Hi-Metal R

[vladykins]

9 minutes ago, Stranger said:

Man, I found a great price for the Monster but $60 shipping is punch in the nuts! And then my brain says "Oh, well if you also add in the Max and Miryia set, that will make the shipping more efficient." - and I can see how Bandai Hi-Metal R is going to be a problem. LOL

Yep- Jungle got me like that one time with two CFs and a Max and Millia. Makes it worthwhile for shipping.

[Slave IV]

25 minutes ago, Stranger said:

Man, I found a great price for the Monster but $60 shipping is punch in the nuts! And then my brain says "Oh, well if you also add in the Max and Miryia set, that will make the shipping more efficient." - and I can see how Bandai Hi-Metal R is going to be a problem. LOL

You have the right mindset! FWIW, shipping would be $50 even when all the cheap options are available. 

[Stranger]

Awww geez....I think you guys got me in!  Ok, last question before I push the button - what do you think would be a good price for the Monster? Is checking prices on Jungle (which this thread just taught me about and it's an amazing site!) kinda the best way to gauge the going rate for various Japanese toys? (There aren't any Monsters listed right now)

[Ignacio Ocamica]

13 hours ago, Slave IV said:

Welcome to the craze! As everyone else said, I will also say to absolutely get the Monster. Price is still decent I think mostly because people are not sure about the price plus hefty shipping charges but it is pricey to buy and ship because it is a literal MONSTER! The thing is basically a SOC level toy but in HMR because it fits perfectly with the rest of the line. While you are at it, get everything else in the line, including non-Macross because it is one of the most fun and complete lines ever made. 

This man knows!!!

[Sanity is Optional]

48 minutes ago, Stranger said:

Awww geez....I think you guys got me in!  Ok, last question before I push the button - what do you think would be a good price for the Monster? Is checking prices on Jungle (which this thread just taught me about and it's an amazing site!) kinda the best way to gauge the going rate for various Japanese toys? (There aren't any Monsters listed right now)

I think Mandarake usually lists them at around ¥16000-¥18000 for unopened?

[Guyffon]

I found a HMR monster locall at usd $200 last night, too bad I also spend usd$200 last night on a lego star wars tantive iv kit....

[vladykins]

3 hours ago, Stranger said:

Awww geez....I think you guys got me in!  Ok, last question before I push the button - what do you think would be a good price for the Monster? Is checking prices on Jungle (which this thread just taught me about and it's an amazing site!) kinda the best way to gauge the going rate for various Japanese toys? (There aren't any Monsters listed right now)

There aren't any great deals on ebay and I don't see any at Mandarake or The Jungle right now so it depends on your level of patience. You can score one for around $200-220 or atleast definitely under $250 shipped if you are patient.

[sh9000]

7 hours ago, Stranger said:

Awww geez....I think you guys got me in!  Ok, last question before I push the button - what do you think would be a good price for the Monster? Is checking prices on Jungle (which this thread just taught me about and it's an amazing site!) kinda the best way to gauge the going rate for various Japanese toys? (There aren't any Monsters listed right now)

Just in case you haven’t pushed the button yet.

[vladykins]

[Anasazi37]

15 hours ago, Stranger said:

Man, I found a great price for the Monster but $60 shipping is punch in the nuts! And then my brain says "Oh, well if you also add in the Max and Miryia set, that will make the shipping more efficient." - and I can see how Bandai Hi-Metal R is going to be a problem. LOL

Heh, yep. Welcome to the slippery slope. Took a bit longer for me, but not that much longer. I got the Monster and put him on display, but he seemed lonely next to all of my 1/55, 1/60, and 1/48 valks, so I decided to get him a friend (VF-1A CF). I noticed that several other HMR valks were also available and combined shipping wasn't going to be too bad, plus they don't take up a lot of shelf space, right? Then I figured that I should get the rest of the Destroids and the enemy mecha to balance things out.

7 hours ago, Stranger said:

Awww geez....I think you guys got me in!  Ok, last question before I push the button - what do you think would be a good price for the Monster? Is checking prices on Jungle (which this thread just taught me about and it's an amazing site!) kinda the best way to gauge the going rate for various Japanese toys? (There aren't any Monsters listed right now)

I sometimes use sites like FromJapan as a meta-search engine for Japanese auctions and online marketplaces to get a sense for prices when Jungle and Mandarake don't have an item on sale. Of the two, Jungle's prices tend to be a bit higher, by the way, but not by much, so between them you get a decent read on the current market. Right now Rakuten has one for about $160, but it appears to be damaged. They also have some for north of $600!

