tom64ss

edit: this makes no sense without the last post

edit: This thread took a turn for the worse.

It was built by kishimoto. Here's the thread: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...=ST&f=24&t=1780 A VF-19 does use that type of Fastpack set up in Macross 7, although I don't recall a Strike cannon. I know you definitely see that set up with the old style looking boosters in episode 11-17 min. 35 sec. (No, I'm not that much of a geek, I have it on my computer. edit: Wait a minute, I guess I am that much of a geek for having it on my computer. I just meant I don't have it memorized, I happened to have watch that episode last night.) I think he did an outstanding job making an ugly Bandai VF-19 look much better. edit2: The price does seem pretty steep though.

I have the bootleg for MDW, but I never knew they bootlegged the Gold Book too.

Ah yes, always nice to see people unafraid of giving their opinion. So here is one right back at you. I can't really comment on the Macross TV series. However, I imagine I would not like it as much as Robotech considering I don't like reading my television shows and I don't plan on learning Japanese. I also like the voice acting in the Robotech series. BTW you smell like a Macross snob. Hey Deadzone, Don't mind Whiskey, he just gets a little surly whenever anyone mentions Robotech. (Kinda like the horse in Young Frankenstein whenever anyone said "Frau Bluecher" ) The majority of the people here are actually very nice. I, like yourself, never used to like reading subs. But I've found that since I watched Robotech as a kid and then saw the uneditted Macross with subs later on, after a few times, you can just turn off the subs and know the basics of what they're saying anyways. Nowadays, subs don't bother me anymore, since I rarely have to read it more than once, and my Macross DVDs are something I like to watch quite a few times. If you dig Robotech Macross Saga, you should definitely give the original SDF Macross a watch. It's a little more mature than Robotech and once you get past the subs, you'll probably end up liking it more than Robotech (I've never met anyone who didn't). Many of us discovered Macross because of Robotech. To this day, I still feel nostalgic whenever I see a Robotech episode. It catches a lot of the flack from people here who are frustrated with HG. I give it credit for introducing me to some great anime, but it wasn't until I saw the animes that made it up, that I realized there as a lot of amazing stuff I was missing by having only been exposed to Robotech as a kid. Watch "Do You Remember Love" too (there's a thread around here somewhere discussing the several dubbed versions of that if your still hesitant about subs). That was the first "real" Macross thing I ever watched and to this day, its still one of my favorites. Other Macross stuff that's dubbed are the Manga releases of Macross II: Lovers Again which has really cool mecha, but not the best story and is not a part of the official Macross timeline and the Macross Plus OVA Vol. 1 & 2 (The movie version is subbed) which offers some of the most breathtaking animation ever, especially the dogfights. BTW. did you wait to join just so you could be member 666 or were you just lucky?

Robotech Purist ???? It doesn't make any sense. Isn't that's like calling yourself a Lutheran Catholic? edit: Hey >EXO<, can I get two scoops of Juniormint Half-Pint Fanboy on a sugar cone? It sounds tasty.

-Out of control artificial intelligence -Loud explosions in the vacuum of space -Bad guys have circular space craft, good guys have angular ones -Humans are the good guys -Force fields, cloaking devices, and tractor beams -Lasers make a "beeeeuuu" noise -Eutopia/distopia -A weapon that can destroy an entire planet with a single shot -Proton, photon, and neutron weapons

Nope, you would buy 2! Yeah, we'd all still be freakin' broke. It's funny cause its true. But on that same note, my friend Bill bought a Mini Cooper when they came out here in the US. There was a waiting list a mile long behind him. What kind of deal do you think he got off the sticker price? None. 0% APR? No way. Dealer rebate? Don't make me laugh. The salesman put it plain and simple. "If you don't want to buy it at that price, there's this entire list of people who will." It was the hot car of that summer, just like 1/48s are the hot toy right now. On the other end of the spectrum, I got an MPC vol.2 for $29.50. That's over 50% off the MSRP. Why? Because nobody was willing to pay more for that POS. (Personally, I still feel like I got ripped off.) If you want a great deal on your toys, its really simple. Buy crap nobody wants.

It still doesn't matter. Everyone here can say, "I wont pay more than $100 for a 1/48", but if Yamato put out a Limited Edition Blue Roses, we'd flock to it and buy multiples at whatever price they're charging like we did with the Low-Vis. That in turn will keep the prices up. I agree with you >EXO< in that I have no problem with the money I spend going towards our friends that go through the hassle of importing these toys and the companies that are putting out the toys I want. The use of the word "dooming" was what haterist used to describe the prices being high, I'm using it in the same context. haterist, you say everyone wants their share. Aren't you as guilty as anyone of that? If prices went down, you save money. Considering "a penny saved is a penny earned" isn't that the same as "wanting your share"? It's real easy to point fingers and say a corporation is being greedy, but there's not much difference between a company or importer wanting the most money for their toy and you wanting most toys for your money. Some say it's not hurting us, haterist says it's not helping us, what I'm saying it that it's not relavant. In the end, "Money talks, bullshit walks" and what we say we're willing to spend is more often than not "bullshit". Key example, how many people said they'd be willing to pay $500-700 for Capt. America's 1/32 Legioss? And when it came time to cough up the coin, how many did? Obviously not enough because the project came to a halt. Would I like Macross toys cheaper? Sure, anyone who says no is just lying to themselves. I'd also like HG to eat $hit and die, but it's just not in the star now is it baby? What do you mean there's too many cliches in my post?

