New Tool Hasegawa 1/32 Zero.....Why?

[DeanKB]

Usually cheaper to buy from abroad for larger items, as VAT is paid on UK store purchases as well.

 

But the £8 fee can turn a fairly cheap product into a more expensive one very quickly - a £20 purchase would effectively have a 40% tax from the £8 fee, as well as the 20% VAT.

 

Rising postage costs don't help. Sometimes these wipe out any benefit as they are in excess of the stores margin, or very close to it.

 

In general, I order in bulk, a few items at once. This reduces the shipping cost per item, as well as sweating the £8 fee over more items.

 

But orders of small numbers of items goes to Hannants or similar, as the cost saving is pretty negligible by buying abroad, and Hannants will have it through your letterbox the next day.

 

But buying, say, the Tamiya Mossie was much cheaper abroad. Even so, I added a Tamiya Spitfire to the order & used the $2 surface shipping offer at LH, to maximise my savings.

[D Bellis]

... when D Bellis asked this same question about hlj shipping rates.

If only people were as quick to add in the that extra 30% or so that it cost them for shipping as they are to claim they got a kit for $44, others won't have to point this out for them so that the reality of the total cost is a vastly different figure.  

 

D

[KOG7777]

The overseas shipping seems barely worth mentioning since the amount is less than i'd pay a local online retailer for sales tax and domestic shipping.

 

Also, it should be pointed out that juggernut's quoted rates are for shipping the kit solo. If one orders things here and there, and has hlj hold them for a while, one can (if one chooses) wait and request a bulk shipment of many items at once, and this has the effect of reducing the PER ITEM shipping cost by as much as 50%.

 

For example, i have hlj sitting on 6 kits right now (various scales and subjects, but all boxes are about the size of a tamiya 1/48 p-47 or slightly bigger) and if i chose to have all 6 shipped right now via express EMS, it would cost me $35 or so. That's $35 to ship 6 average sized kits via the fastest and most expensive shipping method. That's slightly under $6 per kit for express delivery from japan.

 

In the case of the Hasegawa zero, i may be eager to have it shipped right away... so what i can do is request shipment of the zero + one or two of my smaller kits. This will slightly raise the total shipping cost of my package, but again it will greatly lower the PER ITEM shipping rate. So what I actually pay for shipping the zero will, in the end, be quite a bit less than juggernut's estimated rates.

 

So the shipping cost winds up being eminently reasonable. Solo SAL is reasonable all by itself, but the benefits of combined shipment make it even better.

 

Of course you have to do business regularly with hlj in order to reap the benefits of combined shipments, but with the cost savings involved, there's no reason NOT to use hlj regularly.

 

And of course i should stress that this only applies to buying kits of japanese manufacture. For european and even other asian kits, i usually buy elsewhere.

 

But the Hasegawa Zero is japanese in origin, so ordering from hlj is a win.

[hworth18]

I think it's interesting how this has turned into a discussion about shipping costs and import taxes when this kit will eventually be as common as any other Hasegawa kit and available at any and all local hobby shops.

 

We should really wait til this kit is distributed world-wide and we can have a real discussion about the cost of the kit instead of all the speculation and conjecture about the total costs of a kit we don't even know about.

Edited April 4, 2016 by hworth18

[LSP_Mike]

While this is essentially a discussion about the new tool Hase A6m Zero, the shipping discussion is pertinent to the larger concern regarding shipping,fees, and taxes in this new "worldwide"market.

 Each and everyones mileage can, and will vary. Important to keep this in mind. I did like the images of the new kit, and may buy one. I do wish Hase would get to it and tool a REX, RUFE, PETE, JAKE, VAL, KATE, or a number of other subjects, but they will do things their way, and I'll vote with my wallet- pretty simple to me.

[hworth18]

While this is essentially a discussion about the new tool Hase A6m Zero, the shipping discussion is pertinent to the larger concern regarding shipping,fees, and taxes in this new "worldwide"market.

 Each and everyones mileage can, and will vary. Important to keep this in mind. I did like the images of the new kit, and may buy one. I do wish Hase would get to it and tool a REX, RUFE, PETE, JAKE, VAL, KATE, or a number of other subjects, but they will do things their way, and I'll vote with my wallet- pretty simple to me.

Buying new tool kits is one way to motivate Hasegawa to produce that very list.. I think that Hasegawa has figured out what price point they can get away with and what they can't. I also think this was tested when they re-issued their Tony kit (and others) at $70 and no one bought it.

[Darren Howie]

A Hasegawa Tony for $70?

Not sure where you shop but I would recommend a change.

They sold so "well" every run ever done of the 32nd Tony sold out and right now they are hard to get.

The most expensive release was 3500Â¥ which was about 28 USD.

It seems to me the biggest change is the dramatic rise in postal costs worldwide.

The USA has pistage rates that are hurting international sales and I infrequently now buy kits out of the US as it's simply crazy to pay ridiculous postage rates compared to out of Hong Kong or Japan for equivalent items from the US.

Glad,y a Japan has not bumped postage up to much in comparison with most and good rates can be gotten out of the UK as well occasionally.

A sign of the times..