[Smiley424]

One of us, one of us!

Happyto see another one join the fold, and go in by getting a Monster at that!  Just wanted to chime in that after striking out on the Bandai 1/48 Roy Pre-order madness, I just picked up a HMR VF-4G.  Also still waiting for the Warhammer, I mean Tomahawk.

[borgified]

18 hours ago, Stranger said:

Awww geez....I think you guys got me in!  Ok, last question before I push the button - what do you think would be a good price for the Monster? Is checking prices on Jungle (which this thread just taught me about and it's an amazing site!) kinda the best way to gauge the going rate for various Japanese toys? (There aren't any Monsters listed right now)

 

17 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

I think Mandarake usually lists them at around ¥16000-¥18000 for unopened?

 

14 hours ago, vladykins said:

There aren't any great deals on ebay and I don't see any at Mandarake or The Jungle right now so it depends on your level of patience. You can score one for around $200-220 or atleast definitely under $250 shipped if you are patient.

 

10 hours ago, Anasazi37 said:

Heh, yep. Welcome to the slippery slope. Took a bit longer for me, but not that much longer. I got the Monster and put him on display, but he seemed lonely next to all of my 1/55, 1/60, and 1/48 valks, so I decided to get him a friend (VF-1A CF). I noticed that several other HMR valks were also available and combined shipping wasn't going to be too bad, plus they don't take up a lot of shelf space, right? Then I figured that I should get the rest of the Destroids and the enemy mecha to balance things out.

I sometimes use sites like FromJapan as a meta-search engine for Japanese auctions and online marketplaces to get a sense for prices when Jungle and Mandarake don't have an item on sale. Of the two, Jungle's prices tend to be a bit higher, by the way, but not by much, so between them you get a decent read on the current market. Right now Rakuten has one for about $160, but it appears to be damaged. They also have some for north of $600!

I got my copy for 17k yen from Manda sometime in the beginning of the year I think?

Keep your eyes peeled on secondary sites and you'll score one eventually. 

[Stranger]

Just placed my order for the Monster!! So, I am coming from a Transformers collector background - so was using sites focused on importing 3rd party TF toys.

This thread really introduced me to a lot of Japanese import sites! My original lead on a Monster was for $200 plus $60 shipping from a mainly Transformers site. Thanks to this thread, I head about Jungle and Manadrake. And then Anasazi37 mentioned FromJapan and Rakuten - so I ended up ordering the Rakuten Monser (using FromJapan's website since that was in English) to order the Monster for $153. Damaged box and missing instructions, but definitely a lot cheaper!

Def looking forward to keeping my eyes peeled on these Japanese sites for the Regault, Officer's Battlepod, Destroids, and some VF-1's to add to the collection. I've never been this excited about a toyline before. I love how they  are doing such a wide variety of characters and mecha. 

Thank you everyone!

[Anasazi37]

55 minutes ago, Stranger said:

Just placed my order for the Monster!! So, I am coming from a Transformers collector background - so was using sites focused on importing 3rd party TF toys.

This thread really introduced me to a lot of Japanese import sites! My original lead on a Monster was for $200 plus $60 shipping from a mainly Transformers site. Thanks to this thread, I head about Jungle and Manadrake. And then Anasazi37 mentioned FromJapan and Rakuten - so I ended up ordering the Rakuten Monser (using FromJapan's website since that was in English) to order the Monster for $153. Damaged box and missing instructions, but definitely a lot cheaper!

Def looking forward to keeping my eyes peeled on these Japanese sites for the Regault, Officer's Battlepod, Destroids, and some VF-1's to add to the collection. I've never been this excited about a toyline before. I love how they  are doing such a wide variety of characters and mecha. 

Thank you everyone!

Congrats on getting that Monster and welcome to the world of HMR! Just be sure to clear some shelf space....

[sqidd]

8 hours ago, Stranger said:

Just placed my order for the Monster!! So, I am coming from a Transformers collector background - so was using sites focused on importing 3rd party TF toys.

