What to look for when buying a Macross model?

[megaprime]

I am referring more speifically to the Bandai Chogokin DX line (VF25, YF29, etc). Do fake chinese copies of these products exist?

Also if buying used models from places like ebay what does one need to be aware of? Do the models' joints loosen and weaken over time?

I am new to the Macross world of collecting and want to be careful to avoid being fooled by some unscrupulous individual.

Any advice?

[typhoon]

I haven't personally heard of any knock offs, but to be fair - that doesn't mean they don't exist.

The DX Valks all suffer from loose joint syndrome, even if they are simply transformed once and left on display - they will become loose.

Good news is that they are relatively easy to tighten up.

I think the biggest trap on eBay would be the accidental purchase of a V1 which is inferior to the renewal versions. There are a number of topics on this forum to help you with that.

I would suggest looking through the forsale section on this forum. In my experience they are always helpful and honest with their descriptions.

Good luck and strap yourself in for some fun times ahead!

[jvmacross]

This is a good site to visit to get acquainted with the various Macross TOYS produced by several different purveyors....

http://www.anymoon.com/blog/

[SuperSenpai]

For Macross merchandise, it's not impossible to find a decent deal on eBay (especially if it's a domestic seller, auction-style listing with a low starting bid). However, a lot of the "buy it now" or "best offer" listings are overpriced IMO. You can get much better deals on the sales threads here, or buying from places like Mandarake or Yahoo Japan -- even after accounting for international shipping and proxy fees.

To give you an idea, I bought a secondhand (but MISB) Bandai VF-25F last year for about 18,200 yen, which included EMS shipping. That's roughly $180 USD. eBay regularly lists these for $250 to $300, and sometimes even higher.

[megaprime]

I think the biggest trap on eBay would be the accidental purchase of a V1 which is inferior to the renewal versions. There are a number of topics on this forum to help you with that.

Is this what you mean by V1 accidental purchase? It does say DX Chogokin on the description but doesnt say "renewal".

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MACROSS-FRONTIER-DX-Chogokin-VF-25S-Armoured-Messiah-Valkyrie-Ozama-Lee-Custom-/221387638997?pt=UK_Collectables_AnimationCharacters_Anime_SM&hash=item338bbb48d5

[Valkyrie Magnus]

Is this what you mean by V1 accidental purchase? It does say DX Chogokin on the description but doesnt say "renewal".

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MACROSS-FRONTIER-DX-Chogokin-VF-25S-Armoured-Messiah-Valkyrie-Ozama-Lee-Custom-/221387638997?pt=UK_Collectables_AnimationCharacters_Anime_SM&hash=item338bbb48d5

That's exactly what he means. That one is not a renewal.