Question: How do you guys acquire your collections?

[w8kbrder]

I see people on here with incredible collections. How do you acquire all of your 1/60s? It took me several months just to track down a Yamato YF-21 1/60. Posting want ads doesn't seem to bring too many options. I"ve looked on Buyee, Jungle, etc. Most of the Macross items posted on Ebay or Amazon are obsurd in price. Maybe everyone is paying insane prices? I'm just fascinated how you guys come across all of your stuff!

 

[derex3592]

Most of us old school guys bought back in the day when Yamato's were MSRP of $80ish a pop or on discount at Xmas time, and year end sales. 

[jvmacross]

 

[spacemanoeuvres]

I'm paying absurd prices for old items that I missed out on and trying to stay on top of pre-orders for new stuff.

Pre-order is the way to go for new stuff; way cheaper than trying to catch up on old releases.

[MacrossJunkie]

I buy them as they come. Back when Yamato was in business, stuff would often come up on sale later, so I got some of my Yamato stuff on sale months after release. Those were the good ole days where I didn't have to wake up at 3 AM just to secure a pre-order...

The non-VF-1 Arcadia and Bandai 1/60 valks rarely stay in stores for too long after release and don't drop in price except for a few less popular items so it is generally better to pre-order at a discount as they come up. Once you start looking at ebay or Amazon afterwards, you're generally paying scalper prices.

 

[Mommar]

Yeah, except for the few here who have massively deep wallets most of us with larger collections were lucky enough to be in this when they were a lot cheaper and plentiful.

[Froy]

Oh! The old times of Valkyrie-exchange. I wonder if somebody still remembers Kevin. Most of my v.1 collection came from him and when his site shutdown I switched to HLJ. It is not too easy or cheap to get old stuff shipped to Mexico for a reasonable price. The most of the things I have are from preorders or fresh new releases.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Froy

[derex3592]

I remember Valk Exchange!  Bought my 1st and only 1:48 VF-1S from Kevin! 

 

but yeh, it's kind of like the Master Replicas hay day--- if you were around when it was happening and had some money to spend when things were at MSRP or even less, it was like xmas time all the time for a couple of glorious years from about 2005-2008ish.  If I had to look for all those 1:1 sabers now...dear god...it just wouldn't  happen.  Same with all the Yamato Valks.   

Edited April 4, 2017 by derex3592

[Boobytrap]

Time, money, and patience. As long as you have those in abundant supply you should be just fine. 

For me I only got back into this less than two years ago. I missed out on all the great deals back in the day. You're best bet is to regularly haunt the places you listed. Jungle and Mandarake have a decent stock at not too outrageous of a price. Ebay prices are through the roof due to scalpers but it is also the place I have found the best deals (I got a couple for less than retail). You just have to be johnny on the spot when they are listed because they will get snatched up in hours. 

The best thing I have found is to be patient. It may take months/years for it to show up at a price you are willing to pay. If you wait long enough it may even get re-issued or get upgraded so you can by it at retail. Following that formula I have been able to build up my collection in a relatively short period of time without drowning in a mountain of debt.

[sh9000]

Always try to find the cheapest price, whether it's the cost of the item or total cost with shipping including.  Patience is also key.  If you're not in a hurry to get your items that you ordered, then consider cheaper and slower shipping.  The amount of overall calculated savings can be used to buy additional items.  Repeat these steps and you'll build a nice collection over time.

[HardlyNever]

Similar to Boobytrap, I've only been collecting for less than a year, and my collection is downright minuscule compared to a lot of the older members.  I'd second that patience is key; don't jump at the first price you see something at, as it is probably overpriced.  Do some research on each item before you buy, and see what they are really worth from different areas in the market, and when you find one that is at or a little below a fair market value, go for it.  As always, beware of things that are too good to be true.

I'd recommend setting a priority list of things you want, and a budget that you can stick to.  Doing this, I've been able to get all the previous releases I really wanted, and am now focused on current/future releases.

