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SuperSenpai

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Everything posted by SuperSenpai

  1. SuperSenpai
    I think he's still in stock at NY last I checked.
  2. SuperSenpai
    I decided to roll the dice on this one and got it on preorder. It looks sweet, and I hope the quality isn't too bad. While obviously I would prefer this thing to be perfect, I actually wouldn't be overly disappointed if it missed the mark in some ways, as long as it wasn't catastrophic. Unlike my Macross toys, which I actually handle and transform from time to time, I tend to leave all of my MP Transformers in bot mode, so they tend not to get handled as much.
  3. SuperSenpai
    My wallet curses you all and your photos and reviews of the VF-0D! I didn't pre-order this and wasn't planning to, as I'm not the biggest fan of this mecha design. But after reading all the posts, the design has somehow grown on me to the point that I just ordered one from NY a few hours ago. It's like my experience with the Arcadia YF-19 (another valk I was initially lukewarm towards) all over again!
  4. SuperSenpai
    I think David is making the point that it doesn't actually help the OP to advertise the item so much as it also increases the chances of someone else seeing it and buying it out from under them.
  5. SuperSenpai
    Was I the only one who thought that scene with Cisco was heartbreaking? Kudos to Carlos Valdes for pulling it off... that was some great acting.
  6. SuperSenpai
    Did someone from here snag this? http://ekizo.mandarake.co.jp/shop/en/item_s-1352173.html If so, you beat me to the punch! I had it my shopping cart and was literally in the process of checking out when the screen refreshed and it was no longer available. Pretty good deal too IMO.
  7. SuperSenpai
    I have mixed feelings on price increases on collectibles, and I do think think that there's some difference between them and other goods and services. For most goods and services, price increases usually reflect increases in costs somewhere else along the supply chain -- parts, labor, raw materials, etc. That's not quite the case with aftermarket prices on collectibles. Sometimes a seller sells an item at a higher price because they themselves purchased it at an inflated aftermarket value and merely want to recoup their costs. Other times it's a seller who bought the item at retail, but chooses to inflate the sale price because they know there's demand and people will pay. With the latter, I realize this reflects the law of supply and demand, and I recognize that it's part of any hobby involving collectible items so I accept it for what it is. Hence, I don't think the price for the aforementioned Super Ostrich is that unreasonable considering the rarity of the valk. At the same time, I think I'd personally have a real problem jacking up the price on a collectible just because I can. In fact, most of the items I've sold, whether here or on eBay, were at cost or at a slight loss. I view the "loss" as money paid for the time I owned and enjoyed the product. I don't have an investor mentality towards any of my collectibles. I buy them for my enjoyment and fully expect that one day they will crumble and burn and ultimately be worthless. I think that it's good for collector-oriented hobbies to have more people get involved. More collectors means more companies will be willing to release more product. Companies make more money, collectors get more product, everyone wins. But when people start jacking up the prices just because they can, I think that creates a real barrier to entry for the hobby, and ultimately I don't think it's good for the hobby in the sense of making it accessible. But that just my two cents. I recognize my opinion is probably the minority.
  8. SuperSenpai
    That's about $340... is that considered scalper pricing? I'm not a fan of the design so I'll likely never be in the position to buy or sell one, so I have no stake in it. But it's a pretty rare valk and not one that Arcadia is ever likely to reissue. I've seen Max or Milia 1Js sell for higher.
  9. SuperSenpai
    Is that an actual, legitimate prototype based on Beagle's designs, or is it a custom?
  10. SuperSenpai
    I think MacrossJunkie panel lines and weathers all of his valks, including a bunch of Bandai ones. You should check out pictures. Here's one of his Isamu YF-29: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=35121&p=1153891
  11. SuperSenpai
    There's also the problem of ensuring the authenticity of the autograph, unless there is some kind of accompanying documentation.
  12. SuperSenpai
    Doubtful that we'll ever see any more Cyclones since Beagle, the company that actually made them, bit the dust. Does anyone know if any company managed to grab the molds after Beagle's demise, or have they been lost?
  13. SuperSenpai
    18k yen at current rates is about $150. Like I said though, it's the shipping that will put you over. It's possible you could snag a 25S for less than that if it's opened or damaged in some way, esp. since Mandarake will discount for the slightest flaw.
  14. SuperSenpai
    Come to think of it -- I don't think a single piece of my current Macross collection has come from eBay, despite the amount of time I've spent on that site. I think I've bought nearly everything from Mandarake, HLJ, Nippon-Yasan, or other MWF members. I had a couple of eBay valks that I have since sold, but nothing I currently own. I've gotten pretty good deals on other toys off of eBay -- Masterpiece Transformers, vintage Gakken Mospeada toys, etc. but not much Macross-wise.
  15. SuperSenpai
    Your best bet is to check places like Mandarake other other Japanese retailers where the exchange rate will work in your favor. Even then, you still have to factor in shipping so getting a 25S for $150 total will be a pretty tall order.
  16. SuperSenpai
    Yeah, and even what's been re-released has been in limited quantities and is pretty much unavailable at retail now. Suppose you're new to Macross collecting and you just want to start with the basic Roy VF-1S. You can't find it retail anymore. Unless Arcadia is planning to periodically re-release the old standbys (which we won't know until they do), the aftermarket is your only option. So I'd say the prices are somewhat justified. I don't ever want to see them go to crazy high prices, but some rise in value makes sense.
