Simil'r Focus is IN!!!

[racer93]

Got an email from Domino.be today! Here's my question:

Anyone know who all is distributing them? The shipping from Belgium is very expensive ($25 or more) and I was curious to see if there was another source that possibly had cheaper shipping (ie/ from the UK)? Thoughts?

Thanks!

Daniel

[Happy Martian]

As far as I know, Domino is the only distributor at the moment. I've just had my e-mail and have paid for them. Can't wait for these.

[PatR]

Strada Sports knows nothing about Simil'r, Daniel.

[yelo]

Originally Posted by Happy Martian

As far as I know, Domino is the only distributor at the moment. I've just had my e-mail and have paid for them. Can't wait for these.

Same here!!! I was waiting for it to buy a Peugeot 207 and the ford at the same time so shipping will be a bit less... My order is in right now!!!

[racer93]

Originally Posted by PatR

Strada Sports knows nothing about Simil'r, Daniel.

How did you know I was asking about Strada Sports? Just curious...

I've emailed kevin asking him about it. He said they weren't released yet but I showed him the email from Domino.be. Maybe in the future. I just can't justify paying $71 for a 1/24 kit right now when I could get an MFH kit that's much better for not *that* much more...

Daniel

[spede]

Originally Posted by racer93

I just can't justify paying $71 for a 1/24 kit right now when I could get an MFH kit that's much better for not *that* much more...

Well, it might be a high price for a curbside 1:24 kit, but if compared for example to the newest Tamiya rally car kit, Pug 307 WRC, the price difference isn't so big. Furthermore, you must notice that licences are always more expensive for rally/race cars, and that will rise the price of the kit. If I remember correctly, AMT quit production of new Nascar kits due to the increased license fees. Most likely price will get lower if you wait patiently.

For last thing, good quality is always worth of paying, I mean, this kit looks really gorgeous on photos, hopefully it will look as good as it arrives to my project board . Photos of pre-series kit were first released at Mautomobile, but because Mautomobile requires registering, I copied some of those photos there, text is in finnish:

http://194.187.212.63/~rallimal/foru...ea9392791053a9


As I have seen some of MFH kits, I wouldn't say that they are much more better, if better at all. Although their kits look very nice with great packaging, instructions, high quality decals, PE parts, vacuform parts, turned parts and rubber tyres etc. there use to be some faults too. White metal parts need sometimes plenty of cleaning and resin casting looks even too heavy/thick in some kits. Also the shape of the body seems not to be completely correct in many of their kits.

If compared to the high prices, quality could be better. It just annoys me that people use to think that if the price is higher, the quality must be better too, though it won't always go so. Notice that those "cheaper" kits, worth of about 150$ are curbsides without either chassis details ot engine.

http://www.stradasportsstore.com/modelfactoryhiro2.html

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by spede

As I have seen some of MFH kits, I wouldn't say that they are much more better, if better at all. Although their kits look very nice with great packaging, instructions, high quality decals, PE parts, vacuform parts, turned parts and rubber tyres etc. there use to be some faults too. White metal parts need sometimes plenty of cleaning and resin casting looks even too heavy/thick in some kits. Also the shape of the body seems not to be completely correct in many of their kits. If compared to the high prices, quality could be better

I agree with all of your comments. I would take a plastic kit everyday of the week over a multi media kit. They are way overpriced and as you say the quality is not always good enough to justify those high prices. I have only one MFH kit and that is the Toleman TG184. Quality is pretty good and it is one of their older kits. But it's not as good as I was expecting for the high price I paid for it...

[racer93]

Spede--when I refer to MFH, I'm talking about the newest kits. With them, every kit redefines their bar. I understand the problems that can happen with multimedia kits. Been there, done that, understand it well.

However, as I said before, it's the shipping that gets me. $25 for the cheapest shipping option? Really? This is more against the Belgian Post vs Domino, btw. $46 for a kit is not outrageous, I know. I need no lecture on that. I've been around the block. But over 1/3 the kit price just for shipping? *THAT* is ridiculous. I know the quality of this kit--I've seen all the pics previously, as I've been following this for a while.

That's why I'm waiting (perhaps in vain) for a US distributor. $70+ is just not worth it for me for a 1/24 kit right now. If it's all inclusive (like a lot of MFH kits where you don't have to buy much else), that's one thing. But when you have to buy other goodies to make a looker...

