Yamato Garland For Pre-order On Rt.com

[EXO]

Okay just aquick note for anyone even thinking about ordering this from RT. crap .com. Tam over @ Twin Moons has found out about RT.crap.com and has dropped his price to $97.99 which is beats there price. check this link for ordering info http://www.tmpanime.com/index.php?main_pag...roducts_id=1582    So run on over to Twin Moons and place your order.

379165[/snapback]

HAHA, Tam already beat you to this thread.

Yeah, I might lose my shirt, but that's better than re-negging on my word! So yep, we're offering them at $97.99. Now I have to go and hunt down our Yamato rep and force them to give us a better price!

BTW, here's the link:

Megazeone Garland for $97.99 @ Twin Moons Anime

Best Regards,

Tam

p.s. There were also some rumors going around that the U.S. version will have different packaging, etc. This is FALSE. The U.S. version is the same exact version as the Japan release. I have confirmed this with Yamato myself. Also, the U.S. MSRP is not $99.99, it's $129.95 and listed as such on the Yamato U.S. site HERE.

378987[/snapback]

I really doubt that HG talked to Toynami about distributing these. I think they just bought some from YamatoUSA as a distributor (not under the HG or RT.com banner) and then decided to sell them as they claim it's tied to RT.

[Dante74]

If Yamato starts producing Valks for HG, they can milk the VF-1 line even longer and we'll never see a new 1/48.

[Mowe]

Crossing fingers...Yamato...crossing fingers...no dealing with the devil...crossing fingers...let HG runs out of income sources to set Macross free...crossing fingers...

[Apollo Leader]

If this happens it`ll be 1/60, 1/48 valks with the rt, character names and no Macross name.

379029[/snapback]

Not neccessarily so. Look at the 1/100th scale VF-1 toys and the 12" character figures... they are Macross TV and Macross DYRL stuff! At this stage in the game, I would think they would probably keep them as Macross licensed products instead of Robotech. Also there are a fair number of guys there at HG that are Macross fans. Robotech had the MPC, us Macross nuts will get the good stuff! ... I hope!

Edited March 12, 2006 by Apollo Leader

[Apollo Leader]

Well, this actually is quite scary because the guys at Yamato U.S.A. are saying that they are working some "deal" with HG to officially bring Macross products to the states. I'm guessing they'll be signing their souls over to the devil.

378998[/snapback]

As far back as 2001 there were negotiations by Harmony Gold with Yamato and Bandai to get their Valks over here (I presume as Robotech merchandise, but I'm not a 100% sure). Big West was firm in not letting either company deal with Harmony Gold, and that was that. But I wouldn't be surprised if some sort of negotiations continue to this day especially since Toycom is now officially the US arm for Yamato.

[Apollo Leader]

That's because the other half of the rumor is that HG isn't happy with Toynami's Macross/Robotech products to date. 

-Kevin

379043[/snapback]

Kevin, remember back around 2002 the story of Jerry "VFX" Tsai hanging out with Steve Yun and Steve giving his opinion on Toynami's stuff? I just wish we had access to the old forum so I could pull up that story!

[Totoro242]

I'm going to pre-order at Robotech.com even though Twin Moons has it for $2 lower.

If rumors are true that HG may allow Yamato Macross toys domestically and if this helps persuade that decision, I'll be saving a hell of a lot more than $2 on 1/48 Valkyries :D

[vlenhoff]

Wow, who would guess this could happen. If the HG-Yamato deal goes through then we'll have cheaper valks. Then we'll look back at 6 years of expensive imported Macross goods. I'll probably complete 3 of each 1/48 ever made

Shipping stuff is a killer.

Edited March 12, 2006 by vlenhoff

[twinmoons]

I really don't see why you guys are assuming that you'll see significantly cheaper valks. I mean with the Robotech license, they gave us 1/55 scale toys for $79.99, hardly a bargain. Do you honestly think that if they made a deal with HG, that you'd magically start getting cheap valks? Even if they were allowed to distribute them in the U.S., I don't really think they would be that much cheaper and I highly doubt they would be under $100. But it would certainly save us a lot of headaches and having to deal with international shipping hassles.

[TheLoneWolf]

Tam's right, the most we could expect to save would be $20. I'm not saying this in relation to the $79.99 MSRP of the Toynami MPC, that's just Toynami price gouging us. But Yamato's toys aren't cheap to produce, and they fully know what we're capable of paying.

That said, I find it very interesting that Yamato has shown an interest in working with HG. I mean business-wise, it's a good move on their part, but didn't Graham state that Big West would cut all ties with Yamato if they were to work with HG? No doubt this would tarnish Yamato's reputation, something Yamato would not do in a country that places honor on such high regard.

Unless.......Yamato's license with Big West is due to expire! Seriously, Yamato acquired the Macross license in 1998 or 1999? If they paid for a 10 year license, then they're due to expire soon. They could always opt to renew their Macross license for another 10 years, but for what? Risk producing uncommon Valkyries like the VF-9 or VF-5000? Or, go with a definite seller like the VF-1, only this time sell it in America. Yamato's already got these magnificent VF-1 molds made, why not let their Big West license expire in 2 years and make even more money off those molds by selling VF-1's in America.

