DX VF-171EX from Macross Frontier

[SpaceCowboy]

Good point. I have no idea how big the macross community is as this is my only source of news about it.

[pud333]

The only problem with a reissue is if the same thing happens to the 171 that happened to the 29 reissue. The 29 reissue lasted maybe five-ten minutes at amiami before it sold out again. These preorder windows aren't a case of "oh, I have a few hours to get them in." You literally have to be at the page refreshing and somehow manage to get an order in while the website keeps stalling due to everyone and their dog pressing F5.

Edited March 3, 2012 by pud333

[eriku]

Yeah, a reissue available at 3AM for two minutes isn't really any consolation.

[SpaceCowboy]

That's what makes me think Bandai _way_ under produced. I mean, I can even understand a preorder selling out in a few days to a week. But when it is sold out everywhere within minutes - that is a lot of untapped demand. There is solace in the fact that Bandai realizes this and will do a reissue, but I wasn't able to get the reissue of the VF-29. If I'm out of town for a few days and not checking this site or amiami/hlj, I might miss it.

Then again, it's a few hundred dollars I can spend more smartly elsewhere. I'm not going to beg a company to take my money.

[mechaninac]

...I'm not going to beg a company to take my money.

I thought that's exactly what we've been collectively doing for the past several pages...

I keed, I keed....

Edited March 3, 2012 by mechaninac

[buffalostyle]

Wow!!! This went a lot quicker than I thought that it would...I mean, I don't look for a day and then...boom...sold out on pre=order everywhere. I would prefer not to have to resort to the eBay pickers as we all know that they are extremely over-priced. Oh well, looks like I'm gonna have to keep my eyes peeled and my fingers crossed...

[akt_m]

Seems to be a tactic to make people buy it. I mean, if it is always in stock, you can always think: "i will buy later... when i have nothing else to buy...".

But if it is something that goes out of stock fast, and you aren't sure that it will be re-stocked, then you pre-order and buy on spot!

[ron5864]

_{I just found out about this like ....... 2 minutes ago...and HLJ has already put a stop order on it.}

_{I hope Bandai comes out with the NUNS version.}

[Archer]

Ok, are any of you guys as confused as me that these things (VF-25 renewal, etc.) are actually available easily in stores in japan/hk, but online retailers don't seem to be carrying them?

I can't understand why

[Reïvaj]

Why didn’t Bandai advertise the VF-171? They could’ve known the fan’s expectations in advance…

[pud333]

Ok, are any of you guys as confused as me that these things (VF-25 renewal, etc.) are actually available easily in stores in japan/hk, but online retailers don't seem to be carrying them?

I can't understand why

I need family members in Japan and China. Clearly.

Why didn’t Bandai advertise the VF-171? They could’ve known the fan’s expectations in advance…

No kidding. They completely bypassed the marketing stage and right to, Boom! Here it is! Preorders in three days...

That said, I am convinced Yamato is holding back. They've got something they're not telling us. They might pull a Bandai too and just release something completely done. However, knowing Yamato, there should be enough stock...

[Chronocidal]

Actually... this is kind of interesting. Check the AmiAmi page. I think everyone severely underestimated the amount of demand for this particular valk.

*This item is limited to 1 per customer. (Limit includes all AmiAmi stores and previous orders.) Duplicate orders will be canceled.

*Please understand that we are unable to answer any questions regarding future sales of this product after it has sold out.

When you have to make an announcement on the main page that you can't answer any questions about getting more, you know people have been flooding their inboxes.

If Bandai makes enough of these, they could make a metric ****ton of profit.

Actually, this does make sense you know. Compared to the VF-25, yes, there should be a crapload of demand for it, because it's never been released before. With the VF-25, you had the models first, then the V.1 toys, then the recent V.2 toys on top of that. If you just wanted one for display, you had multiple avenues to get one, and the models offered a much cheaper alternative.

