1/55's revisited

[jvmacross]

Hopefully, @TheLoneWolf saved the auction info...but I think there was some mention on what it was.  Regardless, it definitely seems to be a prototype of, at minimum, the Jetfire packaging.

The way I see it, it is a jigsaw piece to the puzzle that forms the production process for the Jetfire.  All that is missing from it is the lack of the stub-nosed valk that was used in the final version.  That valk, when/if found....would also be jointly shared with the production process of the ElintSeeker and Super Ostrich.

[big F]

I will have to check my Jetfires iirc one of them had Matsuhiro on it.

Edited December 30, 2020 by big F

[nightmareB4macross]

What an incredible find!

[Hiriyu]

Are there (m)any differences in the foam trays and inserts between the Takatoku/Matsushiro/Bandai valk releases? For instance, was the tray altered for the snub-nosed valks, or was it continued as originally sculpted for the Takatokus?

[jenius]

4 hours ago, big F said:

I will have to check my Jetfires iirc one of them had Matsuhiro on it.

You have a post toward the beginning of this thread that had pictures showing different versions, any chance you still have those pics?

[jvmacross]

7 minutes ago, jenius said:

You have a post toward the beginning of this thread that had pictures showing different versions, any chance you still have those pics?

There happens to be a Matsushiro Jetfire on eBay right now if anyone wants to see pics...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/G1-jetfire-complete-in-box-Matsushiro-sticker-ver/124486859334?hash=item1cfbfeba46:g:p2IAAOSww0tf18BA

[jenius]

I wonder why that auction felt the need to post pictures of the back of the Styrofoam... was some diehard collector convinced it had the wrong Styrofoam for that version?

[nightmareB4macross]

24 minutes ago, jenius said:

I wonder why that auction felt the need to post pictures of the back of the Styrofoam... was some diehard collector convinced it had the wrong Styrofoam for that version?

It is possible.

[jvmacross]

1 hour ago, jenius said:

I wonder why that auction felt the need to post pictures of the back of the Styrofoam... was some diehard collector convinced it had the wrong Styrofoam for that version?

I think sooner it is just to show how "mint" it is....styrofoam can get brittle, break, crack, or succumb to the environment just like plastic.....

[TheLoneWolf]

7 hours ago, glane21 said:

What was the description on the Yahoo auction?  Did the seller claim it was the jet fire packaging prototype? Or mention how they got hold of it?

No, there was no mention of Jetfire anywhere in the description. Most Japanese Macross fans probably have no idea about Jetfire because he was never released in Japan. Most probably don't know about Matsushiro either, because the Matsushiro branded VF-1's were only released outside of Japan. This is one area of fandom where we Westerners have a leg up on the Japanese

If you want to read the complete title and auction description, my brother-in-law is fluent in Japanese and translated it for me back then. Please note that the Japanese seller probably can't read English well, because he thinks that the English MATSUSHIRO logo reads as "Takatoku Toys."

 

Quote

The Takatoku Toys (Bandai) VF-1S Super Valkyrie (White Box)

This is not something you can just buy at any store.

At the time when Takatoku Toys was going through bankruptcy, Bandai bought their moulds and created these prototypes.

I received this, a sample export of Bandai’s international market that had been sitting on a shelf for a long time, at the time of a large clearing-out of their warehouse.

The Gunpod part and user’s manual are no longer available, and the Super Valkyrie’s body has a carved Takatoku Toys [sic] seal.

The white box has no printing on it.

Because this is 30 years old, the box has some wear-and-tear and the cellophane has a small hole in it.

One part of the action figure has discoloration and the machine gun head has a crack in it.

I’m looking for people who understand that this is a second-hand item.

Shipping will be through HakoBOON 2kg.

 

I forgot to mention that this Matsushiro Super VF-1S does have one change in common with Jetfire: the wings can't fully extend outwards in fighter mode.

[jenius]

28 minutes ago, TheLoneWolf said:

I forgot to mention that this Matsushiro Super VF-1S does have one change in common with Jetfire: the wings can't fully extend outwards in fighter mode.

Do we know why that particular change was ever implemented? Was there a common breakage point?

[glane21]

37 minutes ago, TheLoneWolf said:

No, there was no mention of Jetfire anywhere in the description. Most Japanese Macross fans probably have no idea about Jetfire because he was never released in Japan. Most probably don't know about Matsushiro either, because the Matsushiro branded VF-1's were only released outside of Japan. This is one area of fandom where we Westerners have a leg up on the Japanese

If you want to read the complete title and auction description, my brother-in-law is fluent in Japanese and translated it for me back then. Please note that the Japanese seller probably can't read English well, because he thinks that the English MATSUSHIRO logo reads as "Takatoku Toys."

