Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[kkx]

1 hour ago, Kuma Style said:

Senpai hath noticed me!

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Love this!

[Saburo]

3 hours ago, Kuma Style said:

Senpai hath noticed me!

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I am digging that shot @Kuma Style

[sh9000]

Max landed 30 minutes ago.  I’ll pick it up tomorrow.

[DYRL VF-1S]

1 hour ago, Kuma Style said:

I have a feeling the Roy 1S will be the absolute last release of this mold with the Max and Miliia VF-1Js right before it. Smart money would be for them to save it until they've just ran the mold dry to counter mold fatigue.

If you're referring to SDFM Roy, then that probably would be the case.  You'll see the Hikaru SDFM 1S before Roy.  It would make a ton of sense to get Kaki done next in that line.  But I wouldn't be surprised if the next DYRL is Roy 1S with the Strike Parts being released.  It would be a strong finish for the 35th anniversary if they announced and did POs before the end of year, but even if not, Roy makes sense to me in the next DYRL release.

[HardlyNever]

If Bandai wanted to make all the money, they would release the DYRL Roy as a TWE bundle with strike parts and a missile set.  They would make their money back on the molds with that single release, if everyone who actually wanted one could get one.

But Bandai trades in collector frustration, not satisfaction.  So that will never happen.

[sqidd]

1 minute ago, HardlyNever said:

If Bandai wanted to make all the money, they would release the DYRL Roy as a TWE bundle with strike parts and a missile set.  They would make their money back on the molds with that single release, if everyone who actually wanted one could get one.

But Bandai trades in collector frustration, not satisfaction.  So that will never happen.

Here is my conspiracy theory for the day.

Bandai's business practices don't make a ton of sense. They short produce just about everything and arguable give more margin to stores/scalpers than they get themselves. They could easily open ordering. Leave it open until orders taper down (a week or two) then close ordering, make the run, and then ship them. They would arguably make more unit sales, they could charge more, etc. And, they could still retain exclusivity. This is where the conspiracy comes in. The shot callers at Bandai could be getting kick backs from scalpers/retailers. Greed is a great explanation for most things. Next is stupidity.

[Slave IV]

5 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Here is my conspiracy theory for the day.

Bandai's business practices don't make a ton of sense. They short produce just about everything and arguable give more margin to stores/scalpers than they get themselves. They could easily open ordering. Leave it open until orders taper down (a week or two) then close ordering, make the run, and then ship them. They would arguably make more unit sales, they could charge more, etc. And, they could still retain exclusivity. This is where the conspiracy comes in. The shot callers at Bandai could be getting kick backs from scalpers/retailers. Greed is a great explanation for most things. Next is stupidity.

Nah, I think it all has to do with making more profit selling other stuff.  The Macross market is much smaller than we all here like to imagine it is. In the end, only Bandai knows but I can tell you if I ran a business where one franchise isn't even in my top 10 profit making ventures and my limited resources dictated I chose how much of what I produce, I would make less of the stuff that barely creates a blip on my profit charts.

[Sanity is Optional]

2 hours ago, sqidd said:

Bandai's business practices don't make a ton of sense. They short produce just about everything and arguable give more margin to stores/scalpers than they get themselves. They could easily open ordering. Leave it open until orders taper down (a week or two) then close ordering, make the run, and then ship them. They would arguably make more unit sales, they could charge more, etc. And, they could still retain exclusivity. This is where the conspiracy comes in. The shot callers at Bandai could be getting kick backs from scalpers/retailers. Greed is a great explanation for most things. Next is stupidity.

Nah, it's pretty clear that it's about priorities. They prioritize having everything sell out, period. This method makes the retailers the most happy with them, since nothing sits and everything sells.

They probably use this to negotiate better terms with the retailers themselves, plus it severely reduces the incidence of "shelf-warmers", which is what killed Yamato.

It's a much safer business practice than trying to always make exactly as many as demand, plus it actually ends up driving *more* demand. Just look at how many people buy Bandai stuff in part because they know: it'll appreciate in value, they likely won't get another chance to buy at MSRP. Everything they sell as figures are essentially "limited time offers", plus the aftermarket prices make the MSRP look downright cheap. Both of which are factors that encourage people to buy.

Now look at people who meet every Arcadia release with "I'll get it if it goes on sale", and we have Arcadia stuff sitting on shelves most times, and getting discounted half the time (which means retailers force higher margins onto Arcadia).

