Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[Sanity is Optional]

1 hour ago, Bahamutzyro said:

Received my first missle set from NY today. Via ferry took 9 weeks.

the only question I have is why the F*** do I gotta pay for missle set when I’m paying more for the valk to begin with! 
wat a rip off!

Paying more for the Valk?

These days Arcadia costs more than Bandai. The days of cheap Yamato valks are long gone, across the whole toy/figure industry. Even the Knockoffs are over $100.

[David Hingtgen]

36 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Paying more for the Valk?

These days Arcadia costs more than Bandai. The days of cheap Yamato valks are long gone, across the whole toy/figure industry. Even the Knockoffs are over $100.

It's Joons valks all over again...   (but with higher quality)

[Rhubarbarian]

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Paying more for the Valk?

These days Arcadia costs more than Bandai. The days of cheap Yamato valks are long gone, across the whole toy/figure industry. Even the Knockoffs are over $100.

Yeah, at retail the DX is honestly a really good price for what you get. I'd rather have the missiles separate and have the price of the Valk lower; I don't need full missile sets for every Valk I have. One missile set has covered three Chogokins for me, between different modes and missile styles. The idea that we'd get the missiles included with the Valk for little or no added cost is wishful thinking.

My main complaint with the missile set is just availability - it's fine (for me, anyways) to have it as a separate add-on, but I hate having to guess how many I'll need when I don't have any clue what Bandai's release schedule is. Do I need a set to cover Max & Miriya's DYRL set? Do I need more TV missiles? Who knows.

[Chronocidal]

1 hour ago, Rhubarbarian said:

My main complaint with the missile set is just availability - it's fine (for me, anyways) to have it as a separate add-on, but I hate having to guess how many I'll need when I don't have any clue what Bandai's release schedule is. Do I need a set to cover Max & Miriya's DYRL set? Do I need more TV missiles? Who knows.

Frankly.. go buy a bunch of the Hasegawa sets, and make your own.  They're better quality molding, and the pylons are actually long enough to give proper clearance to the wing flaps.  

Yes, you'll have to put some work in yourself on those, but just slapping them together and hand painting the parts will be worth it when you can get essentially three sets for the price of one Bandai set (maybe four.. depending on how inflated they get).

[Toonz]

or simply grab them from 1/48 yamato fast pack set

[vlenhoff]

The way I see it, these Valks have three modes anyway. You can always have fully armored FP'd 1/48[s], GBP'd 1/60[s], and then Naked Dx[s], all in different modes, and on different shelves. Personally, I am not getting fast packs or missiles for any of my DX... Except for one TV set of DX FP[s] w/ missiles i ordered a few months ago. Pardon my immediate contradiction there, but I personally don't dress up all my valks, as i adore their naked look. I have a few complete 1/48 Yamatos, a few 1/60 Yammies and Arcadias to sit next to my Macross+ & Macross Zero valks, and now a few DX to display in all their naked glory. I may have like 8 Fps left for the Yammies 1/48, and i am only currently using one of them. Lastly i still have my re-released chuky monkeys comfortably sitting in their boxes for years on end. Only the 1S chunkey monkey has FPs and i have never put them on that 1S. I do rarely take one out to admire the old tech, and it puts a smile on my face, as I was never able to have one when i was a kid. 

I am currently frozen due to this covid19 situation, and it slowing my job down to a crawl. It prevents me from buying anything else at the moment. I think whatever your preference is, there are plenty of Valks today to choose from.

I personally think it was a good move for Bandai to sell naked Valks, as many of us have enough missiles from previous valks to start a 3rd world war. What i do not like is how little availability of DX valks and accessories exist in the market.

I do remember a time when a chunky monkey would cost you over a thousand bucks, and i don't miss it a bit.

Edit in: After i wrote all this I noticed i forgot to mention the HM/HMR line. Those mostly sit eternally in formation in fighter mode. There is something about a squadron of all different valks "flying" in formation . I still don't have a 1S for this set, but i am fine with it. We don't have to have a 1S is every scale right? Right?

In any case I think we are privileged enough to be able to enjoy any part of this hobby as we see fit.

