Just in case anybody is interested, TamiyaUSA is showing the 1/32 P-51D/K with a sale price of $99.00. Same for the Spitfire MkXVIe ($99.00)...which I picked up a couple of weeks ago, when it wasn't on sale, for $151.49 (still cheaper than the $189.99 MSRP). Wishing hobby dealers had a 30-day price match guarantee like Best Buy. LOL. Oh well.
My company just raised my shop rate by $3.00/hour, and they raise it every year. Why? Because the cost of doing business (including my salary and benefits) keeps going up. I imagine Tamiya is affected by the same cost factors, for different reasons.
Incidentally, the 1/32 aircraft made by manufacturers such as Academy and Trumpeter have a price point pretty close to Tamiya...but their quality and engineering isn't nearly as good.