Airfix

[PR19_Kit]

No way would a Rotodyne canopy fit a Belvedere, it's maybe half as wide again.

The Belvedere is a very narrow aeroplane, and you'd have to saw the 'dyne canopy down the centre to narrow it, and that'd result in exactly the same problem that the Belvedere canopy has already.

[kitbasher]

No way would a Rotodyne canopy fit a Belvedere, it's maybe half as wide again.

The Belvedere is a very narrow aeroplane, and you'd have to saw the 'dyne canopy down the centre to narrow it, and that'd result in exactly the same problem that the Belvedere canopy has already.

The Belvedere an 'aeroplane'?? (cough, cough)

Amidst all this talk of Airfix price rises I'm struck by 'Airfix bashing'.  Yes it's disappointing to hear prices will be going up and yes there will be some very pricey Airfix products out there, but they're not alone. 

Some Italeri 1/72 aircraft prices seem to me a tad OTT, then there's outrageous Hasegawa 1/72 prices (£75 for a Mitsubishi G4M1, £70 for an F/A-18E, £65 for a 'dogfight double'-style boxing of a Brewster Buffalo and a Bf-109G?).  Oh, and £65 for a Great Wall Hobby MIG-29 9-19 SMT?

[zenrat]

The Rotodyne canopy barely fits the Rotodyne.

[PR19_Kit]

Oh yes, Hasegawa prices, especially those on their older kits, have been OUTRAGEOUS for some time now. Talk about milking the market...... 

[Weaver]

The MiG-17 and combo is excellent value, 60% off.

Yep, but I got a couple the last time it was in the sale.

[Weaver]

No way would a Rotodyne canopy fit a Belvedere, it's maybe half as wide again.

The Belvedere is a very narrow aeroplane, and you'd have to saw the 'dyne canopy down the centre to narrow it, and that'd result in exactly the same problem that the Belvedere canopy has already.

The Belvedere an 'aeroplane'?? (cough, cough)

Amidst all this talk of Airfix price rises I'm struck by 'Airfix bashing'.  Yes it's disappointing to hear prices will be going up and yes there will be some very pricey Airfix products out there, but they're not alone. 

Some Italeri 1/72 aircraft prices seem to me a tad OTT, then there's outrageous Hasegawa 1/72 prices (£75 for a Mitsubishi G4M1, £70 for an F/A-18E, £65 for a 'dogfight double'-style boxing of a Brewster Buffalo and a Bf-109G?).  Oh, and £65 for a Great Wall Hobby MIG-29 9-19 SMT?

And on the flip side, Hobbycraft are selling the Revell F/A-18F for £25, which seems reasonable in the current climate.

[jcf]

Don't blame Hasegawa for those prices. The base F/A-18E kit, non-special markings, list is ¥2,200,
Hobby Search has it for ¥1,800 which is $12.08 USD. The most expensive special release is the
VFA-151 "Vigilantes" CAG 2022 markings, which comes with a VFA-151 patch and a large decal
sheet to do the colour scheme, and it's ¥4,140 about $27.79 USD at Hobby Search.

[Wardukw]

Don't blame Hasegawa for those prices. The base F/A-18E kit, non-special markings, list is ¥2,200,
Hobby Search has it for ¥1,800 which is $12.08 USD. The most expensive special release is the
VFA-151 "Vigilantes" CAG 2022 markings, which comes with a VFA-151 patch and a large decal
sheet to do the colour scheme, and it's ¥4,140 about $27.79 USD at Hobby Search.

Hasegawa kits here have reached the mental price range ..and it's across the whole range ..so glad I scored 2 F-4s and 2 A4s when I did now because their prices are twice what I payed now.
Hobbyboss and Tamiya seem to be the only crowd who's prices really haven't changed much at all .😊

[Beermonster58]

Don't blame Hasegawa for those prices. The base F/A-18E kit, non-special markings, list is ¥2,200,
Hobby Search has it for ¥1,800 which is $12.08 USD. The most expensive special release is the
VFA-151 "Vigilantes" CAG 2022 markings, which comes with a VFA-151 patch and a large decal
sheet to do the colour scheme, and it's ¥4,140 about $27.79 USD at Hobby Search.

