SDFcommander Posted August 24, 2004 Posted August 24, 2004 (edited) Amped, That sucks man Kevin is a cool guy. Again, we are fortunate to have such good internet retailers like Kevin and Tam here Again, not all are defects. There is some hope. Finally, here or some pics of of my MPC Alpha in Guardian mode. Edited August 24, 2004 by SDFcommander
Kin Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 MOTHERF*CK!!! What SH*T. Graham, you can mark me down as the first person to notice obvious quality defects before I even opend the F'n box!!! First off, thanks to Kevin for the fast & well-packed shipping. Now, if Toynami spent less $$$ on uselessly overdone packaging and more on hiring decent quality control folks, they might've had something here, as the sculpt looks nice. However, I can't comment on playability or poseability, cause I never even broke the seal! I felt like Ralphie in A Christmas Story... as soon as I opened the flap, I was like 'OH FUUUUUUUUUUUDGe...' Only I most assuredly did not say FUDGE. It was obvious that the paint was NOT EVEN F'N DRY before they packaged the piece of MasterCRAP because the paint on the flaps at either side of the cockpit was STUCK to the inside of the clear cover!!! I've circled the defects in the attached pic. It wasn't easy to get a halfway readable photo beacuse of the reflections, but you get the idea. How do you like that crap? I take it Kevin doesn't do returns? I guess I'll haveta email Toynami customer service. 1st Toynami toy = LAST Toynami toy I don't want a replacement from those turkeys... I want a refund. That's an awfull paint damage
SDFcommander Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 Here is a shot from the rear. Here are some tabs that someone pointed out. They secure the legs in fighter mode, but could they also be used to attach to a Beta?
Amped Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 Now that I cooled down somewhat, I've decided I'm just gonna buff out the defects & color match 'em to the base paint job. It's a flat finish tho, so it might take some experimenting to get it just right. It's one thing for me - an experienced modeler - to try this, but for consumers that don't have that skill... they're left holdin' an egg. I appreciate Kevin's offer to exchange it, but I don't wanna put him through the hassle... I'm still gonna let Toynami have an earful tho. Kev is awesome. I feel sorry for him and other retailers that are havin' to deal w/ less-than-pleased customers over this product Again, she looks purdy, but its obvious they coulda saved themselves a lot of hassles by making it a slightly larger scale. Everythings a bit too small and delicate. All the gimmicks, while neat, are kinda scary and overly delicate at this small oa scale. I would've definitly prefered it to be bigger and all plastic, as the diecast is basically useless. If anything it makes it kinda scary to handle and prone to paint flaking (already an issue). I can't bring myself to try to transform it at the moment. The paint issue still has me a little P-O'd. Oh well, the sticker assortment is impressive. BTW, mine is #03274
Southpaw Samurai Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 Well, Alpha #3130 has arrived in pretty good condition so far. It's transformed from fighter to battloid, back to fighter and again battloid so far with no major mishaps. I will admit I was gentler with it than I was with my first 1/48 VF-1A. No excessive looseness yet, although I can easily imagine this getting loose from use quicker than just about any other transforming toy I have. The lack of rachetting on the arms is noticeable...they aren't floppy on me, but you have to over extend the angle you want and let it settle back down. Is the toy itself worth the $65 I paid for it? Not really, although if everyone was guaranteed the quality would be at least as good as mine, I'd easily say $50 wouldn't be too bad a price. Strangely enough, I'm not a dark panel line fan, but SDFCommander's Alpha almost makes me think it would be perfect. So now I have to think about it before I go ahead with the stickering.... Anyway, here's a pic of the lil'guy thinking he can share a shelf with one of the Yamato masterpieces.
