16-11-2024 - Newsletter #227

Thousands of items are expected in stock in the coming weeks.
The long awaited sea shipment with 4 pallets from Europe will most likely be delivered on Tuesday. However, it takes time to enter everything into the system.
In addition to this shipment, I expect more from other suppliers as well.
To see what comes in every day, you can best follow the 'new arrivals' page on the website.
I will probably send out extra newsletters in the coming weeks with more details.

Pricing everything in the showroom takes a lot of time, while entering shipments has priority. This means I will place new stock unpriced in the showroom. Prices can be requested at any time of course. My apologies for this.

Because the showroom is too small for all the stock, older stock will be removed from the showroom to make room for new arrivals.

A lot of paint has arrived in the past week. More than 130 colours of AMMO's Atom paint for example. Also many restocks from Vallejo, AK Interactive and the Army Painter. More restocks should arrive every two weeks from Europe.

The first Molotow markers have also arrived.

A new brand for the Mini-Kiwiland Shop is Metal Earth.
Metal Earth kits are made from high quality steel sheets. Each model features amazing detail with parts cut from one or more square steel sheets. Easy to follow instructions are included with each kit and NO GLUE OR SOLDER REQUIRED! Simply snip out the pieces and bend the tabs through corresponding connection points.

Robert

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07-11-2024 - Newsletter #226

Thousands of items still need to be added to the website. This takes a lot of time. To speed things up, I started adding items without images or descriptions. This way, I have now added more than a hundred AK Interactive paint colours. More will follow.
I will give priority to the items that users add to their watchlist with more information. Items with watchers also have a greater chance of being stocked (faster). I cannot stock everything and will give priority to watched items.

Good news for online buyers in the North Island: There is now a maximum of $11.20 in shipping costs for urban deliveries. This has the advantage, for example, that an automatic e-mail can be sent with the total to be paid, without having to wait for an e-mail from me. This automatic e-mail is only possible when at least 1 item does not fit in a medium box. This still needs to be programmed, but it will most likely be completed over the weekend. The maximum rate of $11.20 for urban deliveries is already valid.

The large shipment of 4 pallets with a few thousand products from Europe arrived in Auckland 10 days ago, but has still not been delivered. No idea why. Very frustrating. Hopefully everything will be delivered early next week. My apologies for those who are waiting for new stock to arrive.

Molotow is a new brand for the Mini-Kiwiland Shop. They are best known for their chrome markers. Stock should arrive in a few weeks.

Robert

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24-10-2024 - Newsletter #225

The original idea for Mini-Kiwiland was to create an outdoor miniature New Zealand park (1:24 scale) as an international attraction. A Hobbyshop would be part of this together with a souvenir shop and a cafe.
At the beginning of the pandemic, investors and sponsors unfortunately withdrew their support. Workshops were closed and volunteers 'retired'.
There is still no prospect of investors returning due to the poor economic situation (worldwide).
Eight years ago I started the Hobby Shop for Mini-Kiwiland to be able to buy parts for the miniatures and generate some income. This became a success during the pandemic.
I still have about 25 models of New Zealand buildings in production, some of which were on display in the showroom. These have now all been removed to a room next to the showroom to make room for more stock.
These models and more can still be seen, if you do not go left to the showroom at the top of the stairs, but straight ahead. There is a closed door with glass, through which you can look into the room.

The intention is to show more models here than were originally in the showroom. Not all models are (fully) assembled at this stage.

Here is a list:

Auckland Ferry Building (2.6 meters long), Wellington City & Sea Museum (2.4 meters long), Invercargill Water Tower, Paekakariki Railway Station with Signal Box, Hokitika Clock Tower and Customs House, an Opotiki and a Cambridge Church, Waikanae Post Office, Otaki Courthouse, Shannon Bank Building, Petone Police Station with Prison, the first Petone State Houses, Waitangi Treaty House and more.
The 1:24 scale DC-3 (NAC) has also been moved to this room.

The models are not finished, but the layout gives an idea of ​​what the intention is for Mini-Kiwiland.
Hopefully the attraction can be started again somehow in the future.

Robert

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16-10-2024 - Newsletter #224

From now on, every two weeks a shipment will arrive from Europe with paint from Vallejo, the Army Painter and AK Interactive. This way, sold out colours can be restocked more quickly. Larger quantities will also be purchased, so that it happens less often that colours are sold out.
Many colours from AK Interactive (both 3rd Gen and Real Colors) still have to be added to the website. Unfortunately, that will take some time.
As soon as AK Interactive is in order, I will start on the next paint line, which will most likely be SMS.
AMMO By Mig Jimenez is once again coming out with a new paint line: This time it is 'Ionic Smart Colors'. Especially for figures. If you are interested in this, please let me know.

