Arcadia 1/60 VF-4A ‘Flashback 2012’ Premium Finish & Regular Release

[technoblue]

Yeah, I'm hoping the PF version is still in their schedule because that's the one I prefer if Arcadia is still releasing both. 

[MacrossJunkie]

25 minutes ago, Mommar said:

The problem with those two placards is they only showed the fully panel-lined/tampo'd one and then the completely bare/customize-able one.  The AE post implies a third version right now.

I think that completely bare one is just an unpainted prototype. I believe the one shown on AE is meant to be the one corresponding to the placard on the right.

Also, excluding some one off only kits like the 1/2000 sdf-1 and 1/60 Regult, Yamato/Arcadia has rarely put out a barebones kit of something available in finished toy form (VF-1, Fan Racer?, 1/3000 SDF-1) and all were from the Yamato days. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to have one for the VF-4 though since most of the customs would have been for the FB2012 version and that's what they're releasing now. I think there would be little demand for other schemes for the VF-4 to justify the bare bones version.

Edit:

I suppose there could be the M & M versions for customizing, but I still don't think they're releasing a bare one.

Edited July 31, 2020 by MacrossJunkie

[Anasazi37]

6 hours ago, technoblue said:

It is confusing that AE is the only shop that has this listed at the moment. Even Arcadia's own website doesn't have a blurb posted about it yet, and they're usually pretty good about that sort of thing.

Speaking for myself, the price is comparable to what I paid for my first release Arcadia VF-4G so that's okay. It stinks that the JPY to USD conversion rate is in the gutter at the moment. Back in 2015 when I paid 27000 for my Arcadia copy at HLJ, I think the total came to $224 before shipping. At today's rates that same price would convert to around $256 which is more comparable to what AE is asking at 28310.

I think I'm going to hold off on the AE pre-order and wait for more news on it. One thing I would like confirmation on is whether or not Arcadia plans to do a standard release and a premium release, or if this one release is all there is.

When they can get away with it, AE tends to post POs before other stores. Given that Arcadia's valks are much easier to obtain than Bandai's, I'll wait for HLJ or another less aggravating store to list it for sale. My new stance on AE, after watching how they've treated a lot of MW members this year, is that I'll only go there if I have no other choice. I was relieved to see this show up for a non-wallet-demolishing price. No, it won't be the premium finish version, but I'm 100% okay with that. If all they offered was PF, it would be a hard pass for me.

[MacrossJunkie]

17 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said:

 I was relieved to see this show up for a non-wallet-demolishing price. 

Back then, I would have considered this as a wallet demolishing price. They've gotten us used to seeing $350-450+ prices which makes 250 look tame...

We're the frog in the slowly boiling water. 

[Sandman]

Finally! Been waiting a long time for this one.

[Anasazi37]

2 hours ago, MacrossJunkie said:

Back then, I would have considered this as a wallet demolishing price. They've gotten us used to seeing $350-450+ prices which makes 250 look tame...

We're the frog in the slowly boiling water. 

You make a very good point. Ten or fifteen years ago, I would have flipped a table if a 1/60 cost $250.

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

[Sanity is Optional]

10 or 15 years ago, my wallet was a lot more anemic. I suspect that's true for many of us here.

[Anasazi37]

7 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

10 or 15 years ago, my wallet was a lot more anemic. I suspect that's true for many of us here.

Another good point. Relative pain (ratio of price to wallet size) would probably have been about the same.

[sqidd]

So, no one else has put these up for PO yet?

Will I be able to go through a place like From Japan like I did with the OD PF? That was actually really smooth and their DHL charges were very reasonable.

I went through AE (which I understand some people have had problems with) for missile sets and had them ship them to my Tenso address then Tenso via DHL to me. That was smooth too.

[Anasazi37]

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

So, no one else has put these up for PO yet?

Will I be able to go through a place like From Japan like I did with the OD PF? That was actually really smooth and their DHL charges were very reasonable.

I went through AE (which I understand some people have had problems with) for missile sets and had them ship them to my Tenso address then Tenso via DHL to me. That was smooth too.

I fully anticipate seeing this version and the PF version show up on HLJ, AmiAmi, and NY. HLJ seems to have a great relationship with Arcadia and they offer both FedEx and DHL. It looks like you can order stuff directly from Arcadia, with shipping limited to Japan (not a problem with a Tenso address). They ask for 10% of the price up front to reserve the item. Not having tried that before, I don't know if they employ any of the same countermeasures as Bandai to keep folks outside of the country from making reservations. Somehow I doubt it because they don't worry about the scalpers that we deal with on the Bandai DX line.

