Arcadia Premium Finish

[nightmareB4macross]

A thought came to me and I wondered about Arcadia PF nonsense. So to what extent will Arcadia continue to fool customers into buying the same item twice?

Arcadia already knows how to make tampo printing a normal efficiency during production but continue to pull the wool over peoples eyes.

There is no need to compare this to Bandai as we already know they have the know how and means and nowadays so does Arcadia. So why does Arcadia feel the need to continue this asinine and expensive method of production. To the customer wallet.

If all the Arcadia offerings were already tampo printed I for one would buy this version over the plane type.  But realistically speaking there are never any assurances with Yamato production runs that everything released will later receive the PF treatment.

What are your thoughts about this?

 

[HardlyNever]

2 minutes ago, nightmareB4macross said:

A thought came to me and I wondered about Arcadia PF nonsense. So to what extent will Arcadia continue to fool customers into buying the same item twice?

As long as it continues to sell.  But they didn't try it with the VE-1, so maybe that's progress?

3 minutes ago, nightmareB4macross said:

What are your thoughts about this?

Personally, I wish people would quit buying their products until they settle on one release per mold, and on something resembling a decent price.  But I'm at least a little bit guilty here, too.  I bought the PF SDF-1 (the only PF product I've bought from Arcadia), and I don't even regret it.  Was it expensive?  Yeah.  Was it worth it? ...yeah.

But I'm not here to tell people how they should spend their money.  However, it is reminiscent of the whole "pre-order bonus" scam video game companies have been doing for years, that is entirely anti-consumer (and benefits the video game companies enormously).  We'd all be better off if people stopped buying into it, but the market can't help itself.  So it continues.

[frankell05]

Too expensive for me,  peeps seem to have a demand for them , but j can't justify the extra money for stickers. The upgraded paint job on something like the vf-0d , sounds more appealing. Regardless , I won't be spending the money , but Arcadia has earned some loyalty from me because I like the way they have significantly improved some of the old toys. I remember spending 300 something for a sv-51 that almost immediately desintegrated in my hands. So I would give them around that much as long as the toy is of a higher standard. But I think the price of the sv-51 is as high as I will go for any Macross toy at retail price. 

[seti88]

are we talking about the PF release itself?

Or are we discussing the fact that there is a non-PF and a PF version?

[Foblander]

They don't come out with enough new stuff so selling a non-PF and a PF version makes sense for them I guess.

[nightmareB4macross]

23 minutes ago, HardlyNever said:

As long as it continues to sell.  But they didn't try it with the VE-1, so maybe that's progress?

Personally, I wish people would quit buying their products until they settle on one release per mold, and on something resembling a decent price.  But I'm at least a little bit guilty here, too.  I bought the PF SDF-1 (the only PF product I've bought from Arcadia), and I don't even regret it.  Was it expensive?  Yeah.  Was it worth it? ...yeah.

But I'm not here to tell people how they should spend their money.  However, it is reminiscent of the whole "pre-order bonus" scam video game companies have been doing for years, that is entirely anti-consumer (and benefits the video game companies enormously).  We'd all be better off if people stopped buying into it, but the market can't help itself.  So it continues.

Apparently there was VE1 PF.

Not hear to judge people’s guilty pleasures. Just feel that Arcadia should consider selling fully tampo-ed products versus the current duality that exists.

I have no complaints about the price for a PF, but if that was to be the only release I would definitely jump on it.

[nightmareB4macross]

25 minutes ago, frankell05 said:

Too expensive for me,  peeps seem to have a demand for them , but j can't justify the extra money for stickers. The upgraded paint job on something like the vf-0d , sounds more appealing. Regardless , I won't be spending the money , but Arcadia has earned some loyalty from me because I like the way they have significantly improved some of the old toys. I remember spending 300 something for a sv-51 that almost immediately desintegrated in my hands. So I would give them around that much as long as the toy is of a higher standard. But I think the price of the sv-51 is as high as I will go for any Macross toy at retail price. 

I completely understand having limited funds, but would’t having one option make it easier to choose?

Regarding the SV-51 V.1 and newest release is really not a comparison. They realistically are two different renditions.