[oter]

i dont think 25$ is that expensive for shipping a kit to usa,last time i sent a kit to usa(couple months ago)i payed 50$(from norway)this is for only 1 modelkit.

[drunken monkey]

$25 to ship the kit to the US is not rediculous.
it might not be worth it to you for you to do so but it is not a rediculous amount to pay.
the two are the not the same.

besides, wasn't the question of a US distributor actually already answered in the other thread?

[oter]

when i buy modelkits from usa,i must usual pay more then 25$ in shipping for 1 modelkit,thats why i order about 10 modelkits at the same time,if you buy more,you will save on shipping.

[spede]

Hello racer93. Not meant to offend you, of course MFH makes great models. You're right that those newer kits are much better, if looking at the quality of casting. Metal and resin castings looks usually perfect which is highly appreciated as they're hand made kits. But it doesn't change the fact that there can still be some errors in the designing.

Probably Domino could send it cheaper if they would use lighter packaging but then the risk of damages would be bigger too. I will gladly pay for that my items are well packed, than I would take a risk of damages caused by lousy packing. I have learnt that it use to be damn difficult to get spare parts. The windscreen of my Trumpeter's 1:12 GT40 broke while shipping and never got a spare part for it. No support from Trumpeter

Euro-Dollar exchange rate has also some effect for shipping costs. Shipping from Belgium to Finland costs about 18 euros for two kits, which is actually about 25 $ currently.

For example in early 2000's 18 euros would have been only 16$. Euro was introduced in january 2002. Of course, euro won't get so cheap again, at least not very quickly unless those damn Portugal and Spain will go bankrupt . Though things aren't much better in Finland either if looking at the national debt numbers...

[racer93]

Originally Posted by drunken monkey

$25 to ship the kit to the US is not rediculous.
it might not be worth it to you for you to do so but it is not a rediculous amount to pay.
the two are the not the same.

besides, wasn't the question of a US distributor actually already answered in the other thread?

I just think it's odd that it's triple the amount to ship a package from Belgium to the US vs from Japan (or Hong Kong) to the US...

No, the other US distributor question was about Belkits, not Simil'r.

[drunken monkey]

triple the cost of postage/shipping compared to hk or japan?
are you sure?
are they for the same level of postge/shipping?
for point of comparison, the last time i sent something to the US, it was i think about 700grams and cost me £15 and that was for basic small packet.
$25 from Belgium to to the US sounds normal to me.

so have you contacted simil'r about a US distributor?
i would've thought they would know before anyone else here.

edit:
just had a quick look for the kit stocked here.
so far, it's listed at £45 ish.
i think getting it from a UK store is out the question for you.

[racer93]

Originally Posted by spede

Hello racer93. Not meant to offend you, of course MFH makes great models. You're right that those newer kits are much better, if looking at the quality of casting. Metal and resin castings looks usually perfect which is highly appreciated as they're hand made kits. But it doesn't change the fact that there can still be some errors in the designing.

Probably Domino could send it cheaper if they would use lighter packaging but then the risk of damages would be bigger too. I will gladly pay for that my items are well packed, than I would take a risk of damages caused by lousy packing. I have learnt that it use to be damn difficult to get spare parts. The windscreen of my Trumpeter's 1:12 GT40 broke while shipping and never got a spare part for it. No support from Trumpeter

Euro-Dollar exchange rate has also some effect for shipping costs. Shipping from Belgium to Finland costs about 18 euros for two kits, which is actually about 25 $ currently.

For example in early 2000's 18 euros would have been only 16$. Euro was introduced in january 2002. Of course, euro won't get so cheap again, at least not very quickly unless those damn Portugal and Spain will go bankrupt . Though things aren't much better in Finland either if looking at the national debt numbers...

I understand about packaging, etc. I wish there was an "SAL" option to come from Europe to the US like there is from Asia. I've shipped a bunch of kits I've sold to guys in Europe for $10-12 and wondered why it's different now (it's been in the last 3 years or so). Economics haven't changed *that* much...

Of course MFH can be wrong (and have been documented to be so on occasion...). Generally, their stuff is much more accurate than, say, Tamiya kits.

I want packaging to be safe and secure but also not charge an arm and a leg. Maybe it's an "insulated American's" view that we don't have shipping costs like this. If so, then it is. I was simply hoping to have a domestic distributor for it to reduce costs a little. This seems like a *great* kit.