[550rs]

Hi,
My local dealer, Jim at Armchair Racer, told me yesterday that the red Corvette L88 C2502A is due in Aus next week (October 21). Given that it took 2 months for the Minis and Goodwood sets to arrive down here after the rest of the world, maybe its Scalextric's way of saying sorry...

 

[mtucker666]

Excellent, funny how distrb work. I bought the red one from Singapore and expecting in next day or two. 10000 of each of these babies in Sport ed (not sure you can call that ltd!)

Matt

 

[Tropi]

Matt, would you like to give us the story as to how you ended up buying your car in Singapore, of all places?

 

[moped rider]

Hobby Bounties, Singapore's leading slot car stockist, have had the cars in for almost 1 week now.

Didn't you know that Tropi? You are slipping!

TVR and Corvette at Hobby Bounties

It takes 3 weeks for a container to ship from China to the UK, and 1 week for a container to ship from China to the USA or Australia. The USA and Australia only get a container shipment when they can fill one. Singapore takes 1 day.

So you can now all work out when these cars are due to appear.

Cheers
Moped

 

[Mecoprop]

I for one would like to hear Matt's story from Matt.

As for the shipping times, it's interesting but hardly a reliable indicator of anything.
On that basis, Singapore would automatically receive every Scalextric release before anywhere else and that just does not happen. In fact, Singapore is sometimes near last to receive new releases and other times never sees them at all.

Mix in a few more variables, such as how many cars it takes to fill a container, some cars are NEVER sent to certain markets, some shipments take place by air-freight, sometimes products are sent to the wrong destination, some times they are redirected, sometimes not, and sometimes executives change their minds about who gets what anyway - then we get some idea of how terribly unreliable any of this is.

But I'd still like to hear Matt's story from Matt.

 

[Swissracer]

I would also like to hear it from the person it was addressed to guys..

It seems some people still need to take the massive chip off their shoulders and learn to stop speaking for everyone else, no matter where they are posting or who they feel they are defending or impressing, which is usually no one.

 

[mtucker666]

Hey don't shoot the Moped messenger. He was also right (nice change hey mope!!) I thought I'd try to get my grubby mits on one of these beauts before hits mainland UK and the Hobby Bounties had them at a very good price. I expect it in next couple of days. P&P expensive but if you buy 3+ cars works out a $7 a car and with current exchange rate overall price for a sport spec car from him is £20. Not bad.

Not sure why Singapore got them first or whether that is usual. Only reason I can think of its a stop off for container ships from China to UK? However I'd expect Oz to get them first as its only a hop, skippy and a jump from China.

Matt

 

[moped rider]

Thank you Matt.

Did I tell your story? I offer up a few facts and folk assume I am telling it for you. I was as curious as everybody else about your reason for purchasing these cars in the way that you did.

I was thinking you may have purchased half a dozen to slap on Ebay ahead of the pack of wolves but nice to learn that you didn't. We all know whats going to happen as soon as these appear:-

"[email protected]@K RARE MINT UNUSED COLLECTORS SPECIAL EDITION LIMITED HIGHLY COLLECTABLE SCALEXTRIC CORVETTE"

Moped

 

[mtucker666]

thanks for the title mope I always struggle to grab attention on my auctions!

Only bought the one and when it arrives I'll assess whether it stays or goes (I'm at the stage of one in one out). Have to say if it is up to the standards of all my latest Scaly purchases this one will more than likely stay.

Matt

 

[550rs]

I've heard the same explanation as Moped's about delivery times from my dealer. The operative phrase is "full container load" rather than shipping times or proximity to China. Cars don't ship to a destination until a container is full, so different models arrive at different times only partly due to travel distance/time from China. Apparently Singapore doesn't need to order container loads -- they'd wait forever if that was the case, they aren't too many racers there yet -- so they seem to get everything new as soon as its released from my experience.

As agreeing with Moped can be dangerous for a person's credibility sometimes , let me explain a little more. I was in Singapore when the Minis and Goodwood sets came out in the UK and they already were sitting on the shelf at Hobby Bounties for a week. Alan there kindly took a Mini out of the box and we raced it against another customer with a Fly Marcos, what a hoot and a lot of fun. I'd pre-ordered a Mini from my local Aus dealer so I expected it would be ready to collect when I got home. NOT SO!. It took a full two months to arrive and the explanation came about container loads.

Cheers,
Glenn
PS If you ever visit Singapore, and you should go at least once in your life, Hobby Bounties is well worth a visit. Because Singapore population is relatively is small, its possible to find an elusive model that's sold out elsewhere. And there's a great pub only 15 minutes walk away. Tropi will be reporting to the forum next year about all this, won't you Trop?