One reason you might not want to go the direct order route is the price. I checked out the listing for the upcoming VF-1J GBP reissue and theirs is ¥26,180. HLJ's is ¥22,848. AE is a about ¥200 lower and AmiAmi and NY are ¥700 and ¥500 higher, respectively. I guess sometimes direct-to-consumer doesn't save you money. AE+Tenso or HLJ are probably going to be close enough in price that it comes down to personal preference.

I'll likely go the HLJ route on this one because it will be less complicated and they have great customer service. If there's an issue with the VF-4, like what happened with the feet on the SV-51, they will take care of you. I believe AE told their customers that they were on their own.

[sqidd]

14 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said:

I fully anticipate seeing this version and the PF version show up on HLJ, AmiAmi, and NY. HLJ seems to have a great relationship with Arcadia and they offer both FedEx and DHL. It looks like you can order stuff directly from Arcadia, with shipping limited to Japan (not a problem with a Tenso address). They ask for 10% of the price up front to reserve the item. Not having tried that before, I don't know if they employ any of the same countermeasures as Bandai to keep folks outside of the country from making reservations. Somehow I doubt it because they don't worry about the scalpers that we deal with on the Bandai DX line.

One reason you might not want to go the direct order route is the price. I checked out the listing for the upcoming VF-1J GBP reissue and theirs is ¥26,180. HLJ's is ¥22,848. AE is a about ¥200 lower and AmiAmi and NY are ¥700 and ¥500 higher, respectively. I guess sometimes direct-to-consumer doesn't save you money. AE+Tenso or HLJ are probably going to be close enough in price that it comes down to personal preference.

I'll likely go the HLJ route on this one because it will be less complicated and they have great customer service. If there's an issue with the VF-4, like what happened with the feet on the SV-51, they will take care of you. I believe AE told their customers that they were on their own.

Thank you sir!

HLJ seems like the best option. DHL and good after care service being key. I'll go with that.

I wonder when they're going to start the PO's

Edited August 1, 2020 by sqidd

[Lolicon]

Buying direct from Arcadia means paying full MSRP plus 10% consumption tax.

[Slave IV]

Yeah, I’m waiting to see the options. Most likely going with AJ if they don’t charge something ridiculous for shipping. If they do, back to NY and ferry. 

[Anasazi37]

37 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

Buying direct from Arcadia means paying full MSRP plus 10% consumption tax.

Good point on the tax. Forgot about that. Makes it even worse. With these valks generally available through multiple outlets that cater to overseas customers, it usually doesn't make sense to buy direct from them.

 

15 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

Yeah, I’m waiting to see the options. Most likely going with AJ if they don’t charge something ridiculous for shipping. If they do, back to NY and ferry. 

Haven't tried AJ for Arcadia valks before. Just checked out the GBP reissue to see what they're charging compared to the usual stores. Looks like ¥23,500 plus ¥3231 for shipping to the US. If that pattern holds for the VF-4, it will be an affordable option. I think you're still on your own if there's a problem with the toy, except for maybe sending it back to Japan for a refund. I thought I read somewhere else in the forums (maybe the DX thread) that AJ will pay for the return shipping, which would be nice. I don't think they were willing to work with Arcadia to get replacement parts for the SV-51, though.

[Slave IV]

1 minute ago, Anasazi37 said:

Good point on the tax. Forgot about that. Makes it even worse. With these valks generally available through multiple outlets that cater to overseas customers, it usually doesn't make sense to buy direct from them.

 

Haven't tried AJ for Arcadia valks before. Just checked out the GBP reissue to see what they're charging compared to the usual stores. Looks like ¥23,500 plus ¥3231 for shipping to the US. If that pattern holds for the VF-4, it will be an affordable option. I think you're still on your own if there's a problem with the toy, except for maybe sending it back to Japan for a refund. I thought I read somewhere else in the forums (maybe the DX thread) that AJ will pay for the return shipping, which would be nice. I don't think they were willing to work with Arcadia to get replacement parts for the SV-51, though.

I don’t ever count on issues happening. That seems like a terrible and stressful way to collect. I do believe AJ will replace if they still have the item in stock. For Arcadia releases, as long as you check soon enough, it should be fine.

[sqidd]

39 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

I don’t ever count on issues happening. That seems like a terrible and stressful way to collect. I do believe AJ will replace if they still have the item in stock. For Arcadia releases, as long as you check soon enough, it should be fine.

That's easy enough to verify with the people who got SV-51's through AJ. I remember there being comments about AJ, but not the content of them.

