Kitz Concept Toy Thread 2.0

[jvmacross]

2 hours ago, Stampeed Valkyrie said:

Your joking right?  MSRP DXs if you get in on an early preorder.  I don't think I have managed that once.       $200 nets you both the KC VF1 and the fast packs in comparison to $250+ for the DX VF1 and another $150-200 for the DX fast packs.        I could understand this argument if they were both in the same price point..  but they are not even close.

I bought in on the KC line for the SD Valks.. and then went for the 1/72 releases because they have impressed me.    I have yet to see KC not address a problem when brought to their attention,  both this thread and the 1.0 thread have examples of this.    Anyone have any luck with Bandai?...   anyone?...  Buehler?

I'm personally late to the DX game, and the KC 1/72s are no DXs,  but they also sell for 1/2 the price.     The scary thing for the Bandai Fans to admit is that KC has gotten better with each release..   so not a DX .. yet

 

 

 

I think the V 2.0 of the KC VF-1 is pretty close to being a DX in "functionality" at 1/72 scale....the problem is that they are still not there in terms of quality...I think that they may get there, but the casualty will likely be a steady increase in price to a point where some collectors may ask themselves if having it is worthwhile.....to me, the fact that KC's customer service has your back after your purchase is enough to feel that you essentially have sort of a "guarantee" that they will try to make your purchase "whole" again with replacement parts, etc., so I can feel some relief in not having to worry that I will get stuck with a busted toy....the other thing that is exciting about the line is the possibility that it may expand to also include "in-scale" destroids and enemy mecha.....although I sort of feel that a 1/72 Destroid Monster would be a longshot...but the potential for Regults, N-Gers, and Q-Raus may be possible.  At any rate, right now I think I am still in for the remainder of the teased VF-1s and possibly a VF-1D, which is the only VF-1 I have not seen teased by KC....

[DYRL VF-1S]

4 hours ago, Stampeed Valkyrie said:

Your joking right?  MSRP DXs if you get in on an early preorder.  I don't think I have managed that once.       $200 nets you both the KC VF1 and the fast packs in comparison to $250+ for the DX VF1 and another $150-200 for the DX fast packs.        I could understand this argument if they were both in the same price point..  but they are not even close.

I bought in on the KC line for the SD Valks.. and then went for the 1/72 releases because they have impressed me.    I have yet to see KC not address a problem when brought to their attention,  both this thread and the 1.0 thread have examples of this.    Anyone have any luck with Bandai?...   anyone?...  Buehler?

I'm personally late to the DX game, and the KC 1/72s are no DXs,  but they also sell for 1/2 the price.     The scary thing for the Bandai Fans to admit is that KC has gotten better with each release..   so not a DX .. yet

 

 

 

2 hours ago, crackpot said:

They're not half the price. If comparing MSRP to MSRP, that's $190 (DX) vs $140 (KC) for a naked valk. As was specifically stated, those that get it at MSRP (some with PO discount - $170 and upwards) will find KC's price as not worth it. 

I’m definitely not joking. As crackpot mentions, there’s only a $30 - $50 difference at MSRP for DXs compared to KC. I would call that close. I have gotten every single DX VF-1 at $190 or less. Only exception was the 1J because I was late to that one. Even that, I got close to MSRP.

KC has gotten better with each release, but their prices have increased with each as well. I hope someday they are as good as Arcadia or Bandai, but until then it’s not worth the price. Just my opinion and from my own experience in owning two of the ver 1.

 Not sure what the contentious reply is for?

Edited January 11, 2021 by DYRL VF-1S

[Sanity is Optional]

Also, Bandai is licensed to Big West, whereas KC is licensed to HG. As good as their products are, that counts against them in my book.

[mantisfists]

5 hours ago, DYRL VF-1S said:

I’m definitely not joking. As crackpot mentions, there’s only a $30 - $50 difference at MSRP for DXs compared to KC. I would call that close. I have gotten every single DX VF-1 at $190 or less. Only exception was the 1J because I was late to that one. Even that, I got close to MSRP.

KC has gotten better with each release, but their prices have increased with each as well. I hope someday they are as good as Arcadia or Bandai, but until then it’s not worth the price. Just my opinion and from my own experience in owning two of the ver 1.

 Not sure what the contentious reply is for?