Really? Where? Name one place where Robotech is taking off. And as far as the design goes, let's not forget that HG has NEVER had a single original idea come from the half a brain they all share. What did HG really do anyways? Exploit an animation error? Slapped a fugly head on a body that SK designed? You "Robotech Purists" (isn't that an oxymoron?)can have it, I'd rather have a YF-19.

Here's something I never got answered on the old boards. Less than a year ago, I bought a Perfect Memory off eBay from a guy that said he bought it in the early 80's when he was overseas. His description of the book was very thorough and from what I can tell, he was selling it because Macross was something that he hadn't had any interest in since he was a kid, and he didn't have any idea that the copies usually floating around eBay were bootlegs. I checked through his other auctions and purchases, and he didn't really buy or sell much anime stuff. His e-mail replies were very good and everything about him seemed to be on the up and up, so I don't think he was lying to me. Plus at the BIN price he was selling it at, he had very little to gain by being dishonest, since it was cheaper than any of the bootlegs I saw on eBay. It came with the poster, and the last or second to last page has a mail away card (attached) for some kind of Perfect Memory Project. The only dicrepency between this and what people around here have said are the signs of a REAL copy is that the cover has an "8" instead of a "10". IIRC, "10" was the first pressing and had the poster, "8" was the second pressing and wasn't suppose to have a poster. Also, the "10" cover ones were the ones usually used for bootlegs. I've heard only one other person on MW mention owning a copy like this ("8", w/poster) and he said he bought his new when he was stationed in Japan during the 80's too. So my questions are: -How did I (and the other member here who's name I can't remember) end up with "8"s w/ posters? -Could it be that we've been wrong all along about whether the "8"s came with posters? -Is this just a really good bootleg? (if it's a bootleg, I'm DAMN impressed) -Does anyone else here have a copy like this?

Your 30 seconds are up. LYNCH HIM!!! LYNCH THE HERETIC!!! I don't personally like that head design, but it's not a bad idea. I'd much rather see people customizing Yamatos and Bandais into those then have them give any support to HG.

My choices would be: Part of the Super-O scene Any of the cool half second clips (E-seeker, GBP, etc..) Any good shots of VFs from the battle scenes The Focker death scene Any part of the M&M dog fight

Nope, there was a thread on the old boards where the people here who had Gold Books (lucky bastards ) discussed which part of the film they got.

I still think its supply and demand. 1/60s are in much less demand than 1/48s. Thats why 1/60 are sold for much less than their MSRP. Max is in less demand than the low-vis. Do the boards effect Yamatos game plan, absolutely. But pricing, as stated over and over again in even the most basic business theory, is only as high as people are willing to pay. We doom ourselves because we keep buying at those prices.

Check the people who responded to this thread: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...=ST&f=10&t=2166

Yamato sells their toys for the same price regardless of what we pay for it. Whether I buy a 1/48 for $80 or $160, Yamato makes the same amount of money from the wholesaler, who sold it to the retail store or online seller, who sold it to us. But if the cost to the retailer is, $77, the guy that sold it for $80 won't exactly be dying to restock, where as the guy who doubled his money will probably do it right away. That's how Yamato judges the success of a particular toy. It's by how quickly they sell out, not by whether or not it sells at the MSRP. edit: I always hit submit by accident

i can see your point there...thats what most of us do when we're trying to get rid of something but don't know what its worth. i know the first place to check is ebay....unfortunately. Yeah, eBay's an abomination, but a useful tool at the same time. It's supply and demand at it's purist and on a global level. Look at the EXTREME price fluctuation in VF toys in that last few years. As soon as the reissues came out, collector prices for Takas and DYRL Bandais dropped, significantly. Prices on non FP 1/60s were fairly high until the 1/48 came out. If someone came out with an even better VF-1 toys than the 1/48 right now, I bet the prices on those would bottom out too.

I think even distributors look at what people say "they'd be willing to pay" with a grain of salt, 'cause when it come time to lay down our money, most buyers want to try and get an even better deal. Most distributors realize the "gotta have it right away" crowd is a limited group. The most profitable, but limited. Products, like Yamatos, that're sold pretty much to a limited "collector" market are almost always price guaged on online auction sales.

'cuz it's fugly.

Considering none of the toys they manufacture are meant for US sale, I don't think their MSRP had anything to do with what we say we're willing to pay. If anything, MSRPs have always been significantly less than what US collectors are willing to pay because our prices have to factor in shipping costs too. Working out those figures would be a complete waste of time for marketing department since it's a toy that not meant to be sold anywhere outside of Japan.

