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bill937ca

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Tuesday afternoon I received both the 'your reserved item in stock' and 'payment request' emails for my Micro-Ace C11 207 which I promptly acted upon. Wednesday evening I received the 'payment received' and 'your item has shipped' emails. According to Japan Post it left the country Wednesday night so I should have it on Monday, or if Australia Post get their finger out maybe even Friday.

 

I think that's pretty slick.

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Tuesday afternoon I received both the 'your reserved item in stock' and 'payment request' emails for my Micro-Ace C11 207 which I promptly acted upon. Wednesday evening I received the 'payment received' and 'your item has shipped' emails. According to Japan Post it left the country Wednesday night so I should have it on Monday, or if Australia Post get their finger out maybe even Friday.

 

I think that's pretty slick.

 

Here's my experience with shipping times (EMS with tracking only) to Sydney:

 

Country:    Average (Days):     Best (Days):

-------------------------------------------------

Canada           63                            63

USA                24                            9*

UK                  10                            8

Japan              4                              2

Locally             8                             4

 

*Only from ModelTrainStuff and Hiawatha Hobbies.  Everything else from the US is at least 2 weeks, even with EMS.

 

This is based on the date I'm notified that an item has been sent with tracking.  I keep a spreadsheet of all this stuff, including my costs.  Interestingly, I get packages from 7,000km away in Japan in half the time it takes to get something from 700km away in Melbourne !!!  As to Canada ... well ... we won't even go there !!! 

 

The stuff I bought from Clem24 took 24 days and I've counted that in the USA tally because I can't remember where Clem is from ...  :cool:

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

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The stuff I bought from Clem24 took 24 days and I've counted that in the USA tally because I can't remember where Clem is from ...  :cool:

 

 

Eh? Canada!

 

Actually the package I sent you by EMS only took something like 7 days... I remember even you were surprised by how quick it was. Besides, EMS (or XpressPost as Canada Post calls it) is guaranteed, and I've done claims on them that were even one day late and they almost immediately refund the shipping charges if the tracking showed that.

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This is why I love shopping in Japan.  I know I've mentioned Hobby Search in the subject, but I get similar results from R10 and Banzai too:

 

Edit: actual delivery details shown in red

 

EMS Tracking Log:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

28/10/11 12:59  Delivered to XXXXXXXXXX ULTIMO NSW

28/10/11 05:59  Onboard with driver KINGSGROVE PDC

27/10/11 22:44  Processed at facility KINGSGROVE PDC

27/10/11 19:49  Transferred for delivery processing - Kingsgrove PDC

27/10/11 14:14  Received and awaiting clearance for delivery

26/10/11 12:09  Processed - enroute to final destination

25/10/11 18:45  Received and ready for processing

25/10/11 17:00  Item lodged

 

The package contains the following items to extend my Series 583 "Kitaguni" to a full 13 car consist:

2 x Mohane582-82 + Mohane583-82

1 x Sashi 581 Dining Car

1 x Sahane 581 Sleeping Car

 

The package also has a stack of people ... getting ready to populate my subway trains and platforms.  BTW, where can I get cheap 1/150 people for populating trains?

 

I think it is cool that I can place an order with HS at lunch time on Tuesday (Sydney time), and they've posted it the same day.  It should be on my desk around 10:30am tomorrow - less than 72 hours !!! It arrived at 1:00pm, almost exactly 3 days after placing the order!!!

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

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I have seen packs of 100 N scale people on eBay for under $0.10 per person.

 

Here, 300 "passengers" for $12.99. And people wonder why I do not compete in this market!

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300-pcs-Figures-N-scale-1-160-Painted-People-passenger-/400229590791?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5d2f8ae707

 

LOL the first pic looks like a bloody massacre with all the red.

 

Bottom pic ... they look naked ahahaha.

 

I can't even tell which batch I'll be getting, and hence the reason I've been avoiding these shady Chinese characters...

 

Also, I didn't think the Kitaguni ever exceeded 10 cars in standard formation...

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Thanks Bob,

 

I've actually bought electrical components from those guys before.  Didn't notice they had people.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

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I have seen packs of 100 N scale people on eBay for under $0.10 per person.

