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                        My 1st Tamiya...WOW!!!

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                        19 replies
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                        therriman
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: Central MI
                        My 1st Tamiya...WOW!!!
                        Posted by therriman on Saturday, May 31, 2003 7:38 PM
                        I just opened the box to the 1/350 Tamiya Yamato I just bought on e-bay and got in the mail this week. It's the first Tamiya I've ever had. And boy was I impressed. The packaging, the instructions (seperate one for English), the mold quality, EVERYTHING was impressive to me. Most everything I've ever build has been, R/M or Amt/Ertl.

                        I am so looking forward to building this one. As far as I'm concerned the 1/350 Minicraft Titanic I just finished was junk compared to this. Poor fit, DEEP ejection pin marks EVERYWHERE, you name it I wasn't happy with it. Especially what I paid for it.Sad [:(]

                        But this Yamato is a piece of art. In a way it'll be a shame to build it. I can see I'm going to be buying a lot more of Tamiya's models no matter what I have to pay. It seems worth it. Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]
                        Tim H. "If your alone and you meet a Zero, run like hell. Your outnumbered" Capt Joe Foss, Guadalcanal 1942 Real Trucks have 18 wheels. Anything less is just a Toy! I am in shape. Hey, Round is a shape! Reality is a concept not yet proven.
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                        leemitcheltree
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: Washington State
                        Posted by leemitcheltree on Saturday, May 31, 2003 8:08 PM
                        Tim,
                        Congratulations on your new aquisition. I'm please you are enjoying it so much.
                        It's good to see true enthusiasm in the hobby.
                        I've always found Tamiya kits to be kinda infectious. They spend SO much time and effort cutting the molds that you always get a really great model. You'd have to go pretty far to find any Tamiya kit that doesn't have great fit and detail. Basically, you can't go wrong if you buy one of their kits.
                        Have fun with it and post some pictures when you're done!!
                        Cheers,
                        LeeTree

                        Cheers, LeeTree
                        Remember, Safety Fast!!!

                        Report Abuse
                        renarts
                        • Member since
                          April 2003
                        • From: Sunny Florida
                        Posted by renarts on Saturday, May 31, 2003 9:52 PM
                        Ahhhh, fresh fish,
                        Now has anyone talked to you about Tamiya tanks yet?......

                        Mike
                        Mike "Imagination is the dye that colors our lives" Marcus Aurellius A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!"
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 1, 2003 2:40 AM
                        Tim.
                        I agree with mike.
                        Check out some tamiya armor kits.
                        Step over to the dark side young padwan their is so much you can learn,(LOL).
                        Report Abuse
                        shermanfreak
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        Posted by shermanfreak on Sunday, June 1, 2003 2:11 PM
                        Best engineered kits on the market IMO. Shake the box, add glue, shake again and pour out another fine looking kit. Easier than Betty Crocker.
                        Happy Modelling and God Bless Robert
                        Report Abuse
                        paulnchamp
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: Warwick, RI
                        Posted by paulnchamp on Sunday, June 1, 2003 6:15 PM
                        Congratulations! This will be a pleasant stretch of building ahead. May there be many more Tamiya kits in your future! If you're looking for variety, try the Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire - you won't be disappointed. Shermanfreak is right when he calls them the best engineered kits on the market - I've never been disappointed with a Tamiya kit.
                        Paul "A man's GOT to know his limitations."
                        Report Abuse
                        therriman
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: Central MI
                        Posted by therriman on Sunday, June 1, 2003 7:54 PM
                        That's the first time I've been accused of being young in a long time ( 41 w/ 20 percent gray hair). Smile [:)]
                        Seriously though, I've been modeling since the late 60's. It's just that I never gave a thought to the brand. I've just bought what interest me (Ship's, Aircraft, and auto's) I went by price only in the past. One make or another made no difference to me, I assumed they were all basicly the same.
                        But I have now been "born again". As far as doing some Tamiya armor kits. We'll see. As I said in another thread, I've tried only one armor kit in the past and that was a disaster. Maybe that's why I spent 9 Yrs in the Navy so I wouldn't have to be around armor. Tongue [:P]
                        Yes, once I get my "to do" stack whittled down some I will consider doing an armor or 2. Tamiya of course.
                        Tim H. "If your alone and you meet a Zero, run like hell. Your outnumbered" Capt Joe Foss, Guadalcanal 1942 Real Trucks have 18 wheels. Anything less is just a Toy! I am in shape. Hey, Round is a shape! Reality is a concept not yet proven.
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 1, 2003 8:03 PM
                        Yep, Tamiya is where it's at as far as I can see. They're not cheap, but they always seem to have the best subjects and the best fit/finish/detail for those subjects. Have fun!!

                        Murray
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                        FreedomEagle1953
                        • Member since
                          December 2012
                        Posted by FreedomEagle1953 on Sunday, June 1, 2003 10:11 PM
                        Hi ya therriman ...

                        So, Tim ... now can you tell us what you really think about your new Tamiya kit ???

