Kinzoku VF

I still own my Clown Arcadia ver....(my appreciation of it grew over the years). I did a 1/60 5 Grand version (back when Yamato used to do the best thing eve: .'blank VF-1s')...Wish Arcadia would release those again. I still have a few unbuilt ones left, but keeping them until I decide on a scheme that kicks ass. Here's an old pic my 5G attempt from years back.

10 minutes ago, Dobber said:

They do this every time. The sell a certain amount at the good preorder price, then come back with a raised price. Sometimes they do it again as well with a third higher price.

Chris

Thing is after all those years people still go for it even with the jacked up price (myself included ) so why wouldn't they do it? They crashed my ¥15k order right at the payment stage. Reluctantly turned to Nin-Nin, by the time I got to the end of ordering...same BS, it was sold out too. As for CD Japan tend to cancel more than other retailers and I always get taxed every-time I order from them.

So eventually went back to jacked up NY. (all that took minutes..talk about multitasking...). It better be the version that come with a stand though. I even put it in the message slot so they don't get any funny ideas sending me a one without a stand or something 

As far as Amazon JP are concerned, years ago I tried to order a Konami Gurren Lagann head figure thing shortly after release. It seemed to have worked, then they got back to me saying I wasn't a resident and they wouldn't ship abroad....A while later, I tried again for something else, I think it was sold by Bic Camera on AmazonJP,  didn't work either. Ever since, never ordered anything on Amazon. Not to mention their average prices for those kind of pieces aren't that competitive (unless you get them on day 1 of course)

Only downer in all that. We won't get it until January....Meaning, I still need to find more X-Mas presies (for myself, to myself as always) 

1 minute ago, jenius said:

CDJ has been my most reliable spot to purchase... they seem to sell exactly what they get

Pb is you get taxed every freaking time. At least I do. It adds up in the end...stopped using them.

It was the exact same BS with the YF-19, it got stuck at the payment part..then crashed....but at least my order went through that time. Bet the NY Po will stay open for days now......Anyway end of this F5 party. At least I got one 

NY BS as always....for ¥15000 to ¥22000 yeah ....whatever. The 15k one was in my basket, at the last payment part...and Magically ...'no more stock'.....so ¥7000 extra....what a load of bull....

Minus 1 come on...

We're gonna need loads of Deculture for things not to crash.......and I want to go back to sleep....Come on already 

19 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2018/07/25/the-classic-vf-1j-valkyrie-from-the-original-macross-gets-an-amazing-new-toy-this-december/#600714ad5f6c

Not sure where they got the 'lot of die cast' from..... Probably about the same amount present in a 1/100 albeit scaled up....(and they called those 'High Metal'...). I expect it to be lighter than your average 1/60 DX Delta....but we'll see.  Aside from the obligatory T-bar, feet and internal joints, that'll most likely be it as far die-cast is concerned.

13 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Also, do you have enough VF-1J's to display it like this? 

I do.....not all in the same scale/versions though......

Here's a pic I took a few years back of some of my 1J. (I have more....Such as model kits, the old Yammies but they are all in Fighter mode and in GBP, some other SD's too like the Egg ones but also in Fighter mode....that's just on top of my head...).

Thing is when it comes to consistency, aside of their VF-1 V2 molds and a few remolds of non-VF-1s, nothing groundbreaking. (Like a never before produced fighter for example). They will worry about Bandai's newest 1/48 for sure. Collectors don't have unlimited funds, let's say the 1/48 is a huge success (personally don't think it'll be bad, but certainly not the 2nd coming of the classic VF-1 that most people seem to be expecting....). 

Anyway, let's say it sells and does great, as a collector, you'd have to decide what to do as a chunk of your 'Macross budget' (for those of us who collect other stuff in equal measure) will be going towards Bandai's newer stuff. To be fair, most of my Macross spending of late has been on Bandai stuff. I had all the Arcadia re-release,  including the SDF-1 and was not going to shell out for a Premium 'glow in the dark' version however neat looking.

Arcadia now want to see themselves as a 'premium' retailer, won't be surprised if they completely stopped  'normal editions'. (Anyone with a minimum of modelling skills and decals sheets can 'premium' every single one of their VF's. A lot of us have been doing this since the Yamato days). They've got to allow for more new customers, and "premiuming"  everything under the sun ain't the way to go about it. For some of us who already own a big chunk of Yamato's releases, we couldn't care less. A lot of people didn't get rid of their non tampo-printed Yamato versions to get the so called premium ones.

If they want to keep their more recent customers, becoming elitist ain't the way to do it. 

Arcadia can't indefinitely rely on that old V2 mold, however decent it is, eventually, something is bound to surface and replace it. They haven't even released any kits versions like Yamato used to, nor a fraction of the classics VF's, nor that many non VF-1 stuff yet . At their rate of 1 or 2 new release per year,  you just need 1 company to release an amazing new 1/60 VF1 (or 1/48....), to make a considerable dent in their profits.

