What Is The Best VF-1S Fokker w/ S&S Parts Right Now? Poll

[sqidd]

I've really been itching to get back into Macross toys. And by far the Fokker is my favorite from when I was a kid (actually re-watching Macross now). I'd like to get a three Fokkers so I can have them displayed in all three modes at the same time.

I used to have some Yamato 1/48's. And then the 1-60's came out. A lot of people at the time said that the sculpting on the 60's were never. I never had one in my hands so I don't know. I do have to say, I like the toys to be as big as possible though.

I'm also a little confused on which 1/60's are the most current ones (2006ish???). Is this the latest incarnation of the 1/60 from Yamato?

Link to eBay

Or is this the latest 1/60? Or the same as the one above, but a different box?

Link To eBay

It seems like the 1/48's and 1/60's are roughly the same cost. I'm not sure what direction to go here. And if I go 1/60, which is the 1/60 I want?

 

Thanks guys!

 

 

 

[tekering]

This is the 1:60 you want.

Link to eBay

Accept no substitutes.  

20 minutes ago, sqidd said:

I do have to say, I like the toys to be as big as possible though.

Well, in that case...

Edited August 17, 2019 by tekering

[sqidd]

10 minutes ago, tekering said:

This is the 1:60 you want.

 

Link to eBay

Accept no substitutes.  

Looks nice. Can you help me by pointing out what is better/different than this guy? Thanks!

eBay link

[sqidd]

21 minutes ago, tekering said:

 

Holy crap! Where do I get one of those!!!! Take my money!!!

[jvmacross]

You may as well wait for the eventual release of the Bandai DX 1/48 VF-1S Fokker...if you do not mind waiting for the best and the biggest fully transformable version

[Slave IV]

Instead of decals, the Premium Finish is fully tampoed from the factory. It just depends on if you care about all that or not. If not, I’d still recommend getting the non PF version from Arcadia. Check anymoon.com for detailed comparisons and differences explained on all the releases from Yamato to Arcadia. 

If you want 1/48, I love the Yamato but at this point, I think you should wait for the inevitable Bandai DX release and join the bloodbath of trying to secure that version. 

[tekering]

5 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Where do I get one of those!!!! Take my money!!!

Amazon.jp currently has 'em for 10% off retail...  

4 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

I love the Yamato but at this point, I think you should wait for the inevitable Bandai DX release and join the bloodbath of trying to secure that version. 

It's at least a year away -- and will likely cost you twice what the Yamato will -- but it'll be the best 1:48 Roy.

21 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Looks nice. Can you help me by pointing out what is better/different than this guy?

So many 1:60 variations to consider...  

...and that doesn't even include the new Premium Finish release.

[sqidd]

15 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

You may as well wait for the eventual release of the Bandai DX 1/48 VF-1S Fokker...if you do not mind waiting for the best and the biggest fully transformable version

That may be the way I go. I can't find any info on when the Fokker is going to be released. It looks like the Hikaru movie edition in November an the S&S parts for it in December (which I may get). Any info on a Fokker release? Thanks!

[sqidd]

14 minutes ago, tekering said:

Amazon.jp currently has 'em for 10% off retail...  

It's at least a year away -- and will likely cost you twice what the Yamato will -- but it'll be the best 1:48 Roy.

So many 1:60 variations to consider...  

 

...and that doesn't even include the new Premium Finish release.

That big sucker is a model. Sigh. I literally don't have time for something like that. Too bad, that is awesome!

 

 

 

Thanks!

Edited August 17, 2019 by sqidd

[Kanedas Bike]

Hey @sqidd, check out @jenius blog here;

http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=4599

Read up and I'm guessing most of your questions will be answered. There are generally only cosmetic differences between later Yamato 1/60 version 2 Valkyries and Arcadia 1/60 (same mold/transformation/etc as Yamato v2) Valkyries.

Please don't pay anything close to those eBay prices, there are a lot better deals to be found if you are patient enough.

