Why are separate track link sets so expensive?

[BradG]

I really hate rubber band type tracks, but at 50-60 dollars plus post for an aftermarket track set, I might as well just go and buy a Dragon kit with magic tracks in it and throw the older model out!

It makes no economic sense to me the costs here.

[Bomber_County]

26 minutes ago, BradG said:

I really hate rubber band type tracks, but at 50-60 dollars plus 

Totally agree Brad, I only ever bought Master track links once for my Mark IV Male as the Takom links were unbuildable IMHO. In the UK a metal set for Tiger etc is £28 +, that’s the cost of the kit right there........

[Clunkmeister]

It’s insanity.  

And they’re never available for what I really want to build. 

 

[BlrwestSiR]

I haven't tried the Master tracks as they're either crazy expensive or sold out. I've used Fruil a couple times and those were pricy enough. 

I think that this holds true for many of the AM bits folks use. 

I remember the complaints about the Eduard resin sets for the Tamiya Mossie. At least I got them on clear out so nowhere near full retail. Mk 1 from Korea makes 3D printed burner cans for the Tamiya F-15 but they're around $100 or the same price as the base kit. 

Stuff for car kits is possibly even worse. Scale Motorsport made a nice set for the Tamiya 1/12 Porsche 935. I think the list price was $300 or almost triple the kit price. They sold every one and the detail sets are more than double that on the used market now.  Then there's Top Studio...

[GazzaS]

I love magic tracks...  but all of my armor kits are not Dragon.  And I have gotten a few sets of AM tracks.  But yeah...  doubling the kit price is a punch in the guts.  I've used both Friuls and resin with pins. 

 

I imagine the real reason they're expensive is because there is always someone willing to pay, and no competitor is trying to undercut the market with lower prices.

[Bomber_County]

Totally agree Gaz, if the the kit isn’t Dragon I look carefully to see if there is separate track links. The Tiger, I did for the GB had separates but I think that was an old boxing........if not think twice.....

[GazzaS]

On 10/20/2020 at 7:50 PM, Bomber_County said:

Totally agree Gaz, if the the kit isn’t Dragon I look carefully to see if there is separate track links. The Tiger, I did for the GB had separates but I think that was an old boxing........if not think twice.....

I'm all-in on Dragon.  I check to ensure it doesn't have the DS tracks and click on the 'buy it now' button.   I bought some Tamiya kits on the cheap last year and have to consider how I'm going to do the tracks.

[BlrwestSiR]

Dragon kits here for some reason have gotten crazy expensive. Most are close to $100 a pop and that doesn't necessarily mean they'll have Magic tracks in them.  Many of the newer Chinese brands are considerably cheaper. I just ordered the Amusing Model E-100 which comes with individual link tracks for $55 CAD. 

I don't mind link and length tracks either. I find they can be a decent compromise between individual link tracks and rubber bands. 

In fact these are on my bench at the moment. 

 

 

[GazzaS]

1 hour ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Dragon kits here for some reason have gotten crazy expensive. Most are close to $100 a pop and that doesn't necessarily mean they'll have Magic tracks in them.  Many of the newer Chinese brands are considerably cheaper. I just ordered the Amusing Model E-100 which comes with individual link tracks for $55 CAD. 

I don't mind link and length tracks either. I find they can be a decent compromise between individual link tracks and rubber bands. 

In fact these are on my bench at the moment. 

 

 

I know a lot of people don't like to buy from the People's Republic....    But the prices are much better there.

 

https://www.cyber-hobby.com/collections/dragon-armor

 

However Covid has lengthened shipping times.  It took me a while to get my Meng Fokker's.  But they both came.  One from Luckymodel, and the other from a club member who is a Meng distributor.