I don't want to speak for Stampeed Valkyrie, but I think the contentiousness (I wasn't even sure that was a word but spellcheck didn't flag it so, hey....) might be partially due to the assumption that everyone most people a lot of people more than a few people are able to get DXs at anywhere near MSRP.  Lets face it, there's a window that's MAYBE a few minutes.....at 0200-0500 in the US, depending on what time zone you live in.  Many people might not have the access to the connection speeds, hardware or whatever to even get through in that tiny window which, again, is at a time of day that most people can't reasonably expect to stay up till and be productive in any way the next day.  Not to mention most "normal" people don't have the time to spend away from their family or career responsibilities to hunt for the best deals for a toy.  So, while it's "possible" for a select few to get them for a good price, for the majority of people, it's just not realistic.  How many people actually get these things at MSRP outside of Japan who aren't using bots, anyway?  50?  100?  I'd be skeptical at more than 100.  That's not a lot.  I'm with the insane people here that stay up to crazy hours and scour to get what I want, and I'm cool with that.  I'm also used to getting little to no sleep or waking up at any time and being able to function at work or at home.  I totally get somebody else not being able to do that and the frustration that could come from somebody saying that it's easy or even realistic for somebody to do what is needed to get these valks for a reasonable price....or even worse, doing all of those things and still not getting one and feeling like they just wasted their time.  I'm not hating on being able to get a great price on these things, but you're the top 1%.  The other 99% of people have a totally different price they have to pay.  I think, DYRL VF-1S, the fact that you love the rush that comes with getting these toys speaks volumes to just how difficult it is to get them at anywhere near MSRP.  And, while I don't let it bother me when people say it's easy and everyone can do it, I can see how somebody could get frustrated.  Just trying to give another perspective.

That being said.....like I mentioned a bit earlier, I agree with you DYRL that the price is getting close enough to the DX that any further price raises would make me question getting one over a (or another) DX. It's still priced well enough (20-50% cheaper is not a small margin), and has enough different features that I'm more than willing to bite.....but, it's getting close.

Edited January 11, 2021 by mantisfists

[mantisfists]

3 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Also, Bandai is licensed to Big West, whereas KC is licensed to HG. As good as their products are, that counts against them in my book.

This, I totally get and is a very valid reason for staying away (not to say price point isn't).

[DYRL VF-1S]

6 hours ago, mantisfists said:

I'm not hating on being able to get a great price on these things, but you're the top 1%.  The other 99% of people have a totally different price they have to pay.  I think, DYRL VF-1S, the fact that you love the rush that comes with getting these toys speaks volumes to just how difficult it is to get them at anywhere near MSRP.  And, while I don't let it bother me when people say it's easy and everyone can do it, I can see how somebody could get frustrated.  Just trying to give another perspective.

That being said.....like I mentioned a bit earlier, I agree with you DYRL that the price is getting close enough to the DX that any further price raises would make me question getting one over a (or another) DX. It's still priced well enough (20-50% cheaper is not a small margin), and has enough different features that I'm more than willing to bite.....but, it's getting close.

Totally. And if it came across as though I thought it was easy to get a DX, then I can clarify I don't think it's easy at all. Just like you said, the fact that I get a rush and thrill of the kill means it's hard to do. I don't believe I insinuated it was easy or realistic. It's just my personal experience and based on that the price of KC is not worth the quality. If they would've kept the price around the same price point as Ver 1, I'd be all in frankly.

10 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

Also, Bandai is licensed to Big West, whereas KC is licensed to HG. As good as their products are, that counts against them in my book.

 

6 hours ago, mantisfists said:

This, I totally get and is a very valid reason for staying away (not to say price point isn't).

This bothers me a bit as well. Not enough to stop me from purchasing at the right price point because Robotech still has a place in my heart. I look at it very separately from Macross ironically enough. But based on the current price, the HG license certainly doesn't help me want to buy.

[jenius]

I think it makes more sense to compare KC to Arcadia since they're available at MSRP. 

[DYRL VF-1S]

17 minutes ago, jenius said:

I think it makes more sense to compare KC to Arcadia since they're available at MSRP. 

I understand this sentiment and don't disagree (which is why I also made a comparison to Arcadia in my initial post,) but to be fair, DXs are available at MSRP. They're just really hard to obtain at that price. So, it comes down to personal experience. It's perfectly logical for me to compare KC to DX because I own all of the DX VF-1 regular releases at $190 or less. From my experience, it makes more sense to compare KC to DX.

