Anybody else have tamiya gripes?

[irupp33]

Ok someone told me tamiya blew there whole years budget to produce that ferrari enzo kit. meaning no others will be produced right? that pisses me off because i personally am not a ferarri fan. I wouldve rather seen a few new kits inplace of the one f***ing kit. is this just ?

[integra818]

Well, if they DID spend thier budget on the ENZO, it would'nt really be a bad move, becuase they know the ENZO would sell so they spend alot of money on it hoping it'll sell many many kits.

I use to dislike the ENZO myself also, but that was before I understood the whole idea behind Ferrari.

[irupp33]

yea i guess its all about the money. If it were my choise i would take the route that makes the most $$$.

[Chain]

Really shouldnt listen to rumours.
To think that a hugh model company such as Tamiya would burn a hole in thier pants over 1 model. There are more models coming out soon. Williams F1 FW24 is another one to look out for.
Even so, I doubt that their investment in the Enzo alone will tie them down and that they would forgo other investments in other models.
Definitely not a Tamiya marketing strategy let alone the strategy of any another company.

[mike united]

Could not agree more with the originator of this post. Im not a great lover of ferraris either. Love almost all tamiya kits but there is just something about that enzo that i dont like, it reminds me of one of those ready made boxed die-cast models you get in toy shops. C'mon tamiya get some new cars out for us, non of this formula 1 cars & F****** pit crew shite !!!
Mike.:smoker2:

[TheSyndicate]

They produce for the current market. The Enzo is a LARGE hit around the world, so they took the smart route and spent a lot more time/resources on it. If you see the Enzo in a hobby shop, the next day it'll likely be gone.

But as for gripes against tamiya, I have none. Perhaps they should expand their range of licensed resellers because my small town has no offcial hobby shops that provide tamiya paints/kits.

[Kurzheck]

Don't believe every thing you here! Tamiya, like all businesses, hope to produce what sells. This means they cater largely to
the Japanese market and to the majority of model buyers. Ferrari's and F1 kits sell, so that is what they make. They appear to be happy selling tons of nearly perfect Ferrari F2001, F50 and Enzo kits while Fujimi struggles to remain profitable producing mediocre kits of Japanese market sporty cars. Bottom line, don't expect to see anything too off-beat because it doesn't sell. Look out for a Mazda RX8 : ) Ranting here won't help either, intelligent emails to them may. Kurz

[KOFFEE-BLACK]

Any of you guys know if there or will be a Toyota F1 Kit?

[Kurzheck]

Bets were on the next Tamiya F1 to be a Toyota, turned out to be a BMW. Studio 27 has a very nice (expensive) curbside in 1/20 and the Revell 1/24 kit is very nice too.

[Layla's Keeper]

I hope so. I can't afford Studio 27.

My biggest complaint with Tamiya isn't with their subject matter choices. I'd build two of everything in their product line, including the airplanes. My biggest problem with Tamiya is in how scarce they make the kits.

A Tamiya kit will near always take honors over about any other company's kit in terms of relative detail, accuracy, and fit. But the fact that there are 20 Fujimi or Revell kits to Tamiya's 1 is a bit sad. I wouldn't want them to sacrifice their high standards or their prestige, but I'd like to see more of the 350Z/Impreza WRX style curbside kits at a Revell/Fujimi relative price. They'd sell ten tons of them, and then have the money for FW24's and Enzos. They'd own the market, and not at a huge tooling cost.

Maybe it's time Tamiya realized they have the crown for being the best, now they need to be the most profitable.

[irupp33]

Yea really i like the detail but i mean cmon average price of $30 a kit! thats kind a rip evenm if the kit is so well produced. Honestly i think there just trying to rip people off and really can make kits of a lower cost. they just would rather line there pockets.

[Lownslow]

30$ for an enzo maybe at HLJ but outside of there i see them for 45 to 50 bucks(thats why i havent bought one plus it aint my style)

[integra818]

Originally posted by irupp33
Yea really i like the detail but i mean cmon average price of $30 a kit! thats kind a rip evenm if the kit is so well produced. Honestly i think there just trying to rip people off and really can make kits of a lower cost. they just would rather line there pockets.

It costs tamiya to get the license also, money from the kit's sales help the cost of the license, or at least that's what I've always thought.

[nornicle]

my gripe is also with the enzo kit...

some of the chromed parts, especially the wheels were not properly coated and have bits of red in them.. i.e my wheels are now painted white because i dont know how to do chrome properly.... its interesting change.

and I just bought a 360 modena.. looks like a nice build.. you Americans think tamiya is expensive @ $30 for enzo and 360.. in australia and in our dollars that nearly $65 a kit!!!! which makes it really expensive for australian modellers to build cars ;(

[Davoaldo]

Well i knwo that in Hong Kong tamiya kits are the cheapest i've seen yet
they are aroudn $100 HKD which is around $13 US.
I think its just the tax that makes kits so expensive and the profit which the store wants to make..
Like in Australia now kits are like $30-60 AUD thats just crazy.......
HK shopping is so much better more competition better for us as consumers.