Why are plastic models so expensive

Why are plastic models so expensive

Author
Discussion

Stevemr

Original Poster:

540 posts

155 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
quotequote all
Just looking at the Tamiya 1/35th AFVs, I used to model as a kid, Tiger tank around £30, seems a lot of money, the costs must be in the research and moulds, the cardbox and plastic, must cost pence? The moulds were I assume made a long time ago, so how come so expensive?

dr_gn

16,140 posts

183 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
quotequote all
Stevemr said:
Just looking at the Tamiya 1/35th AFVs, I used to model as a kid, Tiger tank around £30, seems a lot of money, the costs must be in the research and moulds, the cardbox and plastic, must cost pence? The moulds were I assume made a long time ago, so how come so expensive?
Some of the recent stuff they have released is new tooling, and the quality kit manufacturers like Tamiya have finely detailled moulds, which are expensive. Don't forget they have to import them too. People are always willing to pay a premium for quality, so...why not?

Eric Mc

121,785 posts

264 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
quotequote all
It's all relative.

In the modern age, I would not look on £30 as being overly expensive for a kit like that.

How about over £50 for a 1/72 Hasegawa Lancaster when the Revell one is under £20 and the new Airfix one is around £25?

BULLITT Rich

550 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
It gets worse, £150 I have currently in the 1/48 Tamiya Lancaster kit with all of the extra Eduard kits that are available for it and it's sat in my stash waiting to be built.

I also have two 1/12 Fujimi R32 Skyline GTRs that have cost me over £250 each as they are discontinued, quite rare and had to be imported so I was charged Import duty.

But to compare, how much do people generally spend on a night out on the lash...?

Eric Mc

121,785 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
On the whole, I would say kit prices (with certain exceptions) have kept pace with inflation. A basic Airfix Series 1 kit will still be under £10 (usually priced £5.99 to £7.99) which is broadly equivalent to a packet of 20 fags.
The same holds true for Revell kits.

I have always equated Series 1 equivalent kits with a packet of 20 ciggies.

Stevemr

Original Poster:

540 posts

155 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Fair comments,

I think I must have got more pocket money as a kid than I remember!

Certainly if you work out the cost per hour of entertainment building them it must work out a bargain!

Eric Mc

121,785 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Just to show the effects of inflation over an (almost) 40 year period.

Back in 1975, as a teen, I splashed out and bought the Tamiya 1/12 Scale Ferrari 312B Formula 1 kit (a lovely model by the way). It cost me about £8.50 back then - which was a lot of money for a school goer.



Tamiya have recently re-released this kit (with some upgrades) and it now retails at around £160.

SydneyBridge

8,500 posts

157 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Sure I read somewhere that the cost of labour in China has increased loads in recent years and that has increased the price of a lot of things, certainly die cast models have increased at least 2/3 fold in the last few years

Eric Mc

121,785 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Hornby have just announced losses of £1.2 million - partly because of problems with Chinese production. They've paid a £600,000 compensation fee to the Chinese company to terminate the contract.

Obviously, the advantages of producing in China are fading rapidly.

Lost soul

8,712 posts

181 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
On the whole, I would say kit prices (with certain exceptions) have kept pace with inflation. A basic Airfix Series 1 kit will still be under £10

I have always equated Series 1 equivalent kits with a packet of 20 ciggies.
I remember as a kid the basic Airfix 1;144 kits of aircraft in a plastic bag they must have been about 2/6 in old money

What you say Eric am I about right

Eric Mc

121,785 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Depends on when you were a kid smile

In the mid 60s, when I made my first ever kits (Series 1 Airfix - what else) the price in Ireland was 2/6 (12 1/2p). In the UK I think they retailed for 2/- (10p) at that time.

When Matchbox launched their Series 1 equivalent range in 1972, they sold for 23p each.

I am sure you are referring to the bagged 1/72 kits. Airfix's 1/144 Skyking airliner range were always boxed and were always a lot more than 2 shillings.

Lost soul

8,712 posts

181 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Depends on when you were a kid smile


I am sure you are referring to the bagged 1/72 kits. Airfix's 1/144 Skyking airliner range were always boxed and were always a lot more than 2 shillings.
You could be right on the 1:72 ME 109 , Spitfire , that sort of thing , pretty basic kits but a good place to start

yes mid -to late 60's

Eric Mc

121,785 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Whatever about the quality of the plastic, the artwork shouted "buy me" to an 8 year old -


ExPat2B

2,157 posts

199 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
The money is in the moulds and tooling up for mass production. The moulds themselves cost from 10,000 to 50,000 to produce. Injection moulding machines are on the order of 200,000 pounds.

I used to know someone who worked for matchbox. The mould to make the plastic windshield for the car cost over 20,000 pounds.

Injection moulding is not cheap.

Lost soul

8,712 posts

181 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Whatever about the quality of the plastic, the artwork shouted "buy me" to an 8 year old -

hehe Yes it did , they are famous for the art work

I learnt a lot from building these kits , happy days smile

Eric Mc

121,785 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Roy Cross was the artist. His paintings were the best of their era.

Although I have to say that the new Airfix artwork by Adam Tooby is pretty much as good.






Lost soul

8,712 posts

181 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Roy Cross was the artist. His paintings were the best of their era.

Although I have to say that the new Airfix artwork by Adam Tooby is pretty much as good.
Hmm not so sure about the new guy , Roy Cross somehow created an atmosphere a little story you had running around in your head as you built them hehe or was that just me

rich1231

17,331 posts

259 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Much of the loss must be attributed to the Modelzone collapse.

If anyone wants to track anything obscure down then pm me.

Eric Mc

121,785 posts

264 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
That's not what Hornby are saying. They are laying the blame firmly in the direction of China. They state production difficulties with a Chinese supplier and unexpected foreign currency fluctuations.

And none of it appears to have much to do with the Airfix division of the company. It seems it's more connected with the model train area. Last year they also had to write off a lot of unsold stock connected to the London Olympics so some management decisions seems to be coming home to roost.

Brigand

2,544 posts

168 months

Thursday 10th April 2014
quotequote all
Lost soul said:
Eric Mc said:
Roy Cross was the artist. His paintings were the best of their era.

Although I have to say that the new Airfix artwork by Adam Tooby is pretty much as good.
Hmm not so sure about the new guy , Roy Cross somehow created an atmosphere a little story you had running around in your head as you built them hehe or was that just me
Is this not because it was decreed a few years ago that the original 'action' paintings were considered too violent for modern tastes, so bombs, flames, explosions etc were painted out, or new, 'peaceful' artwork was drawn up?

I will agree that I've noticed the price of kits going up, but no doubt for the reasons that have already been mentioned here. As a kid at the height of my pocket money receiving days (ended late 90's I reckon) I was getting £5 a week, which allowed me to get a new kit each weekend. It was mainly the Airfix and Revell kits that I could afford, and there were plenty to choose from. Bigger kits were bought with birthday, Christmas money.

I stopped building kits for around twelve years whilst I was in the RAF, but restarted a year or two ago and I'm finding that those type of kits I was buying as a kid have increased to between £5-£10, whilst nicer (and the stuff I'd generally buy now) like Tamiya kits are £30-£50 for a tank or similar.

I remember Humbrol paint being about 50p a tin, now its creeping up to £2 in most places local to me!

Its just the way it is I guess, inflation, the Chinese market and all.