Bandai DX VF-31

[jenius]

Yeah, heat yellows for sure, we see this with the attic collections all the time. 

[CrossAir]

1 minute ago, jenius said:

Yeah, heat yellows for sure, we see this with the attic collections all the time. 

I see, though I don’t want to but all my Valks  not on display will go down in the cellar. Glad I took half of the collection down last year . But have to check the yellowing state once more, crap!

[Lolicon]

20 minutes ago, CrossAir said:

I see, though I don’t want to but all my Valks  not on display will go down in the cellar. Glad I took half of the collection down last year . But have to check the yellowing state once more, crap!

Yeah I'm going to have to open up all my stored valks and check. I live in the south so it gets pretty hot down here.

I'm moving in a couple of months though so maybe I'll just wait till then to inspect them... 

[borgified]

Now the question will be, what are you going to be doing with the yellowed  (and hopefully not gummyified as well) valks @Lolicon.

Paint it in funky colours like the Aniversario and Tux 1j (or like the ones from M7)? 

[Special Sauce]

26 minutes ago, borgified said:

Now the question will be, what are you going to be doing with the yellowed  (and hopefully not gummyified as well) valks @Lolicon.

Paint it in funky colours like the Aniversario and Tux 1j (or like the ones from M7)? 

There are several methods you can use to try and clean them up.  Using cleaning solutions using peroxide and water or a mixture of vinegar, baking soda and water can work on yellowed plastic.  I haven't tried it myself since I don't have any that are yellow yet.

Styrofoam is a petroleum based product which when heated can release toxic gases.  I imagine the combo of a hot attic or direct sunlight would releases some of the petroleum gases of the Styrofoam which would cause the yellowing.  It would probably take some time for that to happen unless you're talking about some extreme heat.   Styrofoam also degrades must faster than plastic.  Could explain why you see a lot of yellowing in the DX line because they're packaged in Styrofoam.  Of course I'm just spit balling but it makes sense to me.

Edited April 7, 2021 by Special Sauce

[CrossAir]

Now I checked on all Frontier Valks, even the colored VF-25A and RVF-25 show signs of yellowing though not as Bades the YF-25. The only one still in perfect shape is the VF-25G, last bought (used) but also first in cool and dark storage. I'm still a bit anxious on trying solutions with peroxide or else as I'm afraid of damaging the tampo prints.

Hope this won't happen to my VF-31s'. They're all on display (out of sunlight) and still looking good so far.

[Anasazi37]

10 hours ago, borgified said:

Plastic molded trays where used after Frontier valks. The last stryo tray in used in my present collection is the Chronos and it hasn't yellowed yet. 

I'm pretty sure that the VF-31 and SV-262 DX releases from Delta all come in styrofoam trays. I pulled out my VF-31S box and it's definitely styrofoam inside, and the other Delta boxes I really don't want to dig out are all the same form factor. Interesting that Bandai would use plastic for one series (SDFM/DYRL) and styrofoam for another (Delta). With that said, the armor for the VF-31S came in plastic trays, and that is the latest Delta release, so maybe they've switched over to plastic for everything. The VF-1J DX (first valk in that line) was released only six months before the VF-31E DX (most recent valk in that line). That could have been a crossover period in manufacturing. Guess we'll see when the next VF-31 is released in concert with the movie!

[Sanity is Optional]

It’s unlikely they would have bothered making new molds for vacuum formed plastic trays when they already had molds for styrofoam trays for the 31s.

[jenius]

I don't think Styrofoam has much to do with yellowing... look at toys from the 80s that came in Styrofoam. If they were in a dark cool place, they might still look great. I think the three main variables are:
1) Quality of plastic. This can vary batch to batch and has its own variables like the inclusion of UV blockers. This is the problem on V1 VF-25 toys... at least until the movie version release... still not sure if something was improved after that. You can usually tell cheap or bad plastic because a toy will have sections that yellow uniformly while others stay perfectly white. Using the V1 VF-25 as a reference, the nosecone is almost always uniformly yellowed.
2) UV exposure. This is closely related to...
3) Heat

So you can have 3 without 2 and it will still be a problem but 2 almost always comes with 3 making it a double whammy. Even in an air conditioned, sheltered house, the sun light will warm the plastic. In attics you get 3 without 2 and the effect is more akin to what we see with 1, the less resilient plastics begin breaking down uniformly. 

Since the culprit is the plastic breaking down, the 'whitening' methods all seem like treating a symptom... and you can make a symptom go away for a while but if you can't fix the cause the problem is never truly solved. Once plastic starts breaking down, it really seems like painting it will be the only long-term solution. 

