Another newbie.

[Wicked Ace]

I've been reading this site a lot lately, and I'm shocked that there are others like me in the world. I thought the Macross sickness only afflicted a few, but clearly, I'm wrong. Anyway, I'm considering picking up a 1/48 Yamato; however, I'm a little concerned about their durability after breifly handling my friend's prized VF-1A Max. Are there any problems, other than the "backpack" hinge?

[robokochan]

Welcome to MW! Today is the frist day of the rest of your life.....let the insanity begin!

There is a Thread about 1/48 problems pinned in this very section.

ROb MN

[Wicked Ace]

Welcome to MW! Today is the frist day of the rest of your life.....let the insanity begin!

There is a Thread about 1/48 problems pinned in this very section.

ROb MN

Oh, thanks! I'll take a look. It looks like y'all have a great group here, and I look forward to participating.

[Drad]

I don't think there are any real problems beyond that hinge. Just treat it with care and don't use excessive force. The 1/48 Valkyrie isn't as rock-solid as a 1/55 Bandai or Takatoku, but it's not fragile either. It'll handle reasonable play and regular transformation just fine.

Definitely pick one up, though. You'll be glad you did.

[Dat Pinche Haro!]

if i were you i'd get a 1/60 vf-1 yamato to start with. they aren't as beautiful as the 1/48 scale vf-1's. the 1/60 scale valkryes are still are a great toy if you're on a budget....you could find one online for $40 to $60 shipped all over the internet. or if you're not on one you could always get a 1/48 for around 110 to 150 shipped. you also have to consider how much space you have to display them. a 1/60 is about 8 inches tall in battroid and 9 inches in fighter, while a 1/48 is about a whole foot in battroid and a little more than that in fighter. another thing, the 1/60's are available in fast pack versions but are at times hard and not all 1/60 valkyres are fast pack compatable and may seem expensive. all the 1/48 valk's are fast pack compatable and there are many fast pack sets readily available. it all comes down to personal preference to be totally honest.

[Wicked Ace]

Thanks for the advice, but after reading the pinned "What's wrong with my. . ." thread, I'm thinking I'll just stick with the 1/55s.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Reading the "worst of" experiences on products is never the best way to form an opinion of them... if I had read anything negative and nothing positive about the car I own I probably never would have bought it. You can't judge something based soley on the negative press... unless the negative press is totally landslide overwhelming like for Lawn Darts or Ford Pintos.

It's been my experience that faulty issues with Yamatos are on par with most QC issues for other toy companies... just because one or two people had a problem does not mean everyone did. The "silent majority" of satisfied customers should be the people to listen to first and foremost.

But your decision on the matter is yours to make in the end.

[Wicked Ace]

Reading the "worst of" experiences on products is never the best way to form an opinion of them... if I had read anything negative and nothing positive about the car I own I probably never would have bought it. You can't judge something based soley on the negative press... unless the negative press is totally landslide overwhelming like for Lawn Darts or Ford Pintos.

It's been my experience that faulty issues with Yamatos are on par with most QC issues for other toy companies... just because one or two people had a problem does not mean everyone did. The "silent majority" of satisfied customers should be the people to listen to first and foremost.

But your decision on the matter is yours to make in the end.

I see what you're saying. I'm just trying to figure out if I can deal with getting an expensive toy in the worst case scenario. I can most certainly deal with "pimples" and "gaps", but "breaks" under "careful handling" are what is most concerning. Truth be told, I'll probably not be able to resist the urge to buy a 1/48, since so many seem so happy with their purchases. I want that kind of happiness!

[JsARCLIGHT]

The only things I can say as advice then is to play with it very carefully and buy it from a reputable source like Valkyrie Exchange, who will ensure you get a good quality piece... and fellow MW members are here to help you out if you get in a jam.

[Drad]

I agree with Evil Jesus there. Kevin (Valkyrie Exchange), Tamim (TMPanime.com) and Will (Blasto Toys) all run reputable e-stores and I'm sure any one of them can provide you with first-rate products and service.

Stick to the 1/55's if you want, but trust me.. the 1/48's are beautiful. Quite worth the money in my opinion. But again, the choice is yours.