Edited October 1, 2019 by Sanity is Optional
grammar

[sqidd]

59 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Nah, it's pretty clear that it's about priorities. They prioritize having everything sell out, period. This method makes the retailers the most happy with them, since nothing sits and everything sells.

They probably use this to negotiate better terms with the retailers themselves, plus it severely reduces the incidence of "shelf-warmers", which is what killed Yamato.

It's a much safer business practice than trying to always make exactly as many as demand, plus it actually ends up driving *more* demand. Just look at how many people buy Bandai stuff in part because they know: it'll appreciate in value, they likely won't get another chance to buy at MSRP. Everything they sell as figures are essentially "limited time offers", plus the aftermarket prices make the MSRP look downright cheap. Both of which are factors that encourage people to buy.

Now look at people who meet every Arcadia release with "I'll get it if it goes on sale", and we have Arcadia stuff sitting on shelves getting most times, and getting discounted half the time (which means retailers force higher margins onto Arcadia).

 

1 hour ago, Slave IV said:

Nah, I think it all has to do with making more profit selling other stuff.  The Macross market is much smaller than we all here like to imagine it is. In the end, only Bandai knows but I can tell you if I ran a business where one franchise isn't even in my top 10 profit making ventures and my limited resources dictated I chose how much of what I produce, I would make less of the stuff that barely creates a blip on my profit charts.

Come on man! Let a guy have his conspiracy theories!

Also, you're all lizard people!

[Slave IV]

34 minutes ago, sqidd said:

 

Come on man! Let a guy have his conspiracy theories!

Also, you're all lizard people!

[jeniusornome]

1 hour ago, sqidd said:

 

Come on man! Let a guy have his conspiracy theories!

Also, you're all lizard people!

He’s on to us! Quickly, disssssstract him with more giant robot figures!

[seti88]

Bandai comes in peace.

 

[vlenhoff]

I think Bandai saw how expensive these collectibles can get, and they are making them in shorter supply to charge higher prices. Demand is high while supply is short, so they can charge higher prices, and maximize profit. That's my theory.

Well intentioned companies like Yamato, went under, but they meant well.

[beatsing]

22 hours ago, Saburo said:

dx Max's hips are painted correctly, Yammie hips have that blue square that sticks into the thighs. nice pic.  That is a huge display case to fit all four.

11 hours ago, ErikElvis said:

What are you guys using for scale maintenance crews?  I tried multiple searches on eBay and came up with nothing.  I’m sure I’m searching wrong. 

The crew from the Yamato 1/48 destroids are the best.

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

Here is my conspiracy theory for the day.

Bandai's business practices don't make a ton of sense. They short produce just about everything and arguable give more margin to stores/scalpers than they get themselves. They could easily open ordering. Leave it open until orders taper down (a week or two) then close ordering, make the run, and then ship them. They would arguably make more unit sales, they could charge more, etc. And, they could still retain exclusivity. This is where the conspiracy comes in. The shot callers at Bandai could be getting kick backs from scalpers/retailers. Greed is a great explanation for most things. Next is stupidity.

Ticketmaster was doing this.  A few Bandai employees might be in on it with scalpers giving them a kick back.  

 It's one thing to not overproduce like Yamato did, but if you see that a product that sells out, and climbs in price in the secondary market, that you are underproducing.  Since they don't produce more, knock offs have taken up the slack for Masterpiece Transformers, until Takara Hasbro produced more.  There is a knock off thread about some company producing dx 31 now.  It's bad business in the long run.

And it pisses off the fans.  The Evangelion release was so badly scalped that the artist got Bandai to re release it so the fans could buy it.

[beatsing]

6 minutes ago, vlenhoff said:

I think Bandai saw how expensive these collectibles can get, and they are making them in shorter supply to charge higher prices. Demand is high while supply is short, so they can charge higher prices, and maximize profit. That's my theory.

Well intentioned companies like Yamato, went under, but they meant well.

A company can incrementally increase production to reduce the risk of overproduction and still sell at the same price.  Or Bandai can do what other companies do and take preorders for months, take a deposit (to reduce cancellations) and then produce according to numbers.

 

[seti88]

My simplest opinion i held from day one is that bandai just has a capacity issue.

They have so many lines with complex toys to maintain at a high standard. 

anyway who knows, am not in bandai.