But I get that many people (if not the majority) are not in that boat. And when my luck runs out, I will be in that boat too and may shift my opinion.

I'm not attempting to be argumentative. In fact, the opposite. There is nothing wrong with either viewpoint. It's completely subjective.

Edited January 11, 2021 by DYRL VF-1S

[jenius]

I mean right now, I can buy both Arcadia and KC at MSRP... Not that two minutes every three months when I can buy either a dx or KC at MSRP if I'm lucky.

So, KC is basically at Arcadia MSRP now, does that make sense? It's a tough call. The Arcadia toy is much nicer from a fit, finish, build, execution and even sculpt perspective. KC has better paint and articulation.

[jvmacross]

I think KC with their VF-1 may have initially wanted to fill in a niche between what collectors may have seen as "too small" HMR's and "too expensive" everything else....this is why I said that the biggest casualty to sales will occur when the quality ramps up and so does the price.....at that point, the benefits of having a KC over an Arcadia or Bandai DX (at least those with the space to display it) start to diminish.....personally, I think the HMR is more of a reason to go with a larger 1/72 VF-1....additionally (at least in theory) the 1/72 tries to emulate the benefits of the DX at a lower price point (fully loaded)....unfortunately, from my experience, it has not executed that well...yet

If KC would have been a bit less ambitious, their V2.0 VF-1 would have inched closer to Arcadia functionality/quality and would have bested the HMR...I think KC should have perfected it's gimmicks, sculpt/looks and more importantly "fit and quality" before charging into trying to be a mini-DX....still, I applaud them for the effort and their unmatched customer service at least gives you a sense of security that you will not be stuck with a broken toy

To be totally honest, if someone actually made a "perfect" DX-like toy....I would prefer it at 1/60 scale...not 1/100, 1/48 or 1/72.....but that's just me....

Bandai, how many more DX VF-1's will you actually make us jump through hoops for on PO nights before you actually give your customers what they really wanted.....a next gen VF-1 in scale with the rest of their amassed collection of VFs.....

[DYRL VF-1S]

49 minutes ago, jenius said:

I mean right now, I can buy both Arcadia and KC at MSRP... Not that two minutes every three months when I can buy either a dx or KC at MSRP if I'm lucky.

So, KC is basically at Arcadia MSRP now, does that make sense? It's a tough call. The Arcadia toy is much nicer from a fit, finish, build, execution and even sculpt perspective. KC has better paint and articulation.

It makes sense, but I still think it's not black and white. It's gray and based on personal opinion and experience. KC falls in-between Arcadia and DX in many aspects. So, your point is very valid. I believe my point is as well. Neither are wrong - just different perspectives.

10 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

I think KC with their VF-1 may have initially wanted to fill in a niche between what collectors may have seen as "too small" HMR's and "too expensive" everything else....this is why I said that the biggest casualty to sales will occur when the quality ramps up and so does the price.....at that point, the benefits of having a KC over an Arcadia or Bandai DX (at least those with the space to display it) start to diminish.....personally, I think the HMR is more of a reason to go with a larger 1/72 VF-1....additionally (at least in theory) the 1/72 tries to emulate the benefits of the DX at a lower price point (fully loaded)....unfortunately, from my experience, it has not executed that well...yet

If KC would have been a bit less ambitious, their V2.0 VF-1 would have inched closer to Arcadia functionality/quality and would have bested the HMR...I think KC should have perfected it's gimmicks, sculpt/looks and more importantly "fit and quality" before charging into trying to be a mini-DX....still, I applaud them for the effort and their unmatched customer service at least gives you a sense of security that you will not be stuck with a broken toy

To be totally honest, if someone actually made a "perfect" DX-like toy....I would prefer it at 1/60 scale...not 1/100, 1/48 or 1/72.....but that's just me....

Bandai, how many more DX VF-1's will you actually make us jump through hoops for on PO nights before you actually give your customers what they really wanted.....a next gen VF-1 in scale with the rest of their amassed collection of VFs.....

I think this is pretty spot-on

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

My point still stands,  DX's for MSRP..  where?   Can I get a Hikky 1J TV for MSRP? (No in all seriousness?  this is the only one I don't have currently)   How about a Max TV 1A?  Fast Packs?  TV Fast Packs?  Any of that near MSRP?     But putting that aside..   we have a thread for DX toys..  this is not it.    

