Customized Valks vs. Exclusive Valks and Factory Stock Valks

[KiriK]

So after reading some comments from one the Sales Thread going on regarding a customized valk and it's worth, I wanted to post my thoughts and start a new thread in the right section.

I think there were some valid points mentioned on the worth of a customized valk being based on quality and reputation, which for a valk made by someone like Kurt or Jung with an established reputation, i would possibly pay good money for them. They had a right attitude and i've never seen them be conceited about their work comparing it to a factory stock valk or an exclusive. If they can make it better, then they show it off with great pictures and details in the Toy Thread and it gets noticed and people want them. They don't bitch and complain why people would buy a Yamato Weathered Exclusive for $300 instead of their $400 masterpiece custom.

And myself who collects these yamato exclusives believe that they have a set value as a stock valk, and will retain it's value over time. Anyone that starts customizing a valk, whether it be bad or good automatically changes the value of the stock valk. A used toy that has just had stickers applied and nothing else will still sell less than a stock valk even if it was professionally done. Who am i to judge the quality of customs? I can only judge from what i see in pictures and the particular custom in question was good, but not something i haven't seen before that i desperately needed.

Yes i bought a 1/48 TV Kakizaki for $300 and think it's worth the price for a stock valk with a new head sculpt and paint job. I prefer official releases that will keep their value than a customized valk whose value is really subject to the eye of the beholder

[MacrossMan]

I have to agree with KirK. Stock "customs" will always retain their Value just like manufacturer produced "custom" vehicles. Yeah, I can probably go to the baddest guy in my town that does custom paint jobs and do some other personal modifications to a vehicle, but ultimately when I take that vehicle to the dealership as a trade, they are going to care less about my sick paint job and modifications because it takes away from the value of the car in the base customer aspect. Now if you bring a Ford Shelby Mustang that has had authorized modifications approved by Ford the value of that car will retain its value may even appreciate.

This may be a bad analogy, but I think the general principle is the same. Being the owner of a Kurt custom I can easily say that Yamato could easily commission the guy for a limited run of 10 custom Valks and I'd bet my last dollar that members would be fighting to get them.

[Kicker773]

I really just wanted to help and didn't mean to hijack that thread. I just thought i'd point out a few things for him. I just want to state it clearly that I wasn't trying to tell him to reduce his asking price, because that is his* asking price nor was I trying to purchase his item. God forbid I already have too many VF1J's ergh... I hope everything works out for him though and wish he can be more receptive on taking some suggestions.

~Kicker773~ out

[Dangard Ace]

I really just wanted to help and didn't mean to hijack that thread. I just thought i'd point out a few things for him. I just want to state it clearly that I wasn't trying to tell him to reduce his asking price, because that is his* asking price nor was I trying to purchase his item. God forbid I already have too many VF1J's ergh... I hope everything works out for him though and wish he can be more receptive on taking some suggestions.

~Kicker773~ out

That's what PM is for.

[eugimon]

I really just wanted to help and didn't mean to hijack that thread. I just thought i'd point out a few things for him. I just want to state it clearly that I wasn't trying to tell him to reduce his asking price, because that is his* asking price nor was I trying to purchase his item. God forbid I already have too many VF1J's ergh... I hope everything works out for him though and wish he can be more receptive on taking some suggestions.

~Kicker773~ out

considering he hijacked other people's "wanted" threads and insulted them when they passed on his custom, I don't think you have anything to apologize for.

Personally, I think customs are great for their intended buyer but something can always be too customized, too personalized towards a certain taste. Exclusives, if they remain such, are the safe bet. Usually lower entry cost and relatively stable and predictable resell value.

[EXO]

I really just wanted to help and didn't mean to hijack that thread. I just thought i'd point out a few things for him. I just want to state it clearly that I wasn't trying to tell him to reduce his asking price, because that is his* asking price nor was I trying to purchase his item. God forbid I already have too many VF1J's ergh... I hope everything works out for him though and wish he can be more receptive on taking some suggestions.

~Kicker773~ out

OT... First of all, a hijack is a hijack and the only help a seller needs is someone buying their stuff, unless it's an actual posting error. Regulating a thread doesn't necessarily mean it was intended for anyone specific but it was becoming a rampant problem in that section. Even the seller was contributing to the problem. END of OT discussion

It doesn't really matter to me who customizes what... what matters to me is quality. Can I still transform it? What materials were used? I bought the Yamato Exclusives that I wanted to complete my collections as far as schemes but I don't think I would ever buy their weathered exclusives. I just don't see the artistry in it... I think a lot of people people here weather a lot better and put care into their work. The toys Yamato make and the craftmanship go well hand in hand.

