I recall back in the day when those Takatokus were the only valkyries available, and they sure rocked. Granted, compared to a Yamato now, they don't look great, but they hold a lot of significance for anybody who collected before Yamato or even the Bandai reissuses came out. And, from a collector's standpoint, I can only buy so many Yamatos and Bandai reissues before I want something else. I have 48 reissues, and even though I have my Takatokus off to the side, they still represent a good portion of the collection.
Besides, Bandai never released a new VE-1, VT-1, or strike, so from that standpoint, I think those valkyries are nicer than anything Yamato or new Bandai ever released. Besides, the box art kicks ass, where as the new ones are rather lacking.
John