Additionally if you're going to look at 1/48 scale my recommendation is to go with the new Bandai DX Chogokin line.

http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=12016

It's still new enough that you can get into it without having to spend too much money.

Good luck!

-b.

 

PS - Go Green, Go White 

[Ignacio Ocamica]

52 minutes ago, tekering said:

So many 1:60 variations to consider...  

...and that doesn't even include the new Premium Finish release.

And there's the 1/60 VF-1S weathering edition from Yamato with its corresponding weathering Strike Packs 

[sqidd]

22 minutes ago, Kanedas Bike said:

Hey @sqidd, check out @jenius blog here;

http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=4599

Read up and I'm guessing most of your questions will be answered. There are generally only cosmetic differences between later Yamato 1/60 version 2 Valkyries and Arcadia 1/60 (same mold/transformation/etc as Yamato v2) Valkyries.

Please don't pay anything close to those eBay prices, there are a lot better deals to be found if you are patient enough.

Additionally if you're going to look at 1/48 scale my recommendation is to go with the new Bandai DX Chogokin line.

http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=12016

It's still new enough that you can get into it without having to spend too much money.

Good luck!

-b.

 

PS - Go Green, Go White 

 Good call. I just ended up pre ordering the Bandai VF-1S Hikaru and S&S parts that aren't released yet. That will hold me over until they come out with a Fokker.

[Kanedas Bike]

33 minutes ago, sqidd said:

 Good call. I just ended up pre ordering the Bandai VF-1S Hikaru and S&S parts that aren't released yet. That will hold me over until they come out with a Fokker.

Cool, I saw that and congrats on the purchase!

You paid a bit of a markup on the 1S but I think everyone here has done that at least once in this hobby.

You'll learn the ins and outs of ordering/pre-ordering the various toys, including reputable stores and fair prices. Nippon-Yasan is reputable and you'll get your items but they without fail markup their prices on just about all of their Macross items. 

Cheers,

-b.

[Lolicon]

It's the one you can actually buy without having to take out another mortgage.

[sqidd]

7 minutes ago, Kanedas Bike said:

Cool, I saw that and congrats on the purchase!

You paid a bit of a markup on the 1S but I think everyone here has done that at least once in this hobby.

You'll learn the ins and outs of ordering/pre-ordering the various toys, including reputable stores and fair prices. Nippon-Yasan is reputable and you'll get your items but they without fail markup their prices on just about all of their Macross items. 

Cheers,

-b.

Just curious, how much do you think I over-paid?

 

You're right, I'm going to have to figure out the system.

 

Thanks again!

[Slave IV]

9 minutes ago, Kanedas Bike said:

Cool, I saw that and congrats on the purchase!

You paid a bit of a markup on the 1S but I think everyone here has done that at least once in this hobby.

You'll learn the ins and outs of ordering/pre-ordering the various toys, including reputable stores and fair prices. Nippon-Yasan is reputable and you'll get your items but they without fail markup their prices on just about all of their Macross items. 

Cheers,

-b.

Just to clarify, NY will markup after a certain initial preorder amount is reached. Before that, they always have the lowest price. So depending on how popular, and most Macross is popular relative to the amount produced, it’s best to get in early. 

@sqidd, you got the best deal on the SSP and if you want to have SSP for any other later release, you should order however many you want now. Those being Tamashii Web Exclusive releases mean they will never be reissued in the same form again. So unless they decide to release a Valk with SSP included or some different color/version of the SSP, this is the only chance to get them. 

As for the Valk, original preorder price was a bit over 16000 yen at NY so that gives you an idea how much cheaper they can be compared to everyone else if you get an order in time but also shows how much they markup if you miss out. 

[Lolicon]

Don't forget about the Arcadia TV version! (Which isn't an actual release from Arcadia...) 

Actually, if you watch Mandarake, from time to time a Yamato 1/60 DYRL Roy will pop up on there, usually for around 16k to 20k yen. It's seen multiple reissues over the years, so I'm guessing it doesn't command as high a resale price as a result.

