Bandai DX VF-31

[TrickyCustomer]

If speculation alleviates some worry then i say speculate away! This whole kairos situation is crazy. I am very very thankful i have mine and seeing how things have been recently paying the extra tax to get them freed is nothing compared to seeing how NY/bandai have dealt with this situation.  I just hope this is all resolved soon and everyone at the very least gets something for their troubles. Hopefully the 31a's they have paid for with their hard earned money. What a fluster cuck this has been. I'm looking forward to some good news regarding super parts/armor parts/anything to get us past this ordeal.

[mechaninac]

Well, I'm officially out of the VF-31A game.  The ebay seller from whom I pre-ordered was more than eager to refund me even though I mentioned that I'd be willing to wait a bit longer on the condition that I'd be refunded if he couldn't deliver (he rightly figured that if he does get stock he'll be able to sell it for 2-3x what I had paid), and there is absolutely no way in Hades that I'll shell out secondary market prices for it.  Here's hoping that Bandai will release a different version as a standard release in the future; otherwise, meh!  At least I didn't lose anything.

[Sanity is Optional]

I've got one on order from an ebay seller as well, hoping either they or NY can come through, but starting to doubt I'll end up with either.

As long as I get refunded when it falls through I can wait though.

[no3Ljm]

11 minutes ago, ArchieNov said:

Again, I think you’re missing my point. Why keep on insisting it’s based on order date, when it’s already proven wrong? Seeing page after page of people posting their order dates is just barking up the wrong tree. Think of something else that hasn’t been debunked. I gave some of my own speculations too right? That it’s based on shipping option or quantity. Why not have someone validate that instead?

And if you think I’m rubbing it in that i got mine already, you have got that completely wrong. I just don’t like people wasting their time following the wrong assumption.

Apologies if I missed your point. But the thing is, people here are already tired of waiting for anything. So seeing @jrhudson311's post that his item got shipped, it gave a little bit of hope for some of us that's why we're asking again when he ordered it because we know he's from the US. So it's normal for us to speculate the time and geography once again.

I'm already stressed out about this fiasco for me to add this to my thoughts. I'm just going to wait out and see how this VF-31A drama going to end.

Peace!

[GabrielV]

My VF-31A arrived!

Loopaza basically just stuck the Bandai packing box inside another only slightly larger box.  No padding or bubble wrap whatsoever.  Just two protective layers of cardboard (the Loopaza box and the Bandai box) to protect the Valk box.  Luckily, this little lady seems to have emerged from her prolonged shipping unscathed.

I've taken the fighter out, installed the seat cover and pilot, and placed it on it's stand with the missile pods open.

Nothing more to say.  I'm happy it's finally here.  Maybe pics sometime this weekend if anyone cares.

[neoexcaliber]

9 hours ago, technoblue said:

So you're the one! 

I'm way back in the queue if it's any consolation.  

8 hours ago, Kinzoku VF said:

Unlikely that they're going to be able to honor any dupes at this point considering the shortages. They'll most likely send all singles first then see if they have enough for multiples. Or refund the dupes and send 1 order?  I might be completely wrong but they're having enough difficulties to send single orders, not sure how they can justify sending 3 or more for a single order when they don't have enough for singles? Only speculation from my part of course, I haven't hot a clue....

Hope everyone will eventually get whatever they paid for. But.....if this week is anything to go by, not sure if next week will fare any better. (I'm such an optimist right? )

No doubt I wouldn't be prioritized but the extra units I ordered were for friends and they seem to be willing to wait so I'll give NY another week.

8 hours ago, spacemanoeuvres said:

As someone who ordered multiples early I hope it is first come first serve. 

I can’t see why I shouldn’t get my copies because they need one for someone who ordered a month after me. No offense 

Unfortunately for us, they'd rather piss off 1 customer with multiples instead of multiple customers with singles. 

[no3Ljm]

14 minutes ago, GabrielV said:

Maybe pics sometime this weekend if anyone cares.

I care. That's why I want the pictures now. Hahaha!

Congrats GrabrielV!

 

[Charles_Xavier]

6 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Are you planning on selling it opened or unopened?

 

If NY delivers my multiple order, I will sell off 1 of the spares unopened. Like many here I like to keep 2-3 copies of the same for cannon folders. 

