ICM

[Weaver]

As to nobody whinging about Hasegawa prices, please it's a given on any
model board with Brit members, and it's been true going back for the last
30 years.
🤣

For the folks in the back of the room, Hasegawa doesn't and has never set the
retail prices in any of the export markets. The local importer/distributors have
done that and they're the ones who decided a long time ago that they could
pretty much charge whatever they wanted to for Japanese model kits.

That would have been A A Hales in the UK market of the period.

Dunno who it is these days, and life's too short to go trawling over the net to find out.

The current importer seems to have a more enlightened approach to Hasegawa prices. A lot of the old tools are now relatively reasonable, with the sky-high prices reserved for the ones that actually deserve it. (As far as I can see, not being familiar with every Hase kit).

[NARSES2]

A lot of Hasegawa kits have been re-marketed by Hobby 2000. Some prices are    others are 

[jcf]

Hasegawa 1/72 at Hobby Search, discounted Japanese Market prices. 
HobbySearch Hasegawa 1/72

As an example X-29.
List 990¥
HS: 810¥
US: 5.08$
UK: 3.76£

[Old Wombat]

So, for direct comparison (in AUD)

List: $8.70
HS:  $7.12
US:  $6.97
UK:  $7.09

[Beermonster58]

A lot of Hasegawa kits have been re-marketed by Hobby 2000. Some prices are    others are 

Fair comment. I got  the Hobby 2000 reissues of the B-26, F-111E & F kits at very sensible prices. 😊👍

Got a couple of ex Academy B-29s as well🙂

[Charlie_c67]

The A-4 is Fujimi though I believe?

[Mossie]

Yep, they do a few Fujimi kits including the A-4 range.
https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?adv=1&product_category_id=&product_division_id=&manufacturer_id=362946&product_type_id=&code=&scale_id=&keyword_search=fujimi&setPerPage=100&sort=0&search_direction=0&save_search_name=&save_search=

[kerick]

The Fujimi A-4s in 1:72 are great kits. It's nice to have the wing slats in the down position when parked.

[Rick Lowe]

The other approach would be to go for the full-colour tray box, but use all sides of both parts to carry stuff that would otherwise be in the instructions, such as colour-printed paint schemes, background info and all the "do not eat this model kit" BS.

So, similar to the Dragon armour boxes, then... 

Generic would be nice, if it actually lowered the prices...

I remember the early days of Hobby Boss; the kits were incredibly cheap, until the US importer realized they could charge the same as for other makes, and make a lot of profit.
Then HB realized they could be making more as well, so they went up to the same price point as other makes.