Why are plastic models so expensive

[perdu]

When Airfix can produce quality like the new Tiger Moth for around six quid we're not being short changed at all are we?

I do love the quality of some of the sublime foreign marques though.

Airfix artwork although in the main brilliant in recent times is still curate's egg, have you seen the latest incarnation of the PBY5A Catalina?


Artist thinks he's painting a Beaufort maybe...

[Lost soul]

Brigand said:

Is this not because it was decreed a few years ago that the original 'action' paintings were considered too violent for modern tastes, so bombs, flames, explosions etc were painted out, or new, 'peaceful' artwork was drawn up?

Yes it was , I saw an interview with him , I think it was on one of Mays documentary's where he said just that

[Eric Mc]

That is rather ancient history now. In the late 1970s/early 80s there was a "clean-up" of the dramatic scenes on model boxes. Initially, the explosions, bullet marks, burning aircraft, ships and tanks were removed from the scenes - and then the paintings were replaced completely by photos of built kits.

I am pretty sure that these changes were one of the reasons why model sales declined in the 80s.

However, that is over 30 years ago now and the scene is a bit less restrictive today. OK, we don't get the full on (often overcrowded and unrealistic) battle scenes of yore but modern box art is closer to the 60s and 70s than it is to the 80s and 90s.







Interestingly, the latter kit is produced in Germany and shows a Lancaster flying over (presumably) a burning German city.

[AshVX220]

With the onset of 3D printers, shouldn't models be getting cheaper again soon? Or don't 3D printers have the necessary definition?

[Rick_1138]

AshVX220 said:

With the onset of 3D printers, shouldn't models be getting cheaper again soon? Or don't 3D printers have the necessary definition?

They don't have the definition, people on wargaming\figure painting forums like to bang on about how all the model companies will be doomed and 3D printing will be free in all homes etc, is garbage.

The cost of a proper 3D printing setup is high and will remain so for decades, the equipment is temperamental, and printing takes a while, its not a 5 minute job to print a figure in 3d print plastic, also things can go wrong at any time so your effort becomes plastic spaghetti and is fit only for the bin.

Google 3d printing errors.

Also many people love the buying of a box, taking it home and looking at the sprues before building, models are expensive due to new tooling needing to be paid for (metal injection molds cost hundreds of thousands. However older kits from the 90's etc are still very good quality from Tamiya, Hasegawa etc and cost less than £30 in most cases.

If something ios worth the price I will pay it, such as the new 1/24 scale Typhoon from airfix, £100 is a fair price in todays market for such a thing given its detail, and size, however some may argue, but its the market price that other companies sit at so airfix is right to make costs and a bit of profit.

[Wacky Racer]

My dad used to own two nice model shops in the 60's/70's.

Airfix series one kits in plastic bags with header card...Spitfire/hurricane/BP Defiant etc were 2shillings....10p

Wellington bombers..6 shillings....30p

Lancasters.....7s/6d

Royal Sovereign (Galleon)....12/6d All off memory.

Average mans wage around £10pw

20 Shillings in a pound.

[Hugo a Gogo]

but when you can get an assembled, painted, stickered metal or plastic toy for less than half the price of an unassembled model kit...

[Lost soul]

Hugo a Gogo said:

but when you can get an assembled, painted, stickered metal or plastic toy for less than half the price of an unassembled model kit...

But where is the fun in that

[Hugo a Gogo]

well, obviously


but all the talk of costs of moulds etc, that still applies

[Lost soul]

Hugo a Gogo said:

well, obviously


but all the talk of costs of moulds etc, that still applies

Ahhha I get the point now

[dr_gn]

AshVX220 said:

With the onset of 3D printers, shouldn't models be getting cheaper again soon? Or don't 3D printers have the necessary definition?

They have more than enough definition (resolution) to make finely detailed parts. Indeed people are 3D printing their own kits today. Here is a review of my 1:72 Curtiss Hawk cowling that I rapid-prototyped, that an American modelling website picked up:

http://tinyurl.com/nv5k69u

BTW the "master modeller" title is their addition, not mine.