Last, definitely look at the For Sale forum on this site.  Some of the best deals I've gotten have come from there, just make sure the seller has a good reputation (check the straight shooter thread).  I've gotten several new or almost new items for well below what I've seen anywhere else from sellers here, and you won't have to pay middle-man fees. 

[dizman]

Like others have said many of us were around when valks were cheap and plentiful. These days the older 1/60 releases got into the hands of the people that wanted them and they don't move as quickly. The Yamato VF-11 is a perfect example, when they came out online stores had trouble moving them but now they go for a crazy premium if you can find one for sale. Keep a close eye on the MW For Sale threads, thats where I usually see the best deals though sometimes you can get lucky with Mandarake or eBay.

[Slave IV]

16 minutes ago, Boobytrap said:

Time, money, and patience. As long as you have those in abundant supply you should be just fine. 

For me I only got back into this less than two years ago. I missed out on all the great deals back in the day. You're best bet is to regularly haunt the places you listed. Jungle and Mandarake have a decent stock at not too outrageous of a price. Ebay prices are through the roof due to scalpers but it is also the place I have found the best deals (I got a couple for less than retail). You just have to be johnny on the spot when they are listed because they will get snatched up in hours. 

The best thing I have found is to be patient. It may take months/years for it to show up at a price you are willing to pay. If you wait long enough it may even get re-issued or get upgraded so you can by it at retail. Following that formula I have been able to build up my collection in a relatively short period of time without drowning in a mountain of debt.

 

8 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

Always try to find the cheapest price, whether it's the cost of the item or total cost with shipping including.  Patience is also key.  If you're not in a hurry to get your items that you ordered, then consider cheaper and slower shipping.  The amount of overall calculated savings can be used to buy additional items.  Repeat these steps and you'll build a nice collection over time.

Good advice!

I try to forget about the things I missed and just hope for reissues or newer, improved versions. If there is something you really want that came out a while ago, search for deals and be patient. They are just toys and there are plenty to go around and to come.

[F360]

for the old yamato stuff, back then, we wait for the sales.  (that is long gone)

For the Arcadia stuff, you can buy it on preorder or try your luck on a sale, which normally happens.  But once they are gone, their price creeps up  

For the current Dx chogokin, preorder first, think later.

For the Hi-metal R , Pre Order also.

1 Valk at the time, and before you know it, your closet is full and you have a island of boxes in your room. 

[Ignacio Ocamica]

I started my collection back in 2000' when Yamato was launching the 1/60 VF-1 version 1. I always preorder, I never wait for sales for the valks I like.

 

[Mog]

Yeah, for a good chunk of us, it was just right place at the right time with the right circumstances.  Most of my Macross collection was acquired at a time when I was already into my career but still single.

(Marriage and kids have a way of cutting into a man's toys/"collectibles" budget! )

I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of Valk Exchange's hey-day, getting the majority of my Macross collection from Kevin.

Afterwards, I got my 1/48 M&M's and YF-21's(?) from Los (from Lost and Found Toys, now flight pose, . . . back when they sold toys in addition to the stands).

And I'd be remiss, if I didn't give a shout-out to Robokochan for setting up a pre-order for the Stealth Valk and FP set oh so many years ago.

Kevin's old site is what originally brought me to these forums, and I wouldn't have known about the other two folks had it not been for our MW Forums here.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Mog

[spanner]

I restarted my Macross collecting in 2012 around the time Yamato was closing its doors, I did manage to pickup (panic buy is probably the better word for it) a good few Valkyrie's at reasonable prices. But it was not too soon after that the prices started to sky rocket. Since then I have been buying the missing ones I needed even though some were quite silly money.

And then just buying what ever new items are released from Arcadia & Bandai.

[no3Ljm]

Lots of money!

 

And ofcourse with a lot of help from all the good people here at MWF.

 

[spanner]

good ol Noel with the appropriately themed and timed gif! 

[no3Ljm]

I just missed the forum, sir.

Been busy over the weekend that's why I forgot the 31C PO night.

 

[Chronocidal]

Just hope Mirage is as easy to get close to release as the rest of them have been.

