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technoblue

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  1. technoblue
    Spoon! The live action show was a fun take on the character. It took me a couple episodes to get into it, especially given how the show had to be creative when naming certain supporting characters. But I had a lot of fun with it after my short transition period. Patrick Warburton plays a good Tick. It would be nice to see this again as a Netflix exclusive.
  2. technoblue
    I could only find this: http://www.dutycalculator.com/country-guides/Import-duty-taxes-when-importing-into-the-United-States/ (looks like it is a subscription site) There is a link on that page pointing to the Customs and Border Protection site, which is conveniently down today. Perhaps states are starting to charge sales tax on imports and apply that as a duty tax? Could this be part of the internet shopping (amazon.com) crackdown from earlier in the year? It seems to apply to all purchases valued above $200. And that makes sense from my experience. The last FedEx shipment I received was valued under $200 from hlj, and I wasn't charged an importation tax. For those in the US, has anyone received a request from FedEx to pay taxes on items valued less than $200?
  3. technoblue
    Hi dreadpyrat, I was facing the same situation recently. Two of my older Yamato Valkyries developed blown shoulders while in storage and I noticed the damage while breaking everything out for a new display. But I had other unseen damage that I noticed after breaking down one toy, so my stuff needed more attention than hinges for a complete restoration. That aside, the shapeways shoulders are good replacements for broken hinges. I was confused about the fitment at first, and after messing with the pieces I realized that the new parts had new engineering. That said, there is a noted margin of error for shapeways designs. If the fit of the ball joint isn't "just right" out of the bag and the part is too big, then you may need to do some sanding (as noted above). On the flip side, you may need to coat the joint with future if it is a little too small. If you do need to adjust the fit, then go slow and take your time. Another option is to preserve the original parts. I'm worried because you said the arms fell off. However, if the pieces haven't completely disintegrated, then you might be able to glue them back together with Tamiya ABS Cement (or some other ABS cement). You will still need to modify or replace the knurled pin to avoid damage down the road. If the hinge pieces are just junk itty-bitty bits of plastic now, then this is not a good choice.
  4. technoblue
    Oh no! And on a holiday weekend no less. I empathize with you, Loop, and hope those parts are okay. In your shoes, I would call in the incident since it is EMS. I hope crushed packages aren't becoming a trend with the post office.
  5. technoblue
    I placed an order earlier today. My last order was on August 1, and Mandarake requested payment on August 2. You may want to follow up with them since more than three days have passed without a response.
  6. technoblue
    Mania King looks good. And I like these proportions since I still buy the odd Voyager now and then. Does the first edition come with the lighting effect or is that limited to the v2 original color release? I think I could go either way with the colors on this one. I also wonder why Unique Toys moved away from the nice foam packaging going from v1 to v2? Hegemon looks like a decent Megatron stand-in for robot mode. The Walther P38 in alternate mode looks really funky. The barrel looks chubby and squished and there's a lot of 'bot business showing around the trigger. It makes me wonder how Takara would downsize the original Masterpiece version of Megatron to MP-10's scale. It seems like a smaller version may require some sacrifices.
  7. technoblue
    The ADV dub was the one where every voice actor pronounced Macross differently (even breaking from the Robotech pronunciation) and only Mari Iijima pronounced the name correctly and consistently.
  8. technoblue
    I was also lucky with all of Ozma's parts after Bandai's latest reissue of the 25S. But I've resigned myself to just the Tornado parts for the 25F. I picked up the 25G supers on Manadarake at a nice price just in case that Valkyrie gets a reissue. If not, I'll find another use for them (Prophecy).
  9. technoblue
    Because I promised, a quick update: Sidecutter from Captured Prey got back to me this evening regarding MP-11. I have a return label for my damaged one and he hopes to get the replacement out to me tomorrow. This experience has reminded me to 1) be persistent 2) be patient 3) read the fine print. Phew! I hope this one survives those elephants at the post office.
  10. technoblue
    I don't understand. All Valkyries have boobs (even uniboobs). The MAXL just puts the boobs in your face. Who doesn't like boobs in their face? The MAXL should have more votes on account of boobs.
  11. technoblue
    Replacement parts were a life saver for me. Bandai, Arcadia (and Yamato before them), do not cater to international customers. Therefore, the customer support that Japanese customers are likely to receive, and do receive, for their purchases is a step above anything someone importing from North America, Europe, Australia, or any other region might receive (short of getting assistance from friendly Japanese fans). Regarding IP issues (shouldn't this get it's own thread?) The Internet is a great place, but it is rife with speculation. I appreciate the lawful good tone of those who are against unlicensed toys, but I don't agree with it. Just because someone creates a derivative without a Macross, Bigwest, or Harmony Gold trademark does not make it straight-up IP theft. This is a mismanagement of the actual evidence and the definition of Intellectual Property. To be true, IP disputes are quite involved and can even turn into costly lessons. Look at the recent dispute between Samsung and Apple as evidence. I agree that the morality question is more of a personal decision. No one can or should force anyone else into taking one view over another. Regarding unlicensed competition Takara/Hasbro has coexisted with licensed and unlicensed manufacturers. I think Macross products could coexist as well, even though Transformers have more weight than Macross. I do think Arcadia would have more to lose from direct competition than Bandai, though. Personally, I believe creativity stagnates without competition. Dealing with it is certainly one option. It's not a very good option for a community that could use more visibility, The world is organic and always changing. I think that is a good thing. Companies will come and go. The good ones learn to adapt. If Bandai and Arcadia are good companies, then they will adapt. For those worrying about their toy collections, rest easy. This could become something or it could go nowhere. If it becomes something, then those collections may increase in value as popularity increases. My point is, no one knows what will happen. I would rather stick with the silver lining.
