Kinzoku VF

Ok, so, direct feedback from a Japanese collector that I know..... It's bad! Fragile, and poorly built. Known him for a while now, he is a Macross nut ( completely...), most importantly always very objective. He has posts on Tweeter. Gutted!!! I expected "not great" that's a given from Evo Toys, (yes, I know, I keep on about it, but everything I own from them is below-par), did not expect "bad" though, (;_. There you have it.

Don't you just love these Google Translate sentences ! "Deformation and moving is Damedame" Thanks for sharing, that one made my day. Lol. Again, out of curiosity do any of you own some Evo Toys Dynamite Action Mechas? ( not the Mazinger/Grendizer heads, I'm talking about the magnets held figures) If you do, you should know exactly what kind of plastic/material and finish to expect. Their most simple figures are fragile and fiddly. Add some complex transformation into the mix, it's bound to be messy. Gonna to be a display piece rather than a *Whoosh-Whoosh* and *transforming 10 times a day* piece, no surprise on that front. Plastic quality aside, detailing is at the top of my 'to improve' list. ( sad, don't even have it yet, and already want to change it). It just looks too bare. All my spare Yamato unpainted 1/60 decal sheets should do the trick. That and some light grey panel lining. You know, the good old ' Detail Up'.... Anyone knows if it comes with decals? ( a basic stand would've been welcomed too...) Some of the pics that are starting to surface don't look too horrid at least in fighter mode and from the top. ( undercarriage is scary...). Anyway, no turning back now as it's already bought and shipped....

Well...as to be expected, I did get it too.... On the other hand I might give the 4-G a miss now....( I already own the Yamato Ver, and doubt that Arcadia's will be much different.... I just want another 4-G as * cough* 'investment purposes' , you know to put on Evil Bay for $900 in a little while.....) Anyway, now, let the 'waiting game' begin....praying that the EMS package won't get stuck in customs for a month (-__-). Thanks for posting the packaging pic too, had not seen it until today...it's not that bad, "functional". Not much different from their other stuff to be fair. A nice painting would've been 10x nicer fer sure...but hey...this is Evo Toys, not Mr B... Gotta say the main reason that made me get it is the aftermarket price. I can sort of justify myself the current asking price. But if it's a "so-so" release (like most of us are expecting), shelling out $700 in 12 months time to get it would be a killer. Might not happen, but most Evo Toys rise in value relatively quickly. Better safe than sorry.... :-P

For whatever reason I thought the 18th was today. () Anyway, just got a reply from NY regarding the release date: - "Date: 2016-02-17 00:32:21 Hello Thank you for your message We will check with our supplier and come back to you soon we got the information Please don't hesitate to send another message if you need anything else. " There.... Lol , could mean anything...but most likely pushed back again....

I preordered it in August 2015. But every time it was getting close to get released they changed the date. I did get a payment request just a bit before the 1st planned release date, and the same day, the date got pushed further...(so did the payment request.) Eventually after 3 different delays, I got a mail to say they would send me a 'payment request' when they would have the 'proper' release date. As I still haven't received it, I assume it won't be out today. :-/ I did want to get it, I still do, like most of you, I want this to be good. But the pics we've seen so far are really not inspiring. It just does not look like a 2016 'High end' VF.... Pics aside I own other Evolution Toys robots, to be honest, all feel like built model kits with magnets for joints. Poor paint jobs on most of the ones I own. The finish is really disappointing. Forget that it's not die cast, I don't care, but the least they can do is improve their overall build and quality ( I'm not asking for the moon, but different tones of the same colour on some of them is not acceptable imo). But well, they do have some interesting Giant Robots that no other company has released so... Beggars can't be choosers I guess. Anotner thing, have you seen the amount of releases that they have lately?? It's non-stop. Several at a time, as soon as they are out 3 more are announced.... Unless you're loaded it's impossible to follow. Ok..you could if you only collected their line! They would have to up their game considerably to get more of my $$$ or lower their prices. If they continue playing the Yamato "let's give the collectors tons of average, poor QC , highly priced stuff" , they will eventually burn out.... Anyway, getting carried away..Macross is a different line, so maybe the plastic and finish will be different....one can only hope. But from what I've seen it doesn't look that way (;_. Keeping everything crossed though!!! Also...maybe they don't want to 'intrude' on the 4G re-release date either.... If you could only get one ( and did not already own the Yamato 4-G) who would you give your hard earned cash to? Rambling ...again...no wonder I'm a lurker, I ramble too much ();