Edited September 24, 2020 by vlenhoff

[Bahamutzyro]

3 hours ago, vlenhoff said:

The way I see it, these Valks have three modes anyway. You can always have fully armored FP'd 1/48[s], GBP'd 1/60[s], and then Naked Dx[s], all in different modes, and on different shelves. Personally, I am not getting fast packs or missiles for any of my DX... Except for one TV set of DX FP[s] w/ missiles i ordered a few months ago. Pardon my immediate contradiction there, but I personally don't dress up all my valks, as i adore their naked look. I have a few complete 1/48 Yamatos, a few 1/60 Yammies and Arcadias to sit next to my Macross+ & Macross Zero valks, and now a few DX to display in all their naked glory. I may have like 8 Fps left for the Yammies 1/48, and i am only currently using one of them. Lastly i still have my re-released chuky monkeys comfortably sitting in their boxes for years on end. Only the 1S chunkey monkey has FPs and i have never put them on that 1S. I do rarely take one out to admire the old tech, and it puts a smile on my face, as I was never able to have one when i was a kid. 

I am currently frozen due to this covid19 situation, and it slowing my job down to a crawl. It prevents me from buying anything else at the moment. I think whatever your preference is, there are plenty of Valks today to choose from.

I personally think it was a good move for Bandai to sell naked Valks, as many of us have enough missiles from previous valks to start a 3rd world war. What i do not like is how little availability of DX valks and accessories exist in the market.

I do remember a time when a chunky monkey would cost you over a thousand bucks, and i don't miss it a bit.

Edit in: After i wrote all this I noticed i forgot to mention the HM/HMR line. Those mostly sit eternally in formation in fighter mode. There is something about a squadron of all different valks "flying" in formation . I still don't have a 1S for this set, but i am fine with it. We don't have to have a 1S is every scale right? Right?

In any case I think we are privileged enough to be able to enjoy any part of this hobby as we see fit.

I do think the quality is excellent, don't get me wrong.

But it costs us around 410.00 USD to get a valk with super parts and missile and that's if you pay the retail price and not the inflated prices. ( oh and thats the low end valk like Kaki fro 25000y)

compared to what 200.00 for the 1/48 yamato with super strike and missile sets? ( and most were available for around 170.00 USD)

 

[LRS]

Well, I finally got my Kaki. My only DX model and wow its big! The only other thing I have are some hi-metals. I received my super parts a month before and my missile set is in a warehouse in Japan. The detail is amazing, I know I'm getting old because my eyes can't focus on the tiny lettering.

Thats it for me since I don't do repeats or repaints within a line. Unless bandai releases the elintseeker or any of the trainers, my collection is complete. 

[sqidd]

1 hour ago, Bahamutzyro said:

I do think the quality is excellent, don't get me wrong.

But it costs us around 410.00 USD to get a valk with super parts and missile and that's if you pay the retail price and not the inflated prices. ( oh and thats the low end valk like Kaki fro 25000y)

compared to what 200.00 for the 1/48 yamato with super strike and missile sets? ( and most were available for around 170.00 USD)

 

We';re going to assume in Japan retail pricing for everything below. Markups, shipping, etc can play a huge factor in the bottom line (sitting on your doorstep).

-In 2004 (mid life of a 1/48 Yamato) a Yamato with SSP's and missiles would have cost you $188

-Inflation has turned the buying power of that $188 to $276 (median of many ways of calculating that).

-So apples to apples a Yamato 1/48 with SSP's and missiles would cost you $276 today's money.

-A DX with SSP's and missiles is $292.05.

-The DX is a LOT nicer and comes with more accessories.

Conclusion:

DX's cost the same as the Yamato's did......in Japan. Assuming you got a PO in.

That of course doesn't take availability (the Bandai model), scalping and shipping costs (which are currently nuts) into consideration. That can be argued has nothing to do with the actual cost. That is a market change. A change anyone can decide to opt into or out of.

In reality if you don't get your stuff PO'd (which is most of us) and you wait for release day....and you don't get the few unicorns that go out at great deals ..... a DX with SSP's and missiles is going to run you about $550-575 right now shipped DHL. Boat will save you about $40-50.

So yes, the  pricing of a DX with the goodies on your doorstep is quite a bit more money.

One other factor..............................................Yamato's pricing/marketing decisions ran them out of business. It can be argued that the cost of a Yamato was never a real cost. It was a artificial cost subsidized by bankruptcy. Sure, if you were buying them at that subsidized price you didn't have to pay more when the piper came a callin on Yamato. But, you also lost your chance to buy at that price in the future when he did. Those lost purchasing options have a cost. You are now paying at the un-subsidized price. Bandai's marketing strategy that has driven the on the ground costs up is the strategy that will keep the line alive (they're too big to go out of business because of Macross). I would rather see Bandai charge more for the Valks and somehow break the scalper market which would bring the "on your doorstep" cost down considerably. But beggars can't be choosers. 