 

[CrossAir]

Me for example, I have only VF-25 renewal toys. And all stored ones show yellowing. Here’s a picture I shot today of my Yamato VT-1 V1 I bought as used some years ago. It was stored the same way as the VF-25s yet it is still in perfect condition. Maybe the “heat-management” in a box without styrofoam packaging is different? 
Anyway, what happened to my 25s is the price I have to pay for false storage.

Edited April 8, 2021 by CrossAir

[Sanity is Optional]

Could be that styrofoam is only an issue when heated, out gassing or the like.

[borgified]

At least with the styro you get the annoying squeeks when two surfaces get moved while with the plastic trays, you get the popping effect with you open it and everything explodes once opened. 

[MKT]

Do not think styrofoam has that much effect either. Having displayed some of my earlier toys out, in a room with indirect sunlight, Bandai's V2 Frontier toys just yellow much, much more aggressively compared to Yamato's. 

What's sad is that their model kits doesn't seem to suffer the same problem. A few of the Gundam kits I displayed in same condition as the toys, remain as white as new, while the much pricier Chogokins are really vampires when coming to UV light.

 

 

[Anasazi37]

8 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

It’s unlikely they would have bothered making new molds for vacuum formed plastic trays when they already had molds for styrofoam trays for the 31s.

Agreed. Bandai likely wouldn't retool their packaging for new variants in an existing line.

4 hours ago, borgified said:

At least with the styro you get the annoying squeeks when two surfaces get moved while with the plastic trays, you get the popping effect with you open it and everything explodes once opened. 

My wife says that she knows exactly when I'm taking valks out of their packaging. From another room in our house, she can hear the squeaks, pops, and cries of frustration as pieces fly everywhere.

[CrossAir]

2 hours ago, Anasazi37 said:

My wife says that she knows exactly when I'm taking valks out of their packaging. From another room in our house, she can hear the squeaks, pops, and cries of frustration as pieces fly everywhere.

This is the reason why I can’t handle valks after midnight. Had very negative experiences in the past...the valks got in life threatening danger!

[ErikElvis]

I’m a glutton for punishment.  Always open those plastic trays on the bed and lose pieces in the bed and on the floor. I gotta get my life together. 

[no3Ljm]

Or... everyone could just enjoy them while it last. 

 

[Lolicon]

Just now, no3Ljm said:

Or... everyone could just enjoy them while it last. 

 

They must remain nice and white until the sun exhausts its hydrogen fuel and consumes the Earth in nuclear fire!

[no3Ljm]

1 hour ago, Lolicon said:

They must remain nice and white until the sun exhausts its hydrogen fuel and consumes the Earth in nuclear fire!

True.

But then, 2 kids, 4 movies, shorts, rough playing, Buzz Lightyear still looks brand new. 

 

[Bolt]

Must be that pixar plastic..

[borgified]

@Bolt - Incorrect answer. Buzz gets rebuilt again like the Million Dollar Man with upgraded bionic parts.   

[TheLoneWolf]

13 hours ago, CrossAir said:

Me for example, I have only VF-25 renewal toys. And all stored ones show yellowing. Here’s a picture I shot today of my Yamato VT-1 V1 I bought as used some years ago. It was stored the same way as the VF-25s yet it is still in perfect condition. Maybe the “heat-management” in a box without styrofoam packaging is different? 
Anyway, what happened to my 25s is the price I have to pay for false storage.

Yellowing primarily affects white plastic. Your VT-1 shouldn't have any yellowing because it's beige, not white.

Like jenius, I don't think styrofoam has much of an impact on yellowing or else it'd be nearly impossible to find any boxed white toys from the 1980's. Moreover, I find it hard to believe that those boxed toys from the 80's were all kept in optimal storage conditions for three decades.

My belief is that the quality of the batch of plastic used is the greatest determining factor, bearing in mind that many different batches can be used within the same toy line; temperature plays a secondary role. While direct sunlight will yellow all plastics, regardless of quality and temperature.

[Special Sauce]

4 hours ago, Lolicon said:

They must remain nice and white until the sun exhausts its hydrogen fuel and consumes the Earth in nuclear fire!

[Special Sauce]

1 hour ago, TheLoneWolf said:

Yellowing primarily affects white plastic. Your VT-1 shouldn't have any yellowing because it's beige, not white.

Like jenius, I don't think styrofoam has much of an impact on yellowing or else it'd be nearly impossible to find any boxed white toys from the 1980's. Moreover, I find it hard to believe that those boxed toys from the 80's were all kept in optimal storage conditions for three decades.

