You should thank Bush for weak $ in comparision to Euro (exchange rate 1,48) and high shipping cost to US. Prices of Italeri models are in Euros.
In Europe (UE)[Poland]I paid for it 36PLN (Polish Zoty), $ is currently worth 3,12 PLN, but at that moment was circa 3,25-30. So I paid something around 12$, that's 8 Euro. (1 Euro is worth 4,50PLN that day, today 4,38).
Worth mentioning is the fact, that till march 2009 I paid 24-27PLN for Italeri models, but importer changed basic price because of PLN exchange rate fluctuation (thanks to irresponsible Hungarian and Baltic States, which are at the bottom of the crisis and are dragging neighbouring healthy countries in regon into one sack with labbel on it - HIGHLY RISKY! DO NOT INVEST HERE)
