Arcadia YF-19 coming in 2014

[Gakken85]

I think it's just the reality that transforming robots, or robots of any kind aren't a huge money maker. Cheap plastic crap for kids, or $40 dollar anime characters are where the money comes from that keeps Bandai, and others in business. Transformers are a bit of an exception because they have such a giant audience in the states, and the fact that there is a popular movie in circulation, but even there, Takara keeps their costs in mind when pushing the line forward. And like Skullmilita mentioned, Hot Toys are a big market because people love 1/6th stuff so much. From my limited experience with 1/6th Hot Toys I don't think they are worth more than a transforming robot piece.. but it is what it is.

With a property like Macross, especially items like the YF-19 that aren't even associated with Robotech nostalgia, I think we should be happy that Arcadia is putting such time and love into new products. But it's just like anything... it comes down to your opportunity costs. The question isn't if the product cost too much, but is the cost worth it to you as a collector, sans all your alternatives.

I know some people are ordering multiples, and I myself only plan on getting one based off the promise of a slick and well engineered product.

But if you think the VF-11c was overpriced at $220, I'm not sure what to say. I think there is at least of $80 bucks worth of "more" here over those releases.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Gakken85

[Mommar]

Actually, of all the Macross things not rolled into Robotech the YF-19 is pretty well known and popular among Robotech fans as well. They may not be Macross converts but there are a lot of those people who at least crossed over to see what Macross Plus was about and dig the 19. I'd be interested in seeing these sales numbers. I'd be willing to bet there's a lot more international sales for this release.

My buddy Kev isn't a Macross fan at all, he calls everything on my shelf "Veritech", but he's seen the pics and if he had the money he'd drop it on one of these YF-19's as well. He doesn't care about the VF-4, 17, 19, 25, etc... even if he thinks they're kinda cool looking but he most definitely knows the YF-19 and Isamu and that's true of every Robotech fan I know.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Mommar

[Gakken85]

Yeah, I think Plus has a good distribution. It hit in the 90's when Anime was first getting back over here.

[SuperSenpai]

I distinctly recall Macross II and Plus being in very heavy rotation on cable in the late 90s to early 2000s.

[Valkyrie2008]

I've just canceled my preorder for this YF-19, not too fond of the valk and the color. Already have the v.1, don't need anymore.

[Matt Random]

Pricing has every bit as much to do with supply, demand and what the market will bear as it does the actual cost per unit (including materials, labor, design, marketing, tooling, distribution, etc). Marketing people take a look at the supply and demand curve (or their derived model of it) to see how much total profit they can make at a given price. They also have to consider that a lower price may sell more but the profit will be low. A higher price may sell less but will generate more profit per unit. The reason I saw may sell more or less is that with something like this there may not be much fluctuation in units sold. It really isn't an impulse buy item and most people saying the cost is too high will probably still belly up to the bar.

Of course, design cost, marketing cost, amortization of the tooling cost, materials cost of each unit and such all play a factor in determining the price since this dictates the profit per unit at a given price.

I'm just happy that Arcadia sees enough potential for profit to continue producing Macross VFs. That was far from certain when Yamato was collapsing.

[zzgundam010]

Comparatively, with all the extras, it's not that expensive.

VF-4 was 280$ and didn't even come with a gunpod.

The VF-4G is different (for me at least). That was/is considered the Holy Grail of Macross toy by many.

[raptormesh]

The VF-4G is different (for me at least). That was/is considered the Holy Grail of Macross toy by many.

I think the concept of Holy Grail is kinda subjective don't you think? It sure wasn't mine. A well engineered toy is a well engineered toy.

[Froy]

The VF-4G is different (for me at least). That was/is considered the Holy Grail of Macross toy by many.

That would be a Flash Back 2012 color scheme.

[Astro_BS-AS]

If you complain about the price, come here to Argentina... multiply the value by 4x (at least) and then some....

Here, to collect these wonders (please, don´t call them toys because I just want to cry when I hear that) cost the same as a car would cost there in the "states"....

I want one of these so much... but not with this paint scheme. It´s amazing, and quite nostalgic, but I just don´t like it.

That would be a Flash Back 2012 color scheme.

This....

And with ROTATING SHOULDERS, PLEASE ! How hard could be to put a rotation point (brutish english here...) in the boosters?

Not hard at all... Fix that, do that scheme, and then I´ll pay whatever they want....

(even with the post that I´ve written before... yes...)

[Mommar]

I hate to break this to you Astro but if you multiplied $300 by 4 you'd only be playing $1200 per "wonder." A car here in the states is more like $20,000+ (and $20,000 is for a cheap one.)

Hmm, on second read I think I misunderstood you. It's $1200 for a car in Argentina?

Edited October 15, 2013 by Mommar

[Astro_BS-AS]

I hate to break this to you Astro but if you multiplied $300 by 4 you'd only be playing $1200 per "wonder." A car here in the states is more like $20,000+ (and $20,000 is for a cheap one.)