I don't get it it, NY still has the 18th Feb as a release date...I've had it on preorder for ages and it gets pushed back every month. If HLJ pushed it back it's not because they want to see how the Japanese public is going to approve or not. Either they cannot fulfil the preorders they had, and want everyone to get it at the same time ( doubtful but who knows...) Last week I did get a reminder from NY to say that it would be the 18th requesting payment. (2 weeks before, that the date was 29th Feb, then, they brought it back to the 18th) Like many of you out there, I'm really not too sure about it....I was so looking forward to finally get a "proper" VF-2....But it looks so much like the old Bandai kit,( albeit in a slightly improved 1/60 scale kinda way.... ). The finish (if that's s how it's going to be) is bare. Panel lines and details poor, articulations look primitive. The pose-ability supa' rigid ( or else they would've have shown pics of it in battle action poses, kneeling etc etc....not the case.....) And I can already spot a few fragile looking joints, like part of the elbow swivel one....cracks and stress marks coming right up. I mainly display my VFs in Fighter mode, but even in fighter mode it looks 'messy' , especially under the fuselage. The metal bars showing up, parts don't look like they can stay aligned....And those landing gears (O_0); .... Again model kit springs to mind.... Maybe, just maybe, the delay is being used to rectify all these aspects. ( but somehow I don't think that's the case, pretty sure by now they would've already been manufactured,probably just late meeting up the initial demand or whatever) I want to support Evolution Toys etc etc, but feeling disappointed before having it in my hands.... not a good omen... I think by tomorrow (18th) if NY sends another 'it's been pushed back' reminder, I'll just pass on this one. (And then a year later it will cost 5 times more to get one).....ARGHH....what to do? Never hesitated so much to get a VF! (>_<);. Sorry, rambling too much...thinking out loud....

Not too sure why their releases are so far and few. Must be because they do not want to end up like Yamato, with too much choice, series and releases. Fans could choose what to get.Too many items ended up being sold for peanuts as no one wanted them. Now, well, fans will get whatever they release as there is not that much to choose from. Pretty sure that's a valid explanation when it comes to their scheduled/future releases and overall marketing as far as Macross is concerned. I mean, just looking at their web page, you can see that they are now only focused on a few things at a time. Actually, that's why I contacted them via Twitter, I have repeatedly tried to contact them via their site, but does not work from outside Japan. ( even when I used my Japanese address, email, phone number etc). As far a Vf-4g with fast packs, well, it never appeared in the game with any attachments or anywhere else for that matter. But it would make for a great piece imo. Not only that, but they could also change the colour scheme from the first release to something unique. Wouldn't you guys go for it if it was announced let's say at about 35000-40000 ¥ ? Expensive it would be as the Vf-4G has a lot of die-cast and intricate build, more costly to produce than your average 1/60, add the super parts, its bound to be expensive. Although they could sell the parts separately, for people who already own a Vf-4G, that would bring the price down considerably. I mean in the Yamato days, I purchased so many different things, from Votoms to Garland, Patlabor, their great Gnu-Dou line. Which was imo much better than fugly Revoltechs. (In my eyes Revoltech are just overpriced DX Gashapons, with a clever articulation gimmick, nothing more, hate the finish, proportions etc...). The GnuDou were great! That's how we ended up with the V2 1/60, just look at the GU-Dou versions, they have the same articulation, proportion etc. as the V2. QC issues aside, they tried and brought us some great pieces. Whatever, I'm rambling too much. Should not hold my breath regarding the 4G as it's highly unlikely to happen. Still,would love more variety and releases from Arcadia. And I sure hope that they expand their Macross repertory a bit (a lot!) more.(;_.

