I want to clear some space on my shelves, so I need to part with some of my collection. THIS IS MY LAST ONE! Periodically, Tamiya will partner with another fine company to add value to their already-impressive kits. In this case, they have packaged their excellent 1/700 Yamato kit with an extensive Detail-Up set from Fine Molds. The Detail-Up set consists of over twenty small sprues in grey and clear plastic and two frets of photo etched metal parts focusing on the smaller AA guns and the catapults and cranes. As a Limited Edition, these have become harder to find, so it might make sense to grab one before they are all spoken for.

I found only two listings for this kit on eBay (getting harder to find?) but as a Top Rated Plus US Seller, I have this in stock and can reliably ship this to you very quickly. Here is what I have found online about this ultra-detailed kit:

The Tamiya site shows the box art and provides the following informative description of the kit and upgrade set:

Beautifully Detailed Yamato

This is a 1/700 scale plastic assembly model kit of the Japanese Battleship Yamato which includes highly detailed laser cut parts by Fine Molds. Parts depicted with the set include: Type 96 triple 25mm cannons (shielded type), Type 96 triple 25mm cannons, a search light clear parts set, and photo-etched parts for the crane and catapult. The Yamato will feature an impressive finish once assembled with these highly detailed parts.

The Yamato, a Japanese Navy battleship completed in December 1941 had a 64,000 ton displacement, was armed with nine 46cm guns which had a 41km firing range and was produced with a host of other revolutionary features. Based on the latest available resources, the Yamato has been recreated in her final form. The flare of the bow and the armor belts along her sides have been accurately reproduced.

·        Each of the main turrets feature separately molded barrels.

·        The 15.5cm secondary guns, the 12.7cm high angle guns, and the anti-aircraft armament as well as parts to depict rangefinders, radars, and cranes are included to enable a detailed finish.

·        Length: 375mm.

·        The following Fine Molds Detail Up Parts add beautiful detail to the impressive form of the Yamato:

Ø Type 96 25mm Cannons (Triple Mount)

Ø Type 96 25mm Cannons (Shielded Type)

Ø 60cm Signal Searchlight

Ø 30cm Deck Lamp

Ø 2Kw Daylight Signal Lantern

Ø Photo etched metal parts for catapult and crane are included in this kit.

Scalemates.com has a listing stating that this is a 2009 reboxing of a 1998 tooling with added parts from Fine Molds. There are many links to aftermarket products and reference materials that we expect from this site.

I could not find any reviews of this Limited Edition kit with the Fine Molds upgrade, but there are several reviews of the base Yamato kit (TAM #31113), which is the same kit, just without the added extras from Fine Molds.

There are some YouTube videos that show off the base kit (TAM #31113). Oz Scalemodeling did a 32-minute Unboxing Video and a multi-part Build Video that should answer any questions you have about the quality and detail of the Tamiya plastic. AlexModeling did a 35-minute Build Video that shows how to properly paint and finish this beautiful kit. rebelsatcloudnine posted a multi-part Build Video that provides lots of tips to get you on your way.

This kit is in a partially decorated box about 17.5” x 8” x 2.5”. As you can see from the pictures, the kit is in terrific shape and still sealed with the original shrink wrap, so I consider it factory sealed and absolutely gift-ready.

This kit contains hundreds of detailed plastic pieces including an extensive Detail-Up set from Fine Molds to build a waterline hull IJN Yamato WWII battleship. I use eBay Managed Payments, but I no longer ship internationally. Auction winner pays the winning bid and for a limited time I am offering this phenomenal item with $8 Flat Rate Shipping in the US!

No reserve and a low starting bid. Check out my other great auctions for combined shipping. Good luck!

Those familiar with my listings can tell that I really enjoy these products and the modeling hobby. I like to provide more than just the bare facts about the items, trying to lead you into discovering more about the subjects and optimizing your builds (if that is your goal). I started out picking up models that I was interested in, with the eye toward building them when I had time. Always a bargain-hunter, I accumulated many more than I can build, so I found myself in a Collector status (sounds nicer than a hoarder).

As I am sure you have noticed, my items are almost always sealed and in mint condition (I call them Gift-Ready), since I only open them when I am ready to build them. Now I enjoy making these products available to my fellow modelers; both Builders and Collectors. For the Builders, there are probably better (at least cheaper) ways to add to your project lists than buying from me, but you know you are getting top quality. For Collectors, my goal is to save you a few bucks over the competition for the same item in factory sealed and collectible (or resellable) condition.