vf1

20 minutes ago, jenius said:

Looks like the HG model kit expansion 1 effect parts.

Thank you very much!  I found a link to the set in case anyone else is interested:

https://p-bandai.com/us/item/N2661386001002

I'm really excited to get this Scope Dog.  It'll be the first Hi Metal R toy I'll be getting that's not a Macross toy. 

I really like the clear wave effect from this picture.  Would anyone happen to know where it's from?  The closest I've been able to find is a Tamashii Effect Wave clear version, but looks different still.

I was able to successfully purchase a YF-21 from Anime Export.  It sold out in less than 3 minutes.

After opening a Paypal claim, I received a refund for the TV SSP after two weeks from Paypal.  I have shopped with them for about 8 years and haven't had any issues, but for the Paypal claim, they didn't even bother responding.  I missed the window for the 2nd wave of TV SSP and will now have to resort to the secondary market to find them.  For anyone on the fence, they are definitely not the same as they were years ago.  I'd recommend staying away.  I made the mistake of trusting them, but I should have ordered a TV SSP elsewhere just in case.  For those that have open tickets with them, I hope you can get some resolution even it's other products from them if they won't provide a refund directly.

Hello, I am also a longtime NY customer.  I haven't had issues in the past and was really hoping they would deliver on my recent TV SSP order.  I ordered the Bandai 1/48 TV SSPs  in August and paid in full.  I got confirmation from NY that they were to be released on Dec. 23.  I messaged them on Jan. 10 but no response up until now.  Since I am just in the Paypal dispute window, I opened a paypal and upgraded to a claim.  Hopefully I can get the item or my money back.

11 hours ago, mantisfists said:

If shipping weren't so crazy right now, I'd be all over this.  I almost bought this when it came available this morning. Sooooooooo tempting.

I got one locally last month or else I would have bought it too : )  It's an awesome toy but once you get it, it's a slippery slope as I have gotten other HMRs too now.. haha

Destroid Monster available from Mandarake (Unopened, package heavily damaged) for 17,000 yen

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1126967776&ref=list&layout=1&keyword=macross&lang=en

9 hours ago, nightmareB4macross said:

Nice Vermillion display!

Hikaru approves!!

Thanks!  That cockpit looks amazing.  DX Hikaru looks like he is ready to pilot himself haha 

19 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Not horrible. Not fantastic. It doesn't come off as a stable shooting platform (ignoring the fact that the Valk itself is s stable shooting platform standing on it's head). I didn't think of the wings coming out to clear. That's a little goofy looking.

Please don't take this as me dumping on you. You only have so much to work with there.

Thanks for posting.

I totally agree it's a bit goofy looking, so no worries : P   I've been trying to get Max in a more dynamic shooting pose so was happy to try.  In addition to the wings being in the way, it's hard to mimic a kneeling pose accurately because the lower legs are so long and upper leg is so short.

17 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Can you get it like this with the support arm supported by the knee. And the back leg in further? I've been thinking about doing this on my DYRL shelf. Failed miserably with a Yamato. Haven't tried a DX yet.

Gave it a try with Max, with TV hands and gunpod not extended 

Vermillion squadron

1 minute ago, mantisfists said:

Anybody know if it's possible to combine shipping on Mandarake if you purchase multiple items?

Yes, I've done that.  When you add to order, if it is from the same branch, they will combine shipping.  Before you pay, if you purchase multiple items from the same branch from different orders, you can also request that they ship in a single box, but you need to email them with the details and request a new invoice for combined shipping.

8 hours ago, borgified said:

Aright....

Who is the lucky bastard that got the DX VF-1a Max from Amiami??

http:// www.amiami.com/eng/detail/gcode=FIGURE-047859-R (as it's not listed anymore)

Proof: From Camera phone 

 

I think I saw this VF-1A Max from Amiami when it was still available for purchase, but it was about a week ago.  I didn't get it as I don't need another.  The item condition was B and box B.  The price was ~23000 yen.  It didn't last long from what I remember.  I left the computer for a few minutes and came back and the page was already gone when I refreshed.

1 hour ago, Angesdad said:

The flightpose stand seems to offer a great displaying option, but I’m a bit hesitant to purchase because I read somewhere on the forum that those rubber heads will react & eat into paint and bare plastic surface over time. Granted DX Valks aren’t painted at least where the support points will be in fighter mode, but with all the bells and whistles equipped I assume it could be quite hefty exerting quite a bit of pressure against those rubber bumpers. I have seen what weight, heat, combined with time does to the mating surface between plastic and some rubber- it gets all sticky and gummy. Any advice or experience please, thanks!

I have 2 earlier generation FlightPose stands and one did react with the paint from a Yamato 1/48 Hikaru.  There's a paint smudge to remind me.  I've since had the same 1/48 Yamato VF-1J Hikaru and an Arcadia YF-19 displayed using the same problematic FlightPose stands but directly contacting the plastic instead of any painted parts or tampos and after about 5 years inside the cabinet, I personally didn't experience any impact on the plastic.  When posing the 1/48 DX Strike, I was careful to avoid contacting any painted or tampo printed parts.  I also have a Transformers FanToys Cyclonus on a FlightPose stand but since it's contacting painted parts directly, I used scotch tape as a barrier just in case.  That's my personal experience.  Hope this helps.

