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Tamiya discontinuing several 1/48 kits
Scouteyes
Joined: November 07, 2010
KitMaker: 247 posts
Armorama: 208 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 07:59 AM UTC
I noticed that Tamiya is discontinuing the following listed 1/48 kits:
King Tiger,both versions
Pzkfw III ausf L
Jagdpanther late
Pzkfw IV ausf J
Hetzer
Stug III ausf B
1/4 ton 4x4
Hummer
Luftwaffe ground crew
Is this a sign that the line is not doing well, or just a temporary thing? In the past,Tamiya has halted production on some kits, only to bring them back years later. WWII Soviet Armor comes to mind...In the late 80s, it was hard to find, then it was everywhere.
AlanL
Joined: August 12, 2005
KitMaker: 14,499 posts
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Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 08:15 AM UTC
Hi Steven,
It's a good way to hike the price, re-release at some point, limited edition etc, etc.
Of course there is always the fact they may not be selling well!
Al
It's a good way to hike the price, re-release at some point, limited edition etc, etc.
Of course there is always the fact they may not be selling well!
Al
CMOT
Editor-in-Chief
Joined: May 14, 2006
KitMaker: 10,954 posts
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Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 08:39 AM UTC
This will hit the 1/48th scale after market people very hard and is sad news for them even more than the modellers that like 1/48th scale if true.
GregCloseCombat
Joined: June 30, 2008
KitMaker: 2,408 posts
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Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 08:56 AM UTC
The word is that they will be re-doing them with plastic hulls by popular demand. 
although that doesn't explain why the Hummer is on the list ???
although that doesn't explain why the Hummer is on the list ???
Scouteyes
Joined: November 07, 2010
KitMaker: 247 posts
Armorama: 208 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 08:56 AM UTC
Not selling well, I can understand, but one of the kits,the German Aircraft Power Supply Unit w/Luftwaffe Crew, is perfect for the primary 1/48 market, which is aircraft. I find it hard to believe that a set with so many great features wasn't selling well. There clearly is a demand for 1/48 ground subjects. I know many like me who, for years, searched out and hoarded the old Bandai kits, because what else was out there? Hopefully, it's just a temporary thing, and the kits will be re-released at a later date, if enough people scream about them. Tamiya has done this before, and I don't think they would have gone through the very expensive process of making these kits, without having done proper market research.
GregCloseCombat
Joined: June 30, 2008
KitMaker: 2,408 posts
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Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 09:07 AM UTC
It's days like this where you can take comfort in your stash at least 
Scouteyes
Joined: November 07, 2010
KitMaker: 247 posts
Armorama: 208 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 09:21 AM UTC
Quoted Text
It's days like this where you can take comfort in your stash at least
Dang, that won't help me much
Most of my 1/48 stash is Bandai. When I started to build Tamiya's Sdkfz 251 D halftrack for the 1/48 campaign, I broke out my unbuilt Bandai SchutzenPanzerwagen 251/1 kit for comparison. Granted, it's an earlier, and slightly different version of the vehicle, but the detail on the Tamiya kit is worlds away from what Bandai was doing back then. Scouteyes
Joined: November 07, 2010
KitMaker: 247 posts
Armorama: 208 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 09:26 AM UTC
Quoted Text
The word is that they will be re-doing them with plastic hulls by popular demand.
Greg, let's hope. I always thought the metal hulls were a weird idea. It's like they wanted the kits to have a "diecast" heft to them, for who knows what reason. Maybe the plastic hulls will reduce the kit's prices too. I agree that the inclusion of the Hummer is hard to explain. I think that it's use in aircraft/helicopter dioramas would surely render it a good seller.
Herchealer
Joined: July 31, 2003
KitMaker: 1,523 posts
Armorama: 710 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 12:13 PM UTC
Those are probably their best sellers. That list contains some good kits. They pull them and wait few years re- announce them and people will go wild again. All falls in line with dragon and their Abrams kits.....
Herky
Herky
vonHengest
Joined: June 29, 2010
KitMaker: 5,854 posts
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Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 12:31 PM UTC
Quoted Text
The word is that they will be re-doing them with plastic hulls by popular demand.
I like the way they started using metal weights inside of a plastic lower hull. I hope they really are going to re-engineer the lower hulls on those because I really like most of those kits. I don't know why the Hummer or ground crew would be on there either. The Hummer is the odd-man-out so to speak as it's the only modern armor in the collection.
Militarymodeller80
Joined: March 19, 2012
KitMaker: 117 posts
Armorama: 90 posts
Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 09:40 PM UTC
Quoted Text
It's days like this where you can take comfort in your stash at least
Watch out, don't get caught in the stampede of modeller sorry (Collectors of un-built kits) rushing to panic buy all available kits which push up the price as dealers use this as an excuse to increase there profit margins.
