Vifam7

Get it here: http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english&vgForm=ProductInfo&sku=TOY-RBT-1180&template=default/product/e_display.html A bit cheaper than HLJ's price. Amiami has the TV Max GNU here : http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english&vgForm=ProductInfo&sku=TOY-RBT-0669&template=default/product/e_display.html Fokker VF-1S here : http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english&vgForm=ProductInfo&sku=TOY-RBT-0918&template=default/product/e_display.html With the VF Hi-Metal released and the Wave kit soon out, are you sure you still want a GNU? It's certainly great looking and super posable but I found it to be somewhat floppy and fiddly.

Hey, I just noticed that you don't live too far away from me. I'm in NY too. I must've gotten a deal this time around as my EMS shipping only totaled 2720yen (US$31). Plus Amiami had a promotion going on and gave me an extra 15% off (1194yen /$US13).

Whoops, you're right. Thanks for the tip. New pics in battroid mode

Got my VF Hi-Metal VF-1J today. As some have already noted above, this is a very good toy. All the good things that have been said is true. BUT, there is an issue that has not yet been noted. It seems to be not in correct scale. Instead of 1/100 scale, it's more like 1/90 scale. It's actually bigger than the Toynami 1/100. Here are some quick pics to illustrate what I mean. Next to Arii's 1/100 kit Next to Toynami 1/100 Look how it towers over the GNU. About a head taller than the Toynami too.

Almost same cost? I don't know what store you go to but they're ripping you off. Amiami sells them for 3980yen. Most places sell them under the 5000yen price.

Japanese blogger review with some good pics : http://show-kera.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2010-06-28 Gamu toys has posted his first half of his review : http://gamu-toys.info/goukin/gouki/vf100s/vfhimetal02/vfhimetal0201.html USPS didn't deliver my package today.

There's another one on ebay for a saner price. Though still a bit jacked up IMO. http://cgi.ebay.com/Robot-Soul-036-Figure-Full-Metal-Panic-Savage-Sand-/160441899186?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255b1518b2 Or you could buy the one I linked to on Yahoo Japan by using a deputy service like Celga or Crescent-shop to get it. After all the extra service charges and whatnot, it might be a few bucks cheaper than the one I linked to on Ebay.

That's a ridiculous price. The price would make sense if it was in Japanese currency. Perhaps the seller got his currency mixed up. See the same Robot Damashii Savage on Yahoo Japan here : http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k130378653

I would agree that the toy is sturdy and great for play. I also think that the robot mode sculpt is very nicely done. However, there are 2 other negatives IMO. One, the toy is 1/144 scale so it's a bit on the small side. Secondly, the Wave Rider mode does not look too good.

2ch thread on all non-Yamato Macross toys - http://hideyoshi.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/toy/1274897413/

Amiami has shipped my copy! Fans in Japan already panel-lining and thinking of superpacks. Pics from 2ch board.

The "Island 1" display stand looks really cool.

I just hope that there aren't too many who feel this way resulting in this VF-1 series becoming a total sales flop convincing Bandai to quit the line. Because if the iconic VF-1 doesn't sell, it's unlikely that the lesser known Valks will be released. I'm hoping there are enough Macross fans to support toys in 2 different scale sizes. Because I would be extremely disappointed if Macross toys were limited to only one scale. I'm a bit pessimistic because most of the prior smaller size Macross toys have been flops or short-lived (GNU, VF100s, Doyusha, VFC)

CF18 answerd first.

I'm looking forward to putting it next to all my other 1/100 scale VF-1Js I'll have to build Wave's 1/100 kit as well.

Image is everything!

I can answer that question. DX because it's big and contains diecast. It's RD because it's scaled in relation to the RD VF-25. At least this what Bandai says.

Supposedly June 26th.

Ah, right I forgot. The F3H Demon's failure was due to a poor engine. Had it had a good engine, it might have lasted longer in service? Wasn't the performance of the F4D Skyray was considered superb but that the problem was that it was asked to do multi-role when it was designed for high-altitude interception?

Your review and Mr. March's comment is pretty much spot on. I purchased the same VF-1J recently and yes it is a rather disappointing toy. Those wings that kept falling off had me swearing. I also had a hardtime with the peg that connects the back to the front in battroid mode. That said, personally I think the battroid mode looks pretty decent. Maybe it's because I'm getting used to the lanky look, but I kinda like it better (looks-wise) than the prior Revo Valk. Perhaps it would've been better if this was a Revoltech Battroid Valkyrie V2.0 Anyway, I got this for less than $15 so I'm not too disappointed at getting it.

I take out my 1/55 and play this on my computer.

True, but when was the last time there was an airplane that looked good but was a complete bust in it's ability to do it's job?

Clear coat is technically just a "clear" type of paint so they will come off if you scratch hard with fingernails or use sandpaper. That said, with regards to clear coating the bare plastic of Gundam models, one thing I can advise to make the clear coating stick better is to clean the plastic of mold release and any oils from your fingers. Mold release in particular hurts the adhesion of paint on plastic. It's often recommended that you wash the parts with dish washing liquid before & after buildup. Most of the time I just lightly wipe the parts down with a clean rag and some rubbing alcohol (probably not the best/recommended way).

You can try a deputy service like Celga, Shopping Mall Japan, Crescent-Shop, etc. Though mostly for Yahoo Japan auction purchases, these places also have a service where they buy the items for you from Japanese sites that don't ship internationally. I've used Crescent-Shop and Celga before for buying doujinshi.

How many miles is on that Prelude? Even if the interior/exterior looks really bad, if the mechanical & electrical stuff work good, there's value there.