DX Chogokin VF-171 Cannon Fodder

[zzgundam010]

Wow... bummer that the 171's dropped in price this much but oh well, that's the market for you.

Did I overpay for the 171's I bought? No, because I was willing to pay the marked up price at the time of preorder because they were worth that much to me.

I think after this a lot of retailers may start requiring down-payments on preorders. With Scalpers hogging up huge amounts of preorders Bandai misread the queues and produces more 171's to meet the artificially increased demand. Now with all the scalpers gone they're stuck with a crapton of deadstock.

Or.... bandai could always freaking change how they manage their preorders so that we don't have this bullcrap in the first place

I am hoping that msot retailers will start requiring down payments on pre-orders so there will be no more pre-order madness.

[Loop]

Wow... bummer that the 171's dropped in price this much but oh well, that's the market for you.

Did I overpay for the 171's I bought? No, because I was willing to pay the marked up price at the time of preorder because they were worth that much to me.

I think after this a lot of retailers may start requiring down-payments on preorders. With Scalpers hogging up huge amounts of preorders Bandai misread the queues and produces more 171's to meet the artificially increased demand. Now with all the scalpers gone they're stuck with a crapton of deadstock.

Or.... bandai could always freaking change how they manage their preorders so that we don't have this bullcrap in the first place

I'm not mad at all about the price drop and I ordered 3 at a markup. All that matters is that I got what I wanted. The funny thing about the scalping is that Bandai intends to try to keep these renewal series toys in Japan, but it looks like all the scalpers are in Japan. The market in Japan tends to only like the hero valks. The scalpers who probably know jack about Macross horded all the pre-orders, but then could not sell the scalped pre-orders they listed on sites like yahoo auction Japan most likely canceled all the pre-orders they themselves did not even have to put out any money on. All this did was cause most western Macross fans to do is pay jacked up prices just to make sure we got one and caused the retailers to get shafted on an artificial bubble created by the scalpers.

I have no problem with retailers asking for non refundable deposits to stop this madness.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Loop

[Mechapilot77]

wow $125.....oh well. i do think Loop's theory is correct. I'm tempted to get more at that price to be honest. I now have a nice mni squadron of 3. If I had more space I'd definitely think I'd troop build more but as is....3 is gonna be it for me.

[xrentonx]

I got one from NY at the inflated price and one from CDJ at regular msrp and I still feel I made off pretty well. I got what I wanted in the end and that's all that matters to me right now. No use in second guessing myself at this point with all the shoulda-woulda-couldas

[David Hingtgen]

Man, at this point I think I should sell it for "whatever" and cut my losses. I'm losing like 20 bucks a week at this point...

[raptormesh]

If it ain't bringing you any joy yeah might as well. I'll pick up another if it ever hits below 8k at this point but somehow I doubt it.

[David Hingtgen]

I wanted to sell it the very day I got it---but the "retail" price was already dropping and I had no takers despite dropping my asking price pretty much continuously. Then "the little black piece that everyone breaks" broke when I transformed it for the 2nd time ever, to get it back to fighter mode to box up...

[Jasonc]

I snagged a 2nd one. The strange thing is, no one knows if these are going to sell and disappear forever, or if they're going to linger around. The RVF may go quick, may end up the same way. The most annoying part, is the not knowing. At least with Yamato, everyone kinda had an idea of where things were at. I'm keeping both of these, and if they do disappear, have one to sell later.

[Negotiator]

eventually they'll be out of print and all gone. be patient.

[Matt Random]

Got mine yesterday and spent the better part of last night transforming to battroid. Couldn't get the chest to lock together. Is it supposed to?

Spent this evening transforming back to fighter. Took forever to figure out how to get the chest to slide behind the cockpit. Guess the trick was getting the little plate in the proper position. Along the way a tiny little gray piece that looks like a clip fell out. Doesn't look broken. No idea where that goes.

The transformation is enjoyable but it looks like I'll definitely have to put some time aside anytime I want to do it.

[Gakken85]

matt. The bottom part of the chest locks to the back.

Then the wings lock to the top part.

If that makes sense! haha

[anime52k8]

Got mine yesterday and spent the better part of last night transforming to battroid. Couldn't get the chest to lock together. Is it supposed to?

