My in-laws are traveling to Tokoyo for a trip. Is it any cheaper to buy a brass locomotive there and pay the custom fees to bring it back to the states? I have never heard of anyone doing this but just thought I would ask.
Japan? I think not.
Korea, yeah, I like that idea.
But remember, the big companies buying over there buy in bulk and they buy custom made stuff.
Sure you can find stuff over there, I certainly did 40 years ago. But most of it was Japanese prototypes . Maybe that hobby shop is still open in Yokohama across from the Air Force Exchange.
ROAR
When I was buying brass in Japan, the US prototype stuff wasn’t being sold there unless you knew someone who was a friend of the manufacturer.
Looking at present-day quotes in Tetsudo Mokei Shumi, I would have to say that, if anything, Japanese prototype brass is more expensive in Japan than U.S. prototype brass is in the U.S. Also, most of the hobby shops are off the beaten track. Tenshodo is an exception, being located on the Ginza, in Tokyo - but Tenshodo is a Jewelry store and their prices reflect that.
I’m very glad that I bought my roster when I did. The same locomotives today would cost me at least 30 times as much (plus postage, handling and customs.)
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Probably not. We all know how brick and mortar stores are fading fast here due to the costs of just keeping the doors open. Still, real estate and rentals are usually considerably cheaper here than in Japan.
Japan is also a market where N scale is much stronger. So that means there are relatively fewer HO scale models and they are priced accordingly.
Finally, most brass manufacturing has moved to lower overhead locations, South Korea being the most popular. This is especially so for North American prototypes.
I will ask my wife to see if she can come up with better info. She leaves the end of the week to spend 3 weeks there. Part of the time she’ll be interpretting for her sister, who is a Navy doctor stationed on Guam, and her family, who will be visiting Disneyland and other places.
Thanks for the input you all. I guess I will continue to follow Ebay and other sources here in the states.
Yeah, but if you’re a careful shopper, you’ll likely do as good as anyplace there. The good thing about our modern age is that there are global markets for a lot of things, along with both the good and bad that brings. One good thing is that everybody, everywhere can shop from anyplace they can connect with the internet. Doesn’t mean the pricing is always right, depending on your needs, but if you’re patient, do your homework, and resist jumping at a deal that turns out to be not so hot, you’ll do OK.
Although probably not cheaper, there are still some shops in Japan that sell US prototype models. Fomras Models, and Model Kingdom are two that come to mind. Both of these shops have web sites, and show up when googled by name. Fomras seems to have better pricing, but less inventory. I have both purchased and sold brass models there, and Mr Yamauchi, the proprietor of Fomras is very knowledgable and professional.
Trace Fork,
Thanks for the data point. I didn’t write in my comments in the March 1983 issue weekly archive discussion thread that I noticed a number of ads for German and Japanese shops serving the English-speaking trade (presumably, since MR is in English). Times have changed and many fewer shops advertise in MR in general, but good to know there is still support if you aren’t Japanese fluent (my wife is, and sort of RR-fluent, too, but not everyone is as lucky in that regard). Such shops also serve those abroad who like to model Japanese prototype and others of interest to hibbyiests in Japan.
This never occurred to me back then when seeing such ads (or maybe I’m just not remembering at my age) but such shops also served those in the US military, who were much more numerous and scattered at relatively more fixed installations during the Cold War. Most of those folks are either gone or deployed a lot. I was a relatively new and broke model railroader as a AF brat in Germany, so the Terminal Hobby Shop and local German shops siphoned what little geld I had, so never called on any of the German ones.
Good to know of a few that can help out still survive for those who need them in our globally connected world.
I didn’t even realize Tenshodo was still in business! I just found their website, and if you model Japanese railways, they’ve got a pretty extensive catalog of plastic, diecast, and brass. The plastic and diecast models don’t cost much more than what you get from anyone else anymore, from the look of it. Brass gets way up there though, but I suppose outside of BLI, it’s about average.
Here’s a good example of pricing in Japan. My wife is traveling there right now, but staying in the Akihabara district in Tokyo. Neat looking shop selling LEDs:
She checked pricing on the tiny 0603 SMD LEDs that Ulrich/Richmond Controls sells here for ~$3.50/each with attached leads. Their price? $3.20. Even the Japanese go to China now to get the real deals on things.