They are mostly surviving in this market with their VF-1's and re-releases. Their non-Macross stuff is negligible. They are taking way too long between new molds of non VF-1s. Time that Bandai or other companies could use to their advantage...As far as Arcadia releasing Macross Frontier stuff....Can't see it happening ever.  (Even if they did, it would take them 10 years at their rate to re-release perfectly fine Bandai DX versions.)

They've been a bit complacent lately and maybe that new 1/48 is just the kick in the backside they needed to start shifting their game up a gear or two. I certainly hope so as I'd hate to see them go bust.

I really hope it's not all thin hollow plastic though, it 'looks' really light somehow. There's obviously the few obligatory metal articulation joints/bars inside as well as the feet (otherwise they wouldn't be able to use the fancy 'Chogokin' appellation and it wouldn't weigh more than a 1/48 Hasegawa kit....).  But for a 1/48, it visually feels (is that even sentence?) lighter than your average 1/60 DX Chogokin. Will say it again, it looks more like a DX HMR rather than a 'proper' Chogokin. Still a good way to keep the price as competitive as possible compared to Arcadia's 1/60 offerings. Maybe it's time for Arcadia to review their over the top prices (my opinion, considering the age of those V2 molds...).

Will get one, out of curiosity and because it's being hyped so much. (hey at least I'm being honest). Did I mention I have way too many VF-1Js in my collection already?....

Anyway, .'just like those dudes at NASA have on their desks...' right? ....(or did I get it completely wrong...?)

1 minute ago, no3Ljm said:

And the special stand I think is designed for people who wants their Valk to shine in Fighter mode like other plane displays that comes with the same looking display stand that has model name plate or something close. Which I think is a nice touch by Bandai.

 Still kinda reminds me of a 'DX' 1/100 Toynami stand somehow...

15 minutes ago, Darotower said:

More details!

Thanks for the additional details. Looks like they are taking stuff from the Yamato 1/48, mixed with some V2s and a bit of HMR for good measure.

Assuming it sells relatively well, (and doesn't handle like a nightmarish mess) , Bandai is bound to release the rest of the squadron in 1/48.

Any Yamato 1/48 owner's opinions?.....Would you ditch your entire 1/48 collection now? Wondering what to do and if it'll be worth having 2 sets of 1/48s squadrons in my collection. The practical thing would be to sell off the Yammies one by one as Bandai release theirs. But not sure if it'll be worth the hassle of selling off 1/48s Yammies for peanuts. ( I'll be keeping the 1/48 Yamato exclusives ,GBPs and customs anyway ) But the rest? Sell? Keep? Storage? Give away to charity? 

2 minutes ago, seti88 said:

Your shelves always impress and make me nervous me at the same time ! 

Thanks! Touch wood I never had any accidents. Unfortunately I can only fit so many Detolfs in my cave. And the ones with Macross stuff are already crammed. Sucks that fighter mode is taking so much space .

*Whoosh Whoosh* 

14 minutes ago, Geekz said:

what's the difference between this release and the one in December? 

It's the same...Po is on the 27th  for a December release.

22 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

Just imagine how many more will you fit if you transformed everything in Battroid mode? 

 

I know! ....It's been on my mind for years, but I just love my Fighter mode. (Especially when it comes to the Macross Plus, 7, Zero...well most of them...)

Ohhhh.....comes with a *gulp* Toynami 1/100 style stand .

I like the box though and the price is right, had it been around ¥27K I think I would've skipped. ¥20k is good. But till looks like a DX HMR with the old 1/48 gimmicks smacked on....Amd definitely not replacing all my all 1/48 Yammies though, too much hassle. Plus they're already not worth much, and I bet the price will plummet even more if Bandai announce an entire 1/48 line. Will most likely end up keeping everything as usual.....One thing though...It's a fact that Japanese collectors have a soft spot for smaller scales in general. Not to mention most people have settled for 1/60. Will it have enough appeal? 

Wonder what Arcadia is thinking right now, we're getting a 1/48 VF tampo' d to death VF-1J for less cash than their premium 1/60 .RIP?

Just landed. Having waited 2 months or whatever it was for the Kairos, feels weird to receive that one in a few days .

It'll be the first 31 I'll be transforming....(not by choice, display space is running out with everything in Fighter mode...)

1 hour ago, jvmacross said:

It would seem Arcadia has been outplayed by Bandai in terms of VF-1's.

Although, it remains to be seen if it'll be that much better than the good old V2...(to me it still looks like an DX HMR). Arcadia must be banging their heads against the walls, having taken so much time between each current V2 re-release. I get it, they're not Yamato any-longer, but certainly got greedy in the process. Especially with overpriced so-called BS 'premium' versions. All Arcadia's V2s should've been premium'd from day one at the same price. Not to mention the 'one new release per year' silliness. They've been milking those V2 molds long enough now to be able to offer better prices (only talking about the re-releases, not the Macross Zeros). I don't feel they truly listen to what their customers truly want (*cough* Arcadia's blank VF-1 kits? Where?....Been waiting forever don't think it'll ever happen...I only have 3 unbuilt kits left from the Yamato days and would love a re-release....). Rambling aside,  interesting times nonetheless. 

