 2008. So I believe its close to 10k.But because I cancelled at least 15 Pre-orders. And So what. Dont offer the service. But same problem with them with putting their stupid logo all over the box and getting an additional 40% on the purchase/shipping price.

    For my King Arts Iron Man stuff and 3rd Party Transformers Rated around Pricing and ease of use.

    1. Robot Kingdom.

    2. TF-Direct

    3. TheChosenPrime

    4. BBTS -My last go to. Like I said horrible Prices and getting dinged on Customs makes it unpalatable -ABSOLUTE last Resort

    For Sentinel, anything Tamashii Nations from Metal Build, Exclusive Gundams, basically anything Japanese

    1. Nippon Yasan.

    Probably one of the best for ease of use, good service and often I find if you add yourself to the watch list items do get backfilled.

    2. AmiAmi

    Brutal customer service. I mean if by chance you cant purchase your pre-order, kiss your keister goodbye as you would loose a vendor to purchase from. Their selection is also piss poor.

    3. BBTS -Oh gawd. WHY! tag another 100 bucks!

    4. My local shop. He is really a Hot Toys Specialist but will carry Metal Build, SOC etc. Bloody expensive. He matches his prices against BBTS and uses the same distributor like Blue Fin and the main one I forgot the name for N. Murrica. Also, he acts like a collector ie I saw he has the SOC 3PO and I wanted to buy it from him, but he marked it up to 1000 dollars??? I never understood this because his cost was the original SRP. Not what the market of a very few would be able to dish out. So it just sits there gathering dust. This is the mentality of these small shops. Can you imagine stores behaving like this? Anyhoo. yeah. Often when he says he will get a metal build he actually cant get it. IE he gave up on getting anything macross related, when he does, usually a few months after release he will sell it for 700 CANADIAN (funny money) dollars.

    EBAY.

    Oh I really want to die!!!. Last Last resort. I was lucky to find a 12PM Tiger and Bunny figures for 157 AUS dollars. My local shop owner wants 400 for just the tiger figure whereas the scalpers are asking 200 bucks for it.

    Where do you live? That customs is tacking on extra charges because of a logo on a box is ludicrous, but I live in the US so YMMV. BBTS is one of the worst stores I've ever purchased from, and would never do so again. For those of us outside of Japan, getting Macross anything is going to be nigh impossible (unless you purchase from a Japanese company like HLJ, NY, AmiAmi, or CDJ). As for being banned, well, you see, when you preorder something and don't pony up for it, they have that product allocated. That means it's going to sit on a shelf, and that means it's not getting purchased. At least 15 times you admitted to causing HLJ to lose money on a deal, so they have every right to refuse to do business with you, because you've proven unreliable. That sucks, but it's business. As for your local shop, he can charge whatever he wants, regardless of what he paid. The price is whatever the market will pay. I'm sorry that you're having a hard time, but it seems that some of this is stuff you've brought upon yourself. We'll try to help, but I think that this post has a bit too much bellyaching and few of us seem to be having the same problems that you are. 

    Super Macross Mecha Fun Time Discussion Thread!

    in Movies and TV Series

    Posted

    The VF-1 had multiple models, but there were 4 serving concurrently (the A, J, S, and D), the VF-19 2nd production run had the E, F, and S serving concurrently, and the VF-25A/F/G/S served concurrently as well. Then there were the other valkyries like the VF-4, VF-11, and 1st production VF-19 that were more like real world aircraft models, where the model designations denoted major design changes or upgrades, and don't really serve concurrently in the same squadron.

    I understand the storytelling reasons for having special models for the team leaders and squadron leaders to differentiate them from the mooks. I don't understand the practical reasons for it though...

    Robotech and REMIX by Titan Comics

    in Anime or Science Fiction

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Roy Focker said:

    I think they only stay good for 5 years.

    That's not strictly correct. MRE's are shelf stable, which means that they'll stay edible for a good long while. The stated shelf life is 5 years, which is when the military will rotate the unused cases out. They're actually good up to 10 years after their shelf life. 

    1 hour ago, Seto Kaiba said:

    Not that you'd notice a change in edibility once they went bad... ;)

    Yeah, you actually don't.

    1 hour ago, peter said:

    I'd rather eat MREs for a month than watch Robotech again, lol! 

    I don't mind eating MRE's. Though, they're hard to get since I got out of the military. Mountain House is actually really good, and packs a lot easier. You do need a jetboil though because the Mountain House stuff is dehydrated. Packs a lot easier though. 

    Eating MRE's for a month would be easy. Watching Robotech would be hard. I would also gladly bear the consequences of a month of eating MRE's than read these comics.

    Legos, anyone?

    in Anime or Science Fiction

    Posted

    16 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

    The VF-19 is rough 1/32 upscale of the Yamato 1/60 actually, with as many of the original features as I can cram in.  Will probably forego the retractable gear and opening cockpit, but so far I've gotten everything forward of the hip mounts designed and transformable.  The wings are also roughly laid out, and I've got a really good planform match by mounting them at an angle and using all sorts of angled plates.  I expect the trickiest parts to be getting the legs and arms even remotely functional.

    Can we get some pictures of progress?

    Also, My parents claim to still have my bucket of legos from when I was a kid, If I can get them back, I'll be trying to build some things from scratch.

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    in Toys

    Posted

    I am very happy with my Draken III.  

    1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

    I'dd be honest, if they made a Deculture/Itasha version of Roid's white Drakken (like this) I would buy the hell out of it.

    I'm not usually big on this sort of thing, but, yes. So much Yes...

    The Fanfiction Thread

    in Fan Works

    Posted

    So, I was actually thinking of trying this yet again. My last story sort of just petered out, as I was trying for a slow burn at the beginning to establish some characters. I'm not convinced that was the right call. 

    So, I want to try again. I want to try the colony fleet story again, so I need a name for my fleet. I was hoping for a name that would evoke a tranquil and ideal setting, that would contrast with what I'm going to subject the setting to. 

    Can I get any suggestions? 

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