 

 

I forgot to mention that this Matsushiro Super VF-1S does have one change in common with Jetfire: the wings can't fully extend outwards in fighter mode.

Also interesting that the tail wings do not have the black stripe with Jolly Roger painted on them.  Years on a Takatoku warehouse shelf!  It’s the toy version of  barn find dream.  Not sure I would’ve had Kawamori sign this particular piece.

[Slave IV]

This stuff is all amazing. I really want to find my Jetfire now. 

[big F]

5 hours ago, jenius said:

You have a post toward the beginning of this thread that had pictures showing different versions, any chance you still have those pics?

I will see if I can find them, iirc they were placed on my old companies web server so I think I still have copies . Thought I had fixed them ages ago :(

[TheLoneWolf]

17 hours ago, jenius said:

Do we know why that particular change was ever implemented? Was there a common breakage point?

I have no idea, I've wondered about that myself.

On a somewhat related note, here's an article about a Jetfire was used in Hasbro's photoshoots. I expected it to be a cousin to my Matsushiro Super VF-1S and be a Matsushiro Jetfire, but it's actually a Bandai branded Jetfire, as evidenced by the unlined canopy and the Bandai branded backplate! And it's legitimate because it came directly from Hasbro with a certificate of authenticity. I had always assumed that the Matsushiro branded Jetfires were the first releases of Jetfire, with the Bandai branded ones being manufactured afterwards, but this photoshoot Jetfire turns that notion on its head.

The only explanations I can think of are these:

• That Jetfire was used in later photoshoots, with a Matsushiro branded Jetfire being used in earlier photoshoots. I can't imagine Hasbro requiring multiple photoshoots at different time periods for the same children's toy, but maybe?

• Bandai was manufacturing both Matsushiro and Bandai branded Jetfires alongside each other at the same time in their factory, which would make aging these toys incredibly difficult for collectors.

Collecting and/or writing about Jetfire involves going down an insanely deep rabbit hole, complete with loops, twists, and turns

22 hours ago, Hiriyu said:

Are there (m)any differences in the foam trays and inserts between the Takatoku/Matsushiro/Bandai valk releases? For instance, was the tray altered for the snub-nosed valks, or was it continued as originally sculpted for the Takatokus?

That's an interesting question, I wonder if anyone has done the research on that one before.

Anyways, Happy New Year everyone!

[nightmareB4macross]

So I decided to wait until I get VF-1J #4 delivered.

Here’s a picture for now as I have comparing to do and present my findings.

Man this thread is getting better everyday!

[vladykins]

Just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying looking through the info in this thread. The info you all are providing is gold.

 

[jenius]

5 hours ago, nightmareB4macross said:

So I decided to wait until I get VF-1J #4 delivered.

Here’s a picture for now as I have comparing to do and present my findings.

Man this thread is getting better everyday!

Sorry if this is a page back or something, but didn't someone recently find a Takatoku 1/55 VF-1J that was actually stamped Taiwan instead of Japan?

[nightmareB4macross]

4 hours ago, jenius said:

Sorry if this is a page back or something, but didn't someone recently find a Takatoku 1/55 VF-1J that was actually stamped Taiwan instead of Japan?

Yes. Glane21 owns that version with Made In Taiwan stamping on the packaging, yet I don’t think he ever showed it was stamped Made In Taiwan on the VF-1J. I have always been very curious about that Valkyrie.

Edited January 1, 2021 by nightmareB4macross

[Bub]

Let me just add this if it has not been mentioned yet.  About the VF-1S Hikaru Strike, some of the antenna on its head are notched.  Go check yours.

[danidogma]

Hello everyone.

This is my first topic here, and I hope you can help me. I have a Valkyrie that my parents gave me when I was just 2/3 years old. I've kept it with me ever since (the breastplate broke and I lost it) and looking for information on it, I can't seem to identify what model it is.

I've looked for pictures and although it seems to match the VF-1S, two things happen:

- Either the color doesn't match (mine has the red details, which you can see the arms and legs).

- Or the crystal doesn't match (mine has the pirate skull).

I have also uploaded photos of the part below the chest where you can see the copyright.

[vladykins]

22 minutes ago, danidogma said:

Hello everyone.

This is my first topic here, and I hope you can help me. I have a Valkyrie that my parents gave me when I was just 2/3 years old. I've kept it with me ever since (the breastplate broke and I lost it) and looking for information on it, I can't seem to identify what model it is.

I've looked for pictures and although it seems to match the VF-1S, two things happen:

- Either the color doesn't match (mine has the red details, which you can see the arms and legs).

- Or the crystal doesn't match (mine has the pirate skull).

I have also uploaded photos of the part below the chest where you can see the copyright.

Welcome aboard!

 

That TT mark you see on there shows that you have a Takatoku i.e., the original toys before TT went out of business and Bandai ended up with the molds and patents.

