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Sure the cost of kits have gone up. But its made me more appreciative of the kits I've already bought and selective of the new ones I do buy.

Do I see the hobby dying? Not entirely. But it is slowing down. Kids aren't filling the places of the older generation as they pass on. And most of us here are in our late 40s-early 50s. 

 

I'll enjoy it while I've got it. 

 

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24 minutes ago, ST0RM said:

Sure the cost of kits have gone up. But its made me more appreciative of the kits I've already bought and selective of the new ones I do buy.

Do I see the hobby dying? Not entirely. But it is slowing down. Kids aren't filling the places of the older generation as they pass on. And most of us here are in our late 40s-early 50s. 

 

I'll enjoy it while I've got it. 

 

Jeff, I agree with all your statements, except the last one. I WISH I was in my late 40s, early 50s. I turn 68 tomorrow! LOL! :rofl:

Larry

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As someone who is buying and selling on ebay for years, and has been buying and selling and trading kits almost constantly, I can just tell you that Ebay is no longer a "garage sale" style site anymore

 

You have businesses and then there are paypal fees  (though ebay is leaving them behind? kind of?) and ebay fees. The latest Ebay payment system is now requiring a Social security number, which screams "taxes" in the near future.

 

There just aren't good deals on ebay anymore, and we used to have threads even in the golden era where someone had some ridiculous price on a model kit that was not at all worth what they thought. 

 

I've been out of the game the last few years in terms of building, and the youtube revolution, which is in and of itself amazing, is showing me kits that are engineered to a degree that was science fiction just a few years back. So with the higher prices has come a nearly jaw dropping amount of additional detail and options that were previously unheard of. It looks like the latest kits tend to have about double the amount of sprues they used to at a glance. 

Compare a 1/48 Esci MiG-23 to a Trumpy  1/48 MiG-23 and one can quickly understand why Trumpy cost between 3 or 4 times as much. (the more amazing thing might be the fact that the Esci kit fetches what it does... perhaps you are right about the high prices! is it a collector or something?)

 

hobby lobby and a 40 off coupon has kept kits pretty accessible to the people who want to pay less, and it seems like Revell is more than happy to pop out cheaper, and older kits. 

 

Its not that bad overall, Ebay is just no longer the deal hub it was. 

 

 

Edited by TaiidanTomcat
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IMO it still is a deal hub, the deals are just overseas and from businesses. 

 

I'm able to get kits from China, and parts from Russia at an amazing price, all with the comfort that if it goes wrong, I've got paypal and eBay buyer protection to have my back. 

 

Brick & Mortar shops tend to screw me on price and selection, so I buy 100% of what I can online. That's what will keep this hobby alive - availability and convenience.

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Just remember $100 USD in 1970 would buy you what $691.72 does today.  So you would be able to buy a lot of Airfix, Frog, Monogram, Revell, Hasegawa, Tamiya kits for a C-note.  Sure would not get any accurate Soviet Russian subjects, or resin, PE, but Microscale Decal sheets were $1.25 and many were in 1/72 scale.  Not a lot of 1/32 scale mostly Revell & Hasegawa, Monogram 1/48 kits were the choice in the USA.  Testors small bottles of paint were .15 cents, Tube glue about .12 cents.  Used to get a car model, 3 bottles of paint & a can of spray paint & glue for less than $3.50.  Now every kit that comes out is either overpriced, fatally flawed or bitched about one way or another.  Spoiled for choice is what is happening.  This is a Blooming Hobby and cheaper than most other hobbies and I thank the Manufacturers and all the other cottage industries for what they do.  They have enriched my involvement in this hobby as a hobbyist.  My .02 cents from a lot of moolah spent.

 

John

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You want to see ridiculous price increases? Look at Super Bowl tickets!!!

 

https://www.thestreet.com/lifestyle/sports/history-of-super-bowl-ticket-prices
 

In 1967 a ticket was $12, inflation adjusted to $92 today. 

Tickets for SB 55 are currently trending at $12,336.... and that’s the AVERAGE price. 
 

From:  https://blog.ticketiq.com/blog/super-bowl-tickets-buying-guide-cheapest-to-vip

 

Quote

How Much Are Super Bowl 55 Tickets

  • The cheapest ticket is $5,936
  • The cheapest lower-level ticket is $8,536
  • The average ticket price for all tickets is $12,336
  • The most expensive single-ticket is $49,961 for a lower level seat near midfield. 
  • Currently there are just under 2,600 tickets available on the secondary market. 

 

 

Edited by habu2
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On 1/30/2021 at 4:40 AM, jimz66 said:

I got my start in this hobby as a youngster. For my seventh birthday, my father and now stepmother purchased a bunch of model kits for me. When I got started in the early eighties yes I realize that things we're very different then what they are today. Everywhere I look, I see and hear that our hobby is dying. Yet we continue to allow these manufacturers to charge exorbitant prices for model kits and everything else. I routinely see model kits on eBay that are well over $100 that shouldn't be over $50. I wonder if there's even a solution anymore. If this trend continues our hobby will most certainly die. Its incumbent upon us to do something about it. 

