Special Sauce

5 hours ago, sqidd said:

We're still not sure he's talking about the GBP. Kinda makes it hard to give a smart reply to the OP.

True

On 10/3/2021 at 4:29 PM, sqidd said:

Holy craptastic this thing a LOT of figure! Especially for the money!

This is how big and nice Metal Builds should be IMO.

 

I've never watched any Gundam in my life (I'm assuming that's what this is) but I've always loved the mecha designs.  This one is incredible.  I've seen other metal build kits that also looked badass.  I've been really tempted.

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

Good point. They are all sold out at retail.

But some retailers do have new units still in stock (at above retail pricing). Then there is the secondary market where everything is available for quite a bit more money.

Right but not too bad of a markup from some of those retailers.  I only paid around $30 USD more than what the pre-orders were going for so I can't complain.

Seems like because of the high retail cost of the set it was pretty easy to get it close to the retail price upon release.  Which I'm grateful for, especially after the pre-order night nonsense.  Scalpers can't mark it up though I'm sure some will try after some time passes.

5 minutes ago, sqidd said:

And a monkey face!

Damn you're right!  I never noticed that before!  Can't un-see it now.

On 9/25/2021 at 12:06 AM, Lolicon said:

The YF-30 has its flaws but it's far better than the crap Bandai was pooping out prior to the Frontier renewal line. 

"Ack! Where's my neck?!" (Photo from CollectionDX)

 

LOL,, no neck 

Ordered my combo set from Okiniland.  Should be here on Thursday according to DHL shipping.  I actually didn't pay much more overall than those who got it on pre-order night.

Is the YF-30 really that bad?  I've been trying to decide whether or not to get one.  I love the way it looks but am concerned with the issues it has that I've read about.

I've been liking the look of the Maruyama version of these but all these stories scare me away from buying one.  Hoping one day they'll do a reissue with improvements but it's probably wishful thinking.

7 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Back/still up at Oniki.

https://okini.land/en/24937-dx-chokokin-vf-1j-armored-valyrie-hikaru-ichijyo-bandai-spirits.html

Just purchased mine!  Glad I was able to get it at a more reasonable price.  I ended up going with DHL.  It wasn't much more than Fedex anyway.  Hopefully the wait isn't too long.  I never got the original VF-1J so I'm good with this.  Thanks for the info. Sqidd 

On 9/16/2021 at 11:35 AM, Slave IV said:

I never got any of the old Master Replicas but I’m guessing the hilt on this is superior to them. The hilt is a pretty amazing piece with great detail and feels like it’s made of solid billet metal. My honest take is it’s a great display piece and that’s what I want it for and that’s what it will be 99.9% of the time. Picking it up and holding it is nice because of the hilt. Swinging it around is all good too but I wouldn’t be doing any play battling with it except very carefully against soft items. I feel the dollar value should be under $100 but we all know everything is overpriced so the $200+ I paid feels reasonable and I’m already planning to order the Rey saber. That should be the last one for me though. 

Yeah, they were pretty nice and durable.  They wanted you to play fight with them.  The hilt does look awesome.  I'll probably end up getting it.

So which is the better option in terms of getting your stuff delivered undamaged?  DHL or FedEx?  Wasn't sure you had a better chance than the other of it arriving safely.

21 hours ago, Slave IV said:

Seems like there might be a line and I may not be hoping it much longer based on the competition. But…

😁 Seriously though, it’s a nice piece. My only complaint is I wish they made the blade sturdier and better looking. I think they could have accomplished both by maybe using a solid translucent black part for the center or something like that.

LOL great meme.

Good to know.  I'll have to weigh that into my decision when I decide whether or not I get one.  I was hoping it was of the same quality as the old Master Replicas FX sabers.

On 9/10/2021 at 7:59 PM, Slave IV said:

Finally! I’m now the rightful ruler of Mandalore!

Oh damn, I've been eyeing that sucker.  I too would like to be the ruler of Mandalore. 😲

On 9/5/2021 at 11:45 AM, ValkAddict said:

FYI, the chrome flight stand is available on eBay (not my listing)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284437928876?hash=item4239d25bac:g:4FYAAOSwVNhhIEtZ

Hope this helps,

Tried to negotiate a deal for a better price but no luck 🙁

Revised listing bump

Minor update and a bump

18 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Out of curiosity. How much was the difference between EMS and DHL/FedEx at Mandarake? With HLJ, I chose DHL over EMS since the latter is around US$10 more than the former.

 

I actually didn't even look at the DHL/Fedex prices because the EMS wasn't really that much.  The item was small, just an armor set for my VF-25 Alto.  I imagine it wasn't that much of a difference.

Isn't EMS back to being an available option for international shipping or did they cancel it temporarily again because of Covid?  I just bought something from Mandrake within the last month and it arrived in just under a week.  I thought SAL was the one that's still suspended for the time being. 

On 8/13/2021 at 12:59 PM, ValkAddict said:

Thanks. I'm still on the hunt for it ...

I'll keep an eye out and let you know if one pops up.

On 8/15/2021 at 1:55 AM, Lolicon said:

Wow that is an amazing haul! Especially that low-vis 1S. 

Thanks, it's been a busy couple of weeks.  Slowly getting all the old Valks I've been wanting.  Eventually, I'll be able to just focus on new releases.

2 hours ago, ValkAddict said:

Congrats @Special Sauce!! May I ask: where did you get the VF-1S 1/60 low viz? #jelly

Thanks @ValkAddict got it from Jungle.  Been looking for one of those for a while now.  Finally found one new and unopened.

Ordered from Jungle and used SAL mail.  Ordered on the May 22nd and it arrived yesterday.  So approximately 11.5 weeks.  I thought for sure it would take longer since I read they were cancelling SAL for anything past the end of April but not horrible considering the state of things right now.

My haul from the last couple of weeks.  All brand new, never opened/sealed.  Special thanks to @Kicker773 for the Stealth.  Never thought I'd be able to get that sucker back as brand new.  

I want a Max VF-1S.  Weathered would be cool.  I don't want to have to chase the Yamato down , prices on those can be silly.

3 hours ago, ValkAddict said:

FYI, looks like Mandarake has Bandai DX Chogokin "Renewal" Super Parts set for VF-25A  available for 12,000 yen (new)

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1058197035&ref=list&keyword=macross vf 25 super parts&lang=en

Awesome, thanks @ValkAddict