Lolicon Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 They just mean different stages of the preorder process. Nothing to do with what preorder batch you're in. And as far as we know, there's only one batch of VT-1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvmacross Posted January 26 Author Share Posted January 26 1 minute ago, dafob said: Mine says "(A1) Product Payment". That could mean I paid and still need to pay for shipping, or it could mean "we have your money and you'll never see it or the product ever again!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shizuka the Cat Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 So, since this is not a WWD release, does that mean we should not expect it to appear at AmiAmi or HLJ, for example? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphahorizon Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 2 minutes ago, dafob said: Mine says "(A1) Product Payment". That could mean I paid and still need to pay for shipping, or it could mean "we have your money and you'll never see it or the product ever again!" NOW there, right here is that vote of confidence we need! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphahorizon Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 1 minute ago, Shizuka the Cat said: So, since this is not a WWD release, does that mean we should not expect it to appear at AmiAmi or HLJ, for example? Is Anime Export different from those 2? I ask because I know I have gotten a few of the TWEs from them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvmacross Posted January 26 Author Share Posted January 26 AE gets Tamashii web exclusives...HJ and AMIAMi never do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronocidal Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) Anime Export does usually carry the TWE items, but AmiAmi and HLJ do not. AE has been very reliable in the past, but they do require full payment up front, and they usually seem to have a shorter order window than many others. And no, we're not seeing this one stateside, unless someone sorts out the rights to DYRL lickety split. Edited January 26 by Chronocidal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphahorizon Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) One can dream. But that has been an issue for....well forever. Edited January 26 by Alphahorizon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mechinyun Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 ok so all those places listed above are sold out.. whats next to look for AE? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dafob Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Mechinyun said: ok so all those places listed above are sold out.. whats next to look for AE? I don't tihnk NNG have opened up yet. I don't remember seeing Genki open up, but I could be wrong. AE will be tough because everyone and their mother is probaby "sitting outside the store" waiting for it to open up. Edited January 26 by dafob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphahorizon Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 It "should" be up sometime tonight. My time int he Midwest would be 0100 if u are in the US https://hobby-genki.com/en/dx-chogokin/29076-dx-chogokin-vt-1-super-ostrich-the-super-dimension-fortress-macross.html https://www.nin-nin-game.com/en/dx-chogokin/115094-dx-chogokin-macross-do-you-remember-love-vt-1-super-ostrich-limited-edition-bandai-spirits-.html This one isn't posted yet but I have had tons of success from Anime Export https://www.anime-export.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenius Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Nin Nin likes to be slow and adjust their mark-up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anasazi37 Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 17 minutes ago, Alphahorizon said: Is Anime Export different from those 2? I ask because I know I have gotten a few of the TWEs from them In this case, AE acts like a proxy buying service. Presumably they have a small army of local people (or least their names, addresses, phone numbers, and credit card details) and use them to place a lot of individual orders to create their stockpile. They then sell those units on their site at a markup. That is too much of a hassle for the large stores, plus I don't think they want to anger Bandai. AE doesn't seem to care. It's a constantly evolving cat-and-mouse game between Bandai and the proxy buying organizations. The proxy I use has resorted to shipping TWE items to individual homes and then has the packages relayed to their warehouse because Bandai shut down all user accounts that listed the warehouse address for shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arakure Knight Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 28 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said: So, since this is not a WWD release, does that mean we should not expect it to appear at AmiAmi or HLJ, for example? AmiAmi is listed as a place to get this on the Tamashii website however I am guessing that is more as a walkin and order rather than online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronocidal Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 I think CD Japan has sometimes listed TWE items as well, but it's a rare occurrence. They have the original VF-31A in their listing history, and I think I got a set of DX VF-1 missiles there, but it's really not something you can depend on. They do offer proxy services for hunting down rare items after the fact, with some markup applied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sh9000 Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/49497-general-discussion-of-stores-store-policies-and-practices-shipping-and-handling-and-types-of-packaging/?do=findComment&comment=1681309 My most recent order from Yoyakunow of the HMR VF-1A TV Kakizaki x2 and VF-1A TV Max x2 arrived individually bubble wrapped with another outer layer of bubble wrap. I would say that Yoyakunow are top notch to order from. Edited January 26 by sh9000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphahorizon Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) Thanks for the clarification @Anasazi37 Side note but related to Yoyaku. The card I used has a different address then my shipping address. I didn't make that change and ordered. I realize this, sent an email to have them change it and got a billing confirmation followed by an email that stated " We have updated your billing address being different then the shipping address and have your purchase secured. We will notify you with the shipping costs once the item is received." To me anyways, that's a good sign. Or it could be that now that they have the billing address they will be able to chargee and take the money and run. I jest. Edited January 26 by