Exact Re-releases?

[pikachoo-75]

I was thinking recently how the re-release models have had varying amounts of differences from the original.

some say it may be due to licensing issues,cost of tooling new molds etc.

If Tamiya were to take the plunge and produce a re-release indenticle to the original,how much would you expect to pay?

just as an example,say an Avante...

NIB on Ebay may set you back a pretty penny...it is and will always be the "original".

but say Tamiya re-released it EXACTLY...down to the Technigold.

assume it will have a different product number and most likely have 2010 or so on the box.

how much would you expect it to be?

how much would you pay for it?

if you like you could list your favourite model and its fantasy RRP or how much you'ed part with

like i say its not the first issue,so base your thoughts on if you bought it to run or shelf or leave nib for future years.

i reckon an Avante with a Technigold would prob retail at £450-500. i would have to think long and hard to part with that kinda cash but would prob find a way as its such a cool Tamiya!

[tamiyoman]

I was thinking recently how the re-release models have had varying amounts of differences from the original.

some say it may be due to licensing issues,cost of tooling new molds etc.

If Tamiya were to take the plunge and produce a re-release indenticle to the original,how much would you expect to pay?

just as an example,say an Avante...

NIB on Ebay may set you back a pretty penny...it is and will always be the "original".

but say Tamiya re-released it EXACTLY...down to the Technigold.

assume it will have a different product number and most likely have 2010 or so on the box.

how much would you expect it to be?

how much would you pay for it?

if you like you could list your favourite model and its fantasy RRP or how much you'ed part with

like i say its not the first issue,so base your thoughts on if you bought it to run or shelf or leave nib for future years.

i reckon an Avante with a Technigold would prob retail at £450-500. i would have to think long and hard to part with that kinda cash but would prob find a way as its such a cool Tamiya!

I would expect it to be £300, i would like it to be £225, that price i buy them!.

Kyosho Optima or Javelin, i would gladly pay £250 each fro those and would love kyosho to re-re Javelin as cages are soo expensive, but it aint gonna happen.

[qatmix]

I would expect it to be £300, i would like it to be £225, that price i buy them!.

Kyosho Optima or Javelin, i would gladly pay £250 each fro those and would love kyosho to re-re Javelin as cages are soo expensive, but it aint gonna happen.

I don't think it matters about minor differences. A rerelease is still not an original. Most have been the same apart from some decals. And the best repros out there are as good as originals anyway.

[Old Falcon Lad]

i reckon an Avante with a Technigold would prob retail at £450-500. i would have to think long and hard to part with that kinda cash but would prob find a way as its such a cool Tamiya!

It's hard to see them selling enough if that was the RRP. This would only ever appeal to the likes of us, and how many would pay 500 quid for the privelege of a re-release? It can't be many, and it doesn't include me! I'd have thought 300 tops, so could they do it for that amount? Out of interest, does anyone have any sales figures on the re-re's? I imagine the volume of some cars sold is huge, but what of the niche / specialist cars?

P

[pikachoo-75]

good points above.

i agree 300 is more realistic.

as for how much it would cost to make? i have no idea. most of the components could be straight forward enough im sure.

current models still use FRP in plate form (new ta05 v2 vdfdytz thingy drift high end)

alloy shocks aint rocket science either.

polycarbonate shell.......well it is Tamiya so that should be easy too.

the Technigold is down to Mabuchi tho...wouldnt imagine it was impossible tho?

i guess i picked the Avante as an example as its a desireable model...but its not made of anything too difficult/expensive to re-do.

[tamiyoman]

I don't think it matters about minor differences. A rerelease is still not an original. Most have been the same apart from some decals. And the best repros out there are as good as originals anyway.

I suppose so, bottom line is tamiya can do the body easily (old mold) and most of the plastic parts, i suspect the metal parts are outsourced and like pikachood sai mabuchi for motor, otherwise i dont see why not.

And as gatmix said the better repro decals available (mine and a few others ahem) are as good if not better than originals anyway.

[Azkuma]

This is an interesting question indeed because if we were to take inflation into account it might work out to be prohibitively expensive for Tamiya to manufacture let alone sell any vintage re releases. However they have done very well by releasing the 2 classics of the Buggy Champ and the Sand Scorcher and still as authentic as they were back then and the kits of these currently sell for ~£260.

I'm not sure how much they used to sell for back in the 80's (anyone have a price list or something we could use for comparison?) and given that these two had metal parts which are usually more expensive to manufacture then perhaps these two would be a the top of any cost chart for re re's and so if (hopefully) Tamiya were to do an Avante or an Egress then they wouldn't be crazy in price cos I'd like to have one for myself

[tamiyoman]

I have a RC magazine (UK mag RRC) and Sand Scorcher Price in a shop advertisement was £34.95GBP + P&P.

