How much

[Guest]

My mate and i have been discussing this recently in work about how when we were kids we used to save up pocket money to buy those little kits in the plastic bag with card board fold over tops, and we both agree that model kits have changed, now he views my stuff regularly when i bring it to work and we agree that kits have become so much more detailed than they ever used to be and this will obviously reflect in the price, with modern or new toolings of older kits having upwards of 1000 parts and some of those are either resin, aluminium, or photo etch. Now i have built several large scale kits and i love them, i have to say i do buy these kits every now and again and personally i think that overall they are worth the money that is being asked for them the moldings have much more crisp detail and the introduction of these other parts i.e. photo etch just enhances the kit. However, i do think the the manufactureing companies could lower their prices just a bit as this might actually encourage more beginners into the hobby. Now iam a tamiya fan although recently i have been gravitating towards trumpeter as they have much more detail in the moldings but i think some of these large companies have lost sight of the market in the case of Tamiya they charge almost £100 for a 1/48 scale spitfire and a lot more for their larger kits e.g 1/16 armour is about £800-900 and in a recession who can afford to spend money like that on kits. That is not to say however that just because a kit is cheaper it is not worth buying, in fact most of my better kits are made by revell or italleri and why should i pay £40 for a tamiya A10 kit when the Revell kit is £20 and has infinitley more detail. This is something that i think has to be decided by the individual modeller and i think that kit reviews and comparrisons should be common place by the modellers themselves.

scott

[AlanG]

Scott. Also why should you pay the high price for a Tamiya like the Ju87 B2 when it is infact the very same boxing as the Italeri

[Guest]

I think there is probably more choice out there than there has ever been before. In the days of the Airfix bagged kits top of the range offerrings were such things as the 1/72nd Lancaster so pretty much the same stuff but a bit bigger. Nowadays we still have the cheap simple polystyrene kits at one end and the very expensive, beautifully detailed multimedia kits such as the top end Tamiya stuff so I thinkit is easier for a modeller to find just the kind of kit he wants.

What never fails to amaze me are the prices that Airfix bagged kits are now selling for on eBay to collectors. Now that is unbeleivable!!

[Guest]

This is my third spell in modelling now - 1) as a young kid, 2) the 90's when I was trying to get my son interested and 3) now. As a kid, all that was available in my area was Airfix. I longed for a Revell kit but it didnt happen. The first Revell kit I bought in the 90s was an eye opener. It was rubbish. I tended to go Hasegawa/Tamiya from then on which were much better quality but a bit pricey. One good thing stemming from that it that is has forced Airfix, Revell and the like to up their standards a bit. I know modern tooling has played its part as well. I posted a while ago in Lastest Acquisitions that my daughter had found me a Revell Spitfire V in a charity shop. I was amazed at the improvement and amount of detail it had.

Keith

[tr1ckey66]

Hi John (Geegad)It's probably just a glitch in the matrix but you seem to have a pic from my 1/16 tiger build as your avatar?!Cheers Paul

[geegad]

I've just looked at the start of this thread and it's still inspector clouseau

[tr1ckey66]

No worriesI'm viewing this on a new iPad and it may be that.Had a look at your profile and it said last activity - avatar (my pic) but the main pic was Clouseau.Probably just some stray code gone 'rogue'!All the bestPaul

[Guest]

Funny how no-one wants my Inverness Caledonian Thistle one!

Keith

[tr1ckey66]

Was the iPad - on my desk top now and it's fine.

£65 does seem steep for AFV model in 1/35. Then again, when I've added all the after market products needed to bring older kits up to spec it works out more expensive, swings-and-roundabouts I guess.

Don't know about Dragon being the best. The current Dragon standards are definitely good but there are loads of other manufacturers equally as good if not better - Tasca, AFV Club, Bronco to name a few, and I still think that Tamiya are up there if you add a few bits and pieces. Personally I always buy the best kit for the particular subject (I'm not brand loyal). The kit is not necessarily the most expensive kit either but a good and accurate base model that I can add detail to as I go (either scratch of after market).

On the subject of cost, there is always the odd bargain to be picked on eBay too - I just bought myself a 120mm German WW2 soldier with Panzerschreck by Verlinden for a fiver.

I agree though that perhaps some of the AFV model manufacturers need to approach the kits like Hasegawa do their 1/32 kits - quite basic but with accurate lines and a good level of surface detail without all the photo etch, metal barrel etc. Keep them under £35 and then people can build OOB or add their own detail.

All the best

Paul

[geegad]

Couldn't have put it better my self I totally agree with you and after some deliberation perhaps it's not that much...cheers to all who helped along the way with there thoughts

John

[HAWKERHUNTER]

I think models are pretty good value in most cases. Everything hobbie related these days seems to attract an inflated price. But just look how much a round of golf may cost. anywhere from £20 up to £60+ depending on where you are in the country. Even the cheapest of models which sell for the price of a pack of cigs or a couple of pints of beer will give you many hours of pleasure building it and at the end you still have something to admire for a long time to come. Your local model shop can be a great source of second hand bargain kits. Ive had some great bargains from mine and these can really help to keep costs down. For me the main cost seems to come in all the extras like paint and PE parts etc and not so much the model itself.

[Guest]

You are right about the hours of pleasure, Steve. I made a spreadsheet for my models to see out of curiosity how long I spent building them. A simple Revell Spitfire V has so far taken 20 hours! It only cost me a pound so at 5p an hour I figure its pretty good value!

Keith

[Guest]

Used to get my models from the local Post Office Airfix only and a rack of paints, it was my once a week treat. no toy shops back then in a small village.

happy days, my Dad used to get old world cavelery officers on there horses,there still there in the glass cabinet.

Martin