How Was The Macross Toy Market Before Yamato?

[UN Spacy]

I wasn't on the old Macrossworld forums during the Yamato 1/72 Macross Plus days.

How was the Macross TOY market before Yamato?

I need some insight from my fellow MW'ers.

[pfunk]

quite chunky

[Godzilla]

quite chunky

350755[/snapback]

When did the reissues of the chunky monkeys begin? Was it before the Yamato release's of 1/60s?

[Nightbat]

quite chunky

350755[/snapback]

Except for the wallet

paying through the nose for old yellow bricks

[Majestic]

It was a sad time. The forum's own "dustbowl era".

[Fortress_Maximus]

Wow how scary, I am so glad I joined later. Whew!

[easnoddy]

It was pretty bad. Bandai re-released the Chunky-monkeys back in 2001-2002 I believe during the Macross 20th Anniversary. That was very soon after Yamato released the 1/60 VF-1's. The 1/72 Yamato M+ valkyries were released in 2000-2001 I believe.

Prior to that Arii released some terrible figures (which you can still find today) and Bandai re-released the old Macross kits in 1996-1997 for the Macross 15th Anniversary.

At the time the only transforming toys were the Takatoku and Bandai 1/55 valkyries. In the mid-1990's there was no Ebay and you just had to "find" them on message boards and the like. Here's roughly what the toys fetched:

Taka 1/55 VF-1A, VF-1S & VF-1J Hikaru ~$250-300

Taka 1/55 VF-1J Max/Milia ~$450-550

Taka 1/55 Super & GBP-1S Sets ~$500-750

Bandai 1/55 VF-1A ~$300-350

Bandai 1/55 VF-1S Strike ~$400-500

Bandai 1/55 VT-1/VFE-1 ~$500-750

THEN came Ebay. Around the same time EBay was getting off the ground Cartoon Network got ahold of Robotech and the market went FRANTIC. Everyone was trying to find the toys of youth. Many valkyries soared upwards of $1500-$2000 for C-9 condition (basically lasted until the Bandai reissues). These were mainly things like the Elint, Ostrich, Strike, Taka Super, etc.

In short, before Yamato came along IT REALLY SUCKED!

[Fortress_Maximus]

So I guess we should all be saying *burps on beer* Thank you Yamato?

[JKeats]

You should be glad you missed it. POS Joons valks were going for hundreds of dollars. When Yamato announced it's 1/72 Mac+ line, things started going crazy because they were originally supposed to come out in the States for around $30-$50 (if I remember correctly). But of course, HG stepped in and that's when the shite hit the fan.

[Black Valkyrie]

As I remember Yamato`s 1/60 VF-1 came out 1st in late 2001, then Bandai`s reissue VF-1`s in early 2002.

[Guppy]

basically if you wanted macross valks and couldn't afford Takatokus, you had to buy yellowed old jetfires and customise them. I remember those days fondly as that's how I taught myself to paint. My first custom was a cannon fodder, primed then hand painted. the lines were neat and all, but when I compare airbrushed stuff I do now to back then..

[EXO]

I got the Joon when they first came out. And some 1990 Bandais along with some Takas. But that Ostrich was way out of my reach! Got one now.

[Mechamaniac]

Funny, but alot of Chunky Monkey fans consider the pre-Yamato days to be the Golden Age.

I can remember when I first got back into Macross, around 1999, and went on Ebay looking for my old beloved Macross toys, and was like

[jenius]

Imagine an era when people actually looked forward to Toynami releases...

[UN Spacy]

Funny, but alot of Chunky Monkey fans consider the pre-Yamato days to be the Golden Age.

350891[/snapback]

Please explain. I need a good laugh.

[Mechamaniac]

I can just remember the sky high Bandai Elint and Super O auctions, and Takatoku auctions etc. They always turned into bidding wars, and always went over $1000. When I first started trolling MW, I had visions of constructing the ULTIMATE Valkyrie toy.

It was going to consist of...

A chunky monkey

Rob Beers VF-1S head

Fulcy's hips

Fulcy or Rosario Love's feet

Custom paint job.