I do really like AJ's no muss no fuss setup and 3 day shipping. I prefer to order there.

[Sanity is Optional]

1 hour ago, Anasazi37 said:

Haven't tried AJ for Arcadia valks before. Just checked out the GBP reissue to see what they're charging compared to the usual stores. Looks like ¥23,500 plus ¥3231 for shipping to the US. If that pattern holds for the VF-4, it will be an affordable option. I think you're still on your own if there's a problem with the toy, except for maybe sending it back to Japan for a refund. I thought I read somewhere else in the forums (maybe the DX thread) that AJ will pay for the return shipping, which would be nice. I don't think they were willing to work with Arcadia to get replacement parts for the SV-51, though.

Huh, they upped the price. My Armored 1J through Amazon Japan is thus:

Order Summary

Item(s) Subtotal: ￥ 21,359

Shipping & Handling: ￥ 1,600

Total:￥ 22,959

 

Yeah, easy buy for that incl. 3day shipping to the US.

[Slave IV]

31 minutes ago, sqidd said:

That's easy enough to verify with the people who got SV-51's through AJ. I remember there being comments about AJ, but not the content of them.

I do really like AJ's no muss no fuss setup and 3 day shipping. I prefer to order there.

From what I recall, you just had to send them back and I think they offered complete replacements. It was probably just a pain because you have to send back DHL and then get reimbursed. I went with NY on that one and they took care of me quickly.

Seem like AJ is hit and miss these days with the shipping cost. I've seen 1/12 figures that they are charging insane prices to ship (3000+) but I also just ordered the next Sentinel Legioss from them and the shipping was only around 2000Y. No logic I can see in that but it just means I have to compare a few places before I order these non-madness items.

[Anasazi37]

1 hour ago, Slave IV said:

From what I recall, you just had to send them back and I think they offered complete replacements. It was probably just a pain because you have to send back DHL and then get reimbursed. I went with NY on that one and they took care of me quickly.

Seem like AJ is hit and miss these days with the shipping cost. I've seen 1/12 figures that they are charging insane prices to ship (3000+) but I also just ordered the next Sentinel Legioss from them and the shipping was only around 2000Y. No logic I can see in that but it just means I have to compare a few places before I order these non-madness items.

And there's the additional gamble of whether or not they're going to toss your very nice box into a plastic bag for shipping, which then looks less nice by the time it gets to you. I'm not hung up on box quality, but some collectors do worry about it. I think that mainly happens with third party sellers who use AJ for fulfillment, but I'm not 100% sure.

1 hour ago, sqidd said:

That's easy enough to verify with the people who got SV-51's through AJ. I remember there being comments about AJ, but not the content of them.

I do really like AJ's no muss no fuss setup and 3 day shipping. I prefer to order there.

I'm a fan as well. When I can ship something direct from AJ, great. If it has to go to Tenso first for some reason, also okay.

[Slave IV]

7 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said:

And there's the additional gamble of whether or not they're going to toss your very nice box into a plastic bag for shipping, which then looks less nice by the time it gets to you. I'm not hung up on box quality, but some collectors do worry about it. I think that mainly happens with third party sellers who use AJ for fulfillment, but I'm not 100% sure.

I'm a fan as well. When I can ship something direct from AJ, great. If it has to go to Tenso first for some reason, also okay.

Yeah, I prefer a nice box and have had good luck with AJ so far. I rarely, if ever buy from 3rd party AJ sellers. 

[Lolicon]

Since the standard edition is going regular retail, I'm expecting the PF edition to be an Arcadia webshop item. That's not going to help with the price. 

[Mommar]

9 hours ago, Anasazi37 said:

I thought I read somewhere else in the forums (maybe the DX thread) that AJ will pay for the return shipping, which would be nice.

They. Do. Not.

[jeniusornome]

Yeah, AJ doesn’t guarantee they will cover return shipping for international buyers. I couldn’t get a straight answer out of them at all with a return a while back when I was trying to do a return.

 so you’re kind of taking a chance with it. Return shipping could be $100+, and you’ve got to pay for it and hope they decide to reimburse.

Edited August 2, 2020 by jeniusornome

[Anasazi37]

9 hours ago, Mommar said:

They. Do. Not.

 

9 hours ago, jeniusornome said:

Yeah, AJ doesn’t guarantee they will cover return shipping for international buyers. I couldn’t get a straight answer out of them at all with a return a while back when I was trying to do a return.

 so you’re kind of taking a chance with it. Return shipping could be $100+, and you’ve got to pay for it and hope they decide to reimburse.

