MacrossMania

7 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

...There's a lot of upcoming toys that I need to prioritize first. 

 

This is my life.

  love it

52 minutes ago, Saburo said:

Gerwalk set.

I'm usually not a fan of the particolored, jester-type valkyries.  Arcadia's 30th Anniversary VF-1J comes to mind.  That thing was hideous.  But for some reason, the colors on this valk really pop.  

4 hours ago, Lolicon said:

I also enjoy celebrating when Wal-mart crushes other smaller businesses in town.

This was literally an LOL for me.  An L-LOL??

37 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

And it's used too! That's just the dingleberry on that crap sundae. 

2 hours ago, Alex GS said:

ok this just ridiculuos lol

You know a toy makes holy grail status when you can finally put it up on eBay for an outrageous price and never blink.

28 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

Welcome to the world of internet "experts." 

So this is what the Wizard of Oz was talking about!

1 hour ago, jvmacross said:

Well....if you are now conceding that Yamato was able to innovate in the absence of any competition....then I guess there is not much else to add....congrats!

How very Trumpian.  Ignore the facts and bravely carry on.  I admire your fortitude sir!

18 hours ago, jvmacross said:

No, that's the whole point.  The position was that only via competition can we get innovation and without it we will somehow get awful Macross toys.  For the most part this is true in most industries.  However, we are dealing with an ultra niche commodity in Macross PT Toys.  Yamato's own innovations, done without any competative pressures, throws this position out the proverbial window.  Yamato has shown that great PT Macross toys are possible without any direct competition.  As for Bandai, it did not "wake up" due to Yamato....it woke up due to there being a new TV show (MF) that would maximize visibility to any potential merchandise, including PT VFs, for maximum profitability potential.  Bandai paid for the show's sponsorship and licenses due to it finally being a profitable means to start making Macross again.  Bandai will be fully capable of producing great Macross PT toys without any direct competition as well. 

Well that's too bad, because there were plenty of other spin offs in the 90's where Bandai had the chance to show its technical prowess and never did.  The clunky VF-17's come to mind.  A product most definitely not connected to the original Macross, but a cartoon spinoff a decade later.  Why they would have suddenly decided to up their game in the 2000's with a new show when they never did back in the day one can only wonder.  Yamato perhaps?  

And you have to divorce yourself from strictly puritan logic and allow for some exceptions here and there.  Of course Yamato didn't need the competition to start the game because it's clear they did this for the love of it with the 1/48's.  My position is not that every toy producer needs competition to make good products, but that the general proposition that competition is good for the industry is exemplified in this case by Bandai's products in the 2000's v. the 90's after Yamato entered the game.  And it's especially good in Bandai's case given its proclivity to produce forgettable throwaway toys in the absence of any real competition.

25 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

We are just discussing the history of Macross toymaking.....with that said, competition has had nothing to do with improvements in this toymaking niche....Yamato did not have a single competitor when it went from 1/60 VF-1 V1 to 1/48 VF-1 to 1/60 VF-1 V2+......I assume you wouldn't include Toynami since that would be ridiculous...

 

 

Why Yamato did what they did is beside the point.  It's not that Bandai influenced Yamato, but the other way around.  The entire point of the conversation was that Bandai raised it's game in the wake of Yamato's entry with the 1/48's.  Otherwise, it never would have happened. 

And the only two players in the field were Yamato and Bandai.  Toynami is and always has been a bit player in this game.  Producing knick knacks to fill out your collection with little odds and ends so you can prove you're more than just a "serious" collector, but have a little bit of fun too.  

3 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

With Bandai, competition is irrelevant....it's all about the profitability of the license/franchise......no TV shows = not enough profit incentive = no interest from Bandai....skip to Macross Frontier and we now have a franchise that's cooking with gas!  Bandai is well positioned to make better or as good as toys as Yamato/Arcadia...so not really concerned about any lack of competition.  The concern only comes when the creators and/or fans just get bored of Macross and this is then reflected by a lack of TV shows, which is the catalyst needed for the franchise to be profitable for a company, like Bandai, to invest in merchandise from it to sell.

