Some interesting items here. I particularly like the quartet of Russian aircraft and the German AFVs, but then I'm a WW2 tragic.
Importantly, look at those photos of the Anigrand kits. The "extras" for sale as separate items? Yes, I know from the Anigrand website the company was going to offer some special deals during this event but, the question remains, could this finally indicate a softening in Anigrand's resistance to marketing the "extras" as stand-alone kits?
Looking at the prices, buying the "normal set" (large aircraft plus 3 or 4 small ones) is probably still less expensive per item, but I'd be happy to pay 1500 - 2000 yen for, say, the Gloster E28/39 or Meteor from the RAF Globemaster set. The prices put them on a par with Kami de Koro and are a bit less expensive than Wing144.
Eh, point of clarification. Before everyone points out that the said Russian items are not WW2, the "WW2 tragic" referred to the German AFVs only. The IL-20 is interesting as it was a postwar descendent of the Sturmovik.
The IL-20, IL28 and even the cruise missile look cool.
i commented to someone the other day how it was interesting that anigrand were selling the bonus kits separate. i wonder which would sell most?
if they are selling 3 or 4 or more singles in ration to a big one, would they make more money? pro rata the small ones could fetch more? and it would be easier to find space for half a dozen little ones than a bi monster?
i though the Ki-91 looked better in the flesh than the drawings?
Those prices are quite a bit higher for Anigrand stuff than we pay for here in the USA.
And look at the price of the TripleNuts stuff! Man Radsan makes a killing on e-Bay! Makes me a little jealous. :o)
For those not sure how Wonder Festival works I learned quite a bit about it. I go to a Sci-Fi convention every year in Louisville KY called "Wonderfest". This year HLJ came and set up a table manned by their head IT guy by the name of Jim. He came to one of our parties in the suite after the show had ended and I spoke with him at length and in depth about Wonder Festival. He told me the way it works is that most of these kits you see are only available right then and there because in Japan they grant a "one day exemption" for making and selling these types of things without any worry of copyright or any other kind of violation for this. So they can only be sold there and for the day. Twice a year. He told me that it's a madhouse for the first 15 minutes as everyone runs and grabs up this type of stuff before the majority of the people even get to see it. That's why almost all of these things you can never find available.
I'm drooling overe the new TripleNuts stuff but I just can't afford to pay $80 for a 1/144 kit that really only cost $25. I'm tempted to start learning how to cast myself so I can at least make multiples of the kits I do have like the P-23 Karas for myself because I will never be able to get another copy and I really want to make 2 of them. Recasting is bad I know, but when a kit is not available, what do you do?
Another old mantra, "Give the people what they want!"
The thing is that these "one day specials" often sell for a couple of thousand yen, which obviously goes to the actual manufacturer, yet the lucky buyer makes a phenomenal profit selling the item on eBay or elsewhere.
Eric, intriguing stuff about the copyright. Clearly it is a cultural thing. I can't imagine any US, British or Australian company whose copyright was infringed saying, "Oh, that's OK. It was Wonderfest, so we won't sue." Yeah, right!
My question would be how much copyright is actually infringed and in what way. Moulds made using other manufacturers' products as masters? We all suspect that a certain Chinese manufacturer did that to end up with an 88-mm gun on a T34 chassis, but how many other incidences can anyone recall?
Just on the Anigrand stuff, I've seen a couple of enterprising eBayers breaking up their sets and selling the individual kits. Based on the photos from the convention, Anigrand were definitely making more by selling the "extras" separately. However, I can understand why collectors might be prepared to pay more to get the item they want than fork out $US80+ for the set of four or five kits.
And, as a married man, I'm more likely to get away with a $25 purchase than a $100 one even if I only get one small kit instead of four kits accompanied by a giant item. Spousal logic, I suspect! ;-)
6 comments:
Some interesting items here. I particularly like the quartet of Russian aircraft and the German AFVs, but then I'm a WW2 tragic.
Importantly, look at those photos of the Anigrand kits. The "extras" for sale as separate items? Yes, I know from the Anigrand website the company was going to offer some special deals during this event but, the question remains, could this finally indicate a softening in Anigrand's resistance to marketing the "extras" as stand-alone kits?
Looking at the prices, buying the "normal set" (large aircraft plus 3 or 4 small ones) is probably still less expensive per item, but I'd be happy to pay 1500 - 2000 yen for, say, the Gloster E28/39 or Meteor from the RAF Globemaster set. The prices put them on a par with Kami de Koro and are a bit less expensive than Wing144.
Eh, point of clarification. Before everyone points out that the said Russian items are not WW2, the "WW2 tragic" referred to the German AFVs only. The IL-20 is interesting as it was a postwar descendent of the Sturmovik.
The IL-20, IL28 and even the cruise missile look cool.
i commented to someone the other day how it was interesting that anigrand were selling the bonus kits separate. i wonder which would sell most?
if they are selling 3 or 4 or more singles in ration to a big one, would they make more money? pro rata the small ones could fetch more? and it would be easier to find space for half a dozen little ones than a bi monster?
i though the Ki-91 looked better in the flesh than the drawings?
Those prices are quite a bit higher for Anigrand stuff than we pay for here in the USA.
And look at the price of the TripleNuts stuff! Man Radsan makes a killing on e-Bay! Makes me a little jealous. :o)
For those not sure how Wonder Festival works I learned quite a bit about it. I go to a Sci-Fi convention every year in Louisville KY called "Wonderfest". This year HLJ came and set up a table manned by their head IT guy by the name of Jim. He came to one of our parties in the suite after the show had ended and I spoke with him at length and in depth about Wonder Festival. He told me the way it works is that most of these kits you see are only available right then and there because in Japan they grant a "one day exemption" for making and selling these types of things without any worry of copyright or any other kind of violation for this. So they can only be sold there and for the day. Twice a year. He told me that it's a madhouse for the first 15 minutes as everyone runs and grabs up this type of stuff before the majority of the people even get to see it. That's why almost all of these things you can never find available.
I'm drooling overe the new TripleNuts stuff but I just can't afford to pay $80 for a 1/144 kit that really only cost $25. I'm tempted to start learning how to cast myself so I can at least make multiples of the kits I do have like the P-23 Karas for myself because I will never be able to get another copy and I really want to make 2 of them. Recasting is bad I know, but when a kit is not available, what do you do?
Lots of pretty stuff there in those pictures.
it the old capitalist mantra
"Supply and demand = profits"
Another old mantra, "Give the people what they want!"
The thing is that these "one day specials" often sell for a couple of thousand yen, which obviously goes to the actual manufacturer, yet the lucky buyer makes a phenomenal profit selling the item on eBay or elsewhere.
Eric, intriguing stuff about the copyright. Clearly it is a cultural thing. I can't imagine any US, British or Australian company whose copyright was infringed saying, "Oh, that's OK. It was Wonderfest, so we won't sue." Yeah, right!
My question would be how much copyright is actually infringed and in what way. Moulds made using other manufacturers' products as masters? We all suspect that a certain Chinese manufacturer did that to end up with an 88-mm gun on a T34 chassis, but how many other incidences can anyone recall?
Just on the Anigrand stuff, I've seen a couple of enterprising eBayers breaking up their sets and selling the individual kits. Based on the photos from the convention, Anigrand were definitely making more by selling the "extras" separately. However, I can understand why collectors might be prepared to pay more to get the item they want than fork out $US80+ for the set of four or five kits.
And, as a married man, I'm more likely to get away with a $25 purchase than a $100 one even if I only get one small kit instead of four kits accompanied by a giant item. Spousal logic, I suspect! ;-)
So, go ahead Anigrand, make my day ...
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