Fans of the VF-171 don't have any options, because this is the only one ever released (not counting the micro-machine versions). Hopefully there will be enough demand for them to release 1/72 kits of this too, as well as the YF-29. I wouldn't count on it, and I'd prefer the 1/60 anyway, but I wouldn't mind having cheaper ones I can build.

Edited March 3, 2012 by Chronocidal

[CF18]

Ok, are any of you guys as confused as me that these things (VF-25 renewal, etc.) are actually available easily in stores in japan/hk, but online retailers don't seem to be carrying them?

I can't understand why

Well I can't understand where you get that. The YF-29 and VF-25S are hard to find in Hong Kong. The YF-29 reissue pre-order is just messy with some shop refunding quickly after they took too much pre-orders.

[Archer]

Well, I've heard that it isn't rare to find something akin to a VF-25 alto renewal, etc. in a hobbby store in HK or Japan (at least, when compared to online retailers).

[CF18]

Well, I've heard that it isn't rare to find something akin to a VF-25 alto renewal, etc. in a hobbby store in HK or Japan (at least, when compared to online retailers).

Yes but Graham also mentioned the street price for the DXv2 VF-25F in Hong Kong is about HK$2000, i.e. about the same as eBay. I don't know what kind of price real shops in Japan are charging, but it is looking crazy at Amazon.co.jp.

[Mommar]

Actually... this is kind of interesting. Check the AmiAmi page. I think everyone severely underestimated the amount of demand for this particular valk.

When you have to make an announcement on the main page that you can't answer any questions about getting more, you know people have been flooding their inboxes.

If Bandai makes enough of these, they could make a metric ****ton of profit.

Actually, this does make sense you know. Compared to the VF-25, yes, there should be a crapload of demand for it, because it's never been released before. With the VF-25, you had the models first, then the V.1 toys, then the recent V.2 toys on top of that. If you just wanted one for display, you had multiple avenues to get one, and the models offered a much cheaper alternative.

Fans of the VF-171 don't have any options, because this is the only one ever released (not counting the micro-machine versions). Hopefully there will be enough demand for them to release 1/72 kits of this too, as well as the YF-29. I wouldn't count on it, and I'd prefer the 1/60 anyway, but I wouldn't mind having cheaper ones I can build.

So the reasoning why the 171 would be in such high demand makes sense... but if everybody knows this why not make A LOT of them?

[Graham]

Well, I've heard that it isn't rare to find something akin to a VF-25 alto renewal, etc. in a hobbby store in HK or Japan (at least, when compared to online retailers).

Regarding retail sale in Hong Kong:

For those unlucky peoiple like me, who didn't pre-order. the YF-29 first issue was only available in a few stores in HK, such as Animate and sold out almost immeadiately.

When the VF-25F renewal was lauched, it was widely available in large quantities in a great many toy and hobby stores initially at or near Japanese retail price and sat on shelves for several moths after release. It is only recently that it is starting to become a bit harder to find and those shops that have remaining stock have bumped up the price.

It seems a smaller quantity of the VF-25S Renewal was imported into Hong Kong and fewer stores carried it. Those that did charged a price much higher than the Japanese recommended retail price.

Graham

[Chronocidal]

The YF-29 I can't really argue is just messed up. To produce so few is just sad. But I still wonder if Bandai hasn't even given anyone any real numbers yet.

Sure, they might have given initial estimates, but I wonder if the shops were given very small numbers to start with. I mean, we still have 4 months, and they haven't even given a shipping cost estimate at HLJ yet, so I bet you the packaging isn't even finalized. There's still plenty of time for them to realize how much people want this thing.

I still don't think Bandai has much faith in the Macross franchise to begin with, so it makes sense to test the waters. I wouldn't put it past them to just tell the retail sites they'll get at least 100 each as an initial estimate, then watch the fireworks as the preorder stampede begins, sitting there with a calculator to crunch all the numbers.

[Lolicon]

I was in Tokyo when the 25F was released, and though I scoured as many toy and hobby shops as I could, I managed to find only one 25F being sold at full retail price (14000 yen). And a YF-29 being sold for 36000 yen.

