trueblueeyes

D'oh! Thanks Nerv....I was wondering what the hell those things were! Seriously, I really didn't know. Talk about missing the obvious...kind of looked like sausages stuck to his forehead to me.....

That was the quote for the VB-6 Koenig. I don't believe we have a quote yet from either re-caster for the VF-4. I don't know if Valkyrie still has the molds from the Tread anymore, but it is a beautiful kit. I have one and I love it and have even used it to work on my own little project! As for the Garland...God I hope so! I'd love to have one of those! .... About D'Stance's YF-21: I know individual efforts to contact him have gone unnoticed. I wonder if we can get a list of all those interested and pay a small fee (which I would be glad to cover) to get the monkey, imode, or another person who can write Japanese with some fluency to write to him for us. Maybe if he is contacted and knows that enough people want a kit he might be realize it is worth his time to work out something with us. I'm certainly not promising results but it couldn't hurt to try as he doesn't respond to individual requests but might for a larger group of customers.

I am not sure about metal pins. The VB-6 kit requires screws to complete but did not originally come with them. Whether or not to include them with the re-casts will up to whomever does them, with the cost effectiveness and desires of the MW members factored in as well I'm sure...although Valkyrie has indicated he would like to include them which would be nice! Now I know for sure that the VF-4 originally came with metal landing gears so I don't know what to tell you there. It is a real possibility that they will have to be cast in resin and will of course lose some of their strength...and I really don't know what can be done about that. Probably a question best answered by our re-casters. ...Exo beats me to the draw!

I'm certainly no expert! I just happened to be in the right place at the right time! You can really say that the kit found me! I made the post which the owner happened to see and graciously offered his kit as a loan. If you want to thank someone, thank him! (and the re-caster that takes on the project) I do know that Valkyrie is a talented re-caster who certainly has the time for the project. (sorry to hear that he is out of work, but maybe one of the projects can allow him a little extra money and there might be a bit faster turnaround on getting the kit into our hands) I don't know the other re-caster at all, but if Carl trusts him then I know we can too. As long as it isn't in the hands of an unknown (Tanmen debacle) then I am fine with it. That said...It isn't up to me. It is up to the owner of the original VB-6 kit. I want him to make the decision and be comfortable with it. After all, it is his expensive kit we are going to be re-casting. It would be nice that if one re-caster does the VB-6 kit then the other can do the 1/72 VF-4 so we can have both kits available in relatively short order. But again, not my decision. I don't want to pressure the owner. I just want him to have the info and have him make the decision. That said, the owner of the original VB-6 now has Valkyrie's contact info... and I know he has contacted Carl as well so he has access to both possible re-casters. Let's be patient and see where it goes from here. But we are now well on our way to having the kits available! And I would like to again thank first and foremost the owner of the kit, all of the MW members who expressed interest and made the project possible, and both of our re-casters for being willing to take on the project. Let's give credit where credit is due and without all of you it wouldn't be happening. I just had a dream, but it was really luck (how lucky are we that the owner happened both to spot the thread and be willing to help?!?) and the skill of others that helped to make it a possibility! Thanks all!! Sincerely, Melissa

Exactly. And it is looking more and more like Tracks will be yellow. Not to mention that Tracks and Sunstreaker should be out in the same wave. So if Tracks is indeed destined for a new shiny yellow coat, I wouldn't hold my breath for a yellow Sunstreaker.

Problem solved! Valkyrie was kind enough to host the pics on his webspace and has posted links to them on the next page! (Thank you sir!) So what are still doing reading this?!? Go ahead, turn the page, and look upon the glory that is the I.H.P. Koenig Monster and the I.H.P. 1/72 VF-4! Melissa ... And I think Carl was more right than he knew when he said a re-caster won't be making a huge profit on the monster kit. Just wait until they see what they are in for.

I'm sure AF will fix the list and put you on it CC. But what I want to know is when did we suddenly acquire the D-Stance YF-21 and who is re-casting it?!? Did I miss something? I know I was able to get the Koenig Monster and the VF-4 as a loan from a generous owner willing to let us re-cast but where did the 21 come into the mix? Someone care to enlighten me?