  12. technoblue
    Truly. Sorry about my rant/interruption to the normal thread. AAaaND, getting back to the lighter side: Jackie! If the reported date holds, it will be a good day, indeed. http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-masterpiece-47/masterpiece-wheeljack-releasing-on-10-september-181036/
  13. technoblue
    Cool. I hope you have better luck than I did, and everything arrives safe and sound.
  14. technoblue
    Heh. Yeah. I worked for the post office in college. Even "gentle" transportation of packages can get rough. It annoys me to NO end when a company advertises professional packaging and then cheaps out with padding and tape. Starscream's shipping box only had two seams sealed with tape. The padding was single layer bubble wrap on the bottom and some paper wrap that wasn't even tucked in properly for the rest of the box. It's no wonder it arrived in any shape other than flat. I also question the use of Parcel Select. Priority Mail comes with free insurance, but the free shipping option is actually this crappy Parcel Select service where you get to wait longer and risk more if some postal worker is having a bad day. On top of it all, I noticed this: I never had a problem with my post office, but it seems like CP is ready to obsolve itself of all responsibility... That is messed up. Now I'm worried if I'll get a response. LoL! But I am ready to join your anti-CP club, Mike.
  15. technoblue
    Yeah. I'm going to box MP-11 up and try and put it out of my mind. I hope CP's support team is on the ball. I'll let everyone know how things end up.
  16. technoblue
    The right vertical stabilizer is crushed. I didn't open the plastic clam shell, so there could be more damage. Edit: I've added a better angle of the damage that I can see below without opening the plastic.
  17. technoblue
    My very first delivery nightmare: I wasn't at home to refuse this one... Sometimes good packaging can help with a rough trip, but not this time... And this is why I always check inside. However, the damage was obvious for poor Screamer... I have a service request in at Captured Prey. In the meantime, I'll find a better box for my return. Grr...
  18. technoblue
    I haven't read Macross the Ride. Is the YF-25's lance anything like Captain Harlock's gravity sabre?
  19. technoblue
    Happy to pass it on.
  20. technoblue
    I have a fondness for the time tunnel/vortex effect because I started watching Doctor Who with Tom Baker as the lead. And with John Pertwee before him, that effect has been around a while with a few subtle tweaks here and there. I was happy to see it return with NewWho The old black & white openings were especially earie, though. I think Hartnell's rip-in-time is my favorite of all of the DW openings. Capaldi's new opening is different. It reminds me of the jump in style from the vortex to the starfield opening in Tom Baker's later series that the BBC also used for Peter Davison and Colin Baker. Of all the openings, I think Sylvester McCoy was given the shortest hand. Those CGI asteroids should have been cut from the final version. Update: My niece and I watched the first full episode with Mr. Capaldi yesterday, Deep Breath. I agree that a lot of the dialogue between Clara and the Doctor was written for the younger viewers and not for us older fans who have seen the Doctor regenerate from old to young,from athletic to squishy, and back again countless times. She did miss the beat from the previous openings and was not keen on the dissonance in the new version. That said, I think she warmed up very quickly to seeing Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, recognizing familiar antics even though there are darker tones that contrast very much to Smith's portrayal. She is working her way through the new series again on Netflix, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks with everything fresh in her memory. Oh, and she loved Smith's encore. For my part, it reminded me of the end of Logopolis. Baker's words were even echoing in my head, "This moment has been prepared for."
  21. technoblue
    Word. And I'm a sucker for Prime too. On a totally different note, I picked up the Fanstyle poseable hands for my Nissan Fairlady trio. They really add a nice touch to these toys. I decided to replace Prowl's hands while fixing the tire that had some sloppy silver paint and a few scratches out of the box. The inside rim also needed work, so I had to remove the tire. I will say that the capped pin proved an...interesting...obstacle but I found a nice tutorial on YouTube. Here it is in case anyone else needs the reference:
  22. technoblue
    The KO is it's own mold. It's not as easy to see in the v2 video, but the KO stands taller than MP-10. The v1 video has a better comparison between the KO and MP-10. It isn't just a repaint. I think third parties and KOs offer opportunities that HasTak is not interested in pursuing. Look at Omnigonix's not-Sunstreaker in the third-party thread. Having options is a good thing.
  23. technoblue
    MP-10 is a great toy. If it was possible, I would get one copy of all the official repaints. Some are out of my reach, though (Green Lantern Bape). I hope to learn to make my own customs soon, because that will help with my Macross and Transformers nitpicks. This KO is clever and I think Takara could take the MP-10 mold in a similar direction if they really wanted to. Hehe. I would buy it too.
  24. technoblue
    I wasn't impressed with version 1 of the MP-10 KO for the same reasons that Gakken already noted, but version 2 looks very good. I'm thinking of adding it to my prime collection sometime down the line.
  25. technoblue
    The Bape eyes are nice---very shiny.
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