Well, I was getting frustrated with Arcadia's releases aside from the zero VF-0D, I want more !! I would love Arcadia to release a VF-4G with super parts....so Tweeted my thoughts (in Japanese or Japaglish )to Mr K..... Was not expecting much to be honest...BUT..guess what? He replied ! LOL. Seems they do listen to their fans! 本当にありがとうございました MrK.

Just a bit of a rant... I spent less than 3 months in Tokyo this summer, and had time to cruise a lot of toy/hobby shops. Arcadia products such as the Classic VFs are shelfwarmers there. Most shops in Akiba had some, prices are reasonable too. But try to get hold of an Arcadia YF-19, that's a different story all together. So what does this indicate? A lot of people would rather get something other than your standard VF. No disrespect to any of you who find this release exiting. For my part,the only thing I'm happy about is that they are still releasing Macross toys. It'll probably be cheaper to just pick up a Yamato Ver if you don't already own this toy. Most die hard Macross fans probably have this in their collection in one form or another. For the ones that missed it, yes great, but you can still get hold of the Yamato versions. unlike a certain VF-4G..... I do not understand Arcadia's marketing at all, and the way things are going, wouldn't be surprised if they eventually drop the Macross line all together. Or worse, end up with the same fate as Yamato. Marketing-wise, wouldn't it pay more to re-release pieces such as the VF-4G and such?? I mean I love the classics 1/60 VFs like any other Macross fan out there, but, when you have more than 50 in your collection all colors under the rainbow. I'd be FAR more exited to get other planes, not your usual 'classic VFs' (armor or no armor. )That you can still find on the web. I need more than a few tweaks here and there or whatever color goggles to make me spend hard earned cash on something that I already own in many scales colors versions etc. Am I the only one thinking like this? Wouldn't you guys (and gals) rather have re-releases of more interesting stuff such as the VF-4G, VF-11, tweaked version of Macross Zeros , how about something totally new like a 1/60 VA-3M or a VF-9?? Seems in Japan only the classic Vfs are of any interest? And when you consider that a big chunk of Arcadia's Macross market is outside Japan, they should open up a bit to the suggestion of non-Japanese fans too?? Have any of you guys tried to contact Arcadia on their site...what a joke.." ARCADIA Customer Center would not offer our services to international customers."or something of that effect. But they still want my $$$?? Very poor. They need some serious thinking if they want to stay afloat and keep their fanbase alive. For now, they are not getting any of my hard earned cash. And they won't until I feel that they are giving us things that are worthy of a purchase.( the Vf Gunpod they have available on their site only is kinda neat, but, the price LOL 121905円. Maybe buy 10 and sell them in 2 years time on Evil-Bay to become a millionaire! Yeah right.... Feels they are just trying to milk the 1/60 Vf Yamato molds with a few tweaks to justify the price increase. Makes me wonder if they even bought the molds of all the other stuff Yamato had? Seems like its not the case. Or that they are getting them as they go along. Also, outside Macross, what happened to all the other lines ,ex: GNU-Dou? These were amazing figures, and the DX ones such as Danguard, Baxinger. The cool Votoms, Garlands, Patlabors etc...these were the days. Maybe that was what sank Yamato ( har har dumb joke). Too many products in too many directions. But I miss their stuff a lot. Yes we used to criticise their QC and such, but at least, they gave us some amazing toys and figures not just dolls and Lolitas. Are you listenening Arcadia? Obviously not *sigh* For now at least, I'm not supporting Arcadia and haven't bought any of their releases. Only one I did consider was the YF-19, as it did get a makeover, and is different enough to the original to warrant a purchase. With some improvement to the line art, new missiles etc but its not very easy to get hold of. That should be a sign that other Vfs are as popular as the classic Vf-1. A hint as to what custommers are after? Am I completely wrong? So come on Arcadia , give us a a VF-4G ( you probably gathered by now, that I don't have one....and would shell out eyes closed if they did re-release it. Anything BUT your 'average' VF. Anyway, I'm rambling too much. Sorry,If I don't share the excitement. And will give this armour 're-re-release' a miss. If that's all the Macross we'll see from Arcadia in 2015, the future looks bleak.(;_. Man that was a long rant...sorry...I got carried away m(_ _)m.

