People like to collect things, and the culture of collecting things often relates to the satisfaction people feel when finding rare things, and owning them. So for them, it’s often important that an item is truly vintage – i.e. However, once the uniqueness of original items becomes more apparent, demand for them inevitably climbs back up. google_ad_height = 250; Re-re Buggy Champ, Fighting Buggy, Wild One. Back then, these devices were expensive and few people, aside of racers, invested in them. I couldn’t compete, nor did I have the means to acquire one myself. So original and re-re have almost the same effect on me. But practically every single remake Tamiya comes with fake sponsor decals. I stumbled across this site while doing some fairly generic searches for The Hornet. Enter your email address to follow R/C Toy Memories and receive email notifications of new posts. Modern Tamiya releases and remakes are now made in the Philippines (not Japan), though many of Tamiyas products are still made in Japan. 7/10. Watch; S C T p S S 1 o n s o R r B e Y Z d 1. There is a reason why certain factories win manufacturing plant awards, yet others do not. Their value depends mainly on: 1. Haven’t restored any of them, tires seem to go to crap over the years. And it’s more a case of the fact you can say your car is “all original” if you ever decide to sell it, that makes it worth finding an original issue part if you can. Or eBay. If you see my original content on social media without a courtesy credit mentioning where it came from - that's content theft! I have a mix of re-res and vintage. This is in addition to the often extensive lists of physical differences between originals and reissues. It’s just trivia really – some people prefer one box or the other. The Monster Beetle has "cross-market" appeal as a collectors item. But for the most part they are smaller trivia for collectors. DESCRIPTION. The re-re’s all have MCI decals to mimic the originals. Yeah, that’s because for the remake Hotshot kit, Tamiya opted to use the chassis mould from Hotshot II (the one with the hatch opening on the top). How do you think this affects the value of my Grasshopper? Just the smell of the tires, the blister packs and the box art was great! When the Internet arrived, and in particular eBay in the late 1990s, many out of stock vintage Tamiya collectibles began to change hands around the world for ever-increasing prices. I do not believe this sense of pride and purpose can be easily replicated by low-paid workers, working in offshore factories where they have little affiliation to the brands they are working for. There are not many company’s that care about the quality of their products. I have the instructions and all parts are original. Tamiya VW Beetle 1/10th scale remote control racing car, with remote control. Man i never get sick of reading this page. Tamiya Monster Beetle (1986) 1986 was a big year for big toy monster trucks. Another possible effect of remaking items, is that their visibility in stores draws more interest from past or casual fans, and that this has a flow-on effect whereby a percentage of these additional buyers begin seeking out original vintage items as well. Lastly, Volkswagen fanatics. I wanted him to not only experience the pleasure of playing / driving the car, but to experience the build process. The models in this picture are numbers 58001 (the green Porsche 934 at the top left), to 58100 (the green Top-Force buggy at the bottom right). A friend of mine has a metallic edition wild willy 2 with mechanical speedy made in japan also. I can remember back to the days when I had my RC. Tamiya 1/10 Blitzer Beetle RC Offroad Buggy Kit 58502 This is a re-release version of the Blitzer Beetle R/C assembly kit, which was inspired by the exciting off-road desert racer designs seen in the United States. But they might be as much as 3, 4, or 5 times more expensive, depending on the model. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Tamiya used the FF01 chassis for several models between 1993 and 1999. For vintage R/C car collectors, remake kits are still a fairly new concept that has only been around since the early-mid 2000s, and one which – at first – seems to fulfill a need and offer the same thrill as buying an original. Yes, I really had those very same feelings / experiences as you have written about here. Remake kits may awaken more “past fans”, who begin to seek out both remake and original items. Thanks again for sharing your information and for the hard work involved. So the re-issues offer me the chance to experience these cars now that I’m nearly 40. But even in the Ford, Dodge and Chevy examples you gave from the real car collecting world, owning a modern reissue of any classic car is no substitute for an original – to a collector or enthusiast. an example