Just to re-iterate, if the original kits were widely available, I'd buy them not the re-cast or "bootleg" as you refer to it. I'd love to have them in my collection. But that option isn't easily available. So I'll get them however I can take them. Now I really am going to bed because I need to be a good girl and get up early for work...even though I really have the urge to set the alarm and just get up long enough to call in sick.... . :sigh: Melissa EDIT: D'oh, I did it again! And I thought I did a good job of proofreading my post! Maybe I need to hire a toe typing drunk monkey to make my posts for me??

It is too late at night for me to think clearly enough to engage in the ages old argument of the moralities surrounding the re-casting of original kits. Besides, even I'll admit that Gundamhead's post does have its valid points. That said, I am not going to be a hypocrite and pretend that I will not buy a re-cast when available. I bought Noels re-cast of the Club M 1/48 VF-1, Valkryie's re-cast of the VF-4, and I'll be glad to get the re-casts of both of these kits. That said, if there were more original kits out there, I would fully support I.H.P., Club M, and the other garage kit companies and buy from them. That option isn't easily available. The Koenig Monster kits are OOP and are *very* hard to find as are the transformable 1/72 VF-4G. And I am not going to deny being thrilled that I now have the option to buy a couple of re-casts of these beautiful kits. Seeing a pattern here? If the original kits are available, I will buy them. And I do have some nice and expensive pieces in my collection so it isn't re-casting simply for a cheaper price...it is re-casting driven by limited availability. I'm not even going to try to moralize it, I'm just glad the kit is now available. There you have it, now make of it what you will. Just the facts. Argue amoungst yourselves because I'm out of here....need to get an early start on work tomorrow. Goodnight All! Pics tomorrow! Sincerely, Melissa Edit to add: I wouldn't count on seeing any more new kits from I.H.P. anyway, as the owner now works for Yamato and his model making pursuits seem to have been forgotten for the time being. So don't blame us for shutting down that garage company....blame the new YF-19!

It is for those interested. I figure when we get a price from the re-caster that we can have a pinned thread for those who definetly want to order one or both of the kits. (with possible links in the "Toys" and the "For Sale" sections for those who might miss it by not visiting the models section) How does that sound for everyone? Thanks, Melissa Edit to add: Remember, you will be paying the re-caster(s) for the kits and not me. I won't be taking any payments, so please don't e-mail or PM asking me where to send them. I am covering the costs of shipping and insuring the original kits to the re-caster plus whatever other ancillary expenses...printing instructions, making cd-rom copies, or whatever else... that might need to be covered because I am happy to finally be able to get the two kits *not* because I personally expect any renumeration. I'll just be thrilled to have re-casts of both kits and without all the interest that never would have happened. I may have helped set it up, but after this it is the re-caster's ball game! Just wanted to clear that up. Thanks again everyone! It couldn't have happened without the support of all the other MW members.

Don't worry Jesse, you don't think I'd really forget you do you? (wouldn't want to lose my favorite excuse of... "But honey, look at *his* collection...you see I am not the only one who spends this much on models! ) edit: Man, a drunk monkey typing with his toes woud make less spelling mistakes than I have today!

I now have detailed pics of the monster and the VF-4 from the owner of the kits. Will post them a little later after I have a chance to reduce the sizes to keep the thread dial-up friendly. For Valkyrie: K, when you get a chance, please e-mail me if you need the larger more detailed pics. That way, you can see what you are getting into. Thanks, Melissa ..... Um, I don't think anyone has to worry about being on the re-cast list for the D'Stance YF-21 since we don't even have an original available to re-cast. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have one but not even the owner of these kits owns one. (and in fact is mostly a collector of 1/100 scale kits) ....and welcome back CC, any new projects in the works yet? My 1/60 Strike is still very proud of his new head!

