Plastic Models - Who still builds them? (1 Viewer)

[Bleu Raeder]

Oh man, that brings back memories! Makes me think of this one also….

They re-popped this kit recently and I picked one up!

 

[Bleu Raeder]

This appears to be a complete list of the Tom Daniel's model kits -

Tom's 75+ kits with Monogram

www.tomdaniel.com

 

[HoustonSaint68]

This appears to be a complete list of the Tom Daniel's model kits -

Tom's 75+ kits with Monogram

www.tomdaniel.com

Wow, talk about a blast from the past!

 

[HoustonSaint68]

This appears to be a complete list of the Tom Daniel's model kits -

Tom's 75+ kits with Monogram

www.tomdaniel.com

Wow, talk about a blast from the past!

 

[SoggyBottomBoy]

If you ever played with Hot Wheels or are a fan of Tom Daniels, you'll recognize this car immediately -

IPMS/USA Kit Review: Revell 1/24 Tom Daniel's Red Baron

ipmsusa.org

I was gifted a couple of these kits and plan to build them soon - right after I learn how to paint candy apple red with modeling acrylics.

I bought this 25th anniversary set at a Toys•R•Us 30 (yikes!) years ago. My wife couldn't understand why a grown man (in his early 30s) would buy that.

The plastic, clam-shell packaging is severely yellowed so I had to do a little back lighting to get the cars to show up.

Red Baron and Beatnik Bandit were my favorites. But for racing down the loop del loop, bridge jump, basic track the Splittin' Image was hard to beat because it was one of the heaviest cars. Gravity wins over style.

 

[HoustonSaint68]

My wife couldn't understand why a grown man (in his early 30s) would buy that.

I’m not sure my wife understands my childlike hobbies, but I make sure she understands the difference in price between those hobbies and, say, how much a boat costs, or a single round of golf. She’s quite happy with my having the hobbies of a 12 year old.

 

[Bleu Raeder]

I’m not sure my wife understands my childlike hobbies, but I make sure she understands the difference in price between those hobbies and, say, how much a boat costs, or a single round of golf. She’s quite happy with my having the hobbies of a 12 year old.

Model building has gotten pretty expensive, or it can be. Still better than hangin out at a bar or the golf course.

 

[Bleu Raeder]

Wow, talk about a blast from the past!

Oh yeah. There seemed to be a whole fascination with skeletons in car model kits back then. Including the Boot Hill Express....

 

[HoustonSaint68]

Model building has gotten pretty expensive, or it can be. Still better than hangin out at a bar or the golf course.

I skew toward figurine painting which is pretty cheap, even with a mid-level printer, and online D&D with my sons. But a while back I looked at a wood model kit for HMS Victory and the price tag blew me away.

 

[Bleu Raeder]

I skew toward figurine painting which is pretty cheap, even with a mid-level printer, and online D&D with my sons. But a while back I looked at a wood model kit for HMS Victory and the price tag blew me away.

Yeah, wooden ship kits can be outrageous.

Sci-fi model kits suffer the same fate as they don't have the broad appeal model planes and cars enjoy. Some of it is a supply/demand thing. The technology for creating model kits has come a long way (look especially at how BanDai can put multiple plastic colors on one sprue) and the detail for newer stuff is off the charts compared to what we had available as kids. Most of the Star Wars kits from Ban Dai are in the $30 - $40 range (https://starshipmodeler.biz/1-12-star-wars-the-mandalorian-beskar-armor for example). Compare that to spending $10 - $12 for a huge aircraft carrier or 1/8 super sized kit of some car back in the day. 1:48 aircraft are popular and the kits can get really expensive (like https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/148-aircraft/grumman-f-14d-tomcat/none/). There are kits with much lower prices, but these are, based on a couple of recent shows, quite popular even at the $130+ price range.

Of course, you get what you pay for - at least to a degree. Over the past couple of years Wal-Mart has brought back model kits on a limited basis (like displays at Christmas) and the kits range from $20 up to $40. Some of the kits are what I think of as the old Lindbergh style kits - cool subjects but require a lot of work to make them look good. But they have had some of the Round 2 Star Trek kits which are good quality kits for the price they WM was asking.

Model railroading was always sort of expensive, but now it is a bit crazy.

It is no wonder to me that figure painting has become so popular. First, a ton of stuff is available because gaming has become so popular. Second, the ability to get an inexpensive (under $200) 3D printer has opened up a world of possibilities for gamers - everything from terrain to figures is printable and adds to the experience.

The most expensive kit I have ever purchased was the BanDai Perfect Grade Millennium Falcon. At 1:72 it is a huge kit. I ordered mine in the first wave (2017). I have a plan for when I build it (think coffee table) and I will get around to it at some point. I also have a 1:35 Jupiter II (also huge), but it was not nearly as expensive.

I do have a couple of kits in my stash that have appreciated quite a bit. For example, I purchased a 1:24 Phantom Huey (I had built one as a kid) many years ago with the thought of building it again (now that my skills are better). It has been resting comfortably in my stash for a long, long, time and I see the kit on EBay from time to time (usually not in the shape mine is) that sell for over $400. I have seen the kit sell for $600+.

So - all of that to say hobbies can be expensive no matter what they are. If you get the kind of joy or contribution to my mental health that I get from building kits and such, then they are worth every nickel. (See this wife's take on the subject, which MBR often quotes to others - http://www.starshipmodeler.com/perspective.htm)

 

[Bleu Raeder]

I bought this 25th anniversary set at a Toys•R•Us 30 (yikes!) years ago. My wife couldn't understand why a grown man (in his early 30s) would buy that.

The plastic, clam-shell packaging is severely yellowed so I had to do a little back lighting to get the cars to show up.

Red Baron and Beatnik Bandit were my favorites. But for racing down the loop del loop, bridge jump, basic track the Splittin' Image was hard to beat because it was one of the heaviest cars. Gravity wins over style.

Twin Mill and Splittin' Image were always my favorites.