Newbie ANSWERS thread!

[Black Valkyrie]

Hi JetfireUK if you are looking for the Bandai 1/55 best prices, this is only site I recommend you and I guess every MW`er agrees.

http://www.toy-wave.com/php/product.php?table=18a

[JetfireUK]

Hi JetfireUK if you are looking for the Bandai 1/55 best prices, this is only site I recommend you and I guess every MW`er agrees.   

http://www.toy-wave.com/php/product.php?table=18a

337141[/snapback]

Thanks Black Valkyrie, I'm starting to price up figures. Macross are a little more expensive than the TF re-issues and Binaltechs that I've got, but not by much. Hopefully I should have my first purchase by the end of the year!

Thanks for your help!

I'm guessing that for now, this is the best place to ask my questions? I know what it's like having a newbie clogging up sites with threads.

[kensei]

PM me as I know a guy from another board that is into Macross and Gundam. He lives in the UK, I'll get him to talk to you if you want. He might know some stores. But there are some fine retailers in my sig, check them out. I live in Australia, but I still manage to get good prices from these guys in America and HK.

[JetfireUK]

PM me as I know a guy from another board that is into Macross and Gundam. He lives in the UK, I'll get him to talk to you if you want. He might know some stores. But there are some fine retailers in my sig, check them out. I live in Australia, but I still manage to get good prices from these guys in America and HK.

337261[/snapback]

Hi Kensei,

That's very kind - I'll send you a PM shortly. This'll probably surprise a lot of you, but I'm still getting used to picking stuff up on the Internet. I've never used Ebay, but instead used UK shops and fansites to pick up Transformers in the past.

I tend to do things this way as fellow fans seem to know a lot more on the figures and can point out the right shops.

Regards

JetfireUK

[kensei]

Hi Kensei,

That's very kind - I'll send you a PM shortly.  This'll probably surprise a lot of you, but I'm still getting used to picking stuff up on the Internet.  I've never used Ebay, but instead used UK shops and fansites to pick up Transformers in the past.

I tend to do things this way as fellow fans seem to know a lot more on the figures and can point out the right shops. 

Regards

JetfireUK

337272[/snapback]

PM sent to him. Now the wait. Just missed him after he made his last post.

No worries mate. That is actually the only way that you should purchase these type of exotic goods, through the experience of other members and experienced and hard working dealers. We keep the good ones in business and starve the shifty ones out, and get good deals and service in return.

You should check on the "Sell, Buy and Trade Macross" section in the middle of the forum main page too. You can sometimes get some good deals from them. They advertise specials regularly.

[JetfireUK]

Hi Kensei,

That's very kind - I'll send you a PM shortly.  This'll probably surprise a lot of you, but I'm still getting used to picking stuff up on the Internet.  I've never used Ebay, but instead used UK shops and fansites to pick up Transformers in the past.

I tend to do things this way as fellow fans seem to know a lot more on the figures and can point out the right shops. 

Regards

JetfireUK

337272[/snapback]

PM sent to him. Now the wait. Just missed him after he made his last post.

No worries mate. That is actually the only way that you should purchase these type of exotic goods, through the experience of other members and experienced and hard working dealers. We keep the good ones in business and starve the shifty ones out, and get good deals and service in return.

You should check on the "Sell, Buy and Trade Macross" section in the middle of the forum main page too. You can sometimes get some good deals from them. They advertise specials regularly.

337277[/snapback]

Cheers, you're a gent!

I'll check out the Sell, Buy and Trade Macross forum - it'll give me a good idea how much I should be expecting to pay. I've seen a VF-1A (tan without FAST pack) for £60 in an Anime shop in London, but it'll be interesting to see how much they can cost.

Thanks for making me feel welcome on this site.

[kensei]

No probs. But the one you saw, what Maker? Scale? We tend to call them by their brand names like Bandai, Yamatos or Toynamis. If they have multiple scales, then we call them by that as the scales are pretty unique for each brand, so there is no ambiguity. I can't really tell from that info you gave, it doesn't seem to fit anything that I know of. Either that is really cheap or a real rip off.

I think the homepage is a good resource for you was well, if you haven't seen it already (it's actually a real surprise to some people that MW forums actually has a homepage ). http://www.macrossworld.com/macross/toys/_toys_menu.htm Click that and you get a selection of producers and variants, scales and reviews. You can look at the one you fancy and then ask about the prices you expect quality feedback etc.