Paul
AFVFan
Joined: May 17, 2012
KitMaker: 1,980 posts
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Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 - 11:53 PM UTC
I hope it's only a temporary thing. After finally getting some decent 1/48 kits on the market, I'd hate to take a step backwards.
TOTS48
Joined: April 29, 2010
KitMaker: 78 posts
Armorama: 48 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 05:43 AM UTC
Oh well, sign of the times. At least there's still plenty of Shermans to do. The possibility that they are going to do the plastic instead of Die-Cast lower hulls might just be the reasoning here. The Hummer, while an interesting subject, just didn't fit with the WW2 theme of the 48th scale line and was too expensive a kit. It's back to the workbench here. Gotta finish that Bomb Truck Master and get it out!
retiredyank
Joined: June 29, 2009
KitMaker: 11,610 posts
Armorama: 7,843 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 06:12 AM UTC
Hopefully this means clearance prices.
Belt_Fed
Joined: February 02, 2008
KitMaker: 1,388 posts
Armorama: 1,325 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 06:31 AM UTC
The fact that tamiya just recently a js2 shoots down the "scale doing poorly" thery, I think. In all honesty they might just be shelving the molds for a bit to make room for something new. I hope, at least. I love those kits and woul hate to see them gone
MGunner
Joined: May 27, 2010
KitMaker: 51 posts
Armorama: 48 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 07:16 AM UTC
Has anyone looked at the survey on the home page asking about 1/48 scale kits last i checked it was at 65% saying no and do not plan to build any maybe, just maybe a manufacture is listening to what people are saying 
sgtsauer
#065
Joined: March 30, 2002
KitMaker: 2,605 posts
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Posted: Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 07:43 AM UTC
I guess I had better start stocking up on 1/48th Humvee's. 
UncaBret
Joined: May 11, 2008
KitMaker: 767 posts
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Posted: Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 02:16 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Has anyone looked at the survey on the home page asking about 1/48 scale kits last i checked it was at 65% saying no and do not plan to build any maybe, just maybe a manufacture is listening to what people are saying
65% of 100,000 people would still leave 35,000 that might. A sizeable market. And I imagine there are more than 100,000 model builders in the world. And they don't all answer surveys.
ChrisDM
Joined: January 01, 2010
KitMaker: 717 posts
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Posted: Sunday, July 01, 2012 - 02:29 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextHas anyone looked at the survey on the home page asking about 1/48 scale kits last i checked it was at 65% saying no and do not plan to build any maybe, just maybe a manufacture is listening to what people are saying
65% of 100,000 people would still leave 35,000 that might. A sizeable market. And I imagine there are more than 100,000 model builders in the world. And they don't all answer surveys.
Well... no
only 484 people have voted, so adding the figure of 35000 out of 100,000 people kind of clouds the issue. Besides polls only indicate intention, not actal buying habits. I'm sure if Tamiya want real, reliable data on this they could, I don't know.... look at their sales figures?
1/48 hasn't relly taken off, but despite the fact there are a few kits on that list there are a lot more (although notably mostly allied) kits on their 1/48 roster. Its not like they have announced they are exiting the scale for armour so hopefully it is just a case of retooling those hulls
UncaBret
Joined: May 11, 2008
KitMaker: 767 posts
Armorama: 672 posts
Posted: Monday, July 02, 2012 - 05:20 AM UTC
Quoted Text
only 484 people have voted, so adding the figure of 35000 out of 100,000 people kind of clouds the issue.
Not anymore than throwing in the 65% number with nothing else to back it up.
Scouteyes
Joined: November 07, 2010
KitMaker: 247 posts
Armorama: 208 posts
Posted: Monday, July 02, 2012 - 09:21 AM UTC
I sent off an E-mail to Tamiya America, basically a cut and paste of my opening post on this topic. Here is the reply which I received from Eric Paley, at Tamiya America customer service:
Steven
Tamiya discontinued kits for a number of reasons, and we specifically don't know on an item to item basis.
Here is my reply back:
Thanks for replying but I was expecting some actual information to come with the reply. It's difficult to believe that Tamiya Japan discontinues kits, and tells no one at Tamiya America why. It's even more difficult to believe that when a customer makes an inquiry about specific items, the answer from a customer service representative is, "we specifically don't know on an item to item basis." Speaking from long experience in public relations, the answer should probably be, at the least, something like, 'I don't know, but I will find out." When a Customer Service representative tells a customer, 'I don't know," it really resonates to the customer as,"I don't care."
Steven
Tamiya discontinued kits for a number of reasons, and we specifically don't know on an item to item basis.