Hasegawa kits here have reached the mental price range ..and it's across the whole range ..so glad I scored 2 F-4s and 2 A4s when I did now because their prices are twice what I payed now.
Hobbyboss and Tamiya seem to be the only crowd who's prices really haven't changed much at all .😊

Tamiya prices are pretty much out of my reach anyway so, they don't really matter. Just a personal view but,I think they are generally  overpriced with their 1/35 AFV kits being  particularly poor value for what you get in the box but, perhaps that's for another discussion. So, I'd have to say that their lack of price changes is pretty much irrelevant unless of course they reduce them by (say) 40 - 50 %?  

I haven't bough a new Hasegawa kit in nearly 20 years largely due to the stupid , almost farcical prices. You can, at least in the UK, get second hand ones at sensible prices but you need to shop around.

[Wardukw]

Don't blame Hasegawa for those prices. The base F/A-18E kit, non-special markings, list is ¥2,200,
Hobby Search has it for ¥1,800 which is $12.08 USD. The most expensive special release is the
VFA-151 "Vigilantes" CAG 2022 markings, which comes with a VFA-151 patch and a large decal
sheet to do the colour scheme, and it's ¥4,140 about $27.79 USD at Hobby Search.

Hasegawa kits here have reached the mental price range ..and it's across the whole range ..so glad I scored 2 F-4s and 2 A4s when I did now because their prices are twice what I payed now.
Hobbyboss and Tamiya seem to be the only crowd who's prices really haven't changed much at all .😊

Tamiya prices are pretty much out of my reach anyway so, they don't really matter. Just a personal view but,I think they are generally  overpriced with their 1/35 AFV kits being  particularly poor value for what you get in the box but, perhaps that's for another discussion. So, I'd have to say that their lack of price changes is pretty much irrelevant unless of course they reduce them by (say) 40 - 50 %?  

I haven't bough a new Hasegawa kit in nearly 20 years largely due to the stupid , almost farcical prices. You can, at least in the UK, get second hand ones at sensible prices but you need to shop around.

Oh my good Sir Monster mate..couldn't agree more about the prices of Tamiya's 35th range..mental is a understatement..armour kits I know extremely well as I've built hundreds of em ..aircraft though I'm not very good with ..you chaps are the ones here who my go to for that info
I've not brought a Tamiya 35th kit brand new from a shop in 20 yrs minimum..far to experience for what you get ..and nearly JS is new ..it's mostly rehashing of older than dirt kits and this bloke don't play that fiddle .
Tamiya's aircraft kitsets here are pretty well priced ..you can get a 48th P-51 or F-4 for less than 40 notes when the Airfix equivalent is 60+ easy ..sometimes though you hit the jackpot which I've managed to do quite a few times 😆
Like a 48th Tamiya Beaufighter for 35 coins when there normally 70..a Mosquito for 50 ..right place ..right time sort of thing
I'll admit I did pay $65 for a 48th Gekko but mate those are not that common here at all and neither is the Heinkel 219..that's one of my best pieces of luck there for sure.
It's making me wonder if Tamiya is more expensive in the UK than here but that just sounds like silly buggers in the brain pan 🤪
35th though..nope

[Beermonster58]

Don't blame Hasegawa for those prices. The base F/A-18E kit, non-special markings, list is ¥2,200,
Hobby Search has it for ¥1,800 which is $12.08 USD. The most expensive special release is the
VFA-151 "Vigilantes" CAG 2022 markings, which comes with a VFA-151 patch and a large decal
sheet to do the colour scheme, and it's ¥4,140 about $27.79 USD at Hobby Search.

Hasegawa kits here have reached the mental price range ..and it's across the whole range ..so glad I scored 2 F-4s and 2 A4s when I did now because their prices are twice what I payed now.
Hobbyboss and Tamiya seem to be the only crowd who's prices really haven't changed much at all .😊

Tamiya prices are pretty much out of my reach anyway so, they don't really matter. Just a personal view but,I think they are generally  overpriced with their 1/35 AFV kits being  particularly poor value for what you get in the box but, perhaps that's for another discussion. So, I'd have to say that their lack of price changes is pretty much irrelevant unless of course they reduce them by (say) 40 - 50 %?  

