I'm going to guess it means that they love to milk the molds forever and ever and get the fans to buy all the variants they make from the same mold? Edit: Or they mess up something small on one then make excuses for them. Like the 001 100 fiasco?
I was thinking something similar to your explanation but I also thought it meant to Sell the accessories Separately to get us customers/fans to spend more. I'm so embarrassed to admit this but we're all folks here but I just learned for the DX VF1's SSP and Missile sets are sold separately LMAO. This whole time I thought it was a set. Haha SMH.
Hahahahaha, that's ok. I bought the missile set thinking I really needed it for my VF-1A Max. Have I put them on yet? Nope, they're still sitting in the box on the floor next to Max. They are very cool compared to my Arcadia ones that came with Milia's VF-1J, but I really probably didn't need to buy them.
that’s how I’ve thought the term was meant. Bandai barely ever includes accessories. I think they’ve only done it twice so far? The VF-19 advance had super parts and the YF-19 “Full set”. everything else is nickels and dimes.
That’s fair. I meant the larger figures but the HMR ones do include quite a lot of parts. although if you wanted super parts for any of the ones that didn’t include it, be prepared to pay a pretty penny for them.
That’s true, but the hi-metal series that preceded it had an ssp set that was compatible with them. once the HMR figures started coming out secondary market prices went through the roof. I don’t understand Bandai’s strategy with Macross. They don’t make anything from the secondary market, but they also don’t make enough figures / parts to meet demand, obviously, or we wouldn’t have all the problems we do now trying to get figures (and accessories if you’re looking for them). They could make more and sell more, but they don’t, and they release pieces so sparingly that people end up buying five at a time just in case they want them later, which makes other fans even more frustrated but also drives the business to the secondary market. I know Bandai practically prints money. I’m sure they have market research or something that says they’re doing what they should, but from this end it seems like they are just leaving money on the table and creating a fan base for these figures that is highly competitive and very insular (in that it is hard to get into Macross figures because of the extremely high price for entry, so the only people they sell to are obsessive fans who need to buy three of everything, leaving no room for anyone else).
The hi-metal Rs were pretty easy to get. They last pretty long on preorder and you can get them for preorder price on release date too. you will even find some of them on sale too. It's just that, once it's really sold out then you will need to get it from the secondary market. So as long as you keep updated on release date , you will be fine.
At least the Rs are relatively cheap, 90$ for a strike/super valk. If I needed extra SSPs, I rather buy a super valk than pay inflated prices for the non-R SSPs. I am with you on the availability of the DXes but the upside is that they hold or appreciate in value.
Not sure where you see super/strike HMR VFs for $90 - the listings I've seen recently had both Roy and Hikaru 1S over $150 and the Hikaru 1A around $130. Hi-Metal SSP parts by themselves around $70 or so. I guess the Max and Milia 1Js sit around $100 or so if you don't mind having extra red/blue super parts instead of the standard color. As for that being an upside to the DX figures - sure, but it's all secondary market. I'm saying I don't understand Bandai's strategy. Why make less than you can sell? It doesn't benefit them financially at all. I guess it's just a "premium mindshare" thing? Artificial scarcity and all that nonsense?
It sure seems like they could up the production numbers a fair bit and still maintain the premium/exclusive image. I avoided this stuff for a while due to the difficulty in obtaining them. They might have an easier time bringing more people into the fold if they made their products easier to obtain. Alternatively, maybe thay have this scienced down to the gnat’s ass and believe their current approach is the most likely to yield the best long-term results. Who the hell knows. I’d be interested to see how many of these they sell per production run.
certainly premium mindshare, mostly because of Macross’ niche fan base (it’s strange hearing that given how the scarcity of these products would say otherwise, but that’s also part of the problem). To Bandai, Macross as a property is not as entrusted as other Mecha brands as far as they are concerned (and the same philosophy applies to their products. It’s the same reason why they’re willing to pump out 100s of VF-1s for their HMR line, before they consider chancing a queduulan). Of course this has been a point of discourse for a long while, and the most reasonable. ...But then I remember this is the same company that would pump out a hundred PBandai Mainline Mobile Suits before tossing a variant (Cross)bone to the general populous, so they could just very well be a dumb company with poor financial choices.
You have to preorder them for those prices. That’s what I paid for them. Practically, everything macross related from Bandai/Yamato/Arcadia goes up in the secondary market. It’s one of those “you snooze you lose things.” Nothing you can do about that as it is not controlled by the mfr. I overpaid for the hi-metals before the hi-metal Rs were announced. Regarding scarcity, who knows the real reason. It could be a number factors but these are also intended for the domestic market.
Just to sum up the remaining releases for this year. (1) DX Hayao's 1a. TWE exclusive. (2) Arcadia re-release of the 1/60 non-PF VF-1J with the GBP (3) DX YF-29 Alto Full Set. TWE exclusive. (4) DX 1s TV Roy 1s (5) DX TV Fast Packs. TWE exclusive. Future pre-orders to be listed. Exact date unknown for now. (1) DX YF-21 (unknown if it's a Full Set). (2) HMR Tomahawk (3) HMR Phalanx (4) HMR Regult Scout with a re-issue HMR Strike 1s Roy (as shown at Tamashii Nation's Exhibit or Wonderfest) (5) Arcadia PF VF-4G (6) Arcadia teased VT-1 (possibly PF) (7) Arcadia non-PF Nora 51 Anymore that I'm missing on the list?
Anyone know what box size Mandarake will use for a Bandai DX? Trying to figure out how much DHL shipping might be based on Mandarake's "Box 1 or Box 2" guide. Seems like it's a crapshoot as to what I will end up paying.
Think it depends on the DX on how big the boxes are? I can't remember, but does Anymoon have dimensions or just the images of the boxes on his site?
Manda has that info for the item, but doesn't tell you what the dimensions of their "Box 1" or "Box 2" are. So I have no idea which box they would use and the price difference between the two is significant.