My collection basically came together as a combination of three things: a job, availability, and boredom.   I found MacrossWorld somewhere during the latter half of high school, just in time to buy myself a 1/48 VF-1J for Christmas.  I held off buying anything else until I graduated college and had a job though, which put me in the perfect position to gobble up every release from Yamato starting in mid-2009.

...Which, now that I think about it, seems odd, since the v.2 VF-1 came out in summer of 2008.  I didn't realize I waited over a year to buy most of those early releases.  Just shows how different things are now, I guess.  I think the only v.2 VF-1s I actually pre-ordered were the M&M set.  Everything else I just bought casually as I felt like it, or saw them pop up on one of HLJ's sales.

[no3Ljm]

Kidding aside, I think lots of patience too. I remember getting both my 1/60 YF-21 over eBay for a total of $300. And that was like 2013 I believe. I just stumbled into it just by browsing. And both are in bidding. And luckily I won for both.

Though one of them had one bad thigh since I broke it. And bought a leg replacement from YJA just last year and all is good.

 

 

[mechaninac]

How?  Human sacrifices, black juju, and deals with all sorts of dark demons (evil entities going by such nefarious names as HLJ, and Amiami, and Bandai, etc. whose mear mentions make wallets shudder and bank accounts shrivel to dried husks)... oh, and money, lots and lots of money.

[SuperSenpai]

As far as VF-1 valks are concerned, I got into collecting just shortly before Yamato closed its doors, so it was during the era when secondhand prices were going up.  I've managed to get most of the ones that I really wanted, albeit at prices higher than some of these guys were paying during the era when you could easily pick up Yamato valks on sale.  Although they were priced higher, they were not insanely high, and I was also buying at a time when they seemed to be more plentiful on the secondary market.  I snagged a Yamato TV VF-1S for $160, a VF-1D for $200 (w/a broken shoulder, easily fixed), the Vermilion squad for around $130 each, super parts for $100.  Those prices are higher than the golden era, but a lot of those valks are hard to find now, and when they crop up they are a lot more expensive, so I don't feel too bad about what I paid.  I think I paid the highest secondary market penalty on my Yamato Destroids, which I got for around $150 each I think.  That's pretty bad considering that at one point you could find them on heavy discount for almost a third of that price.  But on the other hand those are pretty rare on the secondary market, and I think I paid fair value for what the going rate was at the time.

Also, if you're just patient, sometimes timing will work out and something you want gets re-released.  I wanted a VF-4G for the longest time, but there was no way I was going to pay $400-$500-$600 rates that the secondary market was commanding.  Eventually, Arcadia reissued it and I got for under $300 shipped.

The two places that really helped me get the best deals were Mandarake and the sale forum here on MWF.  Even with overseas shipping, Mandarake was cheaper than a lot of the eBay prices I was seeing.  And a few of the forum regulars here gave me some pretty decent deals.  

 

[Duymon]

Being Single helped greatly in acquiring my entire Mac F collection. Being Married now with two cats my collecting has slowed to a crawl for Delta and HMR.

I still manage to do the 3AM preorder for Bandai DX chogocrack valkyries though

Edited April 5, 2017 by Duymon

[Slave IV]

My wife has been helping me secure DX and HMR preorders by logging on with her phone during preorder madness hours. 

[jvmacross]

56 minutes ago, Duymon said:

Being Single helped greatly in acquiring my entire Mac F collection. Being Married now with two cats my collecting has slowed to a crawl for Delta and HMR.

I still manage to do the 3AM preorder for Bandai DX chogocrack valkyries though

Ditch the cats and buy a dog.....dogs eat anything and poop outdoors.....you'll start saving all the money you're currently dropping on kitty litter and fancy cat food! 

[no3Ljm]

13 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

Ditch the cats and buy a dog.....dogs eat anything and poop outdoors.....you'll start saving all the money you're currently dropping on kitty litter and fancy cat food! 

Mei The Corgi approves! 

 

 

[derex3592]

POST OF THE DAY!!! 

