A question for UK buyers

[Lawrence]

Having just bought a couple of Greenmax kits, for my new as yet unstarted layout  , direct from Japan I wondered if this was the way UK buyers do things too?

 

I raise the question because, although I got away with it this time, there is the £8 handling charge by the post office if they decide to look into your package, then anything over £18 is subject to import tax and anything over £120 subject to tax and import duty (both different apparently), adding this to the cost of SAL it can make your bargain buy far from a bargain.

 

Having looked at MG Sharp & Wellington Models, neither of whom appear to be particularly suited to those of us on a budget, it seems that ultimately it may actually be worth buying from a UK supplier, getting the stuff in 3 days instead of 3 weeks and saving the hassles of finding the time to go to the sorting office to pick up a package, writing out more cheques and filling in loads of paperwork!

 

So how do you go about it folks? Am I missing a good UK supplier? Do I just have to bite the bullet and accept HM Customs and the Post Offices draconian measures or is there an alternative?  Free trade my bahookie 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

It's really hit and miss.

 

As we speak, I have a parcel that has been held up by customs for the last 10 days  :cussing: containing a number of Green max kits, some Kato catenery and a Micro Ace Kiha 40, as well as a few other bits and pieces. All told, about £110.00 worth of stuff inc. postage. I'll be hit with, for this parcel, the VAT as well as a further 'handling' charge of about £18.00. (which I think is a disgrace bearing in mind the length of time they have held it up, and the fact I pay a king's ransom for postage anyway)...

 

On the flip-side, I have a Kato EF66-100 just arrived today from Hobby Search, no customs, no hastle, and I orderd it at the weekend.

 

Despite the grumble about customs, I still purchase tha vast majority of my stuff from Japan. UK supplies are either really expensive or too patchy.

 

Wellington models have a fairly small stock and are a little pricey, Osborns have a very limited selection, likewise for 'Plus Daughters' who generally take in the exhibition circuit (although mainly to the South of England). MG Sharp have a better selection of Kato stuff, but as you say can be a little expensive, and Gaugemaster (who are the new Kato UK suppliers) have next to nothing in terms of Japanese. That's about it for Japanese suppliers in the UK.

 

In general, all are more expensive than Japanese suppliers (even including postage), and I only really use Gaugemaster because they are 20 minutes down the road.

 

Another point to consider. This may be a little out of date, however when the Kato TGV Duplex sets were delivered a number of friends who bought the sets had real (and very un Kato-like) issues with the motors. The strong suggestion was that when they were being shipped over, they travelled on deck - which is cheaper than travelling in the hold of the ship. As the shipping route passes through some fairly warm locations (Red Sea, Indian Ocean etc.) the temperature in the containers got very high - which had a significant effect on the models contained within.

 

Although heresay, that's another reason why I like to buy from Japan, as a number of Japanese models I have seen available in the UK have been suspect runners.

[harukablue]

I only buy direct from Japan, but as I model HO 1/80 I am very limited in the UK what i can get, im not sure how Heiko Stoll works i.e. stock levels but when i was in his shop a couple of years ago he was well stocked.

 

There is one shop that will at your risk reduce the customs contents price level and if sent SAL its almost sure to get to you with no levy.

 

Lew

[Fenway Park]

I use Wellington Models in this country as well as Japan Model Railways in Germany.  Gaugemaster have been disappointing, frankly, with non existent stock levels and a nigh impossible web site. 

[ChrisWV10]

Have you tried http://www.japanmodelrailways.com/english.html ? No experience of them but they were at Warley and the N gauge show in Sept.

 

It's rather disheartening that there is so little stock available in the UK, including kato unitrack. I'm considering a switch to US instead just because of lack of availability in UK. (I really don't want the hassle of ordering from Japan) 

[Martijn Meerts]

Japan Model Railways is a great place to order from. Not as cheap as ordering directly from Japan, but the guy knows what he's doing. Most my stuff comes from there.

[westfalen]

Wow, I'm glad I don't have British customs and post office to deal with in Australia. I've been getting most of my model trains from the US and Japan for years, some orders being worth several hundred dollars (it doesn't take much it to add up). I've never been hit with customs or duty on anything and there is no charge if they have to open a package, though this only happened to me for the first time a couple of weeks ago with a set of Kawai open wagons that had a package of sawdust to use as wood chip loads that I assume the x-rays detected as organic material and it had to be checked.

[harukablue]

You get a letter in the post sometimes 3 or 4 days after the parcel arrives at your local depot in my case this is 35 miles away in Swansea, then they give you two weeks to settle the customs duty and their fees or they send it back to the sender, with EMS 99.9% i end up paying charges i see this when i track a parcel and the status says "awaiting presentation to customs officer" with SAL this comes down to about 50/50 it just may get through, to be honest with reference from buying from Japan i have recieved better service/packing and even communications than most UK mail order stockists and the big advantage is they dont advertise what they dont have in stock for sale!

