1/55's revisited

[Graham]

is one hundred seventy dollars good for a vf-1j milia vf-1j chunky monkey reissue?

Sounds way too high.

Graham

[Reïvaj]

I wouldn't pay that much either.

[takatoys]

I think US$150 is the right price for a Max or Milia reissue. These valks were the last made before Bandai stopped production of the Takatoku reissues. Not many were released so they are becoming rare.

[big F]

I cant really comment on prices last time I saw one for sale outside of eBay and Japan it was £90 in London.

[Renato]

Podcast all about the history of the 1/55 right here.

http://collectiondx.com/blog/vf5ss/veef_show_episode_38_history_takatoku_vf1_valkyrie

[Renato]

And here is the Matsushiro VF-1 box design that we briefly mentioned.

http://s587.photobucket.com/albums/ss315/Rm407/Matsushiro%20VF-1J/?action=view&current=DSC00417.jpg&sort=ascending#!oZZ8QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs587.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss315%2FRm407%2FMatsushiro%2520VF-1J%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DDSC00416.jpg

[ps99042]

I think US$150 is the right price for a Max or Milia reissue. These valks were the last made before Bandai stopped production of the Takatoku reissues. Not many were released so they are becoming rare.

Gotta agree with this. I just sold mine a couple months ago for about these prices though during summer they were hitting as high as $200 for some strange reason. A little off topic, but I just sold my V1 1/60 Strike VF-1S for $180 and V1 1/60 Super Max and Hikaru for $170 each which was even more shocking.

[Renato]

Updated link for the podcast on the BRAND SPANKIN' NEW AND IMPROVED Macross World homepage:

http://www.macrossworld.com/738/the-history-of-the-takatoku-155-vf-1-valkyrie-toy/

[unclechopchop]

Paying high prices for the reissue makes absolutely no sense to me considering the quality of the older Japanese versions is far superior. Sure there's the yellowing issues, but I will forever hunt for the REAL oldies. Sure, if you can get a reissue for cheap, go for it! Otherwise, it's just not worth it in my book. Oh, and plus the joints on the reissues get awfully loose, real quick. Something I don't ever worry about on my old version.

[aceoftherebellion]

Aren't there a bunch of techniques now to de-yellowify older toys anyway? Or did those all turn out to be bust or something

[takatoys]

Aren't there a bunch of techniques now to de-yellowify older toys anyway? Or did those all turn out to be bust or something

The one that really works is with hydrogen peroxide. But eventually, the toy gets yellowed again.

[unclechopchop]

The one that really works is with hydrogen peroxide. But eventually, the toy gets yellowed again.

I heard that tears down the plastic somehow. Not sure if that's true, but it's an expensive price to pay if it does screw it up. I've been eyeballing that subject for years now, and it just scares me to no end. But in the end, it is just toys.

[aceoftherebellion]

The way I see if, if a toy has already yellowed to that degree, it's damaged anyway. You might as well experiment and see if there's a way to save it. It's not the same as if you were experimenting with/risking plastic damage on a pristine example. Especially when you can pick up a yellowed loose Jetfire or takatoku for $20 or so depending on where you shop... My local consignment store has two of them at about that price right now. It's not hard to find a beat up/yellowed toy to attempt restoring, really...

[BlueMax]

Tried the peroxide treatment once on the V1 1/60 VF-1A (DYRL) Hikaru, from what I have read, there is damage done to the plastic at the molecular level, but not perceivable either by feel or sight.

Anyway, it works to a certain degree, but temporarily. Ultimately the yellowing came back pretty darn fast, in just a couple of months, and I think it became worse then the original yellowing.

I did not do a clear coat, and I am not sure if that will arrest the yellowing after the treatment, but it might just do it.

Edit: Please note that (what I think is) oxidation of any metal parts will at a very quick rate upon exposure to peroxide. Especially die-cast material. I have literally seen streams of bubbles come from exposed die-cast parts. Thus, exposed metal surfaces sustain more damage than the plastic

Edited February 19, 2013 by BlueMax

[Valkyrie Magnus]

My bandai re issues have tight joints and have never become loose. The metal is fine and the plastic has not yellowed on any of my white ones. My original ones have some metal oxidation and and yellowed even when not in direct sunlight.

[Vi-RS]

Tried the peroxide treatment once on the V1 1/60 VF-1A (DYRL) Hikaru, from what I have read, there is damage done to the plastic at the molecular level, but not perceivable either by feel or sight.

Anyway, it works to a certain degree, but temporarily. Ultimately the yellowing came back pretty darn fast, in just a couple of months, and I think it became worse then the original yellowing.

I did not do a clear coat, and I am not sure if that will arrest the yellowing after the treatment, but it might just do it.

Edit: Please note that (what I think is) oxidation of any metal parts will at a very quick rate upon exposure to peroxide. Especially die-cast material. I have literally seen streams of bubbles come from exposed die-cast parts. Thus, exposed metal surfaces sustain more damage than the plastic

I think it's the same on automobile headlamps, there is no way you could save the plastic lens once its yellowing or deteriorating. The yellowing comes back faster than before after you do sanding and buffing because you are removing the surface layer by exposing the lower layer without protection. You could slow down the process with good sealer and clear coat that won't yellowing like the factory coating.

