10Sucht Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 The last time I built models on a regular basis was back in my mid to late teens. Now, in my early 40's I'm getting back into the hobby and I wonder, with all the companies out there, which companies are worth the money. Which manufacturers put out good to great kits and which ones put out junk? How do these stack up? I apologize if this is a stupid question, but I figured that the guys-in-the-know could tell me where I'm better off directing my funds when it comes to buying good kits. Thanks. Airfix Academy Hasegawa Eduard Trumpeter Monogram Hobby Boss Revell USA Revell Germany Italeri Heller Zvezda Dragon Special Hobby Tamiya Testors Quote Link to post Share on other sites
falcon20driver Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 (edited) delete Edited November 6, 2012 by falcon20driver Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IrishGreek Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 The name is not everything unfortunately. Many kits, even of the 'good' brands are old re-releases. So not as great as current tech allows. Also, the companies sometimes rebox another company's kits (Tamiya does Italeri sometimes for example). Best bet is to look at reviews online and decide what you like and are willing to spend. FYI, for aircraft I tend to like Hasegawa, Tamiya, Revell Germany and Eduard. For tanks I like Dragon, Tamiya, Trumpy/Hobby Boss and Italeri. For ships, Trumpy, Academy and Tamiya. The good news is there really are lots of really good kits out right now. Many that I personally never thought I would see in plastic! Good luck. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Every single model kit manufacturer out there has gems and every single one has dogs. You can't make sweeping generalizations. Oops.. I'm wrong. There is one exception - Wingnut Wings. Theirs are pretty much all gems so far. Not perfect, but real gems. Everybody else has the odd dog or two (some a lot more) in their lineup. Best bet is to ask here before you purchase a specific kit if you're not sure. With all the mold swapping that happens these days, it pays to be informed. J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 The last time I built models on a regular basis was back in my mid to late teens. Now, in my early 40's I'm getting back into the hobby and I wonder, with all the companies out there, which companies are worth the money. Which manufacturers put out good to great kits and which ones put out junk? How do these stack up? I apologize if this is a stupid question, but I figured that the guys-in-the-know could tell me where I'm better off directing my funds when it comes to buying good kits. Thanks. Airfix Academy Hasegawa Eduard Trumpeter Monogram Hobby Boss Revell USA Revell Germany Italeri Heller Zvezda Dragon Special Hobby Tamiya Testors You are better off looking for a specific scale and kit instead of looking for a Manufacturer. For example, and this is in 1/72 scale (and solely my opinion)..... Best F/A-18A/C Hornet is the Academy kit, Best F-14 Tomcat kit is the Hasegawa kit, and best F-16A/C Kit is the Revell (new mold) kit.... ....even though all three companies released at least one kit of these aircraft. Overall, new kits have become better in detail, but more expensive Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2qwik4u Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Another good source is Modeling Madness. While not complete by any means, there are a large amount of kit reviews (built and reviewed by A/C type) and kit previews (how it looks in the box by manufacturer). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
10Sucht Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Most of what I build are 1/72 kits and I bought one a couple weeks ago that was total junk. I went to a Hobby Lobby and Michael's with my girlfriend and the model kits they have there all Revell USA kits or Testors. I'll have to check some review sites. Often, however, I find myself at the local hobby shop and I'm looking at kits without knowing what I'm getting. I know that engraved panel lines are prefered, and I don't have the skill to rescribe lines yet. So, I guess junk kits can play a role in my practice. One thing I've noticed so far is that Revell USA kits don't seem to be as nice as Revell Germany kits. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2qwik4u Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Just because a kit has raised lines doesn't mean its bad. Nor do you have to rescribe. The old Monogram 1/72 F4B-4, P6-E, and F11-C kits are absolutely little gems, even though they are 50's era molds with raised panel lines. And they can usually be found on evilbay for around $5 a piece. The only thing I added to this one is aftermarket decals. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2qwik4u Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 (edited) double post Edited November 7, 2012 by 2qwik4u Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hegedus Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Just because a kit has raised lines doesn't mean its bad. Nor do you have to rescribe. Blasphemer! Haven't you heard? Kits with raised panel lines are unbuildable! In order to be taken seriously as a modeler, one simply MUST rescribe any raised panel lines on any kit that has raised, whether it is accurate for the prototype subject or not, as until that is done the kit is, by definition, UNBUILDABLE! Actually building a kit that has raised panel lines is physically impossible! Now go and drink your Kool-Aid! (just kidding, of course!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2qwik4u Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Blasphemer! Haven't you heard? Kits with raised panel lines are unbuildable! In order to be taken seriously as a modeler, one simply MUST rescribe any raised panel lines on any kit that has raised, whether it is accurate for the prototype subject or not, as until that is done the kit is, by definition, UNBUILDABLE! Actually building a kit that has raised panel lines is physically impossible! Now go and drink your Kool-Aid! (just kidding, of course!) Didn't I recently see you bring a model with raised panel lines to a meeting....? Or do I need to bring up that other, RED model I saw you bring... -Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hegedus Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Move along, those aren't the models you're looking for... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Most of what I build are 1/72 kits and I bought one a couple weeks ago that was total junk. I went to a Hobby Lobby and Michael's with my girlfriend and the model kits they have there all Revell USA kits or Testors. I'll have to check some review sites. Often, however, I find myself at the local hobby shop and I'm looking at kits without knowing what I'm getting. I know that engraved panel lines are prefered, and I don't have the skill to rescribe lines yet. So, I guess junk kits can play a role in my practice. One thing I've noticed so far is that Revell USA kits don't seem to be as nice as Revell Germany kits. As I stated earlier, a lot of the new mold kits are better, but most manufacturers do re-box older kits as well, so asking others about the kit can help give you more info on what is in the box. Over the years, Hobby Lobby has shrunk thier model kit section to the point where they carry mostly Revell USA kits, but also some Testors "easy-build" kits, and a few Tamiya, Academy and Trumpeter kits. Testors doesn't realy "make" kits anymore, they release older kits that can date back to the 1960's. For a while, they reboxed other active companies' kits like Fujimi and Italeri, but they haven't done that in a while. Revell USA/Monogram have been re-releaseing thier older kits and a few of Revell Germany's kits, such as thier 1/72 F-22 Raptor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scapilot Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 This isn't really a stupid question. I just got back into the hobby after about a nine year layoff back in Jan. and I had all the same things to ask as you did. Espeicially with the price of some of the kits out there. The biggest thing to recognize is that no one company owns the monopoly on splendid kits. I was a bit baffled about how companies share molds to spread the wealth by calling it their own, but I guess I see some logic to it. Bottom line, the crap company today could pick up the mold from your favorite company tomorrow, and you may not even know the difference. To avoid frustration out of the gate, I elected to stick with 1:48 scale, because I didn't want the tedious frustration of such small scales right away. And now that I've launched into it, I pretty much found that anything I'm interested in building is out there in 48'th scale. I may bite off a couple of 32'nd scale kits, but I have no desire to go any smaller than 48. If you're into modern stuff, I think an easy vote for a good first kit would be the Tamiya F-16. Any of em'. They're pretty awesome. Little pricey (40-45 bucks), but the kit practically falls into place, and looks really nice when finished. It seems a bit complex, but it was a real pleasure to build, and it was the third kit I attempted. Some of the Revell kits really aren't that bad. Their Super Hornets are fairly new molds, and aren't overly challenging, but still look really good. If I may make a recommendation....support your local hobby store by buying supplies, and do your actual kit shopping online. I find you're usually going to break the bank paying for an actual kit out of the hobby store. Just a heads up. Let us know what you choose! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hegedus Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 If I may make a suggestion, just buying supplies from the local shop, and not buying any kits there, is not going to support them for very long. Many shops will give a discount to good customers, but they really do need people to buy more than just the occasional bottle of paint or glue to survive. How much is it worth to you to be able to go to the local shop when you need those supplies, vs. having saved $5 on a kit mail-order but having to mail order supplies 6 months down the road? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scapilot Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 If it's the commercial chains like Hobby Lobby or Michaels, this isn't always an issue, especially with Hobby Lobby granting their 40% discounts. What I'm referring to is the smaller ones who don't always do the responsible business thing by updating the prices of their kits. If a kit came out three years ago, and was retailed for $80 but is selling these days $29 everywhere on the internet, then no....Failure to update the three year old price tag doesn't mean I'm willing to pay just to keep them in business. Now, if they marked it for lets say $40 bucks, then yeah. I might see some logic in lending a hand, but to never update the pricing on their kits is kind of a lazy protocol, at which rate...if you're not willing to do the smart business thing to keep your store rotating stock, and open. Then it's surely not going to be at my expense. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2qwik4u Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 The biggest problem is that most smaller hobby shops have to get their stock from a select few distributors. These distributors also have an internet presence. If I'm running a hobby shop, and I have to buy from the distributor, and then turn around and sell it at a price to turn a decent profit, I have to mark it up higher than what the distributor is selling it for on their website. That $80 retail priced kit probably cost the hobby shop around $50 to buy from the distributor. Dropping the price to the $29 that some websites are selling it for isn't a very good business model. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IrishGreek Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 The biggest problem is that most smaller hobby shops have to get their stock from a select few distributors. These distributors also have an internet presence. If I'm running a hobby shop, and I have to buy from the distributor, and then turn around and sell it at a price to turn a decent profit, I have to mark it up higher than what the distributor is selling it for on their website. That $80 retail priced kit probably cost the hobby shop around $50 to buy from the distributor. Dropping the price to the $29 that some websites are selling it for isn't a very good business model. Wonder how 'do-able' it is for some of the LHS's to start buying from the website operators themselves (in bulk to get those discounts too. Because, you are right. If I (LHS) buy from Stephens or whoever, and they sell online themselves how can I ever win? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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