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Darth Mingus

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Posts posted by Darth Mingus

  1. A few new items in the FFS space:

    Volks IMS Auge Arsculs is up for pre-order: https://volksusastore.com/webstores/hobby/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=13021

    Pre-release preview of the kit: 

    On the resin side of the house, pre-orders are open for the GTM SSI Kubalkan Gatexion Mark 3 "Ritter Jet" Haretsu no Ningyou (that is a mouthful) from our Treasure.

    http://ourtreasure.co.jp/製品一覧/ゲートシオンマーク3 リッタージェット・破烈/?fbclid=IwAR2Iqt4LUdFkW585cR_txA3cIqPbdZq4EotxCZDWT9ODj-M7degz4MzFf_E

      I also found this great picture of the GTM versions of the classic FSS mortar headds:

    Gothicmade_Model_kits.jpg.b2cc0337c6a8091b906785698f0d5798.jpg

     

  2. 4 hours ago, kelinda said:

    After 3 years of silent reading on this forum, and collecting valkyries ... (special thanks to Jenius and his wonderful site http://www.anymoon.com for guidance in trap avoidance, and other members who give me some tips by pm)
    Here is my current display :

    I hope to continue finding others pieces but i don't know if my wife will let me get another detolf cabinet :)

     

    2 hours ago, sqidd said:

    Don't ask.:lol:

    Always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission...:D

  3. 18 hours ago, kelinda said:

    Hi,

    I order 2 of those yesterday  ( https://www.calibrewings.com/router-style-display-stand-version-2-0 ).

    I hope to use it with some 1/60 Yamato or DX Chogokin valkyries.

    I can debrief you when I receive them.

    those look promising.  let us know when you get them, especially the tips on the legs.  they look similar to the flight pose stands which had issues with the rubber they used and how they would potentially take off paint.

  4. 1 minute ago, anubis20 said:

    Not only is the color scheme better on the FAZZ, it doesnt have those annoying arm wings that get in the way of everything. That alone makes the FAZZ superior 😅

    It also have better articulation in the elbow because it does not have the transformation mechanism.  I enjoyed the naked FAZZ and did not mind the armoured one either since I was expecting a brick.  I am hoping they take the FAZZ and make a Theta Gundam Ver. KA from Moon Gundam.

  5. 7 minutes ago, PsYcHoDyNaMiX said:

    Geezzz that's horrible (with the possibility of Bandai's gauging mechanism of the previous RE100 NG). I think some point down the road everything is going to be paid on demand with non-refundable deposits. This way manufacturers have a better idea of how much to actually produce and not fall short of under or over production.

    I just want to preface this with a statement that I do not work for Bandai, I am in no way affiliated with Bandai.  But based on what I have seen over the last few years, they are trending towards moving big portions of their business direct to consumer, which makes a lot of sense:

    • The Gunpla lines are produced in 1 highly automated factory in Japan.  There has been talk about moving some production out of Japan, but I believe this was met with pushback (maybe the China Red and other China exclusive items are manufactured overseas)
    • Their Tier 1 retailers are the big Japanese retailers (Yodabashi Camera, Bic Camera, etc.). Unfortunately, we have to lump Amazon JP into this list.  I say unfortunately because they have extremely predatory practices when it comes to suppliers.
    • Tier 2: Overseas distribution partners, like Bluefin, who run the North America operation
    • Tier 3: The AmiAmi/HLJ/HobbySearch of the world: real, non-scalper sites cannot possibly compete with the tier 1s or 2s in terms of volume

    This would account for 1st run, retail offerings only.

    • "Unpopular" offerings are done as special batch jobs, made to order, essentially and sold on P-Bandai.  People see Premium Bandai and think the kits are premium.  In reality, they are not premium, just made to order
    • Originally, P-Bandai was simply recolours, with extra parts, etc... They now do P-Bandai unique kits because it is just easier to manage shelf space.  With the sheer volume of gunpla available, I am sure the Tier 1 retailers are pushing back
      • Maybe it was the Tier 1 retailers that said they would not devote shelf space to the F-90, which is why this one went P-Bandai despite a full colour box, new molds, etc.
    • Gundam Base is another outlet for retail kits.  When you visit a Gundam Base, you will find pretty much every single retail gunpla kit ever made.
      • When you see kits being made for Gundam Base Web Shop, these are kits they are planning to make to restock the Gundam Base outlets, not for the retail channel.  They open it up to pad out the production run so that they do not need to manage as much inventory
      • I started noticing more and more restock kits coming via this channel, rather than the retail channel

    The Jan 2022 reissue of the HGUC Nightingale tells me that the retail channels do not want more stock for their shelves, probably because of the size of the box, the recent release of Xi vs. Penelope, the upcoming Virtue, etc.

    This is all speculation, of course.  I have no insight into Bandai's operations, just what I've heard from shop owners and recent trends in announcements.

  6. 52 minutes ago, Mommar said:

    What are the odds I'm going to get my RG Hi-Nu now?

    I was thinking the same thing.  I said I stopped pre-ordering, then looked at my HLJ account and saw my pre-order there.  I think Bandai completely underestimated the demand for the Nightingale.  The Re100 was a shelf warmer and the re-release 5 years later was also a shelf warmer.  The RGs are smaller and tend to move so I think they devoted lines to produce these things.  Seems like the kyrios  and dynames  are also over produced at this point, probably in anticipation of a rush when the release the virtue. 

  7. 9 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

    1/100 VF-1J Battle Cry "Dirty Wash" w/ Rick Hunter Figure
    2021 Convention Exclusive Limited 1000
    US$79.99

    rb03.jpg.e84e3549c9d04a2ad3d442118b017783.jpg

    uggh, it's like they forgot to wipe off the wash.  It also highlights the nub marks on this thing.  Rick looks derpy as well.  Hard pass...

  8. There are a couple of shops around that have stopped offering POs for Gunpla because Bandai cannot deliver.  I've heard stories of shops ordering a 100 copies and getting 24.  They do eventually trickle in, but there does not seem to be a pattern to what gets released.  Thankfully I have 3 good local shops and a couple of reasonable online shops so I have stopped pre-ordering kits.  Hopefully, your kits will come in before the re-issues happen, especially the Nightingale, which isn't due to be reissued until January.

  9. 14 hours ago, Mommar said:

    HLJ STILL hasn't shipped mine.

    That’s odd.  HLJ is normally complaining to me that I have something in the PWH for more than 10 minutes.  Saw that they are doing a second run of the nightingale for January 2022 as a Gundam Base web shop offering.  Hopefully that will free up some scalper demand.  My local shops usually offer Gundam Base web shop offerings, but I have not checked if there are markups.

  10. <rant>

    I hate that this hobby has gotten to the point where all these frick'n shops think it is OK to scalp products.  It seems like only AmiAmi, HLJ and Hobby Search offer this at retail.  The rest of them either cannot get supply directly from Bandai and are reselling items they can secure from Japan only vendors, or they are extra scummy and just marking up prices for extra profit!

    </rant>

    Back on topic, another scalper (defined as shops that do not sell items at MSRP, as far as I am concerned).  I have never purchased from them before, but they had decent prices on other items previously

    yoyakunow: 34,520 yen

     https://www.yoyakunow.com/en/robots/3390-dx-chogokin-first-press-limited-edition-vf-31ax-kairos-plus-hayate-immelmann-use-macross-delta.html

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