True, but I still have hope. Those pics appear to be an early prototype with newly sculpted Sunstreaker parts mixed with a production Side Swipe base toy to get an early idea of the final sculpt. At least I hope so. I really hope the final sculpt looks a lot better. .. And anyone know yet what color Meister (the Mazda RX-8 Alternator) is going to be??

The owner has offered to also loan the VF-4G for re-cast as well as the Koenig Monster. That said, I don't want to seperate him from either of his kits any longer than necessary. And since most re-casters can only really handle one project at a time, maybe we could wait to do the VF-4 after the Monster project is finished. So be patient and I'm sure we can make the arrangements. Now if we could just get Carl to agree to let us re-cast his I.H.P. VF-17D.... Melissa

I agree with you on the price of the MPC Alpha. It truly is not worth eighty dollars. That said, I have to take issue with your comment about the original Gakken Legioss toys. As the proud owner of all 1/35 scale Alphas (red, green, and blue) , I'll be the first to admit they are big, chunky, and not very accurate. Now the MPC Alpha certainly isn't perfect, but it *is* a hell of a lot more accurate to the line art and animation than the Gakken toys ever were. Still doesn't mean I'd trade my Gakken for one of them though! But don't you see? At eighty dollars a pop they *aren't* aimed at children. They are aimed at adult collectors who have a nostalgia for the show and for the mecha. Mospeada does have a pretty big fan base. Certainly not as big as Macross but the fans are there. Not to mention the Robotech fans...old and new. These people want an Alpha/Legioss and unfortunately Toynami and the MPC Alpha is the only game in town. It is too small (if a tread isn't produced) and it is over-priced but it will sell. At least I belive it will. Guess we will have to wait and see. Just my $.02. Melissa

It is. I've checked with the owner and it definetly the I.H.P. 1/72 VF-4G. He is going to send me pictures of both kits (including several detail pics of the VB-6 Koenig Monster) this weekend and I'll post all photos. ....................................................................................................................... That way, all the interested re-casters can see the parts involved. I'll also try to PM everyone tonight or tomorrow. Just need to finish some reports for work...had a business trip Friday and I'm still trying to catch up on paperwork so bear with me please. And for Valkyrie, Carl, and ChristopherB, Fulcy, (and any others who can help or just need information) can you please e-mail me at the following e-mail address: reid8163@bellsouth.net I need to use my work e-mail since my PM box is very close to overflowing and I don't have time to clean it out now...lol. Thanks again to everyone. Nice to see that everyone is as excited about the project as I am. I just need to put Ken (or another re-caster if Ken doesn't want the project) in touch with the owner so we can get this started. That way, I can pay for the kit to be shipped and the project started. Finally, after all this time thanks to a very nice fellow model lover...we'll soon have our monsters! I do need some input from all of you: Do we need to start a topic asking who all wants to buy a VB-6 Koenig Monster re-cast or should we wait and get a price from Valkyrie (or whomever takes on the project) first? What think? Or should we guage potential interest based loosely on a price? ...And for those who have PM'ed me expressing interest in owning a kit, please relax. I have your names written down in the order in which I was contacted. (Although I hope no one minds if the owner of the original kit and Mr. Carl Hoff get the first couple of re-casts...Carl for aggreeing to pay for the extra set of molds and the owner for being willing to let us re-cast a rare and valuable kit.) Thanks again to all! Sincerely, Melissa

Battroid

Gerwalk

Still trying to stick to one scale only? It is a 1/72 scale variable VF-4G from I.H.P. Beautiful kit...but don't take my word for it: Fighter

One more thing...this is fodder for another thread but I thought I would mention it here... The owner also has a variable IHP VF-4 that he is willing to loan for recasting. Do we have enough members who would want this kit to make it possible? I know I'd love one, but I collect models like some people collect toys so what do I know! What think? (If there is enough interest in this kit, we'll start another thread...although please be aware that most re-casters only have the time to work on one project a time and the VB-6 Koening Monster will most likely have to be finished first if we manage to go ahead with it....and I don't want the owner seperated from both kits for too long at a time) Please post your thoughts on this kit as well. And again to our benefactor who must remain anonymous: THANKS!! Sincerely, Melissa R.