MW has this habit of poo-pooing on anything not Bandai.. I'm tired of it.    I cared when I was younger then I grew up..  just sayin. 

 

 

[DYRL VF-1S]

24 minutes ago, Stampeed Valkyrie said:

My point still stands,  DX's for MSRP..  where?   Can I get a Hikky 1J TV for MSRP? (No in all seriousness?  this is the only one I don't have currently)   How about a Max TV 1A?  Fast Packs?  TV Fast Packs?  Any of that near MSRP?     But putting that aside..   we have a thread for DX toys..  this is not it.    

MW has this habit of poo-pooing on anything not Bandai.. I'm tired of it.    I cared when I was younger then I grew up..  just sayin. 

 

 

You're over here nerd raging. I'm not poo-pooing because it's not Bandai. Read what I wrote and chill out. I'm making a relevant post about KitzConcept 2.0 VF-1s. Since you can't seem to follow along, I'll recap:
 

1. The price has gone up by at least 40% on a VF-1S since introducing ver 1 Roy. It's now $140 for VF-1S Rick ver 2.
2. There were significant problems with ver 1 (I own it and have experienced these issues like hardpoints breaking)
3. jvmacross has noted a serious issue with 1J ver 2
4. I personally have acquired every DX at $190 or less
5. Therefore, until quality issues are resolved I personally do not think that the KC versions are worth the new price. At $100, I do. At $140, I don't. Because, I am able to get something else that is larger in scale and better quality for just a bit more.

I'm sorry that you can't seem to get DXs at MSRP. That sucks for you. I'm glad that you like KC. Bravo. I don't. And it has nothing to do with anything other than my perceived value of cost vs quality.

There is absolutely nothing to nerd rage about. There is nothing to argue about. Your opinion is valid. But so is mine. So step off your pretentious box and quit hating on those who actually do get DXs at MSRP (if we're going to talk about things we're tired about...)

[jvmacross]

27 minutes ago, Stampeed Valkyrie said:

MW has this habit of poo-pooing on anything not Bandai.. I'm tired of it.    I cared when I was younger then I grew up..  just sayin. 

In all fairness, I think collectors "poo-pooed" Bandai when they screwed-up on the DX-VF-171 CF.....the difference is that Bandai has been at this for years and have managed to earned their "street cred" so I think they get a "pass" much more easily than say a new vendor like KC.....for the most part, you have an expectation on the amount of quality you "should" expect from a Bandai product....

KC has just been at it for a few years....it will take a while and several "issue-free" releases to finally earn any "street cred" and the reduction of "poo-poos" on new releases.....

When Bandai screws up....it is "why did you screw up?"....

When a new company like KC screws up....it is "What did you expect?" ....sadly (and unjustified?) the disdain is also exacerbated far worse due to the HG association....personally, if the product is decent and looks good to me, I do not care who makes or licenses the item....

[sqidd]

I'll happily pay twice as much money to get a DX over a KC. I ended up selling all of my KC's but one that I kept for the Focker Army. IMO they're junky and the sculpt looks dumb. Do you even lift bro?

[Sanity is Optional]

I have 2 copies of every DX VF-1 so far, plus 5 missile sets and 4ea TV/DYRL FAST packs.

All at MSRP except for a Kakizaki at like +$10 via Amazon japan, a $70 missile set, and proxy fees for the web exclusives.

 

I really don't think they're that hard to get, though I know many people can't.

 

From my perspective, the current KC prices are too high for me to replace the V1 Roy 1S I have with the Rick V2 1S. I might have grabbed one if I didn't already have the Roy, just for completionist's sake.

Edited January 12, 2021 by Sanity is Optional

[Mechapilot77]

16 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

I have 2 copies of every DX VF-1 so far, plus 5 missile sets and 4ea TV/DYRL FAST packs.

All at MSRP except for a Kakizaki at like +$10 via Amazon japan, a $70 missile set, and proxy fees for the web exclusives.

 

I really don't think they're that hard to get, though I know many people can't.

 

From my perspective, the current KC prices are too high for me to replace the V1 Roy 1S I have with the Rick V2 1S. I might have grabbed one if I didn't already have the Roy, just for completionist's sake.

many?  MOST, i'd say.  unless you are writing scripts on the websites or are very lucky, its hard to get one at MSRP.  just look at these boards during PO madness nights.  due to bandai's practices you can't really say they are <$200 valks.  they KC are overpriced compared to what the market expects but they are far from the worst buy out there in this hobby.