You have Hikaru's VF-1S, which I just went to grab a picture of:

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by vladykins

[danidogma]

21 minutes ago, vladykins said:

Welcome aboard!

 

That TT mark you see on there shows that you have a Takatoku i.e., the original toys before TT went out of business and Bandai ended up with the molds and patents.

You have Hikaru's VF-1S, which I just went to grab a picture of:

 

YESSSSSSS!!! Thank you VERY MUCH! I´ve been searching a lot of times and never get this answer!

[jenius]

A screen grab of the toy in the wrong box! That toy was sold by Bandai as a strike VF-1S, the first edition still had a TT stamp after Takatoku went out of business.

[jvmacross]

46 minutes ago, danidogma said:

Hello everyone.

This is my first topic here, and I hope you can help me. I have a Valkyrie that my parents gave me when I was just 2/3 years old. I've kept it with me ever since (the breastplate broke and I lost it) and looking for information on it, I can't seem to identify what model it is.

I've looked for pictures and although it seems to match the VF-1S, two things happen:

- Either the color doesn't match (mine has the red details, which you can see the arms and legs).

- Or the crystal doesn't match (mine has the pirate skull).

I have also uploaded photos of the part below the chest where you can see the copyright.

You have an early release Bandai 1/55 VF-1S Strike Valkyrie.....the black stickers that would have covered the "Takatoku" stamps and markings are just not present....all early release (1st issues) were put together using "Takatoku" parts...later the stamps were "corrected" to show the new owner of the mold.....

More info here....

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/46734-takatoku-toys-and-bandai-macross-promotional-materials/?do=findComment&comment=1522274

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by jvmacross

[vladykins]

1 hour ago, jenius said:

A screen grab of the toy in the wrong box! That toy was sold by Bandai as a strike VF-1S, the first edition still had a TT stamp after Takatoku went out of business.

The shoulder was bugging me so much I didn't even look at the box.

 

 

[danidogma]

 

7 hours ago, jvmacross said:

You have an early release Bandai 1/55 VF-1S Strike Valkyrie.....the black stickers that would have covered the "Takatoku" stamps and markings are just not present....all early release (1st issues) were put together using "Takatoku" parts...later the stamps were "corrected" to show the new owner of the mold.....

More info here....

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/46734-takatoku-toys-and-bandai-macross-promotional-materials/?do=findComment&comment=1522274

 

What would be the possible sale value, considering its condition?

[jvmacross]

24 minutes ago, danidogma said:

 

What would be the possible sale value, considering its condition?

I would estimate 40-60 bucks shipped.

The biggest problem is that it is missing parts and essentially you need to find a customer with the spare parts to fix it...someone like that is not looking to pay a premium for a "fixer-upper"...

A boxed, semi-complete, but severely yellowed sample recently sold on YJA for 12,000 JPY....with shipping and proxy fees that would be about 160-200 USD shipped to your door....

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/p832525073

If you do not mind, how did your parents come to give you this specific toy as a present when you were 2 or 3 years old?  Did they collect Japanese toys?  Did you break it at some point?  Or was it boxed or complete when you first received it?  Maybe a "hand-me-down" of theirs?  Sounds like a very cool story....I personally would not sell it, perhaps you can ask to see if someone may have the parts to fix it....

I gave my kids a 1/55 when they were toddlers but their fascination with it was short-lived...lol

[danidogma]

10 hours ago, jvmacross said:

I would estimate 40-60 bucks shipped.

The biggest problem is that it is missing parts and essentially you need to find a customer with the spare parts to fix it...someone like that is not looking to pay a premium for a "fixer-upper"...

A boxed, semi-complete, but severely yellowed sample recently sold on YJA for 12,000 JPY....with shipping and proxy fees that would be about 160-200 USD shipped to your door....

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/p832525073

If you do not mind, how did your parents come to give you this specific toy as a present when you were 2 or 3 years old?  Did they collect Japanese toys?  Did you break it at some point?  Or was it boxed or complete when you first received it?  Maybe a "hand-me-down" of theirs?  Sounds like a very cool story....I personally would not sell it, perhaps you can ask to see if someone may have the parts to fix it....

I gave my kids a 1/55 when they were toddlers but their fascination with it was short-lived...lol

I don't plan to sell it at the moment, I was just curious to know an approximate value in a hypothetical sale.

About the purchase, my parents simply bought me the Christmas present because as they say, I loved "the robot series", and when they went to the store, they saw that the toy was of "metal and a lot of quality"...so they bought it for me.

I remember the box was green, the feeling of the weight of the figure. I had to ask for help to transform it

As time went by, I lost the gun (the box would surely be thrown away by my parents) and the chest plate ended up breaking....