Cannot remember what date ot was so it may have been a year or 2 after first release and possibly clearance price?, although im sure as a KId in a shop i saw them sell for £49.95?..

[Azkuma]

I have a RC magazine (UK mag RRC) and Sand Scorcher Price in a shop advertisement was £34.95GBP + P&P.

Cannot remember what date ot was so it may have been a year or 2 after first release and possibly clearance price?, although im sure as a KId in a shop i saw them sell for £49.95?..

How much????

£34.95 for a Sand Scorcher?? What year was that magazine advert? Does anyone remember how much an Avante/Egress actually costed at the time of their original launch?

[tamiyoman]

BearingI think the magazine i had was dated 1982 i think (so some 3 years after launch, although im not going in loft to dig it out as its buried lol.

Bearing in mind £50 back in SS days was quite a lot of money, probably equaivelent to £300 these days!, im sure it was not much more than that TBH as when i found a dealer about 6 years back with some old stock he had a NIB sand scorcher and he let me have it for £35GBP as i quoted him the RRP figure i saw in the magazine, i think i sold that for £2000 lol as at the time i had no interest in them having had one as a kid and remembering it was not much good lol (Kept falling apart and having problems with it, so binned it, oops).

Avante are in RRC mag in January 89 Issue (Optima Mid on front cover)

Lots of diff prices in that mag (ALL UK shops and IN GBP£ Sterling)

Otley modelsport (now modelsport UK) £175

Fratton Model Shop £188.99

Central Models £195

Elite models £155 (No technigold motor version)

JS Racing £178.50

Bagnalls Models £189.95 (bought out by Als Hobbies i think)

Quite a range of prices there i think, hence why me n my mates used to buy RRC magazine and go into local model shop quoting lowest price in adverts and getting price matches, this was the days before internet dont forget!!, part of the reason for most model shops demise i suspect.

P.S. has this topic been opened in last few days as there sems to be lots of rumours going round about Avante Re-Re, most of it hearsay i think, byt you never know .

[pikachoo-75]

i hear ya Tamiyoman. i have no idea about a re-re Avante or any other.i picked the Avante because its so popular,hasnt been re-re'ed and im at a loss to see whats stopping it from being done?

ive been eyeing Ebay for a few years now and it seems perhaps the word about Tamiya's value has spread more.

perhaps afew years back a Tamiya would have been found in a loft and simply binned..now it goes on ebay?

its probably more to do with the fact im looking more an more at Avante's and such that makes me see more on the bay as i wouldnt have been overly fussed previously.

[tamiyoman]

I think word spreads quite quickly, as one fella puts his old buggy on ebay after his mother/wife etc insists on clearing out the attic (even tho it will never get used and she wont go up there lol) and he finds his old buggy from when he was a kid, he sticks it on fee-pay and whoaaaa, it sells for like £100+. He tells his mate next day in sowrk and says "i stuck my old rc buggy on ebay and it sold for £100, can you believe it, mate says i have one of them too, might stick mine on, suddenly the janitor overhears and he thinks hmm, my son had a few of them in loft and he left home and forgot, i will stick those on, ................... word quickly spreads if people get good money for something they think is worthless.

Cheers

[slimmy]

I have never really cared for how much a rerelease will or would cost. Because my interest with the hobby is in vintage. A rerelease is not vintage, no matter how much of an exact replica that it is. The age of the item is what attracts me to it. Just the thought of a beautifully finished model being thirty years old excites and amazes me. I enjoy the rarity of an item. rereleases are readily available to everyone.

[pikachoo-75]

I have never really cared for how much a rerelease will or would cost. Because my interest with the hobby is in vintage. A rerelease is not vintage, no matter how much of an exact replica that it is. The age of the item is what attracts me to it. Just the thought of a beautifully finished model being thirty years old excites and amazes me. I enjoy the rarity of an item. rereleases are readily available to everyone.

i truly understand your point.an original is an original.

just like a first edition book. you could have read the story a million times,from different copies,but a collector wants the original,the first edition.

i guess i dont mind if its a first edition..i would love to be able to "read" the Avante story without having to worry about "creasing the pages" !

in fact i guess thats why i like the re-release IDEA (theory anyway)

i had a wild one/Fav bout a year ago...i ended up selling the bits..why? cos i genuinely couldnt bear the idea of it getting "wasted".

i would rather it went to someone who would have cherished its originality.

i know i would have run it and the front would snap and the gearbox would self destruct and these original parts would be even harder to find.

if i had a re-re then i dont mind if it wasnt original for it would be less of a stress to run it.