Amped Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 (edited) Strangely enough, I'm not a dark panel line fan, but SDFCommander's Alpha almost makes me think it would be perfect. So now I have to think about it before I go ahead with the stickering.... If you don't like harsh 'black' panel lines, you could apply Tamiya Smoke transluescent paint with a fine brush. It makes for a nice dark grey wash. Plus, you can simply clean up any excess with a Q-tip & rubbing alcohol (although I'd test a small spot of the alpha to make sure the alcohol doesn't attack any of the stock paint job). I'm gonna try that with my Alpha since I gotta fix those few factory flaws anyhow... Edited August 25, 2004 by Amped
rewooh Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 add another one: I haven't even transformed it that much, but today when i tried to, I noticed my fingers bending back more than usual and then i noticed its broken. So i guess its time to spend some money on super glue. got dammit.
eugimon Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 the other guys at the toy store that I work at ( hopefull for not much longer ) took an alpha out to put on display, none of them like it... they've all commented on the die cast being put in weird places, notably the arms... why??? and commented on the fragility... considering how that was the one that broke on us.
aaajin Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 (edited) here's the paint smudges on the left intake and on one of the knee caps. Regardless of these defects, I'm still satisfied with my alpha. 1st impression of the toy - it sucks. But after applying the decals on the thing, I'm beginning to like it. One thing though, this MPC alpha reminds me of the yamato YF-21 which lacks poseability + loose joints... Edited August 25, 2004 by aaajin
Retracting Head Ter Ter Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 I havent seen one in the flesh but the pics of the belly dragging fighter mode really irks me.
aaajin Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 I think Ali Sama is referring to the fact that the what you bought was a "veritech" not a valkyrie, which only applies to the VF-1 in RT and to all transformable fighters in Macross.vinnie urk~!..i was referring it as a valk..doesn't the alpha is also considered as a valk? aaajin
EXO Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 paint smudge on the knee cap eeewwww... That's ghetto...
ewilen Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 (edited) I think Ali Sama is referring to the fact that the what you bought was a "veritech" not a valkyrie, which only applies to the VF-1 in RT and to all transformable fighters in Macross.vinnie urk~!..i was referring it as a valk..doesn't the alpha is also considered as a valk? aaajin No, never. In Robotechspeak, variable mecha (including the VF-1, the Hovertank from Southern Cross, the Alpha, and the Cyclone) are all Veritechs. The VF-1 may be referred to as "Valkyrie" in some rare cases, but "Valkyrie" is never used as a generic term for variable mecha, only as a nickname for one particular type. In Macrossspeak, "Valkyrie" is the official nickname of the first type of variable fighter, the VF-1, and the informal way of referring to a variable fighter in general. Sort of the way that "Dreadnought" or "Monitor" are the names of specific ships, while "dreadnought" and "monitor" refers to to subsequent ships of similar type. The Legioss is part of Mospeada, and the Alpha is part of Robotech; neither is part of Macross, so neither is a "valk". Is that clear? (Clear as mud, I'll bet! ) Edited August 25, 2004 by ewilen
macu5454 Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 If you guys havent visited Robotech forums you should hearing so many frustrated fans is kinda funny. Im guessing 70% of the alphas are okay. That is too risky for me to buy another one.
Guest midimann Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 Its a niece looking toy just don't touch it. It might brake.
buddhafabio Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 Its a niece looking toy just don't touch it. It might brake. it moves on its own???? just kidding
Opus Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 (edited) Well fellas, toynami is going to exchange my alpha for a new one. Cross your fingers and pray I get a good one. EDIT: cain't speel Edited August 25, 2004 by Opus
Kin Posted August 25, 2004 Posted August 25, 2004 Here is a shot from the rear. Here are some tabs that someone pointed out. They secure the legs in fighter mode, but could they also be used to attach to a Beta? is Beta another name of the Tlead?
Godzilla Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 Here is a shot from the rear. Here are some tabs that someone pointed out. They secure the legs in fighter mode, but could they also be used to attach to a Beta? is Beta another name of the Tlead? Yes. Beta fighter was the name used in Robotech. In Mospeada, it was called the Tread or Tlead. I dunno why the dubbing called it Tlead but I saw it as Tread on some of the models.
Drad Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 I didn't see anything on the Alpha that foretells connection to a Beta fighter. I won't say it's completely out of question, but it's not looking good. Kinda like a lot of peoples' Alphas.
