How many times do you actually transform your toys?

ErikElvis · September 22, 2011

I tend to transform them once at most. I think I have transformed my 1/72 19 4 or 5 times. But the rest I pick my favorite mode and leave it. YF-21 never came out of fighter. Even still has some of the packaging plastic in the legs. VF-11B went to battroid and thats it. 1/48 Hikaru went to Gerwalk. 1/48 CF went to battroid. 1/48 max stayed in fighter...... well you get the idea. If I really liked both modes I would buy 2. I did put VF-22 Millia in battroid with fast packs. gamin stayed in fighter. well now Im rambling. just wondering what you guys do.

GXPT2000 · September 22, 2011

I would try to change all of my collections at least once a month.. I mean..toys are supposed to be played with..right?

BTW,changing means poses and not necassary transformin'...(my collection consists of...1 valk and lots of gundams,revoltechs,and the love and hated transformers..)

Edited September 24, 2011 by GXPT2000

Reïvaj · September 22, 2011

I tend to transform all my toys at least once a month. As you can imagine they are not so many. As they rest on shelves in my living room, I keep looking at them all the time and the temptation is high

Shaorin · September 22, 2011

I would try to change all of my collections at least once a month.. I mean..toys are supposed to be played with..right?

several times a month on average, for both my 1/60v.II and 1/72 HCM VF-1J.

average that out, and my 1/60v.II probably has seen over 100 transformations since i first bought it around 2008ish,

and it is still to this day tight as a drum.

anyway you slice it, that is a FANTASTIC track record for a YAMATO product. they definitely got everything right with the 1/60vII VF-1...

Edited September 22, 2011 by Shaorin

ErikElvis · September 22, 2011

ehh I don't know. I just kinda prefer to leave them in the form I like most and never touch em.

connor99 · September 22, 2011

When it comes to VALKYRIES, I'm a sucker for fighter modes. So, most of my stuff either stay in the boxes they come in or they are on display in fighter mode, with the exception of the 1/48 1J w/ GBP. Now, for the only 1/60 v.2 play piece that I have, that one gets transformed maybe a couple times a week depending on how much time I get to spend with the kids, which is like half of my waking time !

Edited September 22, 2011 by connor99

Shaorin · September 22, 2011

for me, a big part of the charm of modern YAMATO MACROSS products is in handling and manipulating a fully variable scale replica,

the overall caliber of which, was nothing more than a rabid fan's wildest wistful dream about a scant decade ago.

i'd bet that, back around the late 1990's, at least a good percentage of the MACROSS/ROBOTECH fandom felt that they'd never get it better

than the old 1/55 chunky, and the 1/72 HCM, for the few lucky enough to actually have one, at the time.

those without the connections or financial wherewithal to obtain the skyrocketing-in-value original MACROSS 1/55's

would have to consider themselves lucky to be able to settle for the bastardized TRANS FORMERS "JETFIRE" repaint.

surely there were few, if any, back then, that dared to imagine that less than ten years into the 21st century,

MACROSS fans would have access to highly advanced, remarkably accurate transformable "Scale Replicas"

that even at a casual glance, put their once cherished and high-priced 1/55 "Toys" to absolute and total shame.

myself, i was one of those poor, pathetic, JETFIRE-owning fans back then, any true MACROSS variant hopelessly beyond my reach.

then YAMATO came, in Y2K, and started to produce new MACROSS products that, while admittedly were quite godawful,

at least established some hope for the future.

as a result, many, including myself, gave YAMATO their early votes of confidence, and many got burned, including myself, many, many times over.

still, many fans could see YAMATO's potential, and could see that the company was clearly breaking into uncharted territory

by continuing to develop advanced techniques that pushed the envelope in their quest to design accurate MACROSS "Toys"

that were capable of full transformation and superb overall pose-ability.

thus, fans, the world over, continued to pour their financial votes of confidence into YAMATO, and, as a result,

today we have amazing cutting-edge replicas of SDF MACROSS and MACROSS PLUS-derived Valks

that are the most accurate and advanced to date, by far, and promises for much more yet to come in the future.

if that isn't a surefire reason to pick up and play with these amazing "Toys" then i don't know what is...

Edited September 22, 2011 by Shaorin

Mommar · September 22, 2011

I'm one of those boring people who hardly transforms them. Maybe every six months or so. Mostly I tend to keep each Toy in their own configuration and only play with different poses/angles/etc... I do usually keep one around I mess with more than the others. Max being my favorite I tend to keep in one pose or another so there is less chance to breakage, but maybe the CF I'll fidget with a lot more because there's less loss if that breaks. I also have a weird tendency to keep one of each type of valk in one of the three configurations. So I've got a clean VF-1 in Fighter, one in Battroid, one in Gerwalk. Then another set with Fast Packs in Fighter, one in Battroid, on in Gerwalk. Everything is usually balanced like that, so if I want to play with a fighter, I pick up the one in fighter mode. Gerwalk, grab one in Gerwalk. It's odd and I have no honest reason why I do it but it works for me. Back when I only had my VF-1 DYRL Hikky (first edition) I used to transform it more but now I have the option to not do that and I figure it saves me many broken shoulders/tabs/etc that way. The 19S/F/P will be easy for me (not my Wallet!) because I can pull the same sort of triple configuration scheme there though I do really like the longer wings in both Fighter and Gerwalk.

