Bandai DX GBP Armor Set and VF-1J Armored Valkyrie

[sh9000]

1 hour ago, Slave IV said:

It's interesting that the missile caps on the arm don't seem to come off when they do in the hips. Also, I wonder if any of the missiles are removeable but I guess not since it hasn't been mentioned.

Maybe something similar or more intricate compared to the HMR.

[Tenbatsu]

[ethanwick]

wow thanks for sharing. 😀

[seti88]

Muahaha.

[ErikElvis]

Missed the po. Hope I can pick up a full set. 

[mantisfists]

Review for the armor parts set.  In Japanese but subtitles do help.

This thing looks amazing.  I've wanted one of these since I was a kid and this'll be my first set.  Can't wait to get this in my hands.

Edited September 18, 2021 by mantisfists

[seti88]

15 hours ago, Slave IV said:

The figure looks gorgeous! 

It's interesting that the missile caps on the arm don't seem to come off when they do in the hips. Also, I wonder if any of the missiles are removeable but I guess not since it hasn't been mentioned.

Oddly, the most impressive thing to me is the wings actually lined up well on the copy used for that review. 

Wotafa’s video has the leg side boxes and the hip grenades as being seen as having removable missiles/grenades.

[Froy]

13 minutes ago, seti88 said:

Wotafa’s video has the leg side boxes and the hip grenades as being seen as having removable missiles/grenades.

For the price tag I would love all the micro missiles bo be removable

[Sanity is Optional]

Looks like my proxy got my add-on sets in, forgot I'd ordered 2.

Should be here later in the week, if they ship out soon.

[Shawn]

On wotafa's link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbSzRqqXXCI

At 6:40ish when attaching the shoulder base, i don't like that clamp on the thinnest area of the outside shoulder area. Scares me a bit until I actually get one.

And at about 8:45 when the chest doors open, I almost think I see possible interence scraping on the tampo printing area.

But I'm sure Bandai did their homework. Can't wait for my set!

[sqidd]

27 minutes ago, Froy said:

For the price tag I would love all the micro missiles bo be removable

Did you know the Bandai costs less than the Yamato did?

Bandai just put out the best 1/48 GBP ever for the least amount of money and people still want more.........

[Shawn]

That is just a natural response for expecting new tooling to use the last known level of features as the jumping off point.

I love/hate the Yamato 1/48 set...it has a million pieces, and if you look at it wrong, they tend to fall off or dislodge. But fewer pieces/options can lead ot better handability-which from the videos I've seen, this thing has in spades. There is going to be grumbling here and there, until its deployed on a shelf and you appreciate the sculpt and then the complaints disappear.  (my opinion)

[Froy]

52 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Did you know the Bandai costs less than the Yamato did?

Bandai just put out the best 1/48 GBP ever for the least amount of money and people still want more.........

I remember Yamato toys to be super cheap (compared to today's standards).

Arcadia toys price tags just skyrocketed for some of the same molds.

I don't know how much that set would cost if released today. 

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by Froy

[Alex GS]

1 hour ago, Froy said:

For the price tag I would love all the micro missiles bo be removable

 

for the price and content I think is more than fair for such high quality looking  Macross figure.

[Shawn]

6 hours ago, seti88 said:

Muahaha.

That VF-1S head looks awesome in the armor-woah 

[Alex GS]

31 minutes ago, Froy said:

I remember Yamato toys to be super cheap (compared to today's standards).

Arcadia toys price tags just skyrocketed for some of the same molds.

 

I don't know how much that set would cost if released today. 

 

I did have at some point had a 1/48 VF-1J Max with Supers, and is not near close the feel of quality of the DX Chogokin line, also if you had the inflation from 2002 to today it would be like 400 bucks(taking in account the MSRP), and this is just pure inflation approximation! Arcadia would add extra 200~250 bucks for the extra stuff(tampos), so yeah the Bandai 1/48 Macross figures yet easily wins this in quality and price.

PS

Don't get me wrong I love Arcadia but seriously Bandai is another level as a company.

Edit:

Had to adjust the prices of the Yamato MSRP prices after some checking.  