We are one step closer to completing the project! I have been contacted by someone who owns an original IHP Koening monster kit and is willing to loan it for re-casting. First, let's get this out of the way: *Please don't e-mail or PM me asking for the identity of the owner. The owner wishes to remain anonymous and has NO interest in selling the kit for *any* price. The only other person who needs to know the identity is the re-caster who takes on the project* That said, there are some pretty tough decisions to make. This is going to be an expensive and complicated re-cast. We are going to need members who can really commit to buying this kit which *will* be expensive, make no mistake about it ( if you have to beat up your neighbor's kid for gas money, please don't waste our time) And no, I don't know the final cost. That will have to be decided by whomever re-casts the kit. It will be their decision as to how much to charge for their time and talent. We are also going to need a re-caster who is willing to take on a kit of this complexity. How complex? Here is some info straight from the owner of the original IHP kit..."Just a few things about the kit: It is very complicated (lots of small pieces and hollow parts) and the original casting is not the greatest. There is a lot of flash, and some parts are chipped (from broken sprues). This is either one of the last kits from the original mold, or IHP was pushing their skills to the limit. In all honesty, I can see why they are no longer producing this thing. Ultimately the cost may be a bit more than $200, not including all the screws (approx 200) needed to complete the kit (the original doesn’t even include these). Ulp! None of the approximately 200 screws needed to complete the kit are included. (The owner did give me the size needed and a place to obtain them but they aren't cheap) So I need some input from our members (and any re-casters who are still willing to take on the project) ....*Do we find and include the screws with the kit or provide the sizes needed and leave it up to those who buy the kit to get the screws themselves? * What think?? The owner also mentions that the instructions are on CD-Rom but that really isn't a problem as I have no problem either making copies of it or printing out instructions for those who need a hard copy. So now you nderstand all that is involved. I ask those that are *serious* about the kit to post here or contact me. Also, for any re-casters who are willing to take on this project...please contact me ASAP. I am anxious to get this project started. Once I hear from you, I will talk to the owner of the kit. (who has a definite say in whom does the re-casting). Also, not that anyone needs even more pressure... but whomever jumps on board needs to know that I've promised to return the original kit to its owner in the shortest time possible. And although I can't mention the name, can you all join me is saying a huge THANKS!! to the owner for being willing to allow the kit to be re-casted! It is people like this that keep this hobby so much fun and so rewarding. I also have to say thanks to those who posted in this thread for generating enough interest to make the project a possibility instead of a pipe dream. And for those of us who have been wanting this kit for quite a while.....YES!! One step closer in a long walk. Help me get to the end of the road so that we may make this idea real. If you have suggestions, please post, PM, or e-mail me. Sincerely, Melissa Reid

It does, doesn't it? Strangely enough, it won't even bother me if it is red since we are getting such a nice Sunstreaker. And now since it seems that Tracks wearing yellow doesn't preclude having Sideswipe's brother in BT/AT form, I don't really mind that either. Now we just need a Mustang alternator! Come on Has-kara! Melissa

Just have time for a *quickie* response since I am on the way to a business dinner, but I wanted to clarify one thing. I have no problem with not owning the original kit as long as I have a good re-cast. The idea is to have copies of the kit available and I don't really have that much of an interest in owning the original. That said, I'll PM Carl, Chris B, Valkyrie, Estacado, and some others so we can figure out the best approach. I don't want to be bidding against a fellow MW member or step on the toes of someone who wants the original. Besides, I know from past conversations and experiences that Carl is always willing to help a fellow fan. I'll be back later tonight and contact everyone. Wish me luck and patience with this dinner (the day I've had, I'm likely to brain one of them with a wine bottle ) ....And congratulations on the new job and welcome to Mississippi Carl! Since you won't be living far away from me, if you ever need anything just shoot me a PM. My husband and I would love to take you and your family to dinner once you get settled in! Be back later and thanks to everyone for their interest and responses! Sincerely, Melissa