wm cheng

Oh nice! Please link if it becomes available anywhere else other than Amazon - they usually end up charging around $60 for shipping, customs & duties by the time it gets to Canada (and that's not including the price of the book!).

How about how to deal with the frosted canopies? It seems some have it worst than others, mine isn't great - don't know how to deal with it short of taking it apart and wet-sanding and Tamiya compound. Is there really so much variation in the canopy finish? Love the matter finish though and it looks great! A tad floppy without the brace in Battroid mode though. Love the tampo throughout though, its great to not have to worry about making decals.

Anyone? Anybody who received a frosted canopy and made it clear - how did you do that? Did you remove the canopy to work on it - how do you remove the canopy - can the hinge just come straight out?

Finally got my YF-30 (thanks to NY, I didn't get dinged with customs & duties again) - actually arrived Monday via SAL registered - so not too bad. Picked it up from the post office today - didn't have time to play with it other than take it out and zoom it around a bit. However I do have the "frosted" canopy and its definitely not just grease. How did you clear up / polish the canopy so nicely? Did you remove the canopy from the hinge? If so how did you take the canopy off to rub the inside? I see a pin in the hinge, but was afraid to push it out. I notice that my head doesn't sit down so flush and the forward fuselage seems to drop a slight bit from the back/neck and I can't seem to make them flush/sleek. I may be mis-transformed, so I will transform it tonight into the other modes to see if I can get it to line up better. Love the matter finish, but can't really see the extra $50 price jump over the VF-25. It's nice, but a bit underwhelmed (still smarting from the YF-19 - that's the problem when you look forward to something so much that its hard for it to meet expectations). I don't like the exposed arm hinges on the side of the intakes and all the exposed pin holes (or screws) on the back for the backpack arm - it makes it look like a version 1 where the renewals will have them all covered up and sleeker (I hope I'm wrong). Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I got one and that its a new design - just a bit underwhelmed.

Still seems to still have that droopy neck syndrome from the old VF-0...

What a great story... I love happy endings! Thanks for sharing, can't wait to see the photos. Exactly what I would have done!

YES! Love how you think... thanks for that clearer render of the YF-30. I do like the two-tone black (lighter black on the leading edge). Can't wait to see what you do with yours!!!

Some very clear canopies... are some frosted and some clear (luck of the draw) or did they do something to clear up the foggy canopies? Argh, mine's been sitting "Dispatch from Outward Office of Exchange" in Osaka for 4 days - can't wait to get at it!

I buy my toys to be enjoyed! I love the feeling of waiting for something to have it finally arrive and opening it for the first time. Then thinking of the ways to panel line them, decal and clear coat them with some weathering to improve them to my taste (totally destroying their value - but increasing their value to me!). Personalizing them so they truly are one of a kind! I just can't be hassled with trying to sell anything and shipping it to some stranger. Toys are for my inner child, not investment. Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Yep, got Preparation in Progress right at the beginning and waited and waited and just got Shipping yesterday. Woohoo.

Very nice! The other modes are looking better than I thought (I thought this was a fighter only mode for me too!) Thanks for the pictures. So are the shoulder chips from transformation/rubbing or did it just come like that from the factory? Sucks that the canopy is foggy, wonder if a coat of future will cure it?

So IS the plastic more matte than the recent renewals?

Hey, is it a slightly matter plastic instead of the cheap shiny stuff on the renewals?

Me too! Woohoo.

I can't agree with that statement more! It's really too bad what Bandai has done to my feelings about this particular toy. I really hope to walk away from all this unpleasantness in November and not look back! I also have a strict singles policy - I'll never keep them around for investments, I take them out to swoosh around as soon as they arrive! I paint, panel line, weather, decal, clear coat them as soon as I get time to my hearts content - I'm sure that will destroy any MSIB value they have. It's a little sad to see some negative statements on our wonderful community. I have nothing but the highest praise for MacrossWorld members and they have helped me out numerous times in the past. I'm constantly surprised at the kindness and consideration strangers on this site have for each other. The 2nd VF-25S that technoblue got (his one and only from HLJ) was in fact for me - I got a message from him (a stranger to me previously) out of the blue on the morning it came out after I stayed up till 4am unsuccessfully and had to get up 2hrs later for a long 12hr day at work. I had such a bad long day and I came home to his surprise message... and it reaffirmed my sense in humanity. Of course now I hope HLJ has enough to go around. Anyways, I thought I had a point... I just want to say I love this site (and its members)! Now I feel bad I haven't contributed much since my daughter was born - I will endeavor to rectify that soon.

I wouldn't put NY at the bottom (IMHO) - for people who live in countries with high customs & duties, they are often the cheaper alternative (ie; Canadians). I often save $40-$50 per valk ordering from NY because they declare gift and a lower value on their packages. Also, often they are the only place I could order from that still had stock of the renewals even at a slightly inflated price. I've never had any luck getting renewals from any of the other places.

DEFINITELY... I'll third that! I just saw a built up UCS Falcon at a local Brickfrete show and it was amazing, can't wait till they revisit that one just like the new UCS X-Wing.

Beautiful! Its very hard to make a dark coloured aircraft look convincing when weathered and you did a great job.

I have the 1/350 and with the electronic gimmicks aside, it now seems rather old school and simple compared to the new 1/500 kit - the newer smaller kit is so much more detailed. They are differenet designs and proportions, the 1/500 is the 2199 version and the 1/350 is the Sony Playstation version with is more like the original series than the 2199 version. I'm personally liking the 2199 version proportions more though.

Not yet, its just all in pieces. I haven't even posted any pictures of my VF-25G super packs nor my RVF-25 supers which I all did at the same time as the VF-25S armour packs - I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out though.

Thank you, thank you!! It's so heartwarming to see all these "strangers" whom I've never met in person think of you, what a community!!!! Its nice to know so many people here has got my back. In fact, technoblue has PMed me and offered me one of his HLJ VF-25S - thanks to you, I can finally complete my squadron!! Between Lolicon, David H., erikos0311 and technoblue... I really feel the love - what a great forum board here. I've often said to my wife that if I die, you have to make sure my collection goes to members of MW - only they will appreciated it and I will know they will find a good home. I guess when I finally get this puppy, I'll weather it up and clear coat it, dress it up in the Armour which has already been treated and take some real beauty shots to thank you all. Gotta try out Saburo's tips and get a lightbox I guess. Thanks everybody again and good luck all.

That's right, he's a saint!

Thanks David, always nice to know someone's got your back here on this wonderful community.

Damn! Up all night and nothing, so I have to commute to work bleary eyed and when I get to work, I find out that I also missed HLJ too! I did a search on HLJ and turned up nothing - how did you guys find the link?

Well, still no luck at NY yet, but at least they haven't upped the price too much - its still under MSRP at 14,280.