[Sanity is Optional]

48 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Just curious, how much do you think I over-paid?

 

You're right, I'm going to have to figure out the system.

 

Thanks again!

I paid around ¥63,000 for 3x VF-1J shipped (from 3 separate vendors). So about ¥21,000 each. Super packs are pre-ordered at ¥8,800 each, plus probably another ¥2,000 each in shipping and fees from my proxy.

Which puts it at around ¥32,000 or around $310.

Of course, those were all pre-ordered at or below MSRP for the VF-1J, so you can either pay the extra to secure a pre-order, or wait for release and hope you can snag one for MSRP and save like $100.

 

[edit] I also forgot, don't use UPS shipping from NY, the cost of it relative to other shipping options is completely absurd. Just use EMS or DHL, wait the extra day or two (my EMS stuff shows up within 3-5 days). If you really want to save money, you can choose Surface/Ferry, but only if you don't mind waiting 3 months.

Also NY is notorious for sitting around on released items for a week (or several) before shipping it out. The absolute fastest shipping from anywhere is DHL from Amazon Japan, I've had stuff show up 2 days after release, I think one showed up the next day.

Edited August 17, 2019 by Sanity is Optional

[Kanedas Bike]

44 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Just curious, how much do you think I over-paid?

 

You're right, I'm going to have to figure out the system.

 

Thanks again!

 

34 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

Just to clarify, NY will markup after a certain initial preorder amount is reached. Before that, they always have the lowest price. So depending on how popular, and most Macross is popular relative to the amount produced, it’s best to get in early. 

@sqidd, you got the best deal on the SSP and if you want to have SSP for any other later release, you should order however many you want now. Those being Tamashii Web Exclusive releases mean they will never be reissued in the same form again. So unless they decide to release a Valk with SSP included or some different color/version of the SSP, this is the only chance to get them. 

As for the Valk, original preorder price was a bit over 16000 yen at NY so that gives you an idea how much cheaper they can be compared to everyone else if you get an order in time but also shows how much they markup if you miss out. 

 

5 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

I paid around ¥63,000 for 3x VF-1J shipped (from 3 separate vendors). So about ¥21,000 each. Super packs are pre-ordered at ¥8,800 each, plus probably another ¥2,000 each in shipping and fees from my proxy.

Which puts it at around ¥32,000 or around $310.

Of course, those were all pre-ordered at or below MSRP for the VF-1J, so you can either pay the extra to secure a pre-order, or wait for release and hope you can snag one for MSRP and save like $100.

Hey @sqiddre: pricing, what the other's said.

The 1S should be around $177 at retail;

https://hlj.com/dx-chogokin-the-movie-vf-1s-valkyrie-hikaru-ichijo-use-bans55800 - HLJ and other stores do not mark up their prices, but they sell out of items very quickly. If you're patient and/or lucky you can catch those items relisted leading up to release date and sometimes on the day that they're released.

Looking at the price N-Y has now;

https://www.nippon-yasan.com/figures/28337-super-dimension-fortress-macross-dx-chogokin-movie-vf-1s-valkyrie-ichijou-hikaru-custom.html - you ended up paying $155 over retail

I was also serious about having done the same, I paid $260 for the same 1S during N-Y first or second round of markup pricing. Like @Slave IV said, N-Y will list items at or below retail early, once it sells out they tend to relist that item at higher markups. They may do this in several intervals if the item continues to sell out, or is popular. As is the case here.

Please don't feel bad about your purchase or anything like that, it's just one of those "things" we have to deal with in this particular hobby.

Welcome to the struggle! 

-b.

[jenius]

We're in the window where you should be waiting for the toys to hit shelves... This is the most expensive time to buy as people freak out about not having secured a pre-order.