Recast strike armor

I think I priced out that it would have cost me about $600 to put it all together back then, MAN was I excited!!.

Looking back, I feel like Denis Leary during the bellbottom era. "Man, someday, when I have some money, I'm gonna have the biggest bellbottoms in history man!"

[myk]

People think that pre-Yamato days are the Golden days because they're giving in to excessive feelings of nostalgia. Not to resurrect an old and pointless arguement, but I will always regard the '55s to be a solid, excellent representation of Macross toys-legendary to be sure. However, I certainly don't want to return to those days, where prices for pieces like one of my Strike Valkyries cost around $1200. The market was out of control and I regard those days as the darkest days of Macross fandom. Memorabilia was rare and in usually bad shape, and it was far too costly.

These days, are the true Golden Age. Not only can you buy factory new '55 Valkyries, but you can opt for 2 other scales of detail. Sick of the VF-1? Go hunt down a 'Plus Valkyrie; they're expensive, but not nearly as bad as it was in the "Golden Age" of the pre-Yamato days. Don't like 'Plus-style-chunk, then go for the Monster-who would have ever thought that mecha could become a variable fighter. And now with the 'Zero on the horizon that's larger than the '48, things have NEVER been this good.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

We spent our time begging bandai to reissue the valks. 1/55 was our idea of the holy grail back then, and a joon would suffice, back then we were all like junkies, and the savoring increased once people like Jung, Rosario Love, and others would turn the chunky monkey into a custom phenomenon that we would all drool at. Back then having an open canopy was awesome on a custom since it was not on stock HCM's or chunky monkeys. Missles cast from resin were wanted and it seemed back then that the ELINT, Super O and strike were the top 3 holy grails....and ones that some like myself still wish bandai will reissue one day(right....). Back then we could cruise valkyrie factory, and valkyrie scramble, and then one day some of us began to encounter macrossworld, which is where we all are now.

I remember the opening cockpit, resin missles, ball jointed leg experiments all done on 1/55 customs, and at that time yamato was still not around making macross stuff and toynami more so wasn't around either.

But once yamato came around to making the 1/48, opening cockpits, detachable missles/pylons, swivel thighs, and ball joints being the norm became standardized on their toys for the most part and no longer the result of a good customizer, for the first time in macross toy history, all those features would FINALLY be found on a production toy.

So in a sense we had a lot of pioneering customizers and us fans were semi used to paying high ass amounts of money for vintage valks or customs. Back then even a Joons would suffice, but now why do that when you can get a genuine bandai reissue?

Things change, but one thing stayed the same.

The bandai/taka 1/55 rules!

[Guppy]

haha, what Mechamaniac said about ebay above is so true.I joined up in '99 after a freind told me about "this place where anything you can think of you can buy". I didn't believe him til I saw it and it blew my tiny little mind. I had no money for the next 4 years.

[stram8777]

I remember back in those days. I actually saw a Yamato Macross Plus Valk(don't remember which but I am sure it was the YF-19) for order in the Previews at my local comic shop. It took me a few weeks to convince my wife (girlfriend at the time) I needed it, so I placed my order. Only to find out it would never arrive from there. As far as 1/55's go my story is this. I traded a ton of Magic The Gathering cards for a broken Jetfire. I slowly found a replacement wing, and just the backpack portion of the fast packs. I was happy. Those were the days of surfing VF-1X's 1/55 parts site for anything I could use.

I must say though back then I participated more so than now on Macross World I mean. This statement is going to rock the MW boat, but Macross World was much friendlier back then, than it is now. I lurk now and based on some members have considered never coming back. But that hasn't happened yet. To me the golden age of Macross toy collecting was when it was ok to be a newbie and post a question even if it had been asked already. The folks here were friendly and answered instead of pointing to a thread and saying go search.

But I digress, thanks to Shaun and Graham for this site, and keep in mind the golden age isn't marked by toy release dates its marked by friends.

[Graham]

The late 80s and most of the 90s were a very dark time for Macross toy collectors.

