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Thanks @borgified and @Nerd-linger - I hope by July we might get EMS back again, I hope they would offer an alternative form of shipping otherwise. I can't imagine FedEx or DHL to be more than 5,200Y - I guess they put in a low base price and jack up the shipping to make the profit. The main thing is I hope they can get the item, hate to wonder and worry about it for 7 months only to get an email on July 31st to saying they couldn't get it.

Thanks for the link - I took the chance and ordered from Hobby-Genki. I hope they come through and EMS gets to me (I have no doubts with Japan Post, its when it gets to Canada, our Postal System here sucks - but at least the chance exists that I won't get dinged with Customs & Duties which is a certainty with FedEx or DHL plus their service charges).

Wow, Japan Post EMS was the only option to Canada at 5,200Y (that's steep) Is EMS available from Japan to Canada?

Is Hobby Genki any good? Are they reliable? Never heard or used them before?

I was really hoping for Anime Export as I have experience with them. I have not ever used a Proxy service so I would like to stay away from them. I'd pay a bit more for piece of mind knowing they would come through in the end. So who (what stores) are left that haven't posted that we might have a chance at tonight? (my wife is going to kill me getting up at 2am on Christmas to do this - she definitely doesn't understand and constantly tells me to stop it as its a TOY that doesn't seem to bring me joy, only pain and anguish).

Oh NO!!! I thought it was supposed to be 4pm Dec 25th in Tokyo - which is 2am for me in Toronto. I was getting all ready to stay up tonight for this. Now I just checked in here and its sold out a day before it goes on sale? What did I miss? Did I just get the days mixed up?!?! I thought TWE were easier to get. How did you guys all know to check a day ahead? I must be getting too old for this to have missed this. I love orange Valks!!! Now what can I do? Where can I order this? Just noticed nin nin doesn't seem have opened up yet - is this my best chance now? (even NY is sold out!)

Thanks. I wasn't going to get all of them, but now I find myself only missing VF-31c (I don't want to pay the high price for it now - so I'm hoping for a reissue in some form or another).

So are they going to re-release the VF-31c again? (with the speaker pods?)

Thanks @no3Ljm!!!

Darn, I its says sold out on HLJ. Did I miss my window or do they often come back on sale after release date? Amazon isn't delivering outside Japan are they? Where can I still order one of these books if I live in Canada.

Argh, sorry man @derex3592 Looks like there was mold release agent on the resin. If it makes you feel any better, I've been there as have most people who starts out with resin. It certainly teaches you to scrub it down really well, I use detergent AND comet with a toothbrush - it taught me a lesson I won't forget. But yes, I feel your pain.

Nothing from the Bandai Tamashii show?

Do you think they will have a Hikaru in orange flightsuit and Minmay packaged with the VF-1D?

Wow, simply gorgeous @MacrossJunkie!!!

@MacrossJunkie OMG!!! They look absolutely fantastic. I still remember when you started to paint the toys, my how you've progressed!!! I am in awe. I look at my old toys now and just shake my head... no time to revisit. I have to live vicariously through you. They are masterpieces! By far the best VF-0D I've every seen, model or toy. Congrats.

The one I just finished was G.W.H. (Great Wall Hobby) 1/72 F-14A and its one of the best detailed kits I've ever seen for the Tomcat. Its not the easiest kit to build, but its got the best scribing details and got the most optional parts. The landing gears are beautiful and has tailcones that rival the Aires resin aftermarket kits, the cockpit details and decals are better than the FineMolds kit as well. I have both the F-14A & F-14D FineMolds kits and they were the best until the G.W.H. came out - however they look easier to build and does have all the optional panels that can be built open to display that GWH doesn't. I also have another two of the Hasegawa newer tooling with recessed lines which are better than any other company, but still doesn't hold a candle to the FineMolds or Great Wall Hobby version - at least in 1/72 scale. I think for 1/48, the Tamiya is king.