[Slave IV]

Yep, if it makes anyone feel better, I’ve been at this for a while and consider myself a seasoned veteran at getting preorders and I still don’t have a DX VF-1S secured. I had a chance at NY’s first round of markups for around 24,000Y but I refuse to pay that kind of markups so I’m taking my chances that I can get one between now and sometime shortly after release. May the Force be with me. I think the current markup at NY is an absolutely more sane way to go if you want to guarantee that you secure one but I’m stubborn, lol!

[Ryoma]

Sorry but to me the best Roy VF-1S (DYRL) is the yamato 1/48 weathering version with super/fast packs(also weathered). It's going to cost you a fortune but it's totally worth it. I don't own it but i do have a Hikaru weathering and it's just great. Worth every penny i spent. 

There is also a weathering 1/60 V.2  and i do think that it's a great toy but since that you seem to prefer bigger models and that the 1/48s have more details than the v.2 1/60 i would suggest you go with the first one. Sorry if i am late to the party.

 

[Sanity is Optional]

I had to secure my VF-1s pre-order through Amazon Japan, using Tenso as a proxy. So I’ll end up paying MSRP, plus Japanese tax, plus proxy fee, plus international shipping.

[sqidd]

Looks like I'm going to have to get better at this, LOL! Not a huge deal. Some lessons are better learned the hard way.

 

I need to spend more time on here looking out for the pre-order windows. I REALLY want a Fokker w/ S&S parts. Or three.

 

I figured I was paying too much for shipping. I don't remember seeing the DHL option (I may have just missed it). There were a bunch of Japaneses Postal service options for a lot less money. I wasn't confident in how that would shake out so I went with UPS and paid with PayPal so I was covered all the way around. I paid $100 for shipping.

 

Thanks for your help guys. I'm going to start collecting these again. Wish I never sold my collections (which was pretty big). But I sold it along with a bunch of other stuff long ago to start a business. That business is doing really well now. Time to stock back up again!

[Sanity is Optional]

In general, the two best shipping options are EMS and SAL (small packet).

SAL Small packet is cheap and things take 2-3 weeks to get to the US, sometimes as long as 4 weeks.

EMS is a bit more expensive and takes about a week at most, since I'm near San Francisco airport they can be really speedy.

Both ship Japan Post until they reach the US (or whichever country the receiver is in), and then are shipped by the local post (USPS for USA).

EMS and Registered SAL require a signature on delivery/pick-up, normal SAL does not require a signature and also has no tracking.

[Slave IV]

Best shipping to me is the Ferry option NY offers. For anything bigger than a single or two small action figures, it always saves me money and I get the same item. Just takes a month or two.

[Sanity is Optional]

1 hour ago, Slave IV said:

Best shipping to me is the Ferry option NY offers. For anything bigger than a single or two small action figures, it always saves me money and I get the same item. Just takes a month or two.

Downsides: 3 month transit time, extremely limited tracking (and no signature requirement if you live in an area with lots of package theft), and no insurance to speak of.

Good for big cheap things, bad for small expensive things. I would never ship a DX figure via ferry, better to just pay the extra $10-$20.

[Slave IV]

11 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Downsides: 3 month transit time, extremely limited tracking (and no signature requirement if you live in an area with lots of package theft), and no insurance to speak of.

Good for big cheap things, bad for small expensive things. I would never ship a DX figure via ferry, better to just pay the extra $10-$20.

Takes 1-2 months for me, tracking works fine but I don't bother checking it often, Just let it show up when it shows up, insurance is included but limited, again I don't pay attention or care about insurance, best for big, heavy items or multiple items. I always ship anything with ferry as long as the price is cheaper. The $10-$20 or more I've saved more than covers any insurance that I would ever need to use.

[borgified]

Here's actually my thoughts after reading and voting in the tread @sqidd.

The best value for the official version of Roy's 1s and the SSP set is is the Arcadia 1/60, You can try and get the Yammie V.2: however there's the problem of the cracked shoulder joints in which you can get the Shapeways replacement parts.