I was thinking about the fact that Toynami is releasing the VF-1R toy and it makes me think that if HG had been smart from the onset, Macross and Robotech could've easily survived as seperate entities and both been profitable. Think about Macross 2. It in itself uses the SDF Macross timeline as it's chapter 1 and yet remains a seperate existance from the whole Macross universe. Although no one plans on expanding the Macross 2 timeline, it still gets a lot of support from all us Macross fans. If someone came out with a nice VF-2SS toy in any scale, we'd buy it up in a heartbeat. Had HG cooperated and helped with BW in introducing Macross into this country, they could've worked out an agreement with BW for the rights to the Macross 2 designs which I don't think BW would've really cared too much about losing since the closest thing I've seen to any new toy was the Ishtar figure in the Macross figure set and the model reissue. With some clever editting, they could've easily been worked right into Robotech as a part of it's timeline, by going through a seperate from Macross timeline of the VF development, starting with stuff they "kind of" came up with on their own, like the VF-1R, and using Macross 2, SC, and Mospeada designs Macross, complete and unedited would've been sold in this country as well as all of it's derivatives and toys. All Macross fans would be happy with HG because we could now purchase these toys and DVDs cheaper and more readily. To HG's benefit, they would've now had the support of BW in helping them expand the SC and Mospeada licences as well as most of the "Macross only" fans. I, personally, would've gladly supported both BW's Macross and HG's Robotech just because I know there'd be really cool SC and Mospeada toys around the bend. They own the SC and Mospeada rights outright. Nobody disputes that because nobody seems to want them. But they had to be greedy and get the rights to something that obviously has grown as an int'l franchise without any help from HG for many, many years. Plus, if they had played their cards right, possibly could've gotten the Mac 2 rights too. That's 3 really cool license for them to build on, plus sharing the SDF Macross stuff int'l as seperate franchises. If they used the money they spent on lawyers to try and develop those licences into a "new" show and get a good time slot on Cartoon Network, considering the obviously mecha craving world of toy buyers and anime/cartoon watchers, Robotech could've easily become a franchise to contend with Transformers instead of the pathetically overlooked retro fad that your Joe Average U.S. consumer sees it as now when they see one of those crappy toys in Gamestop. Ahhhh what the heck am I saying? Idealism is for hippies.

I pulled this out of the Toynami VF-1R thread because it was really the wrong place for my rant. But part of running a company like that successfully is actually taking the time to do the research of what your target consumer wants. What HG failed to realize is that the demand wasn't coming from Roboblech fans, but us, the Macross fans. Most of the people who were that into Roboblech as kids, took the time to discover what the real Macross/SC/Mospeada was all about. It's those people, who were be willing to take the time to do that research back then, that were willing to pay top dollar for 1/55s, HCMs, and models back in the day. HG has managed to piss off, be it the lawsuit or a $80 pieces of shite they call MPC, that particular group, the main money supply in this country for Macross toys and as a result have shot themselves in the foot as far as sales go. HG's whole notion that Macross being allowed in this country would hurt them is just plain stupid. What hurts them is the lack of quality in their toys and their never ending quest to piss off Macross fans by making us spend more and have harder time getting official products. If 1/48 were readily available for $90 at Toys 'r Us, and HG didn't piss me off with their BS and lawsuits, I would've gladly have spent what money I saved on more Macross related toys, even if it was a Roboblech toy. I said it once and I'll say it again. If HG spent more money for Toynami to produce a toy that was worth $80 instead of on lawyers, many of us would have bought Yamatos, Bandais, AND Toynamis. We Macross fans have proven through years of Macross toys sales as a "hard to find" collectable and recently through Yamato's sales that we will buy a quality Macross toy, regardless of the cost, as long as the cost justifies the product we're getting. That's what they should have been focusing on all along. edit: grammer-would've for wouldn't (shoulda done that when I moved it, doh)

edit: wrong place for my rant, I moved it here: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...6&t=132&st=200& BTW, I think the head is ugly, but I am glad they decided to make a toy of one of their own creations (kind of) instead of some of the SDF Macross stuff they could've done like the Max 1A or the 1D.

I wouldn't suggest anyone to buy an MPC. My opinion about them is: -Piss poor plastic-As compared to Yamatos and Bandais. The plastic quailty is only slightly better than HK bootlegs and Joons. -Bad sculpt-Ugly nose cone, inaccurately skinny legs that don't lock at all in Battroid mode, mine came with a broken light, and the whole middle looks like it was stepped on in fighter mode. -Fast Pack don't stay on for crap and require extra parts that make the whole thing look even more inaccurate than Bandai Chunky Monkeys. I paid $29.50 for mine and still felt ripped off. I never bothered to taste, smell, or listen to it, but it looks and feels like crap. Two senses are enough for me to call it crap. Stick to Yamatos and Bandais. (1/60s and 1/55s if money's a factor. 1/48 if you're really looking for a real masterpiece.