 

Lew

[Claude_Dreyfus]

The only draw-back with Japan Model Railways is the poor exchange rate of Sterling against the Euro. I have used them a few times, and do recommend them.

 

I know a number of people who work at Gaugemaster, and I have griped a number of time that since they fanfared their taking over as the Kato UK distributor they have held precious little in terms of Japanese stuff. I'm not sure who did the ordering, but how on earth they expect the shift the single Kiha 82 power car (which is an intermediate carriages) without any driving trailers is beyond me.

 

Agree about their website, it is rubbish; but is due for a much needed overhaul early next year.

 

A new batch has just hit the shelves, but at just shy of £100.00 for an EH200 for example (I am planning to get a second one of those) , it will probably stay there. They do have a 20 series sleeper set which looks quite nice, again not cheap. As I said, I make the odd purchase just because I like having a Japanese supplier near by, but really 95% of my stuff will continue coming from Japan. 

[harukablue]

 

 

I know a number of people who work at Gaugemaster, and I have griped a number of time that since they fanfared their taking over as the Kato UK distributor they have held precious little in terms of Japanese stuff. I'm not sure who did the ordering, but how on earth they expect the shift the single Kiha 82 power car (which is an intermediate carriages) without any driving trailers is beyond me.

 

 

I dont think you will see Kato on the shelves of MG Sharp much longer, when I lived in the midlands i used to help Tony Mcdiarmid of the defunct JR Models on his stand at Warley we also used to put him up over the weekend in return for a free nice HO loco and free entry into the show not bad really, the most asked for product at the stand were Green Max chassis for repowering Grafar HST sets, there were the odd buyers of Japanese N and some even commenced a new project or converted to Japanese N while at his well stocked stand, I will give Tony full credit his shop was always very well stocked with plenty of choice from all manufacturers, when he closed he tried to sell me his TOMIX import agreement and his stocks!

 

Lew

[Lawrence]

 

I'm considering a switch to US instead just because of lack of availability in UK.

 

I'm in the process of going the other way and all my Baltimore & Ohio stuff has been stored away for a later date. 

 

Whilst there is no doubt there is a market in the UK for JR it does seem that it suffers from a lack of exposure and accessible information (unless you can speak or read the language).

 

As someone staring out in the world of Japanese railways, with little time, space or finances, it certainly has not been easy, fortunately I found you wonderful people  , JRTR & JRS and am slowly beginning to make a little progress, perhaps my problem has been that I am not going for the big shinkansens or cityscapes, my plan is a semi rural small town.

 

I believe that my colleagues son has now been to the store somewhere in Tokyo, so sometime in the new year I should have some locos and rolling stock at high street prices, and no shipping costs (just a bottle of wine).

 

I now have six shops, 2 small blocks of flats, a station and a small office building in kit form, anything else will probably get scratchbuilt, unless I win the lottery 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

 

 

I dont think you will see Kato on the shelves of MG Sharp much longer, when I lived in the midlands i used to help Tony Mcdiarmid of the defunct JR Models on his stand at Warley we also used to put him up over the weekend in return for a free nice HO loco and free entry into the show not bad really, the most asked for product at the stand were Green Max chassis for repowering Grafar HST sets, there were the odd buyers of Japanese N and some even commenced a new project or converted to Japanese N while at his well stocked stand, I will give Tony full credit his shop was always very well stocked with plenty of choice from all manufacturers, when he closed he tried to sell me his TOMIX import agreement and his stocks!

 

Lew

 

Tony was who originally got me into Japanese railways...I used to drop in to his shop on my journeys down the Uni in Devon. Rumour has it he is now living in Germany....modelling Southern Region BR!

[harukablue]

Yes rumomour is right!!, just before he sold his late mums house in Somerset he built a massive 5 inch gauge EH2OO complete with passenger cars like type 14 sleepers, i dont know what Tony did with this but it was a beautiful model, all made by Tony himself, give the man credit he was excellent at woodwork!

[Fenway Park]

Tony's EH200 is now residing in the Harz Mountains with him. It is the only Japanese item left.  He has embarked on an 4mm model of Basingstoke or close approximation. 

[harukablue]

Tony's EH200 is now residing in the Harz Mountains with him. It is the only Japanese item left.  He has embarked on an 4mm model of Basingstoke or close approximation. 

 

 

 

Pity looks like Tony has or is trying to sell his 5Inch gauge EH200

 

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7296355

[Fenway Park]

EH200 failed to sell at auction or on E Bay.  Now sold to specialist 5" gauge company in Kent.

[harukablue]

Dam if I had known I may have been interested myself , there is a nice track in a park nearby :(  and the ENDO HO model isnt much cheaper!

 

Lew