 

I will be posting this on other forums as well. Jim

Sorry Jim this is hobby is dying is rubbish 

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On 2/1/2021 at 11:42 AM, ARCAccount#1 said:

IMO it still is a deal hub, the deals are just overseas and from businesses. 

 

I'm able to get kits from China, and parts from Russia at an amazing price, all with the comfort that if it goes wrong, I've got paypal and eBay buyer protection to have my back. 

 

Brick & Mortar shops tend to screw me on price and selection, so I buy 100% of what I can online. That's what will keep this hobby alive - availability and convenience.

 

You're right. I just personally try not to buy from China direct. Yes I know this is futile. Yes I know I'm just paying a middleman. I try to keep my money in the states. If one doesn't mind what you explain above, then its indeed great

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I guess I see two things here. 

1) old kit with little or no new decals that gets a ridiculous price tag (ie. more than I paid xx years ago). I remember how much I paid for say an Italeri 1/48 Tomcat 13 or 18 years ago. I see how much I have to pay right now. What changed about the kit in 13 years? Nothing. Current boxing was first released in 2007. But since 2007 You have to buy twice as much. 18 years ago it was 1/3 the current price. Obviously I'm talking local prices in my neck of the woods. OTOH, I remember buying my very first 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18C some 20 years ago. I paid more for that one than for the last one I bought about a year ago. Same basic box.

 

2) new "state of the art" kits. Oh I don't remember when I had to save up to buy a model. Seriously. But the Tamiya Tomcat cost more than I allow myself to spend monthly. Three times that much. I remember thinking Hasegawa F/A-18E/F was a bit expensive when it was released. Then I made the argument that it was such a good kit - detail and so on and I bought the kit. Frankly, the Hasegawa Super Hornet prices did not increase that much over the years. Hell, there was a time not too long ago I could get one for like 60% current price. I never built my Tamiya Tomcat. It scares me a bit that I might screw it up. And I don't know if I could afford another one. I don't like saving for a kit. I like the detail of the Hasegawa Super Hornet. I like the level of detail of the Tamiya Tomcat better. Could it be 2x better - just like the price difference? It might be.

 

And there are of course old kits with new decals that get ridiculous price tag.

 

Could I compare Italeri Tomcat to Tamiya Tomcat? Yes I could. They do both look very Tomcatty to me. Level of detail is much better on the Tamiya one. I can't comment on accuracy of either but I suspect Tamiya got more stuff right than Italeri - I mean they gave You cockpit bulkhead. I could probably get 4,5 Italeri Tomcats for the price of 1 Tamiya Tomcat.

 

If I were to build one, I'd buy only Tamiya. If I were to build 5 I'd probably go for Italeri***

*** I hereby reserve the right to totally change this assesment for when i actually build my Tamiya Tomcat. Look out for my kidney on eBay.

 

What I mean is If I took this comparison as a Italeri vs Tamiya price I'd say the hobby got so much more expensive. I never bought Hasegawa Tomcat from a retailer so I can't really comment. But I guess the only difference is Hasegawa was always more pricy than Italeri. I'd say the best way to "check" is to compare the average salary to a price of one kit preferably that did not change anything about it (no new decals, updated parts and so on.)

 

Everytime I see a new kit I feel it's too expensive. But is it really? You usually get more stuff in a box - better detail, more options, better decals. Could You achieve this with aftermarket, some elbow grease and an old kit? I guess You might.

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1 hour ago, Thadeus said:

I remember how much I paid for say an Italeri 1/48 Tomcat 13 or 18 years ago. I see how much I have to pay right now. What changed about the kit in 13 years? Nothing.

Now, this I agree with. Old kits at today's new mold prices. Makes little sense when they offer little in improvement or additions. 

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^ Well, the only old thing about them is the mould. The kit still has to be produced at today's prices. The decals have to be printed at today's prices, the people operating the injection machines want to be paid in today's money, the boxes are printed with today's money, the warehouse people need today's money....

And they have to be sold to today's customers and their expectations of prices. It would probably be opening a huge can of worms to have an old Italeri Tomcat (in today's box) for half the price of a (hypothetical) new Italeri Super Hornet next to each other on the shelf. People wouldn't be happy about the cheap Tomcat, they'd baulk at the expensive Super Hornet.

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1 hour ago, ChernayaAkula said:

^ Well, the only old thing about them is the mould. The kit still has to be produced at today's prices. The decals have to be printed at today's prices, the people operating the injection machines want to be paid in today's money, the boxes are printed with today's money, the warehouse people need today's money....

And they have to be sold to today's customers and their expectations of prices. It would probably be opening a huge can of worms to have an old Italeri Tomcat (in today's box) for half the price of a (hypothetical) new Italeri Super Hornet next to each other on the shelf. People wouldn't be happy about the cheap Tomcat, they'd baulk at the expensive Super Hornet.

