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cool, safe hands. -
Just waiting now for some more TSR.2 kits from the new look Airfix,I wrote to Hornby today asking them to give this a priority treatment, and make sure there are enough to go around this time, and also congratulated them on their new venture.Comment
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I had a conversation about this in my local model shop this morning. It was generally thought to be a good move.
I do consider myself to be lucky enough to have a good model shop in the town. Where else would you have such a conversation with other people who gave a dam, apart from here of course!!Comment
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You are indeed lucky Richard,we have no model shops now in this area,the one in the centre of Warwick closed last month,although they mainly dealt in cars I used to enjoy a chat with the young lads and pick up a few electrical bits and pieces.
I think that Hornby will do well with the Airfix lines,they will add a new dimension to their existing products.Comment
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Airfix will still only survive if it makes money, a very simple fact of business. If Hornby do not radically rethink how Airfix goes about designing and producing ther models, they will, i fear, be up for sale again.
I know that "normal" plastic model kits bore my kids to death. And i'm fairly sure that most kids today are the same. But add some motors, bell,whistles etc, and they love them. The model is tranformed into something that does something and is competative with other "hobbies"-playstation-xbox- etc, and a damn site more engageing than some glued and painted static model. I am not saying all Airfix models need to be pimped up, just some. So that they can make a decent profit to enable them to continue making normal models for us geeks (speak for myself!).Comment
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believe me i know this well, LEGO sales are falling year on year due to the preconceived image of it being just another boring and static construction kit.....kids now want the arcade type computer games and toys that ' do stuff'
i know airfix are primarily known for model construction kits but maybe a tie up with licenced products would be a big hit, ( who remebers the space 1999 kits from years ago ?) if airfix were to launch say a kit of a well know film model anything from 007 to starwars or even Dr who then it may regain some street cred, add to that some charachter stuff (like johns wallace and grommit models) or say some figures from the computer games world eg sonic the hedgehog or who ever is 'in right now' (you can tell i dont do these games !!!) and it may be busy busy busy for airfix, yes alot of these themes are short lived but they could be marketed as limited runs and hence become even more desirable, it would keep the tills ringing for airfix until they re established their product range......Comment
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LEGO has faired well considering the changes in childrens tastes over the recent years,I think a lot has to do with the promotion given by places such as your own Legoland there.
It is sometimes difficult to envisage what children today want,industry has sometimes struggled to keep pace with the many cult things going on.Comment
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LEGO struggle due to excessive lead times.... new products currently take up to 3 years to get to the shelf from conception, our competititon get products out quicker, LEGO need to speed up ! this is the only way to keep the product ranges fresh and keep the punters buying....
we launch products too long after the boom has gone, we are just launching pirate sets, and i am still trying to find out about spongebob lego here in the UK !- its not exactly new is it spongebob has been around a while now !
LEGO europe north HQ knew little about it, they said they would get back to me !!!!- i am still waiting !Comment
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thing is, my kids love Lego. And your right about the Movie tie ins...Tyler(my son 8) has every single lego star wars kit that they released (Near as makes no difference). Lego has kept up with the times (Just take a look at the technic kits). I think Airfix/Hornby would do well to take a leaf out of Lego's book.Comment
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