-----------------------
Yup, the Bandai DX Chogokin VF-1S is running for around 350-400 already. And that's not even including the armor set yet. Annnd, it just came out a week ago...

I agree, since I did mess around with Phoenix already, the magic may not be there anymore if I purchase it again.
The Valkyrie on the other hand will be.... virgin.

 

As @maddogtheta said though, which character are you actually looking to buy?
Because FansToyrs is the character Skyfire from the cartoon. The Bandai one is the toy Jetfire. They're essentially two entirely different characters at this point.
I freely admit, I'm pretty biased against the toys, as they never had much of an impact on me, so my instinct is the cartoon. Your feeling may differ. But to me the styling and proportions feel totally different.

Might be worth assessing your overall collection as well? To me, the FT Skyfire is clearly a Masterpiece Transformer, with stylings, influences and a general build, presence and finish that ties in with other MP's from the Transformers franchise. The Bandai figure is a top grade figure as well, but from an entirely different franchise with a look, feel, presence and overall stylings that is very different.

Don't get me wrong, I love Macross (or Robotech as I grew up with) and I would totally love one of the Vertitech figures for a separate collection, but they really don't feel like they fit into the Transformers look to me. If I spotted an MP collection made up of official and 3P figures with a Veritech fighter plonked down in the middle, it would immediately niggle that "one of these things is not like another" itch for me. YMMV.

But if you're all about Toy influences, or you just think that the Jetfire character is a better fit, then go for the Macross.

For me, I have the V Phoenix and love him. I'm super tempted to try and pick up another one for alt mode somewhere along the way, but I'm probably just going to grab a Siege Skyfire and spend some time tidying him up. The Alt mode on the Siege figure is actually pretty awesome and it;s a fraction of the price of a second Phoenix

 

I had one of the older 1/48 Valks as a stand-in Jetfire way back "in the day". It was a pretty good figure (though suffered from yellowing plastic very rapidly) but it never fit in with the MP aesthetic. Too skinny (even with the fastpacks) and the matte finish made it look cheaper than it was.

Fwiw I also have a good condition G1 Jetfire toy and that hits the nostalgia feels just fine.  

 

xray machine would have worked, some ebay sellers are just too lazy to go the extra step.

 

---------------------------------------------
I forgot to mention that if I get the Valkyrie, I do not intend to mix it with my MP collection.
It will most likely be by itself on my comp desk to fiddle with. A foot tall desk toy. Bandai DX VF-1S it is then! Thanks all.   

 

I once demanded that a seller shrink his/herself down to atom size and inspect the structural integrity of the plastic at the molecular level. They advised I should find another seller.

I sure dodged a billet with that untrustworthy seller.

 

I had the same with a seller I asked to project themselves froward in time to see if I had any issues.

Its a minefield out there....

 

Love that pic. I was thinking about making a display with Phoenix, g1 jetfire toy, and the 1/48 Valkyrie. My first transformer was that toy, for Christmas. One of the best gifts ever and I still have it. Since then I have loved the toy design so much I became a huge Robotech fan also. I would love for fantoys to make a kit or any 3rd party do an entire new toy version of jetfire. I would have a very hard time choosing between the 1/48 valk and Phoenix, that’s how good FT did this figure imo.

 

Wasn't my first Transformer but I did get it for Xmas. First year I think I'd stopped believing in Santa as I remember finding it in the back of my parents wardrobe and I used to sneak in there to take peeks leading up to the big day. Man I was giddy about opening him!

 

I own both Phoenix versions; it’s a fantastic representation of Skyfire, but the DX Chogokin is a better, more enjoyable toy. The fact that it also looks like Jetfire is just a bonus.

 

If you go with Bandai DX Chogokin VF-1S 1/48 scale, which shop will you use?

 

Got regular Phoenix a while ago to be the centerpiece of my Autobot display, but... Well... Am I the only one who thinks there is something off about this figure?

I mean, there's nothing not much wrong with him objectively. He's solid and well engineered with a simple transformation, but Phoenix never fits in no matter where I put him. I even got some toyhax labels to liven him up a bit, but... It could be down to his sheer size, or maybe that plain, expressionless face, but Phoenix just doesn't 'work' for some reason.

Anyone else feel this?

 

Pose him with some bigger ‘bots, he looks glorious to me.

 

I feel that Phoenix has one of the best face sculpts. I prefer to think of him as more powerful and menacing. He’s near combiner size and he owns it. He’s a powerful single bot much like Omega Supreme(also fantastic head sculpt). Maybe it’s how you’re positioning him with your collection. He’s strong and powerful he should own your display.

 

I have him. I like him well enough but I don’t like his head/face and his body proportions feel ... blocky. IMO the face/head is not cartoon or accurate to the lineart and I prefer the proportions of Siege Jetfire. If someone upsized Siege Jetfire, cleaned off some of that unnecessary detailing and gave it better ankles I’d probably flip Phoenix. Until then he’s a placeholder in my collection.

 

You definitely can't go wrong with either:

 

No idea, u got any recommendations?

 

I AM JELLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But is that the 1/48 scale coz i thought it would be close to a foot tall. If that is in fact the 1/48 Chogokin DX then FT Phoenix is beginning to look better again in my eyes.
EDIT: Just googled Phoenix size, about 14 inch so I guess THIS IS the Bandai DX Chogokin Valkyrie. Damn he looks small compare to Phoenix.

So shogun, do you wanna sell either one?

 

I do wish we could get a nice Valkyrie that scales closer to the height of Phoenix. It would be a thing of beauty all decked out with the armor and tastpacks.

 

Are your figures more like the toon aesthetic the MP line is headed in? Is so he should match no matter what you do.

If however you have a lot of figures who look more like the previous style, even the non '+' versions of MP, then he will look different. FT are all in on toon accuracy now, so it's less greebles, more flat surfaces. That will look different next to MP10, not so much next to MP44. Honestly, if you can live with the scale issues it creates, Seige will match better with that previous style than FT does IMO