I was kinda upset that the people that made the Beagle Mospeadas, same people that made a lot of Yamato stuff, glued the toy shut, making it almost impossible to customize. It seems like an American practice, I'm not sure if Toynami had anything to do with it, but that totally sucked. It seems to me that you would sell more toys when people would buy multiples to customize.

I hope to see more repaints from Yamato and customs from Macrossworld.

[Valkyrie addict]

I thought this thread was locked? just my personal input, a customizer has to make a name of himself or justify his work with proper pictures showing the quality of his job, not by criticizing others

not everyone has equal talent/patient/commitment to achieve certain results, some people may be able to achieve a great result quickly, others require more time to get thing done their way and achieve a great results, you can have the best material and tools for it but if you don't have a superior talent then your price should not be justified only by the materials you used

I'm sorry to bring a car analogy (again), but you can build a car out gold, but if the car is ugly, slow made by someone I don't know, I will not buy it unless I see it properly priced, if Ferrari made a car out of plastic and charged more than a Renault made out of gold, I'd rather have the plastic Ferrari

I quickly glanced "that" thread when it was started and after reading the first few lines of the description I stopped reading, the opening poster appeared full of himself and when I saw the pictures I was honestly, NOT impressed. I do agree, it was not necessary to hijack his thread, but he did start it.

I don't like Yamato's weathered exclusives, they looks like a kid just rubbed charcoal with his hands over the valk', but just because they were selling for X amount, doesn't mean that I will mediocridly weather a valk and request the same or superior X amount.

Edited December 7, 2009 by Valkyrie addict

[Kicker773]

I did bump it though =T ....but I hope that doesn't discourage him from building more valks.. again that max he made was awesome looking..

[Jasonc]

My thoughts on the value of a custom are pretty simple. It's art. Whether good, bad, or in between, it's someone's artistic interpretation of something they've seen, or something they've imagined. If the customizer/artist feels his custom is worth a million dollars, as absurd as we'd all see that, it's his work, and he can keep his art and value it at that price. I doubt he'd sell it at that, but value is in the eye of the beholder. I've customized a couple valks myself in the day, and thought they were pretty good. Many others have as well. But if someone thought they were garbage, it's not for me to criticize them. It's their opinion, and I let my work speak for itself.

Any customizer takes a chance on the job he does. That Valk has a specific value when MIB, and when disassembled, painted, customized, and put back together, the general consensus may love it, reject it, or be in between. Likewise, if he is wanting to sell it, the factors at play are quality of work, the seller's value, and the buyer's value. When you break it down, it's as simple as that.

As for the exclusive Valks that we have been seeing pop up, they make limited runs because they know only the completist groups, or those with a lot of expendable income are gonna bite on them. Good thing about them is that they'll always be at factory grade, and will retain their value more or less, depending on supply vs. demand. Bad side is that you usually pay much more for them. The same is for the stock valks I think, except you're getting something more common, and something that doesn't cost as much.

This has probably already been said, but there's my $0.02 worth for ya.

[Uxi]

I think Yamato should do light weathering on all toys having special editions be "clean" or "battle damaged" or "heavy weathering"

[anime52k8]

I think Yamato should do light weathering on all toys having special editions be "clean" or "battle damaged" or "heavy weathering"

I think they should do no weathering on everything. yamato weathering looks like ass stains and I like my toy's squeaky clean anyways.

[nightmareB4macross]

I think they should do no weathering on everything. yamato weathering looks like ass stains and I like my toy's squeaky clean anyways.

There is a customer for everything. Whether it looks good or bad there is always a customer. Yamato has proven that time and time again, just like our resident customizers.

[thegunny]

There is a customer for everything. Whether it looks good or bad there is always a customer. Yamato has proven that time and time again, just like our resident customizers.

customer insert sucker

[Valkyrie addict]

and the people who will defend Yamato too

[blacklotus]

I think they should do no weathering on everything. yamato weathering looks like ass stains and I like my toy's squeaky clean anyways.

Then the Snow White VFs are perfect for you (and me).

Looking forward to its release, provided amiami hasn't ban me yet...sigh...paypal issue...sigh...

Edited December 8, 2009 by blacklotus