The end of the hobby.

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OK, gents, this is a good topic for dialogue. But I'm going to ask that we don't allow it to devolve into politics. This is not the venue for those discussions, and no one is ever convinced to change their viewpoint, no matter what that may be. So, the tariffs are here, whether we like them or not. Can we have a civil discussion about what it means to each of us as collectors? 

I am a collector. I can remember when many claimed they would never pay over $100 for a 1/43 resin model. But here we are, with virtually all Chinese-made resin models selling well above $100. Once the furor calms down, where will we be? Will we buy fewer models? Did we buy fewer when prices went from $70 to $100? How about when they went from $100 to $125? Did we stop collecting? Will we?

Please keep your comments apolitical. Any comments made along those lines will be deleted. 

Since I buy primarily white metal models from Brooklin and Route 66 Model Car Store, the tariffs will have minimal impact on me.

For the few resin models I might want, I am willing to pay the higher price. 

Posted by: @ed-davis

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Since I buy primarily white metal models from Brooklin and Route 66 Model Car Store, the tariffs will have minimal impact on me.

That is true as long as all the items you buy are already landed in the USA pre tariffs.

But as I understand it tariffs are applied at the value on importation to a wholesaler, not the ultimate retail price in the USA.  These import prices are generally unknown and are proprietary information unknown to the retail buyer.  However, if one buys an item on say, Ebay, and it is coming from overseas, I suppose the tariff is applied to the full price by the USPS as the de minimus rule is off under the new system.

I believe the tariffs from UK will be 10%. I can live with that. I do not buy from Ebay.

While concerns are to be expected and not unreasonable, we have no idea how short or long this "chapter" in our economic journey will last, or how severe, etc. My $0.02 - it will take awhile to see how all of this plays out. I WILL say that one particular model I've been watching for several months on eBay went from $95 to $120 today.  

I can say I will definitely be scaling back and will be far more selective about what I buy that will be impacted by this tax. I’m already rethinking my preorders and what I will cancel.

Regardless, I will continue to support the hobby and all of our favorite North American retailers. I can take a little bit of - hopefully temporary - pain to continue the dopamine of receiving these little gems that warm my heart every time. If this is the new normal, so be it. We are in a golden age of 1/43!  I will do what I can to keep it going.  

This won't be the end of the hobby, as with all things, it will evolve and change to accommodate the conditions that are presented. There are probably loads of possibilities that can occur. Reduced models offered, fewer companies building them, to name a couple. Who can tell right now what will happen. Model cars have been built in one form or another for as long as there were cars. That won't change, our hobby will change and adjust to satisfy those that will certainly still want model cars. It will be interesting, to an extent, to see what happens in the next few months.

I for one, will be reducing what I buy and have already started. The tariffs didn't make that decision for me. Some circumstances with my health and working ability (retirement) have already started me to reduce my new purchases and I will be reviewing my current collection in the next few months to determine what stays and what must go. It was tough decision for me to make, with tougher ones to come, I'm sure. I will buy what I can and those I must have as I think all collectors will do. The tariffs will just make me examine each purchase more closely.  

I am very selective in my collecting habit and I have the full control on what I want to buy. This will not affect me much because I just get a few new models a year. 

What I consider more serious is the raising cost of commodities where I live. i still have to drive 300 miles a week and the price of gas went up 50 cents a gallon in the last month. We are closing up to $5.00.

Of course, new taxes will change not only collecting hobby but the markets in different countries. But I think nothing lost. Brooklin, SMTS, Somerville, Promod give good chance to compete with Chinese resin models. Be honestly, I don't trust resin and try to avoid it because I'm afraid that these models are too fragile. So I'm focused on only on white metal and diecast. In our country there is not much choice of new models. To buy them you need to make pre order anx to wait for 3 months without any guarantee. That's why I make most of my purchasings on the secondary market.

In any case I will go on collecting because this is my hobby. Of course I can't let myself to spend very much and my opportunities 3- 4 white metal models per a year.

As to diecast I buy 2- 3 per a month.

View from a collector living in the UK

Model and toy cars sold in the UK are standard VAT rated. Currently this is 20% and includes services such as post and packaging. So, for the UK we are already paying tax on what we purchase at the time of purchase to the tune of 20%.

VAT has been a UK tax since 1st April 1973. Before this date luxury goods, such as toy and model cars, were subjected to Purchase Tax which was 33.33%. Purchase Tax was a legacy of WWII and lasted until it was replaced by VAT.

Most of the new models I buy are either from Grand Prix Models based in the UK via their website or via eBay through stores located in China.

Obsolete models and toys I purchase are either locally sourced via F2F contact e.g. market stores, charity shops, toy fairs or remotely via eBay (either UK based or international).

The model car collector hobby has been around since the 1950's and has constantly evolved so this doesn't mean the end of this hobby just another transition.

Taking all collecting-issues in view, I may be tempted to just skip a certain model, because its price has become too high.

Question:  what do you think this will do to the price of existing models?  Will this help the secondary market or will everything slide down in demand?

I know none of us collects expecting to make profit.  Just wondering if some collectors will start chasing models on the secondary market more.  Maybe it will have zero effect.  Who knows.