Here is my reply back:
Thanks for replying but I was expecting some actual information to come with the reply. It's difficult to believe that Tamiya Japan discontinues kits, and tells no one at Tamiya America why. It's even more difficult to believe that when a customer makes an inquiry about specific items, the answer from a customer service representative is, "we specifically don't know on an item to item basis." Speaking from long experience in public relations, the answer should probably be, at the least, something like, 'I don't know, but I will find out." When a Customer Service representative tells a customer, 'I don't know," it really resonates to the customer as,"I don't care."
TheModeller
Joined: March 01, 2010
KitMaker: 127 posts
Armorama: 22 posts
Posted: Monday, July 02, 2012 - 09:46 PM UTC
1. Tamiya regularly cycle tooling in and out of production.
Despite what some people might think they don't have a limitless supply of injection moulding machines to mount tooling onto in order to pinch off copies of every kit they've ever produced for all eternity.
Dies are taken off and stored, repaired, re-worked, rested to allow other kits to be produced, they'll come back into production when the suits at Tamiya deem it necessary, its the way they've always worked, its the way every injection kit manufacturer works.
2. If the market wasn't there for 1/48th armour I really doubt they'd have invested all that money in tooling up the recent JS-2 and the soon-to-be-released Matilda not to mention the Pz.II and Jagdtiger kits a little while back!
3. I think the real reason 1/48th armour isn't 'taking off' is that so many people keep saying '1/48th armour isn't taking off'
Despite what some people might think they don't have a limitless supply of injection moulding machines to mount tooling onto in order to pinch off copies of every kit they've ever produced for all eternity.
Dies are taken off and stored, repaired, re-worked, rested to allow other kits to be produced, they'll come back into production when the suits at Tamiya deem it necessary, its the way they've always worked, its the way every injection kit manufacturer works.
2. If the market wasn't there for 1/48th armour I really doubt they'd have invested all that money in tooling up the recent JS-2 and the soon-to-be-released Matilda not to mention the Pz.II and Jagdtiger kits a little while back!
3. I think the real reason 1/48th armour isn't 'taking off' is that so many people keep saying '1/48th armour isn't taking off'
erichvon
Joined: January 17, 2006
KitMaker: 1,694 posts
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Posted: Monday, July 02, 2012 - 09:57 PM UTC
It's not a scale I would ever contemplate building as I tend to build dioramas. I very occasionally (every few years if it takes my fancy) may build a 1/48th scale aircraft but realistically the scale is of no interest to me in relation to AFV's or figures. Will I be sorry to see the demise of 1/48th? No as it will mean manufacturers concentrate on 1/35th rather than a diversion 
Matt182
Joined: May 20, 2010
KitMaker: 269 posts
Armorama: 243 posts
Posted: Monday, July 02, 2012 - 11:21 PM UTC
Quoted Text
It's not a scale I would ever contemplate building as I tend to build dioramas. I very occasionally (every few years if it takes my fancy) may build a 1/48th scale aircraft but realistically the scale is of no interest to me in relation to AFV's or figures. Will I be sorry to see the demise of 1/48th? No as it will mean manufacturers concentrate on 1/35th rather than a diversion
Karl, I agree with you that for dioramas it is best to stick to 1/35 as there is just so much on offer. I however do not agree that 1/48 is a diversion. Would you say the same about about 1/72 or 1/16? Would you perfer no other scales to exist other than 1/35?
To me, the more kits available the better, regardless of scale. I don't stick to a said scale, I just build what interests me. I wouldn't pass up a good kit just because it's not 1/35. Half the reason 1/35 is so sucessful is down to the amount of kits available, if 1/48 had the same amount of choice i'm sure it would be just as popular. The lack of decent plastic figures seems to be one of the big things that is holding the scale back. Tamiya's figures just don't cut it these days and resin figures make what is seen by many as a budget scale too expensive.
I do hope those kits being discountinued reappear in the future but without the diecast hulls and retooled. I also still live in hope that another big name will have a go at this scale.
Matt
TheModeller
Joined: March 01, 2010
KitMaker: 127 posts
Armorama: 22 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 12:46 AM UTC
Quoted Text
It's not a scale I would ever contemplate building as I tend to build dioramas. I very occasionally (every few years if it takes my fancy) may build a 1/48th scale aircraft but realistically the scale is of no interest to me in relation to AFV's or figures. Will I be sorry to see the demise of 1/48th? No as it will mean manufacturers concentrate on 1/35th rather than a diversion
Well having spent many years in the 70's 80's and 90's building 1/35th I now see 1/48th armour as a far more suitable scale for dioramas.
But thats beside the point, if you don't like 1/48th and never plan to build in 1/48th then the only reason I can think of for you bothering to post in this thread at all is just to give us all the 'virtual' finger.
I hope my modelmaking never becomes so closeted, narrowly-focused and snobbish in attitude that I'd need to validate my worth as a human being by poking fun at those who choose to persue thier hobby in something as abritrary and artifical as a different scale.
YMMV.
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