EDUARD -what does 'limited run' really mean?

Volker_Nemsch · 30 May 2006, 11:09 AM

Hello!

I´m just curious about the "limited run" models of Eduard:

What does "limited run" really mean here (500 or 1,000 or 5,000 or ...)?

Is this just the simple trick to get a higher price for the same product by saying that "they will all be sold soon"?

Among these special kits is the No. 2101 - Albatros D.V, Jasta 5, Dual Combo, 1:72 scale. Is it worth the 20,--€ and is there a real danger that they will be out of stock within the next weeks? And - has anyone already built this kit?

Thanks for your comments!

Kitboy · 30 May 2006, 11:53 AM

For instance Eduard 1/48 OAW built Fokker DVII is also introduced as limited, and sold out. But I still see them for sale on Ebay. Even for reasonable prices too.....

Greetings, Nico Teunissen

StephenLawson · 30 May 2006, 12:58 PM

For a review on the Combo kit see;
http://aircraft.armorama.com/modules...ontent&id=1659

or my website below.

The meaning of limited historically implies under 1,000 kits total. Yet anything less than 5,000 is not profitable enough for the Tamigawa companies.

melsharkskin · 1 June 2006, 05:14 PM

I have to be careful how I choose my words here, so feel free to read between them. As an editor at a well-known magazine, I know that, first of all, when the, let us say, just for example, Eduard Limited Edition series was launched in 2004, it was announced on the firm's web site and to the press that the LE kits would be limited to 1,000 kits worldwide. No more would be made after that. Let us also assume that somewhere around a hundred of these kits go gratis to reviewers around the world for publicity purposes. Then there is the money that goes into advertising them. We haven't even mentioned the money that goes into reboxing the older Eduard kits with new PE frets and masks, or purchasing kits like the Yak-1 and 1b, which were bought already bagged from Accurate Miniatures, then boxed by Eduard complete with custom made masks and special color PE frets.
Taking all this and more in mind, unless a company is in the business of losing money, I would say that more -- many, many more -- than 900 Eduard Limited Edition kits are on the market when the new ones are released at the beginning of each month, sometimes two new ones.
I guess you didn't have to read between the lines.

Volker_Nemsch · 4 June 2006, 01:12 AM

First of all, thank you for your comments.

Hello melsharkskin,
what you´ve said makes a lot of sense as long as EDUARD has to create a totally new kit. Here, this is not the case - I compared the "dual combo kit" with the other already existing kits of the EDUARD Albatros D.V / D.Va in my shelves and they are identical.

The only really new thing are the cardboard box, the painting instructions and the decals. The additional expenses for this are relatively small, because you will not have the considerable costs for new injection moulding forms and other needed tools for a completely new plastic kit. And so a number of 1,000 limited kits will surely result in a reasonable profit for EDUARD.

Additionally it offers a lot of additional possibilities for EDUARD - they may produce a "dual combo kit" of other Jastas, equipped with this Albatros fighter. For example, "Jasta 11" or "Jasta 15" would offer lots of decal-proposals.

Any comments are welcome ...

Lugarno67 · 4 June 2006, 04:02 AM

I personally find this whole "limited edition" move to be total, um . . . bool####. I'd consider paying separately for the nifty new decal sheets, but $39.95 or so for a kit I already have, just so I can get some markings?

No, I don't think so. I used to buy a lot of Eduard stuff, but not anymore. Especially compared to Roden, I find them overpriced and overhyped.

Bleagh.

Familyman · 4 June 2006, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lugarno67

I personally find this whole "limited edition" move to be total, um . . . bool####. I'd consider paying separately for the nifty new decal sheets, but $39.95 or so for a kit I already have, just so I can get some markings?

No, I don't think so. I used to buy a lot of Eduard stuff, but not anymore. Especially compared to Roden, I find them overpriced and overhyped.

Bleagh.

Lugarno!

Your arguments against Eduard are actually very common. I've read them many times and I've also written these points about them earlier, but here they come again:

Buying the kits and aftermarket decals separately is the way many modelers are used to do. The problem is - however - that there is not much aftermarket decals. Americans have the A/G sheets, but what do have here in Europe? Very few sheets for the most popular types! You can ask of course, if Eduard's releasing policy is killing the Buying decal production. Why put a sheet out if Eduard is going to include the same options to their next release. This has happened with some more popular types, like the Abatros scouts and Fokker DVII. But then again: Eduard's Pfalz D.III and D.IIIa kits were out for ages and there were no new decal options available until Eduard released the 'Limited run' boxes.