[WillyChang]

Rerelease = fanstastic source of affordable parts to keep the original clunkers going

[pikachoo-75]

Rerelease = fanstastic source of affordable parts to keep the original clunkers going

and some pretty sensible "upgrades" too! (ORV drive shafts)

[WillyChang]

yep the Frog unis & hex hubs were an unexpected but welcome surprise, defintiely the SRB ball diff too

disappointingly they missed redoing some would-be-nice items like Hotshot HP Suspension set

[pikachoo-75]

yep the Frog unis & hex hubs were an unexpected but welcome surprise, defintiely the SRB ball diff too

disappointingly they missed redoing some would-be-nice items like Hotshot HP Suspension set

yip,i REALY dont mind new and improved if its in the spirit or visually similar. HotShot and Frog dampers are a good example..rebuildable for maintanence but look close enough to the original to blend in.

perhaps the re-re's dont need to be exactly the same in many cases.(tho i do miss the KC smiley face and Hornet spot covers.and perhaps sponsor brands in general)

again prob the reason for picking the Avante as an example...im sure 90% would be a straight replica,but would welcome Tamiya to work around some of the reliablity issues.

im not an expert on Avante's but from what ive learned the front uprights and such could be beefier design and/or stronger material.

perhaps the Technigold could herald a new replacement,Tamiya seem to do there own motor range,so why not a new motor...4WD Tuned? Avante Tuned?

[MadInventor]

Surely if the avante was re-released, it should come with a massively powerful brushless motor. Wasn't the point of the original avante to be a technology showcase, and had what was tamiyas most powerful motor at the time. So to do a potential re-release justice, it would want to have the best tech in it currently available.

[pikachoo-75]

Surely if the avante was re-released, it should come with a massively powerful brushless motor. Wasn't the point of the original avante to be a technology showcase, and had what was tamiyas most powerful motor at the time. So to do a potential re-release justice, it would want to have the best tech in it currently available.

good point.

it makes perfect sense.brushless is the latest innovation,so maybe Tamiya could do a motor with a suitable turn..(i have limited knowledge on brushless)

i may fall into the trap that brushless=mega fast? im sure Tamiya's TBM01? is avail as equiv to a 23 turn brushed?

so maybe something along those lines...21 turn equiv? Avante Tuned brushless motor!

maybe even anodise it gold colour so it looks like a Technigold!

or even Technigold BL? mite upset Mabuchi tho...unless they made it!

[WillyChang]

has been said before in past & we'll say it again... Avante is a lousy performer

Its a engineer's wetdream display masterpiece, but on an offroad track its hopeless.

Front shocks are too laiddown, insufficient suspension travel to absorb bumps

and wide front tyres + short WB makes it oversteery.

Egress is better sorted with its LWB, longer shocks and better-balanced tyres

but still its quite heavy & a real PITA to work on - even just changing battery.

Both kits were also crazy-expensive when new, about 4X price of a Boomerang - would that change?

Few bought them new due to price; the diehard racers that could had better racecars available for less.

[tamiyoman]

I think maybe in OZ the boomerang was either very cheap or the Avante very expensive as in UK a Boomerang was about £80-85 and an Avante £175-180

[WillyChang]

nah wasn't in Oz back then

where we were Hotshot was tagged 400 when just released, Boomerang was less @ 250-300

vs Avante 1000 kitbox pricetag; shop had 1 built in showcase that we all drooled at.

Black & red 1200SC packs were 115.

At same time MiniMustang 4WD 2spd was tagged at 650, bought for 500.

Believe it was 4:1 to the GBP and 2.5:1 to USD back then.

[pikachoo-75]

so perhaps a straight duplicate wouldnt be the best idea?

Perhaps a Tamiya Avante 3001?

Egress underneath (or perhaps for cost poss FRP/reg screws?)

Avante 2001 shell and driver (with decals representing Avante?)

gold coloured shocks

alloy gold colour anodised brushless motor

stronger front suspenion components

perhaps narrow fronts and wide rear wheels with some kind of gimmick on the wheel nuts?

those "posi drive" uj drive shafts Tamiya did..those were very special looking

so i guess NOT a re-re but under a new name for a factory modified tribute?

ahhh the beauty of wishful thinking!

[pikachoo-75]

crikey! now hears a thought!?

what if Tamiya done some kind of slimmer chassis...and original (not mini 4wd jr inspired) Avante shell...

but on a .........wait for it......

TRF501?

i personaly wouldnt consider it proper due to shaft vs belt to start with...but

its certainly a cutting edge 4wd buggy

with some well placed Avante accents it could be a nice model.

i think if it was called the Avante it would be scandalous..but if it was to be called something along the lines of Avante 3001 or perhaps Mega Street Fighter 18.7 Strictly Pop Dancing X Rival Turbo ltd Avante?