CF18 · September 22, 2011

It depends on how easy it is to transform it, and the space to put it back on.

The 1:55 I have at work used to get transformed once per day since it is easy and strong.

At home only the 1:60v2 VF-1A CF get transformed regularly since it is easy and don't take up much space in any mode. The 1:60v2 VF-1S Strike don't get touched as much since the old crouch lock is a pain. The VF-11B is OK since it is relatively easy. The VF-25S Armored, Sv-51 and YF-21 don't get touched since it is complicated and usually need to fetch the stand adapter from the box. 1:3000 SDF-1 is easy to transform, but it means a major rearrangement of the shelf if it stay in new mode.

RyuRoots · September 22, 2011

What I really dig about Macross' variable fighters is the Fighter Mode. Sometimes a Battroid will really catch my eye, but not often. As such, I tend to put them or leave them in fighter mode and never touch them once I get them on a display stand and in a formation I like. I thought about putting one of my VF-1S Hi Metals in Battroid since I have two, but it's still two different fighter configurations so I leave it as well (I also have the Hi Metal DYRL VF-1A set of three. When it came time to get the Super Packs for them, I could only find two, so I just yoinked the third Super parts from a VF-1S. As one of the 1S has the Strike parts and the other is bare, both looks are too pleasing not to have up). I probably won't get a third just for that. Not unless Bandai releases a Hikaru one, but fat chance of more of these coming out at all. Whiiiiich is a separate rant altogether.

My collection is basically the VF Hi-Metal lineup and a Yamato Elint Seeker. I never even tried to transform the VE-1. Same goes for the VF-1A trio, Hikaru's 1J, and ESPECIALLY the Fire Valk (thing has a face not even a mother could love). I messed around with the 19S, Max's 1J, and the first 1S in Battroid for a little while, but soon transformed them back. I do LIKE those in Battroid, but they look so, so much better as fighters.

pud333 · September 22, 2011

My VF-1S focker I've transformed 50 times probably. To the point where there is significant paint wear. But the other ones I transform maybe once or twice, opting to leave it in their preferred form.

kamadoma · September 22, 2011

I transform my toys when they're newly bought to see how they look in all modes.

Then the next few transformations would probably be related to taking photos for posting in my Multiply.

I had more transformations on my VF-1 v.2's since I got a new camera after I got them which prompted me to reshoot my whole Valk collection.

But that's pretty much it. I love Fighter mode, and I leave them at that. Another reason for choosing Fighter mode is because I used to collect Zoids

and the free cabinet space I have doesn't have much vertical clearance but very deep (for those long-tailed Ligers),

which makes them perfect for Fighter mode display with risers.

So yeah, I'd say five transformations is a lot enough. I could probably go more than that in some cases of newer molds,

so my first 1/60 v.1, my first 1/48 among others had more transformations that their brethren.

m0n5t3r · September 23, 2011

i have a 1/48 1J and 1/60 v.2 Focker that i transform constantly. all my other 1/60 v.2s i transformed once or twice and just display them in the mode that i like, i.e. Max TV 1A in battroid since its bad-ass in that mode and fighter-mode looks bland. My VF-1D i transform occasionally since I love all three modes (very nostalgic valk for me... I would buy another one if it is ever reissued). VF-X and VE-1 - never transformed since i only like em in fighter mode... VT-1 - up to half-GERWALK transformation only, just like in the movie.

as for the Mac+ valks, i hate transforming the YF-21 and i absolutely love the easy transformation of the VF-11B.

Edited September 23, 2011 by m0n5t3r

VF-18S Hornet · September 23, 2011

I used to keep them transformed from one mode to the next in about a week. But lately I have been letting them stay in one mode for months and them decide to transform them. My two unboxed 1/48 Max and Kakizaki 1A's have been in battriod mode for over a year, as well as my VF-22S Gamlin. So much 1/60's and so little space. I'd gone and went a little crazy.

Edited September 23, 2011 by VF-18S Hornet

1/1 LowViz Lurker · September 23, 2011

I tend to transform them once at most. I think I have transformed my 1/72 19 4 or 5 times. But the rest I pick my favorite mode and leave it. YF-21 never came out of fighter. Even still has some of the packaging plastic in the legs. VF-11B went to battroid and thats it. 1/48 Hikaru went to Gerwalk. 1/48 CF went to battroid. 1/48 max stayed in fighter...... well you get the idea. If I really liked both modes I would buy 2. I did put VF-22 Millia in battroid with fast packs. gamin stayed in fighter. well now Im rambling. just wondering what you guys do.