[Wicked Ace]

The only things I can say as advice then is to play with it very carefully and buy it from a reputable source like Valkyrie Exchange, who will ensure you get a good quality piece... and fellow MW members are here to help you out if you get in a jam.

Thanks, and I appreciate the advice; I checked out the Valkyrie Exchange site, and the company's prices seem pretty reasonable compared to what I've seen on Ebay.

[Wicked Ace]

Stick to the 1/55's if you want, but trust me.. the 1/48's are beautiful. Quite worth the money in my opinion. But again, the choice is yours.

Yes the 1/48s are definitely beautiful. I think the "Enigma Custom" in the customizing forum might have me sold on getting one and doing my own custom.

[pfunk]

Reading the "worst of" experiences on products is never the best way to form an opinion of them... if I had read anything negative and nothing positive about the car I own I probably never would have bought it. You can't judge something based soley on the negative press... unless the negative press is totally landslide overwhelming like for Lawn Darts or Ford Pintos.

It's been my experience that faulty issues with Yamatos are on par with most QC issues for other toy companies... just because one or two people had a problem does not mean everyone did. The "silent majority" of satisfied customers should be the people to listen to first and foremost.

But your decision on the matter is yours to make in the end.

Hey, whats wrong with lawn darts (Jarts baby),,,,,i think i still have a set

And the pinto thing, knew a guy with a prostreet one,,,,,had a fuel cell though

[Jawjaw]

Reading the "worst of" experiences on products is never the best way to form an opinion of them... if I had read anything negative and nothing positive about the car I own I probably never would have bought it. You can't judge something based soley on the negative press... unless the negative press is totally landslide overwhelming like for Lawn Darts or Ford Pintos.

It's been my experience that faulty issues with Yamatos are on par with most QC issues for other toy companies... just because one or two people had a problem does not mean everyone did. The "silent majority" of satisfied customers should be the people to listen to first and foremost.

But your decision on the matter is yours to make in the end.

Once again, arc, well said. People here tend to focus on the negaitive with Yamato's instead of the positive. IMO that comes from past experience with shotty QC. Yamato was not experienced with transforming toys and were pretty small in the beginning. Since then, they have improved in many ways and the 1/48's were the first to be computer designed.

Naturally, the 1/48 is going to be more fragile than a 1/55. You just cannot compare the two because the 1/48 is a thousand times more articulate and detailed.

The backpack problem is hugely overrated because we had a misunderstanding when the first 1/48's came out. The backpack does not go as high as it should - in most people's opinion. When Graham reviewed production samples, he discovered that you can shove the backpack a little higher over time. Thus, people tried to do this when they came out and broke parts. We later discovered that you were not supposed to shove it past the stopper. Since then, I have not heard of anyone having a problem. A lot of the other so called QC problems are just design issues like the head seem or gaps.

The only downside to the 1/48's IMO is the sticker price. With fastpacks, the price is close to $200. Ouch.

[myk]

Thanks for the advice, but after reading the pinned "What's wrong with my. . ." thread, I'm thinking I'll just stick with the 1/55s.

Your wariness is understandable yet ultimately not needed. As detailed and complicated and as close to perfect as the '48 is, any mortal man that would seek to handle this Valkyrie must exercise extreme caution and care. Don't just limit yourself to the '55s; they're a must for the Valkyrie fanatic but your collection should hardly stop there. You could skip the '60 series, with exception to the 'Ostrich and 'Seeker Valkyries, but skipping the '48s is out of the question. Just be caring and patient and the mythical '48 transformation will be a successful one....

[Batou]

Welcome to the asylum. Mind yourself not to feed the lunatics. Or the trolls.

What everyone else said was dead on, so I won't drone on about it - just use the kid gloves when handling the 1/48, and you won't have any problems with the backpack. The QC problems of this line have been vastly overstated, so don't let a few bad units out of thousands keep you away. Just be warned that one valk leads to another ...

[GobotFool]

Welcome to the asylum. Mind yourself not to feed the lunatics. Or the trolls.

What everyone else said was dead on, so I won't drone on about it - just use the kid gloves when handling the 1/48, and you won't have any problems with the backpack. The QC problems of this line have been vastly overstated, so don't let a few bad units out of thousands keep you away. Just be warned that one valk leads to another ...

Hmmmmm..... Yes. The path to the broke side, yamato is.