I personally though recommend the Yamato 1/48. I have 80 of them.

[JetfireUK]

No probs. But the one you saw, what Maker? Scale? We tend to call them by their brand names like Bandai, Yamatos or Toynamis. If they have multiple scales, then we call them by that as the scales are pretty unique for each brand, so there is no ambiguity. I can't really tell from that info you gave, it doesn't seem to fit anything that I know of. Either that is really cheap or a real rip off.

I think the homepage is a good resource for you was well, if you haven't seen it already (it's actually a real surprise to some people that MW forums actually has a homepage ).  http://www.macrossworld.com/macross/toys/_toys_menu.htm Click that and you get a selection of producers and variants, scales and reviews. You can look at the one you fancy and then ask about the prices you expect quality feedback etc.

I personally though recommend the Yamato 1/48. I have 80 of them.

337293[/snapback]

Ah. I get you.

I checked out that toy-wave.com website at it appears there too. It's the Bandai 1/55 Transformable VF-1A Valkyrie. I guess that it's a cannon fodder fighter as there's no pilots name on the box.

Have you got any shots of your collection?

[kensei]

No digital camera at the moment sorry. I do have some pics, but only a few are out of the box, they are somewhere among this thread below. Can't really search for them, I only have dialup.

Some people are too lazy to put stickers on the Yamato 1/48, so they don't reveal their full glory. But have a look. You'd better have a ADSL connection

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=1568

EDIT: Looking at the conversion rates, the one you saw was pretty steep. Even after you ship from HK, Toy-Wave is probaly your best option. You can balance the fees with this place here if you don't have paypal and want to use direct credit card:

http://www.tmpanime.com/index.php?zenid=c2...658c57&cPath=76

Edited October 17, 2005 by kensei

[JetfireUK]

Those shots look great - I've got basic speed Broadband 152k - but the service provider's just increased it to 2Mb.

Pricewise; looking at that link - it's going to be a case of shopping around. I think that I'll start off with the 1/55 scale figures first as they're cheaper. I usually have around £30-£40 disaposable cash a month.

Again, thanks for your help - this site's a gold mine!

[Fortress_Maximus]

What are the complete release dates for all of the 1/48s and the FPs?

[kensei]

Why am I nice to you for?

The 1/48 Macross Line was released on the following dates:

11-27-2002 1/48 DYRL? VF-1A Hikaru Ichijo

02-22-2003 1/48 DYRL? VF-1S Roy Focker

05-17-2003 1/48 DYRL? VF-1A Maximilian Jenius

07-31-2003 1/48 DYRL? Style VF-1A Low Visibility (Limited Edition)

00-00-2003 1/48 DYRL? VF-1A Hikaru Ichijo (2nd version)

00-00-2003 1/48 DYRL? VF-1S Roy Focker (2nd version)

08-11-2003 1/48 DYRL? VF-1S Hikaru Ichijo

11-28-2003 1/48 TV VF-1J Hikaru and Super VF-1J Hikaru

04-00-2004 1/48 TV VF-1J Super Maximilian Jenius

05-00-2004 1/48 TV VF-1J Super Miria Fallyna Jenius

12-12-2004 1/48 DYRL? VF-1S Roy Focker 3rd Production Run

??-??-2004 1/48 TV Style VF-1J JBC Credit Card Promotion (only 3 in the world)

??-??-2005 1/48 DYRL? VF-1A Mass Production Version (Cannon Fodder)

1/48 VF-1 Accessories were released on the following dates:

08-29-2003 1/48 DYRL Super/Strike Armor

05-00-2004 1/48 Clear Armor Parts Kit

??-12-2005 1/48 GBP-1S Armour Set

I've done half the work. Now go do the rest.

[Dat Pinche Haro!]

i was just wondering...are the fast packs supposed to be overly snug?

[Eternal_D]

you mean the back pack boosters? yah, those are pretty snug. on a couple of mine the metal pins came off of the boosters while trying to remove them.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I believe they are overly snug so there is less chance of them slipping off while the toy is being handled. I hear from a lot of you that the FAST packs ARE pretty heavy. Not only are they heavy but there are internal parts and perhaps a drop to the floor would pretty much risk a lot of breakage. So I basically think the snugness is to counter the heavy weight of the packs.