 

[uksqueezea]

While all of this looks great, I'll just quickly sneak in and remind all Australians that Importing things to Oz, slot cars especially, is a bit prickly. Especially when you have a perfectly good house a Barrister could take off you.
Glenn is right, stick with Armchair Racer, you wont find better service, .......
and continue to enjoy looking at your home.

By the way boys, congrats on this board. No way an Oz board could get away with some of the stuff you say here.

 

[550rs]

uksqueezea, "Please explain..".

So how do we get the Europe-only releases like the Carrera Ferraris? Jim says there NOT coming to Aus so I need to order from overseas. My family is used to going without food for my cars, but they'll draw the line at the house going.

I agree about , and do, shop locally though whenever I can, but those Ferraris aren't coming down here officially.

Glenn

 

[Swissracer]

As far as I know - Importing is a totally different ball game to a private sale where you pay the Customs charges ( or not depending on whether they bother to charge you).
I do not kow of any Country where buying abroad is illegal.
If Squeezie is right then we are all felons, especially those in Aussie Land, or should that be 'those in Aussie land are STILL felons' ?

Sorry! could not resist!

 

[moped rider]

Good point there about importing.

Value added tax. Presumably Matt had to pay 17.5% which makes importing into the UK very expensive as Tropi discovered with his Radtrax purchases (I don't expect an answer on that one Matt!)

No doubt Oz has a similar arrangment.

I guess they don't pay a purchase tax in Singapore.

Moped

 

[550rs]

Just for completeness, Aus has a GST tax of 10% but its only payable if the total amount of good exceeds $400 whether you bring items in as hand-luggage (the duty-free allowance) or post/parcel. If the items exceed $400, GST is levied on the total amount, including initial $400. So take care with those exchange rates when you're close to the edge.

But uksqueezea's comment is something I've never encountered yet -- do you mean real importing, e.g. amounts considered commercial quantities?

 

[Tropi]

QUOTE 'those in Aussie land are STILL felons'
Oh, you b******, Swiss!

But back to Matt and why I wanted to hear his story in full . . .
I do know of Hobby Bounties, thanks to 550rs, who is dutifully nudging me into my nostalgia trip to Singapore next year.

But I am particularly interested in the costs involved in sourcing from Singapore.
Their Sport model prices appear to be SGD $68.76
The exchange rate appears to be around 2.69
That's around GB£25.50 at the shop, plus shipping and possible import charges to UK.
Matt, do you know if there will be duties levied on goods from Singapore?
Dutiable or not, I am still naturally VERY curious as to how it can be financially viable to do this as it doesn't seem to add up.

 

[mtucker666]

I bought three sport ed cars from HB via his ebay shop; Mitshi, Merc and the L88. The first two were £15 each and the L88 £20. Shipping for the three was a total of £15 making a total of £65 for three sport edition cars. I could not refuse.

Now the question is will I get the dreaded 17.5% - have never had it so far and only ever rec'd one package where the PO indicated that I should pay sommit but the dear old posty never asked for the dosh. So I've been mucky (should read lucky!) so far and our local postal system is in disarray (sorting office burnt down) so odds in my favour.

Also got an aunt in which ever country I import from and its always some ones birthday.

Now I hope that none of you work for our superb postal system but if so I live in Bangor, Wales and my details are Griffyd Evans, Ty Bach, Cymru.

Matt

 

[uksqueezea]

All I said was Importing cars can be prickly. Specific arrangements in regards Importing name brand toys are already well $$$$ established here.

 

[Tropi]

Looks a good deal, Matt!
I wonder what is going on with the exchange rates though?

The chances are excellent that you WON'T be charged duties - good luck on that one!
BUT, if they do pounce, it can be nastier than expected.
As Mop reminds me, I once got jumped by the British Post Office on a USA deal. They first levied 10% import duty and THEN, the dreaded 17.5% VAT on all of it. I fully understood that possibility when I placed the order, so really it was only an irritation. However, the unexpected 'sting' was a flat fee 'handling charge' of £5.60 by the damned British Post Office! This was NOT expected and got right up my nose!

However, a pack of four cars from Rad-Trax, Las Vegas, still cost less than UK source for same - just not as nice as it could have been.

I now know how to more reliably avoid ALL those charges (courtesy of the Postman who delivered that last lot!) and a friend has now succesfully tested the system. It is all 100% legal, thank goodness, and I'll do it myself next time.

 

[uksqueezea]

Jeez Tropi,
That would really take the niceness off it. lets hope they can keep a lid on our GST for a while.