Has the world turned upside down?

[SWAFARetired]

Hello my friends, I know it's been a minute since the last time anyone has heard from me. As the end of the year approaches, I find myself scratching my head. Is it just me, or have some of the vendors, mainly those in China, gone mad with their prices

All one need to do is take a look on eBay, Amazon and other platforms. This year has seen some incredible increases in model pricing. I can't help but think some of these price increases are purely out of greed and not actually due to production cost increases. Maybe I am crazy and way off base, but I fail to see any logical explanation for the huge increases

I know that the harder it is to find a particular model, the more premium the price. But on readily available models, it just does not add up. If anyone has an explanation that actually makes sense please enlighten me. I know I could just be lost in the fog of having purchased roughly 135 models this year and my addiction to spending several hours a day "shopping" for more. I need help , I know, but I need prices that make sense, more space for my ever growing collection and a good addiction support group.

More about the growing collection coming soon. Hope everyone is doing well and wishing you all a very safe and happy holiday season. Now I have to run, I caught wind of a much desired and elusive BA A380 Model! TTFN

 

[JJ Skippy]

The cost of models has been going up due to increase in shipping costs, raw material costs, and general inflation in the economy. If companies want to make money when costs are rising they will have to raise the prices of their products, much to the dismay of us collectors. GJ had one over the summer which has been well-documented.

NG’s prices have gone up slightly too — though in my observations that’s because they’re trying to acquire licenses from the airlines. I wouldn’t be shocked if the above factors cause them to raise their prices by a couple bucks down the line. Others are trying to stay at a consistent price but given these factors we might see more price increases from other brands long-term.

 

[SWAFARetired]

The cost of models has been going up due to increase in shipping costs, raw material costs, and general inflation in the economy. If companies want to make money when costs are rising they will have to raise the prices of their products, much to the dismay of us collectors. GJ had one over the summer which has been well-documented.

NG’s prices have gone up slightly too — though in my observations that’s because they’re trying to acquire licenses from the airlines. I wouldn’t be shocked if the above factors cause them to raise their prices by a couple bucks down the line. Others are trying to stay at a consistent price but given these factors we might see more price increases from other brands long-term.

Now that is a logical explanation, and only makes sense. It's the sellers that have taken an NG Models you can get for $59.00 and now it's $140.00. Costs have gone up but certainly not enough to warrant a 104% price increase. I voice my frustration with them and making sure that I don't purchase their products.

 

[keji833]

Yes the price has increased about 10% compared to two years ago at the same time, so about the inflation number. I also bought over 150 models this year but now I have a cap on all but one of my purchases. Normally that cap (buy trigger) is about 40 for a narrowbody and 50 for a widebody. For new NG and PH releases, it's actually possible if you are willing to search around, some offer free shipping with 10% off which makes them stay just below my cap line. Otherwise I just wait for those big sales events, like 7/4 or black Friday (I sourced 55 models during black Friday)

Now I very rarely purchase JC wings/AV400/PM in the states bc they are just way overpriced. For those I have friends buying them for me in China which you can usually negotiate some deals at only half of the price compared to that in the States (which is same as NG/PH, crazy)


Any deal with too high a price is not a good deal! Overall I feel the price has been on the rise but with intelligent purchase and souring it's still manageable, at least for now.


On a side note, I've really been curious about the cost price for retailers to import, say, NG models. My guess is that for a model with $50 retail price, the cost is probably around $25-30.

 

[SWAFARetired]

Yes the price has increased about 10% compared to two years ago at the same time, so about the inflation number. I also bought over 150 models this year but now I have a cap on all but one of my purchases. Normally that cap (buy trigger) is about 40 for a narrowbody and 50 for a widebody. For new NG and PH releases, it's actually possible if you are willing to search around, some offer free shipping with 10% off which makes them stay just below my cap line. Otherwise I just wait for those big sales events, like 7/4 or black Friday (I sourced 55 models during black Friday)

Now I very rarely purchase JC wings/AV400/PM in the states bc they are just way overpriced. For those I have friends buying them for me in China which you can usually negotiate some deals at only half of the price compared to that in the States (which is same as NG/PH, crazy)


Any deal with too high a price is not a good deal! Overall I feel the price has been on the rise but with intelligent purchase and souring it's still manageable, at least for now.


On a side note, I've really been curious about the cost price for retailers to import, say, NG models. My guess is that for a model with $50 retail price, the cost is probably around $25-30.

I too spend a lot of time checking various sources both in and out of the country. I try to stay in the $70 range for widebody and $50 for narrow body. I look for free shipping and price compare between the different vendors.

I have had incredible luck on eBay and have made several purchases from 2 different sellers that I get good deals I have learned to appreciate the hunt as an integral part of collecting. It really is a bit of a high when you find that one rare and expensive model at a bargain price and you buy it.