Anasazi37

Same here. Opted to pay up front at AE to take advantage of the current exchange rate. It's how I was able to justify (to myself) purchasing Arcadia's plush gunpod, too! I was curious to see how big of a markup we'd be dealing with for the worldwide release. Given that the MSRP in Japan, without taxes, is ¥26,000 ($180), the markup is $100. That's 56% higher, which is significant. It's not the fault of BBTS or the other stores offering it outside of Japan--unless they're all part of some extremely well-organized secret toy store syndicate that ensures higher prices. I think we've established, after a few of these WWM releases, that Bandai just decided it was in their best interest to jack up the prices for stores overseas, who then pass that additional cost on to us. They're probably wagering that we're all more willing to hand over 56% more money instead of having to deal with PO Madness and scalpers. Are they right? I don't know.

WWM is stamped on the wings of the first worldwide valk:

Except one wing will have "NO STEP" markings and the other will have "ꟼƎTƧ OИ" to maintain visual symmetry

I pre-ordered the two latest Tiny Session releases, that also went live today at 4pm JST, from HLJ: https://www.hlj.com/tiny-session-vf-31j-siegfried-hayate-immelmann-machine-with-freyja-wion-bans64152 https://www.hlj.com/tiny-session-vf-31f-siegfried-messer-ihlefeld-machine-with-kaname-buccaneer-bans64153 Looks like they are both still available. I figured everyone would be fighting it out for the VF-25 Alto, so I focused on getting that one first (from AE), then circled back to pick up the two Tiny Session releases. I got all three items, across AE and HLJ, over the span of a minute. That's the game these days, unfortunately.

Agreed! On HLJ you now get a whole minute to try to secure a PO instead of seeing the item instantly sold out after an F5 page refresh. As I was buying mine at AE (they posted first), I was also refreshing the HLJ page to see how long it took to sell out. It took long enough that I probably could have bought one there, too, but opted to not be greedy and let someone else have it. I did grab the next two Tiny Sessions on HLJ, though. ...and those of us who are set in our ways! I'm having a hard time letting go of my mistrust of Bandai's international distribution plans and buying from a store in the US. I know that doesn't help with respect to encouraging Bandai to keep doing worldwide releases, but they also shouldn't jack up the per unit price for overseas customers by such a large amount. AE is sold out now, BTW.

...now with worse quality control....

And here: https://ameblo.jp/arcadiaac

Absolutely

Starting with filament (PLA) instead of resin is not a bad idea. PLA printers tend to be a lot less expensive and you don't have to worry about the messy prep and cleanup that comes with resin. I have both types, and both serve clear and complementary purposes for me (PLA for larger less detailed stuff, resin for smaller more detailed stuff). I started with PLA and am very glad that I did. Spent several months getting the hang of it, learning to effectively use the software and get reliable prints. Involved lots of reading advice online (especially Reddit threads) and experimenting. I bought a Creality CR-6 SE, mainly because it came with a bed auto-leveling feature that is VERY useful. Most companies selling PLA printers will give you a custom-branded version of the open source Cura slicing software (https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura), but I highly recommend just going straight to the source and downloading that instead. Way more flexibility in how you can print and it's updated regularly. Most companies also run some custom-branded version of the Marlin firmware on the printers themselves, and it tends to limit the capabilities of those printers. There are communities of developers that have put together better and more flexible firmware for a lot of printers and if you're brave enough to install it, you do get better results. I've been running the "community" firmware on my CR-6 SE for more than a year and don't regret it one bit. I eventually picked up a resin printer when it was clear that I needed more than a few parts for the kits I was working on and I didn't want to pay exorbitant prices to have someone else print them for me (using an online service like Craftcloud). My breaking point was a project where outsourcing the resin printing would cost more than just buying a printer and figuring out how to use it. Resin is a completely different animal compared to PLA. Even the slicing software is different. I use Chitubox (https://www.chitubox.com/en/index), but Lychee is another option. I really don't like Lychee, though, because you're subjected to ads, your activities are tracked by the developers, and it can't do certain basic things like mirror parts that are already on supports. I bought an Elegoo Saturn, which has been more than sufficient for my needs. Standard resin, like standard PLA, costs about $25/kg. The printer needs to be on a level surface in a well-ventilated area that doesn't get a lot of direct sunlight (or just put a cover or box over the printer when it's in use, which is what I do because there's a window nearby). You'll also want to have a good mask (I keep a KN-95 handy) so you don't breathe in the fumes and good nitrile gloves so you don't get uncured resin on your skin. Printed parts have to be cleaned before they are cured and that's a multi-step process. I rinse in Mean Green, then water, then isopropyl alcohol. I use an Elegoo Mercury curing station, but you can also put parts out in the sun to cure. It takes a lot longer and results can be inconsistent, though. Whether you take the parts off of their supports before or after curing depends on the part. Cleaning up the printer afterwards, including pouring unused resin back into the bottle and cleaning the tank, is a bit of an art form. I developed a routine for everything I just described, but it took experimentation over time. There are a lot of scanner options out there and until you get to the ones that cost thousands of dollars, they all suck in different ways. I've tried several and ended up building my own because I was so frustrated. Some have good hardware but crappy software. Others have good software but crappy hardware.

