Hi-Metal R

[SpaceCowboy]

Got one at AE just now as I forgot to set my alarm last night...jesus...I still do not understand the business model of making these things and producing just enough that they are only available for a few hours.  It just screams of leaving money on the table.  The only thing I can think of is that they have to order in large increments, so they can produce 5000 units, there is demand for 8000, but the only next increment they can produce is 10,000 which would leave them in the hole.  Still it is enough to make me seriously question why I collect these...

[seti88]

Isnt macross a sufficient enough reason?  As for the producing just enough, well, if bandai has more control marketing and distribution globally, perhaps they would risk more to produce more. Just wait till 2021!  

[davidwhangchoi]

Ahh i was playing red dead all night and forgot to check! 

 

i guess i'll wait

[davidwhangchoi]

1 hour ago, seti88 said:

AE is back up and still available.

Seti, i missed your post 30 minutes late. 

hopefully i'll find one

 

Edited November 1, 2018 by davidwhangchoi

[spacemanoeuvres]

I think preorders will keep popping up here and there. Only the very first HMR releases are difficult to come by at non-scalper prices. 

[davidwhangchoi]

2 minutes ago, spacemanoeuvres said:

I think preorders will keep popping up here and there. Only the very first HMR releases are difficult to come by at non-scalper prices. 

yeah thanks! i was up last night too. should've not been glued to the TV 

[Tking22]

Damn this was terrible, count me in as another person that got up at midnight, had three different sites up, and didn't get a single god damn VF-4. Honestly, I'm about to call it quits with Macross, almost every line Macross related gets like this, destroids and stuff were fine, but this is bullshit and I'm about done caring about getting anything else in the line. HLJ and AmiAmi both have absolute garbage sites now, both crashed while I had what I wanted in my cart, when they finally get their crap together my cart is filled with out of stock items, great.

I'm not using AE and I'm not using NY so I guess I can try to wait until the stupid thing releases to try and get one, if I don't, I can care less at this point, I played their stupid bullshit midnight madness game and still got nothing. FiginStock kind of helped when it came to trying to nab a pre-order after the initial date, but they're gone so everyone is left to hoping they are on this site the moment someone mentions a PO is open.

[SpaceCowboy]

I've sworn off NY after the VF-31A fiasco - do I have to worry that AE will be the same?  Or do people just not like paying up front is the main complaint?

 

[Tking22]

8 minutes ago, SpaceCowboy said:

I've sworn off NY after the VF-31A fiasco - do I have to worry that AE will be the same?  Or do people just not like paying up front is the main complaint?

 

I've personally just had issues with them the three times I tried to use them, your mileage may vary.

[ScrambledValkyrie]

1 hour ago, sh9000 said:

I have a just in case order of 1 and another order of 2 at Amiami.  If you want 1 I can have it shipped directly to you.  Just pay when they request the payment in March.

Wow, thanks! That would be great. I’ll PM you about details.

[treatment]

1 hour ago, seti88 said:

As for the producing just enough, well, if bandai has more control marketing and distribution globally, perhaps they would risk more to produce more. Just wait till 2021!  

Well, they actually most likely do already.

Bandai just recently bought out Bluefin in the US, which might partially explain why we suddenly can't preorder-import newer Bandai-toys from amazon-japan anymore recently (HM-R, RD, SOC-FA, SOC, SHF, etc). 

Prior to that, they had complete control of stuff here in the US marketing/distribution during the old Gundam-days.  Prolly still do.

Just didn't quite work out well for them since the Gundam-stuff (kits, toys, etc) were all way overpriced and totally shelfwarming at all US retail-stores (TRU, wallys, target, game-shops, even at Bestbuy, etc).

Ended up with amazon doing quite an incredible fire-sale on Gundam-stuff back in the day. Think I got a few MGs like the Kampfer for about $15 or shipped from amazon.

 

[Shizuka the Cat]

Congratulations to everyone who got a VF-4 pre-order in. Looks like PO madness was real. this time.

I unfortunately missed out.  My fiance had me tied down to the bed last night, so I was unable to go online.

Hopefully the VF-4 will be easy for me to get upon release.

[jenius]

Sounds like a decent reason to miss a preorder.

[derex3592]

Totally legit.

[Shizuka the Cat]

Men.... Can't place Macross pre-orders with them, can't live without them.  *sigh*

[davidwhangchoi]

25 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Congratulations to everyone who got a VF-4 pre-order in. Looks like PO madness was real. this time.

I unfortunately missed out.  My fiance had me tied down to the bed last night, so I was unable to go online.

Hopefully the VF-4 will be easy for me to get upon release.

you're not a true macross fan

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Late to the party, couldn't preorder one.

Hope AmiAmi or HLJ reopen the preorder.

[davidwhangchoi]

2 minutes ago, Ignacio Ocamica said:

Late to the party, couldn't preorder one.

Hope AmiAmi or HLJ reopen the preorder.

me too

[Sanity is Optional]

I'll probably end up dumping my backup from HLJ, or letting someone else buy it off me at cost and shipping it to them from PW.

I've learned not to rely on a single-source though.

[technoblue]

I was able to get two orders in. I wanted to order one at AmiAmi and the other at CDJapan to spread things around, but AmiAmi's site shenanigan's forced me to order both at CDJapan this time out. Seeing the pre-order button lock the site down was so frustrating that I broke out laughing. Anyway, I was glad that AmiAmi finally started working later on and that other members were able to get their orders in there. I guess this is the new normal for pre-order madness.

