Why are Tamiya tanks so expensive?

[tribbles]

As subject. If they were made out of metal I could understand it. 

And they're a kit, so you have to build them up from scratch? And I assume the body is unpainted?

[XV Pilot]

Firstly, there is the nature of the kit. Tamiya tanks are very high-quality items with many small details reproduced with a great deal of attention paid to accuracy. Someone (probably several someones) had to be paid to research the originals, make the original pieces from whch the moulds were made, etc. Their time is reflected in the cost of the final product. (Whereas other companies tend to take a carefully-researched Tamiya model and clone it at a far lower cost.)

 

Then there is the nature of the production process. Unlike most model car bodies that rely on a relatively cheap vacuum forming process, Tamiya tank parts are injection-moulded. Many of the parts have complex shapes that require equally complex multi-part moulds to produce. And while the parts aren't made of metal, the moulds are. Great big lumps of the stuff. Using the best technologies and techniques to produce relatively low volumes of parts translates to a high cost per part.

 

Which brings us to the final factor - demand. I think it is safe to say that most people who are into RC like models that can be raced, or at least bashed fast. I think it is also safe to say that most military modellers are into creating static models that can't be driven at all. The number of RC modellers that would want to build a highly-detailed tank model is quite low, as is the number of military modellers who would like to build a model that can be taken outside where it can come into contact with real dirt. Thus the demand is very low. In order to make a profit selling small quantities of something that costs a lot to produce, the selling price has to be high.

 

There are however cheaper alternatives if you want a model tank but don't want to take out a mortgage to afford it. Heng Long tanks for example, while nowhere near as well-made as their Tamiya equivalents, are also a lot more affordable at about a tenth of the price. (Compare if you will the 1/16 Leopard - 99 quid for the Heng Long version from Howes, as opposed to 957 quid for the Tamiya from Wonderland.)

Edited May 6, 2013 by XV Pilot

[leons1]

I agree , to a large extent, with XVs comments, but wonder if it is a bit like the Chicken and the Egg..

 

I have looked at the Tanks..and wished..

 

If the price was lower I would be more inclined/able to buy..as would  (many ?) others..lower cost..Increased sales ??

 

I guess to a large degree Tamiya...and others...are in a quality market, subsidised to some degree with their other products   ??

[Nitroholic]

The 'Full Option' kits are fantastic in terms of detail. Everything in them is worlds apart from the HengLong tanks and other similar knock off products.

 

You look at the driveline, and it's a single motor setup with a complex double gearbox that drives like the real thing. The level of detail on the hulls and parts is all good and it's correct...unlike a lot ofr teh copies!  You buy a HengLong tank, and you will need to detail it and correct the faults if you want something close. Things like accurate sounds recorded from genuine sources played through proper controls add even more to both the cost and the finished article.

 

Yes..they are pricey...but they are also good quality.

 

I own a HengLong tank, which is fine for mucking about in the garden ... which I would be reluctant to do with a