I'm getting a little worried at the moment when opening this thread. It said Page 404 which is usually an error message 

Edit: This post moved it to page 405

Quote from: Gondor on March 03, 2023, 04:03:05 AMI'm getting a little worried at the moment when opening this thread. It said Page 404 which is usually an error message 

Edit: This post moved it t page 405

I saw that too y'day.

Quote from: The Rat on March 02, 2023, 10:17:50 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on March 02, 2023, 12:23:17 AMOh and they do a Wellesley Ratty 

Yes they do, and from all accounts it's as good as the Matchbox one.

I'll have to get mine out of its box and have a look at it, although I'm no expert on the Wellesley so no real idea what to look out for.

Quote from: Weaver on March 03, 2023, 03:01:24 AMIndeed: I'm not saying it isn't done, I'm saying that's the limiting factor. I have no idea how cheap or expensive it is to buy something abroad and have it shipped to India.

Indian Customs and then  individual state authorities can be "good fun" to deal with

Mind you postage rates world wide seem to be getting ludicrous as well compared to what they were pre-covid.

Quote from: NARSES2 on March 03, 2023, 05:40:35 AMMind you postage rates world wide seem to be getting ludicrous as well compared to what they were pre-covid.

And for no apparent reason either. Corporate Greed once more? No-one seems to regulate postal services these days, if they ever did.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 03, 2023, 05:46:54 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on March 03, 2023, 05:40:35 AMMind you postage rates world wide seem to be getting ludicrous as well compared to what they were pre-covid.

And for no apparent reason either. Corporate Greed once more? No-one seems to regulate postal services these days, if they ever did.

All part of the trend to 'User Pays' - through the nose, usually...

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 03, 2023, 05:46:54 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on March 03, 2023, 05:40:35 AMMind you postage rates world wide seem to be getting ludicrous as well compared to what they were pre-covid.

And for no apparent reason either. Corporate Greed once more? No-one seems to regulate postal services these days, if they ever did.

It doesn't help our PMG is a walking "conflict of interest" and one of those who's only desire is to privatize the USPS, and sell it off to FedUPS.

I believe the postage rates depends on what the Post Master has to pay the freight companies to carry his goods.  When the Pandemic hit, the international flights decrease and obviously the post cost more and took longer, now the Pandemic has decrease in intensity, the flights have increased but the greedy post offices haven't reduced their rates to reflect that, unfortunately.  Post between downunder and the UK is semi-reasonable, between the US and downunder is not, yet the number of flights between Australia and the US are nearly back to normal.      

I'm not going to bother making a list and then pm.ing it to Weaver.. one reason is I can't really think of any which other companies don't already make and two is by some witch craft or fault in the time continuum a suggestion gets made it will be the price of the kit when it gets here.
Airfix are very near the top of the list here as the most expensive kits to buy.
We'll take a P-51 for an example..Tamiyas P-51D can be had for $50 or less..Airfix's is closer to $90nz ..Airfix's might be newer but it's 40 bucks more and 40 bucks is 40 bucks.
Out of all the Kits I have ..which compared to many of you guys is JS...only one is Airfix..24th Spitfire..AMT release...the likely hood of anymore will be zero..just to expensive lads.

Is there any reason why Airfix kits can't be manufactured in the UK, the carbon footprint would reduce the overseas container fees?

This was the situation before the pandemic hit: bulk shipping was very cheap. It cost 1 cent to ship a T-shirt from China to Europe, if you have a container full of them. The difference in wages between the UK and India is much bigger than that, so it was cost-effective to produce kits in India and have them shipped here.

The pandemic, and the Ever Given stranding in the Suez Canal, caused a major disruption in worldwide shipping that the system hasn't recovered from yet.

Quote from: Hobbes on March 04, 2023, 12:59:20 AMThe pandemic, and the Ever Given stranding in the Suez Canal, caused a major disruption in worldwide shipping that the system hasn't recovered from yet.

Will it ever? Or will the big companies just maintain their current pricing because they're just plain greedy? 

I think we're witnessing the beginning of a major move away from globalisation.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 04, 2023, 02:57:49 AMWill it ever? Or will the big companies just maintain their current pricing because they're just plain greedy? 

Yes, because they value the stockholder more than the stakeholder

Quote from: kitbasher on March 04, 2023, 03:00:17 AMI think we're witnessing the beginning of a major move away from globalisation.

This is interesting. It seems as if we're leaving the current (or maybe pre-pandemic) ultra globalisation, but I can't see every municipality having their own furniture maker as in the 1930's. And that goes for everything, of course. Everyone in the democratic world is aware that we shouldn't but Chinese as China is the most dangerous threat to our way of life their is, and yet, that's basically all we do. Clothes, cars, electronics..  And Trumpeter kits.. 😉

So it's interesting. And I believe we'll see which way the world will go already before 2030.

I hope I'll be able to buy Airfix kits then too.

Quote from: Pellson on March 04, 2023, 03:15:53 AM

Quote from: kitbasher on March 04, 2023, 03:00:17 AMI think we're witnessing the beginning of a major move away from globalisation.

This is interesting. It seems as if we're leaving the current (or maybe pre-pandemic) ultra globalisation, but I can't see every municipality having their own furniture maker as in the 1930's. And that goes for everything, of course.

Yes, that's what I meant.  Not the level of globalisation we've been experiencing this century, rather some toning down.