[DYRL VF-1S]

Here's a pic from another board. Appears that the 1J has a decal for the Macross kite and stripe. Not sure how his valk came to be like this but worth noting.

[mantisfists]

3 hours ago, DYRL VF-1S said:

Here's a pic from another board. Appears that the 1J has a decal for the Macross kite and stripe. Not sure how his valk came to be like this but worth noting.

It'd be my guess that was from the removable side covers scraping the fuselage while connecting the front and rear of the plane during transformation into battloid mode.  While it sucks that happened, whether it was a decal or tampo, I'd still be wary of letting it scrape for fear of scraping.

[vladykins]

Personally I don't see much of a need to get into one more scale (when I have 1/48, 1/60, 1/55, and the HMR 1/90ish). I know they are considering destroids/enemies like the HMR but at this point they have two releases. I don't see the need to get into them on the promise they *might* eventually have the above. People who have Hasagawa or other 1/72 kits already may be more inclined to jump in at this scale. I just don't see the personal value there. It has nothing to do with Bandai love or Robotech hate and everything to do with "just one more scale".

[sh9000]

[Vifam7]

On 1/15/2021 at 10:33 AM, vladykins said:

Personally I don't see much of a need to get into one more scale (when I have 1/48, 1/60, 1/55, and the HMR 1/90ish). I know they are considering destroids/enemies like the HMR but at this point they have two releases. I don't see the need to get into them on the promise they *might* eventually have the above. People who have Hasagawa or other 1/72 kits already may be more inclined to jump in at this scale. I just don't see the personal value there. It has nothing to do with Bandai love or Robotech hate and everything to do with "just one more scale".

 

In my case, I've sold off all of my Yamato/Arcadia/Bandai 1/60, 1/55, 1/48 toys in order to concentrate on 1/72 scale.  I've collected a few HMRs but purged most of the VF-1s. Will hold on to the VF-2, VF-4, and destroids but they may go next. I am first and foremost a military aircraft fan and so I build/collect mainly in 1/72 or 1/144 scale. 

I purchased KC's first release VF-1S and thought it was OK. But decided to hold back on further purchases until KC fixes the gunpod clearance issue when sitting on the landing gears. (this detail is important to me).

For now, I'll stick to building kits or purchasing a few of the fighter mode only VF-1 diecast models from Calibre Wings.

[Podtastic]

23 hours ago, sh9000 said:

Thanx for the update on Roy. I'm still having to wait for our borders to open for them to be able to ship Dana, so I'm not fussed.

 

On 1/11/2021 at 7:26 AM, Sanity is Optional said:

Also, Bandai is licensed to Big West, whereas KC is licensed to HG. As good as their products are, that counts against them in my book

Is this in any way like hatred of those anti-competitive Big Tech gangsters? Because that I get completely.

 

[sh9000]

[jvmacross]

Received an update from KC....looks like Chinese Dress Minmay is on the way!

[Convectuoso]

Mine too

[sh9000]

My 2 shipped as well.  Looking forward to receiving them.

[jvmacross]

[sh9000]

1 minute ago, jvmacross said:

That came out awesome.  

[jvmacross]

9 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

That came out awesome.  

Thanks!  The KC 1/72 VF-1J's side view is not it's most flattering....but I'm just having some fun "digitally" playing with toys!  LOL

Edited February 12, 2021 by jvmacross

[jvmacross]

Looks like it's in the wild now....Anyone else think the illustrator got the nose wrong on Minmay?....looks off

[tekering]

35 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

Anyone else think the illustrator got the nose wrong on Minmay?....looks off

A Robotech-branded product, with questionable artwork?

Impossible.

Harmony Gold would never stand for it. 

[jvmacross]

3 minutes ago, tekering said:

A Robotech-branded product, with questionable artwork?

Impossible.

Harmony Gold would never stand for it. 

Certainly you can find worse Robotech art that that, right?  

 

[tekering]

16 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

Certainly you can find worse Robotech art that that, right?

Of Minmei? 

I'd rather not pollute this thread any further. 

[jenius]

I appreciate the mercy! Didn't Minmay only wear that dress while serving in the restaurant?