And it’s more a case of the fact you can say your car is “all original” if you ever decide to sell it, that makes it worth finding an original issue part if you can. But as the existence of remakes, along with their many differences, become more common knowledge over time, those who are more deeply interested in Tamiya history from a collecting or even curating point of view will come to the conclusion that it means somewhat more to own original examples of each car. If they ever end up on the shelf, it will be because I will be next to them Watch; Vintage RC Car Truck Tamiya Blackfoot Beetle Blaster Large Mix G part shock body. The model uses the 239mm L wheelbase. I like the idea that they were sitting on toy shop shelves back then (when I wanted them but couldn’t afford them!). It was a blast! While they do deliver better performance, part of the charm of running vintage Tamiyas comes from the technological levels of the era when they were released, and the early mechanical speed controllers included with original Tamiyas were often an integral part of how the models both looked, and worked. 5.0 out of 5 stars. Thank you for the reply i was thrown off because of the rcc hot shot II marking but all clear now thanks. It does in the full-size automotive industry. I can’t recall exactly whether it has any little differences, but I am pretty sure it will fit. So if you’re just beginning your search on eBay or Google for a vintage Tamiya R/C car from the 1970s or 1980s, this article is intended to be a one-page cheat sheet to help you understand how the remake kits differ. Yes, I really had those very same feelings / experiences as you have written about here. In the mid 80s everyone had a 2 stick controller, but I see now that every controller has a little steering wheel. With that said, I think the quality of Tamiya and Kyosho remain extremely high, and these companies in particular, deserve support. In the 1970s and 1980s, toy companies were more free to use other company brands and names on their toys and products, and Tamiya really took advantage of this, covering their racing buggies in authentic brand names – all in the name of scale model realism. I didn’t collect them, I played with them and modified them. The Monster Beetle is a favorite of countless RC veterans, myself included. Ford, dodge and Chevy have all release retro versions of their 60’s vehicles. Prices are likely to increase over time). Personally, I believe that some of these changes were an intentional move by Tamiya to help distinguish the original kits from the remakes. Tamiya used the FF01 chassis for several models between 1993 and 1999. For newcomers to vintage Tamiya R/C cars, or people just starting to think “I used to have a Tamiya…”, hunting down and collecting the cars from the 1980s is a little trickier these days than it used to be because Tamiya has now remade many models – and the remakes are different! Because of this, Monster Beetle prices are consistently strong. It was a blast to read and made me weigh the pros and cons on the early birthday present that I’m spoiling myself to. Thank you, yes the top half of mine reads RCC Hotshot awesome thank you for the quick response. And no offense to you either, but I’m not complaining about anything I’ve actually never been happier with my collection. The good news is you can still get those 2 stick transmitters. Another possible effect of remaking items, is that their visibility in stores draws more interest from past or casual fans, and that this has a flow-on effect whereby a percentage of these additional buyers begin seeking out original vintage items as well. Second, they’re simply “the originals” and people always value original releases more, no matter what the item is (books, music, art etc). Is it already one of those hybrids you were talking about? Remake kits will eventually climb in collectability, once they are discontinued themselves. If it was not for the re-re’s I would not have started collecting as I used the re-re parts to restore my old buggies. I was interested in buying a new Hornet but I don’t really like the controllers these days. And it’s not a matter of seeing these things as an “investment”, as it has nothing to do with investing. Plus i get brand new parts with exactly the same nostalgic value. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As many people know, Tamiya was the most popular R/C car brand in the 1980s. The original cars had decals of real world sponsors and brands, but for the remake kits Tamiya only included fake and “made up” brands on the decals – probably to save on brand licensing costs. All vintage original Tamiya models are collectible. I just got the reissued grasshopper, partly nostalgic given that I would have loved to build an RC when I was a kid (though I wasn’t immersed enough in the RC world back then to know what the brands and models were, and I was still pretty young in the mid 80s), but mainly because I wanted to build an RC kit now. And if they’d spend some time now, designing some new kits that had serious retro R/C appeal (I’m talking – kits where both the chassis and body appeal to 80s fans by being old school and realistic, and which are based on other 1980s dune buggy styles from the Baja 1000 or the Paris Dakar) they might actually have a way of both appealing to the current reissue fans whilst also setting up a future income stream with longer-term potential. This number will only decline further in the years ahead. action figures) remakes have been around for decades – even going back to the 1980s and 1970s – and they have seen many ‘waves’ of remakes. We’ll patch her up and get ready for the next run. Every single Tamiya remake kit is different to the original kit. Either to relive the process of building it, or just display the kit with