Is Tamiya being left behind?

I wouldn't be surprised if Tamiya scaled back all otgether their plastic kits releases. I was talking to a customer service rep the other day and he told me about 3 or 4 re-releases of existing kits with little or minimal upgrades. In one case it was just another production run of the same kit with no modifications.

Sadly, you have to go with the market. And maybe this is an idicator of whats comming. (shiver). AFV, Trumpeter, Hasegawa etc are producing some interesting new kits. And with the Eastern Block countries getting a handle on Western quality requirements and what the market demands I think we'll see them evolve into something worth saving pennies for.
On the other hand, I've seen companies like Sony sandbag the competition like this and do a well placed release to kill or take control of a market share.
Either way, I think we'll all benefit. Either from new , quality releases and better competition, or a very fat corpse to pick clean.

Mike

Maybe we can compare Tamiya with the big three automakers and say the imports are nibbling their marketshare away. LOL

I have a feeling that Tamiya is letting the plastic modeling part of the company go. They are into the RC stuff and that is the bulk of their bussiness. Just look at their website and see what they have the most information about. Every time I have gone to the website I would see page after page of RC stuff and very little model infro. Also as stated before I don't think the new heads of the company are into the plastic model crowd as the old heads were. I think they are content to just release the same old modes with maybe an update here and there and that's it. They might release a new version of one their existing series but I don't know if we will see any bold products like the Swordfish or the like. I feel that the area of the big Tamiya releases are coming to an end. Sad but hopely some one will step up to take their place. I hope I am wrong because I really like Tamiya kits and will keep building them but they are a bussiness and they are going to go with what makes them the most profit and right now there seems to be more money in the RC stuff.

Russ

No Tamiya is not being left behind,we are.Just go to the newer chain type hobby shops and you will see what I mean.The r/c market is growing unlike the plastic model market,which is dwendilling.Its like reading the writing on the wall,just go to a hobby town store an you will see that people are buying more r/c models then plastics.They even got their own t.v.show on r/c modeling.It just blows my mind to see it.Digger

As others have mentioned...I think Tamiya has some special stuff up their sleeves. I've built many and seldom find fault with their kits. I look at Trumpeter and their prices, and every review seems to point out fit problems. That's the kind of thing I've been known to throw an expensive half-built model into the trash can for.

We all know the set up and tooling costs to make all these wonderful kits are astronomical! I bet Tamiya is working on some projects that will blow our minds. Have faith in the masters of the trade.

Bud

Well, at first I thought it would be great if the 1/48th amour stuff would just go away when Bandai was making them. But now I think that would be a great idea. It's much cheaper to get a collection, and takes less time too. Braile scale for vehicles is just too small, but look what's going on. Braile scale armour is making a big splash. 1/48th would be big enough for the vehicles to have enough detail and small enough to use along with aircraft.

I think 1/48 will work well for Tamiya, there are many places like europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc where living and storage space is at a premium and 1/35 scale kits are just too big. The 1/35 stuff is pretty much not moving.
Not everybody got as much space or as cheap fuel as the guys in the US do.

Tamiya like many oher manufacturers base their priorities and releases more at what is close to their homebase than cater for far-off modellers.

At the moment many Japanese companies are re-issuing old models with added AM stuff or AM decals.
Japan while still the 2nd-largest ecomony is suffering quiet a bit and this of course is reflected in what companies can release.

Till the companies over here get quiet a bit of extra cash lying around, I doubt that we will see many new releases from them.

I think 1/48 scale for Tamiya will flop. I mean the market is geared primarily to 1/35 (sorry all you wonderful braille scale artists), but modelers are finicky about mixing scales. I know I'm sticking to 1/35, I mean everything else is. Of course, as always stated, just my 2-cents.

QUOTE: Originally posted by kik36 Maybe they are lying in wait....let the other companies waste money on 'bold' subjects, observe discrepancies, and then fix 'em.....just an idea.

If the releases in plastic shown at Nuremberg are any indication, such as early 80's era motorcycles with new stickers, they are like a Neanderthal waitng to knock down the attacking A-10 with a slingshot. They are not being left behind, they seem to have stopped running. A re-release of the weak M42 Duster (1970's quality) at nearly $40 USD doesn't sound like good long term strategy when you know AFV is coming out with an update shortly. As my friend would say, they are giving themselves a self-inflicted sucking chest wound. and are just waiting for the knock out blow

What about Hasegawa, could the same be said of them?

QUOTE: Maybe they are lying in wait....let the other companies waste money on 'bold' subjects, observe discrepancies, and then fix 'em.....just an idea. But I've seen it happen in the Avionics industy. Besides, doesn't it seem like right when you're wrapping up some sort of conversion or fixer upper, a company comes out with that kit done excellently??!!

I am a really big fan of Tamiya and I think that's exactly what is going to happen. Wouldn't it be something if Tamiya came out with their own Karl, Leopold and E-100

Drooooool

Tamiya will rebound. I have the Pershing tank and the tooling on it is great.
mark956

For my money, I love Tamiya models. The quality is beyond compare, but as was pointed out, they haven't really been putting out anything new.

On the other hand, I think Trumpeter knows they can't compete in quality, at least not now and they made the marketing decision to do something that Tamiya dosen't. That being scales, and subjects. So, maybe people are more willing to put up with lower quality in exchange for a subject they really wanted.

The reviews of Trumpeter models show that they really do need to up the quality though. Maybe they will.

By the way, does anyone know if they are owned by the Chinese government? just curious

The last I heard, Tamiya was seriously considering getting into
the 1/48th scale "vehicles". Not only vehicles on their own but also
a line to compliment 1/48th aircraft.