I transform them about 3 times when I think they are new and then I try to put them into a nice pose (robot mode) and then leave them alone. If they are in fighter mode I just like to put them on a stand, and if in gerwalk I like having them in agressive pose with gun pointing forward.

To me they are more like vehicles, not action figure, so the real joy is the final look more than how they feel to hold. If I want a good "hold in your hand" toy I will buy a small-but-high-detail PT version like the bandai High Metal, which I love to hold because it won't loosen its joints or have weight-tolerance issues.(one of the reasons I suggested toynami go the small scale toy route instead of masterpiece route for macross/robotech merchandise - if the QC is bad the risk might still be ok to the buyer due to cheaper price)

Why don't I buy model kits if I don't touch or transform them often?

1. no patience to build them

2. too delicate for a transforming mecha (lets face it when you hold and handle these they need to be a certain amount of toughness so as not to snap in half)

3. toys have a collector appeal. They are valued partly because of their long lasting toughness and that you know they were designed for playing with (like for instance opening and closing things like the cockpit canopy, posing the arms and legs, etc) When you put them in a display box they look good sometimes even while in the box when people open the flap and see it from outside. Overall it feels good to own something that looks nice and is presented well.

If macross mecha were simple I would touch them a lot more but one thing I notice is that as an adult I prefer them as a type of art where you just leave it alone and admire them like you might a painting or something lol.

I know that might sound a bit weird but the machines have a certain beauty to them even though they are designed for destruction. People want to own replicas of things they like. So not touching the toys often isn't a big deal for people like me. That is not to say I wouldn't buy high metal toys fo handling and touching if bandai didn't kill that line off. But that with bigger stuff, I bought them partially because I wanted more details and more accuracy not to hold in your hands or feel good actually playing with them like a kid.

I do hope yamato start to make their toys feel like a toy more in the future (strong clicky joints like the transfomers) so that they can be handled without stress or worry though. Bare minimum I want all 3 modes to have locking mechanism too. I just think it's bad to not lock things together like what they did with the yf-19 chest piece on the 1/60 yf-19. They should look to the example of leader class tansformer toys and the masterpiece line of TF toys for an example of what we expect. Yes they are display piece more than toys to a lot of us, but improvements in areas of joints and locking mechanisms makes them more fun.

Edited September 23, 2011 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

arrow · September 23, 2011

I usually transform once just to see if the parts are defect free and complete. Then, it stays in fighter mode.

The only ones I have transformed repeatedly are my 1/48 VF-1.

Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 · September 23, 2011

A lot. Way more when I was younger and had less toys. I've found that the more that I get, sometimes the less I'm able to appreciate what I have.

Isamu Dyson · September 23, 2011

I usually transform once just to see if the parts are defect free and complete. Then, it stays in fighter mode.

Same as arrow - once to inspect and admire then back to fighter for display.

However too scared to transform my YF-29 and VF-19 since 300 dollars make them an intimidating display items to toy around with.

Renato - If your reading, just curious how many times you transform yours before spotting some QC issue?

ErikElvis - Fascinating how you transform your valks about once however with the 1/72 YF-19 it's about five times. Brave man - espcially if it is a version 1.

ErikElvis · September 23, 2011

Well the 1/72 19 was my first valk. 2nd edition. Was great at the time. I couldn't believe they actually made a toy of the 19. That was my only talk till about 6-7 years later.

Renato · September 27, 2011

Renato - If your reading, just curious how many times you transform yours before spotting some QC issue?

Once or twice. Most of the ones I have owned have issues right out of the box -- VF-11C, SV-51, Proto-Garland, etc. Which is just as well, because Bandai, Yamato and Takara all (usually, there have been exceptions) request that you send the toy back to them and they will either send you a new one or send it back to you fixed, and thus I still have the packing box lying around. But yeah, three times out of five, I've opened the box in my house, taken the toy out, and five minutes later I'm on the phone with the manufacturer.

Apart from that, I used to transform my valks all the time, several times a week. No problems develop, though. These days a lot of them are either in storage or just gathering dust on my shelf, which I think is much worse for them than constant handling, unfortunately .

I have modeller friend with a lot of expertise in toys and figures, and he warns me of leaving my toys untouched for too long. Friction joints and areas of tension tend to warp over time, or something, and if imperfections develop in the more complicated Yamatos, transforming them normally after a long period of time could stress the materials enough to crack them.