  17. SuperSenpai
    For what it's worth, BBTS is taking pre-orders on the Toynami MPC Alphas, with an estimated release date of October 2015: http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/search.aspx?search=robotech%201:55
  18. SuperSenpai
    I can't imagine that you'd find good prices at a standard pop culture or comic convention for Macross toys, unless the dealer is willing to haggle. I haven't seen Macross merch at any cons that I've been to, but I've seen other high-end figures like Hot Toys and the prices were all pretty much standard retail or higher. Maybe you'll have better luck at an anime-focused con where there are likely more retailers carrying the same product (and thus have to compete on price), or the clientele is more knowledgeable so they can't gouge them.
  19. SuperSenpai
    Sorry Yeti, I was just joking around with that last comment about the rubber feet. I hope it didn't come off sounding like a passive-aggressive complaint or anything.
  20. SuperSenpai
    Well you know, those rubber feet do provide a lot of grip! ;-)
  21. SuperSenpai
    I own valks from several lines, including Yamato, Arcadia, Bandai Hi-Metals, and Bandai DX Chogokins, but I'm going to have to pick my 1/55 Bandai Super VF-1S. The old yellow and black VF-1S is a classic for a reason. And while the Yamato 1/60 v2 is definitely a superior toy, there's a lot of play value in the 1/55 despite its comparative simplicity. It also doesn't hurt that breaking something on it is pretty much a non-issue. I also totally admit there's a heavy nostalgia factor there. I had a Jetfire toy as a kid, but when I discovered Macross (via R*b*t*ch) and learned that Jetfire was in fact based on Skull Leader, for some reason I felt cheated -- like the toy I had wasn't the "real thing". A real Takatoku VF-1S would have been hard to come by in the states in those days, but I made do by repainting my Jetfire in Skull Leader colors. Now that I have the genuine article, I feel like I've finally fulfilled one small part of my childhood fantasies.
  22. SuperSenpai
    I'd say it's not a show stopper, and just something to be mindful of. Folks always have the option of not using the feet, or using an alternative that they find more suitable. I just thought it was worth pointing out so that people exercise care when moving the display stands around if they've been stuck on a glass surface. I think the silver-ish finish blends in a lot better. Black or dark colors really draw attention to the part. As far as the adapters -- I should probably clarify (no pun intended) that I was speaking more specifically to an alternative stand adapter for the one that comes with the Bandai DX toys. Bandai's adapters are HUGE, and coupled with the color, you have this huge black piece of plastic underneath your toy that is a bit unattractive. A smaller piece in a different color might blend in better. If you're using the Bandai stand, it doesn't matter since the whole thing is a big black piece of plastic anyway. But when using the Yetistand, the black really stands out.
  23. SuperSenpai
    I've been playing around with my Yetistands for a bit, trying some things out and putting them in different configurations. So here are a few thoughts and things I've noticed. 1) Has anyone else noticed that the rubber feet have a tendency to "stick" to glass surfaces, such as Detolf shelves? I've had a single DX renewal mounted on a Yetistand for a couple of months, and the other day I went to take it out and noticed the feet were pretty well stuck to the glass. I think it was a combination of the natural properties of the rubber combined with the weight of the toy and stand parts. I actually had to pull a bit to get it unstuck. It's probably a good thing to be aware of -- if you need to remove your stand from a glass surface, you might want to remove the toy(s) from their mount points first to prevent a situation where you pull too hard and fling the toy off the stand or into the surrounding walls. 2) Clear acrylic is a great choice because it provides the illusion that your jets are flying. However, in practice I'm finding that a couple of things take away from that illusion. The first is the big black adapters that Bandai provides. Yeti, I know that's not your fault, but is there any way to produce an alternative adapter that is made from some kind of clear material? Does 3D printing allow for that, or do you have to do laser cut acrylic? The second thing is the use of black rubber washers and the dark colored screws. I don't know if the rubber washers come in a lighter color (I'm guessing not), but a lighter finish on the screws would definitely help. The Flightpose stands use a silvery finish, and they blend in quite well with the clear material.
  24. SuperSenpai
    I think the TV Hik is actually has enough additional markings to make it look not-so-plain -- e.g., the chest stripes, stripes on the wings and nosecone. The TV Max and Kaki, on the other hand, only have the tan/blue colors on the head, legs, shoulders, forearms, and stabilizer fin tips. I think they look pretty good in Battroid actually, but if you have them in fighter mode, none of the colored bits are really visible from the top making it look plain white. It's not even that it's plain -- I think for me it's that it's just plain white. I think the various CF schemes, or the VF-X scheme, which is relatively plain as well, look better than Max and Kaki. But like I said, it's not that I dislike them, I just like them the least in comparison to my other toys. I mainly bought them because I wanted a complete Vermilion group and the three of them look good together.
  25. SuperSenpai
    It's not Macross, but I'd have to pick my Toynami MPC Alpha. Good-looking toy, but I'm too scared to touch it for fear that it will disintegrate. Hands have already crumbled, and one of the feet had to be glued back to together. Among my Macross items, I'd have to pick my TV Kakizaki or Max. To be clear, I don't *dislike* either one, I just like them the least of all my Macross toys. It's mainly because they are the most plain looking. In fighter mode, depending on the angle, they look like they are just plain white jets.
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