Yamato/Arcadia was/is an anomaly.  It prospered due to the lack of competition.  And it did just fine.  And even with the lack of competition, they became and arguably still are, the greatest purveyor of PT VFs ever.  But look at them now.  When it comes to quality Macross PT VFs....competition is clearly not required.  All that is required is someone at the helm that loves and respects the franchise. 

We did great when Yamato had no competition whatsoever....who was complaining then about bad product due to the lack of competition (aside from the quickly rectified VF-1 V1, which was improved not because of competative forces but because it was just not good enough)?  All Yamato improvements were driven internally....not due to a fear of being out-done by the competition.  The whole competition argument, when it comes to the Macross PT Toys, has no merit.

If you look at the quality of the toys coming from Bandai compared to today, there's no just comparison.  Their current output is leagues away from what they were doing in the 90's, when it seems they just didn't care.  The fact of the matter is that Bandai didn't care back then.  Then in the early 2000's Yamato did something that nobody else had done before.  They ushered in a completely new era of toy making with the 1/48's by redesigning the mold from top to bottom instead of focusing on the clunky 1/55 as the basic framework on which all toy molds were built, and they used CAD to do it.  Nobody had done CAD before that, as evidenced by the deeply flawed products that Bandai was producing in the 90's.  After the 1/48's hti the market and basically represented the dream toys for so many collectors up to that point, Bandai was in it to win it and rushing to catch up.  It took a few years and a couple of missteps with the V1 frontier toys, but eventually they started producing truly superb products.  I have many of the MF's myself simply because of their quality.  I couldn't care less about the cartoon.  

Yes, it's true, that with Kawamori the driving force behind their creative output, Bandai is producing some of the best stuff they ever have.  But without Yamato as the impetus, I truly doubt that would have ever happened.  To say that the competition argument has no merit is simply to ignore the history of toymaking in the last 30 years.

1 minute ago, davidwhangchoi said:

yeah good observations. i see that too.

everything you said so very true...  Bandai got so much more capital and muscle behind them it's going to be hard for arcadia.  bandai looked so crushed when yamato was king.

These Dx 1/48's may kinda a rehash in the most fearful way.  they may be floppy mess... did you see when Kawamori was handling the Dx Battroid? the wing fins popped off like the yamato 1/48's... but i'm still hype as hell bc we haven't had a new vf-1 mold in a long time.   

 still waiting for a Vf-1 that can non parts forming lower it's heat shield in fighter to recreate vf-1s entering earth's atmosphere and really act like a "heat shield" 

gimme a TV SDF-1 too. i hope arcadia or bandai tried to beat each other to the punch so we can have two TV Sdf's. 

i'm looking forward to the Sv-51. i hope it is amazing and they do well to go on to a 21 or 11b/c armored.

it sounds like Mr. K is cornered and has a hard time getting approval unless it's a safe cost effective to be profitable in his bosses eyes.  

i'm skeptical his bosses are supportive of new mold projects which costs alot of of time, R & D, and money... seems like there is minimal support for new projects due to fear of lackluster sales.  result: jack up the prices with mimal new tooling seems to be arcadia's means these days... (old mold, new tampo, charge premium)

the competition looks bleak atm.

        

 

My guess is that Bandai has a corner on the market, is probably receiving subsidies from the Japanese government as a marquis franchise and a flagship brand around the world, and probably has supply lines and factory production secured in sweetheart agreements with China and others in the Asian markets - making real competition virtually impossible for Yamato and driving the R&D and production costs up on every new mold for them.  I remember when Yamato ran into production problems with a recent mold and it got me to thinking that the basic mechanics of production is tipped in Bandai's favor because of the volume production they're doing, etc.  It's unfortunate and it seems like Bandai's playing dirty to win the game.  Something you would only expect from a corporate behemoth, but the sad reality is that that will probably result in reduced incentive in the long run to produce truly great toys.  I think we're in the sweet spot right now, enjoy it while it lasts.