 

Basicly, the same box I got 13 years ago I can buy right now. So it did get more expensive as in its price has increased.  You're right - there are a lot of reasons to this. But then there's that Hasegawa Super Hornet I mentioned, and I can't say my observation is universal, as I just looked at my own back yard. But don't they have to print decals, get boxes and everything? And how about the R&D costs? How do they factor in the today price? I also often wondered how often, if at all, You have to get new steel moulds. That also obviously costs money. Plus there's also the competetiveness factor - how much do other kits cost, how much that affect the sales, where do You draw the line between profit from one kit vs. quantity of kits sold. Then there are deals, marketing, licences. Taxes, accountants and on top of that a manufacturer wants to make a profit - understandable. Plus the supply chain, again, profit. There are all good points that contribute to the kit price. I don't know how much my LHS is making on a single kit. But I know how much the retailer of some merchandise takes from the final price - from 50 to 80 % of the price. I highly doubt it's the case with model kits. But frankly, all that doesn't bother me. I weigh my monthly modelling allowance with what I want to buy, and consider all the factors relevant for a customer- such as decal options, quality of kit or even my skill levell and such. And I look at the price I'm charged. And yes, a part of me is always saying "that $%$! Italeri Tomcat was much cheaper a zillion years ago".

 

It might also be the case, the final price is totally different everywhere. Somebody is calculating how much the kit is approximately going to cost, and probably the manufacturer takes all the different things when he sets "his" price. Perhaps in some places You can get Italeri Tomcat for the price of Hasegawa Super Hornet. I'd love the other way around.

 

Please don't get me wrong, I generally don't mind the prices. I just saw an interesting topic and figured I might chime in. When I wrote this:

22 hours ago, Thadeus said:

old kit with little or no new decals that gets a ridiculous price tag (ie. more than I paid xx years ago)

I meant pretty much that. When the same kit I bought xx years ago cost more, by definition it's a ridiculous price tag. Ok, I get, "ridiculous" is a strong word, but it just accents what I wanted to say. I mean, it's a hobby. I will not drain out my budget to get kits. Captain Obvious here - If the price tag gets "too much for what I get" I will not buy it. But for an old kit i got at some point there is always this feeling I feel the old kits are where the cost increase is the most visible. A new kit will have crispier panel lines, more options and such. I dare not compare say Tamiya Tomcat panel lines to Italeri. They were tooled by a different standard.  But if I wanted a "Tomcat" on my shelf I would compare the two kits, and many more. And the price of the kit is always an important factor.

 

Does that mean Italeri Tomcats should not exist? There are better kits, and there are way better kits. Arguing like I do in my posts, I got two and plan on building them, as well as the Tamiya one, so that's a no. It's always good to have options. Especially if it's another Hornet kit. Or a Tomcat.

 

Plus there is also the case of people making more than they did 13 years ago, cost of living increase, the money being worth generally less and so on. I guess for most people - myself included - a "100" is still a "100" be it dollars, euro or zlotys. And I still remember how much I paid for my first Italeri Tomcat or Hasegawa Super Hornet and relation of that price to the "100".

 

I just got  Revell Super Hornet, for about the price I paid for one in 2006. But then it's not excactly the case as I bought totally different boxing (RoG vs Revell). But the price is the same = happy me. I'll probably change my mind when I start building it.  

 

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On 2/1/2021 at 11:47 AM, TaiidanTomcat said:

hobby lobby and a 40 off coupon has kept kits pretty accessible to the people who want to pay less, and it seems like Revell is more than happy to pop out cheaper, and older kits. 

 

Its not that bad overall, Ebay is just no longer the deal hub it was. 

 

 

Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon goes away this month. It will be no more unless they change their mind and bring it back. They say they will run more sales in place of it.

 

I also agree that ebay is not what it used to be.

 

Mike

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17 hours ago, David Fifer said:

I do too, and on occasion when I see them I dig out my copy of the kit and sell it on eBay for $100.

 

I've tried that a couple of times, only to have mine sell for a lot less! 😢

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Generally, I don't believe most modern tooled kits are overpriced.  I can remember getting my first Hasegawa 1/48 F-14A back around 1990 and it was in the $50 range.  That high cost was being driven by currency exchange rate and Marco Polo imports.  The Tamiya F-14A at $100 is within the range I would expect for a modern tooled kit.

 

However, there have been a few more recent releases that seem to be off scale high as far MSRP:

 

Hobbyboss 1/48 MV-22 - $240

Trumpy 1/35 MLRS - $140

Meng 1/12 GT40 - $450

 

I'm quoting approximate MSRP, actual price you can find would be 40% below these.  But even after 40% off, that GT40 price is just crazy.  This hobby must be growing at a rapid pace for Meng to ask for that kind of price.  It's also possible that licensing fees are getting steep for some subjects.   

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