So there is some additional dice-rolling with AJ. Good to know. My default position with buying expensive stuff from Japan is that it's a one-way trip, so I try to manage my risk accordingly. Sometimes that means avoiding certain stores for certain items, even if they are a bit cheaper, because I don't want to deal with the hassle if something goes wrong. I know some members always go with the lowest price and the cheapest possible shipping, operating under the assumption that the number of times that approach breaks down will be small enough to make it worthwhile in the long run, so why stress about it, but I think that only works if you buy a lot of stuff or happen to be blessed with incredible luck. If you're a more targeted collector due to interest/budget/time/etc., a bad shopping experience could have a pretty big negative impact. When I've gone the lowest-price-and-cheapest-shipping route, it consistently goes wrong, so I don't do it anymore.

[treatment]

Flashback 2012 VF-4A at amjp:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B08DS56FMS/

looks like the non-PF version.

ineligible to cancel after 8/23 jp-time.

arcadia's competing with the DX-SOC Voltes V release, oh boy...

 

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by treatment

[sqidd]

9 minutes ago, treatment said:

Flashback 2012 VF-4A at amjp:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B08DS56FMS/

looks like the non-PF version.

ineligible to cancel after 8/23 jp-time.

arcadia's competing with the DX-SOC Voltes V release, oh boy...

 

 

That seems pricey.

Does it really not come with a pilot?

[treatment]

30 minutes ago, sqidd said:

That seems pricey.

Does it really not come with a pilot?

 

It is pricey, unfortunately.

However, the current listing on amjp is still msrp.

Hopefully Amazon-jp will apply their usual discounts soon.

That said with this non-PF msrp, I reckon Arcadia will be pricing their inevitable PF-version around the 12k-yen more and possibly even above.

 

 

[kaiotheforsaken]

I think I'm content with the non PF version, especially in these colors. As spiffy as the VF-4 is, I don't think I love it enough to spring for the fancier version.
 

AJ has been a solid option for me on import figures and it's hard to compete with their shipping times and costs. Think I'll snag a pre-order and be content.

 

 

[spacemanoeuvres]

50 minutes ago, treatment said:

Flashback 2012 VF-4A at amjp:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B08DS56FMS/

looks like the non-PF version.

ineligible to cancel after 8/23 jp-time.

arcadia's competing with the DX-SOC Voltes V release, oh boy...

 

 

Thanks, ordered one! Hopefully they will discount the price after it becomes available at other retailers. 

[Valkyrie23]

Is there any reason why this Arcadia Flashback VF-4 standard release does not include a Hukaru pilot? Even the Bandai HM-R included a Hikaru pilot IIRC.

 

 

[jenius]

11 minutes ago, Valkyrie23 said:

Is there any reason why this Arcadia Flashback VF-4 standard release does not include a Hukaru pilot? Even the Bandai HM-R included a Hikaru pilot IIRC.

 

 

Why do you think it does not?

[Sanity is Optional]

Order Summary

Items:¥29,800

Shipping & handling:¥3,211

Order total:¥33,011

 

Not too terrible, given that it includes DHL shipping. Still hoping the price comes down a bit on Amazon though.

Would like to see what the PF will end up looking like as well, and the price premium.

[Valkyrie23]

37 minutes ago, jenius said:

Why do you think it does not?

That is why I am asking here, lol.. It does not appear to be unlicensed. It's called the Flashback version and similar paint scheme to the Bandai. Figure if one goes as far as using same paint scheme, then why not the pilot as well?

Edit: I do see the pics of the pilot in the earlier pages of this thread. Hopefully it is part of the standard release as well

Edited August 2, 2020 by Valkyrie23

[sqidd]

1 hour ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Order Summary

Items:¥29,800

Shipping & handling:¥3,211

Order total:¥33,011

 

Not too terrible, given that it includes DHL shipping. Still hoping the price comes down a bit on Amazon though.

Would like to see what the PF will end up looking like as well, and the price premium.

They will auto update your order to the lower amount if the price drops? That's a nice feature!

I'm not sure what to do about this one. I like the VF-4 design. But I'm getting a bit cramped. I'd want to make it part of my Hikaru display, but that would mean a additional Hikaru shelf that I would need to fill up. And that would mean needing a couple Skull One Hikaru's (Roy colors) with Fast Packs or Boobie Ducks (did I spell that right?). I just spent about $2200 typing that!

Edited August 2, 2020 by sqidd

[Sanity is Optional]

11 minutes ago, sqidd said:

They will auto update your order to the lower amount if the price drops? That's a nice feature!

Yup, "Pre-order price guarantee", they will charge the lowest applicable price between when you ordered and when the item is released.