Yamato also knows that we play with our toys and our not merely content with leaving them on display, remember how they revised the 1/60 backpacks so they wouldn't flop around in fighter mode after the hikaru came out? A bunch of us would be imitating flight scenes and the backpack would just flip up, yamato said they never envisioned their fans play dogfighting with their planes henceforth they revised it in time for the 2nd 1/60, the Roy version. (the fix for the 1/60 hikaru VF-1A was to place some super glue in the backpack hinge area after dissassembly, and reassemble when dry, the dried superglue would provide resistance so the backpack would not flop.)

[Dante74]

Here's a noob question for ya.

My situation is as follows.

I own a 1/48 VF-1a CF

I have a 1/48 VF-1j Hikaru TV, Displaystand and a fastpack set on the way from HLJ.

Somewhere in the, hopefully, not to distand future I plan to buy a 1/48 VF-1s Roy.

Untill I can buy the 1/48 VF-1s Roy, I plan to use the fast packs on the CF.

Here's my question; What's the best sticker to put on the side of the fast packs?

Is it okay to use the black Jolly Roger's logo on a CF fastpack in a Macross continuation kind of way?

In other words, Did a CF ever show up(in DYRL or the series) with fastpacks, and if it did, was there a black Jolly Rogers logo on the side?

*reads own post and thinks* "F*^k, I'm turning into a total nerd."

PS. No, I'm not going to buy another fastpack set for the Roy 1/48.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

THey had FAST packs in the DYRL movie and I would presume they did in the series as well. About the skulls, that I have no clue on. I think its alright to have the black skulls on the FAST pack since you are getting Roy eventually and just putting the FAST packs on the CF in the mean time.

[newbiecollector]

Here's a question -- I own a 1/60 Yamato VF-1S Strike Valkyrie. The pods where you shift to unlock the legs are already showing some paint wear -- I would like to re-touch it, but what paints are recommended?

[Dante74]

THey had FAST packs in the DYRL movie and I would presume they did in the series as well.  About the skulls, that I have no clue on.  I think its alright to have the black skulls on the FAST pack since you are getting  Roy eventually and just putting the FAST packs on the CF in the mean time.

360206[/snapback]

Thanks!!

I guess there must have been Cannon Fodder's in Roy's squadron, so I'll just put the black skull on.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

In the Tv series I think first episode, there are cannon fodders with skull symbols on the tail flying with Roy in formation, I can't remember if they were black or white skulls, but black skulls would look good since the it will stand out more than white on the brown tailfin. It would look awesome to me.

[Dante74]

I just checked episodes 1 & 2.

The CF's of Roy's squadron only appear for a few seconds just before Roy goes down to the city to look for Hikaru.

It looks like a kite logo on the tail.

I think I'll just put the kite logo on the FAST packs and think about buying another set of FAST packs when I'm getting the VF-1s Roy.

It also gives me a good reason to buy another CF, one with FAST packs, one without Fastpacks.

Now all I need to do is convince my GF that I need two CF's.

Let the sucking up begin!

[ghostryder]

You could go with either kites or Jolly Rogers. In DYRL, right before the final battle you see CFs being fitted with fastpacks, each having markings of their respective squadron (they never showed a skull fastpack w/ a CF, but there was one with some green arrow thingies). I assume CFs in the skull squad had black Jolly Rogers as a default. Can there be a puppy-poo tan skull??

Either way (kite or skull), they would look okay with the Skull 001.

[Fortress_Maximus]

Simple questions, why hasn't Yamato made a 1/48 Ostrich and Elintseeker?

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I can try to answer that one. This is just my theory but the ELINT and SUper O both would require a completley redesigned cockpit and forward fueselage and chestplate and perhaps internal folding heatshield assembly. If you notice, nearly all the 1/48s released are just repaints, nothing newly tooled aside from the A/J/S heads. Also there are not that many repaint possibilities for an ELINT or SUper O. To retool the existing 1/48 into those 2 would require a lot of tooling and mold modifications, so in the end it would be putting a lot of money into making 2 variants that don't have that much screen time and would probably be more expensive in retail than the koenig monster and supervalk VF-1J giftsets. And is there a gurantee that it would sell? To an average fan an average fan would probably want the more popular toys, I think diehards like us that compromise most of this forum would be the only ones buying the super O and ELINT seeker. They just don'thave the selling power and recognition unlike valks like skull1 and the max types. This doesn't mean I don't want them, I'd LOVE to have them. But in the end its a huge investment into 2 toys that would likely become shelf warmers. All the 1/48s we have seen so far are "financially safe" to release simply because again they are not retooled at all and simply repaints with different heads. And of course from just that 1st VF-1A hikaru mold look how many toys we got.

the 1/60 versions were less of a gamble since they were smaller and cheaper to produce.

