A shopping tip for bargain hunters
First off - I have no financial involvement with BNA Model World - I'm passing along a discovery:
After reading David Odenwald's review of the HK DB-7/Boston III kit - which is now unobtainable here due to factors beyond the control of mere modelers - I went over to the BNA Model World website, where I discovered that kit is now Out Of Stock (David - you took mine! 🙂 )
I did some more looking around and discovered that this store has serious bargains, primarily because they're not held hostage to Stevens International's pricejacking like US stores like Sprue and Squadron are. EVERY SINGLE PRICE for an HK, Trumpeter, ICM, Dora Wings, Eduard, and all the other Eastern European kit manufacturers was significantly less than the price for the same kit at any store here in the US.
I ended up getting the HK Lancaster Dam Buster - which had a price of $140 here (discounted) when the kits were available. Cost of the kit was US$80, with US$21 shipping (it would have been a whole $28 if I wanted the kit on my doorstep next week).
Another example - all of the ICM twins were priced $60-$70 - common price here is closing in on $100.
It may sound counterintuitive, but shopping in Australia beats any price you can get here, thanks to the "cracking traders" at Stevens.
Just passing along info - YMMV.
(I remember Neil Yan being upset with Stevens over the Lancasters, because he got the same price wherever he sold his kits, but the kits were being "priced out" here because of Stevens.)
Tom @tcinla
Kopielski? Vas ist?
I was hesitant to order with BNA at first myself because I had never dealt with them before and have been burned on pre-orders. But I figured if that fractious lot over at Britmodeler liked them maybe I should give them a chance.
And voila, I have a Boston. Now to find time to build it.
Got the David's mixed up! 🙁
Fixed it.
It's really shocking to realize how much Stevens has been ripping us off for. Other people told me this, but seeing the prices in the rest of the world... wow.
Thanks Tom, BNA my local store, although in Melbourne not Sydney !
I've ordered from BNA throughout the last ten years or so and every experience had been great. Nice to seem them getting some much deserved recognition!
They also figure kits that are impossible to find in the US.
Well, all that sounds very good from all of you. They're definitely now my "go to."
Thanks Tom, @tcinla. The prices on what I looked at were competitive for sure, and the shipping did not seem unreasonable at all. I am now registered with them.
And not just bargains, treasures as well. I found a set of 1/32nd scale Super Fox intakes for the A-4 Skyhawk (to create a Blue Angel A-4F), and I found the Belcher Bits replacement tail for the Monogram 1/48th PBY. I couldn't fine either of those here in the USA.
They are as good as all the comments above suggest, including very responsive and accommodating customer support. One of my 2 favourite places here in Melbourne. The other is Metro Hobbies, which has just marginally higher or similar prices but is a physical shop where you can go and get advice from the staff. Not sure if they ship overseas, but also worth checking.
I just hope that our treasured shops can keep up their stocks with the now-coming American invasion...
Thanks for the intelligence, I might give this a try.