Bandai 1/55 VF-1A Hikaru and VF-1A Max, with fast packs

[AcroRay]

Same here....at least I hope so. They may say a tiny bit more because of the clip on missiles and the Minmei figure....that is if they decide to bring those items back into the mix.

Don't forget re-tooling costs, and possibly another block of steel and the setups to run it. That could up your costs a little. The DYRL Super 1A editions aren't anything more than a repaint of an existing product. (No complaint there, though)

I'm sort of hoping they'll tool up the missiles and surprise us by including them in the upcoming Super 1A editions. But I don't have any basis to think that'll actually happen!

You know, honestly I'd always found the DYRL 1As to be a rather ugly colorway and probably wouldn't normally be all that keen to add one to my collection, but all this banter on the subject has just about convinced me to pick up one of 'em - if I can budget it in! (Probably the Max.)

Now to decide on a domestic vendor...

Edited May 12, 2008 by AcroRay

[misterryno]

Don't forget re-tooling costs, and possibly another block of steel and the setups to run it. That could up your costs a little. The DYRL Super 1A editions aren't anything more than a repaint of an existing product. (No complaint there, though)

I'm sort of hoping they'll tool up the missiles and surprise us by including them in the upcoming Super 1A editions. But I don't have any basis to think that'll actually happen!

You know, honestly I'd always found the DYRL 1As to be a rather ugly colorway and probably wouldn't normally be all that keen to add one to my collection, but all this banter on the subject has just about convinced me to pick up one of 'em - if I can budget it in! (Probably the Max.)

Now to decide on a domestic vendor...

For the domestic vendor I went with BBTS this time around. I would have went with LAF Toys....but I did not see the Supers up when I went to order them. Do you know of someone with a better deal that's state side rather than BBTS?

[do not disturb]

i was trying to read but i got distracted by the use of the term fanjaculations

[misterryno]

i was trying to read but i got distracted by the use of the term fanjaculations

Who said that?!? I must of missed it! That's toooooooo funny of a term.

[Spiff]

Another effort to rescue this thread.

Since there is talk of missiles coming with them it would be nice for them to retool the wings with hard points for the missiles to attach to. Instead of the the funky clip on style. How cool would that be?

[misterryno]

Another effort to rescue this thread.

Since there is talk of missiles coming with them it would be nice for them to retool the wings with hard points for the missiles to attach to. Instead of the the funky clip on style. How cool would that be?

I don't think I understand what you mean by "hard points".

[Spiff]

Missile attachment doohikkies, like whats on the yamato valks wings. Hard Points.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Since there is talk of missiles coming with them it would be nice for them to retool the wings with hard points for the missiles to attach to. Instead of the the funky clip on style. How cool would that be?

Missles? WIN! Huh? When? I'm fine with the old clip on missles, but 4 this time around as opposed to only with the 2 on the strike

[Roger]

Missles? WIN! Huh? When? I'm fine with the old clip on missles, but 4 this time around as opposed to only with the 2 on the strike

I think they're talking about your posts about missiles.

[misterryno]

Missile attachment doohikkies, like whats on the yamato valks wings. Hard Points.

I see.....I see......I'd rather them still be the clip on cause there have been instances where the peg for the missiles has broken off or something to that magnitude and that's just a bitch to deal with. I agree with Shin though that there should be 4 instad of 2.

[AcroRay]

Who said that?!? I must of missed it! That's toooooooo funny of a term.

My fault, sorry! (trademark & patent pending...)

Nothing to do with hardpoints, though.

Edited May 12, 2008 by AcroRay

[miriya]

Nope, that's the Imai model kit (non-variable type) that I built back in high school ('85 or so).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7988711@N02/2255760675/

I've been in this hobby a while!

Thats awesome!

[sidearmsalpha]

Another effort to rescue this thread.

Since there is talk of missiles coming with them it would be nice for them to retool the wings with hard points for the missiles to attach to. Instead of the the funky clip on style. How cool would that be?

I'd be happy if they'd update the mold on the VF-1J Hikaru to include a heatshield this time around because if they screw it up again, I don't have high hopes for them making any other improvements.

[sidearmsalpha]

I'm referring to somthing else. A while ago someone asked Graham why doesn't Yamato allow Toynami to import their toys to the USA. IIRC, his response was that Big West would no longer do business with Yamato if they went that route.

Harmony Gold has held the DYRL merchandising rights since the 1980's and Toynami optioned that license from Harmony Gold when it came to the DYRL Superposables and 1/100 toys.