1 minute ago, jvmacross said:

I agree the DX 1/48 is a dream toy....but honestly, it is now just a re-occuring dream we had before...just slightly better.  I have not seen anything on this DX 1/48 that could not be replicated on a resized 1/60.  Bandai is just probably running out Arcadia's clock...playing the waiting game and the long game.

It is ironic how things have seemed to have flip-flopped in this Macross Game of Thrones....

Then: Bandai held the license for 1/55 DX VF-1's....and did nothing but re-release the same mold....then got outplayed by Yamato

Now: Arcadia holds the 1/60 DX VF-1 license....and does nothing but re-release the same mold....and just got outplayed by Bandai

 

And this is why I agree with Lolicon.  Competition is a good thing for the hobby.  Otherwise we would have ended up with the lackadaisical attempts Bandai was infamous for in the 90's.  I can remember when you wouldn't even touch a Macross toy from Bandai.  Here's to hoping that Yamato recovers their old form.

1 minute ago, Tober said:

Orders should start opening in about an hour.

Honestly sounds like chasing after young girls at a bar.  I'm getting too old for it.  Think I'll hang it up for the night, laugh at all the misery as I peruse the MW posts in the morning with a nice cup o' hot Joe in my hands, and then pray to god that he'll have something left for me in December.  Good night all.

Just now, davidwhangchoi said:

ok sounds like it's adjusting to user time zone then

1 minute ago, rdrunner said:

I think you're right.  My amiami page is showing 03:00 ~ Japan time and I'm on the East coast.  

So stupid question of the night.  I'm on the East Coast and that means I have to wait until 3 in the am to PO this thing?

10 hours ago, Tking22 said:

I loved MP-12 at the time but that was long ago, BadCube SS looks like a fantastic upgrade, I'm just not buying more figures to swap out for figures I've already got at this point. In fact, I'm officially done with MP Transformers as of about two weeks ago, I have my last two MP Seekers from MakeToys on the way since I too hate MP-11 and thought it looked horrible for the asking price, I just got Toyworld MP Devastator in, and Xtransbots Cliffjumper will be shipping out in about a week or so. I'd recommend the MakeToys seekers, more toon accurate then I would like as well, the new more toon accurate aesthetic of MP Inferno and Megatron are pretty gross IMO, but they are still VASTLY superior to MP-11 other then that. Couple of shin vent and chest intake fan upgrades, and they have even more nice MP-11 like detail without being a crappy MP-11. I'd check some reviews for BadCube Sideswipe, you might like what you see, Kuma said he's working on a review and should have it out soon.

Well I'm definitely in the minority here.  I love the old MP's and still have a fondness for them that stretches over the years.  I am not a fan at all of the new cartoon aesthetic.  To me the MP line was originally envisioned as the ultimate expression of a real-life, working version of a masterpiece transformer.  Not an authentic representation of a cartoon.  They were supposed to be expertly engineered, impeccably wrought real-life versions of the toy, not an overwrought version of the cartoon.  The only company that I've even seen recently be able to touch the exalted heights of cartoonish exaggerated poses while at the same time maintaining a sleek design to the alt mode is Bandai with the Macross Frontier series, specifically the VF-19.  And that's after years of many misses and tinkering with the design, utilizing a designer, Kawamori, who is essentially the brain child of all modern Japanese anime to me, and certainly the major exporter of the very idea of a transformer to the United States.  After all that, did they only finally manage to get it right, blending uncanny organic poses in the robot mode without sacrificing the real-life, menacing aesthetic of the alt mode.  So I am not surprised at all, at least how I see things, that other, lesser toy companies like Takara (alas, the Takatoku days are over!) could only conceive of the idea in the womb so to speak, but end up with a dead, limp, lifeless stillborn child as a result.  Only a toy company at the top of their game can conceive and execute such a thing, not just your average toy company.  Another example is the Soul of Chogokin series.  After years of making the perfect toy versions - simple die cast, solid feet, hands, face, nothing ornate - did they even bother with the more organic poses in a new twists on the series emphasizing the cartoonish aspects of the characters.  It took them years to fine tune the design of their toys to accomplish this, and probably with the same workshop of toy designers, not a hastily arranged rotation of designers selected to meet market demand or the exigencies of the moment.  I think at the end of the day their design work has been poor with the new MP cartoon series, and it only points up Bandai's supremacy in the field.  Hate to say it, but it's true.