Hey Mommar, yeah..I know what you mean by too much yellow...I was told in battroid mode that the yellow lines at the back make it look like it's wearing a bikini string...(>_<);. Still, it was a fun build! And always appreciate constructive critisism (as opposed to 'it sucks, don't like it!!'). One thing though, I'm going to start another one....This time I want to go a bit more 'Militaria'.. dark green, olive drab, dark brown...Thing is...I'm still not sure about a scheme or pattern. One thing I want to avoid if I can is 'standard VF scheme'. Was contemplating Digital-camo, but actually not a fan of it...Same with 'Standard camo'..not very original.I prefer geometrical shape,lines patterns one the fuselage. Any ideas, suggestion would be appreciated. I know, ultimately, it's my work, and up to me, but ideas are always welcome. For now, I only have the colors in mind..nothing else...

Nice for sure! Just need some subbtle panel lining (or not! if you want it 'Yamato-Like').

Glad you like the theme, took me a while for the 2nd one. m(_ _)m As far as paint is concerned, I initially was going to airbrush the lot. But...hadn't used mine in a while, and it died!...So instead I went for Tamiya Spray paints.(great finish on them) Main thing is preparation, (cleaning,undercoat,clearcoat etc) before applying the pain as obviously, it's not going to adhere as well to the plastic. I use thin layered coats. Wait to dry/cure...start again...to build up thickness without the colour getting too dark or the paint looking blotchy. That way, it's much more resistant. Only issue whilst layering...you 'waste' a lot of paint using that technique...(I do anyway) On other models I built (a Patlabor that I messed up springs to mind..) I used some clear varnish...it made the whole kit look terrible. I have various types/brands of varnish but never pleased with the outcome, maybe I'm doing something wrong?! Anyway, to answer the question,yes some pieces are prone to scratching. But they are mainly the 'connectors tabs'. The worst ones are the little tabs that hold the legs into the body (good thing about those, you cannot really see them. And the metal bar in the middle that rubs the 2 plastic parts that holds it (not as bad as I thought it would though!). But again, minor and cannot really be seen. Other than that, it's pretty good. Main thing is to prepare the piece properly before paint. So I'd say 'yes' (after all that rambling....lol), it witholds transformation/handling pretty well. There used to be a guy on Macross World (Kye) that started a 1/60 Yamato kit, he did loads of mods everywhere, added lights etc...it was looking amazing! But real life called and he stopped.Hope he gets back to finish it as it looked amazing: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=39043&page=2

Hey everyone, Well..haven't posted here for a bit...and as I'm close to finishing my last 1/60 kit, I thought I'd do a quick post. The 1st one, I built relatively quickly...and the result wasn't all that...The second one, took me longer (still a few touches that need to be done...). Essentially for that 'VF1-74 A', I mixed up 3 themes: Macross the first, Macross Frontier and a Cannon Fodder. Anyway, here are the last pics. (Just realised that I did not put any pics of the finished battroid mode..( );. Not a pro-builder or anything by the way! So be gentle! Been painting for years, on/off...I used to be into Role Playing games D&D,Mechwarrior,Warhammer etc as a kid, then Gundams about 24 years ago...And other stuff...Mostly robots.(Votoms Repaints, some Vinyls figures etc.) Recently got back into it with my ever-growing Macross obsession!!. (And the crazy Yamato V2 prices...)As toys, I prefer the 1/60 V1 hands down (die-cast content, more toy-looking etc)...but as kits the V2s are great. Here goes: More detailed pics on here: http://oldotaku.weebly.com/bits-and-bobs.html Will post some battroid pics later. Hope you like it (Or not!!)