I wouldn't mind getting a new one, new "ears" and whitening the figure.

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by danidogma

[Slave IV]

4 hours ago, danidogma said:

About the purchase, my parents simply bought me the Christmas present because as they say, I loved "the robot series", and when they went to the store, they saw that the toy was of "metal and a lot of quality"...so they bought it for me.

 

You’re parent sound awesome!

4 hours ago, danidogma said:

(the box would surely be thrown away by my parents)

Now wait a minute. No! They were barbarians!

Just kidding! Congrats on owning the best toy ever made most your life! I’d keep that one as is and buy a reissue version of any type you like and call it a day. You could probably get a new head and chest part for yours but whitening doesn’t last so I personally would never bother. With that. 

[Salamander]

On 12/27/2020 at 4:55 AM, nightmareB4macross said:

Takatoku on left.

Takatoku unofficial/official on right.

Even the texture on the box is very unique to the unofficial/official version.

Italian toy?

Be careful, that could very well be legit. Various Italian toy manufacturers produced and sold Japanese toys that were actually licensed from the manufacturers (be it Diaclone, Transformers, Saint Seiya, Gobots...) during the 1980s and 1990s. Sometimes the quality is less good than the originals, making them look like knockoffs.

Similar business practices happened in some other European countries and China and South Korea.

 

I own a UK released VF1J with Takatoku copyright. IIRC, it has some minor differences from my Japanese Takatoku VF1J... I'll check that.

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Salamander

[nightmareB4macross]

1 hour ago, Salamander said:

Italian toy?

Be careful, that could very well be legit. Various Italian toy manufacturers produced and sold Japanese toys that were actually licensed from the manufacturers (be it Diaclone, Transformers, Saint Seiya, Gobots...) during the 1980s and 1990s. Sometimes the quality is less good than the originals, making them look like knockoffs.

Similar business practices happened in some other European countries and China and South Korea.

 

I own a UK released VF1J with Takatoku copyright. IIRC, it has some minor differences from my Japanese Takatoku VF1J... I'll check that.

 

I hear you loud and clear. Ceppiratti, Litardi, and Bandai distributed region specific products in Italy.  While Bandai produced their own Italian VF Super, Ceppiratti did have a package specific Strike Valkyrie with no armor, while Litardi had Takatoku/KO boxes very similar to the originals with Japanese stamped figures and relabeled boxes stating they were produced in ROC. The history of these items is diabolically complex and these grey areas are very difficult to confirm origins. 

[jvmacross]

[TheLoneWolf]

Legally speaking, all of the European 1/55 VF-1's are considered illegitimate, even if they were manufactured by Takatoku/Matsushiro/Bandai. Only Tatsunoko Production/Harmony Gold can lawfully authorize the sale of VF-1's in Europe. But since none of those products bear the Tatsunoko sticker (as seen on the 1/55 Jetfire) or a Harmony Gold copyright, those products' manufacturers circumvented international copyright laws.

At best, some of them are genuine Takatoku/Matshushiro/Bandai products, albeit unlicensed from the appropriate license holders (Tatsunoko/HG). At worst, some of them are knock-offs of Takatoku/Matshushiro/Bandai products and unlicensed from the appropriate license holders. But what they all have in common is that they've broken international copyright laws.

[Salamander]

16 hours ago, TheLoneWolf said:

Legally speaking, all of the European 1/55 VF-1's are considered illegitimate, even if they were manufactured by Takatoku/Matsushiro/Bandai. Only Tatsunoko Production/Harmony Gold can lawfully authorize the sale of VF-1's in Europe. But since none of those products bear the Tatsunoko sticker (as seen on the 1/55 Jetfire) or a Harmony Gold copyright, those products' manufacturers circumvented international copyright laws.

At best, some of them are genuine Takatoku/Matshushiro/Bandai products, albeit unlicensed from the appropriate license holders (Tatsunoko/HG). At worst, some of them are knock-offs of Takatoku/Matshushiro/Bandai products and unlicensed from the appropriate license holders. But what they all have in common is that they've broken international copyright laws.

Hmmm...maybe going by today's standards. Back in the 1980s things were a bit more lenient in various European countries, and it also depended on the product category whom to license things from (model kits, for example, were a bit of a gray area).

For the Benelux, I know of the following:

• Orguss and Macross kits made by Arii and Imai were sold in shops, in Japanese boxes, with crudely translated instructions in Dutch/French/English and also the original Japanese instructions included. These have a BigWest licensing sticker.
• Bandai also sold Japanese kits with Dutch/French/English instructions. The ones I own are two Xabungle (of all things) kits.
• Various toy retailers had parallel import of actual Japanese toys, with an import sticker slapped on. They also had parallel import of US and Canadian toys. Doing that was not illegal (AFAIK, it still isn't).

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Salamander