. The price of anything will be what the "market" will pay. If this guy gets what he wants for his model good for him.

He's tried to get me to sell him one of my own Elefants in the past so he could ( assumption) turn it into one of his creations but no cigar. His work seems to be first rate as seen on his website; at least he seems near a master at painting and weathering. I've never looked into his work well enough to evaluate his mechanics.

As for price keep in mind the Imai Elefant kit sold for $400 mail order from Japan in 1971- 72; much more locally if you found one.
That was long before Tamiya even released a tank kit. And those were 1970 dollars.

What will add to the cost of a mint kit today is Imai has been out of business for years and even so had not produced the kit for many many years prior. All of Imai's tooling I understand was acquired by Aoshima. I'd also heard that they had some interest in producing the model again but clearly nothing has come of it.

As to whether a new Elefant will reduce the value of Imai's models? I doubt it. With all due respect unless it is built to Imai standards, and you would need to have had one or be really close to one to know this, it will never measure up. By buying an Imai you are buying a landmark kit, never to be seen again; if someone wants just an Elefant and any one will do then whatever comes from Heng Long /Matorro or some yet to be realized new Chinese company will do. What I can see happening is pristine original Imai built models and surviving kits going up in value but marginal, ragged examples being lessened in value. No more cannibalized Elefant remains selling for 800...

jerry