Sure, there was the odd toy released like the 1991 Bandai 1/55 VF-1S Super Valk and the 1/65 M7 toys in 1995, but they were still lean years overall.

Model guys had it much better in the 90s with model reissues in 1990, 1992 1994-1995 & 1997, including some new kits like the 1/100 VF-2SS & 1/144 & 1/100 M7 kits.

Pre-internet days were terrible. It took me years to track down my two 1/55 Strike Valks and I ended up paying about US$1,000 each for them.

Graham

[Mr March]

I'm glad I wasn't collecting Macross models/toys at that time. Not that I'm much of a collector at all (owning only three Yammies and that's it), but even at $1,200 a pop I never would have been willing to pay that much.

[Wicked Ace]

I was one of the "lucky" Jetfire customizers. I came across this beat up Jetfire, without armor at a comic book convention of all places. I wasn't into comics, but somebody said the conventions had Japanese "robot" stuff on occasion. Yup, I found Jetfire at a booth attended by a guy I swear the creators of The Simpsons modeled their comic book shop owner after. Took me forever to get the body odor and cheeze puff stains off of Jetfire! Back then, the $18 Jetfire cost me was the purchase of a lifetime.

[TheLoneWolf]

For a while, people were repainting so many Jetfires that I wondered if Jetfire would eventually become rarer than the Takatoku/Bandai.

Then Yamato stepped in and TF fans rejoiced as their beloved Jetfires were now safe.

[kanata67]

For a while, people were repainting so many Jetfires that I wondered if Jetfire would eventually become rarer than the Takatoku/Bandai.

Then Yamato stepped in and TF fans rejoiced as their beloved Jetfires were now safe. 

350968[/snapback]

I always wondered why I don't see more badly painted jetfires on ebay.

I am soo happy I got into macross again when I did. A friend pawned me a jetfire, I went looking for the missing armor on ebay, saw the macross toys on ebay, saw a $1000+ elintseeker and fell in love, found macross world looking for recast elintseeker armor, found rob beers and pestered and bribed him for two years to get him to squeeze 1 last cast out of his molds, stayed around and developed other interests . My first yamato was the 19a I traded a highlander katana to a guy on gundamworld. Still my favorite yammie. Didn't really like the 1/60 though I've had a few at various points. I do absolutely love yamato as a company though as they did create a golden age. Many can buy yammies and love them. Others can buy vintage stuff off people who want yammies. A takatoku brownie with unapplied decals sold for $400 on ebay when I first came here. For <$300 I got a boxed taka brownie and vf-1j, and a loose vf-1s + gbp-1s!!! The seller is a member here and I did end up buying a lot of stuff from him on ebay, but at prices I thought were so friggin fantastic my cheap ass was happy to pay, and he was happy because he got the 1/48 he wanted plus some extra loot. For less than $350 total I aquired 3 boxed bandai strikes . Everybody is happy, a truely golden age. Unless of course you are graham trying to sell a strike that cost him $1k

[myk]

Hmm...That does suck. How much are Bandai 'Strikes going for these days?

[big F]

Well if 1\55 sudenly went back to a $1000 a peice then we would all be going to the bank of kanata67.

The golden age is when ever you were most happiest collecting.

For me it was the eighties and early ninties. So many kits to build in the 80`s and shops selling them off cheap as the RT boom had started to wain. Macross was on my radar at the time but RT still had all the toy and model power in the shops.

Then came Mechwarrior from FASA ( now Wizkids) Macross/Robotech mecha and a game and lead figures you can paint YAY!!

Then the dark times no macross the internet was devoid of eBay and Macross mecha cost a months wages.

Then oneday at a car boot sale yes (I used to go to them they were good for Transformers I had to divert my mecha adiction) I Spied a vhs case with a Vf1 on the cover and the SDF1. I pushed people out of the way and ran over leaving my girlfriend behind. I bagged the 3 vhs this guy had for £5. He didnt know what they were. That was a golden light at the end of the dark times. modles got taken out of the attic and repainted properly and lead figures got cast of VF1`s and other Macross mecha.

