I don't get to pick but want to know a ballpark before confirming because it's 2280 vs 12260 difference in cost.
That's a sample price for items shipped via DHL to Korea. What are you planning to order and where is the destination?
while i sympathize, i mean, let's be honest, ROBOTECH/MACROSS character action figures were all but promised to us like 20 years ago, -and just now, within the last half-decade, someone is FINALLY delivering on that- a little MACROSS/ROBOTECH-themed cheesecake can't hardly be all THAT repugnant now...
My suggestion is to find an item at the Sahra store and look at their estimate. If you can't find the exact item, then just find an item with the same box dimensions. For example, if I wanted to buy a Yamato 1/48, I could use this listing to get an idea of DHL: Mandarake (Which is about 19,850 Yen - a lot of money.)
SSP update: I'm pretty sure NY hates me. I've messaged them countless times, every other day probably, across multiple tickets, asking them to ship my SSPs or provide some kind of update. I've received exactly ZERO replies. I have no idea how to escalate or get their attention. So frustrating and rude.
Yuuup. However, I'm finding that other shops are less expensive. I won a the AJ auction for the Yammie 1/48 weathered 1S Hikaru with weathered SSPs and it was like 8,000 Yen all together IIRC. Mandarake is crazy over the top. It probably is a little less expensive than the estimate listed but not much. When I purchased the 1/55 DYRL Max 1A from them, it was hella expensive like this. Brutal. We're all in the same boat with that (even though I was able to catch PayPal for assistance on some of it).
I think others have posted about it and I think I've had similar experience that Sahara has the highest shipping costs of all the Mandarake locations. Not sure about the difference but I think it has been significant in some cases. Either way, I'm missing out on a lot of stuff at Mandarake because I don't want to deal with even finding out how much they will charge.
Same. I'll prob sit this one out. The one's I'm eyeing is in Nakano. I can't justify dropping close to $100 to ship one item. And that's just an estimate to S. Korea!
I'm also sitting out on getting a few items as well with one as a possibility. DHL to Canada is costing 9.8k yen while EMS is 4.7k yen when I got C-307X from Nakano back in the second week of February. For sure that is has changed right now.
This is just a frame of reference which I mentioned a few pages back. DHL to the US for a DX VF-31 is 7250 Yen. Yamato/Arcadia have bigger boxes so expect the cost to be more.
Yeah those rates have gone up quite a bit in the last two months or so. I ordered several items from Mandarake in late April and DHL shipping was about $25 for smaller items and $45 for a figure (DX YF-29b) or something in a similar size box (like a Yamato 1/60 ssp set). I haven’t been looking for much lately but as others have said I highly recommend asking for a shipping estimate from any of the shops ahead of purchase Mandarake lets you set an order to cancel if something goes out of stock but there’s no option to “cancel because shipping is stupid expensive”.
I think weight can also play a role on the cost with DHL. If you only got charged $45 for that DX this past April, then costs have gone down assuming you're in the US as well. My DX order was from 3rd qtr last year. I'm assuming the 31 box is only slightly bigger compared to the 29B box (can't be bothered to go through the plastic crates to check box sizes).
Hi guys. I used to hang out here a lot but Macross pretty much priced me out of collecting around the release of the 31s. Prices just went stratospheric and I stopped even looking at stuff or paying attention. I have a little more disposable cash right now, and TFs are just not scratching the itch with MP prices and QC across the board, so I am cautiously coming back to Macross. I recently managed to pick up the Arcadia Elint 1/60 Premium Finish from Mandarake and that is now on its way to me. I had no idea that this was even a thing. What is the 'Premium Finish'? I assume that this is based on the v2 1/60 VF-1. Also, I know that Arcadia released the SV-51 v2..... what was the verdict on these? The 51 is one of my all time favourites and I actually really like the original figures for these. I was excited about a v2..... and then I saw the price. Is that much of a mark-up justified in the final product? Finally, Bandai seems to be moving in on traditionally Arcadia items (VF-1, 19, etc). How are they performing compared to both the original Bandai items (25, 27, 31) and to the Arcadia original items that they could replace? Many thanks.
So your slowly going back in to the Macross field @CyberShadow. Here's a slight rundown from myself personally, Arcadia PE VT-1: Same as the Yammie 1/60 v.2 30th Anniversary E-Seeker now with tampos plastered all over it Arcadia's SV-51: Re-designed from the Yammie version. Better looking and improved, however still floppy on some spots, approximately two times (maybe more) of the Yammie that you can get right now. The first release of Ivanoff's SV-51 had mismatched feet and you where screwed if you didn't get it from HLJ or NY as they offered replacement parts. NY gave out the parts however you had to pay for shipping. Here's a small write up from MW's Arcadia SV-51 thread by members Jasonc, myk and Jenius: Jasonc: "I've read of some people complaining about them still being a little loose, and not too many enhancements from the original design, but as I was sitting here, comparing the old and new, the new one is much more stiffer than the original, with more locking areas to give it a pretty solid feel. The feet were an issue, but I haven't heard of any of the new ones having the wrong feet in them. I don't know if my problem is just one out there that's random, but I got it from a reputable place (Amiami) and they took care of it." myk: "Ok, so buy an Arcadia version? The Yamato being a froppy mess doesn't surprise me..." Jenius: "If the prices were the same the Arcadia would be an obvious choice, it is better, it's just not WAY better while being WAY more expensive." Is it justified for double the price you ask.. It's your call and your cash. As for the last paragraph, I'm not too well versed. I'll let the others explain it to you.
Welcome back! It’s funny how Macross is always the cure for disgruntled TF collectors. Even back in the G1 days, when TFs were moving backwards, in came the Chunky Monkey to save the day and set a new standard that is still unmatched today. Since @borgified answered the rest, I’ll chime in on the last part. The DX VF-1 is the next step for that Valk but it isn’t that much of an improvement over Arcadia’s smaller VF-1 or even the same scale Yamato. Main thing is the scale so if you want bigger, it is definitely more solid than the Yamato 1/48 and it has more articulation and looks better in Battroid and Gerwalk mode (a lot of that is due to the articulation). Compared to Arcadia 1/60, the DX also has more articulation and heft due to size difference and more use of diecast. I still think the Arcadia feels more refined in terms of fit and finish. DX Valks always seem to have some wonky parts that don’t fit as seamlessly or tightly as Arcadia does their stuff. That being said, I like both and collect them all. Bandai has improved starting with the 31s and those plus the new VF-1 are considered their best work. I never bothered with DX before the 31s. The YF-19...I don’t think one is significantly better than the other except that fit and finish I just talked about. The DX seems to have some overly tight hips and some other tolerance issues. Other than that, it’s a matter of preference between the options and looks.