This thread really introduced me to a lot of Japanese import sites! My original lead on a Monster was for $200 plus $60 shipping from a mainly Transformers site. Thanks to this thread, I head about Jungle and Manadrake. And then Anasazi37 mentioned FromJapan and Rakuten - so I ended up ordering the Rakuten Monser (using FromJapan's website since that was in English) to order the Monster for $153. Damaged box and missing instructions, but definitely a lot cheaper!

Def looking forward to keeping my eyes peeled on these Japanese sites for the Regault, Officer's Battlepod, Destroids, and some VF-1's to add to the collection. I've never been this excited about a toyline before. I love how they  are doing such a wide variety of characters and mecha. 

Thank you everyone!

CONGRATS!! 

Annnnnnd, now you're forked. You're going to end up with all of the HMR's.

[rdrunner]

10 hours ago, Stranger said:

Just placed my order for the Monster!! So, I am coming from a Transformers collector background - so was using sites focused on importing 3rd party TF toys.

This thread really introduced me to a lot of Japanese import sites! My original lead on a Monster was for $200 plus $60 shipping from a mainly Transformers site. Thanks to this thread, I head about Jungle and Manadrake. And then Anasazi37 mentioned FromJapan and Rakuten - so I ended up ordering the Rakuten Monser (using FromJapan's website since that was in English) to order the Monster for $153. Damaged box and missing instructions, but definitely a lot cheaper!

Def looking forward to keeping my eyes peeled on these Japanese sites for the Regault, Officer's Battlepod, Destroids, and some VF-1's to add to the collection. I've never been this excited about a toyline before. I love how they  are doing such a wide variety of characters and mecha. 

Thank you everyone!

Personally I think the HM-R version of the VF-1J GBP is one of the best in the line, if you can find a used one at a reasonable price. Start looking early and jump on it when you see a good price on it. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by rdrunner

[vladykins]

1 minute ago, rdrunner said:

Personally I think the HM-R version of the VF-1J GBP is one of the best in the line, if you can find a used one at a reasonable price. Start looking early and jump on it when you see a good price on it. 

That's the one I've had difficulty finding a good price on for some time, so I settled with grabbing the Fext Hobby Owl armor; the one I got looks great on a CF.

 

[Anasazi37]

1 hour ago, rdrunner said:

Personally I think the HM-R version of the VF-1J GBP is one of the best in the line, if you can find a used one at a reasonable price. Start looking early and jump on it when you see a good price on it. 

I ended up just biting the bullet and buying one through Mandarake, after watching them come and go for months at roughly the same price. Got mine through the SAHRA branch for ¥21,000 in Dec 2018. Bundled the purchase with Max (¥9000) and Milia (¥12,000) because all three were available and combined shipping would be cheaper. See what happens with this line? You can't buy just one. Prices on all three of those valks have been remarkably stable since then, but I did notice that Mandarake has the GBP for ¥17,000 at a few locations right now. For anyone thinking about getting one, I don't think you're going to do better than that.

[ScrambledValkyrie]

I agree that the GBP is one of the highlights of the HMR line. I'm kinda surprised they haven't made more use of the mold and re-released in other colors, like the VF-1A version they teased way back when. If you can find a GBP 1J for a price even remotely close to ¥15,000 I would jump on it. 

[rdrunner]

45 minutes ago, ScrambledValkyrie said:

I agree that the GBP is one of the highlights of the HMR line. I'm kinda surprised they haven't made more use of the mold and re-released in other colors, like the VF-1A version they teased way back when. If you can find a GBP 1J for a price even remotely close to ¥15,000 I would jump on it. 

 

59 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said:

I ended up just biting the bullet and buying one through Mandarake, after watching them come and go for months at roughly the same price. Got mine through the SAHRA branch for ¥21,000 in Dec 2018. Bundled the purchase with Max (¥9000) and Milia (¥12,000) because all three were available and combined shipping would be cheaper. See what happens with this line? You can't buy just one. Prices on all three of those valks have been remarkably stable since then, but I did notice that Mandarake has the GBP for ¥17,000 at a few locations right now. For anyone thinking about getting one, I don't think you're going to do better than that.