A 1/48 scale cost aprox. 150 bucks in 2002 and the GBPs Armor cost : 120 bucks. approximately , so the complete set in the past from Yamato cost about 270 bucks!.

Edited September 18, 2021 by Alex GS

[Grey728]

17 minutes ago, Shawn said:

That VF-1S head looks awesome in the armor-woah 

This is awesome.. I'll have to copy this.

[sqidd]

1 hour ago, Froy said:

I don't know how much that set would cost if released today. 

 

 

$385

[sqidd]

39 minutes ago, Alex GS said:

Edit:

Had to adjust the prices of the Yamato MSRP prices after some checking.  

A 1/48 scale cost aprox. 150 bucks in 2002 and the GBPs Armor cost : 120 bucks. approximately , so the complete set in the past from Yamato cost about 270 bucks!.

Not when you factor inflation in.

[sqidd]

Ok @RedComet. Will you be doing the "Focker" color GBP sets like Bandai showed?

 

 

[treatment]

5 hours ago, sqidd said:

Did you know the Bandai costs less than the Yamato did?

Bandai just put out the best 1/48 GBP ever for the least amount of money and people still want more.........

Maybe at msrp levels, but not quite really I think.

Most of us here got the old Yammie 1/48 GBP for quiite alot less than the MSRP back then almost 20 years ago?

I don't think anybody here paid msrp or above when it got released.

Availability and shipping costs was very easy compared to the DX.

Contrast with the DX acquisition now.

Lucky to get it at MSRP (or even at all!),  but I reckon most that got it are paying either at above-MSRP.  Maybe even at ludicrous scalper-pricings.

As per recent DX  (meaning, after Max-1A), it wasn't even that readily available at the usual import shops.

Then you get the still-high pandemic shipping-fees nowadays.

 

 

[sh9000]

I’m looking forward to doing these poses.

[sqidd]

1 hour ago, treatment said:

Maybe at msrp levels, but not quite really I think.

Most of us here got the old Yammie 1/48 GBP for quiite alot less than the MSRP back then almost 20 years ago?

I don't think anybody here paid msrp or above when it got released.

Availability and shipping costs was very easy compared to the DX.

Contrast with the DX acquisition now.

Lucky to get it at MSRP (or even at all!),  but I reckon most that got it are paying either at above-MSRP.  Maybe even at ludicrous scalper-pricings.

As per recent DX  (meaning, after Max-1A), it wasn't even that readily available at the usual import shops.

Then you get the still-high pandemic shipping-fees nowadays.

 

 

Retail is retail. None of the stuff you mentioned has anything to do with what Bandai is making/selling for $XXX.XX.

-More scalping doesn't mean Bandai has to drop their prices or add more features.

-A higher cost of shipping doesn't mane that Bandai Bandai has to drop their prices or add more features.

-Don't forget, the Yamato business model drove the to bankruptcy. That is a false economic model.

-I paid the late fee for my GBP and it was still less than what Yamato was charging (in todays money).

 

Bandai is hitting it out of the park. More quality for less money.

 

[treatment]

4 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Retail is retail. None of the stuff you mentioned has anything to do with what Bandai is making/selling for $XXX.XX.

-More scalping doesn't mean Bandai has to drop their prices or add more features.

-A higher cost of shipping doesn't mane that Bandai Bandai has to drop their prices or add more features.

-Don't forget, the Yamato business model drove the to bankruptcy. That is a false economic model.

-I paid the late fee for my GBP and it was still less than what Yamato was charging (in todays money).

 

Bandai is hitting it out of the park. More quality for less money.

 

/me scratches head

I'm not really sure what you're trying to argue with.

You said Bandai costs less than the Yamato.

Cost less exactly to who and how?  Bandai?  Us?

Scalping makes the cost of acquiring the DX alot more than what we experienced wihen most of us acquired the old Yammie many mahy yeara ago. 

Not sure where "Bandai has to drop their prices or add more features" is coming from.

Also, Yamato didn't go bankrupt when the 1/48 was out and about. 