I am going to rant again that NY has let us down big time. Lesson learnt. Never put all your POs in 1 basket. Better to spend a bit more in shipping by buying from various shops than to go through this frustrating crap

Edited April 7, 2018 by Charles_Xavier

[orindlt]

The reason I suspect it has something to do with order date is that I ordered two separate singles, one on the 6th, the other on the 26th. Same shipping option (EMS). Same address in Australia. The one from the 6th has shipped. The one from the 26th has not. From reviewing the thread, there are very few shipments from NY that weren't made on the 6th - so it might be that there are a few aberrations, but it does seem that NY is mostly processing via order number (it certainly isn't random given the large cluster of orders that have shipped from the 6th compared to other dates). 

[orindlt]

BTW, are there any reputable online stores that still have it in stock at an inflated price?

[Charles_Xavier]

32 minutes ago, orindlt said:

BTW, are there any reputable online stores that still have it in stock at an inflated price?

Nope. All stores are out of stock. The only inflated prices are on amazon japan, YJP and eBay. 

[technoblue]

To add to the data collection initiative, here are my NY stats:

2017-10-07 02:43:17    Pre-order - Payment OK
2017-10-07 02:42:28    Processing Payment
2017-10-07 02:41:24    Order created

I missed 10/06 by a few hours, sadly. I chose EMS shipping and I have one 31A on order. I don't think that time or shipping method or region matters, to be honest, although the speculation has been a nice way to vent frustration. Apart from that, I'd certainly welcome more photos from those who have the 31A or any 31-type Valkyries really. Pictures always lighten the mood.

Personally, I think the best guess has been that NY ordered these in a clever way, maybe even with the intent of having a few extra to sell at a markup. And, as each pre-order comes in, NY has been sending each order out to its designated recipient. That's all I can make of the random deliveries.

Of course, if Bandai got wise to how retailers were being crafty, exploiting the Tamashii store (which is very reasonable to think too) then they could have most certainly put the kibosh on the whole thing. If that's they case, then I guess I'm Waiting for Godot. 

[PsYcHoDyNaMiX]

1 hour ago, orindlt said:

The reason I suspect it has something to do with order date is that I ordered two separate singles, one on the 6th, the other on the 26th. Same shipping option (EMS). Same address in Australia. The one from the 6th has shipped. The one from the 26th has not. From reviewing the thread, there are very few shipments from NY that weren't made on the 6th - so it might be that there are a few aberrations, but it does seem that NY is mostly processing via order number (it certainly isn't random given the large cluster of orders that have shipped from the 6th compared to other dates). 

Well it could be because a couple of us had contacted NY after hearing multiple orders shipped on random dates for the first week we urged them to consider shipping out orders via order creation as it would only be fair. Hell, those of us who had contacted them regarding that are also probably facing NY's nonsensical backlash by having our orders not shipped (not to mention some of the proverbial jabs by other forum members). I'm hoping I get my money back after dealing with NY's games so I can spend it on something else elsewhere.

Oh and not to mention this is probably NY's logic on orders of multiples. 

1) Hold out on shipping orders with multiples

2) Wait till 180 day Paypal purchase protection expires

3) Offer store credit

4) Relist the item at markedup price

5) Offer marked up price item to store credit customer

LOL

[CharlesXavier]

13 minutes ago, technoblue said:

Of course, if Bandai got wise to how retailers were being crafty, exploiting the Tamashii store (which is very reasonable to think too) then they could have most certainly put the kibosh on the whole thing. If that's they case, then I guess I'm Waiting for Godot. 

I can’t speak for bandai outside of Asia or japan but I can confidently tell you that bandai doesn’t care about the after market prices or demand of their TWE items. 

They have only one target for whatever TWE they put up. That is to generate the most sales out of it since they get the greatest margin from selling these TWEs. 

Heck if the item is so hot, they will open 2 or 3 POs with staggered release dates to maximize their profits for the item. 

Bandai earns that xx% margin and that’s all they care about. NY or anyone can buy as many as they want and resell as high as they want. Bandai doesn’t care. 

And perhaps if it’s so shortchanged the Japanese customers will ask for a rerun and bandai may just do it. 

[technoblue]

10 minutes ago, CharlesXavier said:

I can’t speak for bandai outside of Asia or japan but I can confidently tell you that bandai doesn’t care about the after market prices or demand of their TWE items. 

<snip>

I don't doubt that, either. I'm just trying to make sense out of what the retailers have been telling members/customers who lost their orders (mykombini and nin-nin) or who filed tickets asking about their orders (NY). I gather these etailers all have a local presence in Japan, and would therefore have a domestic address. To that end, it shouldn't make a difference unless Bandai limited the number of Valkyries one could order. And if they did that, the stores would probably use multiple accounts to fill their orders. Would Bandai care about and track something like that? I have no idea.

