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Newsletter May 11th | 5/17/2018 @ 1:30pm |
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Kitlinx Newsletter - May 11, 2018 Hobby News! I attended the AMPS Nationals 2018 in Dayton Ohio last weekend. It was nice meeting some of you face-to-face. I've posted some photos of my visit of the USAF National Museum on Kitlinx FB page. Unfortunately, I had some digital glitches which erased all my pictures of the WW II and Modern albums. At least we kept the albums on WW I, US Presidential Planes and Leather Flying Jackets. I adorned my own original Bomber A-2 leather jacket, from Major V.L. Berk of the 781st Bomb Sq., 465th Bomb Group of the 15th Air Force. I enjoyed the everlasting friendship of John Vojtech of UMM-USA, next to the Kitlinx table. On day-two of the show, I wore a WW II tank mechanics outfit, more fitting for an armor show!
Shipping Rules Shipping costs and travel times are two critical items in a mail order operation
Kitlinx is located in Utah. It is considered "West of the US", but not quite Pacific
I've updated the rules for FREE SHIPPING: $300 is the order minimum to benefit from FREE SHIPPING in the Continental US. We received the new kit from Italeri 1/35 Schnellboote. This kit is heavy, but especially HUGE. Shipping of this kit to the East Coast is around $40! FedEx and UPS prices have increased their prices for the last decade, and it's impossible to keep a profit margin if mail order companies do not keep up with their costs.
The Italeri Schnellboote is almost a $200 kit. It is a 6.6 lbs kit, but it follow "dimensional weight" rules for oversized packages with FedEx. If you take the shipping out as well as the extra 5% "Kitlinx Family Discount", there are no profit for the business to stay healthy
Shipping travel times: Kitlinx currently shows 51,000 products "available" (digital connection to supplier's databases). Many thousands are "in stock" at our warehouse. The "in stock" kits/books/accessories will ship IMMEDIATELY - Same day shipping if the order is received before 3PM MST (oustide Sat/Sun/Holidays). But if a customer orders a product with a status of "Available, ships in about 4 days", that means that Kitlinx will source the product to one of its East Coast supplier.
If you are located on the West Coast of the US, it does not make much of a difference, the travel time will just take a day-break in Utah. If you are on the East Coast or South East, it will take an extra 4/5-days to ship the product back to your location
You are welcomed to contact me directly loic@kitlinx.com if you feel that the shipping rate is over-stated on the check out process. I can directly confirm it in the software, or correct the weight in the database. Some errors might still be hidden in this HUGE database.
Have you noticed our HUGE INVENTORY of Aber Accessories, all in stock! The prices should also be VERY competitive
Programming Updates
Aircraft Skies Buff Master is again going to be carried by us! That means that Kitlinx will also be responsible for the quality control of this line of important 1/7 B-52 Conversions. We have received 3 products in stock, and we are expecting 10 more shortly. Click on the links to see what's available
Other kits of interest
Armor Mud The HOTTEST kit of the last two weeks just landed TODAY! The new kit from Amusing Hobby is Japan Experimental Gun Tank, Type 5 Ho-Ri I. We received a FULL RESTOCK of this line. These vehicles are "if-WW II-did-not-end-in-1945" paper projects or unfinished prototype
Other releases were
Sci-Fi/Fantasy As I was attending AMPS and saw this attendance of dedicated, but growing-old 'baby boomers', I realize how our hobby is dependant on the NEXT GENERATION to survive into the 21st Century. Our local Hobby Shops that Kitlinx wholesale operation supports (https://www.PacModels.com), are showing great resilience in survival during changing times. One Hobby Shop owner described to me how his stocking of Bandai Sci-Fi products is bringing a HUGE attendance of younger and dedicated modelers. This business is now 15% of his overall sales... I offered one of these models to my son for his Birthday (he is assigned to a National Guard Special Force unit in the US Army, sniper and NBC specialist), and he loves it! Obviously, the Rinaldi book is helping... and I sold out of them at the AMPS show! Don't disregard this new way route to the plastic modeling. It might be the bridge the US Modelers needed to bring fresh blood to our hobby!
Book Worm Welcome of Eagle Edition to Kitlinx! ALL of this line is now STOCKED at Kitlinx The Ju.87 Stuka Wings of the Black Cross is a fairly new release for this line
Another VERY HOT book is the AK Interactive Photo-Etched parts guide book!
HOBBY SHOWS Kitlinx will be attending the 2018 IPMS National Convention on Aug.1-4 in Phoenix AZ The AZ Joe Heads, local 1/6th scale modelers, are also attending with 2 tables and showing off their FOA vehicles If you are attending the show, please say Hi! | |
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