The Eftpos machine from ANZ in the showroom has been replaced by a terminal from Smartpay. This has the advantage that from now on you can pay with Credit Card and Paywave in the Showroom. Smartpay is able to offer different surcharges:

1% surcharge for Paywave
2% surcharge for Credit Cards

I try to keep the prices for products as low as possible and also give discounts to regular customers. I would rather not increase the prices because of credit card payments, so a surcharge in this way is a good solution. Other Eftpos providers have 1 option for surcharge, but I don't think it is reasonable that Paywave has the same surcharge as Credit Cards. I expect that in the future, the banks in New Zealand will further reduce the rates for Paywave. Why such a simple, fully automated system is so expensive here, is a mystery to me. As soon as costs for Paywave go down, I will consider no surcharge.

Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to pay with credit card on the website. That is a separate system. I made the website myself from scratch and simply do not have the skills to connect it to an eCommerce portal. The portals are in a different computer language. I want to look into this next year, but in this case too there will be a surcharge for those who want to pay via the internet instead of a bank transfer.

Robert

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09-10-2024 - Newsletter #223

I have started selling used items. This is more of a test to see how it goes. The computer system of the Mini-Kiwiland Shop is not prepared for this. As a result, selling used items is currently not possible on the website . Instore only. Sales of used items are therefore not eligible for the loyalty discount program. The discount program is fully automated.
The used items are currently placed at the counter. These include HO scale vehicles, G scale items, magazines, Bburago diecast models and diecast motorcycles.

Robert

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02-10-2024 - Newsletter #222

Four large pallets are expected by the end of this month. A picture of this has been posted on the Mini-Kiwiland Hobby Shop Facebook page. Please like the page if you haven't done so yet.
This shipment contains a few thousand items. Brands like AMMO By Mig Jimenez, Eduard, ICM, Special Hobby, Revell, MiniArt, Kinetic, Hobby 2000, Roden, Airfix, Heller etc. etc.
The arrival date is still dependent on customs and unpacking. Processing takes some time as well.
Plenty of nice things for Christmas however!

Robert

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25-09-2024 - Newsletter #221

Google Street View has visited the Mini-Kiwiland Shop a week ago. This means you can now walk online through the showroom in Paraparaumu!

Click on this link to give it a try!

Among the new arrivals are Tamiya kits, diecast models of Batman Automobilia, Tractors, Ferraris, Ford Rangers, Citroens etc.
The first shipment with Dark Alliance fantasy figure sets from Ukraine has also arrived.

The recently arrived tractors are on sale as well as several Busch HO scale model cars.

Robert

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19-09-2024 - Newsletter #220

Finally, a rack for the Army Painter 2.0 Speedpaint has arrived. It is located in the back of the showroom, behind the counter, but in sight of visitors this time. Not all colours are currently in stock, but they will be within a week.

More than 40 different ATOM colours from AMMO By Mig Jimeneze have also arrived, as well as more than 25 3rd Generation colours from AK Interactive. A lot still needs to arrive of both brands however.

Among the new arrivals are also Master Box figure sets from Ukraine, diecast models of the 'Ferrari Racing Collection', some diecast aircraft and artillery and figure sets from HaT in 1:72 scale.

Noch has released a number of single figure sets. Some have already been listed on the website. Stock is expected in October.

Several Busch and Herpa HO scale cars are on sale this week.

Robert

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11-09-2024 - Newsletter #219

Two weeks ago in newsletter 217 I announced the unexpected huge price increase of NZ Post for small parcels.
I have since found smaller boxes to send in, which are slightly cheaper: $7.20 instead of $9.20. The dimensions of these new boxes are 240 x 125 x 50 mm. This is good news for those who only want to order a few paint bottles for example.
Postage for the Wellington region and Palmerston North city remain at $5.90.
Rural is $5.70 extra.

Sales of diecast trucks continue to go up, so I will keep more of these in stock. New stock is not expected this year however, as diecast has to be shipped by sea to keep it affordable.

Sales of Warhammer wargaming also continue to increase. This means that I will stock more of these as well.

Robert

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05-09-2024 - Newsletter #218

Another week with many new arrivals. For a full list click here.

A shipment of 500+ military figure sets from Ukrainian brands Strelets, Orion and Red Box has finally arrived!
Napoleonic, WW1&2, Roman, Greek, American Civil War etc. etc.
There is not enough space in the showroom for everything. Most of it is behind the counter.
Many sets are already sold to watchers. I will try to arrange a new shipment as soon as possible, but this will not arrive before the end of this year.

Other arrivals include paints and tools from AMMO by Mig Jimenez, AK Interactive, Vallejo and Army Painter.
Also kits came in from Plastic Solider Company (1:72 and 15mm scale).

Several diecast models are now available, including many Formula 1 cars. Batman models and Russian tractors are even on sale right away.

Robert

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