all it’s beautiful internal blister-packing (something long-gone from today’s model kits). Firstly, any company that remakes it’s own classic products for quick profit, may damage their brand’s prestige and “collectability” a little bit. Between 1976 and 1991, Tamiya released only 100 models. If it breaks, it breaks. The way that car looks and feels, it’s like a buggy from Mad Max and a 1980’s Formula 1 car had a baby. I had a Hornet when I was a kid (with a really cool custom paint job I did myself), so my inclination for my older son was to get him The Hornet, albeit a re-issue. I won my fair share (if not most) of my races with my modified Hornet…a lot of it came down to the skill of the driver. I’m sure there are probably a few speculators out there. Remake kits have been popular for Tamiya. The simple fact is: nobody likes it when something they’ve just spent a lot of money on, undergoes a decrease in value. But before we even get into those technical differences, there are some very quick and easy ways to identify an original kit from a remake kit. No prizes for guessing which one is the original unbuilt kit from the 1980s. Yet the reissued Hornet kit can be found online for about $110. Its made in Japan. Clear photos, preferably on a white background. On the other hand, if you are happy with it the way it is, then of course keep it that way . This is often just part of the history and nostalgia of owning the model. Yes, I’m sure it’s has been very lucrative for tamiya but that is one reason they are here. I just got a Vintage Grasshopper, its mostly complete other then its missing the battery door. In the spirit of putting my money where my mouth is – I bought all 5 (Frog, Hornet, Fox, Hotshot, Rough Rider) that were based on 1980s models. I find the “kids these days” (yes, I sound old) don’t have the mechanical inclinations many of us did when we were younger…the electronic devices is another story! Oh also – yes the original 1985 Hotshot (not Hotshot II) has nothing at all embossed on the bottom half of the chassis. With the reissues i don’t have to worry about any of that. Great to hear your story as well Justin! This perfect scale replica of the famous off-road Mercedes Unimog 4WD truck is one of the nicest looking ready-to-run R/C models produced in the 80s. A quick look inside most kits will also reveal whether they are vintage or remake. I am doing my own paint scheme as well, only planning on using some of the decals. Having all original parts (not reissue parts) makes them more valuable. From vintage vehicles to pre-modern sports cars, you’ll find it here. Hence Tamiya decided to trumpet their inclusion in the remake kits. Your guarantee of expert advice. I think it’s great that Tamiya has reissued their retro models! I’ll admit, I have found this annoying at times. TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDED • 4-way wrench. If you’re looking for a second hand Tamiya and you’d prefer to make sure it’s an original release, then be sure to ask the seller for details about the model before buying it. However, once the uniqueness of original items becomes more apparent, demand for them inevitably climbs back up. I have the instructions and all parts are original. TAMIYA MONSTER BEETLE RC CAR MODEL KIT RACING 2015 NEW IN BOX 1/10 OFF ROAD RARE. I have a (used) Tamiya Wild One from the 1980’s (I’d guess 85/86) had it when I was 15yrs old and built painted etc to look like the box. I would also speculate that vintage R/C collectors are relative newbies to the notion of remakes. R/C Toy Memories is a 100% free, independent and ad-free website. I have bought from there before (I’m not affiliated with them in any way), and found them to have good prices and reliable postage. So original and re-re have almost the same effect on me. RC Planet stocks Tamiya radio control cars, trucks, semi, and tanks, as well as paint and models at low discounted prices. Tamiya Mazda RX-7 1/24 Scale Model Kit 24110 . After a long absence it is back as an updated assembly kit ready to traverse back yards across the country. To collectors, there’s value in simply knowing when something was made. And any additional demand for the original kits and cars will only make those originals more desirable, and more challenging, for anyone else to find in the years ahead. This lead me to expand and start collecting. I had a tamiya fox as a kid back in the 80’s …. Yes, even I was lured by the novelty of buying them from a shop again – which I did when they first came out Later though, I decided to sell them and went back to only collecting the vintage versions. And reworking old products into new products (rather than designing entirely new products) and trading off old brand familiarity, is one of the most cost-effective ways for any business to make a profit. Hi Gary, Fact: Every single Tamiya remake has physical/parts differences, to the original. Such cars often look like a time capsule that has been left untouched since about 1985 – a toy someone hasn’t used for years and has now decided to sell on eBay. I also write about other retro toys sometimes. Oh, by the way: I left the inside of the body unpainted, so you can still see the original yellowed plastic. Their value depends mainly on: 1. Personally, while I don’t begrudge anyone enjoying the remake kits one bit, I would prefer if Tamiya concentrated on creating brand new models that appeal to retro R/C collectors rather than endlessly rehashing the glories of the past. It was bought as a gift years ago but only used once. I can confirm that the cost of buying a new R/C car back in the 1980s was definitely higher than it is today. Or eBay. As you say though, some people may enjoy having both – for side-by-side displays, and for the sake of having “complete” collections (fyi there are some huge