[Atheonyirh]

1 hour ago, treatment said:

Ended up with amazon doing quite an incredible fire-sale on Gundam-stuff back in the day. Think I got a few MGs like the Kampfer for about $15 or shipped from amazon.

Those really were some glorious days. I ended up with a PG Wing Gundam Zero Custom from Amazon for like $35 dollars. 

[GabrielV]

I forgot all about this.  I'm a bit surprised the PO madness was so extreme this time. 

[spacemanoeuvres]

I think it was a combination of new websites being put to the test and legit PO Madness due to a new HMR mold.  I ended up with 4 orders at different sites but I doubt I will keep all of them.

[VF-Zer0S]

I guess I got lucky with CDJapan. I’ve also noticed using a computer is kinda been really unlucky for me on these pre orders. The iphone browser has been killing it lately. No delays or anything really

[seti88]

 

1 hour ago, treatment said:

Well, they actually most likely do already.

Bandai just recently bought out Bluefin in the US, which might partially explain why we suddenly can't preorder-import newer Bandai-toys from amazon-japan anymore recently (HM-R, RD, SOC-FA, SOC, SHF, etc). 

Prior to that, they had complete control of stuff here in the US marketing/distribution during the old Gundam-days.  Prolly still do.

Just didn't quite work out well for them since the Gundam-stuff (kits, toys, etc) were all way overpriced and totally shelfwarming at all US retail-stores (TRU, wallys, target, game-shops, even at Bestbuy, etc).

Ended up with amazon doing quite an incredible fire-sale on Gundam-stuff back in the day. Think I got a few MGs like the Kampfer for about $15 or shipped from amazon.

 

Just referring to macross which has one hand tied when it comes to international marketing and distribution..

1 hour ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Congratulations to everyone who got a VF-4 pre-order in. Looks like PO madness was real. this time.

I unfortunately missed out.  My fiance had me tied down to the bed last night, so I was unable to go online.

Hopefully the VF-4 will be easy for me to get upon release.

50 shades of macross pre-orders.

1 hour ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Men.... Can't place Macross pre-orders with them, can't live without them.  *sigh*

Watch if he ties you up every preorder nite. He might secretly not want you to buy anymore macross..

1 hour ago, davidwhangchoi said:

you're not a true macross fan

Hahahaha that made me laugh out loud!

[Boobytrap]

Dang it. Can't believe I forgot about this last night. I even had my laptop sitting next to me at midnight. Oh well. I haven't had an issue getting a late pre-order for any HMR in the past. It may take a few weeks/months of scouring the regular sites for availability but I'm sure I will be able to get one eventually.

Sure would have been nice to not have to do that though. I really need to write myself a note or set a reminder in the future.

[Sanity is Optional]

21 minutes ago, spacemanoeuvres said:

I think it was a combination of new websites being put to the test and legit PO Madness due to a new HMR mold.  I ended up with 4 orders at different sites but I doubt I will keep all of them.

I think that's about right, plus the VF-4 seems to be more well-liked than the VF-2SS was.

If they do a VF-11, -19, -21/-22, or -25 it'll be one hell of a pre-order night.

[easnoddy]

VF-2SS Silvie also sold out on day 1 (I missed the preorder).  Nexx, since its simply a recolor, is not as popular. 

[treatment]

14 minutes ago, seti88 said:

 

Just referring to macross which has one hand tied when it comes to international marketing and distribution..

That's just the old excuse about Macross stuff back in the day.

It really hasn't been an issue or a bottleneck when procuring Macross stuff in at least the last two decades, mostly thanks to online-shopping and stuff.

At any rate, Bandai has always had issues (mostly self-inflicted like high pricing) in the marketing and the distribution of even their non-macross toys which they have full international-rights to outside of Japan.  

It's not really gonna change if they suddenly have full international-rights to Macross stuff. 

It'll still be the same issue, just without the tired excuse of Macross trademark-issue.

 

[easnoddy]

Won't really matter.  We will never see Macross in Target/Wallyworld.  There would have been a good chance for TRU in the collectors section...if it still existed.  $15-20 over Japan retail would be generally worth it to buy here in the states.

[505thAirborne]

26 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

If they do a VF-11, -19, -21/-22, or -25 it'll be one hell of a pre-order night.

This would be the PO that nightmares are made of! 

[Shizuka the Cat]

34 minutes ago, seti88 said:

50 shades of macross pre-orders.

Watch if he ties you up every preorder nite. He might secretly not want you to buy anymore macross..

Well, I do love it when a man takes charge and is dominant.

But, I am going to have to fake a headache or something for future pre-order dates.

 

P.S.

Just had to share this picture...

Now I am hearing the song lyric "I'm too sexy for my cat" running through my head.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Shizuka the Cat

[UN Spacy]

Wow...even Hi-Metal’s are hard to get?!

 

What’s next? Arcadia’s stuff?!?

[wmkjr]

2 hours ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

Congratulations to everyone who got a VF-4 pre-order in. Looks like PO madness was real. this time.

I unfortunately missed out.  My fiance had me tied down to the bed last night, so I was unable to go online.

Hopefully the VF-4 will be easy for me to get upon release.

I think he secretly preordered one for you.

[rdrunner]

9 minutes ago, UN Spacy said:

Wow...even Hi-Metal’s are hard to get?!

 

What’s next? Arcadia’s stuff?!?

Wow - imagine Premium Finish Arcadias selling out in less than 2 minutes....