[hachi]

On 4/5/2017 at 5:10 AM, no3Ljm said:

Lots of money!

 

And ofcourse with a lot of help from all the good people here at MWF.

 

When I first found this forum that gif would just make me laugh now that I'm in the rabbit hole it makes me laugh and cry--where do I get more money!? Haha

[Lolicon]

Although I purchased a few Yamatos before they closed shop, I acquired many of them in the aftermath following their closure. 2008-2012 was the period of the sky high yen, so I ended up getting a lot of valks for not much more thanks to the improved exchange rate.

There are fewer and fewer Yamatos left in the wild as time passes, with prices climbing higher as supply dwindles. If you're interested in acquiring any of those old releases, you're going to have to scour all the secondary markets or the For Sale thread here. Occasionally you'll find a good deal, but these days you're probably looking at around 20k yen or more for a VF-1.

It's probably futile, but you can always hope that Arcadia reissues some of them. 

The same goes for Bandai's Frontier releases, since those have been out of production for some time.

[Universe1010]

[Loop]

On April 4, 2017 at 0:22 PM, F360 said:

for the old yamato stuff, back then, we wait for the sales.  (that is long gone)

For the Arcadia stuff, you can buy it on preorder or try your luck on a sale, which normally happens.  But once they are gone, their price creeps up  

For the current Dx chogokin, preorder first, think later.

For the Hi-metal R , Pre Order also.

1 Valk at the time, and before you know it, your closet is full and you have a island of boxes in your room. 

Actually my rooms are made of boxes at this point lol.

I got my start in 2007/8 with the Yamato 1/60 scale YF-19 and YF-21. Then I noticed the beautiful VF-1 v2's and it was over from there. I just made sure I pre-ordered or bought from the discounted HLJ sales they had on them. There were only a couple I had to buy on the secondary market to fill a couple gaps but I was able to get all of the v2's. Then when The Dx Chogokin renewals came out I jumped on those too as I was waiting for a more proper looking VF-25 toy compared to the gross v1 VF-25's. Here I still am collecting anything Macross I can get my hands on  meaning that pre order nights are a regular thing now for years.

[mickyg]

I got my start in 2008 I believe.  I took a business trip to Japan, shortly after getting re-interested in Macross and finding these forums.  One visit to Akihabara and seeing all the stuff I couldn't afford as a kid was all it took to start "the bug" of Macross collecting.

I came back with a 1/55 Origin of Valkyrie chunky Super VF-1A Hikaru.

Shortly after that I discovered HLJ and nabbed a special on the same thing, but in the form of the Yamato V2.  I sold the chunky (wish I hadn't) and that was the starting point.  I think I paid about $125 shipped due to some sort of sale.

I collected model kits for a while, because toys were just too expensive.  Then gathered up a few of the Yamato Valk kits that you assemble yourself.

Life got busy with kids and work and I didn't collect much.  Probably between 2009 and 2015 actually.

There have been a few changes in my life and there's a little bit more disposable income so I've added to my 3 or so toys.  The collection now stands at a fairly meagre 20 toys (by typical MacrossWorld standards).  This includes HM-R as well as 1/60 scaled stuff from Yamato, Arcadia and Bandai.

In summary, it's taken me about 9 years.  Just take your time and pace yourself.

[auberondreaming]

Yeah I think most of us were collecting back when Yamato was "flooding" the market.  You could get a v2 vf-1 for under $100 shipped to america.  Heck I picked up my vf-11c for $120 I think?  It was warming shelves if you can believe it.  I remember being mad that I had to pay $120 for the vf-1d with option parts because I missed the pre-order price.  For a long time you could pick up the unpainted Yamato 1/60 blanks for $50!  Ah the good old days.

I missed the M&M's and won't buy them now at the aftermarket prices.  Have just resigned myself to dream of a rerelease from Arcadia and be happy paying the Arcadia new prices for 1/60s.  My advice is to preorder always.  Aftermarket is only for that "final" piece your collection needs and you just hate having money.  Starting a yamato 1/60 collection now... yikes.