[Kanedas Bike]

Yamato went out of business mass producing Valkyries and Destroids and all manner of fan favorites, and generally speaking we rewarded their endeavors by waiting for $150 releases to hit the bargain bin. Arcadia is a byproduct of the lessons they learned after Yamato folded.

That doesn't mean that this is some sort of comeuppance for fans, but rather an evolution of their business practices reborn in Arcadia.

I don't feel like I've been fooled or had the wool pulled over my eyes at all. Like with any product I consume, I vote with my wallet by buying what I want, when I want. I know exactly what I'm getting, why I'm paying more versus the "regular" release and I make a choice to purchase or not. Not foolery, trickery or other corporate malfeasance involved.

Honestly Arcadia is giving fans a choice, buy the regular version that they can produce at a cost that allows them to turn a profit, or buy the dressed up version for more, in which case I'm sure Arcadia is also making a buck. Better for them to stay in business and have only one producer of high-end Macross products.

-b.

[HardlyNever]

6 minutes ago, nightmareB4macross said:

Apparently there was VE1 PF.

Not hear to judge people’s guilty pleasures. Just feel that Arcadia should consider selling fully tampo-ed products versus the current duality that exists.

I have no complaints about the price for a PF, but if that was to be the only release I would definitely jump on it.

I believe they only did a PF version, not a "regular" and PF version.   And the PF version was pretty close to what they sell their "regular" super parts valks for.  Just for the VT-1, though.

[Lolicon]

They went straight to PF for the VE-1 reissue and for the upcoming Flashback VF-4. 

They hadn't started doing PF versions when the 0D originally came out. 

I'd prefer just having the PF versions only, even if it costs more, as it spares me the hassle of finding and applying decals. 

Or at the least announce the regular and PF versions concurrently like they did with Max & Miria so people can choose which one to buy. 

As it stands with releases like the SV-51, the choice is get this version or just miss out and possibly get gouged trying to get it later because who knows if there will ever be a PF edition. 

[Slave IV]

I don’t care about PF or not and I don’t care about matching all PF or not. But I think if they can produce PF. Just make everything PF and forget about the PF distinction and consider all your products “premium”. I suppose the reason they did it is because they were not offering PF to begin with so they wanted a way to introduce it. I bet if they just came out with new Valks with PF treatment and said they were advancing their techniques to offer a better product into the future, people would have bitched about that since all the later Valks wouldn’t match the older ones. Either way, people will bitch so why not do it the way that makes them more money? As for their pricing, it seems perfectly reasonable for a small operation that basically only produces a few at most products a  year to sustain its extremely niche business. There is no way anyone who understands anything about economics can expect them to be able to match Bandai’s pricing for similar products. 

[nightmareB4macross]

27 minutes ago, Kanedas Bike said:

Yamato went out of business mass producing Valkyries and Destroids and all manner of fan favorites, and generally speaking we rewarded their endeavors by waiting for $150 releases to hit the bargain bin. Arcadia is a byproduct of the lessons they learned after Yamato folded.

That doesn't mean that this is some sort of comeuppance for fans, but rather an evolution of their business practices reborn in Arcadia.

I don't feel like I've been fooled or had the wool pulled over my eyes at all. Like with any product I consume, I vote with my wallet by buying what I want, when I want. I know exactly what I'm getting, why I'm paying more versus the "regular" release and I make a choice to purchase or not. Not foolery, trickery or other corporate malfeasance involved.

Honestly Arcadia is giving fans a choice, buy the regular version that they can produce at a cost that allows them to turn a profit, or buy the dressed up version for more, in which case I'm sure Arcadia is also making a buck. Better for them to stay in business and have only one producer of high-end Macross products.

-b.

I understand your point and business practices of Arcadia might be governed by lesson learned from the past. 

Yet, possibly because of this we could be loosing on opportunities on reprints versus rehashes.

Right about now a grey CF VF-0D would have been better than getting a PF VF-OD. Or a CF VF-0A versus a PF VF-OS.  After all these are just slight recolors and molding at best.

Arcadia could provide most new products from making new variants in limited runs.

[Kanedas Bike]

13 minutes ago, nightmareB4macross said:

I understand your point and business practices of Arcadia might be governed by lesson learned from the past. 

Yet, possibly because of this we could be loosing on opportunities on reprints versus rehashes.