 

[DYRL VF-1S]

[Lolicon]

2 hours ago, sqidd said:

One other factor..............................................Yamato's pricing/marketing decisions ran them out of business. It can be argued that the cost of a Yamato was never a real cost. It was a artificial cost subsidized by bankruptcy. Sure, if you were buying them at that subsidized price you didn't have to pay more when the piper came a callin on Yamato. But, you also lost your chance to buy at that price in the future when he did. Those lost purchasing options have a cost. You are now paying at the un-subsidized price. Bandai's marketing strategy that has driven the on the ground costs up is the strategy that will keep the line alive (they're too big to go out of business because of Macross). I would rather see Bandai charge more for the Valks and somehow break the scalper market which would bring the "on your doorstep" cost down considerably. But beggars can't be choosers. 

 

That's what I wish people would recognize when they bellyache about Arcadia prices while wistfully wishing for the days of Yamato's prices. Yamato's strategy and pricing was clearly not sustainable.

Like eating nothing but 99 cent cheeseburgers all your life because it's cheaper than all those other pesky foods like vegetables. Right up until that heart attack gets you. 

I've no problem with the pricing of Bandai's stuff. It's the availability that's a b****. Bandai makes us struggle like a bunch of circus seals hoping the trainer will toss a fish at us.

[DYRL VF-1S]

[Bahamutzyro]

3 hours ago, sqidd said:

We';re going to assume in Japan retail pricing for everything below. Markups, shipping, etc can play a huge factor in the bottom line (sitting on your doorstep).

-In 2004 (mid life of a 1/48 Yamato) a Yamato with SSP's and missiles would have cost you $188

-Inflation has turned the buying power of that $188 to $276 (median of many ways of calculating that).

-So apples to apples a Yamato 1/48 with SSP's and missiles would cost you $276 today's money.

-A DX with SSP's and missiles is $292.05.

-The DX is a LOT nicer and comes with more accessories.

Conclusion:

DX's cost the same as the Yamato's did......in Japan. Assuming you got a PO in.

That of course doesn't take availability (the Bandai model), scalping and shipping costs (which are currently nuts) into consideration. That can be argued has nothing to do with the actual cost. That is a market change. A change anyone can decide to opt into or out of.

In reality if you don't get your stuff PO'd (which is most of us) and you wait for release day....and you don't get the few unicorns that go out at great deals ..... a DX with SSP's and missiles is going to run you about $550-575 right now shipped DHL. Boat will save you about $40-50.

So yes, the  pricing of a DX with the goodies on your doorstep is quite a bit more money.

One other factor..............................................Yamato's pricing/marketing decisions ran them out of business. It can be argued that the cost of a Yamato was never a real cost. It was a artificial cost subsidized by bankruptcy. Sure, if you were buying them at that subsidized price you didn't have to pay more when the piper came a callin on Yamato. But, you also lost your chance to buy at that price in the future when he did. Those lost purchasing options have a cost. You are now paying at the un-subsidized price. Bandai's marketing strategy that has driven the on the ground costs up is the strategy that will keep the line alive (they're too big to go out of business because of Macross). I would rather see Bandai charge more for the Valks and somehow break the scalper market which would bring the "on your doorstep" cost down considerably. But beggars can't be choosers. 

 

True, but we’re do you get that 292 retail?

I paid 25k yen for kaki, 9200 yen for SSP and 7200 for missile set. That’s 41,400 which is 400 ish. That’s without shipping of course.

[sqidd]

5 minutes ago, Bahamutzyro said:

True, but we’re do you get that 292 retail?

 

I addressed that.

[mantisfists]

8 minutes ago, Bahamutzyro said:

True, but we’re do you get that 292 retail?

I paid 25k yen for kaki, 9200 yen for SSP and 7200 for missile set. That’s 41,400 which is 400 ish. That’s without shipping of course.

The $292 number comes from the fact that Bandai's price for the three items comes out to just over that amount.  The reason you paid what you paid, isn't because that's what Bandai charged you, it's because the toys are so hard to come by, people are charging more for them.  So, I believe their argument is that the problem with these toys isn't the price of them, or what you get for that price, it's their availability (or lack thereof).

