Tokyo Marui Price increases

[mightyjebus]

looks like the promised TM price increases have been announced in Japan. An MWS will cost £105 more from June. I'd imagine UK retailers will add another 50% on top of that so expect an MWS to cost around £150more when bought new.

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[ruskitseller]

Ah interesting thanks. It is a shame, but nothing we can do about it I suppose. I still think nearly £400 for a last gen AKS74U is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I am a big TM fan. TM can afford to do that though, people will still buy it, but it may just siphon people into other brands a bit more. 

 

[Cannonfodder]

TM can afford to do that though, people will still buy it, but it may just siphon people into other brands a bit more. 

Isn't it still the case that TM have the lion's share of the market in Japan and don't care about the rest of the world? If there's no real alternative then it's basically TM or nothing

 

[BigStew]

TM are only really expensive because they are all grey imports. They are cheapish in Japan. Also other stuff is creeping up you are paying £300 and up for high end Chinese and Taiwanese gun. even guns that were a £100ish pre COVID are now pushing £200.

 

[rj1986]

Didn't they already do this, or announce this a while ago? Or is this a new one?

Also, i don't think i ever saw a box fresh TM item out there for RRP. I got a NGRS SD6 when they were barely in the UK for about 70% of the RRP at the time, which was about 50% of the UK price. What this means for the UK and the distributors is a whole other thing.

 

[ruskitseller]

Isn't it still the case that TM have the lion's share of the market in Japan and don't care about the rest of the world? If there's no real alternative then it's basically TM or nothing

Hi Cannon, Yes as far as I know. I had a great TM AK old school recoil. It was just brilliant and lobbed 50+ stock with excellent accuracy. I love that solid attitude too from TM. They know what they are doing and they know that it is good. It sort of aligns with many a great philosophers outlook - a bit like Steinbeck who emphasised the importance of forgetting the generalised audience and catering to a single person instead. Write for ourselves and the rest will follow (paraphrasing!). Sadly not good for poor wallet though! ?

 

[Cannonfodder]

I think you've missed my point. Any company which essentially has a monopoly over its market is bad for the consumer as a lack of competition stifles innovation and artificially increases prices

 

[ruskitseller]

I think you've missed my point. Any company which essentially has a monopoly over its market is bad for the consumer as a lack of competition stifles innovation and artificially increases prices

Story of my life mate! ? Yes, you have a fair observation. 

That said, it could also be argued that TM are the innovators and continue to do so and do very well internationally regardless because of that. I also think that, just say hypothetically the choice arose, some people may rather be stuck with one really good pioneering brand (like TM) than a thousand others that tend to imitate TM anyway. 

Cheers.

 

[Cannonfodder]

You too are correct that TM can be innovators in that everyone else is copying them, but that innovation is, imo, at least partly driven by competition. It could be argued that it was the rise of the Chinese clones which pushed TM to release the NGRS system. Back when I started playing 21 years ago your choice for AEGs was TM, Classic Army if you wanted to flex on the poors or occasionally ICS. Also you were looking at £30 per magazine. New players can get all the essentials for way less than it cost me

Another reason I like having a larger choice of makes is that it opens up the game to a wider market giving us a louder voice if some politician wants to make a name for themselves by wanting to expand on the VCRA