Tamiya price hike

[wibblywobbly]

I know from someone in the trade that Tamiya are draconian when it comes to authorised dealers, displays, and prices. This is what happens when a corporate entity seeks to control a market.

As said above, the only way to bring them into line is to boycott their products. Dwindling sales will achieve one of two things. Either they will drop their prices, or they will abandon the market.

If they are making a profit at current prices, then they are making a bigger profit at higher prices, though as to whether this little game is anything to do with the global trade war and tariffs is anyone's guess. The profit that they make on their models is several hundred percent, as the manufacturing cost is minimal. The real cost to them is in design and moulds.

The other factor is that if Tamiya prices rise, then the other manufacturers will be able to increase theirs as well as people will still buy them as they are cheaper than Tamiya.

[Rad_Schuhart]

The other factor is that if Tamiya prices rise, then the other manufacturers will be able to increase theirs as well as people will still buy them as they are cheaper than Tamiya.

I think this is what will happen... So lets hope the world of 3D printing improves enough.

[Jay-Em]

Seems like a pathetic attempt to squeeze every last penny out of the rc range before the market completely implodes.

Rc is a dying hobby. One after another manufacturer is going out of business due to the unstoppable force of chinese manufacturers that produce bottom-priced RTR cars, boats, planes, and, yes, tanks.

RC Kits are a dying breed especially. The re-releases of old car kits by Tamiya, Kyosho, Schumacher and even Associated gave then respite for a short moment, but to no avail. Even Kyosho is struggling, one of the giants of RC

A friend of mine runs the biggest hobby shop in the North of the Netherlands, and he stepped-out of RC completely. No sales to speak of, and taking a lot of real-estate in the shop, so he ditched it completely.

Luckily for him, plastic scale-kits and their perefernalia like paint, glue and whatnot are booming. It’s what’s keeping Tamiya afloat too. RC? That’s more or less over, except for an endless glut of drones, and thòse will be killed off quite efficiently by over-zealous, paranoid civil servants, unhindered by knowledge and/or common sense coughing-up ever-more restrictive rules, killing “normal” scale RC flying and their clubs along with it.

[tomhugill]

Seems like a pathetic attempt to squeeze every last penny out of the rc range before the market completely implodes.

Rc is a dying hobby. One after another manufacturer is going out of business due to the unstoppable force of chinese manufacturers that produce bottom-priced RTR cars, boats, planes, and, yes, tanks.

RC Kits are a dying breed especially. The re-releases of old car kits by Tamiya, Kyosho, Schumacher and even Associated gave then respite for a short moment, but to no avail. Even Kyosho is struggling, one of the giants of RC

A friend of mine runs the biggest hobby shop in the North of the Netherlands, and he stepped-out of RC completely. No sales to speak of, and taking a lot of real-estate in the shop, so he ditched it completely.

Luckily for him, plastic scale-kits and their perefernalia like paint, glue and whatnot are booming. It’s what’s keeping Tamiya afloat too. RC? That’s more or less over, except for an endless glut of drones, and thòse will be killed off quite efficiently by over-zealous, paranoid civil servants, unhindered by knowledge and/or common sense coughing-up ever-more restrictive rules, killing “normal” scale RC flying and their clubs along with it.

This is across tamiyas whole range not just RC so the theory doesn't really stack up.

[tomhugill]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't read this as Tamiya getting more money, more a case of setting a minimum price vendors can sell the products for in their price zone. With no selling allowed outside the cheaper price zones.
Which will stop online discount stores taking the bread and butter out of the mouths of the more expensive store owners that are in the more affluent parts of the world. Just like manufacturers do with cars.

Yes that's how I read it too

[wibblywobbly]

I only ever owned one Tamiya tank, a Panther, that I got off Ebay. The renovation required was huge as it had to be stripped, and the granite-like paint carefully removed. When refurbished it was a nice looking tank, but as the owner of various tanks with various electronics, I was a bit disappointed with the way it drove, so I sold it.

