Tomytec fire engine ladder truck for $150.00, what gives?

[FFISKIV]

Does anyone know why the tomytec ladder truck is so hard to find and so expensive. It's listed on ebay for 150.00 skins but I'd rather jerk all my nosehairs with pliars than pony up that kind of cash.

There's been a few on ebay the past year but they have gone for over $50.

Anyone know what they go for in japan?

[cteno4]

one of the fire engines was the special one that had a different paint jobs. the 'special' ones can sometimes go way up in price as many folks are into collecting the vehicles and want the whole set including the special ones that are only in a fraction of the sets sold.

 

i remember when that fire truck came out they were selling for like $50 but that was a year or two ago so maybe the rare market will bear this. the price is set at whatever its worth to someone to pay for it! i agree it gets silly to just have something in the 'special' paint scheme like this and pay that much for it. the art world is full of this, driving many prices to ridiculous levels, sometimes for things of not all that great quality...

 

cheers

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

I've wanted a fire engine, but never bought one because of the price.  Oh, to have a case of those fire engines!!

[angusmclean]

Is this the same type, selling for $200?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tomytec-Truck-Series-4-Nikki-Sky-Fire-Ladder-Vehicle-/400224712150?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5d2f4075d6#ht_1431wt_1185

 

Angus

[FFISKIV]

Hey that's it!, $200.00 that's $50.00 more than it was 2 months ago.

I wonder if they go for the same amount in japan or is this just a huge mark up for those of us outside the country.

I've looked for a 'proxy'service that could go to the hobby store and purchase the item, has anyone tried such a service before?

[cteno4]

ffiskiv,

 

there are a few threads on the forum on different proxy services, mostly good stuff, but they do end up adding a bit onto the final price tag.

 

unfortunately a quick scan of the 900 or so vehicles in the yahoo japan n scale vehicle section does not show any of the modern fire engines up there currently

 

http://category.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/list/%E3%83%88%E3%83%A9%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF-%E3%83%88%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC-%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%83%A9%E3%82%AF%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%BC-N%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B8-%E9%89%84%E9%81%93%E6%A8%A1%E5%9E%8B-%E3%81%8A%E3%82%82%E3%81%A1%E3%82%83-%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0/2084259611/?p=%E3%83%88%E3%83%A9%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%80%81%E3%83%88%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC&tab_ex=commerce&n=100&slider=0&b=801

 

the hong kong dealers can at times jack the prices up on tomytec stuff, they are only at times competitive buying tomytec stuff straight from japanese sources. they do seem to have odder and broken up stock that re-appears later that you dont see much from japan.

 

poppendetta keeps a pretty good stock of broken up tomytec vehicle collections, at times they seem to have a couple of dozen of one set broken up for sale individually. these tend to go poof though w/in like 3-6 months of release and any real desirable models from sets (like the fire engines) go really fast. i would expect it is the

 

this one in particular i think was the special one and unless you are a real collector with money to burn i would look for the regular version. they are just a different paint/decal scheme.

 

there is the older fire engine in one of the new tomytec 2 truck sets

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10138697

 

hopefully they will bring out some of the modern ones they did later

 

there are a few fire engines form hong kong that look pretty close to the japanese engines tomytec has done. the hydraulic platform one is unique, none of the tomytec have been that style yet (i assume

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-150-scale-Hong-Kong-Fire-Engine-Hydraulic-Platform-/130525514755?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item1e63ed4c03#ht_500wt_934

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-150-scale-Hong-Kong-Fire-Engine-Turntable-Ladder-/140556123019?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item20b9cc3b8b#ht_500wt_949

 

cheers

 

jeff

[FFISKIV]

Thanks Jeff, I missed that one and you're right it looks very unique. I have the ladder truck w/out basket and was very disappointed with the quality but since beggars can't be choosers I went ahead with the purchase of the basketed version too. Thanks for the proxy service warning.

I'll post a review as soon as it arrives.

[cteno4]

ffiskiv,

 

proxy services are not bad, its just you will pay for the service (usually a percentage of the winning bid (this usually has a minimum and some scale), sometimes a handling charge (if there is no minimum bid charge), and then the shipping to you which i think is usually ems as they want it tracked and insured. you also, of course, pay the winning bid amount and the shipping charges to them from the seller.

 

the good thing is the usually will buy a few items over a short period for you and then bundle the shipping to you.

 

the really good thing is it gives you access to a much wider market for japanese trains than you get on ebay and at times better prices, so it can really be worth the charge if you are trying to find something rare outside japan!

 

unfortunately the tomytec vehicles have a big collectors market in japan so they dont stick around long. I am wondering if they might be listed elsewhere on yahoo japan where the collectors might trade other than in the n scale train section.

 

i always bought the sets with the fire engines in them as they were the most unique and i figured they would go fast and not be around later. i was tempted to grab a few extra when there were some reasonably priced ones out there just after those sets were released. heres hoping tomytec decides to release a pair or two of the more modern engines and pumpers they did. it seems like something just about every layout wants for some use or another.

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

200 for a bit of plastic? Wow ...

 

Maybe I should go check the various bus/truck/car collection boxes I have, since most of them have never been opened :)

[clem24]

I was actually about to post about the special models... How rare are they? As in, 1 in how many sets of boxes? I've got 7 sets of Tomytec Buses/Trailers/Trucks (all full boxes of 10/12) but have not encountered a single special model. Is this normal? Haven't gone through Tomytec cars though and I think I have about 8 or 9 boxes of those that are unopened..

[cteno4]

clem thats a good question.

 

ive never seen any official listing of the odds. from my luck over the years and watching other club members here i would guess maybe 1 in 5 or 10. this would make sense as well in production for the trouble of making a special paint run as well as keeping up folks hopes of buying a second case to have decent odds to get one. i think it was sposta be a sort of slot machine mentality of paying off just enough to encourage buying more to try and get the special one. its seem to fall off a bit as the tomytec vehicles are now a bit more layout/diorama focused and a bit less collector oriented. they dont seem to make as big a deal on the 'special' items as they use to. BTW it was

 

i had a run of good luck near the beginning of the car and truck series and got a bunch of special cars, then a long dry spell, then the police car in the last car set finally! they may have changed the odds with time or maybe even with each set to mix things up some!

 

cheers

 

jeff