FSM Most Wanted Results

[Gundamhead]

FSM printed the results of the Most Wanted Kit poll, and I was kinda disapointed. There were many in the list scheduled to come out soonish, and to me that seems like a waste of the list. There were a few that seemed too odd to make for a company to make money from. I'm kinda bothered by the trend to giant kits. I go to many shows, and there aren't that many giant kits competing which tends to mean they are hangar queens (stuck in the closet stash). So just because it's big doesn't mean it will sell well, or that you'll ever see one finished outside a magazine. I'm of mind that models are meant to built.

Although, they did have a cry for a new 1/48 B-17. The Monogram kit is a great old kit, but it needs an update with a bomb bay and more detail.

But no new 1/48 B-24? The sci-fi list lacked imagination too. Shame that. The ships seemed like a nice cry out for 350, but given the price of the average 350 ship lately, I couldn't afford them anyway.

So here's my informal poll... What is the one kit and what scale you want to see released in plastic that would do well for a company.


For me, It would be a 1/48 Emily

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Thing is, companies don't care if you build it, as long as you are buying it, and people are obviously buying them, or they wouldn't be pumping so many out.

I would love to have alot of the Trumpeter 1/32 jets coming out....but no where to put the larger aircraft I already have (once they are built), never mind anymore.

Thing is also, you will never see Trumpeter do a one off 1/32 aircraft kit.....by that I mean one version. They engineer it so the main mold will hold well for multiple versions of the kit, just adding or subtracting parts as needed.

Good example is their 1/32 Mig 23...the original molds will field 7 different versions of the aircraft...4 Mig 23s, and 3 Mig 27s. Even their F-14 molds are going to give them 3-4 versions.

 

[Dano1945]

1/32 A-6E Intruder
1/48 HH-3 Super Jolly
1/48 A3D Skywarrior
1/48 Space Shuttle
1/144 Space Station, Final Config
1/35 M109 Paladin, early
1/48 NASA Lifting Bodies
1/48 PB4Y-2 Privateer
1/35 M117 Howitzer
1/48 M117 Howitzer
1/48 RA-5C Vigilante
1/35 M65 - 280mm Atomic Annie

Oh you said one kit. Sorry got carried away. ;D

 

[Ferris928]

Thing is, companies don't care if you build it, as long as you are buying it, and people are obviously buying them, or they wouldn't be pumping so many out.

That would explain Mono-Revell. They have so many cool subjects, but their molds are decrepit (at least the ones I care about). I know it costs a good sum to develop new molds and to do the research, but come on! Don’t get me wrong, I’ll keep buying them; however it’s like Nintendo releasing the original Nintendo Entertainment system now with everything in HD. Maybe they should take a page from Dragon, they’ve updated their kits (at least their armor kits) many times in the last few years.

Sry for the rant.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Yeah but notice what Dragon is selling................WWII German Armor, which is arguably the largest marked in the modeling world. Sort of a "build it and they will come" attitude, which is true.

Revell USA, yeah, they recycle alot of their molds. Out of say 6-7 new releases a month, usually only 1 of them is a completely new release, the others are rehashed with a few new parts and new decals.

Good example, the August releases, you have the 1/48 A-4 (re-release, new markings), 1/24 Kurtis Kraft Racer (straight re-release, but hasn't been available for many years), 1/25 '68 Dodge Dart Hemi (re-release of the Mr. Norm's Dart, with added racing parts), 1/25 '48 Ford Woody (Straight re-release, but hasn't been available for some time), 1/25 Tom McEwen Mongoose Duster Funny Car (Straight re-release, hasn't been available for I would say 20+ years), 1/25 Beatnik Bandit by Ed Roth (same....straight re-release, but hasn't been available for many, many years), 1/25 2009/10 Corvette ZR-1 (the only all new release this month).


That being said....Revell is not alone, at least they are changing it up some, with new parts/markings etc, in most of their kits, while still the same kits, the molds have been cleaned up some. Tamiya on the other hand, just keep pumping out stuff from 30+ yr old molds, with very few all new kits....I could probably count on one hand how many all new kits that have come out this year, 2 armor, 2 cars, and maybe one bike, but then again, the plastic side of Tamiya is just an after thought anyway, as it is the RC side that is their bread and butter.

Hasegawa, ditto, lots of re-releases, but very little in the way of actual new kits.

Dragon, Trumpeter and Hobby Boss, as well as AFV Club, Miniart, Masterbox, Kinetic etc, are leading the way, giving the consumer the new kits. Mind you, they usually never do a one off mold of anything, so they can get the most mileage out of them.

Good example, the new Trumpeter BMP 3 Early. It comes with all the parts to make the BMP 3 Late, if you know what they are, as the instructions don't tell you. So in another 4 months or so, they will release the Late BMP 3, which will be the exact same kit, just different instructions, box art and decals.

 

[Gundamhead]

"You keep ona saying that. I doona think it means what you think it means." -Inigio Montoya

C'mon you're the big cheese who gets to make the call, the weight of a successful model to fund your company for the next 20 years lies on your decision. What kit and scale do you make? There's been great success and not so great choices. Do you play it safe with a new 1/35 Tiger or do you risk a bit and do something never done that might be a huge success, like a 1/48 Emily (My choice). 8) Do you do something you love, or hope to do something others love? Do you price it for the hardcore or the average guy?

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

One kit?

1/35 Tiger or Panther, hands down, that is if you are looking for sales.

Once you have a 1/2 dozen or so good sellers bringing in money on a regular basis, then you can go and do something wacky. Putting that first one out there, without a small stable to bring in the cash, will either make you or brake you depending on the subject. While a 1/48 Emily might be your cup of tea....chances are it isn't going to be a huge seller. Would be an OK kit to do once you have some established kits that do sell.

If I had to pick six kits to put out to be major sellers so that I could do something like a 1/48 Emily

1/48 F-14
1/35 Tiger I Early
1/35 Panther whatever
1/48 Spitfire Mk.IX
1/25 '67 Corvette
1/32 X-Wing Fighter

These would all of course be better detailed and easier assembly that what is currently out there.