ChesshireCat Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Oh I didn't take offense. I just don't think Hobby Town is a good representation of what is and isn't selling. I think the hard cores in this hobby have pretty much turned to online purchasing. Our Hobby Town opened about 2 years ago I think. They've had a 1/32 B-17 for as long as I can remember. I agree with you...I don't think most people buying kits at HT are in the market for a kit of that price level and complexity. Usually the guys in there browsing in the few times I've been seemed very unfamiliar with the hobby in general, so no, I don't think those big ticket kits will sell there. What I really don't get about my local HT is their pricing..it's all over the place. The HK B-17? It's marked $10 over the Scale Hobbyist (usually cheapest on kits stateside) price...but the HK Mosquito is $70 above. They also have the Kitty Hawk F-86 at like $5 over online, but a Special Hobby 1/32 kit is $40 over...the Revell 1/32 FW is the same price as online...other Revell kits...way over... There's no sense in their pricing spread. At first I thought maybe it was because of what they are or aren't paying different importers, but that doesn't pan out when 2 kits by the same company are so far spread apart in price vs. their online prices. Funny thing about the Revell FW190 kit is that I bought it for $26 and some change. Took it home and looked it over as best I could without opening the bags (I'd loose my head if not attached). Next day went over there and ordered three more kits. Never bothered to see if I could have bought the kit any cheaper till a few weeks later. Virtually the same price before shipping! Pretty much the same way with my Tasca Shermans. Yes I can beat the price by about five dollars, then turn around and pay even more in shipping! But the big one for me is the Revell Gato class submarine. Cheapest I've ever seen one is about $115 ($130 at Hobby Lobby). They have it for $89!!! Now I virtually stole my Gato from Hobby Lobby. They had it regularly marked for $59 (not a sale price). I questioned the folks and they assured me that was the correct price. Then I asked if I could use my 40% coupon? A month later they have another kit on the shelf for $130! I may buy another Gato as I really like this kit even though a finished kit will come in at three times that price tag (or more). Those big kits are neat, but end up costing a lot of money to really make them nice (I have a U-Boat that will come in at a tic under $400 with figures and all[probably closer to $450]). It's crazy the way prices are allover the place. Now if I owned Hasegawa, I'd have started with an A6m2 followed shortly with a Rufe, and a catapult kit as an option. My God we'd be lined up to buy both kits and the catapult!! Now I have the Tamiya A6m5 kit, and with the exception of the landing gear setup; I love the kit to death.(what were they thinking?) Follow this kit with an A6m3, and so on till you get to the A6m7. They will sell once the modelers find out your selling a great kit. Still they could have done better yet unless they just want to stick with the Japanese line up (I'm good with that) like Fujimi did in 1/72. With 1/32 scale kind of making a big surge lately, I'd still like to seen them do some things like a Pete, an He162, and a few early war Japanese air craft. Hasegawa should release two kits a year in 1/32. Have one hit the market in early spring and the other in October, but also be predictable. Revell could do well to follow this release model as well, but maybe stagger their releases in the other scales (by the way Revell, I'm still waiting on the Hudson). The concept of making the buyer wait till your good and ready is not going to work these days. The competition is getting better by the release (an example is Meng, HKM, and Meng), so you got to stay on top of the game, and yet be competitive price wise. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kaz Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Hasegawa should release two kits a year in 1/32. Have one hit the market in early spring and the other in October, but also be predictable. Revell could do well to follow this release model as well, but maybe stagger their releases in the other scales (by the way Revell, I'm still waiting on the Hudson). The concept of making the buyer wait till your good and ready is not going to work these days. The competition is getting better by the release (an example is Meng, HKM, and Meng), so you got to stay on top of the game, and yet be competitive price wise. Considering how Hasegawa did 2 variants of their 1/32 Raiden within 12 months after the initial release, it's not unlikely they'll follow up the new A6M5 with a variant next year. However, the kit engineering doesn't imply any modularity like their Shiden and Raiden, which means releasing a different model (not a variant of A6M5) will take some more time. As for release windows and competition, my personal observation is that instead of directly competing, plastic model companies (with a few exceptions) try catering to different consumer preferences and niches. Fun trivia: According to the company, they 3D-scanned of a real-life Zero (I assume it's the one on display in the Yamato Museum) to get the shape of the aircraft. Like most modern kits, this new Zero model was made through CAD; however, the 1/32 Raiden was made with a wooden master model. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kaz Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Hasegawa has reset the release date of this kit to March 2016, not February as I've hoped. In other news, they're releasing a 1/24 Honda N360 in the same month. http://www.hasegawa-model.co.jp/product/hc21/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gocoogs Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 For what it's worth, HLJ has this kit listed as a Feb release. https://www.hlj.com/product/HSGST34/Air Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Hasegawa makes exceptional float planes, but also in 1/48 & 1/72 only. Love to see them all in 1/32. Just the thought of a Pete gets my heart ponding! gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Slartibartfast Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Love to see them all in 1/32. Just the thought of a Pete gets my heart pounding. "I'd buy that for a dollar!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
timc Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 If Hasegawa were to upsize their A6M2N Suisen to 1/32, I'd be all over that like a hobo on a bologna sandwich! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kaz Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 The Honda N360 already has its test shots but not the Zero that releases in the same month. It went under the radar of many reports but Hasegawa in Nuremberg showed a few photographs of the moulds. http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2016/Bilder_AT/Hasegawa_02.jpg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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