Spots on the Internet

[Dave Ward]

From a Revell emailshot & website - available week 42 ( Oct 15th )[ATTACH]315655[/ATTACH]
'A model of success' - no irony intended, I'm sure, given the demise of Revell US.
Dave

[Guest]

I remember the reputation of old Revell kits being mainly one for poor fit. Not sure how they consider that “success.”

[Dave Ward]

Revell were the 'sophisticated' end of the market, when I first made models ( mid 60's ). Airfix, and Frog were the British, rather crude basics. Revell models were birthday, or Christmas presents - never mind the bizarre scales, or clumsy 'working' features. Coming from the USA, they gave you instant 'street cred' ( important to a 10 year old! )
Dave

[stillp]

Yes, I agree Dave.

Pete

[Guest]

Things had changed by the 80s, then Compared to the Matchbox and the odd Italeri kit I was used to, most Revell kits sold around my area (which were mainly Revell USA ones in Revell Germany boxes) had a lot worse fit. I wasn’t fond of them, but of course if you were a child who liked modelling you got given one occasionally anyway.

[Dave Ward]

Matchbox made their appearance in 1972 - the first in the catalogue was the Hawker Fury ( PK-1). They were different, with their often garish sprue colors. and boxed! - I can't really remember Italeri, until much later. In the 80's I was into obscure aircraft - virtually all vac-form models - like Contrail, Formaplane, Warbirds, Falcon & others. Almost a lost art, making vacforms, though I still have a few in a box pure - nostalgia!
Dave

[Tim Marlow]

In the late sixties, early seventies, my mum used to collect green shield stamps......one book, on redemption, used to get four Revell 1/72 aircraft kits. Used to be the Airacobra, the Saetta, the P26 pursuit aircraft, and one I cannot remember.....they were the only Revells I remember as a kid. The LHS didn’t stock them.....did have Hasegawa though, but they took two weeks pocket money, and my resolve was rarely strong enough to save up....

[Dave Ward]

The place to see, when I was a kid - was 'Redgates' - a giant toyshop in Sheffield - allegedly the best toyshop outside London. The range of kits they stocked by the early 80's was astounding, one complete floor ( of 4 ) was given up to models - all way beyond my price range, browsing was the nearest I got to most! In the early 80's, I bought my first computer there, a Sinclair Spectum 48K + ( around £200 ). they did move with the times. Sadly closed in 1986
Dave

[Guest]

Matchbox made their appearance in 1972

That was before I was born One of my treasured possessions of my youth was a 1980 Matchbox catalog — so much so that I had no hesitation at all in buying a second copy, but now in good condition, when I came across it some years ago at a model show.

vac-form models - like Contrail, Formaplane, Warbirds, Falcon & others. Almost a lost art, making vacforms

I’ve built a couple, but of military vehicles. One of a DUKW, which in the late ’80s or so was the only choice if you wanted one in 1/35 scale … what was the German brand again that made them? I don’t remember …

one complete floor ( of 4 ) was given up to models

By comparison, I had a village shop that sold almost anything you cared to name outside of food and drinks (I later had a summer job there — the storerooms were the best, simply because of the sheer amount of stuff in them, some of it 20+ years old), and it had shelves maybe 1–1.5 meters wide with model kits (mostly Matchbox and some Italeri, plus assorted others) and at a the bottom, a rack of Humbrol tins.

In the early 80's, I bought my first computer there, a Sinclair Spectum 48K + ( around £200 )

My brother and I had a Spectrum+ in the mid-80s. That was already the third or fourth computer in our house, though

[Dave Ward]

A bit sketchy - on the Gecko Facebook page, but not on their website - no further information
[ATTACH]315726[/ATTACH][ATTACH]315727[/ATTACH]
These follow on from their A10 versions - strange how these are also modelled by Bronco - any connection? I've never seen any Gecko models, anyone have any feedback?
Dave

[Dave Ward]

From a MiniArt emailshot....................[ATTACH]315806[/ATTACH]
Another T-55 variant - don't get too excited
Dave

[Guest]

We’re into Hasegawa-land where each and every variant, no matter how minor, warrants a separate kit that has only the parts to make that exact variant, and no spares. I much prefer fewer kits, but with extra parts for different variants.

[Dave Ward]

I would have thought that MiniArt would have released some of the non-gun variants of the T54/55 - like bridgelayer, ARV, combat engineering tractor, driver training, gun tractor, there must be many, given the widespread use of these vehicles
Dave

[Guest]

With a bit of luck those are on the way but they’re waiting for the gun tanks to sell so they have the money to make the molds?

[Dave Ward]

Two releases from Revell - One new Tool..................[ATTACH]315952[/ATTACH]
Even at 1/144, this will be a monster.
..............and a rebox[ATTACH]315953[/ATTACH]
This is the Zvezda model..............
Dave