Best place to buy Tamiya?
Best place to buy Tamiya?
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Discussion

ReallyReallyGood

Original Poster:

1,641 posts

154 months

Monday 5th August 2013
quotequote all
As title, where's the best place to buy Tamiya car models?
With no Modelzone, googling mainly brings up emodels (any good?) and ebay (do not trust), any recommendations?

SlipStream77

2,153 posts

215 months

Monday 5th August 2013
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I use eModels quite a lot, they are good, Antics is a popular website too with a lot of stock.

Blakeatron

2,556 posts

197 months

Monday 5th August 2013
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I use stella models in HK, great service - just run the risk of customs charges!

ReallyReallyGood

Original Poster:

1,641 posts

154 months

Monday 5th August 2013
quotequote all
Ta will check them out

russy01

4,823 posts

205 months

C.A.R.

3,990 posts

212 months

Tuesday 6th August 2013
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I can't not promote Time Tunnel Models, as I used to work there years ago when they were based in Stevenage.

The owner knows his stuff. Sadly the costs of a proper UK imported kit are often much higher than the stuff you can see online from Hong Kong / Japan, but the risk you carry with these are the hefty import fees should it get stuck in customs.

AshVX220

5,965 posts

214 months

Tuesday 6th August 2013
quotequote all
C.A.R. said:
I can't not promote Time Tunnel Models, as I used to work there years ago when they were based in Stevenage.

The owner knows his stuff. Sadly the costs of a proper UK imported kit are often much higher than the stuff you can see online from Hong Kong / Japan, but the risk you carry with these are the hefty import fees should it get stuck in customs.
I got my Tamiya from Time Tunnel a long time ago (10 years or so) and they were fine.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

214 months

Tuesday 6th August 2013
quotequote all
ReallyReallyGood said:
As title, where's the best place to buy Tamiya car models?
With no Modelzone, googling mainly brings up emodels (any good?) and ebay (do not trust), any recommendations?
Curious, but why Tamiya? Are they better than they used to be? A Losi, Traxxas, Schumacher or many other RC makers make far superior performing RC vehicles.

ReallyReallyGood

Original Poster:

1,641 posts

154 months

Tuesday 6th August 2013
quotequote all
I'm not after RC, just model kits.

Used to make them like 10-15 years ago and seemed much better than the competition at the time, I assume they're still considered a decent bet?

SlipStream77

2,153 posts

215 months

Tuesday 6th August 2013
quotequote all
ReallyReallyGood said:
I'm not after RC, just model kits.

Used to make them like 10-15 years ago and seemed much better than the competition at the time, I assume they're still considered a decent bet?
Tamiya are excellent model kits, I mainly build aircraft, the last one I put together required almost no filler at all. I think Hasagawa are supposed to be pretty good too, I haven't much experience with their kits though.


Eric Mc

124,931 posts

289 months

Tuesday 6th August 2013
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Tamiya have been consistently good almost from the off (early 1960s I think).

Hasegawa do make nice kits but, like Revell and Airfix, some of their older products are a bit long in the tooth and are not up to modern standards.
However, overall their consistency and quality is good.

My main bugbear is the current extortionate prices they sell for in the UK. They just cost too much at the moment.

Skodaku

1,805 posts

243 months

Tuesday 6th August 2013
quotequote all
ReallyReallyGood said:
As title, where's the best place to buy Tamiya car models?
With no Modelzone, googling mainly brings up emodels (any good?) and ebay (do not trust), any recommendations?
eBay is always worth a look. Lots of bona fide dealers sell Tamiya - new and older stuff.

geezerbutler

561 posts

166 months

Wednesday 7th August 2013
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Hannants or Hobbylink Japan?

Krikkit

27,842 posts

205 months

Wednesday 7th August 2013
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SlipStream77 said:
ReallyReallyGood said:
I'm not after RC, just model kits.

Used to make them like 10-15 years ago and seemed much better than the competition at the time, I assume they're still considered a decent bet?
Tamiya are excellent model kits, I mainly build aircraft, the last one I put together required almost no filler at all. I think Hasagawa are supposed to be pretty good too, I haven't much experience with their kits though.
Agreed, Tamiya are currently my favourite model company. Their modern kits fit fabulously well, even their older gear is quite passable by modern standards.

Having just started trying to build a 90's Monogram F-117 kit, I realise how far ahead of the competition they really are/were.