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Post by mazfan on Jan 18, 2005 16:16:20 GMT -5
I believe that I have at least spent over $3,000 on my SOC line, from GX-01 to GX-25 (I just got one of the new Angels today and the rest, along with GX-26, are coming soon). How durable are they, based on your experience?
- My GX-01X (the cool base) has ceased to work - The right arm of my GX-02 is loose (this is why I pushed myself to get the GX-02R) - The left leg of the smaller robot of my GX-23 snapped off (I had to Crazy Glue it back. Thank God that it remains in place! This enabled me to form the big guy. I have not disassembled it since)
This leads me to my second question... If SOC robots were massed produce at level of a popular commercial toy (the ones found in Toys 'R Us let say), how much would each truly cost? Example: I bought my GX-23 for $200--would this be around $50 or less if it were sold at Target or WalMart?
Man, this is such an expensive habbit! I absolutely love it though...
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Post by Dragonclaw on Jan 18, 2005 16:41:02 GMT -5
It's doubtful they'd be remarkably cheaper. Look at the recent Masterpiece Prime. Other than clearance prices it was still a $79-$99 figure.
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Post by Otaru Ikari on Jan 18, 2005 16:51:50 GMT -5
Their fairly durable, just don't let them fall, or let a pet near it specially dogs and cats. We have recorded accounts of those ;D
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Post by Chen on Jan 18, 2005 18:43:07 GMT -5
SOC's are still considered mass produced but just on a smaller scale. What your really paying for is the diecast and engineering put into the toys, but even so the average SOC is still up there for quality.
Just think of them like those super expencive 1/18 or 1/10 scale diecast cars, although technicaly there considered "toys" I wouldn't play with them in the local sandbox or crash up derby with them.
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Post by Ben-Ohki on Jan 18, 2005 21:38:26 GMT -5
Good call, Chen - I never thought of it that way. But a typical 1:24 scale die-cast car at Toy'R'Us is usually in the $30 range and larger upwards of $50 (that's Canadian). As we go with rarer items like SoC who have slightly smaller runs I think currently retail prices are fair for new releases. MP-01 is also a good example - that thing is insanely expensive for a mainstream item when it gets down to it. At one point or another, every Toys'R'Us I've been to has had it in stock - including the dumpy one in my hometown in Quebec (and that one never has the latest Transformers in stock).
As a close "guesstimate" though for imported retail value though - look for SoCs to show up in direct-market comic book stores next month (or March). Diamond was soliciting them for North American distribution back in October so they should be out soon. Then we'll get a rough idea what the direct translation in retail is as opposed to the smaller indy shops importing them.
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Post by Chen on Jan 19, 2005 11:22:54 GMT -5
Exactly, although I was thinking more about those diecast cars that are for sale in car magazines and cost a couple hundred bucks.
Also the prices in the Previews magazine isn't really that much different than what you would find on Ebay. They just solicited the whole Eva line at 65.00 U.S each, so it's actualy cheaper to go through Ebay but of course you have to add shipping. Plus depending on your comic store, they might mark it up plus charge you shipping.
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Post by joweone on Jan 20, 2005 13:48:54 GMT -5
I bought a lot of my SOCs while visiting Tokyo in a Toys r Us.The prices were not that much cheaper than say HLJ. I found the deals in the smaller hobbyshops,TRU just had ample stock of them.I did get my GX-04s Grendy deluxe set for 17000 yen vs the 300 it was going for here. ;D
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Post by 00silvergt on Feb 1, 2005 16:34:47 GMT -5
Habbit? Is that like the small creatures that saved Middle Earth? Oh, wait that's "Hobbit"! Did you mean "habit"? Well, never thought of it as a habit. I think you meant hobby? lol I am, of course just kidding you with you.
SOC's durability never meant to be equivalent to that of the original 'Gokins' : "Toys you play with in the sandbox." But I will go further and say these were never meant to be played with at all, at least not to the degree one would imagine toys are to be played with. In fact, I vaguely remember an article in some magazine saying that when SOC's were first released they were intended to incite nostalgia upon their owners, obviously adult owners. It suppose to represent the best of yesteryear...(that's why i don't understand the addition of the EVAs...) and not toys for the tots.
I can proudly say that having all my SOC's and Gundams, Godaikins, HCM's, etc. I haven't really broken any of them that I've owned since adulthood. My childhood toys, Gakken, Valks, and others of course were played with thoroughly hence they are now resting peacefully in Toy Heaven...
In conclusion, yes this is an expensive Hobby in the sense that the return on investment will not equal much more to the self satisfaction of owning these. But compared to many other hobbies, RC's, Real Cars, Planes, Women... this is very affordable. In a way these are display pieces... ;D
But hey, to each is it's own! Se La Vie!
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Post by GDomino on Feb 1, 2005 16:51:39 GMT -5
Don't you mean "C'est la vie"? J/K!!! ;D
Welcome to the boards y'all.
If you think SOCs are bad, Takara/Hasbro, Aoshima, CM, Max Factory have all followed suit with worthy adult collector toys of their own to feed on our nostalgia and our supposedly "deep" pockets. ....sigh... I need a cheaper hobby... does anyone know how much crack is going for these days?
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Post by Chen on Feb 1, 2005 17:31:11 GMT -5
20.00 a rock, pipe not included .
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Post by bootx2 on Feb 1, 2005 17:43:58 GMT -5
Off Topic: Ha ha ha! Good job on catching all the spelling mistakes!
On Topic: It kinda sucks though, how you have to be so careful w/ the toys... Sometimes, I wish I could just play with them like I use to when I was a kid... but then again, that might be worse that having a dog or cat get to it.
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Post by 00silvergt on Feb 1, 2005 18:08:21 GMT -5
But, but that's French or something. I took Spanish in High School. ;D ;D ;D ;D Crack? May I recommend Mary Jane...$10 a sack, an empty can of Coke. Nothing else is required. ;D Don't you mean "C'est la vie"? J/K!!! ;D Welcome to the boards y'all. If you think SOCs are bad, Takara/Hasbro, Aoshima, CM, Max Factory have all followed suit with worthy adult collector toys of their own to feed on our nostalgia and our supposedly "deep" pockets. ....sigh... I need a cheaper hobby... does anyone know how much crack is going for these days?
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Post by mazfan on Feb 4, 2005 18:16:16 GMT -5
My Great Mazinger's Right shoulder's joint is loose. Do you guys know how to fix it? The whole arm just rotates back down when I try to lift it up.
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