Post by shantastic on Feb 28, 2011 21:29:18 GMT -5
Thanks for the compliments minelayer & LurkerX.
Even though I took the plunge & purchased both the new SOC Andromeda & Yamato, I do agree with both LurkerX & chogokinsnake. The Andromeda is easily the most expensive "toy" I have ever purchased, and is definitely waaaay out of my normal price range for toys. What sold me was the fact that this has been one of my holy grails since childhood, and that's it.
I have been complaining for several years now the difference between Aoshima's Leiji battleships when compared to Bandai's SOP's & SOC's. I only have one weathering Aoshima Arcadia which I picked up on clearance at BBTS and paid about $80 with shipping included. It is an absolute brick that also lights up, and is lacking only the sound when compared to Bandai. Meanwhile, my SOP Yamato is soooo fragile, and so plastic with all the fins & antennas that are begging to get lost that I am scared to even touch it. While the SOC Yamato was an improvement over the SOP, it still didn't top my Arcadia imho. While adding music and a remote control is unique, I would have gladly given those things up for more die-cast.
The Andromeda definitely has more die-cast than the two previous Yamato releases, and I haven't seen any flaws in it like I did with the Yamatos. Is it worth the $280 I paid? Probably not, but again, this was my grail, and it was going to take a lot for me NOT to buy it. I definitely understand why many were not willing to drop the $ for this, and can definitely understand the frustration for those who wanted it.
I was not really a fan of Emeraldas blimp ship, but now after all the good things I'm hearing about it + the cheap price + my previous experience with Aoshima's ships, It's now on my "want list." I'm also now eye-ing the green skull Arcadia cuz I found it at $129, and while that is usually over the limit for me, it is now an absolute steal after what I've been paying for Bandai ships. That's scary, because I'm as cheap as they come, and $129 should never be deal for me. The more hard-earned money I give Bandai, the more I appreciate the bargain & quality of Aoshima.
Even though I took the plunge & purchased both the new SOC Andromeda & Yamato, I do agree with both LurkerX & chogokinsnake. The Andromeda is easily the most expensive "toy" I have ever purchased, and is definitely waaaay out of my normal price range for toys. What sold me was the fact that this has been one of my holy grails since childhood, and that's it.
I have been complaining for several years now the difference between Aoshima's Leiji battleships when compared to Bandai's SOP's & SOC's. I only have one weathering Aoshima Arcadia which I picked up on clearance at BBTS and paid about $80 with shipping included. It is an absolute brick that also lights up, and is lacking only the sound when compared to Bandai. Meanwhile, my SOP Yamato is soooo fragile, and so plastic with all the fins & antennas that are begging to get lost that I am scared to even touch it. While the SOC Yamato was an improvement over the SOP, it still didn't top my Arcadia imho. While adding music and a remote control is unique, I would have gladly given those things up for more die-cast.
The Andromeda definitely has more die-cast than the two previous Yamato releases, and I haven't seen any flaws in it like I did with the Yamatos. Is it worth the $280 I paid? Probably not, but again, this was my grail, and it was going to take a lot for me NOT to buy it. I definitely understand why many were not willing to drop the $ for this, and can definitely understand the frustration for those who wanted it.
I was not really a fan of Emeraldas blimp ship, but now after all the good things I'm hearing about it + the cheap price + my previous experience with Aoshima's ships, It's now on my "want list." I'm also now eye-ing the green skull Arcadia cuz I found it at $129, and while that is usually over the limit for me, it is now an absolute steal after what I've been paying for Bandai ships. That's scary, because I'm as cheap as they come, and $129 should never be deal for me. The more hard-earned money I give Bandai, the more I appreciate the bargain & quality of Aoshima.