While this thread has followed the typical pattern of Ask about X, get info about Y, it is still wrong to characterize those who would buy another brand's kit over Tamiya's of the same subject as "Tamiya haters".

KL

What Kurt says +
considering that Tamiya has released Italeri kits with a new sticker I do not see it as Tamiya hating to say/write that the new Pz 38(t) could possibly be a re-release of somebody elses existing molds.
We will know when images of the plastic get published.
The rest was general comments about the "typical" Tamiya kit compared to what other manufacturers are offering.
I used to think that Tamiya was the best brand until I compared an old Tamiya Pz IV with the almost as old Italeri Pz IV G/F1/F2.
Still not bashing Tamiya in general but I will read the reviews before I get excited ...

/ Robin

I should have not characterized those people as Tamiya haters. However the poster asked about any info on the new Tamiya kit. That was it. Right away came the comments of why would you buy a Tamiya kit. I get it. They have re-re-re-released a lot of Italeri and their own kits. We have ZERO info on this new release so how can we compare it against ANYTHING? Hmmmmmm?

We do have two significant pieces of information:

1. The kit number. Except for one release back in the 80's or 90s, all Tamiya 35xxx kits in the Military Miniatures Series have been their own molds. Inasmuch as this is 35369, it is as certain as can be that this will be a new Tamiya mold.

2. Tamiya's history. I can tell right now exactly what this and the next five Tamiya kits are going to be. Well molded, well-engineered, easy to put together, simplified details, some figures, accurate shapes, and a good chance that any grab handles will be molded as raised bars. They aren't going to make a Takom or MiniArt interior kit with 1000 parts. It's not even conceivable. It's a long shot to think they would even make something DML or Trumpeter level. Their target customers are the guys who invariably find things in other brands "fiddly" and who compare a completed Tamiya subassembly to the same item from another brand and say they can't see any difference.

In other words, it's no mystery what you are going to get so I think it is fair to talk about that fact. I don't see much point in talking about it, however, because anyone who has been in this game for a few years already knows it and talking isn't going to change dick.

KL

Bodeen, you so speak for me, and as it says in the upper right, I have been here since 2003.

Another response to a previous comment, I like model building but I have never taken it too seriously. I do mostly AU building anyway.

Example, AK with Panther A's and no Zim. Mid-war with K-43's... etc.
Too much realism as it is... IMHO

Like the original thread writer, I want to learn more about the new kit and will keep any supposition to myself.

To Kurt, you get a million dittos from me.

One thing about Tamiya kit's is that they offer a level of consistency that others simply don't. If you buy a Tamiya kit that came out in the past 20 yours, you are 99% certain to get a kit that is well molded, well detailed, and well accurate. The same cannot be said about other manufacturers. A perfect example is Dragon. Many of their models (their Chi-Ha, for example) are simply incredible in terms of fit, engineering, and details. Others (like the M103) is pure garbage. AFV Club kits are going to be well detailed, but often over-engineered, mistakes in the instructions abound, or may have warped/ damaged parts.

Yet another example is comparing Tamiya's AMX-13 to Takoms. Takom includes some nice features, but the overall quality of the molding and fit are far inferior to Tamiya. Ironically enough, I usually look at Tamiya kits not as a "quick-and-easy" way to produce a subject, but as a host to detail with aftermarket products.

I will say that Tamiya's latest offerings (like their Sheridans and M3A1) Have much more small parts than a usual Tamiya kit, which is a good thing in my opinion.

It will be interesting to see how their 38(t) compared to the TriStar kit. If I'm being honest, I didn't really have interest in the subject until this new broke.