Hey veryone, I've bee trying hard to get my best mate who lives in Tokyo to move off his backside and check out the current value for the Yamato toys. But he is not motivated to say the least. I just have a feeling that on Rip-Off-Bay, the prices are being inflated way more than usual. I mean there is no way that a 'used' standard (not Ltd ed etc) 1/48 costs $300.00 (I'm referring to the 1/48 as they really are my favourite scale). Just to stop people getting totally ripped-off, it would be great to have a list of Macross stuff with their 'REAL' values. Maybe there is already one out there. But Evil-Bay to me is not a reference. So when I see people wanting $400 or more for some 2nd hand Valks. Something is not right. These are not vintage toys...not yet anyways. I'm aware there is a fair amount of demand, so yes, prices are not at rock bottom, but the majority of Yamatos are not rare.Not yet. There are for the most part easy to find, so why the stupid prices?? A few years back, you could get some as low as 50% of their retail prices. Yes Yamato closed up shop, people panicked etc...But now we know that Arcadia is going to continue producing them what's the deal? Example..a Yamato display stands..I mean..it's just a stand right? Why the $392.99 price tag (just one example off E-B...).I mean come one..is this some kind of joke? There is no way that they sell for more than $80.00 in used Japanese shops. You know, shops like Hard Off, Hobby Off etc. Anyway rambling too much and getting annoyed.Essentially, I thought having a price guide would be useful. Just need the REAL average prices. Not the LA-LA Land ones....

Well, I'd want more than 1...Starting with non-Macross stuff.... I'd love Arcadia to pick up the GNU-Dou line. Some of the DX GNU-Dou were fantastic.So were the smaller scale ones. These were imo definitely better than Revolting (I mean Revoltech... ). So, expand their repertory a bit more. not just Macross and dolls.... As far as Macross stuff goes, a new 1/48 line would be appreciated. 1/48 Version 2, With different plastic, more die-cast parts and other improvements. On the realm of things that they could release right now, I'd love non-painted 1/48 kits....That would be great. And as others have already pointed out, some display stands too... I mean did they get ALL the rights/molds etc from Yamato or just a few things? For now, I don't know it just doesn't look very promising. If they don't get off their butts and start re-issuing more of Yamato's extensive catalogue (with some improvements thrown in for good measure), I have a gut feeling that they won't last very long. Come on Arcadia, prove us wrong!

Hey Exo, yes, I know what you mean by 'Folding it too far', thing is without any presssure or pushing, on some 1/48, it's just impossible to reach the little tab to hold the backpack into place. When you put some pressure, yes, you can get to the position, but....the 2 little hinges are not strong enough to handle all the tension. Yes, not all break, but you end up with 'tiny' stress marks around the hinges. (I cannot stand stress marks...) Anyway, after my experience with that 2nd hand 1/48 that snapped, I'm now completely paranoid about breaking this part. I've only just recently got into modern Macross collecting (I mainly collect vinatge bots), so, I guess I have missed the discussions etc when the subject matter was current. Still, in my point of view, it is an issue. As it does not affect all releases, I don't think I should stress out every time I transform certain of my 1/48s .

