Airfix 1/48 Javelin

[72twink]

Have I seriously just seen the correct price?

[dr_gn]

72twink said:

Have I seriously just seen the correct price?

£50? Screw that.

[walford07]

Just got mine from hattons £33 INCLUDING POST.

[Eric Mc]

How much was the Sea Vixen?

If it was Hasegawa or Tamiya, it would be £100 plus.

[Eric Mc]

walford07 said:

Just got mine from hattons £33 INCLUDING POST.

That's pretty good.

I won't be buying it simply because I stick to 1/72 and 1/144.

Hopefully, they'll release a 1/72 version sometime in the future.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

If it was Hasegawa or Tamiya, it would be £100 plus.

Unlikely. The much larger Tamiya 1:48 Lancaster is only listed at £105. A quick browse of Hannants website shows the Tamiya 1:48 aircraft range averages about £35 (including their new tool Il-2 Shturmovik). You can get many of them much cheaper on EBay.

[72twink]

I'm a fan of what Airfix are doing but I don't understand how it's priced higher than the more complex Sea Vixen @ £40 or the comparable Lightning @ £30. Is the build finesse really going to be worth 2 Eduard Spit IXc or three Zvezda Bf109 F-2, I doubt it. For comparison here's a Meng Merkava 3 with Nochri, list price is also £50 (although £35 - £40 is the norm), the 17 spruces barely fit in the box, the tracks, decals, chains, "rope" and hull/turret mouldings have to be stuffed in where you can fit them - a box full of plastic made with the full cooperation of the IDF ....... the Javelin pricing just doesn't stack up!

[Eric Mc]

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

If it was Hasegawa or Tamiya, it would be £100 plus.

Unlikely. The much larger Tamiya 1:48 Lancaster is only listed at £105. A quick browse of Hannants website shows the Tamiya 1:48 aircraft range averages about £35 (including their new tool Il-2 Shturmovik). You can get many of them much cheaper on EBay.

I admit that Tamiya prices are actually reasonable for what you get. On the other hand, Hasegawa prices are outrageous.

[Eric Mc]

Actually, what I DID find more surprising is the price of the new 1/72 Airfix Harrier GR3 which is listed as £14.99.

It had better be VERY good for that price.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Actually, what I DID find more surprising is the price of the new 1/72 Airfix Harrier GR3 which is listed as £14.99.

It had better be VERY good for that price.

I was surprised at the price, but when I looked at the runners there is a lot of plastic there. Compare it with the '109 or Spitfire and I can see the difference - probably most of it is in the underwing stores, and the engine internals/nozzles all of which need their own runners of course.

There's obviously a lot of wing area on the Javelin, but £50?? Ten pounds more than the Sea Vixen according to the Airfix website.

[dr_gn]

72twink said:

I'm a fan of what Airfix are doing but I don't understand how it's priced higher than the more complex Sea Vixen @ £40 or the comparable Lightning @ £30. Is the build finesse really going to be worth 2 Eduard Spit IXc or three Zvezda Bf109 F-2, I doubt it. For comparison here's a Meng Merkava 3 with Nochri, list price is also £50 (although £35 - £40 is the norm), the 17 spruces barely fit in the box, the tracks, decals, chains, "rope" and hull/turret mouldings have to be stuffed in where you can fit them - a box full of plastic made with the full cooperation of the IDF ....... the Javelin pricing just doesn't stack up!

Currently £42 for the Wingnut Wings SE5a (the best kit I've ever built) including free worldwide delivery from New Zealand. I can't figure out how they make a profit. Nor can I figure out how Hannants can charge £69 for the same kit.

[72twink]

Eric Mc said:

Actually, what I DID find more surprising is the price of the new 1/72 Airfix Harrier GR3 which is listed as £14.99.

It had better be VERY good for that price.

Is there really that much more kit in the box than their SHar?

dr_gn said:

Currently £42 for the Wingnut Wings SE5a (the best kit I've ever built) including free worldwide delivery from New Zealand. I can't figure out how they make a profit. Nor can I figure out how Hannants can charge £69 for the same kit.

And I bet like the Merk every time you slid the box lid off there was an excitment and an urge to ignore the rest of the build pile and dive in!