I got my yammie GBP about when it was released many years ago around way less than $100 shipped back then from hlj. Others prolly got it even cheaper from Ami or AE or even from Kevin's old Valk-Exchange shop.

If you paid more for the Yammie, 1/48 GBP than the DX  then that just meant you bought your yammie many years after it was released and most possibly at the ludicrous secondary-market pricing. 

That means it's not really comparable and not a fair assessment.

 

 

[seti88]

2 hours ago, sh9000 said:

I’m looking forward to doing these poses.

Noo...don’t mangle ur newly bought armor parts!😂

[Corrinald]

6 hours ago, sqidd said:

OK @RedComet. Will you be doing the "Focker" color GBP sets like Bandai showed?

 

 

Sign me up for one if that happens!

[seti88]

7 hours ago, Shawn said:

That VF-1S head looks awesome in the armor-woah 

If bandai releases a focker custom in p-bandai that would be a hit...

[sh9000]

43 minutes ago, seti88 said:

Noo...don’t mangle ur newly bought armor parts!😂

Nah.  I won't include the wires and smaller components similar to the HMR setup.

[crackpot]

26 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

Nah.  I won't include the wires and smaller components similar to the HMR setup.

Or it could be seen reversed where the armor is being put on by the set up.

[sqidd]

1 hour ago, treatment said:

I'm not really sure what you're trying to argue with.

 

 

 

Your lack of comprehension doesn't make things less real.

[levzloi]

Woosah, woosah

[tekering]

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

Bandai is hitting it out of the park. More quality for less money.

6 hours ago, treatment said:

Availability and shipping costs was very easy compared to the DX.

The fact is, you're both correct, and you've both made salient points to prove it; you're simply viewing the situation from two completely different perspectives.

@treatment was already collecting Macross toys two decades ago, and is comparing his subjective experience as a Yamato customer then with his experience as a Bandai customer now.  Back then, in a much less-competitive market, we spent less time and money acquiring the toys.

@sqidd is a responsible business owner, and objectively comparing MSRPs while factoring in exchange rates and inflation of the US dollar.  Bandai is a much larger company with far more resources than Yamato ever had, and is providing a higher-quality product at (relatively) lower prices.

From a business perspective, Bandai's approach is obviously more financially-sound than Yamato's.  However, their production and distribution practices has led to a huge scalping problem (greatly exacerbated by the overseas market) and as customers, we bear the brunt of that. 

Yamato was always a by-the-fans-for-the-fans kind of operation, for better or worse, and Bandai is quite the opposite.  It's entirely possible to admire Yamato for their dedication to the customer, and at the same time acknowledge their inferiority to Bandai in both financial matters and production quality; it's just as possible to admire Bandai for their dedication to the product, and at the same acknowledge their inferiority to Yamato in both distribution and customer service.

You guys aren't really arguing at all, just comparing differing points of view.

[Slave IV]

Way to put it into perspective @tekering!

And here I am thinking they are all great products. I still think the Yamato 1/48 is the best all around to fiddle with because of its easy and groundbreaking transformation. I think the Arcadia 1/60 are overall better quality than the Bandai DX (essentially, the best overall quality VF-1S ever made). And I think the DX is a nice step in the right direction for VF-1 toy development. And of course, the 1/55 that started it all is still the best toy ever made. 

[sqidd]

7 hours ago, tekering said:

The fact is, you're both correct,

Not really. I made a statement regarding the retail vs retail cost/value. His response was to start debating a different topic. The relative value of the Bandai vs the Yamato landed on your doorstep (which I agree with him about).

The internet debate tactic of moving the goalposts/changing the topic slightly to score points is a pet peeve of mine. Otherwise I would have shut up a long tome ago.

I'd also like to point out that to those making this debate(s) that I'm sensing that I'm being handled like I'm new to this and don't have any perspective on the Yamato days. That is not he case. I was around in the Yamato days too. I've been on this board since 2007. I remember what it was like. It was a much, much more enjoyable buying experience back then. So yeah, I get it.

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by sqidd

[borgified]

For those that missed out on the DX Solo GBP, one copy my have "Sold Out" on Manda so keep your eyes peeled if there's more.