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MacrossMania

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  1. This is still one of my absolute favorites. Bought it back in the day when I first started collecting, and now have one AFA graded. It displays fantastically well. I'm fascinated with modern toys that morph into vintage ones. The early Yamato 1/48's and 1/72's are soon to become antiques (official at 25 years old). It's fun to see the evolution of toymaking. A lot of my collecting reflects this evolution as I try to sample each of the lines/brands ... Bandai produces the absolute best, but you can't discount the influence Yamato has had over the years. Their 1/48's set the gold standard in CGI molding and Bandai has been cashing in ever since with their DX line, which owes a great debt to it.
  2. I just want to interject for a moment, take a pause and just glory in this amazing piece of artwork. Bandai is simply the best toy company around. From all of the formal training that they do with their designers to the absolute dedication to the final product, this is just simply a stunning piece. And I'm absolutely sure it will take its place in the annals of great masterworks in the toymaking industry. Right up there with the chunky monkey. I just wanted to take a moment to say that. I know how fond people are of knitpicking various shortcomings to death (whether perceived or real), but this is such a magnificent work that all of those trivial little problems don't amount to much in the end. (Of course I understand the problems about the laser, that is huge, no doubt). I wish I had something more to offer in the way of personal experience. I missed the PO (doubtless distracted with my usual obsession with vintage), but this is definitely one for the ages that will be going into my collection.
  3. On the change of Bandai over time, makes me think of a podcast that Elon Musk did where he pointed out that simply by not exercising the "muscle" of technology, technology can be lost over time. There is no guarantee that some bookkeeper is hiding away in a niche somewhere diligently recording all of man's advances for the next brave souls to build on it. He said that when they built Space X rockets, much of it had to be learned from scratch because NASA hadn't built rockets from the sixties. Although I think there are different forces at play here, maybe some internal, maybe some inevitable market forces, I wonder if that doesn't factor into it. You can't just pick up where you left off. I hope the same for the Regult Scout and the rest of the Destroids. Although I do have to wonder about that any change in the YF-21 may ultimately be due to the Naamco rebranding from Bandai. Is this the first official DX release from the Naamco brand that isn't essentially just a rework from an old mold (e.g. VF-1's to death). My gut tells me it is (although I am no expert, and ask in earnest piety). I wrote another post (forgot the thread) hypothesizing that this new rebranding effort was part of an overall pivot within the company away from toymaking fundamentals. Scary to think, but Bandai may be anticipating a tectonic shift away from hard tangible things like toys to the virtual world (I read the quarterly and annual statements where they announced Naamco, and there was a sizable budget allotment to electronic media, in another newly conceived division, if memory serves). I wonder then if any noticeable shift in quality is not due to this rebranding effort. I certainly hope not, and hope that this is all just paranoia on my part. But knowing how large corporate conglomerates operate ... The good news of course is that if this "reimagining" results in overall degradation of the product, then all of what came before will go up in value. And I hear you about Yamato's consistency. Always dependable, and one of the most elegant jet forms. And had no idea about Mr. K. Had him mentioned occasionally here and there, but interesting info.
  4. That's the problem though. Bandai always stops mid stream, and then you're left holding the bag. I can only hold my breath for so long before I lose interest. They did the same thing with the HMR mechas. Released some of the regults and destroids, but skipped over some of the key ones that are still missing from the line. Phalanx is my favorite, but they've been teasing that for a couple of years now. And the scout and heavy missile regults look great, but where are they? They've been out there in the collective marketing ether for a couple of years. Those models are just rolling around gathering dust on the shelves of some odd Con or other, where they pop up occasionally, but aside from that, you never see them again. It's a cynical marketing ploy. It used to be that toymaking was a reliable assembly line process back in the 80's. You could guarantee a basic run of figures and vehicles and collect them all no questions asked. Now it's become a game of cat and mouse with the collectors who are ever eager to spin the latest teaser into an endless series of FB posts and fandom page screeds that amount to nothing more than free PR for Bandai. I get tired of it honestly.
  5. This is such a gorgeous piece. Keep telling myself I need to get one. Gonna disappear soon and then I'll be sorry.
  6. Definitely worth it. Works best for the vintage figures, but there are a few modern ones out there that would work. HMR Orguss and DX armored Vf-1 come to mind.
  7. Everyone has to have a joke toy, and this would be mine. I would pay to see this produced. Only thing is the valkyrie has to come with a toy hamburger and fries, happy meal style.
  8. not to keep pestering you, but proxy sites?
  9. I’m willing to pay good money. Just point me the way.
  10. May I ask where you purchased these? Are valks of this quality even available anymore?
  11. Damn I love this pic. Makes me long for the days of good old 80's advertising. Just poring over catalogues like they were Playboy magazines lol. All this talk of the Chunkies just goes to show how relevant they are so many decades later. The true inspiration still holds! Damn Harmony Gold! Wish someone would sue them...oh yea. I actually passed on all six Takatoku 1/55's from a guy in upstate New York. Impeccable condition, $100 each. My stupid ass couldn't be bothered. How I rue the day. And then there's the AFA 85 Soundwave and both cassette tapes for 5K (Soundwave alone just sold for 35K at the same grade)...and Optimus Prime AFA 85 for 5K back in the day (selling for ~ 40K+ these days)...and Roadbuster...and Whirl...and...and...and all this can make you go crazy. Oh well.
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