I suspect that Chinese labor is getting better organized and they are starting to form labor unions and demanding better pay, improved working conditions & fewer hours etc. This could be what's causing the slowdown in production and explains why there are so many delays in getting the collectibles (toys) out to market.
I predict more delays as these upstart unions get better organized and we should expect a steady increase in retail prices as a result.
I did a google search on Chinese labor and found some articals.
http://www.weijingsheng.org/labor.html
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar20 ... -m25.shtml
China’s toy factories
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JohnLumley
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China’s toy factories
One hundred and fifty three - 1:18 scale aircraft on the ceiling looks :shock: damn good!
Wow,
very interesting articles. We complain about the glue fingerprint camo that pops up from time to time. ( I have bitched about it without thinking)
and then you read about "an experienced worker had to paint 8,920 small toy pieces a day or one every 3.23 seconds—an astounding $0.0003862 cents per operation. Workers who failed to meet their quota had their wages reduced to 12 yuan or $1.48 a day, or 18 cents per hour." how can one not end up with a few bad paint jobs?
OR the fact that 13-hour to 15-hour work day is common, with one day off a week or in some cases just one night off. In some factories, mandatory all-night shifts of 16 to 19 hours were common during busy periods. Lunch and supper breaks accounted for 2.5 hours each shift.
We can buy these beautiful 1/18 models from BBI and 21st Century in this country at a cheap price compared to what a 1/35th scale kit would cost of the same model.
All of us who enjoy this hobby should be very appreciative of what we have.
I can live with fixing whatever quality "glue or paint problem" that may pop up.
very interesting articles. We complain about the glue fingerprint camo that pops up from time to time. ( I have bitched about it without thinking)
and then you read about "an experienced worker had to paint 8,920 small toy pieces a day or one every 3.23 seconds—an astounding $0.0003862 cents per operation. Workers who failed to meet their quota had their wages reduced to 12 yuan or $1.48 a day, or 18 cents per hour." how can one not end up with a few bad paint jobs?
OR the fact that 13-hour to 15-hour work day is common, with one day off a week or in some cases just one night off. In some factories, mandatory all-night shifts of 16 to 19 hours were common during busy periods. Lunch and supper breaks accounted for 2.5 hours each shift.
We can buy these beautiful 1/18 models from BBI and 21st Century in this country at a cheap price compared to what a 1/35th scale kit would cost of the same model.
All of us who enjoy this hobby should be very appreciative of what we have.
I can live with fixing whatever quality "glue or paint problem" that may pop up.
The sign of a great model is that one’s eye is not drawn to any one feature, yet one can study it for hours and continually find something new.