Hey again everyone, I've been getting into the 1/48 line lately and have encountered the dreaded BP8 tab problems. The 1st (and last !!!) 2nd hand 1/48 I got (Hikaru Fire Box.) had a tiny crack on 1 of the hinges.Whilst transforming it, both BP8 hinges snapped in my hands a day later!! AND I am extremly careful when handling my figures!!! Needless to say from then on I only purchased them NEW...But realised very quickly, that even brand new, there wre some issues with that part. After checking the web, I quickly understood that it was a common and well known fact that some 1/48 releases have back problems.!!! Right so fast forward a few weeks, I bought more 1/48... Up until now, only 2 of them had no BP8 issues: the VF-1A Woodland Version, and the Hikaru VF-1J. They were O.k, not perfect, but their backpacks can be folded up without forcing/pushing like crazy on the backpack. All the others that I bought NEW, not used..had the issue!!! Tried to go on the web, and aside from hints and people saying the same thing about this part..I just thought I'd have to take them as they are...Not touch/transform them....Just be careful and leave them in my displays. As most toy collectors know, these kinda parts are the ones most prone to getting stress marks, cracks, and eventually breaking off completely. When you see videos of people transforming their 1/48 on YouTube, the way some people just force /push it ,makes you wonder how long it took for their part to snap!! Tried to E-mail ARCADIA (in JAPANESE too !!) to request extra BP8 parts, but for some reason,the mail cannot be sent. Why? No clue, but seems if your outside Japan, it refuses the mail?? Tried on the Forum, without much success either, aside from some very difficult BP8 repro parts that can be found ( still did not get a reply ). So to avoid any furher damage to all my other 1/48, I decided to perform some light VF 'plastic surgery' PLEASE REFER TO INSTRUCTION / MANUAL FOR PARTS NUMBER: (Also if you want pics let me know, I'll do it in a 'visual' way !But really if you know these figures, you should understand what I 'm referring to without pics.) I started to investigate further... After dismantling the whole back wing/back pack piece, I realised that the little tab on the BP7 seemed to be too high (there is this protruding tab that stops the hinge itself going past through the minute gap of the BP8 piece.) So in order to fold the backpack properly, that tab has to slide at least halfway through this tiny gap on BP8. As the tab is too thick, you have to force slightly (or a lot in some cases), the hinges being so small start to give in under the pressure, eventually, or straight away, (if you push the wrong way...) it's going to snap!!! As I had experienced first hand with my 1st 1/48 SOLUTION: Please read everything before attempting this 'mod'! 1st you need to dismantle the back pack from the rest of the body (it's easier to have it dismantled to do this). -Once dismantled, fold the BP8 downwards to expose BP7 completly. -Now the 'tricky' part. You need a very sharp scalpel/modelling tool. (by the way, it does not leave any marks if you do it carefully.) - With the cutting scalpel, you're going to TRIM off 'tiny slices'(NOT CUT it off!!) from the little knob that is protruding from BP7. You have to be relatively careful and most importantly, only cut away TINY strips of 'excess' tab plastic. Try to do it evenly so that it's more or less the same height that you've trimed off the little tab. IMPORTANT: to avoid trimming too much /or too little, after a bit of trimming,gently put the backpack back into place on the body (no need to screw it back up for now). And see if it can fold properly without applying the crazy pressure you had to apply before!! IF YOU TRIM TOO MUCH OUT, THE BACKPACK PIECE WILL DANGLE TOO MUCH ONCE ATTACHED!!! So bit by bit slice very carefully to make the tab slightly less protruding from BP8. -Then with very fine sanding paper (Not necessary, but if you're a neat freak like me!!!) just sand gently the part you've just trimmed to make it nice and smooth. Screw back the parts...And the backpack can now fold without applying any unnecessary tension on the BP8 hinges !!!! (BUT it now has to be attached to the BP4 clip like