Edited September 24, 2020 by mantisfists

[DYRL VF-1S]

Just now, Bahamutzyro said:

True, but we’re do you get that 292 retail?

I paid 25k yen for kaki, 9200 yen for SSP and 7200 for missile set. That’s 41,400 which is 400 ish. That’s without shipping of course.

Kaki is a poor example because it's a TWE. You paid markup prices.  (Which btw, will always happen with TWE to some extent.) Here are the retail prices without Japanese tax:
 

• Non-TWE valks (as well as TWE): 18k yen
• SSP: 8000 yen
• Missiles: 3700 yen

The markup on TWE are usually fairly nominal but not always. So, in your example, you over paid on the missiles but the SSP are in line. Your Kaki was close but probably just a tad bit more than you could've got it for.

Source: https://tamashii.jp/item_character/macross_series/

[Sanity is Optional]

I've got 2 Roy VF-1S on order from Amazon Japan, and delivered it's just under $200each.

I also have 4 TV FAST Packs on order for a base price of ¥8800each, 4 DYRL SSP packs that ended up around $100each after shipping and proxy fees, and 5 missile packs that were around $50-$60each after shipping and proxy fees (only one bought at markup).

The problem is the scalping and the proxy fees, not the Bandai pricing (or at least not directly).

Edited September 24, 2020 by Sanity is Optional

[Bahamutzyro]

23 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

I've got 2 Roy VF-1S on order from Amazon Japan, and delivered it's just under $200each.

I also have 4 TV FAST Packs on order for a base price of ¥8800each, 4 DYRL SSP packs that ended up around $100each after shipping and proxy fees, and 5 missile packs that were around $50-$60each after shipping and proxy fees (only one bought at markup).

The problem is the scalping and the proxy fees, not the Bandai pricing (or at least not directly).

true. has anyone here ever got one for 18k? lmao I wish i could.

[Sanity is Optional]

12 minutes ago, Bahamutzyro said:

true. has anyone here ever got one for 18k? lmao I wish i could.

Both of those Roys from Amazon Japan are ¥18k base price, it's just shy of ¥41,000 after DHL shipping.

[DYRL VF-1S]

12 minutes ago, Bahamutzyro said:

true. has anyone here ever got one for 18k? lmao I wish i could.

Every single DX VF-1 release for me except for the 1J which I got I think just above the retail with Japanese tax. I believe @Sanity is Optional has as well. His comment included shipping, etc.

[F360]

1 hour ago, Bahamutzyro said:

true. has anyone here ever got one for 18k? lmao I wish i could.

yes, many times.    It's not easy but with experience and dedication it's doable .  no bots, just honest, multiple pages open , have all your accounts ready , bunch of copy paste hot keys and know when to give up on a site and when to keep on F5ing.  

And be on ready to jump on whenever someone post more reopening links / msg  in the time window of  preorder night to 2 week pass release date. 

[F360]

2 hours ago, DYRL VF-1S said:

Kaki is a poor example because it's a TWE. You paid markup prices.  (Which btw, will always happen with TWE to some extent.) Here are the retail prices without Japanese tax:
 

• Non-TWE valks (as well as TWE): 18k yen
• SSP: 8000 yen
• Missiles: 3700 yen

The markup on TWE are usually fairly nominal but not always. So, in your example, you over paid on the missiles but the SSP are in line. Your Kaki was close but probably just a tad bit more than you could've got it for.

Source: https://tamashii.jp/item_character/macross_series/

yup, TWE will always have a mark up.   That why some people will preorder it first and think about it later. 

unlike general releases.  TWE price will show tax included.    There's no such thing as TWE without sales tax because you are ordering from P-Bandai. as a Japanese customer.  

[totallyjem]

5 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

I've got 2 Roy VF-1S on order from Amazon Japan, and delivered it's just under $200each.

I also have 4 TV FAST Packs on order for a base price of ¥8800each, 4 DYRL SSP packs that ended up around $100each after shipping and proxy fees, and 5 missile packs that were around $50-$60each after shipping and proxy fees (only one bought at markup).

The problem is the scalping and the proxy fees, not the Bandai pricing (or at least not directly).

Help a brother out lol...