I'm still confused about Harmony Gold's involvement in this new deal with Toynami/Tamashi(Bandai). How is HG involved? Did HG just give Toynami it's blessing in exchange for more licensing fees to do this?

[jenius]

I'm still confused about Harmony Gold's involvement in this new deal with Toynami/Tamashi(Bandai). How is HG involved? Did HG just give Toynami it's blessing in exchange for more licensing fees to do this?

HG has the name Macross copyrighted and has licensed distribution rights of Macross merchandise to Toynami. So yeah, HG just gets a cut... nothing really fancy here as HG could care less where the toy comes from, that's Toynami's business. Toynami just has more fees to pay as they need to pay Tamashi who in turn needs to pay BW.

I still wouldn't be at all surprised to see this whole thing get killed by BW at any minute. It's not really fair for Bandai to escape BW's glare. If Yamato's smart they'll just make a company structured EXACTLY like Tamashi and escape the licensing issues in the same way.

[Roger]

HG has the name Macross copyrighted and has licensed distribution rights of Macross merchandise to Toynami. So yeah, HG just gets a cut... nothing really fancy here as HG could care less where the toy comes from, that's Toynami's business. Toynami just has more fees to pay as they need to pay Tamashi who in turn needs to pay BW.

I still wouldn't be at all surprised to see this whole thing get killed by BW at any minute. It's not really fair for Bandai to escape BW's glare. If Yamato's smart they'll just make a company structured EXACTLY like Tamashi and escape the licensing issues in the same way.

I doubt there's anything BW could do about it. Bandai's factory is selling toys to an American company that has been authorized to distribute them by the American license holder.

It's the 1980s all over again. Tatsunoko and Big West didn't get any additional money when Matchbox used the Macross and MOSPEADA toys from Bandai and Gakken's factories.

Yamato could sell their Macross toys in America now if they wanted to. All they'd have to do is get a license from Harmony Gold.

It was rumored that they were going to attempt just that, with or without the license, when they established Sunwards, but for some reason they didn't go through with it.

[eriku]

Ah yes, Sunwards. I remember seeing the full-page ads in ToyFare magazine announcing US releases of Yamato valks.

[TheLoneWolf]

I still wouldn't be at all surprised to see this whole thing get killed by BW at any minute. It's not really fair for Bandai to escape BW's glare.

I don't believe Big West can take any legal action against Bandai, the 1/55 molds belong to Bandai and Harmony Gold rightfully owns the international merchandising rights to Macross. The most Big West could do is refuse to work with Bandai on any future Macross franchise. But I believe that Big West needs Bandai more than Bandai needs Big West, therefore Bandai is free to act with a great amount of autonomy. After all, who's footing the majority of the bill for Macross Frontier? Bandai.

[jenius]

Right, so Yamato does the Sunwards thing and BW drops the hammer. Then Bandai does pretty much the same thing and it's okay because they're bigger and they fund Macross projects. I understand but it seems, unless there's something written into all those contracts, BW should have to get a whole lot more lenient with other companies trying to strike up deals with Toynami. If BW is obsessed with cutting HG off from any money from Macross it seems in their best interest to pressure Bandai to walk away from this deal. Obviously I'd just prefer BW start letting HG make some money and we all get universal Macross products.

[VALKYRIE-EXCHANGE.COM]

Yamato could sell their Macross toys in America now if they wanted to. All they'd have to do is get a license from Harmony Gold.

Yamato cannot sell their Valks stateside without approval from Toynami since they hold all toy distribution rights outside of Japan. Obvisiouly, George isn't allowing it to happen....

[TheLoneWolf]

Yamato cannot sell their Valks stateside without approval from Toynami since they hold all toy distribution rights outside of Japan. Obvisiouly, George isn't allowing it to happen....

That's very interesting. I was under the assumption that Harmony Gold held the international toy distribution rights and simply sold Toynami a license to make Macross/Robotech toys. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it would seem that somewhere down the line Harmony Gold sold their international toy distribution rights entirely to Toynami?

[Toonz]

so how many of us are buying the 1A hikaru and max FP anyway?

[VALKYRIE-EXCHANGE.COM]

That's very interesting. I was under the assumption that Harmony Gold held the international toy distribution rights and simply sold Toynami a license to make Macross/Robotech toys. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it would seem that somewhere down the line Harmony Gold sold their international toy distribution rights entirely to Toynami?

I believe (not 100% certain) but Toynami purchased all production and distribution rights...

BTW- Anyone interested, I have all the pending 1/55 Valkyries available for preorder. Just visit the For Sale section....