I haven't bough a new Hasegawa kit in nearly 20 years largely due to the stupid , almost farcical prices. You can, at least in the UK, get second hand ones at sensible prices but you need to shop around.

Oh my good Sir Monster mate..couldn't agree more about the prices of Tamiya's 35th range..mental is a understatement..armour kits I know extremely well as I've built hundreds of em ..aircraft though I'm not very good with ..you chaps are the ones here who my go to for that info
I've not brought a Tamiya 35th kit brand new from a shop in 20 yrs minimum..far to experience for what you get ..and nearly JS is new ..it's mostly rehashing of older than dirt kits and this bloke don't play that fiddle .
Tamiya's aircraft kitsets here are pretty well priced ..you can get a 48th P-51 or F-4 for less than 40 notes when the Airfix equivalent is 60+ easy ..sometimes though you hit the jackpot which I've managed to do quite a few times 😆
Like a 48th Tamiya Beaufighter for 35 coins when there normally 70..a Mosquito for 50 ..right place ..right time sort of thing
I'll admit I did pay $65 for a 48th Gekko but mate those are not that common here at all and neither is the Heinkel 219..that's one of my best pieces of luck there for sure.
It's making me wonder if Tamiya is more expensive in the UK than here but that just sounds like silly buggers in the brain pan 🤪
35th though..nope

I cannot comment on Tamiya prices generally where you live but, a couple of UK examples :
Tamiya 1/32 P-51 D £110
Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire IX £120

Now, their Revell (for another example) equivalents are priced respectively at £45.49 and, £36.99.These prices are from a large UK retailer.. I know who will get my money. The Tamiya fan club will of course give all sorts of reasons to justify the eye watering prices but, personally, I think they're meaningless. I just don't think they're worth it, end of.
You can get most, if not all of their 1/35 AFV kits a lot cheaper elsewhere.

I will admit however that SOME of their 1/48 kits can be had at very good prices. I can pick up a 1/48 Beaufighter for about £25.

You pays your money, you takes your choices 😉😂. If people choose to pay eye watering prices that's their prerogative of course.

Getting back to Airfix, I was recently looking for a Hunter FGA. 9 for a project. I opted for the excellent Revell 1/32 kit at £29 as opposed to the Airfix 1/48 kit at nearly £43! Talk about prices being all over the place! 🙀😂.

Thing is, I have no brand loyalty to anyone and , I can usually find what I want by shopping around. If a particular company loses my custom as a result, that's not my problem. I believe it's called "market forces"? 😉😂

[Weaver]

I will admit however that SOME of their 1/48 kits can be had at very good prices. I can pick up a 1/48 Beaufighter for about £25.

Hobbycraft are currently selling the following Tamiya kits which seam reasonably priced to me by current standards (not super-familiar with the 1/35th armour scene though):

1/48th:
Sea Harrier: £13
Mosquito: £26
Beaufighter: £27.80
V1 Flying Bomb: £10
Mustang: £22
A-10A: £27.80
F-15C: £27.80


1/35th:
Chieftain Mk.5: £20
Cromwell Mk.4: £30
88mm Flak & crew: £20
Churchill: £27
Sherman: £25
Panzer IV: £16
Kubelwagen: £16
Schwimwagen: £14
SAS Pink Panther Landrover: £12
Panzer II: £10
SAS Jeep: £10
Panther: £15
Tiger: £30
37mm AT gun: £6
75mm AT gun: £6
Bren carrier: £15
US Jeep: £15
King Tiger: £31

There are about the same number of others that don't seem good value, and as you say, the pricing seems all over the place, with big vehicles cheaper than small ones and similar sized ones at wildly different prices.

[Mossie]

Tamiya costs are often based on the age of the kit.  Older ones will go for some very reasonable prices.  Newer, more detailed kits will be pricey.

[NARSES2]

Strange how we have an Airfix Thread and it fills with moans about Tamiya and Hasegawa prices ?   

Chris (after a lot of editing  )

[Weaver]

Strange how we have an Airfix Thread and it fills with moans about Tamiya and Hasegawa prices ?   

Chris (after a lot of editing  )

Well it started with moans about Airfix prices, to be fair.