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Post by Parrotfish on Jul 25, 2009 21:53:14 GMT 12
Was told today by a model retailer at the 17th annual Christchurch Modelers and Wargamers Bring & Buy that Hasegawa kits will no longer be available in NZ as Bringans is nolonger importing them due to increased costs of the kits.
If you see Hasegawa buy it. Current wholesale stock was offered to 3 or 4 retailers (one was the guy who told me this).
Sad, but hopefully someone will take up the agency.
Also saw the T-bird A-4 today ($95). Nice ;D
Apologies if this is old news.
Cheers.
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Post by ZacYates on Jul 25, 2009 22:01:59 GMT 12
Sad yes, but jeez are they expensive! I understand quality comes at a cost, but wow...$95 for a 48th Scooter?! I'd expect that for a 32nd kit!
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Post by mstokes on Jul 25, 2009 22:16:50 GMT 12
I must agree that Hasegawa kits do seem to be pricey. I do realise that they are normally exceptional in terms of detail and accuracy, but I tend to find that cockpits are usually quite generic and always need aftermarket updates. Still... never want to see a manufacturer and competition disappear.
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Post by phil on Jul 25, 2009 23:43:23 GMT 12
I saw the 1/48 T bird for $109 yesterday! Normally I would have snapped it up regardless of price, as it's an aircraft type I've actually worked on. But then I've still got two models (the E/F boxing and the K boxing) sitting unbuilt in my stash so I really can't justify it.
I can't believe they will no longer bring Hasegawa in, NZ becomes even more of a modelling backwater.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 26, 2009 0:28:31 GMT 12
It's not surprising that as model shops disappear due to people buying direct online that the importers will also have to quit lines, but it's a surprise that Hasegawa has been dropped. That must have been one of Bringans' biggest product lines in kits.
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Post by Parrotfish on Jul 26, 2009 2:01:27 GMT 12
It's not surprising that as model shops disappear due to people buying direct online that the importers will also have to quit lines, but it's a surprise that Hasegawa has been dropped. That must have been one of Bringans' biggest product lines in kits. The word was that the New Zealand market already saw Hasegawa kits as expensive. Then Hasegawa ramped up the price to Bringans of new shipments which, commercially for the New Zealand market, made the projected retail pricing unviable for commercial return in the NZ market. I guess coupled with the exchange rate too... Oh well  |
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Post by Naki on Jul 26, 2009 8:57:48 GMT 12
No fear ..the Hasegawa agency has been taken up by somebody else
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 26, 2009 11:28:11 GMT 12
As Paul says, it's a storm in a teacup because another dealer is taking over the agency, so shops won't run out I expect.
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Post by Parrotfish on Jul 26, 2009 12:32:30 GMT 12
Oh be still my beating heart ;D
Got a name so I can inform the mis-informed retailer this afternoon?
Oh joy oh joy ;D
I was worried.
Cheers.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 26, 2009 12:55:55 GMT 12
No, they don't yet want to be revealed, as negotiations are perhaps not completed, but expect a public reveal in the near future.
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Post by Craig Sargent on Jul 27, 2009 8:02:34 GMT 12
Usual case of knee-jerk reaction when there is a lack of complete information. Yes there is a new distributor and more information will be made available to dealers in a weeks time. That is all I am allowed to say.
I buy a lot of kits from Japan direct myself and I can safely say that Hasegawa kits are expensive because of Hasegawa, not because of Bringans. Their manufacturing costs have gone up and those costs get passed on, as is the right of any business. It does make for expensive models here, but at the end of the day, given the amount of time it takes to make one and the quality of the kit, pretty good dollar for time ratio really.
One Hasegawa kit might get you 3 or 4 bottles of wine or maybe a few dozen beer, but I bet you spend less time drinking those than you do building a Hasegawa kit (or anyone's kit for that matter).
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Post by Bruce on Jul 27, 2009 8:42:58 GMT 12
the big question is, will they ever produce any models of aircraft other than BF109 and Zero Variants?
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Post by Craig Sargent on Jul 27, 2009 10:29:20 GMT 12
Really? I've got over 200 kits and 95% of them are Hasegawa, and only one is a 109 (which was used as a base kit for an Avia S.199 conversion). You also have to remember that they are a Japanese company who primarily cater to Japanese modellers, which is a country where the Zero and 109 are very popular. Out of the 39 items currently in the 1/48 WWII regular production props on their website, there are 3 Zeros and 3 109s. Not too bad really, but of course those are items that are going to sell to enable them to produce Drakens, Skyhawks, Lancasters, B-24s, Petes, B-25s, B-26s and all those other new subjects that people seems to want.
While they may not be strong on New Zealand subjects, they have released the A-4K, Dauntless, P-40 and Spitfire with markings for Godzone subjects, and there are other items in the range that can be used in NZ markings.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 27, 2009 10:52:08 GMT 12
They are planning to release 1/48 scale kits of the Lancaster, B-24, B-25 and B-26?  Cool |
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Post by Bruce on Jul 27, 2009 11:06:56 GMT 12
Yeah it was a generalistaion to get a bite  in my whole collection(200+) I only have 4 hasegawa kits - a P51, Dauntless, Zero and Corsair (all in NZ colours). It may be because I stick to 1/72 but certainly I very rarely see anything other than the 109 variants in the local shops. I couldnt care less what colour schemes they are released in as I generally use alternatives anyway, I just havent found they produce anything I particularly want. They probably do produce a better selection than actually make it to the shops in my patch... |
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Post by Craig Sargent on Jul 29, 2009 18:21:29 GMT 12
This will end the speculation - part of an email sent by Robert Bringans this evening. The announcement was not due to be made until next week.
"We are pleased to announce that a new company, Niche Models Ltd, will be taking over the distribution of Hasegawa products in New Zealand. Some of you will be familiar with the directors of that company from their exploits in the modeling scene: Steve Westerby and his brother Kevin, Craig Sargent and Mark Robson."
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 30, 2009 0:22:17 GMT 12
Well done Craig. Congrats on the new venture. Good luck with it.
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Post by tempestwulf on Jul 31, 2009 17:47:25 GMT 12
*counts number of Hasegawa kits in storage*Well I have roughly 10 but the majority of mine are academy or the likes. Also like is said, the price limits my procurement of Hase kits.
Still...I do like some of their kits, more their 1/72 P-51, F4F etc. Now a hase 1/72 Spitfire, hens teeth there. I'll stick to Academy, revell and Tamiya otherwise and buys aftermarket decals for markings.
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