How big is too big and how expensive is too expensive?

[KarlW]

Just been looking at the 1/32 Gigant from HPH.
A 1750mm wingspan and a €1575.21 price tag.
Which has got me thinking, how much are you willing to pay for a kit?
(Not even in production yet, they're making one per week.)

http://shop.hphmodels.cz/en/model-kits-in-scale-132/218-messerschmitt-me-323-d-6.html

[outrunner]

I paid £170 for a kit last year, still under the bench, if I thought it was worth it and really wanted it probably £200 would be my limit.

Andy.

[Mark1]

Some times its like being a kid in a sweet shop,if you see something you really want and can afford it at the time its hard to resist . I got a few ive paid over a 100 quid for. Bought two 1/350 ships with extras from japan at 300 quid but in my defence they would have cost with the extras about 550 over here.

[Steven000]

...a 1750mm wingspan and a €1575.21 price tag...

That's huge!

For a long time I bought a lot of 'cheap' older 1/48 and 1/32 kits, but they take so much more time to finish (adjusting, scratch building etc) that I'm somewhat reluctantly starting to move to more expensive models with decent reviews...

My main issue is low bench-time, so spending a bit more 'might' save a bit frustration and time...

But I would never pay 1500eur tough!

[Tworrs]

To me it's all relative, if you want it and can afford it, and have somewhere to display it, why not.

[David Lovell]

I think Garry's answered for ninty nine percent of us end of really ,I'd be more interested in why surly it can't be for financial reasons the plastic kit consumer market is hardly going to make research and development ,production worth while,as a retailer selling to a customer you'd want the money up front ,no one with a brain is going to keep a couple on the shop shelf ,not the kind of investment you'd sit on hoping to double your money. Is it more of a because its there to be done ie man in space man on the moon climb everest kind of thing. Dave

[boatman]

To me it's all relative, if you want it and can afford it, and have somewhere to display it, why not.

WELL in some ways i aggree with what Garry says but i dont think payin all at once i like to be more like my ship building yes its exspensive but a pay a little at a time over a time period an how much is 1500 euros in english dosh as i dont know now how the pound goes against the euro ?
chrisb

[Tworrs]

WELL in some ways i aggree with what Garry says but i dont think payin all at once i like to be more like my ship building yes its exspensive but a pay a little at a time over a time period an how much is 1500 euros in english dosh as i dont know now how the pound goes against the euro ?
chrisb

Yes Chris, when you start adding up what we spend on our ship building it certainly mounts up.

[Ian M]

WELL in some ways i aggree with what Garry says but i dont think payin all at once i like to be more like my ship building yes its exspensive but a pay a little at a time over a time period an how much is 1500 euros in english dosh as i dont know now how the pound goes against the euro ?
chrisb

Pretty much the same... £1400 ish. which for that price it should come with a full flight package! If it was a flying Radio control, fair enough. As a plastic model nope. In the words of a certain TV celeb. "It's a no from me"

[AlanG]

There is a discussion regarding this on another forum i go to. Quite a few people on there are justifying it by saying how detailed it is and how long it will actually take to build it. I personally think it's BS and it is a grossly stupid amount of money to pay out for a kit. No doubt some on here will bang on about how it is justified but that's their bag.

[Tim Marlow]

Personally, I think the size is the largest single issue. It’s simply too big to store sensibly. You are talking about something roughly the size of a double bed. It’s like building a life sized replica of a Harley and sidecar and displaying it in your house!

Cost wise, it depends how much modelling you get for your money. Chris has probably spent more on his Tiger than this, but he has got several years enjoyment out of the money.

If this kit only takes a few months to build, it will be expensive. If it takes a year, it’s still dear, but better value. At two years or so it starts to get no dearer in time spent per pound than any other kit.

At my rate of expenditure I would need to get about four years out of it, because the stuff I do is cheaper. I can get a good month or so out of a box of little blokes :tongue-out3:

I won’t buy one for two reasons.
One, it just won’t take that long to build. I can’t see it taking that much longer than a 1/32 Lancaster bomber, possibly slightly less as it is a less complex machine over all, so it bang for buck is just too low…..
Two, I would not have the staying power and would get bored well before the end. I would then have to put up a very large shelf of shame to store it…..

Failing all that, it would be interesting to see one built, so who’s up for it

[KarlW]

Just to point out it's not a plastic kit, but a resin and fibreglass model. And they're only producing one a week and starting mid-Febuary.
Pay now recieve a certificate saying it will be delivered when it's built in x number of weeks......

To be of value it would have to take a few years of building compared to plastic kits.

[KarlW]

Failing all that, it would be interesting to see one built, so who’s up for it

If you buy it, I'll build it........ :tongue-out3: but not for a few years, I'll need a bigger house with a big garage first.

[Jim R]

It's no different to anything else, if you have the money and want it then buy it. Some people drive a Bentley, some eat out at Le Gavroche and some wear a Rolex watch. If I won the lottery my spending would be rather different to what it is now :smiling:

[Tim Marlow]

Just to point out it's not a plastic kit, but a resin and fibreglass model. And they're only producing one a week and starting mid-Febuary.
Pay now recieve a certificate saying it will be delivered when it's built in x number of weeks......

To be of value it would have to take a few years of building compared to plastic kits.

Plenty of fit issues in the offing then…..and surely not viable from a business perspective. The income of 1400 or so UKP per week would only support about two full time workers, especially when the costs of premises etc are taken into account. How are they going to recoup development time…..