[CharlesXavier]

25 minutes ago, PsYcHoDyNaMiX said:

Oh and not to mention this is probably NY's logic on orders of multiples. 

1) Hold out on shipping orders with multiples

2) Wait till 180 day Paypal purchase protection expires

3) Offer store credit

4) Relist the item at markedup price

5) Offer marked up price item to store credit customer

LOL

I feel 2, 3 and 4 are the most likely scenario. NY is notorious for putting up popular items at premium prices but only after they fulfilled their POs. I only hope they still uphold their principle to honor all POs before pulling the mark up stunt 

[CharlesXavier]

13 minutes ago, technoblue said:

I don't doubt that, either. I'm just trying to make sense out of what the retailers have been telling members/customers who lost their orders (mykombini and nin-nin) or who filed tickets asking about their orders (NY). I gather these etailers all have a local presence in Japan, and would therefore have a domestic address. To that end, it shouldn't make a difference unless Bandai limited the number of Valkyries one could order. And if they did that, the stores would probably use multiple accounts to fill their orders. Would Bandai care about and track something like that? I have no idea.

You can have multiple accounts with the same address. This I can confirm. I have a Japanese contact who could order above the 1-2 limit of very exclusive items for me because he and his wife both have accounts. I engaged him less because he kept increasing his commission from 10% to 15% and then 20%. That’s when I stopped using him for regular items and only engaged him for those lucky draw items. Sadly both his accounts didn’t get the lottery for the 31J Kai and I had to buy it off YJP

[Tober]

28 minutes ago, CharlesXavier said:

I can’t speak for bandai outside of Asia or japan but I can confidently tell you that bandai doesn’t care about the after market prices or demand of their TWE items. 

They have only one target for whatever TWE they put up. That is to generate the most sales out of it since they get the greatest margin from selling these TWEs. 

Heck if the item is so hot, they will open 2 or 3 POs with staggered release dates to maximize their profits for the item. 

Bandai earns that xx% margin and that’s all they care about. NY or anyone can buy as many as they want and resell as high as they want. Bandai doesn’t care. 

And perhaps if it’s so shortchanged the Japanese customers will ask for a rerun and bandai may just do it. 

When have BANDAI ever re-issued a TWE item? 

[technoblue]

9 minutes ago, CharlesXavier said:

You can have multiple accounts with the same address. This I can confirm. I have a Japanese contact who could order above the 1-2 limit of very exclusive items for me because he and his wife both have accounts. I engaged him less because he kept increasing his commission from 10% to 15% and then 20%. That’s when I stopped using him for regular items and only engaged him for those lucky draw items. Sadly both his accounts didn’t get the lottery for the 31J Kai and I had to buy it off YJP

Oh? Very interesting. Thanks, @CharlesXavier. The plot thickens...

[CharlesXavier]

16 minutes ago, Tober said:

When have BANDAI ever re-issued a TWE item? 

They have issued a few as part of their anniversary offer. Items I can recall are 

metal build avalanche special pack

metal build avalanche add on parts

SIC Gatagiriba

no Macross so far as I can recall 

[F360]

41 minutes ago, CharlesXavier said:

They have issued a few as part of their anniversary offer. Items I can recall are 

metal build avalanche special pack

metal build avalanche add on parts

SIC Gatagiriba

no Macross so far as I can recall 

IIRC both of those Metal Builds are Lottery in japan.  And they have some left over used for the grand opening of the Us-P-Bandai ( which is frozen in time right now)

It wasn't really a reissue.

[Shukenzero]

1 hour ago, Tober said:

When have BANDAI ever re-issued a TWE item? 

Never if I'm correct. If did it once, it'd set a dangerous precedent. They always change something so it's not the same package. It's how they ensure people preorder.

Edited April 7, 2018 by Shukenzero

[Sanity is Optional]

Good news! My ebay seller says that it arrives with them next week, so as long as they're not fibbing I'll at least get one.

[CharlesXavier]

14 minutes ago, Shukenzero said:

Never if I'm correct. If did it once, it'd set a dangerous precedent. They always change something so it's not the same package. It's how they ensure people preorder.

Yes they rarely do straight reissues. But they love to change the markings and “reissue” it as a “new” release. 

[Shukenzero]

39 minutes ago, CharlesXavier said:

Yes they rarely do straight reissues. But they love to change the markings and “reissue” it as a “new” release. 

The question was a straight reissue. They don't do 'em. You couldn't get the Seven Swords when they packaged the Raiser with the 00 Gundam.