[Eric Mc]

dr_gn said:

Currently £42 for the Wingnut Wings SE5a (the best kit I've ever built) including free worldwide delivery from New Zealand. I can't figure out how they make a profit. Nor can I figure out how Hannants can charge £69 for the same kit.

Maybe they are being bankrolled by Peter Jackson.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

dr_gn said:

Currently £42 for the Wingnut Wings SE5a (the best kit I've ever built) including free worldwide delivery from New Zealand. I can't figure out how they make a profit. Nor can I figure out how Hannants can charge £69 for the same kit.

Maybe they are being bankrolled by Peter Jackson.

I'd have thought they don't have to take a hit. Maybe a few loss leaders to get themselves established, but not now they are acknowledged as among the best kits available? People will always pay a premium for the best of anything. I'd have paid far more than I did for mine (IIRC less than £40 at the time).

[dr_gn]

72twink said:

dr_gn said:

Currently £42 for the Wingnut Wings SE5a (the best kit I've ever built) including free worldwide delivery from New Zealand. I can't figure out how they make a profit. Nor can I figure out how Hannants can charge £69 for the same kit.

And I bet like the Merk every time you slid the box lid off there was an excitment and an urge to ignore the rest of the build pile and dive in!

Yup, it got the better of me eventually. I did hesitate a while becasue I didn't want to mess it up.

[Eric Mc]

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

dr_gn said:

Currently £42 for the Wingnut Wings SE5a (the best kit I've ever built) including free worldwide delivery from New Zealand. I can't figure out how they make a profit. Nor can I figure out how Hannants can charge £69 for the same kit.

Maybe they are being bankrolled by Peter Jackson.

I'd have thought they don't have to take a hit. Maybe a few loss leaders to get themselves established, but not now they are acknowledged as among the best kits available? People will always pay a premium for the best of anything. I'd have paid far more than I did for mine (IIRC less than £40 at the time).

Who knows how they are financed. Unless one is involved in the running of a business one does not have a clue as to what its financial and cost structures are and how much turnover it needs to make in order to generate profits and what levels of profit are considered acceptable to its backers.

Any amazement of the "cheapness" of Wingnut Wings models should be counteracted by shock as the current retail price of Hasegawa kits - especially here in the UK.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

dr_gn said:

Currently £42 for the Wingnut Wings SE5a (the best kit I've ever built) including free worldwide delivery from New Zealand. I can't figure out how they make a profit. Nor can I figure out how Hannants can charge £69 for the same kit.

Maybe they are being bankrolled by Peter Jackson.

I'd have thought they don't have to take a hit. Maybe a few loss leaders to get themselves established, but not now they are acknowledged as among the best kits available? People will always pay a premium for the best of anything. I'd have paid far more than I did for mine (IIRC less than £40 at the time).

Who knows how they are financed. Unless one is involved in the running of a business one does not have a clue as to what its financial and cost structures are and how much turnover it needs to make in order to generate profits and what levels of profit are considered acceptable to its backers.

Any amazement of the "cheapness" of Wingnut Wings models should be counteracted by shock as the current retail price of Hasegawa kits - especially here in the UK.

I suppose it depends on how they define 'profit', and whether they need it: If it's just a small group of enthusiasts doing what they love to do and paying themselves a decent salary then who needs profit? If they want to invest in new kits (which they obviously have done) then it would seem strange to deliberately operate at a loss. I think I read that their kits were manufactured in China or India, so it's not as if they have their own manufacturing facility.

If Hasegawa sold direct to the public, then presumably the prices would reduce in a similar ratio to Wnw/Hannants i.e. about 40% less when sold direct?

Then again how and why do Airfix sell direct from their website at - in the case of the Javelin - a price about 35% more than other retaillers (if walford07's purchase price is right)?

It's all a mystery. Model shows and EBay are the best places to get cheap, good quality kits IMO.

[Eric Mc]

Absolutely - and increasingly where I look to make the bulk of my purchases.

The Hasegawa situation is awful - but the high prices appear to be the result of the pricing policy adopted by the UK importer - who I understand to be that part of the "Modelzone" empire that was profitable and remains in business. So, the policy seems to be working - much to my annoyance.