My belief is that the quality of the batch of plastic used is the greatest determining factor, bearing in mind that many different batches can be used within the same toy line; temperature plays a secondary role. While direct sunlight will yellow all plastics, regardless of quality and temperature.

I'm trying to narrow it down to what it is and it does seem like it's the quality of the plastic used.  Because they're a larger company they probably source their plastic from different suppliers to satisfy their needs.  So it would make sense that some parts yellow while others do not.

[jenius]

1 hour ago, Special Sauce said:

I'm trying to narrow it down to what it is and it does seem like it's the quality of the plastic used.  Because they're a larger company they probably source their plastic from different suppliers to satisfy their needs.  So it would make sense that some parts yellow while others do not.

Also, depending on the part, different types of plastic are used. A screw cover may be made of different stuff than a part that needs to handle stress.

[CrossAir]

3 hours ago, TheLoneWolf said:

Yellowing primarily affects white plastic. Your VT-1 shouldn't have any yellowing because it's beige, not white.

Primarily, but not only. As I Mentioned earlier also my green and beige colored RVF-25 and VF-25A have this issue. And some plastic parts are affected while other are not. Maybe due to parts coming from different suppliers indeed.

Edited April 8, 2021 by CrossAir

[Chronocidal]

12 minutes ago, CrossAir said:

Primarily, but not only. As I Mentioned earlier also my green and beige colored RVF-25 and VF-25A have this issue. And some plastic parts are affected while other are not. Maybe due to parts coming from different suppliers indeed.

It definitely affects multiple colors.  I've got a vintage GI Joe Cobra Hurricane that started out as a beautiful blue, and has gradually turned a nice shade of turquoise.  

[BlueMax]

4 hours ago, TheLoneWolf said:

Yellowing primarily affects white plastic.

To be clear, "yellowing", all colored plastics. It is only more obvious with white plastic.

[twich]

So how long before Macross Delta debut did we  start to see images of the Bandai DX toys? If the second movie is out this year, then we can anticipate some DX toys from it.  We should get:

1) Delta Squad VF-31 #06

2) New enemy valk

3) New VF-31A Mirage Custom

4) New VF-31A Chuck Custom

5) Other Delta members getting new “A” Variants?

6) possible drone/variable drone that Chuck and Mirage fight

Any other ones to expect/hope for?

of course, new fast packs

New/remold of SV-262Ba?

 

Twich

[borgified]

I recall seeing a Hayate 31a with a new noggin posted in the Mecha/Scoopdila thread. 

As for the Drakken's, I think Bandai has closed the coffin in that one (over engineered/comber some and other other notable flaws). 

[Anasazi37]

I'm not getting my hopes up too high. I think we'll be very fortunate if Bandai releases more than one toy or toy+accessory combo.

[Lolicon]

They're trying to sell mecha toys for a show where they barely got any screen time. 

Keep pushing the idol groups, Bandai. Because if there's one thing the world needs it's more idol group shows! 

[Bub]

On 4/26/2021 at 5:55 AM, Lolicon said:

They're trying to sell mecha toys for a show where they barely got any screen time. 

Keep pushing the idol groups, Bandai. Because if there's one thing the world needs it's more idol group shows! 

Agreed, the’ve been doing this for a long time. The Bandai 1/55 VE-1 goes for how much nowadays? Yamato reissued the VE-1 with option parts a long time ago, and Arcadia gave it the Premium Finish treatment...  When EVERYONE CLEARLY KNOWS (my opinion) that everyone one wants a VT-1 reissued by Arcadia... Preferably in Premium Finish...  And when I say premium finish, I mean all the tampo printed on and non of that panel lining or weathering sh*t they’ve been coming up with lately.  This is so that it will be consistent with my VF-1S Hikaru Strike Premium Finish. 

Oh yeah, and more idol group shows. 

 

[Anasazi37]

I happened to check out the Tamashii Nations site for Macross this morning and saw that there will be a new "movie" version of Hayate's VF-31J put up for PO on June 3rd, release will take place in October. Comes with the speaker unit displayed at the last Tamashii Nations show. Price will be ¥23,100. Sold through general stores, so not TWE. More details to be released tomorrow, apparently.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Anasazi37

[spacemanoeuvres]

Hmmmmmm, I have so many 31Js already and I’m not so excited about the speakers. Maybe I’ll just get one :/

Edited May 20, 2021 by spacemanoeuvres
wrods