While the Roco / Herpa apologists tell us that it is necessary to pay $20 or $30 or $40 dollars for a quality HO scale tank model because of the high cost of labor in Europe and the poor value value of the dollar, the Japanese are making excellent HO scale vehicles for only $8.
This HO 1/87th scale Japanese Self Defense Force anti-aircraft gun is only $8 and it comes assembled and painted and decalled.
As you can tell from the photos these are very nice scale models, there is no flash and the paint jobs are good.
This company makes three different model vehicles all modern Japanese.
Oh, and did I mention, they are motorized? They come with a small motor and will drive around on your wargame table. Batteries are included, along with a little bit of chewing gum.
4 comments:
I'm afaid you make a good point Mike, but the problem isn't European wages, the rot set in years ago and I blame Games Workshop.
As long as twenty years ago, GW decided that they would produce plastics to accompany their metal range, and in order that the sale of their metal range wasn't adversely affected by the cheaper plastic, they sold their plastic for two or three times what Airfix or Matchbox would charge for a similar amount.
And; Affluent middle class humans, being 'Human' they (GW) got what they asked. As a result subsequent plastics in 25 (now 28mm) were equally expensive, and prices have climbed ever since.
People like HaT prove that these things can still be sold for £4.99 a box of 50 or TWO vehicles (albeit rather simple models), and the hope is - as they and others get into 28's, the prices across the board will come down.
The Victorian business model was 10% profit margin with steady growth, todays bankers, wankers, bean-counters and entrepreneurs want to take 40/50/60%, and too meany gated-community Charlies are willing to pay it without question!
A 40% markup has been standard in the US hobby industry for at least 30 years, that is the difference between the wholesale price and the retail price.
I'm not on about the Dealers markup though, everyone has to make a living. I'm on about the differance in factory door price for given onces of plastic product, If Italeri for instance can issue 50 figures here in the UK for £6, how can Games Workshop justify £12 for 5 figures, even if the figures are bigger.
But because the buisness model involves pester power and buying into a 'system' they get it?
That is one of the reasons I don't like fantasy type gaming systems. They eliminate the entire range every couple years and change the rules so you have to re-purchase the entire line over and over.
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