This is just the experience of one person though, so take it for what it's worth.

[Graham]

Maybe HK got all the renewal VF-25F then. When it was first released you could barely move without tripping over the things. Well, not quite that bad, but nearly........LOL!

[eyesonme78]

Preordered one finally from my local source at 15000 yen, ex.. but then no choice.. hard to find gd price.with the current situation. Sighs... But yea!! Finally one vf-171ex valkyrie for me!! Hahha

[BlueMax]

Preordered one finally from my local source at 15000 yen, ex.. but then no choice.. hard to find gd price.with the current situation. Sighs... But yea!! Finally one vf-171ex valkyrie for me!! Hahha

Likewise... no choice.... gotta bite the bullet.

[Major Focker]

for members in SG, Latendo still has pre-order open, albeit SGD260. i placed an order, but to be honest, i'd rather trade it for a YF-29

[ErikElvis]

I took the YF-29 preorder that nobody was jumping on at anime export because it was 20-30 bucks more at the time? I hesitated but then just said screw it. I ordered and received the super parts for it so I better get it.

And for the 171 I just went with dendenhobby on ebay. I believe I went with him once before with no issues but he is a little more expensive.

Edited March 4, 2012 by ErikElvis

[pud333]

Gah! Is it June yet? WTF is taking so long!?!

[SpaceCowboy]

The difference between the VF-171EX and the VF-25v2 and YF-29, is that in the latter two cases, there were days of time where you could preorder it, not minutes. I easily got both of those by preordering, and didn't even rush to do so. Even then, that tells you they under produced, but still, days is a lot better than minutes. If this is what it becomes, then, I'll just get out of collecting this stuff. I'm not going to torture myself on what amounts to winning a lottery. If they want me to buy their product, they need to produce it in quantities I can obtain it in.

[charger69]

I gave up!

See you DX VF-171 in June!

[eriku]

And for the 171 I just went with dendenhobby on ebay. I believe I went with him once before with no issues but he is a little more expensive.

Me too. I just hope he's able to fill everyone's orders.

[Lolicon]

Gah! Is it June yet? WTF is taking so long!?!

I'm with you on this. Lots of Macross stuff coming out in the next few months...

[eyesonme78]

for members in SG, Latendo still has pre-order open, albeit SGD260. i placed an order, but to be honest, i'd rather trade it for a YF-29

Falcon Hangar has it at SGD$240.. but i did not see any preorders at Latendo shop when i visited their website.

did you went down to their shop for preorders?

[Major Focker]

Falcon Hangar has it at SGD$240.. but i did not see any preorders at Latendo shop when i visited their website.

did you went down to their shop for preorders?

argh, i checked the falcon website last saturday and they didn't have it.

i just happened to walk into Latendo at Funan ogling the merchandise, and just blurted out VF-171 when a store helper asked if i was looking for anything.

to my surprise he started flipping the pre-order catalog and there it was.

anyway, Funan is much closer to my place, so i guess i'll just chalk up the difference to cab fare..

[Lonewolf]

And for the 171 I just went with dendenhobby on ebay. I believe I went with him once before with no issues but he is a little more expensive.

Me too. I just hope he's able to fill everyone's orders.

Hey guys, I ordered a VF-11B from him 2½ weeks ago for 190$ USD shipped. The guy has good communication so far and answered all my questions on the same day. The toy should arrive this week since it's already in canadian customs. I'll let you all know about their packaging and status of the toy when it gets to me.

[eyesonme78]

Major focker, I just received it yesterday via email on the preorder notification.. anyways latendo did not inform me of any preorders even though I have called.and emailed them.

Edited March 5, 2012 by eyesonme78

[Magnus]

So before I drop $260 on a possible Ebay pre-order, is there *any* hope at all that any other shop out there may have this in stock for pre-order?

[Tober]

As said previously, none of the HK online shops have listed yet... Not that I'm aware of anyway.