As to the original aesthetic, I'm sad to see it so readily forgotten and discarded by the newer generation of toy collectors, but perhaps we are all either ruled by the heady moment of toy collecting, when fetish and trends and the sheer joy of panicking over a purchase take over, or else the prevailing fashion of the day.  I guess it is not for me to determine the bend of history, but merely to bear witness.  Alas!  Methinks though that cooler heads (and designs) will prevail.  When the dust settles, the great design work that was put into those toys, which were truly revolutionary for their day, will come out, and they will be seen for the landmarks in toymaking that they were.  It's funny how lesser toy companies like Yamato and Takara will end up putting up scions of the industry, all the while pushing collecting forward, like the 1/48's or the early MP's, while at the same time never holding a candle to their progenitors.

5 hours ago, Kicker773 said:

 

This is sickening.  I'm gonna start a rescue squad for stray runaway valkyries who've wandered into a puppy mill for valkyries.  Then I'll roll up to your house and "rescue" these VF-11B's.

"The wonderful thing is that these [valkyries] won't have to live like this anymore."

God, I have a demented mind.

I have three pairs of reading glasses from CVS.  One to read with, another to read with when I forget where I put the first one, and another at the office when I forget to bring the first two.  That way I can be sure that I'm never without my reading glasses and I always make the most of my income to splurge on the things that matter.  Valkyries.

On 5/10/2018 at 1:12 PM, HardlyNever said:

I'll be the voice of opposition against the destroids, I suppose.  I bought into them with the expectation that the full line of them would be made, so I wanted a complete set.  It so happens that the two they haven't made (tomahawk and phalanx) are my two favorite designs, and I imagine Bandai has an idea that at least the tomahawk is the most desirable one, generally speaking, and are deliberately withholding it to get people to buy the less popular ones.  

I don't hate the destroids, but I can't say they are that fun or engaging for me.  It isn't that they are poorly made, it is that they are pretty bland and intentionally designed to be background characters, to some degree.  So when you get one out of the box, there really isn't a lot to do with it.  The defender is the biggest offender in this category, as it basically can only do various "standing there shooting at things" poses.  Again, they are well made, and they deliver anything you could realistically want from a destroid, it just there isn't much you could realistically want.  Even the monster feels pretty basic after you get over the initial "wow this is big and awesome" moment.

So yeah, they designed well, but also pretty boring.  If Bandai doesn't make the entire line of them, they will be one of the first things I sell.  If we do get the entire line, I'll probably keep everything (even that lame ass defender).

3 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

To be honest. I really don’t know how to answer this. Because, I really don’t care about the condition of the boxes since I’m more concern on the condition on what’s inside. From what I received from NY, if it’s a Tamashii Web Exclusive item, then I’m comfortable that the box looks pristine since TWE shipped with the shipper box. Regular releases still looks fine for me. Sometimes it has small dents or dings in the corners. But not too biggie. 

If you’re really that concern with boxes, I can’t recommend any online stores since you won’t have guarantee that you’re going to get a pristine box. The only thing you can do is order multiples from different stores and select the best one, then sell the rest. However, BBTS offers Package Grading. The only downside to that is not everything on sale in Japanese store they carry. If they do, it costs more than what Japanese store offers.

Hope that helps.

It does.  I guess at the end of the day I knew all this.  Again, I'm just looking for that promise land that will never come.  As to the buying multiples, I have a hard enough time as it is buying singles, I can't imagine what a slog this hobby would be if I took to buying multiples and selling the rest off after I cherrypicked the best.  Even for me that's over the top.  Not saying it isn't done, just saying that's a rabbit hole I shouldn't go down.  I will fall way, way down.  I guess at the end of the day hunting down these little treasures is half the fun.  The stories of our collecting almost have as much currency as the collections themselves, and it's nice to be able to share them on these forums.  