Then along came the ebay revolution and you could buy macross and not have to sell kidneys to get it.

Now we are in the middle of the second Golden era with new improved golden light and my macross collection takes a whole room almost. while the futures this bright I `ll keep my shades handy.

[kanata67]

Then oneday at a car boot sale

351160[/snapback]

just wat size boot's does a car wear?

damn brit

reminds me I need to get my benny hill stuff out of storage where ever the heck in england it is now... who knows where "sarisbury green" southampton is? Could be a comission in it for you

[wolfx]

statement is going to rock the MW boat, but Macross World was much friendlier back then, than it is now.  I lurk now and based on some members have considered never coming back.  But that hasn't happened yet.  To me the golden age of Macross toy collecting was when it was ok to be a newbie and post a question even if it had been asked already.  The folks here were friendly and answered instead of pointing to a thread and saying go search. 

You can't blame em. Back then everyone was more or less a noob and was a small closely knit community. Now that everyone's a vet and the members grew, the questions asked for the 10000000000000000000000th time in a new thread will just get annoying i guess. But that's what the newbie's thread is about.

And i wasn't around during the 1s MW either so yeah i'm pretty much noob 2-3 years ago.

[big F]

Then oneday at a car boot sale

351160[/snapback]

just wat size boot's does a car wear?

damn brit

reminds me I need to get my benny hill stuff out of storage where ever the heck in england it is now... who knows where "sarisbury green" southampton is? Could be a comission in it for you

351347[/snapback]

size 15 by 45/195 actually.

Sadly I know where Sarisbury Green is as I used to live in Locks Heath which is next door to it. I can totally understand why you moved from there. There are only two good things in Sarisbury Green. The pub and the Onestop (7-11). the bonus is its near the motorway so you can drive to somewhere more interesting.

Edited December 10, 2005 by big F

[VF-2SS-BloodPhoenix]

Before the toys, I only had very little experience with the small 1/100 scale Imai model kits which were not enough and was limited to one mode. I also had previously visited my bro's friend's house and his uncle had a 1/72 scale transformable VF-1 model but he wouldn't give me any details on where I could get one.

I came into the toys back around 2000. I think it was after I saw on eBay a Transformers G1 Jetfire that started the fuel for my fire. I then found out that Jetfire was a mold made from the original Takatoku/Bandai Valkyries and I was pretty damned shocked to see those on eBay fetching crazy amounts of money. I went nuts when one seller had a photo of their collection up. That was just beautiful . Unfortunately they didn't want my $1,200 offer for a Bandai VF-1S Strike. I was able to get one in the end though, for that amount from another seller, but at that time, Yamato pretty much came into the market and calmed down the craze, IMO. Then Bandai joined, but not to much sucess. Now, the 1/48s are my main interests along with a couple others here and there like the Toynami Alphas/MPs. Though I've never been in the dark days, I can understand .

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

I loved Mac as a kid (watched it in 86-87 IIRC) but even though the toys and kits were available enough back then I never bought one because I thought the proportions sucked (sorry chunky bandai fans!) and looked nothing like the sleek jets on screen.

I stumbled onto MW _just_ 3-4 months before the 1/48 Hikaru 1A was about to be released. Got stunned by the pictures and was shocked that some toy company would produce such a detailed 'toy'. It was the 1/48 that sucked me back into macross.

[Black Valkyrie]

I bet in the 25th anniversary will see some new types of Macross toys.

[Omni Existence]

In short...

Pre-Yamato Days = Pay through the @ss to get a 1/55

Yamato Days = Pay for the best representation of a Valkyrie to date, for about less than half the price of a Joons in the Pre-Yamato days.

[Britai 7018]

I remember pre-Yamato I couldn't afford any 1/55's, so I bought a whole bunch of the horrid ARII toys. I was quite proud of the fact that I could find almost a set of those. Then I found MW and picked up a VF-17D toy, and for a long time that was my pride and joy.

Good times.