Hi, folks!
![Smile [:)]](/FSM/CS/emoticons/icon_smile.gif)
Well, Tamiya's pre-built "Masterwork Collection" (pre-built, pre-painted Tamiya kits with aluminum barrels and metal trax) caused quite a hullabaloo in these here forums a while back, so I thought I'd let ya'll know they've hit the shelves here in Japan.
I had a chance to check out the Tiger I the other day.
For 18,000 yen ($152 US) you get a nice, clean build, a paint job, a wash, and some Dark Earth AB huffed around the wheels and skirts.
Not bad, really. I'd call it a "good start."
The debate that raged when this product first came to light centered around the possibility of unscrupulous individuals taking this thing right out of the box, plopping it down on a contest table, and walking away with a trophy.
Well, lemme tell ya, that ain't gonna happen!
It's a well put-together kit, decent paint and decals, with just a hint of weathering, but it would need SOOOO much more work done to it just to satisfy the average modeler. Heck, the rubber on the roadwheels isn't even painted!
So, don't worry about Little Johnny Bigbux waltzing in and stealing a trophy out from under ya!
Which leads me to this question (did we already ask this?): Who is the intended customer for this product?
Modelers? I don't think so. Any one of us could do a better job.
Collectors? It's a bit pricey, I reckon. The casual Tiger fan isn't likely to throw down over 150 dollars on a model like this.
Plus, I reckon that most Tiger fans are probably modelers anyway, and would have no need for this.
I love Tamiya, but I have to question their market strategy with this series. I don't think there is a market!
So, since we have nothing to worry about on the contest side of things, what does everybody think about the marketing savvy of something like this?