I now look at Tamiya tanks as nice models out of the box...but with very little effort it is possible to buy say, a late version Tiger, metal everything, fit a servo recoil, and high quality, programmable electronics, low ratio steel gearboxes, all for way less than Mr Tamiya used to charge. The tank would be streets ahead of a Tamiya in all respects.

If Tamiya want to justify their prices, they will have to offer way more than they currently do, revamp their electronics, and make them out of something other than plastic. The market has moved on since they initially created most of their range, and they would not rate as value for money in my book. There will always be die hard Tamiya fans, but for me at any rate, there are better alternatives.

[Rad_Schuhart]

I only ever owned one Tamiya tank, a Panther, that I got off Ebay. The renovation required was huge as it had to be stripped, and the granite-like paint carefully removed. When refurbished it was a nice looking tank, but as the owner of various tanks with various electronics, I was a bit disappointed with the way it drove, so I sold it.

I now look at Tamiya tanks as nice models out of the box...but with very little effort it is possible to buy say, a late version Tiger, metal everything, fit a servo recoil, and high quality, programmable electronics, low ratio steel gearboxes, all for way less than Mr Tamiya used to charge. The tank would be streets ahead of a Tamiya in all respects.

If Tamiya want to justify their prices, they will have to offer way more than they currently do, revamp their electronics, and make them out of something other than plastic. The market has moved on since they initially created most of their range, and they would not rate as value for money in my book. There will always be die hard Tamiya fans, but for me at any rate, there are better alternatives.

For me there are countless things that tamiya should do with the tank kits. Changing the boring electronics, fitting servo recoil, elevation and rotation, lights, smoke, making the aluminum lower hulls thicker, (plastic upper is fine for me) serviceable hatches and way more detail overall.

To my frustration and desperation list, I have to add another one, the gearbox failure design. What do I mean? This: http://www.customrcmodels.com/files/RCP ... PGRADE.pdf

That is not my website, but explains the problem. I am suffering this in one of my tanks.

I wonder what those people that says "I have my tamiya tank for 20 years and never ever had any problem" do. But day by day I am more and more convinced that they have self queens or drive the tanks hardly ever inside home.

[BarryC]

Just received this from AAF Tank Museum.

Good afternoon friends and supporters,

As many of you probably heard through the grapevine (aka. Forums), Tamiya has recently informed all their distributors and dealers that they will be enforcing a new MAP requirement. This means that we are no longer allowed to advertise the RC Tank Kits and 1/35 Models for lower then what they say we can. This means for example: the 1/16 RC Sherman that we currently sell for $500, will have to be advertised around $768! Currently it is only on the Models but be aware that we feel the parts will be next.

We are not happy about this anymore than anyone else but we have to follow the rules too. With that being said, we will still be able to sell the kits to you at the current price. PLEASE READ THE BELOW DETAILS ALL THE WAY THROUGH SO YOU KNOW HOW TO PLACE AN ORDER.

How to Place an order for an RC Tank Kit or 1/35 Model starting June 1st:

1. When you go to the website you will find that item you want to purchase. It will show the required MAP price.
2. Below that price there will be a link stating: 'Add to cart for lower price', you will click that and when you add it to the cart it will show the lower (original) price that we currently sell it for.

We know this will be very different but we ask that you bare with us during this transition. If you have any questions or concerns please email Natasha at tankmuseum@gamewood.net or Karen at aaftank@gamewood.net and we will be happy to help.

Thank you,

Natasha & Karen

[PainlessWolf]

Good afternoon,
I received the same missive. Builders in the States and overseas will have some recourse to avoid the new penury afflicting us all. Thanks for the post up, Tom ;o)
regards,
Painless

[Raminator]

This is across tamiyas whole range not just RC

That's what concerns me. Not many of us buy new Tamiya kits (consider there are more than five times as many threads in the Heng Long and other build subforums than the Tamiya sub), but lots of people use their paints, tools and supplies. I'll pay $4 for a pot of Tamiya acrylic, but if they want to start charging $10 I'll find something else.