If Eduard's policy makes the aftermarket manufacturers to hesitate to release sheets for Eduard kits, there should be more sheets for the kits Roden has released, shouldn't there? I don't like Roden kits because of the low quality of the decals. Using these not so good locally made decals is - I think - one of the ways Roden keeps their prices down. I wonder if they have changed their policy with the new Staaken kit? The price of that kit was an unpleasant surprise to many modelers.

The prices of Eduard's newer releases has been a cause of lot of complaining. I think that the real problem is not that the new luxurious packings with all the fancy decals, Pe frets and extra RFC or German figures weren't worth the price. The problem is the lack of simpler and cheaper alternatives. In this Eduard seems to be changing their policy. They are putting the old kits out now also as simple 'Weekend kits' which seem to be very reasonably priced indeed. I think - however - that they're not going to release their newer kits as 'Weekend' editions very soon. Earlier they used to release the cheapest and simplest edition first!

Mikko

Volker_Nemsch · 4 June 2006, 08:10 AM

Hello Lugarno67,

I agree that some of the newer kits of EDUARD are very high priced. That is the reason why many are switching over to other manufacturers - and RODEN kits are surely comparable in their quality. Why, for example, paying 10 $ on a kit when you can get (almost) the same one from a different company for 5 $ or a little bit more?

But it seems that EDUARD is aware of this problem: they are now selling a Fokker Dr.I kit in 1:72 scale for less than 4 $. The kit is delivered in a transparent plastic bag (!) with only on sheet of approx. 8 x 6 inch for the assembly and painting instructions. The decals are very limited - MvR´s Fokker Dr.I 425/17 with the earlier Maltese crosses instead of the Balken crosses of late April 1918.

In my opinion they have lost many customers to the new (and cheap) Fokker Dr.I of REVELL and now this is their attempt to strike back. At least I think this is a possibility ...

Lugarno67 · 4 June 2006, 11:56 AM

First to Familyman:

I think that actually the WWI decal market was always very small. A few sheets by AMD and Superscale, some kept on by Eagle Strike, a few by Techmod, some very expensive ones by Americal and Pegasus, and that's pretty much it. I would suspect the number of decal sheets by different manufacturers devoted to *one* popular WWII subject (like a P-51) far exceed the sheets ever devoted to *all* WWI subjects, combined.

We are just a tiny part of the market. This is why noone has rushed in to do Roden's stuff. I also have to tell you that A-G is very hard and expensive for us in America to find, too -- we're in the same boat there.

Anyway, I have to stand by my original comments. I do not think these fancy decal and toy soldier sets are worth the money. For example, the Walfisch. Nice plane, good value. I bought the Profi version for about $15 from Eastern Europe, and I was happy. Now Eduard no longer has it available, unless you are willing to buy their ground crew in the package. But if I wanted their ground crew, I would have bought it, no? All Eduard's done is reduce my choice. If I want another Walfisch, I have to shell out $39 or so, maybe $29 discounted.

That's just dumb. They are forcing the customer to buy what he doesn't want. So my solution is -- I buy the Walfisch from a fellow modeler instead. I bet Eduard would have preferred I buy it from them.

Volker,

I'm afraid I know very little about 1/72, since I do 1/48th. But I am happy to see good competition (Roden, Special Hobby, Rest, etc). Maybe make Eduard wake up a bit. $50 for a Brisfish with a bit of P/E and a decal?! I don't think so! I can buy the Roden version PLUS the Part P/E (much more complete than Eduard's) for around $30 or so. Much better.

StephenLawson · 7 June 2006, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lugarno67

"...Volker... $50 for a Brisfish with a bit of P/E and a decal?! I don't think so! I can buy the Roden version PLUS the Part P/E (much more complete than Eduard's) for around $30 or so. Much better.

On this mold I agree, quite right! Though the Bristol Fighter did come out at a time when Eduard seem to be increasing the prices of all their new releases. Yet their older molds were being offered for "sale prices." The Fokker D.VII Combo set was only about 5.00 USD more for two complete aircraft. Yet the Royal was three kits with new decals and PE. Its price doubled. You can explain it away with the refueling cart and the faux Blue Max and the three sets of decals( lozenge and markings.) The Sopwith Camel Combo kit #8090 is not a true twin set. Many of the decals ( original from the Profipack #8056) are not shared for two machines. But there is enough plastic and PE for two. Its average price increase was 7-8.00 USD.