Get the Yamato 1/60 VF-1s Roy/Hikaru set with the "+ Plus" set in which a small flashlight of the Skull emblem is included (see jenius' write up on his thread - http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=4599 )

If you like the 1/60 Skull version, then you can go one step up and get the Yamato 1/48 version. Note that the corresponding SSP pack can be purchased separately. The Low Vis variants (Weathered) of both the 1/60 and the 1/48 VF-1s are really expensive to get so make sure that you have enough funds for it!

Now it's the waiting game for the pre-orders for the DX 1s Roy to drop and for sure that that most of everyone here will get their hands on a copy (or two/three/four).

* The Unofficial version of both Roy's/Hikaru's 1s has been discussed on the "Grey Market VF" thread. *

On ‎8‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 9:32 PM, Sanity is Optional said:

In general, the two best shipping options are EMS and SAL (small packet).

SAL Small packet is cheap and things take 2-3 weeks to get to the US, sometimes as long as 4 weeks.

EMS is a bit more expensive and takes about a week at most, since I'm near San Francisco airport they can be really speedy.

Both ship Japan Post until they reach the US (or whichever country the receiver is in), and then are shipped by the local post (USPS for USA).

EMS and Registered SAL require a signature on delivery/pick-up, normal SAL does not require a signature and also has no tracking.

The other item to be noted is that Customs maybe placed on top the item that you ordered. Check out the info as per your Postal/Delivery provider and make sure that you have extra funds ready if you get nabbed.   

Edited August 19, 2019 by borgified

[Lolicon]

This is the best version of Focker's VF-1S, if you can afford it.

40k at Mandarake. I knew I should've gotten a second one for 25k at the Amiami store way back when I got @Xigfrid his... 

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1118429688&ref=list&keyword=マクロス

[sqidd]

7 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

This is the best version of Focker's VF-1S, if you can afford it.

40k at Mandarake. I knew I should've gotten a second one for 25k at the Amiami store way back when I got @Xigfrid his... 

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1118429688&ref=list&keyword=マクロス

Yeah, that's a nice unit. I picked up a few of the "lower class" Focker's with S&S parts over the last few days. Yamato 1/48, Arcadia 1/60, New Kitz 1/72. Looking forward to a 1/48 DX release. Hopefully I can get in on a pre-order.

[Corrinald]

On 8/17/2019 at 4:00 PM, Ryoma said:

Sorry but to me the best Roy VF-1S (DYRL) is the yamato 1/48 weathering version with super/fast packs(also weathered). It's going to cost you a fortune but it's totally worth it. I don't own it but i do have a Hikaru weathering and it's just great. Worth every penny i spent. 

There is also a weathering 1/60 V.2  and i do think that it's a great toy but since that you seem to prefer bigger models and that the 1/48s have more details than the v.2 1/60 i would suggest you go with the first one. Sorry if i am late to the party.

 

Do the 1/48 Yamato Weathering editions have additional tampo on them or different decals, or just the painted weather effect? I have never seen one.

[borgified]

2 minutes ago, Corrinald said:

Do the 1/48 Yamato Weathering editions have additional tampo on them or different decals, or just the painted weather effect? I have never seen one.

Totally different paint schemes, same sticker sheets with no tampos.

There's the Yammie 1/48 thread in which there is different colour schemes for the valks.

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/43665-i-still-like-my-148-collection-how-about-you/

The Arcadia 1/60 PE valks have added tampos on the valks and the also the DX valks as ethem as well.

[yman1437]

18 hours ago, sqidd said:

Yeah, that's a nice unit. I picked up a few of the "lower class" Focker's with S&S parts over the last few days. Yamato 1/48, Arcadia 1/60, New Kitz 1/72. Looking forward to a 1/48 DX release. Hopefully I can get in on a pre-order.

Nail it! Ask the question in about a year, or 6 months if we are favored, best is gonna be " Bandai DX Chogokin VF-1S Roy Focker Custom"

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by yman1437

[sqidd]

Can someone measure how tall a 1/48 VF-1 w/ S&S parts is in Batroid mode?

Thanks!