Just my nickel.

edit: everyone wins in this scenario, except Toynami!

Edited March 13, 2006 by TheLoneWolf

[Apollo Leader]

I really don't see why you guys are assuming that you'll see significantly cheaper valks. I mean with the Robotech license, they gave us 1/55 scale toys for $79.99, hardly a bargain. Do you honestly think that if they made a deal with HG, that you'd magically start getting cheap valks? Even if they were allowed to distribute them in the U.S., I don't really think they would be that much cheaper and I highly doubt they would be under $100. But it would certainly save us a lot of headaches and having to deal with international shipping hassles.

379623[/snapback]

In Toynami's case, they were a small up-and-coming company tackling a high end product for the first time and holding to a specific quantity run.

Yamato has already ran a bunch of their 1/48th scale VF-1's over 3+ years and their 1/60th VF-1 approaching almost 5 years (geesh, time sure has flown!).

Since these have already been mass produced products tied in with a better shipping rate, though it wouldn't be an astronomical savings, I think it would be a decent savings none the less.

Not including my two sets of GBP-1S armor I got several weeks back, I have not boughten any 1/48th VF-1's in over 2 years. The Hikaru type Super VF-1 was the last one I bought. Paying about $400 for both the Super Max and Millia together was just a little too rich for me at the time. Even now I am very hesitant to preorder the "Stealth" VF-1J and that new camo scheme VF-1 because it just cost too friggin' much! If the situation has indeed changed to let a less expensive, domestic release of Yamato's Macross goodies finally take place, FANTASTIC!

I have done some digging and it looks like something has changed for this to possibly take place (don't bug me, I don't know the exact specifics!). We'll hopefully find out soon if this is indeed the case.

[Apollo Leader]

Tam's right, the most we could expect to save would be $20.  I'm not saying this in relation to the $79.99 MSRP of the Toynami MPC, that's just Toynami price gouging us.  But Yamato's toys aren't cheap to produce, and they fully know what we're capable of paying.

That said, I find it very interesting that Yamato has shown an interest in working with HG.  I mean business-wise, it's a good move on their part, but didn't Graham state that Big West would cut all ties with Yamato if they were to work with HG?  No doubt this would tarnish Yamato's reputation, something Yamato would not do in a country that places honor on such high regard. 

Unless.......Yamato's license with Big West is due to expire!  Seriously, Yamato acquired the Macross license in 1998 or 1999?  If they paid for a 10 year license, then they're due to expire soon.  They could always opt to renew their Macross license for another 10 years, but for what?  Risk producing uncommon Valkyries like the VF-9 or VF-5000?  Or, go with a definite seller like the VF-1, only this time sell it in America.  Yamato's already got these magnificent VF-1 molds made, why not let their Big West license expire in 2 years and make even more money off those molds by selling VF-1's in America.

Just my nickel.

edit: everyone wins in this scenario, except Toynami! 

379704[/snapback]

Of course this is all pure speculation, but I'm going to probably have to say that Yamato probably has pushed Big West to let them negotiate with Harmony Gold for the international market.

Something has changed, but we are going to have to just wait and see. If I become privy to more specific information and if I can release it, I will.

[Neova]

I don\'t want to go OT anymore but I just want to comment why does everyone here think HG has the rights to DYRL so they can bring Macross DYRL Valkyries over?

The one thing that is for sure is that HG has the SDF:M license. In this case, HG can negotiate with Yamato to \"repackage\" an existing product as Robotech Veritechs or SDF:M TV version valks. That would be cool and would release the TV Valkyries to the rest of the world too.

They can bring the Q-Rau repainted in Green, the 1/60 and 1/48 line over repackaged but nothing officially DRYL without BW\'s blessings.

Anything else post SDF:M related, I will comment in the HG Licensing thread.

[EXO]

If this happens it`ll be 1/60, 1/48 valks with the rt, character names and no Macross name.

379029[/snapback]

Not neccessarily so. Look at the 1/100th scale VF-1 toys and the 12" character figures... they are Macross TV and Macross DYRL stuff! At this stage in the game, I would think they would probably keep them as Macross licensed products instead of Robotech. Also there are a fair number of guys there at HG that are Macross fans. Robotech had the MPC, us Macross nuts will get the good stuff! ... I hope!

379391[/snapback]

Uhm... this is toynami we're talking about right? Why would HG screw the majority of their customers, which are the RT fanbase by giving the Macross fans the "good stuff". The only reason why I'm hoping the 12" figures will be better is because of Popbox's involvement. And even then with Toynami's manufacturer's possibly mass producing them, there's a huge chance they will suck.

[bsu legato]

I don't see the need to speculate about any Yamato/Big West/Harmony Gold conspiracies or machinations. Simply put, the RT.com store selling the Yamato Garland is no different from any other e-store selling it. If they figure they can make a quick buck off the Garland based on its tenuous relationship to the RT universe, thru a movie that few fans have actually seen and even fewer liked, then more power to 'em.

Now if they started stocking Yamato's Macross line, that would be something worth speculating on. But I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for that to happen.