I'm glad that Bandai decided against putting WWM on the wing and adding a gigantic, ugly, non-canon squadron logo in multiple places under the guise of "some markings have been added" (statement found on the Google Translate version of the product page).

It likely will be since anything that isn't SDFM is fair game, but stores outside of Japan generally don't start taking orders until after PO Madness happens in Japan. About 1-2 weeks later, I think, but that's just a rough guess based on the first few WWM releases. LP is usually one of the first stores to post a link. I won't buy from them, based on the experiences of many MW members.

Looks like Freya and Kaname are up next:

I still call it Future as well. Just easier that way. Still made by Pledge and is called "Pledge Revive It Floor Gloss" now: http://www.finescale.com/how-to/tips/2018/05/reader-tips-pledge-future-gloss-has-a-new-name Actually, I stand corrected. Just checked online and Pledge discontinued it in January of this year. Crap.

I only have one VF-25 in my collection right now, a later-run Ozma with Armor. Cost me a lot on the secondary market to get it, so I couldn't justify picking up an Alto as well--much less one with accessories. I'm mildly happy about this reissue because I might be able to get an Alto, with Super Parts, as MSRP. With my luck, I'll end up with one that has some serious QC issues, but that's the risk these days.

I guess it's "if you can do the math to figure out what we mean by 180, you're old enough to buy this"

One of the best panel lining options out there, especially when you're applying it directly to a valk and want easy cleanup, comes from Flory: https://www.florymodels.org/washes The best dynamic stand option is the the Yeti Stand, and you'll see a lot of discussion about them here, but they haven't been available for several years. No one knows when, or if, they'll ever be sold again. Next best option is the Flightpose Stand, but I think the manufacturer is still experiencing production delays and has no stock at the moment. You could also look into getting a different Bandai stand, like the ones used for Gundam models, and finding/printing an adapter so it will work with your valk. I'm not sure about that option, though, since valks tend to be a lot heavier than Gundam models and the arm portion of the stand might not be able to support the extra weight.

Thanks for confirming, guys. Given what my box went through on its journey here, I just wanted to be sure. Sorry to hear about the battle damage....

My gunpod FINALLY arrived. Took two weeks to get here via EMS. A full week of that time was it sitting in customs at LAX. When I picked it up at the post office this afternoon, I was horrified by the condition of the box. I would expect that kind of treatment for something shipped surface, not EMS. Luckily the gunpod was fine. Not sure anyone noticed it before, but there are two nylon loops on the underside where you can attach a strap! I don't think I'm missing anything from the box, like a strap, but @Loliconplease confirm if you can. For me it was just the gunpod in a plastic bag.

Welcome to the hobby and good luck!

Three options: Make a friend in Japan who is willing to receive Arcadia web exclusive items you purchase and ship them to you Send the items you purchase to a package forwarding service like Tenso or Blackship (their websites detail the entire process) Have a shopping proxy service like FromJapan, Buyee, or Big in Japan (there are many others) both purchase and ship your items. As with #2, the websites for proxies detail the entire process.

HobbyLink Japan, Anime Export, Ami Ami, and Amazon Japan are popular options. Just be sure to pick one that ships to your country in a way that you can afford. Arcadia items tend to not sell out as quickly as Bandai's, so you can usually avoid the more risky/expensive/slow options like Nin-Nin Game and Luna Park for POs. Be prepared to continue overpaying for Bandai items, though. It's difficult to secure POs for them, so most overseas collectors get items after release on the secondary market.

Ah, the good old days when you could leisurely ask a proxy to purchase it for you. Now it's another form of PO Madness, where you have to get to a proxy as quickly as possible, otherwise they run out of purchasing slots (thanks, Bandai!) and you're stuck waiting until after release and hoping you can get one on the secondary market for a somewhat reasonable price.

To your cats it probably looks like a large, gunpod-shaped scratching post

Arcadia sold it for ¥15,180 with tax included. I purchased it directly from their site and had it shipped to Tenso, who charged me ¥10,250 for EMS shipping to the US (¥9100 postage, ¥1150 handling fee). I think folks going through proxies to purchase and ship ended up paying about the same overall. EMS shipping might be slightly cheaper than Tenso, but the proxies hit you with a bunch of processing fees (percentage of item's purchase price fee, per-store shopping fee, item receiving and inspection fee, item packing fee, etc.). Pretty sure that @Loliconused some credit at a proxy and only ended up paying for shipping and handling. Nicely played.