They are supposedly getting out of 1/72nd aircraft (cost the same
to produce as 1/48th, and they make more on 1/48th) and think
the 1/48th is where to place their bets. The 1/48th Kubelwagon
was supposedly the test kit to see how well 1/48th vehicles would
sell.

It would be nice if they did and produced airfield vehicles (fuelers,
etc...) and aircraft carrier vehicles as well.

Only time will tell I guess.

James

Hey Iolok-across the board-everyone should do more WWI stuff-models, books, movies, etc. It's a very unexplored and unexploited subject!

QUOTE: Gip you will be interested in the Workbench Review of the SA-2 in the March FSm (which arrived today), the reviewer saying the decaling guide for the missile is incorrect.

Alright!!! Thanks for the heads up. I received the missile/launcher kit for Christmas, and have almost completed the missile (interesting kit). I want to get the missile/truck as a companion piece.

Wait a minute....How did you get the March issue already?? I just got my February copy last week....

Gip Winecoff

It seems that the consensus is Tamiya are resting on their laurels for armour but as I don't have the slightest interest in that genre I would have to say that they are still the leader in field I'm interested in - cars. Their Enzo Ferrari and Williams FW24 have moved the goal posts yet again for all others to aspire to. I suppose the question becomes if they can set new standards there why can't they do the same for the other genre?

Gip you will be interested in the Workbench Review of the SA-2 in the March FSm (which arrived today), the reviewer saying the decaling guide for the missile is incorrect.

I agree that Trumpeteer and Dragon have been coming out with kits that are better in quality than their previous releases. For modelers on a budget like me, it is very good. But Tamiya is still up there and I can only hope that they have something new to offer soon.

Exactly my point. They seem to be resting a bit on their laurels. If you like armour all well and good. Then why not turn out some WW 1 stuff. Figures,early tanks,etc. I have read letters in FSM of the lack of figures for other countries besides Germany/US. The new Idea of ready made kits? It would be cheaper to engage a modeller to make one for you. Beautiful Bismark but what a price tag. Also please please no more Tigers and Panthers,they have made more than Germany itself produced !

As much of a Tamiya fan and supporter as I am, it's hard to admit it, but yeah, they haven't put out anything since their Pershing and T-55 that I have been interested in buying.
Of course, there's a ton of Tamiya stuff that I don't have that I still plan on buying (1/16 Pershing, for example!), but none of their latest releases thrill me at all, sad to say.
Their M1A2 almost did, but , sorry Big T, I had already bought the Dragon Baghdad M1A1HA, and I'm not much on having several types of the same or similar vehicles.

Currently, the companies that are drawing my attention (and hard-earned Yen) are Dragon and Trumpeter. The quality is excellent, the prices are low, and, more importantly, the subjects are appealing to me.

I always have and always will love Tamiya, and still consider them to be at the top of the industry.
They just ain't makin' much a nothin' I wanna buy right now!

Sony used to do that same trick. Watch the competitors and learn from their mistakes. Then release it with all the fixes already in place and hurt the other guys.

Tamiya is definately dated but they also know what sells. Otherwise they would have dumped the Pzr 2 years ago. It's a great seller. As are most of their kits. $12-$15 for a passable Pzr 2 versus something like Tasca's $50 kit. Tey still have the price market and any tooling they have to do to a kit is minimal to "update it". As opposed to some of the other players that have to start from scratch.
Eventually the pack will even out and Tamiya will have to do something to stay in the lead and thats what I'm looking for.
I'm with most of you guys though, build whatever is a good build.

Mike

Maybe they are lying in wait....let the other companies waste money on 'bold' subjects, observe discrepancies, and then fix 'em.....just an idea. But I've seen it happen in the Avionics industy. Besides, doesn't it seem like right when you're wrapping up some sort of conversion or fixer upper, a company comes out with that kit done excellently??!!

So what about Tamiya. If other companies are doing bigger, better subjects, quality is improving, and prices are at least reasonable, then Capitalism is at work! More power to those guys and gals. Sounds like Tamiya should buck up and reassess themselves. Personally, I'll buy and build any model from any company that strives to improve themselves and their product, and not necessarily just because they've been the industry leader with the most recognized name. It's the circle of life, man.

I think Dragon has overtaken Tamiya at least in value. They are offering more kits, some better, pe parts and indy tracks, all at a more affordable price. Plus I like the things that they have been releasing. I think Tamiya has hit a wall of sorts at least in armor.

If Trumpeter continues to do what they are doing now, I think Tamiya might be in for a rude awakening, although Trumpeter is doing kits that Tamiya isn't, and thankfully they are not producing the same tired kits of German Tiger this or Panther that, but are branching out into new territory. The new SA-2 Guideline missile/ launcher and missile/truck is one such example. I'm putting the missile together now, and it's impressive in its complexity, but is simple to construct. One of my best friends got the Leopold for Christmas, and it is undeniably rich in detail.
If Tamiya is going to continue to succeed as they have, they're going to have to get away from the pre-finished models they're fixing to market, and start listening to what the hobbyists want.
Just my two cents......

Gip Winecoff

So far most of my newer builds have been Tamiya, since I have not been into armor for very long alot of the subjects are new to me anyway, but I can see myself looking towards the different type builds with interiors and such.

I think Tamiya's lastest releases are real "yawners". My favourite is becoming Dragon for armor and small-scale aircraft.

I think the reason all the other companies are getting better is because Tamiya's been the industry leader