VF-1 toy advice...

[GMK]

I'm a model builder, however, my 8 y.o. son now wants a VF-1 transformable toy. I'm equally concerned about robustness, ease of transformation and fidelity of representation. I hear the Yamato 1/60 is pretty good, but I'm envisaging a lot of hands on play....

Advice please!

Greg

[jvmacross]

1/55 scale....the Bandai re-issues are your best bet....ease of transformation and can take a beating

[derex3592]

agreed. Yamato's are NOT toys..

[Froy]

A $100 USD figure is not a toy.

From HLJ product description:

"This item is a completed action toy designed for collectors"

Edited August 4, 2012 by Froy

[Darth Mingus]

Assuming you want transformable toys, you can try the Revoltech 3 form action figures or the Toynami 1/100 ones.

The Revoltech is listed as discontinued but they show up once in a while as available and on sale: http://www.hlj.com/product/KYD010179

The Toynami ones are easier to find in the US, I have seen them in a number of comic book stores, here is an example of what they look like: http://www.toynk.com/c=Sfze0f9OlZ1HqCtaFLw4ZiMGp/results.cgis?catalog=COMMON&keywords=macross&x=0&y=0

Non-transformable toys have a few options also include Yamato's GNU line and the super posable Revoltechs. Toynami also has some not transformable action figures. If you have quality comic book store near you, you may be able to find them there.

[Kyp Durron]

1/55 scale....the Bandai re-issues are your best bet....ease of transformation and can take a beating

This.

-Kyp

[s001]

What's with your signature man? Like 3 regular posts could fit in the same space!!!

[MacrossJunkie]

I have to agree with all the above as well. It's not really something that can be played with like an action figure. Also the transformation can be tricky in some parts, particularly for a young child. Heck, I still have to struggle to get the legs detached/attached to/from fighter mode at times or get the panel that covers the T-bar connectors positioned just right when putting it into battroid mode.

[xrentonx]

1/55 scale....the Bandai re-issues are your best bet....ease of transformation and can take a beating

To a point, it can take a little more but it's still VERY breakable. It's a terrible misconception that the Bandai's are built like tanks.

He's 8 years old so the obvious answer is a cheap Revoltech. Get him the good stuff like Yamato when he's old enough to take care of his things. The Toynami's are fine and cheap enough that if they get broken (and they will), you won't shed a tear about throwing them away eventually.

Edited August 4, 2012 by xrentonx

[Wasabi-san]

A 1/55 "Jetfire" can be had for around $30-$50 US from time-to-time at some of the cons and shops.They might not have all of the armor or the GU-11, but the toy is better than the Revoltech 3-transformer, which is WAAAAAY too delicate for a youngster. I'm in my 30's, and wanted to throw it in frustration the first time I changed it. "Not a toy" should be printed on the package.

It's strickly Battroid, but the GN-Dou valks are pretty decent, and once in a while, available through HLJ for half off.

Off the wall idea...the Matchbox Robotech toy line...???

[Macross_Fanboy]

1/55 is what I'm going to get for my son.

[GMK]

Thanks for the input guys, most appreciated. At first I was considering buying an unbuilt Yamoto and building it for him (modeller's habit)! Looks like there's lots of 1/55 CF joy on eBay. Good option for Australia.

Thanks again.

Greg

[UN Spacy]

toynami 1/100's....they're pieces of crap.

so if it breaks you won't feel too bad about spending too much

[Mechapilot77]

heh...i got my transformers jetfire when i was 8 years old. He'll love a 1/55 bandai (they are essentially the same except the jetfire used the nose of i think the elintseeker or some other special valk but its a vf-1s all the way otherwise..its just got a rounded nose). My jetifre still is in functional shape at my parents house although all the stickers are peeling off and i've broken some of the armor attachemnt pieces over the childhood play years...its absolutely the best valk for him at that age.

[north-exit]

Every time I handle my Yamato 1/60 scale "toys", my heart skips a beat... The 1/55's are by far the way to go.

[Mommar]

I let my friend's eight year old son play with one of my VF-1 Hi-Metals and haven't had any problems with it. As long as the kid has been raised to not break things and is patient enough to let you show him how to transform it once or twice it should be fine.

[anime52k8]

I don't know about your kid but when I was 8 years old I would have hated the 1/55 for being a completely unposeable brick that didn't look anything like the robots in the show I was watching.

[Black Valkyrie]

Even now a days you won't find a cheap 1/55 VF-1.

[Metal_Massacre_79]

Another vote for the 1/55's. I bought one for my kid when he was 4 or 5 and that thing's been through hell. He's 11 now, and I think there's only one tiny little crack on a joint somewhere, but I only paid $35 for it so no big loss.

[Renato]

I don't know about your kid but when I was 8 years old I would have hated the 1/55 for being a completely unposeable brick that didn't look anything like the robots in the show I was watching.

At the time, I didn't know any 8-year-olds who cared about whether a toy is poseable or line-art accurate or not, myself included. It was all about playability.

For the record, I got a Jetfire when I was 5 or 6.

[505thAirborne]

At the time, I didn't know any 8-year-olds who cared about whether a toy is poseable or line-art accurate or not, myself included. It was all about playability.

