why is it new Tamiya models come out so rarely

[DarkKnight]

why does it take so long for Tamiya and perhaps Hasegawa too?

[gonzalo]

Supply and demand my friend. Tamiya makes such good quality kits whenever one is released its a huge deal. They keep current kits stocked, which sell really well, but the selection is relatively low. So when they release a new kit its a big deal.

Edited April 13, 2015 by gonzalo

[11bee]

If it makes you any happier, see the prop forum. Tamiya just announced a new 1/32nd Mosquito!

[Platycqb]

The labor cost in Japan is very high.

But what's the part of labor in the final price? I mean compared to the plastic cost.

Unless you included the labor cost for design (whether the kit or the molds).

[thegoodsgt]

Clearly it's a business decision on their part, so only someone in Tamiya management can definitively answer. We can only speculate.

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

[Janissary]

Tamiya's slowness also baffles me. They have a great opportunity with the 2-seater vipers in all three scales and they still have not capitalized on that. Maybe they think they have no competition but given their success with the one-seaters it just doesn't make sense to me why they have waited for such a long time.

[cag_200]

I rather hoped seeing a Tamiya 1/32 F-22 than a Mosquito to be honest ....

Edited April 13, 2015 by cag_200

[GreyGhost]

Tamiya wants modelers to line up outside their stores like people waiting for the latest Apple gizmo do ...

-Gregg

[mingwin]

But what's the part of labor in the final price? I mean compared to the plastic cost.

Unless you included the labor cost for design (whether the kit or the molds).

the labor price is the biggest part in the total cost of a model.

plastic, by itself, cost nearly nothing...

[toadwbg]

Tamiya wants modelers to line up outside their stores like people waiting for the latest Apple gizmo do ... :taunt:/>

-Gregg

Not a bad comparison except Apple comes out with product more often

[skyhawk174]

Well Hasegawa releases "new" stuff pretty fast but unfortunately for us it is simply a rebox with some new decals in most cases. I know they have issued versions of the Skyhawk with some resin and white metal producing a new kit with an associated cost increase.

Tamiya does not seem to do that or in not many cases. My only thinking is that Tamiya waits until it gathers an appropriate return on investment before it issues a brand new kit. On the armour side Tamiya released a 1/35 Gama Goat and a few months later re-released it as an ambulance version. Pretty much the same thing but the new release had a cover on the trailer. I was surprised as it was so quick. Not so with the aircraft it appears.

I too am waiting for the F-16 two seaters.

[Scooby]

Tamiya releases more often than Hasegawa. At least Tamiya has been fairly steady with their 1/32 releases.

I can't even remember what Hasegawa's last 1/48 new tool kit release was.

[Joel_W]

I'm not surprised that Tamiya will be releasing another 1/32 WW11 prop rather then a more contemporary jet. Mr. T. has always had a greater interest in WW11 aircraft then new jet aircraft. Hence, the Spitfires, to the Mustangs to the Corsairs, and now the Mosquito.

Joel

[Koen L]

Tamiya releases more often than Hasegawa. At least Tamiya has been fairly steady with their 1/32 releases.

I can't even remember what Hasegawa's last 1/48 new tool kit release was.

I wouldn't say so, Hasegawa releases a new 1/32 WW2 prop a year as well but they might stand out less since the last few years they've all been Japanese aircraft. Apart from that I believe they've released quite a few new 1/72 kits. It's not like Tamiya releases a lot of 1/48 kits either...

[Scooby]

I wouldn't say so, Hasegawa releases a new 1/32 WW2 prop a year as well but they might stand out less since the last few years they've all been Japanese aircraft. Apart from that I believe they've released quite a few new 1/72 kits. It's not like Tamiya releases a lot of 1/48 kits either...

I guess I shouldn't have expanded on that more, yeah I know Hasegawa has released 1/32 Japanese aircraft and several 1/72 kits over the years. They seem to be ignoring the 1/48 kits though.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Scooby

[11bee]

I thought I read somewhere that the owner of the company (Mr Tamiya?) tends to focus on subjects that he is interested in, regardless of commercial appeal. You can definitely see this in their armor offerings, maybe less so with their aircraft.

Given the quality of their 1/32 scale aircraft kits, I'd rather get one Tamiya kit per year than 20 releases from some of their Chinese competitors.

[Jennings]

The plastic kit part of Tamiya is an insignificant blip on the radar of a huge company. It is the plaything of top management. Tamiya makes its money on things we never see or hear of.

Hasegawa, on the other hand, is a tiny company. A few dozen people, and they don't even own an injection molding machine.

[Scooby]

I only wish a 1/72 E & H Model C-130 would be released by either Hasegawa, Tamiya, or Revell. No sissy J models.

Life would be complete if they were to do that. They would be the only 1/72 scale kits I would own.

[polar bear]

Tamiya has wide range in hobby business. They do not produce only aircraft kit but also AFV, cars, RC, paints, tools, etc.. Their R&D are reliable.

Comparing to H company that re-box their old model with new decals.

In another consideration, comparing to modern Chinese model companies. I still curious why Tamiya cannot release their models with that rate.

Edited April 14, 2015 by polar bear

[Edgar]

Tamiya is a business, run by businessmen to make a profit. If they feel that a two-seater F-16 won't sell in enough numbers to make money and keep the company viable, they won't produce it, and their greatest volume of sales is in Japan, not the U.S., U.K., or anywhere else in the world.

They also take a pride in getting the final product right, so spend ages going to the real thing, measuring and photographing it, then turning that into a sellable item, and research time is one of the most expensive in a company.

If the Tamiya board feel that they will sell more 1/32 Mosquito F.B.VI kits than a two-seater F-16, that's a decision that they (and you) will just have to learn to live with; it took around 65 years for us, in the U.K., to see a 1/32 Spitfire from them.

[Inquisitor]

Tamiya has wide range in hobby business. They do not produce only aircraft kit but also AFV, cars, RC, paints, tools, etc.. Their R&D are reliable.

Comparing to H company that re-box their old model with new decals.

In another consideration, comparing to modern Chinese model companies. I still curious why Tamiya cannot release their models with that rate.

Like Jennings said, because their plastic model kits (that includes airplanes, cars, AFV, ships, etc) are a blip in the radar compared to their RC and Mini 4WD products.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Inquisitor

[Pep]

The plastic kit part of Tamiya is an insignificant blip on the radar of a huge company. It is the plaything of top management. Tamiya makes its money on things we never see or hear of.

Hasegawa, on the other hand, is a tiny company. A few dozen people, and they don't even own an injection molding machine.

Yeah everyone know Tamiya's Real Bread and Butter*.

Or bread and yakitori

[Don]

Yeah but you can't beat that Yakitori with a good bottle of Merlot!

[breadneck]

Just received the new 1:72 TAMIYA IL-2 kit. And what a beauty she is. When i first saw this kit released under the Tamiya label it took me 2 years to realize it was infact a Tamiya mould. Needless to say i was very surprised. That`s what you get for flying the italeri kits under a false flag. A lot of uncertainty. You literally have to buy the kit to find out. Unless you have the internets.

[john53]

Come out of what?