collectors out there who literally buy EVERY SINGLE Tamiya kit ever released!). This is in addition to the often extensive lists of physical differences between originals and reissues. Since there is a strictly finite number of them left in the world. But as the 1980s were the biggest boom period for the hobby, nostalgia for the reissues will probably never match the nostalgia for the originals. $220.00. The more original a car was painted and built, generally, the better. Others to look for include the Futaba 2DR or the Hitec Ranger. My first one has a mechanical speedy the others electronic. Having said all that, in the longer term, original Tamiyas do bounce back and regain their pre-remake value. Interesting stuff. In 2005 this process gathered pace as Tamiya began to remake some of their most popular off-road buggies and trucks of all time, and the process has continued to this day. Length: 397mm, width: 163mm. The Tamiya FF01 uses a tub chassis with transverse battery mount, identical to the TA02 chassis with which it shares a number of parts. But in the early 1990s when I first started collecting Tamiya cars, spare parts for the early and most popular kits were becoming hard to find, as those kits had been discontinued. When it comes to R/C models, some collectors have noticed differences in quality between Japanese-made originals, and foreign-made remakes. I must have been 15 at the time – and fell in love with the hotshot. As with all collectibles of all kinds, there are always original releases, followed by other generations and remakes and so forth. And this view is shared by many collectors, in all areas of toy collecting… from Transformers to Care Bears. More recently, I have been considering the possibility that the Tamiya reissues have had an unforeseen effect that I did not cover in this article, that being: the reissued kits have simply reminded a lot of people about the Tamiya R/C cars they used to have in the 80s. Always wanted to build a place to display them. I wonder if you could give me any tips on getting a fair price for it? My budget couldn’t allow me to go after a vintage Hotshot but nonetheless, picking up a remaked Hotshot today at a decent price soothed my retro longing for an RC kit that I could only stare at in awe back in the hobby shop as a kid in ’85. My only other concern about Tamiya’s reissue frenzy has been that it can’t go on forever (as there are only so many classic R/C cars to actually reissue). These products are not only sold in Japan but also exported in vast quantities to the United States, Europe, South East Asia, and … tamiya america, inc. tamiya europe gmbh. Thanks again for such a well written comment, and hope you continue to stop by (I have been pressed for time lately, but there are many years of articles ahead!). google_ad_width = 250; I can remember back to the days when I had my RC. But there has been little in the way of retro buggies. Tamiya used the FF01 chassis for several models between 1993 and 1999. From Japan. But they were completely different in parts and design to their larger siblings, and this made them feel like retro-themed tributes – yet without just being note-for-note repeats of the past. Do you know if the re-re door fits as I cant seem to find a vintage door anywhere. The Monster Beetle is an Icon though, and the scale shell and bling gold rims make it look great as it whizzes around the stunt park with the sun glistening. And third, they’re from the 1980s when R/C cars were still a new hobby and the level of interest was higher than it has ever been since. The affect of the reissues on the price of originals doesn’t actually bother me (as you said), except in the sense that originals I bought prior to a reissue could have been bought later for a little less (thus saving me money!). These decals are precise placed identical on all 10 of the models made, so all 10 models are equal. To use an analogy from another type of collecting – book collectors will regularly pay tens of thousands of dollars more simply to own first edition books, when they differ from second editions by only a few printed words. For me, I could never afford these great RC’s back in the 80s. Tamiyas remakes have caused dips in the values of originals – but only on those models that were actually remade. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It was a way of mixing the old with something new, and they even came beautifully packaged. Look at real vehicles. And for many people, they do just that. They give me the chance to get that feeling of buying a Tamiya rc car from a hobby store. Japanese companies manufactured their models in Japan. TAMIYA 1/10 SCALE R/C 4WD HIGH PERFORMANCE RACING CAR PORSCHE TURBO RSR TYPE 934 BLACK EDITION (TA02SW CHASSIS) 47362. We have selected this product as being #7 in Best Tamiya Rc Volkswagen Beetle of 2020 View Product #8 . If so what’s it worth and where is best to sell it. I guess it’s the same as when full-scale car buffs like to restore cars with authentic period-correct parts, right down to the washers – it’s all about the truly old-school experience, warts and all. I actually did not realise that early Wild Willy 2 kits even had a mechanical speed control in them. Well, just look a little closer at some other things, like…. As mentioned these 10 existing Milka Edition Tamiya Volkswagen New Beetles could be won as a price in an open contest and were NOT available through any shop or store. When Tamiya began remaking kits, one of the big changes was the decals. Today’s remake kits exist in a vastly different world. A few companies still make them, and they are pretty much the same as they were in the 80s (albeit with different styles). There were no broken parts on the chassis, so I only had to concentrate on the body. View and Download Tamiya Monster beetle 