4 minutes ago, mantisfists said:

Yeah, it's worse thinking you got it for a couple days while you wait for the payment email, only for them to tell you "Nope...someone else beat you to it."  At least they're not doing the NY thing and making you pay first, then keeping your money.  

 

Looks like that 1S didn't last long.

Wow.  At that price, I didn't expect it to go so quickly.  It does seem like it is slowly rising in price again.

I'm sorry to read about the horror stories about NY.  I have used them for years without issue.  I think my Arcadia YF-19 was from them at first release.  I have TV fast packs on pre-order from them as well that I already paid for.  Since I'm not expecting the TV fast packs to be as sought after as the DYRL ones, hopefully that order will be OK.

Here's how I have displayed the DX VF-1S.  I tried the original stand and preferred the FlightPose stand and have it on a rotating stand as well.  I wish CMs made a Kakizaki figure as well.

9 minutes ago, mantisfists said:

Wow....one up during normal hours. Guess the price has started to creep up a bit, as well.  The one I posted this morning was gone within 3 minutes of the heads up.  They go REALLY fast sometimes, and sometimes, even when you think you've got it, you get an email saying the item was out of stock.  Happened to me when I'd bought a cheap (3k yen) VF17S for my daughter to mess around with (8 years old and loves Macross....*sniff*).

Yeah, that happened to me too on a DX VF-1J Hikaru.  Was so happy going back to sleep in the middle of the night thinking I was able to snag a loose one for a decent price, only to wake up and see that cancellation email...

28k yen DX VF-1S Strike Valkyrie on Mandarake (unopened)

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1124877545&ref=list&layout=1&keyword=macross&lang=en

1 hour ago, mantisfists said:

This is why Complex is known to charge more

The invoice for this 1J still pisses me off.  It's WAAY more than I wanted to pay for one of these to begin with.  I felt stupid for paying it, in fact.  But, this was by far my favorite Valk and I let my nostalgia get the better of me, even though I already had this in the Yamato 1/48 variant (which I love). Guess I got swept up in the hype. But, when I saw what shipping was going to cost me, on top of over paying as much as I did for this toy.....ugh. Aside from all that, that's a considerable amount more for shipping as Nakano charged me for my Max 1A

Nakano also only charged me 1,670 Yen for shipping on my strike parts.  I don't know if it's a US thing or not, but if shipping was only going to be what Angesdad paid, I would have snatched those strike parts up in a heartbeat. 

Just another data point, I also got strike parts from Anime Jungle shipped to Canada via air mail small packet about a week ago and they charged me 2495 yen for shipping.  Base price from jungle for the sealed set was 13,200 but they also charge an extra 5% because I paid with paypal.  In the end, I just decided to pay a bit more as I was just tired of staying up at 5am refreshing every 30s for new ones to pop up at Mandarake : P  I passed on the DX Strike last night at Mandarake for 26000 yen, but today when rearranging the cabinet, I decided I'd like to get another to display in battroid and leave the other in fighter mode, so the hunt will continue...

6 minutes ago, betocc said:

From Nakano Store to Mexico by EMS one month ago it was 2,720 yens. 

People say Complex charges more but I have been charged the same from Nayuta store for the same item (DX YF-19), 5,200 yens by EMS. 

I also bought a DX YF-19 from Mandarake Umeda and was charged 5,200 yen by EMS to Canada.  I bought a set of DX super strike parts and missiles about two weeks ago and Nakano charged 2,650 yen shipping via Registered Airmail.  It seems there was also two DX Kakizaki's on Mandarake within the last 30 min.  Both sealed, one for 22k and one for 20k which sold pretty quickly.

Sealed but damaged box Hi Metal VF-1D available on Mandarake for 8500 yen in case anyone is looking for one:

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1147284579&ref=list&keyword=macross&lang=en

57 minutes ago, vladykins said:

That's just HLJ's default setting. If you make it in, you are still limited to 1. After it sells out, it switches back to the default of 20.

 

Thanks!  That's good to know. 

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

Most of the time for all three mods. Ride or die!

That is quite a jaw dropping display.  My 7 year old also thinks it looks amazing.  I love how you also have the wide cabinets so you can display a variety of figures in on level.  Why transform when you can just display one in each mode : P

20 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Glad the price sounds good.

I ended up getting the last one from yosukaru that uses Amazon Global Shipping. (DHL most probably).

Listings that use Amazon Global Shipping pop up every now and then.... like the one I just ordered.  I did not see this listing around yesterday, so I got pretty lucky, thanks to my obsessive daily window shopping habit.

Congrats on scoring a Kakizaki for a good price!

31 minutes ago, MacrossJunkie said:

And then we have HLJ whose website takes 15 minutes (a bit of hyperbole, yes I know) to load on the best of times when it's not getting beat on, especially when getting search results (in which case, it actually isn't hyperbole).

Whatever was done to their website is awful and I wish they'd get someone to optimize/fix it.

Thanks everyone.  Pre-orders can also be extremely difficult is noted : )

About HLJ I find it funny on their page they let you order like 20 of the same toy if you make it in while AmiAmi limits you to one per lifetime.