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Post by jwhalen on Nov 18, 2011 13:21:47 GMT
I wasn't in the market for kits at the weekend - got loads and the family have banned me from buying more!
However, I have to say Collect a Kit's prices for cars this year were much more realistic than in past years and some of my mates in the Hot Rod Sig got quite a few good deals.
Talking about trucks one trader at SMW had the recently released AMT kits in stock, that had been imported for £39.95, at what I thought was a reasonable price as to buy one from the states on the internet and pay postage etc. yourself wouldn't be much cheaper, if at all.
Even at the higher prices that new and old kits are starting to reach model building is still fantastic value per hour of entertainment compared to other ways you could spend your hard earned cash (including the forms of entertainment young people are into).
Cheers,
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Post by NoelSmith on Dec 28, 2011 17:21:04 GMT
Looking through the previous posts made interesting reading. The Japanese and Chinese kits have to sell their stuff to importers (in other words Middle Men) and this inevitably pushes up the prices as the importer's costs (and profit) has to be added the the end retailers costs (and profit). Many of you may have noticed in recent years that many model shops seem to be selling only Airfix and Revell kits. Not surprising as they can deal direct with them for stock with no middle man to finance. One of the advantages to Airfix and Revell Gmbh being EU manufacturers is that over non EU competition they can sell more directly to model shops in the UK and in the EU, creating better profits to finance future kits. Also Airfix and Revell's new kit quality now is every bit as good as the Jap stuff we all take for granted. Revell's 1/24th car kits...fantastic value compared to Tamiya, just as good at around half the price. I looked at the Tamiya Aston Martin kit recently, but winced a bit at the £38.00 price tag! Revell's new 1/24th Routemaster bus is retailing at about £35.00, so I know what I will be buying out of the two! In Nick's post he made the point about that we will have to get used to paying a lot more from now on for our imported kits. That may well be the case, but there comes a point where the consumer will start to consider if what they are being forced to pay is good value for money or not. After all, plastic kits are an indulgence, not a necessity and with things getting tighter generally, I can see kit importers having a tough time over this next couple of years.
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Lonewolf
Moderator
Gods Country
Posts: 2,551
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Post by Lonewolf on Jan 4, 2012 19:02:10 GMT
Italeri the main truck kit manufacturer is an EU company too, Italian. And they are one of the guilty ones.
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Post by NoelSmith on Jan 9, 2012 18:42:32 GMT
Wolfie......Have a look at the new Auto World USA website. A number of years ago there was a company named Auto World at Scranton P.A. This new outfit is located elsewhere but is using the old Auto World logo, so perhaps it is one of their old oppos running it. I looked at it recently and they were selling some of the older AMT truck kits for 35 to 40 bucks each and the car kits were very inexpensive also.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2012 20:15:26 GMT
I don't buy many new model kits, mainly because I'm lucky enough to have a reasonable stash which has been built up over several years (some would say I'm hoarding thus putting the price of available kits up). Most of the kits released or should I say re-released with a different colour scheme and a new set of decals have no interest to me. However, occasionally there is a kit released which does float my boat and I've bought it. What I'm attempting to say is that if a modeller wants a kit, he / she will buy it. There was a bonus, I managed to buy it at the right price but I had already decided to purchase the kit, price unknown as I have conversion planned for it. I agree that modellers in the UK have to pay a high price for new kits but there are several reasons for this. Everyone from the manufacturer down to the retailer has to make a living.
There have been several comments on this thread about modellers being fleeced, well, there's only one cure I'm afraid, don't buy new kits. A bit extreme you may think, but instead of constantly repeating that you're fed up of high prices, do something about it. However, there may be a slight reaction to that action. Your local model shop will be stuck with new kits and will not be able to order any further kits as they have a lot of money tied up in stock. The distributor / importer won't be able to move new stock as the LMS is already over stretched. If kits are not being distributed then the manufacturer is left with unsold product and starts to think twice about investment in new subjects. It may take a little while but eventually the hobby slows down and modellers start to whinge about investment of new models.
Let's be realistic, for investment to occur in the hobby, modellers have to buy kits. Kit prices have risen over the past couple of years and as I mentioned earlier in the post, this is caused by several reasons. It's up to you, buy the kits or don't buy them, if you don't, someone else will, like me. Oh, the Revell Routemaster is a superb kit, and I got it at a reasonable price, but I would have bought it anyway.
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Post by NoelSmith on Jan 16, 2012 15:23:45 GMT
I don't think its so much about modellers being fleeced......It's more about what they can actually afford. I have visited three different model shops recently and almost their entire stock was Airfix and Revell. Selling at roughly half the retail price of far eastern kits, you don't have to be Einstein to work out what kits give our model shops their much needed turnover to survive. I asked one proprieter why he does not have any Tamiya, Hasegawa or Fujimi kits on the shelves. 'Can't sell em!' he replied......Just about says it all!
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