If they did, people wouldn't bother with web exclusives you could get a few years later. That's why they have to tow the line in regards to no reissues. Sure the Seven Sword/G was finally made available but the blue is a different tinge, and it had the extra sword. Call it Bs marketing, but they tiptoed around TWEs losing their exclusivity and managed to sate fan demand for a reissue.

Edited April 7, 2018 by Shukenzero

[Tober]

They have did release the exclusive original DX Super/Armor sets with the VF-25s as a bundle, but again not a straight re-issue of the Super and Armor sets. So theoretically they could re-issue the 31A with different contents. Theoretically...  I wouldn't be placing any faith in it though.  After-all they didn't do it for the Renewals when they had a golden opportunity.

Edited April 7, 2018 by Tober

[Shukenzero]

Bandai won't do it. Frontier was a success and they didn't do the super parts packaged with their respective Valks. I had held out hope for a proper VF-27 renewal since it was so cool, but the half-@ssed rehash was it. I still would buy the 25 and 27 if they reengineered it to the 31s standards. 

The 25 is still the best in my opinion. It's a beast. Something about the melding of American and Russian aircraft design and it's sleek profile. Also the 30, if I'm just talking about the airframe.

[CharlesXavier]

38 minutes ago, Tober said:

They have did release the exclusive original DX Super/Armor sets with the VF-25s as a bundle, but again not a straight re-issue of the Super and Armor sets. So theoretically they could re-issue the 31A with different contents. Theoretically...  I wouldn't be placing any faith in it though.  After-all they didn't do it for the Renewals when they had a golden opportunity.

Not impossible for bandai to do a 31A with fast pack full package if they pick up the huge popularity of the 31A. 

These days bandai reissues whatever has huge demand or insane after market prices

just look at shf dragon ball figures. Normal goku, Super saiyan vegeta, trunks, SS3 goku, cell and freeza became so expensive. 

Few years later, bandai reissues the “premium” color edition of the above figures. And more recently normal goku is released as a regular release at a low price point and with more facial expressions. 

What happens to the insane prices of those highly sought after figure? Almost instant plunge. 

The only piece which I thought bandai would reissue but never got to it, was the VF-25G renewal. I got into Macross F late but was lucky to get alto and Ozma cheap cos of the reissues. Paid premium for 25G but beats having to pay the $500 premium price for the original Ozma renewal. 

Edited April 7, 2018 by CharlesXavier

[Shukenzero]

20 minutes ago, CharlesXavier said:

The only piece which I thought bandai would reissue but never got to it, was the VF-25G renewal. I got into Macross F late but was lucky to get alto and Ozma cheap cos of the reissues. Paid premium for 25G but beats having to pay the $500 premium price for the original Ozma renewal. 

I was lucky enough to buy a second 25G a year or or so later. It was listed as secondhand but only the outside box had been opened. Everything else was untouched. And I got it for the same price as my first- which was already slightly pricier on release. Still one of my favourites due to the sniper rifle.

[Sanity is Optional]

I had to buy all my VF-25s from Mandarake. I wasn't even collecting Valkyries when they were released.

Lucked out and got a VF-25S used for only ¥20,000. Then another ¥30,000 for his armor.

[CharlesXavier]

1 hour ago, Shukenzero said:

I was lucky enough to buy a second 25G a year or or so later. It was listed as secondhand but only the outside box had been opened. Everything else was untouched. And I got it for the same price as my first- which was already slightly pricier on release. Still one of my favourites due to the sniper rifle.

I started way too late to catch any good deals for the 25G. But I made up for it with the profit of the spare 25S reissue I sold. So more or less after profits my 25G cost the PO price. Grateful enough

[Lolicon]

I foolishly sold my third 25G way back when I thought I didn't need three of them. Now what am I going to do with these tornado parts? 

[20max20]

I received my 31A from NY today. Interesting to notice a QA issue due probably to poor coloring (maybe they were really producing in a rush?) and then relative attempt to fix.

guess not wise to ask for replacement :/

not big deal, I had really hard time to get it on camera as it is barely noticeable.

a part from this...seriously...this bird is ridiculously cool. Bandai HAS to release more! Come on Bandai, put a 02 mark on it and give it to us all! We’d probably be ok even with the frozen canopy...

[no3Ljm]

Ouch. Sorry to hear about that, @20max20. Good thing it's underneath the wing area. I'm not sure if NY can help you regarding replacement. You know, not-so-good customer service. 

If Bandai made the 02 canopy frozen then it's not consistent anymore with the rest of the Alpha Platoon.

 

[Lolicon]

Another day, another Kairos sold. 35k starting to look like a good price now...

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1086160425&ref=list