Kin Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 (edited) I can see the upperleg part is very crude assembled.. an ugly split in the middle. Isn't there a way to remove that paint smudge? I thought the legs are solid blue plastic. I also dislike the cyan colored intake ring and dark gray color. Edited August 26, 2004 by Kin
Myriad Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 Wow! Lots of people buyng this Robotech toy. There must be a lot of Robotech fans out there. Maybe they are Mospeada fans......... Maybe they just buy things to buy things....... I am waiting for the second batch.... Looks like alot of the same problems that are in this thread..... http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=143 Dump the Diecast and just make the toy Transformer Alternator quality. All plastic with no stickers. All decals painted on. No chipping or flaking of diecast paint and no sillly stickers to peel off. This would also cut the cost. Look how much the Binals cost compared to the Alternators. Diecast is for people stuck in the 80's! Wham sucked then and they suck now! Are the stickers really as obvious as they are in the pictures? Where is the damn Mospeada version? Maybe somebody can make some nice Mospeada book covers........
scand Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 I picked one up today, number 0301. I love the detail on it. The sculpt is quite nice and it transforms easily enough. I do wish Toynami would have gone with a bigger scale. some of the joints are just to flimsy. I've already popped one of the flaps and a knee cap off. A larger scale would have probably solved those problems. My biggest gripes are the floppy arms and some splotchy paint. For eighty bucks, a little quality assurance needs to go into these things. I was pretty weary about buying. It's still not quite worth eighty bucks. But it's a hell of a lot closer to being worth it than any MPC veritech ever was. I'm suprised to find myself looking forward to future releases.
CoryHolmes Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 (edited) I just got my two Alphas today from Kevin (all hail the great god of toys known as Valkyrie Exchange *bows his head in reverence*). Unfortunatly, all I had time for was to admire the outstanding packaging and pick up the toy in Fighter mode before I had to go to work. I spent the whole day, dreaming of my new toys and envying/hating you office people that get to sit around and stare at your new stuff on your desk I'm truely surprised at how heavy this little guy really is. It's small, but feels like an old G1 transformer toy, though much better sculpted. Having been an active participant in this thread right from the get-go, I knew well in advance at how fragile some of these parts can be, so I was extra, extra, *extra* careful when moving anything. I am most happy to report that my Alpha is pretty well fault-free. Nothing has fallen off yet, no visible paint smudges, and though I haven't looked too closely for overspray, I haven't seen anything major on the toy. Though I will admit I was smart and opened my #3273 instead of #00420. Didn't want to take the chance of getting a pre-3000 lemon in my hands Overall, I'm very, very pleased with this toy. I will definitly be picking up more of the other three types. Edited August 26, 2004 by CoryHolmes
macu5454 Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 (edited) LOL, went to my local GameStop earlier today and they had a sign next to the Alpha saying that there is no returns after the tape/seal has been open even if the toy is defective!! HAha I talked to the guy and he said that alot of people have been coming back complaining about the toy. He also said that they will NOT be carrying any of the other series. Edited August 26, 2004 by macu5454
wolfx Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 LOL, went to my local GameStop earlier today and they had a sign next to the Alpha saying that there is no returns after the tape/seal has been open even if the toy is defective!! HAha I talked to the guy and he said that alot of people have been coming back complaining about the toy. He also said that they will NOT be carrying any of the other series. Says alot about toynami doesn't it..... Remember the days when toy defects were considered rare and even VALUABLE. With the toynami line, guess the NO DEFECTS one would be considered rare and valuable.
Drad Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 GameStop just got tired of scooping up Toynami's mess. Sorry, folks... ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
eriku Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 I hope Gamestop at least instructs people to contact Toynami for an exchange.
Syngyne Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 I just contacted Toynami, and they said they'd replace mine (because of the backwards hinge on the shoulder), but they would need a copy of the receipt with the retailer's name, purchase price, and date of purchase. Only problem is, I didn't get a physical receipt... I got mine off eBay. I'm hoping they'll take the emails from the dealer, eBay, and Paypal, but we'll see...
Godzilla Posted August 26, 2004 Posted August 26, 2004 can anybody confirm that the it is the pre-3000 Alphas have the most problems? Or it doesnt matter. Based on what I am seeing, it seems so but I wonder if anybody compile this data.
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