 

Here, 300 "passengers" for $12.99. And people wonder why I do not compete in this market!

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300-pcs-Figures-N-scale-1-160-Painted-People-passenger-/400229590791?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5d2f8ae707

 

i agree on passengers but for stations street etc especially on a smaller layout or upfront you will still buy the more expensive tomix/kato ones etc.

 

my opinion anyway.

 

there probably is some market for non passengers.

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pretty much all these 100+ people packs are the same sets. dont get many sitting and only 2 or 3 different sitting versions. they work ok to just chop off at the waist for the cars.

 

another cheap source for sitting figures and some benches to boot is the model power set of 72 unpainted sitting figures and you also get 12 park benches. really quite a deal as the benches aint cheap by themselves. my set came with 12 different sitting people (5 ea they cheated me by two!)

 

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?I=LXMFD2&P=8

 

 

cheers

 

jeff

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Keitaro,

 

I've got 28 sets of Tomy people coming ... the ones that HS sells for 324Y and 360Y.  They'll arrive today.  They are N scale and primarily for platforms and front-of-layout stuff.  I'm not going to use them in the cars, but will test them for scale purposes before I decide what to buy.  I'm concerned that Z scale might look too small, particularly in cars with large windows like the Ginza 01 series.  I think they might be a good choice for something with small windows like the 300 series shinkansen, for example.  I'll let you know what I choose.

 

I'm not worried about sitting poses for in-car either as the car floor is just 1mm below the seat cussion in most cases, requiring the legs to be cut off anyway.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

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pretty much all these 100+ people packs are the same sets. dont get many sitting and only 2 or 3 different sitting versions. they work ok to just chop off at the waist for the cars.

 

another cheap source for sitting figures and some benches to boot is the model power set of 72 unpainted sitting figures and you also get 12 park benches. really quite a deal as the benches aint cheap by themselves. my set came with 12 different sitting people (5 ea they cheated me by two!)

 

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?I=LXMFD2&P=8

 

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

 

unpainted X.X

 

 

 

Ghan when i get them and place them in the ginza will let you know and post pics. the ginza really doesn't like to be pulled apart much so best to do everythign all at once.

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unpainted X.X

 

 

ahh dont be a whimp!

 

actually pretty quick to paint them and you can make new variations in color so the same figure does not look the same!

 

an hour painting while watching tv can do a load of them!

 

seated figures are more limited... there are maybe 12 or so total in all the tomytec series.

 

jeff

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Keitaro: I've had the covers off a couple of cars - generating that earlier thread about the interior car quality.  I thought they came apart and reassembled quite nicely.  Some models I have real trouble because the ends of the cars grip too tightly.

 

cteno4: I can just imagine you there in front of the telly .... quilted rug over your lap ... painting those little figures.  For me, it's something I don't have the time to do.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

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Actual delivery details now shown in original post in red.  Almost exactly 3 days after placing the order with HS it arrived at my office in Sydney.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

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most of the items are addon sets not the motor kit so it's not surprising to see these being sale'd of as not all customers but an add-on with the basic etc.

 

shame the keihan 2400 went so quick been sitting with my mouse over the add to cart a few months now on that.....

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non sale related but i noticed alot lately the jp site gets more stuff that we don't

 

example

 

11/17

· DDF 1 / 162 scale Type 787 color catalog DDF (Didier off)

 

· DDF 1 / 162 scale Airbus A380-800 type layer DDF color catalog Trent 900 engines (Didier off)

 

DDF Airlines · DDF 1 / 162 scale Boeing 747-300 type Switzerland (Didier off)

 

DDF Airlines · DDF 1 / 162 scale Boeing 747-400 Virgin Atlantic type (Didier off)

 

 

 

anyone asked hs before why this is?

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Well, dang--I'm glad I ordered when I did, then. I grabbed a Micro Ace JNR-livery 485 (finally!) for $117 on sale, and now I can't find it there at all.

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I ordered a Tomix Nagano Electric Railway Series 1000 `Yukemuri` Set for 5700 Yen. And it too seems to have disappeared--for now.

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