Hmm, on second read I think I misunderstood you. It's $1200 for a car in Argentina?

/offopic

Monmar, sorry for my quite bad english... I was trying to make an example of "collecting" those "toys" (ugghhh).

To own a collection cost a LOT of money !

And, a car that costs 20.000 there, here costs like 55000 ... (and then go and multiply... etc etc... haha)

/end offtopic

[valhary]

If I remember right the justify for the high price of the vf 4 was because according to yamato an "unpopular valk" but in the specific case of the alpha is one of the most popular and assume all fans appreciated the "extras" but if so increase the cost I wish come naked I really hope that arcadia make version unpainted and unassembled that be cheapest

[skullmilitia]

According to MrK on twitter, they are changing the final color of the YF-19 to a more white, and not so much yellow.

Due to comments given to them.

[Reïvaj]

I hate to break this to you Astro but if you multiplied $300 by 4 you'd only be playing $1200 per "wonder." A car here in the states is more like $20,000+ (and $20,000 is for a cheap one.)

Hmm, on second read I think I misunderstood you. It's $1200 for a car in Argentina?

As the per capita income, exchange rate, shipping costs and custom duties certainly change from one country to another it's certainly true that some fans may have more difficulty auto-justifying this hobby in other countries.

[Falcon18]

According to MrK on twitter, they are changing the final color of the YF-19 to a more white, and not so much yellow.

Due to comments given to them.

A lighter shade then? Isn't it roughly the colour it is now in the anime?

Edited October 15, 2013 by Falcon18

[Matt Random]

I like the color the way it is. This isn't supposed to a white plane.

[derex3592]

Agreed. IF they are gonna do the proper tan color of Plus, then do it. Don't make some half albino/brown looking color that everyone will bitch and moan about for years to come! (Not that anything like that EVER happens around here...)

[Mommar]

Yeah, it seems like the correct tan color right now. I'm not sure making it lighter is a good idea.

Now maybe someone could float that idea to Bandai as the tan color on their Isamu YF-29 doesn't look nearly as good as a lighter white does.

[MacrossJunkie]

According to MrK on twitter, they are changing the final color of the YF-19 to a more white, and not so much yellow.

Due to comments given to them.

Wha?!

Maybe the complainers just need to adjust the color balance on their monitors. The color on the prototype seems pretty spot on to me.

[Gakken85]

I thought it was a little too brownish myself.

[AlphaOne]

We're going off photos that show various tints and shades. Arcadia has the physical specimen in front of them, I trust their judgement and they seem really adamant about getting everything just right.

[skullmilitia]

I just watched plus and the 19 looks a little lighter tan than the prototype.

It's all relative though.

[Matt Random]

We're going off photos that show various tints and shades. Arcadia has the physical specimen in front of them, I trust their judgement and they seem really adamant about getting everything just right.

The question is where are the comments coming from? Is it Twit-terers looking at those same pictures? Or is it people who have seen a production sample. The prototype that has been on display in various places probably isn't a good indicator since it is painted.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

it's just going to be a bit whiter not very drastic change to bright white. (from tweet 10 mins ago)

[raptormesh]

Thank goodness, and I thought the panic button was never to be used ever again...I do miss the old days.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Thank goodness, and I thought the panic button was never to be used ever again...I do miss the old days.

some just tweeted the exact same response to Mr. K just now saying "i'm relieved!"

[skullmilitia]

Sometimes having answers too soon hurts the fan base lol!

[Falcon18]

Especially with a toy with this price tag. Everyone wants it to be perfect.

I guess a little whiter wouldn't hurt?

[BlueMax]

More white-ish is good.... as we all know they will eventually yellow into the shade that is actually correct.

[eriku]

We're going off photos that show various tints and shades. Arcadia has the physical specimen in front of them, I trust their judgement and they seem really adamant about getting everything just right.

My thoughts exactly. Every new scan of the 19 looks a slightly different color to me due to lighting, lenses, monitors, etc so I don't feel like we even know what the exact color of the actual specimen is. And it's not like they're going to make the thing white - they may only want to lighten it ever so slightly.

[skullmilitia]

They also were just talking about how the Gunpod in the show in shade is khaki colored, but in the sunlight is grey.

MrK said they will take another look for final color.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

They also were just talking about how the Gunpod in the show in shade is khaki colored, but in the sunlight is grey.

MrK said they will take another look for final color.

i'm not sure about the sunlight part... but i think the idea is he's revisiting and perhaps settling on a darker shade.

[Reïvaj]

They also were just talking about how the Gunpod in the show in shade is khaki colored, but in the sunlight is grey.

MrK said they will take another look for final color.

Good news, I always thought they should...

[Vi-RS]

My thoughts exactly. Every new scan of the 19 looks a slightly different color to me due to lighting, lenses, monitors, etc so I don't feel like we even know what the exact color of the actual specimen is. And it's not like they're going to make the thing white - they may only want to lighten it ever so slightly.

Even the color of anything that you look at from your left eye is going to be different from your right eye, just saying.