Then I went over to Japan.

Tamiya products and other Japanese stuff were much cheaper in Korea than North America. And Japan, it was even cheaper. 

Yodobash Camera

This is a multi level department store, and this floor dedicated to toys

I didn't buy anything but the Inintial D AE86. It was about $5

I should have shopped there more because when I went to Osaka, I didn't really have time to shop around, and this Yodobash place was pretty good. 

Back to Korea

Hobby Park

The entire floor dedicated to models and toys. I spent a bunch of money here but not many photos.

Sadly, The only thing I bought in Japan is this.

It was 2,380 Yen after a discount plus tax. That's $20.66 US.

At Tamiya Korea, it was 34,800 won and that's $30

Just checked Amazon, and it's $24 with free shipping lol.

But one bottle of acrylic paint was $1.72 in Korea. At least Double in Toronto where I am. Also spent $10CDN on a MarkSetter in Canada. It was only $3 CDN in Korea. :(

Wow...

I would run out of money if they had a stores like that locally. Especially the Tamiya store with aisles and aisles of products.  My local shop only has one double sided 20 foot rack of models, 1 tool rack and 4 paint racks. 

ecotec83

I would run out of money if they had a stores like that locally. Especially the Tamiya store with aisles and aisles of products.  My local shop only has one double sided 20 foot rack of models, 1 tool rack and 4 paint racks. 

 

Pffffttt.... I'd have to take out a 2nd, 3rd, maybe a 4th mortgage. LOL!

But, dayum! Screw the sightseeing, let's going shopping instead.

I'dlike to know how come we don't have hobby shops like them? LOL!

If you guys like Academy products, Korea is the place to be.

At one of the shops, all 1/72 planes were $5-6US

1/48 F-22A was $26, 1/35 M1A1 $23, bought 1/72 B-17E for $18

I would seriously blow SO MUCH money in places like that!  Thanks for sharing the pics!

Not to mention how many packages you'd have to mail them home to the US.

tempestjohnny

They put our local hobby stores to shame.

 

There are probably more kits in those photos than all the kits in hobby shops across America...and we started the stupid hobby.

Well;

   I am surprised to hear you say that !  According to archeologists , Miniatures of real objects have been found in tombs older than the Egyptian ones . So I don't think we started it . Maybe made it what it is now .

  T.B.

Sorry TB I should have been more specific.

I had thought the US was the main push for plastic kits. Yes scale models have been around since the start of man.

3 words to describe those pics:

Model Kit Porn....

Sorry, I just couldn't resist. LOL!!!

Did any of the shops carried aftermarket items like canopies, wheels/gears, decals, etc...?

I drooled a little bit whilst scrolling through these pics.

WHHHHHOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finally got the time to scroll though all your photos, thanks so much for sharing!!! It's like Disney World for modelers!!! 

I have to get over to Korea, Japan, Taiwon etc some day, I just don't want to do the ugly American thing since I don't know more than a dozen or so words in their languages. 

Wow. That is insanely cool.

Don't kid yourself, they all know enough english to do business, and (not sure about now, but) $$$ go along way to overcoming language barriers. Granted, it would be nice to haggle like a local.   Would hate to pay the duty on a mass but though.

For sure on that! Dang, I'd be in hog heaven in a place like that.  

goldhammer

Don't kid yourself, they all know enough english to do business, and (not sure about now, but) $$$ go along way to overcoming language barriers. Granted, it would be nice to haggle like a local.   Would hate to pay the duty on a mass but though.

 

Lol, very true- I think the hand full of cash is the universal language... 

This can be a useful role reversal test for our better halves. Since our wives always make us go to the store to "pick up a few things", let's send them there with our list to pick up at the store with SPECIFIC instructions like scale, kit manufacturer, type, paint colors by manufacturer; enamel, acrylic or lacquer, etc... LOL!

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

This can be a useful role reversal test for our better halves. Since our wives always make us go to the store to "pick up a few things", let's send them there with our list to pick up at the store with SPECIFIC instructions like scale, kit manufacturer, type, paint colors by manufacturer; enamel, acrylic or lacquer, etc... LOL!

 

I see you really don't understand what a happy marriage consists of just quite yet.  As long as the other half is happy, all is well.  Besides that, for every dollar they spend on your list they are likely to spend 10 on what they find.  And the costs of the divorce, not to mention no longer having a space to build, renders that point moot.  Nice to think and fantazie about that scenario though

I worry about the future of our hobby.  It seems like local hobby shops keep going under as kids become more captivated by electronics.  However, seeing these photos make me think that the hobby is healthier than I thought, at least in Asia.   

And, WOW!

Glad you guys enjoyed the photos.

Sadly, the number of hobby shops have dramitcally decreased in Korea compare to when I grew up in the 80-90's. I could walk to 3 different hobby shops when I was a kid, and there were small 4-5 stationary stores in the neighbourhood who carried many Academy model kits. I went back to the area and there were all gone.

But now a lot of people are building Gundams instead and those shops are much easy to find. I hace built one of those Bandai Master Grade gundam kits, and it was incredible. They fit 4 different colors into one runner. Never seen that in other kits. And everything was a tight fit. No glue needed, and all the body parts are movable.

North America is just too wide to have such model shops. You need a condensed population and easy transporation system to run places like these. Lower cost helps too to get younger crowds started. We don't have enough people to support big shops over here.

If I was standing in any of those places, I'd have to paraphrase a well-known movie....

Is this Heaven?

No, it's Japan (or Korea) model shops.

Hello, like my monicar says I am an armor nut, however I do have a soft spot for Formula 1, and Le Mans race cars. The ones you show in your pix are they 1/12 scale? Ate they static models or R/C? Man, if they're static I'm going there with a pocket full of cash. Thank you.

Wow.  Just wow.  I haven't seen model stores like that in years.  Drool.

John

armornut

Hello, like my monicar says I am an armor nut, however I do have a soft spot for Formula 1, and Le Mans race cars. The ones you show in your pix are they 1/12 scale? Ate they static models or R/C? Man, if they're static I'm going there with a pocket full of cash. Thank you.

 

ya. Metal body 1/12 or 1/18

That Leman Porsche is $430 US

Ouch quit it thats a yad more than I need to spend. Who knows though I have been known to go on a styrene bender now and again. Thanks for the info.