1 hour ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Technically, I would say the Toynami 1/100 line is more comprehensive than the HMR line (regarding VF-1 toys)

Shame they're only a poor man's Gashapon though.....Even when they first came out, they 'sucked'...I remember trying hard to paint them, detail them up, customise them...they still sucked. Kept the main lot for 'collection purposes' but in terms of 'fun' toys/figures they certainly aren't. Maybe if they were $10 a pop (even then I don't think I'd get anymore of those 1/100). Not saying the HMR are perfect, but as far as parts swapping 1/100 goes they still rule imo.

49 minutes ago, wm cheng said:

 

Less than a week away PO and still no release on the official price?

 

Probably more than a DX maybe around ¥25000-¥27000 any higher would be too much. Considering you're going to have to shell out for the SP at a later date.... Personally, I wouldn't shell out ¥30000 for another VF-1J (not to mention the shipping on top....). Many other non-Macross stuff I'd rather get for 30k....

Great to get a few more insight on this piece. Still difficult to tell if it's truly 1/48. Only thing that bothers me is that HMR looks....Feels like a ' DX HMR'. Nothing wrong with that, sure, but as far as getting an entire squadron? Nope. I still have most of my Chunkies, Yamato V1 & V2 and 1/48, even my Toynamis, and of course my HMR. It'll reallly have to be priced less than ¥20000  (considering you'll have to shell out for all the armor parts and such).

Like others have said, I was also more interested in that old 1/35 DX Chogokin pics that had been doing the rounds for a while now rather than this one. They most probably dropped it completely, as price-wise it would've been in the ¥35/40000 or more...Too risky as it would leave out many customers able to shell out for the entire 1/35 squadron at that price range  (not even mentioning the super parts....).

Most likely why they ended up scaling it down just to make it affordable. But in the process, we end up with something that doesn't really look 'different'. I mean that 1/35 had great details, light gimmicks and who knows what else (maybe even removable plates to see the inside mechanical parts just like with the DX Chogokins)

I'll probably get one 'out of curiosity', but can't say I'm truly excited. Definitely not convinced we need yet more VF-1's. Unless it was a truly unique piece (like that 1/35) not a scaled up HMR.  Also, will it now be just a matter of time until we get an announcement from Arcadia regarding the possibility of a 1/48 V2 ? That would be the icing on the cake. Truly wish they'd stop milking the poor old VF-1 (just for a while at least) and start working on pieces from the Macross universe that never got released. 

4 hours ago, DewPoint said:

I just fear that a single VF-1J plus accessories ends up running as much as $800.

Crazy price, I'll make do with my old 1/48 Yammies and buy other stuff. (Some of us don't just collect Macross....I collect vintage bots, Giant Robots, retro gaming stuff just to name a few, and not rolling in gold to get whatever comes out ) 

8 hours ago, rdrunner said:

Even though I think I’m going to stay up and order one next week, there are a few reasons I can think of that supports holding out on this one:

- first release of this mold and scale from Bandai, refinements will come in later versions (like the HM-R battroid shoulder covers, ball jointed neck after VF-1A)

Unfortunately that's a high probability, and having to sell off the entire squadron 2-3 years later to start again from scratch for some improved version isn't appealing. 

At first glance it looks like a scaled up HMR, arms articulations, legs etc with a few mods here and there,everything else looks the same.

Any of you like myself who own the Yammies 1/48 considering getting rid of them? (Aside a for few, they're not worth much nowadays....And will probably be worth even less when Bandai releases theirs). Arcadia won't do anything with their V2 prices, the only thing I can see them doing is a V2 1/48 just to tick them off. They'll wait, see the problems and complains with the Bandai version, and announce theirs, with x3 times the amount of details, gimmicks and whatnot.....(not to mention x3 times the price but hey...it's Arcadia...).

Most importantly before giving a definite 'Thanks but no thanks', I'd like to know more details. Die-cast? Gimmicks? Etc and obviously the price. If it's in the ¥20000/¥25000 range it'll be a 'maybe'. Anything above, no way...however 'cool' it might be. No room in my wallet nor my displays (unless I replace all my Yammies 1/48 of course.....). 

If I didn't have so many Yamato 1/48... I'd consider it. Main issue though,  it's never just 'the one'. They're bound to want to milk the molds and announce the entire TV squadron. You'd find yourself collecting yet another line. Not sure if the collectors, myself included who already have more than enough1/48 would go for the entire line. (Knowing full well your 1/48 Yammies won't be worth peanuts if / when Bandai announces the entire squadron.)