But who knows. I wish I knew the answer and I hope what I said helps. But just remember the average fan would probably stare at it and say "what the hell are these 2?". The reason you see most of us bitchin for a DYRL super O and ELint reissues from bandai is due to the fact that we know they have made them before. But with yamato none of these toys have made it to 1/48 scale. I mean think, if a VF-1D is hard to convert into 1/48 scale with internal heatshield and still keep perfect variability, IMAGINE how hard it would be to convert the 1/48 molds into a Super o and elint knowing that the cockpits are different than even the 2 seat VF-1D. But who knows next year is the 25th anniversary.

But again I hope this helps. I don't know the true answer, but this is the best theory I can come up with.

[Fortress_Maximus]

Dude, I completely agree with you! But I am hoping... b/c before I really appreciated those two models I too could care less! Anyone else want to take a stab at it?

[myk]

Maybe........Bandai could just cheat and reissue the 'O and 'Elint with regular VF-1 noses? I'd still buy it. Although if they're willing to tool up for the specialized pieces that go into both fighters, the nose shouldn't be too much trouble...

[Fortress_Maximus]

Hm, that might work but why can't they just reissue the 1/55s? Are the molds broken?

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I am not sure if anyone knows the straight answer to that. From what I heard, fans overseas would ask bandai at cons, and the reps would say that macross was not making a lot of money for them.

[Fortress_Maximus]

OUCH so much for a reissue then. Damn.

[fansubs2000]

With all the current Valks I've seen in the last few years, why don't i see any Kakizaki's released?

Have they ever released a Kakizaki Valk?

I have only seen custom ones made.

Why is that?

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

That's a very good question. Maybe because the character wouldn't be popular?

When you combine unpopular 1A head with unpopular character you take risk?

I think completist collectors would lap it up though. As for chunky munky valks, I'm over those now. It's time bandai put some new effort into macross the way they keep pimping gundam.

PG macross models with LEDs in the shoulders, hollow head lasers, perfect beefy hands, "magic hands" in the forearms, super posability for anime style dramatic stances, no skinny arms like the 1/48s, etc etc etc

Then you might make some money.

Edited March 4, 2006 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[fansubs2000]

Thanks LowViz!

Another noob toy question here.

Some of my Valks are displayed outside of a glass case.

Over time, they tend to get dusty.

What is the BEST way to clean them.

Can i just use a wet napkin to wipe them down?

Will that give me any long term problems?

What about 91% Isopropyl Alchool?

Is alcohol better or worse then just water?

I've been collecting for years, but my collection has stayed in boxed most of the time. In the past year though I've been displaying a good number of pieces and i just wanted to know the best way to clean them when they get dusty.

Thanks in advance!

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I usually just use a drycloth...would alcohol deteriorate the paint over time? Thats what I worry about

[Graham]

Valk toys (or any toys) on display on a shelf do pick up a lot of dust over time. Once the dust works it's way into the panel lines it can be difficult to get out. Just wiping with a cloth will usually not do the trick.

I had several 1/65 scale Bandai VF-17D/S and VF-19S/Kai toys on shelf display for several years and they got really dusty.

The cleaning method that worked for me was to completely disassemble the toys, fill a largish bowl with warm water and dish washing detergent, soak the parts for a minute or two, then take a soft tooth brush and gently scrub each part, then rinse the parts under the tap to get off the soap.

Then it was just a case of drying each part and reassembling the toys. The toys came out looking as good as new.

You could probably do this without disassembing the toys, but I decided to disassemble them as the dust had really worked it's way into all the joints.

I now consider myself an expert in disassembling/reassembling the Bandai Macoss 7 toys

The best thing is don't display your high-end collectors toys on an open shelf, get a good display cabinet to protect them from dust.

Graam

[Veritas]

You know what seems to work for me so far, suprinsingly well? That swiffer duster. It won't get into those deep down dust pockets that might have piled up after a number of years, but for regular dust keeping maintence, even after a number of months it ate the dust right up.