Yeah 15-17k yen on Mandarake is a great price for a HM-R GBP.  The condition of the figures at Mandarake are the best in the used market IMO. At this price range you should seriously consider it if you have been looking for this set. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by rdrunner

[rdrunner]

2 hours ago, vladykins said:

That's the one I've had difficulty finding a good price on for some time, so I settled with grabbing the Fext Hobby Owl armor; the one I got looks great on a CF.

 

I love what FextToys did to fill a much needed gap for armour kits that fit all the HMR VF-1’s out there. 

[borgified]

 @Stranger - Lowest price for the HMR 1J with GBP is 17k yen and up to 21k yen on Manda 

Edit: Do look at the box condition and the figure itself as well. 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by borgified

[Stranger]

1 hour ago, rdrunner said:

I love what FextToys did to fill a much needed gap for armour kits that fit all the HMR VF-1’s out there. 

I checked out their website - does each armor fit any VF-1J or do  you buy specific armor sets for specific VF's?

[jenius]

11 minutes ago, Stranger said:

I checked out their website - does each armor fit any VF-1J or do  you buy specific armor sets for specific VF's?

The white ones from the first wave of releases will fit on any ONE seat VF-1 toy (so does not work on VT-1, VE-1, or VF-1D). The gray ones from the second wave will fit on any VF-1, 1 or 2 seat. 

[rdrunner]

Thanks for the clear explanation, Jenius.

[Slave IV]

6 hours ago, rdrunner said:

Personally I think the HM-R version of the VF-1J GBP is one of the best in the line, if you can find a used one at a reasonable price. Start looking early and jump on it when you see a good price on it. 

Just reiterating how great the HMR GBP is along with everyone else. I would say it’s the best implementation on the GBP by anyone so far. 

[tekering]

4 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

I would say it’s the best implementation on the GBP by anyone so far. 

Especially with a few additional markings...  

[Slave IV]

2 hours ago, tekering said:

Especially with a few additional markings...  

Beautiful!

I especially like how perfectly and smoothly it fits on the figure. If anyone doesn’t have this and does have some of the Robot Damashii Full Armor Gundams, it’s very similar in the way everything fits and works. 

[rdrunner]

2 hours ago, Slave IV said:

Beautiful!

I especially like how perfectly and smoothly it fits on the figure. If anyone doesn’t have this and does have some of the Robot Damashii Full Armor Gundams, it’s very similar in the way everything fits and works. 

Both the Arcadia 1/60 GBP and the HM-R GBP are designed extremely well, where parts fit snugly onto the Valkyries and the armor doesn’t really get loose from posing. However the proportions of the HM-R GBP is better IMO. Arcadia’s version seems a little more “blocky”.  

I just wish that Bandai would replicate the proportions of the HM-R GBP and transpose them to the eventual DX version. 

[ScrambledValkyrie]

1 hour ago, rdrunner said:

I just wish that Bandai would replicate the proportions of the HM-R GBP and transpose them to the eventual DX version. 

I’m pretty sure they will eventually do that. It appears to me as if Bandai has taken several cues from HMR in their development of the DX.

[rdrunner]

2 hours ago, ScrambledValkyrie said:

I’m pretty sure they will eventually do that. It appears to me as if Bandai has taken several cues from HMR in their development of the DX.

Then it would be the best GBP out there in the history of Valkyrie figures, hands down!

[seti88]

Gosh...its too early to be stoking the DX GBP flames, esp after a brutal Roy DX PO....

or is it? 

[Slave IV]

2 hours ago, rdrunner said:

Then it would be the best GBP out there in the history of Valkyrie figures, hands down!

You would hope so and while the DX Valk is arguably the best ever, the same can’t really be said for the Super Parts. Bandai does some weird stuff sometimes. 

[Slave IV]

Edit: Accidentally reposted same thing

Edited July 5, 2020 by Slave IV

[rdrunner]

5 hours ago, Slave IV said:

You would hope so and while the DX Valk is arguably the best ever, the same can’t really be said for the Super Parts. Bandai does some weird stuff sometimes. 

Right, the strike (and now super) pack from Bandai seems to be a step back without the full interior details, especially because I thought that’s what the DX “roadmap” showed with the grey samples back in 2018. 

I doubt that the Bandai DX GBP will have any more advanced features than the Yamato designs (from both 1/48 and 1/60) as well. I just don’t think Bandai will have individual missiles like the Yamato 1/48 did. Maybe a TWE “missile effect parts” or something....