-K

Edited May 13, 2008 by VALKYRIE-EXCHANGE.COM

[AcroRay]

so how many of us are buying the 1A hikaru and max FP anyway?

I'm seriously considering the Max FP. All the upcoming classic-style Transformers, Transformer Animated, and the Toynami Beta are competing for my wallet this year, however.

The Max FP would be a nice Valk for my 10 year old daughter, who really likes Macross (and Transformers, for that matter).

Edited May 13, 2008 by AcroRay

[misterryno]

I'm seriously considering the Max FP. All the upcoming classic-style Transformers, Transformer Animated, and the Toynami Beta are competing for my wallet this year, however.

The Max FP would be a nice Valk for my 10 year old daughter, who really likes Macross (and Transformers, for that matter).

Hell yeah man. Bring in the next generation!

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

so how many of us are buying the 1A hikaru and max FP anyway?

I will probably buy the Max. That first scene of his in DYRL is chock full of win.

[jenius]

I believe (not 100% certain) but Toynami purchased all production and distribution rights...

I think it'd be wrong to say they've "sold" the rights or the rights have been "purchased." Toynami *probably* has an exclusive license by way of HG, or a license that covers the type of merchandise Bandai and Yamato would be trying to import. Toynami theoretically paid well for that license so it'd make sense they would defend it from Yamato or anyone else trying to sell Macross goods outside of Japan without giving them a cut. Obviously there's all sorts of crap involved but that's the summary as I understand it.

[sidearmsalpha]

I think it'd be wrong to say they've "sold" the rights or the rights have been "purchased." Toynami *probably* has an exclusive license by way of HG, or a license that covers the type of merchandise Bandai and Yamato would be trying to import. Toynami theoretically paid well for that license so it'd make sense they would defend it from Yamato or anyone else trying to sell Macross goods outside of Japan without giving them a cut. Obviously there's all sorts of crap involved but that's the summary as I understand it.

If this is true, why wouldn't Toynami just approach Yamato and offer to distribute their Macross products in the US? I mean I'm sure Toynami is well aware that many Macross collectors are importing the Yamato toys or buying them from online or import dealers. Why bother making their own toys when they can just import them like they are doing with Bandai?

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

If this is true, why wouldn't Toynami just approach Yamato and offer to distribute their Macross products in the US? I mean I'm sure Toynami is well aware that many Macross collectors are importing the Yamato toys or buying them from online or import dealers. Why bother making their own toys when they can just import them like they are doing with Bandai?

Kevin just said George(CEO of Toynami) isn't letting that happen.

Yamato cannot sell their Valks stateside without approval from Toynami since they hold all toy distribution rights outside of Japan. Obvisiouly, George isn't allowing it to happen....

[jenius]

Kevin just said George(CEO of Toynami) isn't letting that happen.

My understanding of this was different too (which again, might be flawed, what I get is 20th person down the telephone line). What I was told was that Yamato wanted to release their toys stateside but there was a Toynami flub-up. When it came to Yamato and Toynami working out some sort of agreement BW nixed it telling Yamato they weren't to do business with Toynami because of Toynami's HG relationship. That's why it's so odd to see Bandai doing business with Toynami now... hopefully this opens the flood gates.

That all might have been the Toynami spin on things though. This might have just been a case of Yamato wanting to do business in the states while Toynami was still releasing their 1/55 MPC VF-1 toys and Toynami was resistant because it'd introduce competition. Maybe now that the MPC VF-1 is done Toynami is much more open to inviting in toys that were previously viewed as "the enemy."

[Graham]

From what I understand, George Sohn and the head of Yamato don't exactly see eye to eye, so any deal between the two companies is extemely unlikely.

Same thing with Big West and Harmony Gold. Lots of animosity there.

Graham

[Vermillion21]

Latecomer to this thread ... holy smokes, chunky monkey reissues????

Might get the Max version if I have the dough ....

[ruskiiVFaussie]

From what I understand, George Sohn and the head of Yamato don't exactly see eye to eye, so any deal between the two companies is extemely unlikely.

Same thing with Big West and Harmony Gold. Lots of animosity there.

Graham

Good, hope it stays like that.

[sidearmsalpha]

Good, hope it stays like that.

No offense, but how can you view that as good? Seems to me that it would be much better to have an easier and possibly less expensive way to acquire Yamato Macross products in the way of a deal between Yamato and Toynami. Are you really that much of a Toynami-hater? We're just talking about importing here. How could Toynami screw up the actual toys by importing them?

[Roger]

If things ever got hunky-dory between Toynami and Yamato, and Harmony Gold and Big West, then Macrossworlders would lose 90% of things to gripe about. ;p