2015 assembly manual online. Thank you very much! Hello, I have an original Tamyia Vanessa’s lunchbox. There are people from all over the globe that have posted here, all talk of similar experiences of how much enjoyment the cars provided, experiences with local hobby shops, experiences in local races, and so on…right down to the reverence (maybe even a little envy) you’d have for some kid in the neighborhood who owned the vaunted RC10 or a Hotshot. We are an internet source for classic RC car pictures and information. They have always made fantastic products, and the reissued kits are incredibly good value for what you get, imho. We have selected this product as being #8 in Best Tamiya Rc Volkswagen Beetle of 2020 View Product #9 . The main differences are of course in the cars themselves – parts, bodies, tyres, electronics etc. Some, like the bigwig are still factory sealed in the box. Free shipping. I can’t believe how much I remembered in detail from 30 years ago on the build. To use our example of The Frog again, the original Frog is kit 58041 – in other words, the 41st R/C model ever released by Tamiya. Even though it is the first time building any RC, I am impressed by the quality of the components Tamiya has provided. Thanks for writing. However, they will always play “second fiddle” to the original kits. Nevertheless, it’s fans like yourself who rediscover the fun with their own children, who truly keep the whole thing rolling for the future. Tamiya VW Beetle 1/10th scale remote control racing car, with remote control. And yes, the reissued Tamiyas certainly make it easy for anyone to relive the experience of building the model from a brand new kit again (for a lot less than finding an original). As a child from a lower middle class home all my father could afford was the Grasshopper which was Tamiya’s remedy for people who wanted to experience the joy of building, rebuilding and running these things literally until the wheels fell off. Least said about price driving traders the better. And finally, yes Tamiya has managed to continue releasing high quality products, despite lowering costs over the years. Many people are using remake spare parts to ‘restore’ their original cars, and while in some instances you might consider this to be fine (such as if the remake part is truly identical to the original), in other instances you will want to be aware of what people have done to their cars. The stunning Milka-look was issued by Lila colored spray-paint and very special, ultra thin white decals. It is a classic Tamiya kit, which means beautifully illustrated instructions. These were 1/16 scaled R/C buggies that were inspired by a few of the 1/10 scale classics. Those collectors are so accustomed to remakes, that they’ve had a lot of time to think about the differences between them, and about what “owning an original” means to them. Another thing to note is that the box art changed. How do you think this affects the value of my Grasshopper? Sure, people who buy new Tamiya kits today will probably feel nostalgic about them in the year 2044 (30 years from now), and this may affect values. I finally found the correct Radio Shack Wild Horse transmitter on …, I have been looking for an original Tamiya HotShot so as to compar …, A detailed guide to Vintage vs Remake Tamiya R/C kits, A quick guide to Vintage vs Remake Kyosho R/C kits, http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-Tamiya-Hornet-Parts-Tree-C-X8615-Grasshopper-Original-Issue-/262070087680?hash=item3d04983000. /* nieuw1 */ Tamiya was such a ubiquitous brand back in those days, that their models were sold at hobby stores, toy stores, electronics stores, and even department stores and discount stores. It is generally thought that this has been done as a cost-cutting measure. Even if they do buy some remakes as well. The new version might be good – the familiar tune is there, the lyrics are there… But it just doesn’t have quite the same meaning as the original. Back then, these devices were expensive and few people, aside of racers, invested in them. It was a real vintage one and looked untouched for years. I had a Hornet growing up, probably around 10 years old. I have been picking up these old vintage Tamiya cars for years, don’t even know how many I have. Anyway, we did a little bit each night; I’d say 70 / 30, him-to-me doing the build…I was there for guidance mostly…and maybe a little muscle. Monster Beetle Parts listing. Original MkI Hotshot, Hotshot II, Hornet and Fox. One exception to this rule is the remake of the Sand Scorcher and the Rough Rider (which Tamiya called The Buggy Champ), which do have blister packs. google_ad_height = 250; I can remember many petitions online. The demand for original examples of anything collectible, means prices for original items always remain strong. So in that sense, a reissued example just doesn’t have the same magic for me as owning an original. It’s not about that. But a never-built original Wild One kit is (currently) worth around AU$600 or above, so all built and used examples will be below that amount. 1986 was the year Tamiya became really popular with the release of iconic RCs like the monster Beetle. I just look at their design, looks and performance. The Tamiya Volkswagen New Beetle was the last model build on the FF01 Chassis. Could only dream of a Hornet whilst driving my Jet Hopper. All content © R/C Toy Memories and it's author, 2012 - 2020, unless otherwise credited. The wheels are copies of the original optional aluminum wheels on a VW New Beetle and feature unique plating, giving it a real light-metal look, which are a great combination with the cuddly scale body. A friend of mine has a metallic edition wild willy 2 with mechanical speedy made in japan also. 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