shown in the instructions, meaning, the BP9 part of the backpack has to be secured by pushing forward towards the head past the 2 tabs that will hold it into place correctly otherwise, it leans back too much) PROS: - BP8 will not snap/break anymore,\ / - Holds perfectly fine in fighter mode and Gerwalk mode (as there is another tab on the inside of the backpack opposite the one you've just trimmed to help support the weight whilst it's folded). -Holds Super Parts perfectly (don't forget to attach the side parts of the Super Parts to alleviate the weight of the parts) - If done with minimum care, it won't show at all on the tab that the little protuding square bit has been trimmed. CONS: -You will always need to push BP9 (part with the little shark fin thing) all the way toward the head (like it says in the instructions.) when transforming into Battroid mode. Otherwise, the backpack will kind of slant back more than you'd want it to. Not sure if that 'trick' has been done before. It must have though, as it's one of the 1st thing that came into my mind when I was thinking of a solution, I just wasn't keen to slice off bits of my costly 1/48...but so glad I gave it a go!! I had searched the web in vain, without any luck or solution to this issue. And was getting really p'd off as I love the 1/48 line above all other Yamato lines!! And I just felt that at one point my figures would all end up with brocken backs!!! Could not enjoy them at all....I like to fiddle with my toys, pose them play with them etc...Not just leave them in their boxes!! OTHER 1/48 ISSUES I've encountered: SHOULDER JOINTS: When they are new (even when they're not), sometimes the arms, don't seem to lift 90 degrees or rotate properly, feels like they're kinda blocked by something... .Well they are!! For that, you need to dismatle the shoulders (unscrew the 2 screws at the back of the shoulder.) If you have that issue, you'll likely to find that the ball joint at end of the BD4/BD5 parts have a little excess plastic at the end of the ball (probably from when they were detached from the sprues whilst being assembled by the factory) That tiny excess plastic, should be cut (the people who put them together should really have done that..but hey..it's a Yamato figure...). Anyway once that tiny piece is off, put the shoulders back together..And hey..the arms now move up/down without any friction or whatever!!! I've only had to do this to 1 of my 1/48 so not a really common problem, but it obviously happens. BACK OF THE KNEE: I've noticed on my 'broken back' VF and and some pics posted by people online, that the back of the R-L2/L-L2 (the Gerwalk joint if you will). At the back of the intakes, cracks can start to appear. There are a few reasons for that. -1st one, is when transforming, make sure to hold on to that particular part R-L2/L-L2 (So many videos on Youtube, people just take the leg whichever way and fold the ratcheted joints in one go!) Well doing it like so, increases the chances of cracks in the plastic. You have to Hold the part fairly firmly and gently fold the gerwalk joint click by click. Not all at once! -2nd When displayed into Gerwalk mode for too long with Super Parts attached, the whole weight of the upper body parts ect rests and puts a lot of pressure onto these particular parts increasing the likelihood of cracks forming.(Also puts pressure on the Backpack and increases risks of cracks in the BP8 hinges). So try to vary the position of the figures once in a while! So that's it. Just remember the CONS before attempting the BP8 surgery . Even though you need very little modelling skills, you do need to know what /how you're going to do it. So do it at your own risks! I don't want people saying that they broke their 1/48 because of that!! But , I did it on several of my 1/48 and it makes a HUGE difference, I don't have heart attacks whilst transforming that part anymore!! Seriously, I love this line!! And was considering stopping collecting them completely just because of that ***%$@ BP8.! NOT ANYMORE . Even though it's not THE perfect answer, I'd rather doing that than end up with broken hinges/backpacks on my 1/48s! Still wouldn't mind some spares though to repair my broken one and just in case! Hope this helps !!!