Spent this evening transforming back to fighter. Took forever to figure out how to get the chest to slide behind the cockpit. Guess the trick was getting the little plate in the proper position. Along the way a tiny little gray piece that looks like a clip fell out. Doesn't look broken. No idea where that goes.

The transformation is enjoyable but it looks like I'll definitely have to put some time aside anytime I want to do it.

post pics of the piece and where you're having trouble and we can probably help you out.

Edited June 7, 2013 by anime52k8

[anime52k8]

matt. The bottom part of the chest locks to the back.

Then the wings lock to the top part.

If that makes sense! haha

The chest itself doesn't lock in to anything. There are two square white pegs that stick out of the underside of the back plate that plug into corresponding holes in the belly plate (which itself snaps into place if it's transformed correctly.). Then if you compress the joints of the metal bars that connect the chest to the back plate, the combination of the joint friction and a pare of little tabs that stick out of the metal part with corresponding holes on the back plate should make everything ridged enough that the chest won't move very much.

[Loop]

He may have the same problem Graham had if I remember correctly. I saw pics in this thread many pages back. On my tablet so I'm not really feeling like digging it up lol.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Loop

[ryoshoko]

Hi, does anyone know where this part belongs to? It dropped out of my VF-171 main body while transforming.

*unable to edit on mobile photobucket app. will reduce the size when I reach home...

Also, sadly the black hinge on my VF-171 broke without much strength applied to it. Is it possible to ship just the damage part back?

(Kinda dumb to shipped back a whole piece when only 1 small part broke)

Edited June 7, 2013 by ryoshoko

[SaitouSad]

I get the feeling all these problem and difficulties are part of the reason we're seeing so many available stock for the 171CF....

[Scyla]

Hi, does anyone know where this part belongs to? It dropped out of my VF-171 main body while transforming.

*unable to edit on mobile photobucket app. will reduce the size when I reach home...

Also, sadly the black hinge on my VF-171 broke without much strength applied to it. Is it possible to ship just the damage part back?

(Kinda dumb to shipped back a whole piece when only 1 small part broke)

No Bandai will only replace the whole unit. Plus the chances are high that you have to pay shipping it back to your toy dealer if you imported it from Japan. In addition the shop you got it from might only be able to compensate you what you payed for the toy if replacement units aren't available.

As for the small part. Anime52k8 posted a bunch of images in the VF-171EX Nightmare Plus Alto Custom thread showing disassembled parts of the toy. Maybe you're able to find that piece there.

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=36479&p=1030393

[edit:] Meanwhile I'm praying that the shoulder bits of my CF does not disintegrate until there is some kind of fix available.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Scyla

[anime52k8]

Hi, does anyone know where this part belongs to? It dropped out of my VF-171 main body while transforming.

*unable to edit on mobile photobucket app. will reduce the size when I reach home...

oddly, you're the second person that has had that part randomly pop out on the 171CF. it really shouldn't be able to fall out since it's should be secured by a metal plate.

I guess It's a good thing it fell out of mine while I was taking it apart or it would probably be a mystery forever.

BTW, if you remove the arm, watch out for this piece:

It came from here (green) and the only purpose it serves is to act as a spring clip to hold the metal swing bar in place while in fighter mode.

so anyways, look at the underside of the of the chest plate, the shoulder ball joint is connected by a metal plate with a single screw. the part in question fits in the aforementioned space underneath that metal plate.

[grymg]

I lowered the stress on the black shoulder "NUNS" triangle pieces by loosening the screw that keeps both halves together compressed on the metal shoulder joint. When I pose the arms, I try to just handle the metal armature only, and the shoulder covers just come along for the ride.

Due to how the arms snap into place in fightermode, this causes stress on the triangle pieces also, but loosening the piece helps somewhat.

I also ended up removing the swiveling shoulderlock triangle pieces and curved piece on the underside. Doesn't make much of a difference lookwise.

[Matt Random]

Thanks anime52k8! That is the part the fell out on me. I'll replace it the next time I transform it.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

I wanted to sell it the very day I got it---but the "retail" price was already dropping and I had no takers despite dropping my asking price pretty much continuously. Then "the little black piece that everyone breaks" broke when I transformed it for the 2nd time ever, to get it back to fighter mode to box up...

did you end up selling it, i never saw it in the sales thread. try putting it up, it seems like an insignificant part.

[royard]

did you end up selling it, i never saw it in the sales thread. try putting it up, it seems like an insignificant part.