[kaju1]

Anyone care to post their 1/55 collection in the existing thread? kanata67?

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?app=galleryℑ=7578

...That's my collection so far...

[aceoftherebellion]

I like being able to see the reissues right next to each other like that. It makes the various changes and tweaks that have been done to this mold really stand out!

[EXO]

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?app=gallery&image=7578

...That's my collection so far...

That's my dream shelf as a kid.

[big F]

I think it's the same on automobile headlamps, there is no way you could save the plastic lens once its yellowing or deteriorating. The yellowing comes back faster than before after you do sanding and buffing because you are removing the surface layer by exposing the lower layer without protection. You could slow down the process with good sealer and clear coat that won't yellowing like the factory coating.

With car headlights in bad cases you can really see them cracking and in some cases the plastic deforms when the lights are used for long periods.

I read an article sometime ago which said you could polish them with toothpaste. The car companies are on a winner there with spares, although mostof them believe that cars should be scrapped after 10 years so they wouldnt need new headlamps.

If that were the case one of my cars has 18 months till I should scrap it, and the other should have been scraped 17 years ago.

Imagine if we applied that to toys, "Sorry kid you've had that toy for a couple of years now it's scrap"

It would make our colections worth 10 times the current value.

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?app=galleryℑ=7578

...That's my collection so far...

Looks to me like you have a dream line up there.

Edited February 28, 2013 by big F

[Scyla]

Honestly, I don't know if a toy survives that long in the hands of a child.

Or at least yellowing was the smallest problem. All these poor toys I mangled as a child... *sigh*

[Skull-1]

and the reason for the mystery...

Great example of how sunlight turns them yellow, not heat or humidity like some try to claim. Excellent picture.

[big F]

I have some parts which I popped in a Kinlner jar of Peroxide for two months three and a half years ago. Since then they have been sitting in that jar, with the lid clamped shut on a top shelf in a north facing room out of any direct sunlight. They have still gone yellow. although not as much as a part i just left on the shelf lower down.

Proof that sunlight is the key and as long as it is light they will yellow.

Going to check some parts I have in storage (closed box) no sunlight to see how they have faired.

Interestingly I have the nose cone section of a part built Hasegawa Vf1 that is also going yellow, it has been on the shelf for about the same amount of time.

[SaitouSad]

on the topic of light, I'm planning on doing up a display in 1 of my spare rooms. However, the curtain is of a material where some light still passes through (i.e. the room can be lit, but no direct sunlight passes through). Ya think that'll yellow my collection? Direct sunlight never shines straight towards the walls, but light reflected off the surrounding does come in during the day.

[CoreyD]

I think the risk in that case is relatively minimal. The biggest threat is direct sunlight or bright, direct lighting.

[SaitouSad]

Awesome.. Then I guess I won't have much to worry

[big F]

I have some random Previously peroxided parts in a box in the loft which again have been there for the same time the other bits I mentioned in my previous post have been sat on the shelf. All were bleached at the same time and came from 1/55's of the same age etc. the loft ones have yellowed slightly so I guess Oxygen still has a part to play in this whole thing.

I guess your out of direct sunlight display is the best you can do short of a dark room with a totally inert atmosphere like Nitrogen or Argon.

I have the corridor in my house between the lounge and Kitchen which is only getting light as it bounces off the walls and the light bulb in the ceiling, so it is as good as I can get unless I build some air tight box with no windows to put it all in.

[CoreyD]

Yeah, synthetic materials like plastics are tricky and they're going to deteriorate to some extent no matter what. This is what's called an "inherent vice". Even in ideal conditions, there's not a whole lot you can do.

Not too long ago I pulled out some old star wars guys that have been kept in a shoebox since the 80s and some of them are starting to get sticky, which is a definite sign of the plastic starting to go.

I've seen some objects made of older plastics that are so far gone that they're actually oozing what looks like honey or syrup. Unless you're a museum, there's not a whole lot you can do about it, and even if you are a museum, the most you can do is try to stabilize it by keeping the object out of the light and in a controlled temperature/humidity environment.

Unless you're Kicker, that's probably not going to happen, so bottom line, enjoy your stuff and realize that nothing last forever.

[bbrain]

LOL that could almost be the first draft for half of M7.

^^^

[Kyrie]

Does anybody know why the in the trademark logo place for de 1:55s, the Elintseeker has an sticker?

Kind of strange to me...

[big F]

I have a 1S that has this too. I assumed it was a late run or maybe a Taka rebrand or something.

Kanata67 is the one to answer this but he is busy with RL stuff so is not on here so often these days

[Kyrie]

I have a 1S that has this too. I assumed it was a late run or maybe a Taka rebrand or something.

Kanata67 is the one to answer this but he is busy with RL stuff so is not on here so often these days

Yeah, my first guess was that rebrand theory too.... I woud really like to know the official reason....

I was never able to find it out in the web...

[MACROSS25]

[MACROSS25]

Wish i could go back..........

[big F]

Oh for little blue Policebox

I do have a few of those though.

Edited October 13, 2013 by big F