For the record, I got a Jetfire when I was 5 or 6.

That was my thought as well, I was 9 when I got my 1st Jetfire and never once did I complain about it not being exactly like the fighters in RT, it was just fun as hell to play with!!

[Ghost Train]

My first valk was a second-hand 1/55 hand me down with heavy usage. Arms had fallen off already ... still had a lot of fun hehe.

[Mommar]

It really depends on the kid. Some are a lot more observant (possibly considered difficult.) Others are perfectly happy to let accuracy slide as long as they're having fun. I also tend to think that if by eight/nine the kid can't play with something without breaking it then somebody has done something wrong with that one.

[eugimon]

It really depends on the kid. Some are a lot more observant (possibly considered difficult.) Others are perfectly happy to let accuracy slide as long as they're having fun. I also tend to think that if by eight/nine the kid can't play with something without breaking it then somebody has done something wrong with that one.

psh, my friend and I would make cheap korean gundam models by the dozens and have giant wars with them that involved firecrackers, soldering irons, home-made nail guns and any other instruments of destruction and mayhem we could imagine... oh wait, no.. you're right.

[Mommar]

My brother and I used to make fake things to blow up with fire crackers too. That was with parental consent. We knew as a general rule if somebody was buying us a toy it wasn't so we could turn around and rip the arm off immediately.

[505thAirborne]

psh, my friend and I would make cheap korean gundam models by the dozens and have giant wars with them that involved firecrackers, soldering irons, home-made nail guns and any other instruments of destruction and mayhem we could imagine... oh wait, no.. you're right.

I like your style, only my brother and I used Bottle rockets, smoke bombs & firecrackers with our G.I. Joe's, major mayhem!!

[Metal_Massacre_79]

My brother and I used to make fake things to blow up with fire crackers too. That was with parental consent. We knew as a general rule if somebody was buying us a toy it wasn't so we could turn around and rip the arm off immediately.

Reminds me of this guy:

[anime52k8]

At the time, I didn't know any 8-year-olds who cared about whether a toy is poseable or line-art accurate or not, myself included. It was all about playability.

For the record, I got a Jetfire when I was 5 or 6.

When I was 5~6 years old I used to bitterly complain about how aweful it was that star wars toys didn't have knee joints. I was an odd child aparently.

[GMK]

It really depends on the kid. Some are a lot more observant (possibly considered difficult.) Others are perfectly happy to let accuracy slide as long as they're having fun. I also tend to think that if by eight/nine the kid can't play with something without breaking it then somebody has done something wrong with that one.

I'm looking more at the accidental breakage, not malicious intent. My son is pretty observant and detail focused though....

[Archer]

lol, I got a perfect grade wing gundam when I was an 8 year old. Never could figure out the electronics but I built the thing fairly well. I too would suggest a hi-metal if you can find one for cheap (which is quite hard these days).

[Ghost Train]

A $100 USD figure is not a toy.

From HLJ product description:

"This item is a completed action toy designed for collectors"

HAHA lol I always felt that they put that message to make me not feel bad about being an adult playing with valkyries.

It's ok bro.... it's ok, let's swoosh these valkyries together!

[Kanedas Bike]

When I was 5~6 years old I used to bitterly complain about how aweful it was that star wars toys didn't have knee joints. I was an odd child aparently.

Then that makes two. I was 8 or so when GI Joe, Star Wars and Transformers first hit toy shelves and with the exception of the Joes I always hated how un-poseable or inaccurate the others were to their screen counterparts.

I own only one, 1/55 scale Valkyrie, a Bandai Strike and I only got that because it was one my holy-grails. I was and am so happy with the Yamato releases and now Bandai that emphasize accuracy and perfect transformation. For me they've satisfied a "want" I've had since I was a kid and watched the show that shall not be named and I saw the VF-1 in action.

Regarding the OP's question on what's best for a young child, the 1/55 by far. They are built like bricks and none of the newer Yamato or Bandai offerings will provide the type of pure playability for a young child, prone to drop the toy, hard transformations or fireworks. It's like a Lego Duplo set vs. a Lego Millennium Falcon set.

-b.

[GXPT2000]

some say the transformable revoltech, i disagree..

that thing is fairly decent for display, but for an 8 year old boy to play with, it contains too many little parts that need to be swapped and is very tricky.

I sometimes even find myself losing the HEAD of the figure...good thing I found it..

I vote for toynami 1/100. otherwise, you could build a transformable 1/100 super valk with him!!! enjoy the modeling hobby with him!(although it is not an easy kit...)

[connor99]

+1 for the Bandai re-ish. They make great play pieces for kids under 10 and very durable. They won't fall apart unlike the toynami 1/100's and definitely cheaper than the Hi-metal version.

[MacrossJunkie]

Then that makes two. I was 8 or so when GI Joe, Star Wars and Transformers first hit toy shelves and with the exception of the Joes I always hated how un-poseable or inaccurate the others were to their screen counterparts.

Me too! Well, I didn't collect G.I. Joe stuff, but I did get Star Wars and Transformers. Star Wars wasn't too bad, imo, but those gen1 Transformer toys were generally the worst in poseability and accuracy. Most of them hardly looked anything like the cartoon versions and you couldn't even move the legs at all on practically 90% of them.