Right about now a grey CF VF-0D would have been better than getting a PF VF-OD. Or a CF VF-0A versus a PF VF-OS.  After all these are just slight recolors and molding at best.

Arcadia could provide most new products from making new variants in limited runs.

Yeah, I'm with you on wanting, or even preferring variants to repaints, at least in some cases. However, I think outside of the two Anniversary schemes Arcadia is risk-adverse. 

The Cavalier, Low-Viz 1S, VF-X were all limited runs and even then at least one hit the bargain bin.

I could have sworn I read a post with the opinion that Arcadia is akin to a garage kit manufacturer but I can't find it to give credit to the poster. When Yamato first launched that's exactly how HLJ listed their products. I'd argue that Arcadia is way more garage kit maker than Yamato ever was.

Let them offer same items at a lower price point, Apple does it, automakers do it, it gives consumers choices on said product. Bells and whistles cost money, some companies can afford to include them at "no" extra cost to the consumer, other companies have to pass that cost along. 

And guaranteed if people stop buying in an effort to force Arcadia's hand, they'll just exit the Macross market.

I honestly dig what Arcadia is doing, they're not trying to go toe-to-toe with Bandai, they're making essentially passion project items for fans, and for a small operation that costs money, especially if the only selling point is nostalgia of older Macross series/movies/OVAs.

-b.

[nightmareB4macross]

You are right about choices being available as in the real world, like automakers and food manufacturers. Truth of the matter is Arcadia does not announce a PF the same time they announce a regular version. So the choice is never really available.

PF is only a hopeful assumption only after release of the regular version. Even though a regular version is released and PF is not always going to follow suit, such as: VF-0A Shin.

[jenius]

54 minutes ago, nightmareB4macross said:

You are right about choices being available as in the real world, like automakers and food manufacturers. Truth of the matter is Arcadia does not announce a PF the same time they announce a regular version. So the choice is never really available.

PF is only a hopeful assumption only after release of the regular version. Even though a regular version is released and PF is not always going to follow suit, such as: VF-0A Shin.

That's not always true, for M&M they gave everyone the heads-up. I think they're still figuring out the best way to handle this PF thing. For example, the SV-51 is a brand new mold and is super expensive. So, they say "Hey, we don't know if enough people will buy it at the lowest we can price it, so let's put it out there and see how it sells." For items with a track record, they are better judges (especially when they see the item selling for 150% of MSRP on the secondary market). Then they know they can do a small batch, price it at less than the secondary market, and people will buy it instead of the original releases being resold at big mark-ups.

[seti88]

My only wish for the PF is at that price point, i wish there was something more than just the tampo.
Maybe throw in a customised stand, extra missiles or something.

For the 0D, at least the panel line and weathering is added value.

 

[Sanity is Optional]

The PF SDF-1 and PF VF-0D show they’re trying to beef up what PF means. Adding topcoat, paint apps, panel lining, weathering.

Those two were a lot more premium than the VF-1 premium finish versions.

[Mommar]

43 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

The PF SDF-1 and PF VF-0D show they’re trying to beef up what PF means. Adding topcoat, paint apps, panel lining, weathering.

Those two were a lot more premium than the VF-1 premium finish versions.

More than the 0S as well.

[sqidd]

8 hours ago, nightmareB4macross said:

 So to what extent will Arcadia continue to fool customers into buying the same item twice?

 

 

Fool? Really? The situation is a LONG way from "tricking the customer".

Caveat Emptor.

[Lolicon]

I gave Mr K a plate of corn muffins to paint my chicken coop, and he never did! 

[nightmareB4macross]

7 hours ago, jenius said:

That's not always true, for M&M they gave everyone the heads-up. I think they're still figuring out the best way to handle this PF thing. For example, the SV-51 is a brand new mold and is super expensive. So, they say "Hey, we don't know if enough people will buy it at the lowest we can price it, so let's put it out there and see how it sells." For items with a track record, they are better judges (especially when they see the item selling for 150% of MSRP on the secondary market). Then they know they can do a small batch, price it at less than the secondary market, and people will buy it instead of the original releases being resold at big mark-ups.

Totally forgot about that instance with the M&M. 

Good point!

Well there goes my ramble!

Thanks for the discussion guys.