[Big Texan]

It seems to me the biggest change is the dramatic rise in postal costs worldwide.

The USA has postage rates that are hurting international sales and I infrequently now buy kits out of the US as it's simply crazy to pay ridiculous postage rates compared to out of Hong Kong or Japan for equivalent items from the US.

Glad,y a Japan has not bumped postage up to much in comparison with most and good rates can be gotten out of the UK as well occasionally.

A sign of the times..

 

Yep, couldn't agree more. Very sad. Not sure why the rates have skyrocketed, but it has to be hurting sales all around the world.

 

*****Back to the Zero......has anyone seen any pics, have one in hand yet, or any further news about the release date and so on?

[D Bellis]

While this is essentially a discussion about the new tool Hase A6m Zero, the shipping discussion is pertinent to the larger concern regarding shipping,fees, and taxes in this new "worldwide"market.

Shipping fees are not the issue with regards to this discussion.

 

How those fees impact the price of this kit (the new Hasegawa A6M5c) is the issue. Apparently, some folks think that the low selling prices of certain retailers is indicative of this new kit's cost without considering the actual to-the-door cost. 

 

The facts of this discussion have not changed since page 1 almost two months ago: 

1) The new Hasegawa A6M5c kit is welcomed by those that want the subtle differences of the c, and by those not wanting the hassle of the Tamiya A6M5's complexity.

2) The new Hasegawa kit is foolishly being marketed in the US and other parts of the world in almost the same price range as the current street price of the Tamiya A6M5 kit - the retail price of the Tamiya A6M5 has been (and continues to be) around $65 with free shipping to the US from several Japanese retailers. 

3) Maybe someday the new Hasegawa A6M5c kit will be available in the $40 range with shipping included or free shipping, but prospective buyers will have to wait for special sales to see it at that price (if ever). 

 

 

*****Back to the Zero......has anyone seen any pics, have one in hand yet, or any further news about the release date and so on?

Posted a few days ago by Juggernut, but subsequently lost in the confusion:

http://www.hlj.com/product/HSGST34/Air

 

D

[Rob Owens]

Has Hasegawa produced a new 5c solely as a canvas for Tanimizu's kill markings?? I'd be much more ready to part with my Hobby $ on a reissued P-40K/N than anything IJA/IJN. . .

Rob

[KOG7777]

Apparently, some folks think that the low selling prices of certain retailers is indicative of this new kit's cost without considering the actual to-the-door cost.

 

D

I assure you, the costs have been considered most carefully. I wrote a number of paragraphs on the subject.

 

My final cost will be between $45 and $49 if I use SAL, with the variable being solo shipmemt vs bulk shipment. Total will be a little more if I ship EMS. But a final "to the door" figure in the $40s is very possible.

 

Japanese retail $ + SAL shipping $ < domestic retail $ + domestic sales tax $ + domestic shipping $

 

There may be other deals out there. Later. Reasonable prices w/ free shipping might show up eventually. There might be sales at domestic websites. Everyone's free to wait for the best bargain they can find.

 

My main, and original point was that the high domestic MSRP isn't much of an issue since there's so many ways to get the kit for less.

 

Back on the topic of the kit: I'm still super pleased that Hasegawa is doing a Zero, even though I have a few of the Tamiya kits already. It means Hasegawa is willing to update older kits in their lineup. So this opens the door, if even just a crack, to the possibility of updated Hayabusa or Hellcat kits from them. I look forward to this (fingers crossed) since no other company has stepped forward with modern/quality kits of these aircraft.

Edited April 4, 2016 by KOG7777

[Big Texan]

Thank you Mr. Bellis for putting that link up from Juggernaut. Really looks like a beautiful kit. I still believe that they made this Zero kit to replace their old one. The old kit, as you know, has raised lines and rivets. Because of it's age, the detail has grown soft over the years. So, I'm glad they've made this kit. Be nice to see it on the shelves here after the chaos and crazy people get their fix and us normal people will be able to get one at a decent price.

 

Juggernaut, thanks for posting the link in your post. Those pics of the kit show a beautiful model!

[LSP_K2]

Has Hasegawa produced a new 5c solely as a canvas for Tanimizu's kill markings?? I'd be much more ready to part with my Hobby $ on a reissued P-40K/N than anything IJA/IJN. . .

Rob

 

I'm reasonable confident that other decals will appear.

[LSP_Mike]

You split a pretty fine line Darin.

[Juggernut]

I just saw that Hobbico is listing the new zeke for $72.99 (MSRP).  http://www.hasegawausa.com/product-pages/hsgs8884.html

 

Now we all know that we don't pay MSRP for any kit but as a guide to what any  given retailer might charge, it's a good indicator that it'll be 10-15% below that retail price (just a WAG here).  Add domestic shipping on top of that and you can compare it to the offering from HLJ or other "off shore" suppliers.  You guys outside the US may or may not be able to use this as a guide as to how much you could expect to pay.

 

I'd love to be one of the first to buy (and give a critical review) of this kit but since I live in an apartment (for the time being), I'm not buying any kits that I'll just have to pack and move at a later date.  I'll let the retailer keep it for me until I'm ready for it.