[LRS]

I know I'm crazy but could some of you Macross experts help me figure out what the cannon correct angles of the landing gear doors are when they are open and whether the air break behind the cockpit is open or closed when the vf1 is parked? 

 

I assume the flaps are not down if the wings are swept back.

Edited September 25, 2020 by LRS

[Shizuka the Cat]

On 9/23/2020 at 4:55 PM, Alan Molina said:

Roy used the same tech the zentradi used to shrink to join  and infiltrate the macross :P

LOL!  Nice one!

[MacrossJunkie]

4 hours ago, LRS said:

I know I'm crazy but could some of you Macross experts help me figure out what the cannon correct angles of the landing gear doors are when they are open and whether the air break behind the cockpit is open or closed when the vf1 is parked? 

 

I assume the flaps are not down if the wings are swept back.

The front doors should be straight down and technically so should the rear ones as well, but this is the first time (that I know of) where we have a VF-1 toy where the rear landing gear struts angle outwards which is not really canon as far as I can tell, but it is what it is. As such, you can't have one of the rear doors going straight down because they get in the way of the angled out landing gear so you really have no choice but to angle it out to give enough clearance.

The air brake should be down once stopped. They work by increasing drag/air resistance to help slow down the plane so there's really no point in them being up once the plane has stopped or is just taxiing, unless it's undergoing some maintenance or something.

Edited September 25, 2020 by MacrossJunkie

[Lolicon]

8 hours ago, F360 said:

yup, TWE will always have a mark up.   That why some people will preorder it first and think about it later. 

unlike general releases.  TWE price will show tax included.    There's no such thing as TWE without sales tax because you are ordering from P-Bandai. as a Japanese customer.  

Even Kakizaki could have been had for minimal mark-up if you got an order in through a proxy service, but slots were limited so you had to order early. It was still a much longer window to order than the usual 30 seconds or so with regular retail releases.

Mine was 20700 yen (19800 for the item then another 900 yen in proxy fees). Then just shipping cost when the item was ready to ship to me.

IIRC retailers like AE did carry Kakizaki but at a modest mark-up. But even that price was better than the aftermarket and scalper shenanigan prices, unless you're fast enough to snatch a cheap one off Mandarake. I have yet to be able to catch a not-sold listing.

All the others I got at the 18000 yen PO price. Actually, I picked up Hikaru's 1S in Tokyo myself for I think 17800.

It's just a gigantic hassle getting Bandai's stuff, especially if you're late to the party. Again, we're just a bunch of circus seals begging for a fish, as far Bandai is concerned.

Edited September 25, 2020 by Lolicon

[505thAirborne]

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1148132426&ref=list&keyword=Macross&lang=en

DX VF-1 Missile Set. 8,000 yen. 

[Lolicon]

4 minutes ago, 505thAirborne said:

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1148132426&ref=list&keyword=Macross&lang=en

DX VF-1 Missile Set. 8,000 yen. 

Double its original price. And people will pay it because who knows if Bandai will ever do another run. It's not like Bandai is releasing additional valkyries that people might want missiles for.

Who thought it was a great idea to release the missiles separately and doesn't work for Bandai?  

I doubt the addition of a couple pieces of unpainted plastic would have significantly added to the price of a DX valkyrie. The reaction missiles should have been included with the super packs.

[Sanity is Optional]

They've already done 2 releases for the Missile Set, wouldn't bet against another one.

[borgified]

1 hour ago, 505thAirborne said:

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1148132426&ref=list&keyword=Macross&lang=en

DX VF-1 Missile Set. 8,000 yen. 

That's been sitting there for almost three days and no one is picking it up, until the TV Fast packs are to be released sometime in December.

[Chronocidal]

Except, the TV fast packs do have the reaction missiles included, as I recall, with the tips painted red.

[borgified]

3 minutes ago, Chronocidal said:

Except, the TV fast packs do have the reaction missiles included, as I recall, with the tips painted red.

That is correct. 

[Marcion]

anyone used hasegawa 1/48 VF1 weapon set mount on DX VF1S? i already got the strike/fast pack for DX VF1S, but feel like don't want to buy bandai expensive missile set.

[CHAVAKAISER]

1 hour ago, Marcion said:

¿Alguien usó el conjunto de armas hasegawa 1/48 VF1 en DX VF1S? Ya tengo el paquete strike / fast para DX VF1S, pero siento que no quiero comprar un costoso juego de misiles Bandai.

I used the 1/48 yamato missiles