YES!!! !/72 Hasegawa please.

@arbit I'm just starting this month, it will be for Season 3 which we are prepping to shoot. @MacrossJunkie As I've said, I've just started but will be Art Director - but I do miss Set Design.

Oh wow, I never knew these existed too!! May I ask how much and was it from Mandarake?

@MacrossJunkie When you're done, could you summarize the process, what type basecoat, clearcoat, filter and solvent to wipe off the filter please? I'd love to try it. It looks so good. I love that you discovered this process and it looks so anime accurate. Does real planes weather like this? I wonder if I can apply your process to F-14 TPS dirt realistically. Well I finally finished it after way too long... I did manage to saw apart my canopy to get inside and wipe out all the fogging. I managed to repair the saw marks which chipped the paint all around the canopy - its not as good as it was before, but given the canopy is not fogged now, I guess the remedy was worth the damage in the end. Its weird to have a glossy bird and sometimes looks a bit toy like, but I really tried to keep the weathering down because it was brand new when they delivered it to VF-1 in 1973/74. I do love this colour scheme almost as much as the VF-84 Jolly Rogers. All the ordinance is on, but unfortunately, I followed the instructions in decals and they were wrong with some of the placements of the stripes on the missiles (should have doubled checked with reference) - but its too late now. Overall a very detailed kit especially for 1/72 scale, but lots of mistakes in the instructions. Its almost like I had to build one to find all the mistakes and then build a proper one after (but there's too many kits in my stash to rebuild something). Enjoy... (I think I did when I built her, but now I will enjoy looking at her more! - back to work, no more models in a while - everyone go watch "The Boys"! my next gig)

Beautiful @MacrossJunkie - just so beautiful - the best VF-0D I've seen yet!!!

Wow!!! Never occured to me either (i would have just tried to airbrush it) but it looks absolutely fantastic!) Now, I'm not happy with my VF-0S... Might try that on an F-14 one of these days. How did you rub the top grey filter off without disturbing the white layer underneath?

That's pretty amazing! Thanks for share @arbit

Great Wall Hobby L7206 F-14A Tomcat in 1/72 scale https://www.scalemates.com/kits/great-wall-hobby-l7206-f-14a-tomcat--1249151 Definitely not a beginner kit, lots of mistakes in the instructions, must piece together a few steps ahead before gluing things down, could use a lot more pegs/surfaces to glue or align parts and mistakes in decals both in instructions and sizing (a little over sized). But with all the flaws, its an extremely detailed kit with the most option parts for an early block Tomcat and only one with proper spoilers/flaps assembly for the wings. Plus how can you pass up that Wolfpack scheme?!

Well I had to finish by today (I start work Monday again ) Its by no means perfect, but I had to rush it. I weathered it very lightly, but its hard to see in the photos through the semi-gloss finish. The most disappointing thing is you can hardly see any of the cockpit detailing AND when I uncovered the mask, there was some hazing on the inside surface of the canopy glass (I'm just having such bad luck with canopies these days). I've glued it shut a long time ago, I wonder if I should risk it and pry it apart (I'm sure to damage the finish around the fuselage and worst crack the canopy in doing so) to clean the interior - but I hate the hazing - I was so careful to not use any crazy glues in the construction at all. It must of been some other paint off-gassing. Hopefully I will gnaw away at the ordinance/fuel tanks over the next few weekends to finish her up - she's so lank/skinny without any missiles. I do love how this kit has all the spoilers, slats and flaps open with all the proper alignment, but it does take away from a very sleek bird, I think I have to do one where the wings are swept back some day. Close up of the canopy fogging - looks like something I can just brush away if I could get in there... Boy can you see the difference a few decades make, the beginning of 4th gen fighter and the end - even the colours scream 70s. Well this and my C3P0 and R2D2 represents this Covid Pandemic break for me. Lets hope 2021 is a better year for all of us!