My Proto-Garland is an excellent example of this. The figure has broken in many, many places, it's a joke. Yet I never heard of anyone having any issues with it. The reason is that I bought it new, earlier this year, even though it came out in 2006 IIRC. That means it has been stuck in that box for half a decade. As soon as I touched it, it crumbled! Actually, that is an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

Moral of the story: Play with your toys, lest they become suicidal!

anotheran · September 28, 2011

Yamato stuff: twice. Just to do a review. Didn't want to break a shoulder

Bandai stuff: maybe around 5 times

Not very frequently but if I were home more often, i'd transform them more often

anime52k8 · September 29, 2011

I find it really odd how people can buy these things and then transform them only a couple times. Every time I get a new Macross toy I end up transforming it a half dozen times or more the first DAY I have it in hand. For the first month or two I have a new figure I transform it at least once a day or more. It's only after I've had it for a while and starts to feel less like the new toy and more like part of my whole collection that it starts getting messed with less and ends up spending more time on the shelf.

Stuff that I've had for a while (which is just about all of my macross Toys at this point, I haven't picked up any new VF's in a while ) only get transformed once ever couple months when I decide to reorganize stuff.

1/1 LowViz Lurker · September 29, 2011

I find it really odd how people can buy these things and then transform them only a couple times. Every time I get a new Macross toy I end up transforming it a half dozen times or more the first DAY I have it in hand. For the first month or two I have a new figure I transform it at least once a day or more. It's only after I've had it for a while and starts to feel less like the new toy and more like part of my whole collection that it starts getting messed with less and ends up spending more time on the shelf.

Stuff that I've had for a while (which is just about all of my macross Toys at this point, I haven't picked up any new VF's in a while ) only get transformed once ever couple months when I decide to reorganize stuff.

Buy a yamato vb-6 monster. Then you'll get it.

The nubs used are likely to snap off the more you handle it.

Although they are toys, when you handle them and they cost a lot of money you get scared to touch them too much. Totally understandable to me because some things require care to transform them and if you do something too quickly or do a step out of order you may wreck something.

I know with diecast toys one of the things I get scared of is chipping paint. It is a higher risk of chipping the paint the more you handle something than if you just leave it alone. Anyone who had diecast cars as a kid knows this.

Then there is the issue of posability. Some things just feel loose the more you try to play around with the joints.

Other things to keep in mind are how accessory parts might be delicate.

Remember the little gunstrap on the gunpod for the yamato vf-1 1/48? People end up ripping and tearing this by accident. Not everyone has delicate fingers.

The headlazer of the robot mode of toys is also something to keep watch for. I remember my yamato 1/72 yf-21 falling off the desk once (terrible feet and balance on this mech design) and the head laser getting cracked when it fell. Overall the toy is strong but the fine features of any toy are what you got to watch for. Not saying people are clumsy but sometimes when you stand these large toys up you got to take into account that on a windy day or a day where you might accidentally bump something or shake the table these things will fall.

You didn't have to worry about "fine features" on kids toys since they were designed to be handled by children too. But for yamato toys these are aiming to get accurate look so they are like "a more sturdy model kit" to me. Yes they are "toys" and anything we say will not change this. But they are toys aimed at adults who expect fine details and delicate gimmicks to be included. Small parts will snap just because they are small by putting too much pressure on them, certain joint might wear simply because they are not chunky, and hinges may stress simply because of the weight being put on them that you wouldn't have a problem with on small toys. (eg the backpack hinge on the old 1/48 vf-1 which had to support a diecast FAST pack in robot mode)

Sure handling them is fine (unlike kits) but they are big toys and handling big things takes even more care than handling small things. If you drop a big thing with lots of little pieces making it up, that is not the same as dropping a big thing made up of fewer, thicker, large chunky pieces. And if you drop a small thing, it won't be much of a problem since it weighs less and the plastic can handle it plus it is easy to hold and has no weight tolerance problems with regards to joints being stressed. (short limbs means less stress) You are less likely to crack small figures since it simply won't smash to the floor with the same force. Big toys require more care.

Edited September 29, 2011 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

RyuRoots · September 29, 2011

I find it really odd how people can buy these things and then transform them only a couple times. Every time I get a new Macross toy I end up transforming it a half dozen times or more the first DAY I have it in hand. For the first month or two I have a new figure I transform it at least once a day or more. It's only after I've had it for a while and starts to feel less like the new toy and more like part of my whole collection that it starts getting messed with less and ends up spending more time on the shelf.

Stuff that I've had for a while (which is just about all of my macross Toys at this point, I haven't picked up any new VF's in a while ) only get transformed once ever couple months when I decide to reorganize stuff.

Aside from delicacy issues, some people (such as myself) simply prefer one mode, and go for a given brand or line because it has the best look. Fighter will always be more important than Battroid for me; I get the valks I do because those have my favorite proportions/details/options/whatever of the available choices. It's nice to have the option of transforming them, but some don't see a need to, and some don't want to manhandle them more than absolutely necessary.