                        <very big grin> ... Big Smile [:D]

                        Those darn Tamiya kits are just plain fun to open the box and marvel at the art ... yes, I dare say "art" ... the box art is special ... the instruction booklets are special and the packaging is special ... the whole darn thing is almost worth the price paid ... and I only say almost ... cause ... I'm kinda tight with a dollar ... and Tamiya kits costs more than most ... but, I really enjoy them ... and building them and displaying them is special too !!! Approve [^]

                        Good luck with your Tamiya kit ... and keep us posted of your progress ... oh, and a picture or two would be nice ... if you can swing it. Wink [;)]

                        FreedomEagle1953

                        Chicago, IL area

                        "keep on building 'em ... but don't glue your fingers together"

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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 2, 2003 12:08 AM
                        Tamiya kits in my opinion are on the breaking point as far as cost .
                        Any more expensive and I could not afford them.
                        However I have seen lesser quality kits for a higher cost.
                        Their aircraft, autos,and ships are as high of quality if not better than their armor.
                        I recommend tamiya to any modeler of any level of building.
                        Report Abuse
                        paulnchamp
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: Warwick, RI
                        Posted by paulnchamp on Monday, June 2, 2003 9:31 PM
                        James Larson,
                        I agree 100% - I would recommend a Tamiya kit to anyone; the only drawback is,
                        as you said, the cost. Tamiya kits can really strain the hobby budget. But they are pure pleasure. . . and I'd have to consider it money well spent.
                        Paul "A man's GOT to know his limitations."
                        Report Abuse
                        J-Hulk
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Tochigi, Japan
                        Posted by J-Hulk on Monday, June 2, 2003 10:24 PM
                        I keep hearing that the only Tamiya drawback is cost. What are they going for over there? I think the Yamato kit goes for 2600 yen retail here. I picked one up at a local shop for 2200 yen. That's about 18 bucks US. Of course, there are import costs to bear, but with Tamiya America right there in California, I would think that the price difference wouldn't be too much.
                        Some of the "discount" prices I see listed in FSM seem fairly reasonable, and not marked up too much from the Japanese retail price.
                        Ah, what do I know? I just build models!
                        And Tamiya kits make great models!
                        ~Brian
                        Report Abuse
                        J-Hulk
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Tochigi, Japan
                        Posted by J-Hulk on Monday, June 2, 2003 10:27 PM
                        Whoops!
                        Just noticed that was the 1/350 Yamato Therriman was talking about. I was talking about the newer 1/700 Yamato.

                        The 1/350 Yamato regularly goes for about 4000 yen here, or about 33 bucks US.
                        And that's a big kit for a little yen!
                        ~Brian
                        Report Abuse
                        therriman
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: Central MI
                        Posted by therriman on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 11:35 AM
                        J-Hulk, the Yamato I bought online I got for $43 w/ 7 for shipping for 50 total. To buy in my local Hobbytown store would have been $69 US. Squadron, and others want from $54 on up.
                        Hobbytown also wants $34 for their 1/350 Fletcher and I've seen it on e-bay for $26. If memory serves most of their 1/35th armor goes for 35-50 bucks (depending on the kit). Pretty much the same story for a/c too.
                        I don't imagine we could set up an import business, sell them on e-bay cheaper and corner the market could we.Evil [}:)]Wink [;)]
                        Tim H. "If your alone and you meet a Zero, run like hell. Your outnumbered" Capt Joe Foss, Guadalcanal 1942 Real Trucks have 18 wheels. Anything less is just a Toy! I am in shape. Hey, Round is a shape! Reality is a concept not yet proven.
                        Report Abuse
                        Jim Barton
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        Posted by Jim Barton on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 12:57 PM
                        Welcome to the club, Terriman. I'm building my first Tamiya kit, too, the Jeep Cherokee Limited (out of production but still fairly easy to find). I've been amazed at how easily the parts are fitting together. My only gripe is that the kit didn't have an open-door option for building, so I've had to do a lot of surgery on the interior tub so that it looks halfway decent when I open the doors. (I'm converting the model to a tornado chase vehicle and I want the doors open to show off the equipment inside.) If I were building it out of the box, I'd probably be done by now; the thing just slips together so easily! Now if Tamiya would only issue a 2003 Nissan Xterra SUV...

                        "Whaddya mean 'Who's flying the plane?!' Nobody's flying the plane!"

                        Report Abuse
                        J-Hulk
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Tochigi, Japan
                        Posted by J-Hulk on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 10:24 PM
                        Import business...hmmmm....

                        Nah, I'm much too lazy!
                        ~Brian
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 6, 2003 2:02 AM
                        True enough, in this world you get what you pay for. Tamiya has a reputation for a reason: they simply make the best quality styrene kits money can buy. They are pretty good in picking subjects too, though they steer clear of what could be a boon for their business, US bombers and modern warships. <wistful>Maybe someday...</wistful>
                        Report Abuse
                        therriman
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: Central MI
                        Posted by therriman on Friday, June 6, 2003 9:45 AM
                        QUOTE: Originally posted by J-Hulk

                        Import business...hmmmm....

                        Nah, I'm much too lazy!


                        J-Hulk,
                        Between Modeling, Computer, Keeping yard mowed and house from falling down, and 60+ hours/week driving semi-truck I ain't got time either.Sad [:(]
                        Besides customs is a pain in the a__.Dead [xx(]
                        Tim H. "If your alone and you meet a Zero, run like hell. Your outnumbered" Capt Joe Foss, Guadalcanal 1942 Real Trucks have 18 wheels. Anything less is just a Toy! I am in shape. Hey, Round is a shape! Reality is a concept not yet proven.
                        Report Abuse
                        tigerman
                        • Member since
                          March 2003
                        • From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA
                        Posted by tigerman on Sunday, June 8, 2003 11:37 PM
                        A Tamiya model may cost more than some other manufacturers, but you more than make up for the cost in quality and fit. I prefer Tamiya over any others and have built many of them over the years. Good luck!

                        http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/wing_nut_5o/PANZERJAGERGB.jpg

                         Eric 

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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 6:41 AM
                        I recently built the new Tamiya 1:48 swordfish, and it is a beautiful kit, but £50!!!
                        I suppose that we have to be grateful that we don't live with exchange control regulations to limit or prohibit imports of "liesure goods".
                        Report Abuse
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