that actually sat on a toy store shelf when they were children, as opposed to something that was manufactured just last week. As mentioned these 10 existing Milka Edition Tamiya Volkswagen New Beetles could be won as a price in an open contest and were NOT available through any shop or store. Hi Nils. Describe the condition honestly. Thank you very much! It was a real vintage one and looked untouched for years. Hi Brian – sorry for the delay. Mainly because many had spent a lot of years (and dollars) hunting down and restoring the originals, only for remake versions to suddenly appear for sale in their thousands. The Monster Beetle 2015 features the classic Volkswagen Beetle body, mounted on an all-action 2WD chassis fitted with big tires for rough-and-tumble off-road fun. monster beetle 2015 motorized toy car pdf manual download. I am interested in the cost comparison of the 1980’s price (the actual retail price back in the 80’s, maybe even the inflation adjusted price too) vs. the current reissue price. And any additional demand for the original kits and cars will only make those originals more desirable, and more challenging, for anyone else to find in the years ahead. Good for you Jeff. If they managed to create a few new cars that felt like “lost” 1980s designs, I would buy them in a heartbeat. For me, I could never afford these great RC’s back in the 80s. Plus i get brand new parts with exactly the same nostalgic value. Last but certainly not least, are the actual parts differences. Accounting for inflation, paying $150 for something in 1985 is about the same as paying $385 in 2012 (in Australia). Tamiya’s remakes are good for people who’d like to buy a new kit of a retro toy, at a cheaper price. It's free, and simply lets you comment in the forum or beneath articles. Nostalgia is without doubt (and unfortunately for my wallet!) Tamiya tried to make these new fake logos seem like real brands by using words like “Forward”, “Brite” and “Z Point”, but these brands don’t exist in the real world. If you ever sell it, some buyers may not believe that the whole rest of the car is an original, unless they can see all the parts differences too. After a long absence it is back as an updated assembly kit ready to traverse back yards across the country. Free shipping. It’s nice to hear you focused on an original Grasshopper. Sure, people who buy new Tamiya kits today will probably feel nostalgic about them in the year 2044 (30 years from now), and this may affect values. And in all areas of collecting, there are those nerds (like me!) Collectors love this style of packaging for it’s presentation value, and because it showed the care that Tamiya (and other brands – because most of them were doing it) took in making the experience of building a vintage R/C model memorable and fun. Anyway, we did a little bit each night; I’d say 70 / 30, him-to-me doing the build…I was there for guidance mostly…and maybe a little muscle. Also, having other original extras – like the original box, any spare bits, and period correct radio gear etc, also helps. Tamiya was such a ubiquitous brand back in those days, that their models were sold at hobby stores, toy stores, electronics stores, and even department stores and discount stores. Tamiyaclub the Vintage Tamiya and radio control Collectors website Part of the largest online tamiya database - 58060: Monster Beetle We’ll patch her up and get ready for the next run. Either to relive the process of building it, or just display the kit with all it’s beautiful internal blister-packing (something long-gone from today’s model kits). C $500.97. And no offense to you either, but I’m not complaining about anything I’ve actually never been happier with my collection. Another option is to try an RC forum such as http://www.ultimaterc.com – there are other similar places too, but some of them require membership. But I don’t find these products to be very significant or interesting. I wonder if you could give me any tips on getting a fair price for it? Before Tamiya began remaking many of their classic cars from the 1980s, the values of unbuilt kits were soaring. For newcomers to vintage Tamiya R/C cars, or people just starting to think “I used to have a Tamiya…”, hunting down and collecting the cars from the 1980s is a little trickier these days than it used to be because Tamiya has now remade many models – and the remakes are different! I could not come to terms with the rerelease kits but when i met the guy behind the rerelease kits when i was in Japan i warmed up to them. Each to their own- I am not precious at all about vintage vrs re-re as long as the look is tidy. Watch; Vintage RC Car Truck Tamiya Blackfoot Beetle Blaster Large Mix G part shock body. It was bought as a gift years ago but only used once. I bought a rerelease Hotshot just to see what its all about and in the servo tub it reads rcc hotshot 2, strange. This lead me to expand and start collecting. These decals are precise placed identical on all 10 of the models made, so all 10 models are equal. Oh, by the way: I left the inside of the body unpainted, so you can still see the original yellowed plastic. Please see my follow-up article A detailed guide to Vintage vs Remake Tamiya R/C kits. Well, just look a little closer at some other things, like…. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. NEW TAMIYA MONSTER BEETLE 2015 Tires Set Front & Rear BLACKFOOT MUD BLASTER TJB I think it’s great that Tamiya has reissued their retro models! Box-art paint job. I also write about other retro toys sometimes. Brand New. The original cars had decals of real world sponsors and brands, but for the remake kits Tamiya only included fake and “made up” brands on the decals – probably to save on brand licensing costs. These products are not only sold in Japan but also exported in vast quantities to the United States, Europe, South East Asia, and … Let’s take the example of a really popular model like the Tamiya Frog. I also don’t think it reflects badly on the company at all. The Monster Beetle is a favorite of countless RC veterans, myself included. U 2 7 E S P 2 O N 7 O S O R E M L D Y F. MIP Super 16210 Ball Differential Tamiya Blackfoot/ Monster Beetle. This R/C model assembly kit recreates the classic Volkswagen Beetle in rally racing form. Fact: Every single Tamiya remake kit is different to the original kit. When Tamiya began remaking lots of cars in the mid 2000s, the remake of the Frog was kit 58354 – the 354th R/C model ever released. And third, they’re from the 1980s when R/C cars were still a new hobby and the level of interest was higher than it has ever been since. What I find truly endearing and remarkable about the articles and comments on this site, is the commonality of experience and sentiment about the cars and hobby, regardless of geographic region. The main differences are of course in the cars themselves – parts, bodies, tyres, electronics etc. We finished up four days ago and it was great to see same sense of excitement in his face, as I remember having as a child. And finally, yes Tamiya has managed to continue releasing high quality products, despite lowering costs over the years. Would love to know your thoughts of the differences between the Hot Shot, the Supershot, and even the Hot Shot 2. And over time, such differences become more well-known to everyone. Despite this, original kits remained a lot more expensive and collectible than remake kits. Cheers for the comment (and compliments) Ian! Free shipping. At the rear, behind the battery a narrow, empty box structure providing some rigidity and TA02 rear hubs with floating axles without drive cups. We both had paper delivery routes, so we had some income that allowed us to get into the hobby…we both picked The Hornet as our first car. Hi Joe. I can’t believe how much I remembered in detail from 30 years ago on the build. I am doing my own paint scheme as well, only planning on using some of the decals. I finally found the correct Radio Shack Wild Horse transmitter on …, I have been looking for an original Tamiya HotShot so as to compar …, A detailed guide to Vintage vs Remake Tamiya R/C kits, A quick guide to Vintage vs Remake Kyosho R/C kits, http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-Tamiya-Hornet-Parts-Tree-C-X8615-Grasshopper-Original-Issue-/262070087680?hash=item3d04983000. But it seems that any of the companies that are still operating today may decide to remake popular models from their past, if they feel there is a market for them. Nevertheless – nothing I say should prevent you from enjoying the current access to reissued examples So good luck with your collecting. From vintage vehicles to pre-modern sports cars, you’ll find it here. Wow, Hobbyco in George st Sydney, 1984…I wish I had gone there in those days. I never went beyond the The Hornet; however, I did make some simple modifications, e.g., upgraded motor, bearings, etc. There were no broken parts on the chassis, so I only had to concentrate on the body. How original they are. In the four days since, the car has been put through its paces…it very much like I remember…very robust, can take a licking and keeps on ticking. The rarity of something naturally remains a bit more “pure” if companies never flood the market with similar new versions of their past classics. I mention clearly in the article that “Tamiya’s reissues are good for people who’d like to buy a new kit of a retro toy, at a cheap price”. Great Article – thanks so much. I’m 41 now with a wife and 4 year old daughter. My first one has a mechanical speedy the others electronic. Clear photos, preferably on a white background. Thanks for the