IMO it's just a matter of time before we can download kits and print them at home. Fair enough it might be 10 years away, but if I were a manufacturer of cheap injection mouldings, I'd be extremely worried. There's an entire thread on it here:

http://tinyurl.com/oteuqgh

[AshVX220]

dr_gn said:

AshVX220 said:

With the onset of 3D printers, shouldn't models be getting cheaper again soon? Or don't 3D printers have the necessary definition?

They have more than enough definition (resolution) to make finely detailed parts. Indeed people are 3D printing their own kits today. Here is a review of my 1:72 Curtiss Hawk cowling that I rapid-prototyped, that an American modelling website picked up:

http://tinyurl.com/nv5k69u

BTW the "master modeller" title is their addition, not mine.

IMO it's just a matter of time before we can download kits and print them at home. Fair enough it might be 10 years away, but if I were a manufacturer of cheap injection mouldings, I'd be extremely worried. There's an entire thread on it here:

http://tinyurl.com/oteuqgh

Thanks, will have a good read of those over the weekend.

[Halmyre]

Eric Mc said:

That is rather ancient history now. In the late 1970s/early 80s there was a "clean-up" of the dramatic scenes on model boxes. Initially, the explosions, bullet marks, burning aircraft, ships and tanks were removed from the scenes - and then the paintings were replaced completely by photos of built kits.

I am pretty sure that these changes were one of the reasons why model sales declined in the 80s.

I think it was more down to the rise in computer games. I don't think I ever bought a kit on the basis of whizz-bang box art, unless there was some subliminal message being transmitted to my young brain.

[Yertis]

Halmyre said:

I don't think I ever bought a kit on the basis of whizz-bang box art...

Whereas I think that's entirely the reason I bought them, discovered I liked aeroplanes, tried to join the RAF, failed, and became a sort of graphic designer instead. My entire professional life was thus defined by Airfix.

[Eric Mc]

And me.

I never said that the neutralising of box art was the SOLE reason for the decline in kit building.

A number of factors conspired to bring about a reduction in interest in kit building amongst young lads in the 80s.

1. Box art and its neutering had its part to play.
2. The diminishing of World War as a source of popular culture for youngsters (comics, big budget movies etc all faded in the 80s)
3. The arrival of Star Wars and its copies helped push WW2 out of the consciousness of small boys
4. Computer games and other high tech toys made model kits look a bit old fashioned.
5. Less emphasis on engineering and "hands on" type skills in education was also a factor

Kit building is actually recovering at the moment but it will never again reach the peaks it achieved in the 60s and 70s.

[Lost soul]

Eric Mc said:

And me.

I never said that the neutralising of box art was the SOLE reason for the decline in kit building.

A number of factors conspired to bring about a reduction in interest in kit building amongst young lads in the 80s.

1. Box art and its neutering had its part to play.
2. The diminishing of World War as a source of popular culture for youngsters (comics, big budget movies etc all faded in the 80s)
3. The arrival of Star Wars and its copies helped push WW2 out of the consciousness of small boys
4. Computer games and other high tech toys made model kits look a bit old fashioned.
5. Less emphasis on engineering and "hands on" type skills in education was also a factor

Kit building is actually recovering at the moment but it will never again reach the peaks it achieved in the 60s and 70s.

I think you are right on all points , but I do wonder in what age group kit building is recovering in is it kids or boomers

[Eric Mc]

Definitely boomers - Born Again Modellers.

[Halmyre]

Eric Mc said:

Definitely boomers - Born Again Modellers.

Bams?

(This may be funnier in certain areas of Scotland)

[BULLITT Rich]

Eric Mc said:

Definitely boomers - Born Again Modellers.

Yep that was, got back into it about 8 years ago. I'm 32 in a few months. Kits are definitely bought and built by adults primarily now.

[Brother D]

BULLITT Rich said:

Eric Mc said:

Definitely boomers - Born Again Modellers.

Yep that was, got back into it about 8 years ago. I'm 32 in a few months. Kits are definitely bought and built by adults primarily now.

I have to agree - I've just started been buying the odd balsa model aircraft to build. My nephew (10) although mad about cars, has little interest in how they work or building models of them, would just prefer a model car ready to go than a kit.

On the plus point of getting back into modeling now I'm older (near 40) my parents can't stop me using superglue instead of the slow drying wood glue I was forced to use as a kid!