NewTypeShop

Yeah, I just got back from Japan a few days ago and I found some really cheap Macross stuff. At the retail level, especially the smaller stores, if they find that they're not moving the Macross stuff, they'll slash prices big time. I picked up a VF-1s hikaru type for ichi mon, that's 10,000 yen plus a strike armor set for 3,000 yen. This store had piles of them, but I only had so much space in my suitcase.

Another interesting place for Macross stuff is this store chain called "Book-off". I know, sounds weird, but people off-load their used books and magazines here, and they're usually in excellent condition. I found Macross books for 100-200 yen, that usually retailed for over 2,000 yen. Some of these locations even have entire libraries of Hobby Japan.

Bookoff is really cool but I didn't get a chance to find "Toyoff."

I found a lot of cheap Transformer reissues..

For some strange reason or shortage.. the Transformers Alternator Smokescreen which is a Subaru WRC car was asking for more than 7000-8000 yen in places, retails for only 3800yen. I think due to the fact that Subaru won the 2003 Rally Driver championship and that is a big thing in Japan but here the toy only is worth $50 for the Takara one.

Macross toys are not exactly rare in Tokyo, but theres no doubt which product line has the higher profile.

My experience may be a bit tainted as I've been fortunate enough to be in Japan at the time of release of the 1/60 VF-1A, 1/48 VF-1S and around the time of the Bandai re-issues, so Macross products were perhaps a bit thicker on the ground, but with the exception of the M & M Bandais, I had little trouble finding most Macross-related toys.

Even rarities like the Bandai E-lint Seeker aren't utterly impossible if you know which shops to try looking in.

It should also be borne in mind that many Japanese hobby shops have limited floor space and would appear to have a relatively high product turnover. Macross isn't just up against Gundam, its up against every other popular anime & manga in the country, and I'd say it gets a reasonably fair amount of exposure compared to that.

That's correct. The store guy told me that the Macross toys don't sell very well and they need to put items that sell more and faster so they don't keep many Macross item sitting around, floor space is expensive there.

As far as Macross + Gundam goes..

Gundam = Star Wars + Star Trek combined.

Macross = Matrix Trilogy.

The reason, when Macross 1st came out it was considered a very fresh design and very interesting ideas with valks that can change 3 modes and has SDF1 and then the whole Zentraedi thing.. People followed it and was excited when Macross Plus came out but the real fans hated it.. Which is very similar to Matrix Trilogy, it came and went ..

Gundam, now that's a huge franchise in Japan. From Gundam stores to just about every mech in Gundam has seen a model kit or a MSiA action figure.

Of course in America, the Gundam fad is over because we were spoiled by Gundam Wing and didn't quite absorb the UC Gundam series... Had Gundam came over at the time that the Transformers did, it would been a different story.

I recently returned from a business trip out to Japan and did a little toy hunting..

To my amazement.. I was able to pickup the 1/48 Macross Zero VF-1A Low Viz for 10,000 yen at below retail, roughly around $97 at the exchange rates that time.

I asked the toy store if he had anymore, he said that was the last one and it sat there for awhile.. He said they don't carry much Macross toys because they are not very popular in Japan. Which is true, I've visited 1/2 dozen toy stores and find only 2 had various Macross toys but nothing I couldn't get off ebay cheaply.

Wish I had more time and dig up more Low-viz cheap..

Why can't they just bring out Zeta 1st then Double-Z, and then get Seed out towards the end of the year.

Gundam Seed is not that good.

1st RE movie was crap.

Another hollywood templated movie served with RE name on it.

Let's see.. you got the Matrix like kicking fighting slow-mo scene..

You got some intensive kissing and making out scenes..

Somebody you don't know dies..

Milla does her usual 1/2 dead crawling stuff

The music in some spots sounded like Mortal Kombat.

It's another cheezy hollywood attempt to appeal to the masses who know the game but never figure to finish it or follow the game's storyline.

Because the movie barely followed the game's storyline..

Two of Capcom's great games now are butchered in the movies.. Street Fighter and now Resident Evil.

Like the other alternators they are about 1/24 scale.

I'm surprised that there are no EVO alternator yet but 2 Subarus already.

How about a Bumble Bee alternator with the New Beetle?

Terrible..

I hated Final Fantasy Spirits Within.

Street Fighter movie was terrible.

Evangelion with their concept art look too Westernized.

The drawing of the EVA02 head looks like like a Western comic rendition of the anime design. Horrible.. the teeth and the mouth looked like Spawn's face.

I hope GAINAX make a CGI movie so we can forget about this Westernized and butchered movie..

I want something like Final Fantasy Advent Children and screw all this non-fan centric movies such as Resident Evil movie.

You can see how piss I would be since I am a Eva fan.

So it sounds like an evil step-child ..

I have never seen Jack Archer's vf-1r in either the Macross series or Robotech. Where did he and the VF-1R come from?

Like the topic says.. what Macross toys are left for the future to be released?

There has been toys or models for almost every mecha in the macross animes.

What has yet to be released or what would you like to see the most in the future?

Armoured VF-1J?

VF-22?

Macross 2 or 7 valks by Yamato?