Our hobby suppliers need to get with it!

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
41

This is indeed quite interesting… I think Tamiya’s problems are also due to the fact that their products are very expensive and that ‘would-be’ modelers are being kept away from buying their kits… I mean Tamiya have always been rather ‘up-market’ but some of the kits they’ve produced lately are really very expensive and probably geared too much to the experienced modeler. Smaller market means higher prices… People like Italeri, Airfix still manage to keep a balance between quality, price and the size of the market.

As to Trumpeter, I really do not know how they manage!

42

Couldn’t agree more with djmodels.

The prices of Tamiya kits in the UK are very high, especially when compared with US prices.

I realise that quality costs, but that is to understate the standard of kits coming out of the likes of Revell, Airfix etc.

It is these low cost, easy build kits which draw new starters into the hobby, by delivering an enjoyable build, often in a short time frame, for a very limited expenditure.

My eldest son bought the Revell 1/72 tornado at the weekend for £10, and spent most of Saturday and Sunday building it. I don’t even know if Tamiya make a Tornado, but I shudder to think how much it would cost. Certainly beyond the reach of younger modellers, and those of us on a more limited budget.

While I applaud the high detail, high fidelity, high cost kits from the likes of Tamiya et al, they are only ever going to have a limited appeal. Maybe Tamyia should consider some smaller cheaper kits. Yes I know they do 1/72, but I baulk at paying £10 for a 1/72 WW2 fighter.

The model railway went through exactly the same process 15 years ago in the UK, with better models costing more, until the base trainset customer could not afford them, thus killing demand stone cold. As a result several manufacturers went to the wall, leaving just the more toy centred manufacturer standing. They have since upped the quality of their models to the poinr where they are little short of stunning, while still maintaining a firm toe hold in the children’s market.

At the end of the day it’s about balance, which is why the likes of Revell, Monogram & Airfix are still here.

Karl

43

KJ200.

Do you want to know what western Models cost in Asia or similar?

Revell Kits over here cost a mint same with Polar lights, Monogram, Heller. etc and that is if the kits are available.
Imported models are always more expensive, I pay similar prices for an Italeri Kit and a Tamiya Kit over here.
Of course I buy the Tamiya Kit. [;)]

44

MMF, are you in Japan?

You’re absolutely right about imported kits; no matter where you are, they’re gonna be expensive. The Revell kits in particular always surprise me here in Japan. Nutty expensive! AMT/Ertl auto kits also are pretty steep.

Although business might be a little rough for the big Japanese kit makers these days (well, for ALL businesses, actually!), the continued proliferation of hobby shops here (remember my report a coupla months ago about the monstrous Super Kids Land, featuring Tamiya World? Outrageous!) would seem to indicate profits are indeed being made, albeit not at previous levels, perhaps.

The advent of good, inexpensive products by Trumpeter and other makers here in Japan must be putting pressure on the big boys. If they’re going to survive, they’re going to have to keep up with these new companies by offering great products at reasonable prices, which again, they are doing in Japan.

By the way, I’ve just started work on a Skif BMP-3, and to go back to the original topic of useless instruction sheets, hooo-boy! This is it! Not only is it very very vague, but some of it is just plain wrong. I’ve downloaded tons of BMP pix to help with the build, but I can’t help wishing that Skif would have at least gotten what they did show right! Sheesh!

No complaints, though.
I knew what I was getting into![;)]

45

Yup, Kanto region.

46

Kewl!
I’m a Kansai boy meself! Lived in Tokyo for two years, though.
Glad to have another Japan-based modeler on board!

47

Shipping costs are bound to play a part in the increased costs of kits from the Far East in Europe, but even taking this into account there is disparity between the various manufacturers. Obviously the opposite situation exists if you leve in the Far East (Does that make the US the Near West, and Europe the Far West?).

I’m not knocking the quality, it’s just that the trade off in extra detail compared with a Revell kit is not always worth the extra cost.

The thing that really bugs me is paint code guides in the front of the instruction booklet, with the painting directions at the back! You have to keep going backwards and forwards to identify what paint you need. Why not put it in twice, once in the front for all the interior components, and once in the back for the external painting!

Come guys it’s not rocket science!

Karl

48

vote with your feet . i have never bought kits from any other brand except for tamiya and academy. guess why ? tamiya kits are a boon to newbies like me. if you like spending 50% of your time dry-fitting and filling and sanding and filling and sanding,then go for cheap kits of rare subjects. but for the rest of us, just go with a somewhat pricier kit. is the 5 hours of time and the clumps of hair worth the extra 10 bucks ?

49

Reggie, it’s too late for me, I haven’t got hair anymore… LOL

50

you know what i mean dj =D pulling hair out…

51

To wrap this up, I hope the modelling companies pay attention to these boards. They don’t need to pay focus groups, just read what we are telling them. We will pay the price for a good model. Give us good fit, good history to help us make choices in terms of schemes and allow us to learn, give us sturdy pieces that don’t warp and as I started the post with, give us freaking instructions that can be followed. No bod letters vs lower cased letters vs boxed letters with little triangles and no glue signs all jumbled into one. Pay an artist to draw quality sketches of the build. Read and please pay heed. As far as I am concerned, right now, Tamiya is the best. That is just my opinion. If you had to press me, Revell is pitiful!