comment Christof. And I definitely don’t agree that Tamiya has done this for a quick buck. 3. The closest thing Tamiya have ever done to something like this was probably the Ford F350 High-Lift kit (and related kits) which harked back somewhat to their early 3-Speed trucks but without being remakes. The other alternative is to buy an actual vintage one on eBay, but they can sometimes be a bit dearer and collectors want them. In every field of collecting in the world, a majority of interest always tends to be reserved for the original or “first issue”, of pretty much anything – from Posters to Pokemon. Firstly, any company that remakes it’s own classic products for quick profit, may damage their brand’s prestige and “collectability” a little bit. They were a big part of the fun of building and detailing these models. The good news is you can still get those 2 stick transmitters. Here’s a good photo of someone’s original Hotshot (left) and remake Hotshot (right) that I’ve pinched from the interwebs…. Many people are using remake spare parts to ‘restore’ their original cars, and while in some instances you might consider this to be fine (such as if the remake part is truly identical to the original), in other instances you will want to be aware of what people have done to their cars. Fact: Original kits are worth at least twice the value of the remake kit. It cost $105 and the radio controller cost $110. So it would be a side by side collection to show the differences between the original and the reissue. The kit has been in continuous production, there has never been a “rerelease” per se. The Tamiya FF01 uses a tub chassis with transverse battery mount, identical to the TA02 chassis with which it shares a number of parts. A boxed, unbuilt original Rough Rider is gold, Chris. /* Nieuw */ Some local hobby stores (at least in Australia) have been stocking the reissued kits. I was under 10 in the 80s, but i still remember seeing the Lunchbox at the model shop. On the other hand, if you are happy with it the way it is, then of course keep it that way . I don’t collect the remakes. American companies generally manufactured their models in the USA. Please be kind and simply mention www.rctoymemories.com when sharing. I basically now have the contents of my totally destroyed Guide book on display to enjoy looking at every day. They give me the chance to get that feeling of buying a Tamiya rc car from a hobby store. One guy was so enthused that he was planning on going to the Local Tamiya stockist (Steve Webb Models) to pick one up later that day. All vintage original Tamiya models are collectible. The Tamiya Monster Beetle is back! The ‘Milka Edition’: In other fields of toy collecting (e.g. Features. It’s nice to hear that the model is all original and with box – that is exactly the kind of thing collectors look for. Oh also – yes the original 1985 Hotshot (not Hotshot II) has nothing at all embossed on the bottom half of the chassis. When it comes to Japan, there is also something to be said for the level of pride that Japanese companies and their staff have traditionally put into their products. The Monster Beetle is an Icon though, and the scale shell and bling gold rims make it look great as it whizzes around the stunt park with the sun glistening. Second, they’re simply “the originals” and people always value original releases more, no matter what the item is (books, music, art etc). R/C Toy Memories is a nostalgia blog run by a long-time collector. Many people are going to end up having created hybrid original/remake models. My favorite is the Buggy Champ. And this view is shared by many collectors, in all areas of toy collecting… from Transformers to Care Bears. Having said all that, in the longer term, original Tamiyas do bounce back and regain their pre-remake value. Can understand collectors not being interested in the re-issues. It was the best toy I ever had. My budget couldn’t allow me to go after a vintage Hotshot but nonetheless, picking up a remaked Hotshot today at a decent price soothed my retro longing for an RC kit that I could only stare at in awe back in the hobby shop as a kid in ’85. About the Tamiya FF01 chassis: But it’s no wonder so many of us grew up wishing we could buy more toys in the 80s (but not being able to afford them). If not, I think the value of the model will be affected a little by the fact that the decals are not original. More recently, I have been considering the possibility that the Tamiya reissues have had an unforeseen effect that I did not cover in this article, that being: the reissued kits have simply reminded a lot of people about the Tamiya R/C cars they used to have in the 80s. In the case of some parts, the reissue item is made with the same or very similar mold as the original. Remake kits have been popular for Tamiya. //-->,