 

[beatsing]

2 minutes ago, seti88 said:

My simplest opinion i held from day one is that bandai just has a capacity issue.

They have so many lines with complex toys to maintain at a high standard. 

anyway who knows, am not in bandai.

 

That is probably a factor.  But look at all the crap Gundam and other crap toys that shelf warm for months and years.  

[loliphenex]

5 minutes ago, seti88 said:

My simplest opinion i held from day one is that bandai just has a capacity issue.

They have so many lines with complex toys to maintain at a high standard. 

anyway who knows, am not in bandai.

 

I also think this is the correct answer. Bandai have the SoC Dairugger XV coming out this month, next month aside from the VF-1S they also have the Metal Build Eva Unit 02 coming out. And on top of all this they also have a super expensive Nu Gundam which very high parts count coming out in December. All of which are highly sought after items that  are much more complex to assemble.

[Kuma Style]

Edited October 1, 2019 by Kuma Style

[Slave IV]

If Bandai was trying to limit stock to charge more based on aftermarket, they didn’t have to set msrp at around 19,000Y. Of course they used the separate missile and SS pack to gouge a bit but still, everyone was surprised and praising Bandai for the low msrp. It’s all a matter of business and we’ve even seen proof that Macross isn’t a big money maker for Bandai so it seems pretty clear cut to me. 

Anyways, nice clean shot of the 1J @Kuma Style! 

[gerwookie]

@Kuma Style you have two vf-1js now? Or was the first one sent in for a review?

[Kuma Style]

Thanks @Slave IV, and @gerwookie no I sold it like an idiot and immediately re bought it.

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Missile Set review. Really quick as it's a simple set.
 

 

[Shizuka the Cat]

38 minutes ago, Kuma Style said:

Thanks @Slave IV, and @gerwookie no I sold it like an idiot and immediately re bought it.

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Missile Set review. Really quick as it's a simple set.
 

 

How would you compare the DX VF-1 missiles to those provided by Arcadia for the 1/60 scale toys?

 

On a side note, I have learned that learning flash mob dance choreography for a friend's marriage proposal is way harder than learning ice skating choreography...  Figure skates are way more comfortable to me than dancing in heels. *ugh*

 

[Roy Focker]

Okay I'm not weak. I didn't buy this after saying I would skip Max.

As you can clearly see my cat is the one who bought it.

[Shizuka the Cat]

8 minutes ago, Roy Focker said:

Okay I'm not weak. I didn't buy this after saying I would skip Max.

As you can clearly see my cat is the one who bought it.

We cats do love Max!

[Slave IV]

[vlenhoff]

46 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

We cats do love Max!

Meow too!

[seti88]

1 hour ago, Roy Focker said:

Okay I'm not weak. I didn't buy this after saying I would skip Max.

As you can clearly see my cat is the one who bought it.

Aww cute cat pic.....just dont let the cat eat max.

[Roy Focker]

Wow!

This new Max makes Max's 1/60 like a piece of cat poop.  Maybe that's too harsh.  The 1/60 just looks odd now in battroid mode.

Oh and DHL delivered it to the wrong address.  A senior citizen couple that lives next door.

[obakesan]

Question for those with the Bandai and also an old yamato 1:48 Would the missiles from the yamato clip on to the Bandai? 

Edited October 1, 2019 by obakesan

[vlenhoff]

1 hour ago, Roy Focker said:

Wow!

This new Max makes Max's 1/60 like a piece of cat poop.  Maybe that's too harsh.  The 1/60 just looks odd now in battroid mode.

Oh and DHL delivered it to the wrong address.  A senior citizen couple that lives next door.

I disagree, i still think they look gorgeous. 

[Lolicon]

I'm with @Roy Focker. How did we ever live with those awful 1/60 toys? They look like Gundam kits from the early 1980s. 

[enphily]

I love my Yamarcadia 1/60 more than these Bandai's bricks. I even sold my DX VF-1J and don't regret at all

[OzmaLee74]

18 hours ago, Checkmate said:

Has anyone tried removing the canopy? That seam in the middle can be easily sanded down if it's removable.

Damn! I wouldn’t have noticed that seam if you hadn’t pointed it out. Now I can’t “unsee” it. Hahaha!

[gerwookie]

8 hours ago, Slave IV said:

I like the lighting on this one. Nice!