Alphahorizon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmkjr Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 41 minutes ago, dafob said: Mine says "(A1) Product Payment". That could mean I paid and still need to pay for shipping, or it could mean "we have your money and you'll never see it or the product ever again!" That means you Put in an order though Yoyakunow and paid for it. The next one you should get is (A2) Pre-order confirmation from maker or distributor. Which means company has received your payment and confirms your order. You can cancel anytime before you get that A2. They will send another one confirming the order arrived at their warehouse and then you can confirm shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anasazi37 Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 10 minutes ago, Arakure Knight said: AmiAmi is listed as a place to get this on the Tamashii website however I am guessing that is more as a walkin and order rather than online? Tamashii Web Shop only, meaning you have to order directly from the Premium Bandai (P-Bandai) site unless you go through a proxy that orders from them on your behalf. https://p-bandai.jp/item/item-1000204082/ If you click on that link and hit the "International Shipping Available" page, that means you're not in Japan and can't order it yourself. Using a VPN won't work because Bandai checks your mailing address, phone number, and bank info to make sure that you live in Japan. If they don't like what they see, they'll cancel your order and shut down your account. They are hypervigilant and extremely thorough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolicon Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Haven't had much luck with proxies with the last few TWE items, but I really, really hope they come through this time. Ordered another elsewhere just in case though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownIsUp Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 44 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said: Tamashii Web Shop only, meaning you have to order directly from the Premium Bandai (P-Bandai) site unless you go through a proxy that orders from them on your behalf. https://p-bandai.jp/item/item-1000204082/ If you click on that link and hit the "International Shipping Available" page, that means you're not in Japan and can't order it yourself. Using a VPN won't work because Bandai checks your mailing address, phone number, and bank info to make sure that you live in Japan. If they don't like what they see, they'll cancel your order and shut down your account. They are hypervigilant and extremely thorough. Will using a proxy like Tenso shipping get past them, or do they tend to shut those orders down too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKT Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 7 minutes ago, DownIsUp said: Will using a proxy like Tenso shipping get past them, or do they tend to shut those orders down too? I think it will not work with Tenso. With Tenso, you still need to do the purchasing from P-Bandai yourself. Although you can provide Tenso's local JP address as shipping address, it would already have been flagged by Bandai. Additionally, your overseas credit card will not work too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dafob Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 https://www.lunapark.store/product-page/dx-chogokin-vt-1-super-ostrich-japan-version Luna Park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKT Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 5 minutes ago, dafob said: https://www.lunapark.store/product-page/dx-chogokin-vt-1-super-ostrich-japan-version Luna Park That's surprisingly an ok price, instead of their usual insane mark-ups. But then again, I do remember i got my TWE VF-1D from them for ok price too, so I guess for TWE they are a good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronocidal Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Yeah, they're not too much more expensive than your usual proxy shipping service for normal TWE items. It's things like lottery exclusives where they add a higher premium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicsp00n Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 14 minutes ago, dafob said: https://www.lunapark.store/product-page/dx-chogokin-vt-1-super-ostrich-japan-version Luna Park Good lookin out, I just grabbed one from them. Now I can sleep easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicsp00n Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 https://tokullectibles.com/products/dx-chogokin-vt1-super-ostrich?variant=47746234122557 Not cheap ($350, free US shipping), but better than the second-hand prices may be, I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeliard Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 10 minutes ago, MKT said: That's surprisingly an ok price, instead of their usual insane mark-ups. But then again, I do remember i got my TWE VF-1D from them for ok price too, so I guess for TWE they are a good choice. Thanks. Do insert happy2024 code upon checkout for ¥2024 discount Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronocidal Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 16 minutes ago, magicsp00n said: https://tokullectibles.com/products/dx-chogokin-vt1-super-ostrich?variant=47746234122557 Not cheap ($350, free US shipping), but better than the second-hand prices may be, I reckon. The free shipping shouldn't be underestimated, depending on the methods available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragontype Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 1 hour ago, Lolicon said: Haven't had much luck with proxies with the last few TWE items, but I really, really hope they come through this time. Ordered another elsewhere just in case though. How soon do the proxy services get back to you on whether they were successful or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKT Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) Regarding NY vs Yoyakunow vs Moehime, my own reading of it over the years is this: Yoyakunow was started by ex-staff at NY, I think it was mentioned by themselves on their site (that bit of info seems to have been taken down now though) with the name of the person actually given. Someone else online then dugged a bit, and found the Yoyakunow named person happened to share the same first name as someone linked to NY, possible the NY representative director / owner. Whether or not both are actually same person or not is not conclusive, but of course it is enough to set off alarm bells. When we browse Yoyakunow site, their ToS is clear and appear to go beyond what other shops normally do, and is pretty unprecedented. They update the customers on what happens on the back end with the supplier for every order – if I’m not wrong, after one puts in a PO on their