How, I ended here after seeing a thread for 1/48 recast parts (I need some parts btw....). Impressive, if you continue like this, we're getting closer to a 1/48 VE-1..thing is..you know once you have a VE-1...you cannot just leave its brother out of the picture . Personally I find the head size fine, maybe the neck could retract to make it shorter(or longer as needed). .Keep up the great work though!

Well...first thanks a lot for your replies! Mech Tech, thanks for the info, I wasn't exactly sure as far as type of plastics, and glad to know now. Made me look more into it as I find it oddly fascinating. Cheers Jenius too. Yes, I do want to get some MFrontier pieces....BUT, I'm really dreading it...I already have a big enough obsession with the 'standards'VFs'...I know myself, if I get one, I won't stop..it'll be 5 or more (;_. They look really slick for sure,but still have a soft spot for the more 'realistic' looking VF though. The Hi Metal, well, shame that their prices are so steep , been trying to find a cheap one, but no luck as yet! And for the parts, thanks EXO for the link to the recent post regarding the issue, much appreciated.! (going to investigate asap!) Any more advice etc always welcome. Cheers guys. I did not think I'd get more than 1 reply,if any!!

Hey there everyone, A few quick words before I start with my questions/requests. I got the Macross bug ( );. I only used to have 4 vintage Macross toys as part of my collection (I mainly collect vintage Japanese Robots (Popy, Clover, etc..). As a kid growing up in the 80's I used to love Robotech, but never imagined I would get so obsessed about it decades later!! A few months ago, I got a lot of three 1/60 ver 1....got hooked !!!! and I mean totally addicted ... I've completely stopped getting vintage stuff, and since then only bought Macross toys.... O.K that was just a quick intro as I'm fairly new to this forum! Right, first, I have some questions about the type of plastic/material used by Yamato in their 1/48 , 1/60 range. It's probably been discussed many times, but I'd like more specific info if possible. The first ones they released, like the old 1/72 YF-21 and VF-19 A etc have completely different material.The plastic is much thicker, it's glossy etc (yes, manufacturing was far from perfect,hinges would break etc... but at least plastic-wise it was thick and SOLID!! and felt more like a 'toy'). Then it completely changed,with later releases (WHY???!!). The Ver 1 1/60, the 1/48 etc all have that mat plastic, very thin that looks and is (in my opinion) brittle. Feels more akin to model kit/Gunpla type of material? Am I right or is that material actually very strong? Does anyone know what type of plastic the 1/48 etc is? Is it solid? (I already broke the back of 1 of my 1/48 and have some little cracks appearing on some parts so I suppose I've got my answer!). I don't really know much (aside from what I read on the web) about the differences between ABS, Pom etc. I've got no clue as to what material they use for their 1/48, 1/60 range is it POM, ABS, or just plain 'crappy' plastic? Does anyone know? Another example I just got a Queadlunn-Rau figure,and again, totally different plastic, it's thick, it's shiny, feels super sturdy. You can 'play with it' without having your heart stopping every time you move a part. Is it the same plastic as the 1/48 but just glossy? Or is it a completely different material all together? I mean, why can't they do the 1/48 etc using that type of plastic? Or is the one used just as solid? I am curious and interested (the manufacturing,engineering of these toys is really intricate and I would like to learn more about it). On a separate note,even though I'm totally into these 'models' (I would not call them toys), I still feel that they are WAY overpriced compared to other high end figures such as the Bandai SOC line for example.Loads of die-cast, heavy 'playable' (yes, they also have issues but you do feel you get more for your money compared to Yamato/Arcadia). I cannot wait for a Robotech/Macross movie to come out so that we finally get some 'proper' toys' at an affordable price!! Then maybe the value of the Yamatos/Arcadia would plummit down the drain! And they would finally retail for what they are really worth! I mean $100.00 for a 1/48 is just about right imo. Makes me cringe everytime I buy one for more than that.(which is most of the time if you buy them new!!) Last BUT not least, does anyone here can get some recast done of the most fragile parts of the 1/48? I saw a video about some spare re-cast parts for the 1/60 V2 shoulder hinges. So I assume it's got to be possible to get the parts done for the 1/48 range. Example: BP7, BP8, (backpack bits) and other parts like BD4/5, (shoulder hinges) etc. I really would like to get my hands on some of these parts for repairs and eventual breackages. I'm so paranoid since I broke that 1/48, now I keep checking all articulations, joints etc for any signs of hairline cracks etc..Very sad, for the price I pay, really, I should not have to feel that way when handling these figures! Any advice and answer about the material used and especially re-cast bits would be more than appreciated. Appologies for the long message I just got carried away, but if you did read until here, cheers for sticking up with my rambling m(_ _)m Thanks in advance!!

Well, I've been a lurker now for ages...And finally decided to join! Anyway..my 1st post is about a common (or so I think) issue with some of the Yamatos 1/48. I got a used VF-1S (Hikaru, Fire box) the other day. After fiddling with it for a bit, I took off the super parts and noticed a crack on one of the 2 tabs that holds the tail/backwings. To cut a long story short...very short in fact!! I ended up breaking the entire part clean!! So now the tail of the VF is loose. I've tried to fix it,(I don't want to use glue as it will never stand the pressure) by attempting build a new attachment piece, but I cannot seem to make it happen... Anybody managed to sort that specific issue? And if yes how? (aside from buying another one...) Anyone with a junk-VF that has that part? Don't know what to do.. Any advice would be appreciated P.S: not sure if that thread is in the right place....m(_ _)m Ok...my bad..it probably would've been better in 'The workshop'..sorry..m(_ _);m