1 minute ago, Lolicon said:

You can just visit Mandarake yourself and they'll open it up and inspect the item prior to purchase (unless it's a sealed & new item) and then you can take it home yourself and not have to worry about it getting banged up in transit by the postal service. Of course that's even more expensive, but Mandarake is worth the visit!

This would of course require me to visit Japan myself, take myself on a plane, buy the other "plane" I'm after, pack it up, and babysit it halfway across the world as I return to my home in the States.  But seeing as I cannot possibly do that without giving up all my hard-earned cash for otherwise earmarked toys I plan on buying - hell, I might even give up coffin insurance for this hobby if I get a chance to own just one more toy before I croak - that won't be happening anytime soon.  But it's a nice thought though.

39 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

My experience with Mandarake has always been great.  

They always put in the description if it’s used, open, or not. Just a heads up though. As a rule of thumb when using Mandarake, don’t expect to get a super mint nor a C-9 condition boxes.

For me, as long that the item inside is good and pristine and doesn’t smell tobacco (which sometimes they mention in the description), I’m good.

So I hate to ask, given how popular it's been lately, but what about Nippon Yisan?  Are the boxes generally delivered mint?

3 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

As someone who cares not one iota what shape the box is in, the toys inside are pretty much mint unless it specifies "used", and almost every single box is noted as having some form of damage. Usually there will be pictures of the specific box, so you can judge for yourself.

I wouldn't expect the box to be mint, though you might have better luck as the 31JKai has a sleeve that may protect the box itself. Their packaging is decent, but I've had the shipping boxes dinged with some frequency, even EMS.

Good to know, thanks.  I can get it guaranteed mint elsewhere, but I'll end up paying for it, which is something I don't want to do.  Here I can get it for a decent price, but I figured just what you're saying.  It'll probably end up on my doorstep dinged in some form or fashion, which is just unacceptable to my obsessive tastes...Somewhere in the back of my mind I keep thinking I'll discover the promise land where toys are for the taking, gradually enveloped by a Japanese fan of sun rays.  Then I wake up and search my empty wallet, wondering what the hell happened.

8 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Anyone still looking for DX VF-31J Kai? Y35000 at Mandarake.

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1086958170

What's your experience with Mandarake been?  I'm an MISB guy and getting anything in other than tip top shape is the stuff of nightmares for me.  Will the box be in C-9 condition or better when it arrives?  Is it a crap shoot?  I'd seen other people opining on this subject, and everybody seemed to really love Mandarake.

8 minutes ago, derex3592 said:

Yeh...I gotta agree, I don't think the guys getting ones with postal stamping and no brown shipper box are getting "direct" from Bandai.  But who knows, as long as the toy is sealed, in the end who cares?...just an interesting turn of events with the release of this bird to say the least!

 

 

It'll make this one a legend, no doubt.  And the stories that abound in the collecting community will add to its mystique.  Anyone who got this "first wave" (assuming there's a second), will hold gold in their hands.

7 minutes ago, jenius said:

I really doubt NY is sourcing from the secondary market, it wouldn't be worth the effort. They also wouldn't take a loss on these, they'd just say "here is store credit, we blame Bandai."

NY has to be up on these forums and they have to know that their business lives and dies by their reputation, so I wouldn't put it past them to be sourcing to outside sellers if they really wanted to maintain their legitimacy in the eyes of an overweening audience (a hem, Macross fans).  That's especially true if they are diehard anime fans, which it seems to me they are.  And in that vein I imagine that a lot of online toy stores are labors of love and nothing more.  But with that said, who knows?  You might be right.  I just think it's odd that they are sending one offs like this with the obvious postal stamping.  If they were getting it from Bandai directly, they'd be getting it in bulk.