site, Yoyakunow will then e-mail updates on when they order the goods with supplier, when they actually pay to supplier, when supplier actually confirms payment received by Yoyakunow, when the goods starts shipping to Yoyakunow, and when Yoyakunow actually receives the stock. So Yoyakunow’s USP seems to be transparency, no doubt due to their open admission of links to NY in the past and the impression portrayed was that they were not the decision makers in NY but as being staff at other levels not responsible for the shenanigans. Then not long ago, there is Moehime. Based on online conversations at MFC, Moehime started coming online for business a few months after NY’s site went down, but the site itself was registered earlier around the same dates as NY’s last site renewal. If we remember NY’s last days, they did a lot of aggressive sales on their existing stock – well beyond the usual mark downs. When Moehime went live, folks noticed 2 things - firstly the stock listed on Moehime looked exactly the same as the stocks NY had prior to them going down, plus they also started sales with same aggressive mark-downs on these stock in the similar vein as NY. Second, people who used e-mail addresses exclusively for NY account registrations started getting unsolicited marketing blasts from Moehime. The above 2 are huge red flags for me. It may well be Moehime legitimately bought over NY’s stocks for a song, obtained customer e-mail lists in the same package & started things going with them, but I’m willing to bet it’s just NY’s owner just switching to a new name. I did purchase something in-stock from Moehime recently though, and the whole website experience is actually very reminiscent of NY’s. The feel of the steps in the purchasing process – selecting currency, the gouged-up shipping rates, the confirmation pages, heck even their system for enquiry and contacting them. It all feels very old wine in new bottle. I’ve never made any PO at Yoyakunow yet, mainly because there hasn’t been a need to yet and also leftover apprehension from NY days – but I am more inclined to try them if I fail at other go-to sites. As for Moehime, a firm no for POs because I’m pretty convinced they are NY 2.0 and will only get something in-stock, somewhat grudgingly if the price is too good to pass. Edited January 26 by MKT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shizuka the Cat Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 3 minutes ago, MKT said: Regarding NY vs Yoyakunow vs Moehime, my own reading of it over the years is this: Yoyakunow was started by ex-staff at NY, I think it was mentioned by themselves on their site (that bit of info seems to have been taken down now though) with the name of the person actually given. Someone else online then dugged a bit, and found the Yoyakunow named person happened to share the same first name as someone linked to NY, possible the NY representative director / owner. Whether or not both are actually same person or not is not conclusive, but of course it is enough to set off alarm bells. When we browse Yoyakunow site, their ToS is clear and appear to go beyond what other shops normally do, and is pretty unprecedented. They update the customers on what happens on the back end with the supplier for very order – if I’m not wrong, after one puts in a PO on their site, Yoyakunow will then e-mail updates on when they order the goods with supplier, when they actually pay to supplier, when supplier actually confirms payment received by Yoyakunow, when the goods starts shipping to Yoyakunow, and when Yoyakunow actually receives the stock. So Yoyakunow’s USP seems to be transparency, no doubt due to their open admission of links to NY in the past and the impression portrayed was that they were not the decision makers in NY but staff at other levels that were not responsible for the shenanigans. Then not long ago, there is Moehime. Based on online conversations at MFC, Moehime started coming online for business a few months after NY’s site went down, but the site itself was registered earlier around the same dates as NY’s last site renewal. If we remember NY’s last days, they did a lot of aggressive sales on their existing stock – well beyond the usual mark downs. When Moehime went live, folks noticed 2 things - firstly the stock listed on Moehime looked exactly the same as the stocks NY had prior to them going down, plus they also started sales with same aggressive mark-downs on these stock in the similar vein as NY. Second, people who used e-mail addresses exclusively for NY account registrations started getting unsolicited marketing blasts from Moehime. The above 2 are huge red flags for me. It may well be Moehime legitimately bought over NY’s stocks for a song, obtained customer e-mail lists in the same package & started things going with them, but I’m willing to bet it’s just NY’s owner just switching to a new name. I did purchase something in-stock from Moehime recently though, and the whole website experience is actually very reminiscent of NY’s. The feel of the steps in the purchasing process – selecting currency, the gouged-up shipping rates, the confirmation pages, heck even their system for enquiry and contacting them. It all feels very old wine in new bottle. I’ve never made any PO at Yoyakunow yet, mainly because there hasn’t been a need to yet and also leftover apprehension from NY days – but I am more inclined to try them if I fail at other go-to sites. As for Moehime, a firm no for POs because I’m pretty convinced they are NY 2.0 and will only get something in-stock, somewhat grudgingly if the price is too good to pass. Thanks for this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolicon Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 25 minutes ago, dragontype said: How soon do the proxy services get back to you on whether they were successful or not? Usually a day or two. Or three. Then they might also put me and others who had discount coupons in the cancel pile regardless of where we are in the order list just so they don't have to honor the coupon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arakure Knight Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Love this forum and thanks to borh who posted earlier the Luna Park link as well as discount code. Pleasantly surprised at their prices when compared to their recent YF-21 Guld posting which had a plain in sight mark-up. Nin-Nin has always delivered for me to date but after seeing that Luna Park price, I doubt Nin-Nin could do better. Secured three now from different suppliers so will leave heart attack till tomorrow when I see my account balance ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yman1437 Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Go now https://anime-export.com/index.php?product=76372 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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