Problem is, amiami STILL has it for 12500 yen ($125, let's say) new. If we count used = -10, not missing chest piece = +5, broken small piece = -10, he can only get 110, tops. A slightly broken used one sold for 130 on ebay (but the condition of that one is better than his, and there's the 10% fee), so he can't get much there, either.

Edited June 8, 2013 by royard

[Roy's Blues]

I lowered the stress on the black shoulder "NUNS" triangle pieces by loosening the screw that keeps both halves together compressed on the metal shoulder joint.

I received my second one today, and that's the first thing I did. I could already see the stress crack forming. I dabbed a bit of super glue over the crack to add some strength.

[Scyla]

I lowered the stress on the black shoulder "NUNS" triangle pieces by loosening the screw that keeps both halves together compressed on the metal shoulder joint. When I pose the arms, I try to just handle the metal armature only, and the shoulder covers just come along for the ride.

Due to how the arms snap into place in fightermode, this causes stress on the triangle pieces also, but loosening the piece helps somewhat.

I also ended up removing the swiveling shoulderlock triangle pieces and curved piece on the underside. Doesn't make much of a difference lookwise.

Thanks! I did the same with mine (loosen the screw) but already saw a crack in the "U" of the "NUNS" marking. Could be from yanking the shoulder pauldron into the part but it looks like a stress crack. It's definitely as bad as the cracked upper triangle piece but still....

Maybe some replacement shoulder bits come with the Super Parts. Someone should contact Bandai and suggest that.

[Kelsain]

Finally had the chance to bust mine out & take it through qc. No pieces missing, no broken flaps or canopy. Had a hard time getting the hips back into fighter config, though. I love this bird!

[David Hingtgen]

Let us know how it's doing after 3 transformations or so.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

i guess you're going to keep yours... i hope it ends up growing on you.

[MacrossJunkie]

So I guess the crack in the black triangle piece that the shoulder armor attaches to is a pretty common thing. I looked at the one I got from NY and it's also got a crack in the part for the right side. I took a look at the photos I took of it when I got it and it shows the stress marks from being cracked like in this pic. You can see where the plastic is kinda bent and a small little white stress mark going over the side if you look at the full size pic. Man, that thing is a real lemon. Missing the part under the cockpit and a crack in the shoulder part.

[Sandman]

Hmmm... I cant see it. Any chance you can circle the location the crack is?

[Negotiator]

So I guess the crack in the black triangle piece that the shoulder armor attaches to is a pretty common thing. I looked at the one I got from NY and it's also got a crack in the part for the right side. I took a look at the photos I took of it when I got it and it shows the stress marks from being cracked like in this pic. You can see where the plastic is kinda bent and a small little white stress mark going over the side if you look at the full size pic. Man, that thing is a real lemon. Missing the part under the cockpit and a crack in the shoulder part.

So are you just going to keep yours or send back to NY? I think I'm going to just keep mine and hold out hope someone makes the missing part on shapeways one day.

[Kelsain]

Fair enough, at this point I'm just happy I wasn't missing the cockpit lock.

Maybe he qc problems are intentional? After all, the 171 is a cannon fodder bird, and isn't supposed to be as we'll engineered as the hero valks...

(null)

[Mommar]

Maybe this is why the CF 171 isn't selling as well? People in Japan already know there's QC issues maybe?

[Duymon]

It's a non mainline valk. The 25's are going to be different i feel

[MacrossJunkie]

So are you just going to keep yours or send back to NY? I think I'm going to just keep mine and hold out hope someone makes the missing part on shapeways one day.

I don't think they're refunding the cost of shipping it back and Bandai could just as easily send them another one with problems which I won't find out until I get it. This could be avoided if they just sent individual parts. I'm not willing to risk this becoming a money pit where I have to keep sending it back over and over again. Their (Bandai's) policy (and their QC) sucks.

Edited June 10, 2013 by MacrossJunkie

[MacrossJunkie]

Hmmm... I cant see it. Any chance you can circle the location the crack is?

I traced with a green line along where there is a slight bend in the plastic and circled the white stress mark. If I take it off and look on the inside, there is a crack on the inside of the piece.

Edit: just took a pic with the piece taken apart.

And here is the crack shown visibly.

Edited June 10, 2013 by MacrossJunkie