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Hi Folks, I found out from a person who I have been buying kits from for a long time that the Sci Fi kits are going up in price 10 to 15 percent. I love the Star Trek kits but now I will buy them only as I need to. I wish it wasn't this way but money matters and I can't afford to throw big amounts of money around. Guy Schlicter.
Not just Sci-Fi, but all types of kits are going up. Price a Hasegawa kit lately, or Trumpeter or.....
Oil prices being the first thing you think of but also consider that modelling is fast becoming a niche hobby for a bunch of greying old guys. The less modelers to buy a kit then the less the manufacturers sell. The less they sell then the per unit prices go up. They must balance the books and they do it on the backs of those still in the hobby.
Also production cost keep going up and shipping costs and...... You get the picture.
I just spent $49.99 for the 1/72 scale Apollo 10 kit from Dragon. I did my research ahead of time and I am perfectly happy with the quality and fidelity of scale with this new kit.
It's 2012 folks, stuff costs money, look up the word hobby in any dictionary, in any good one, you will find that the word actually means 'expensive'. LOL
Sadly the hobby industry will soon be left to those of us who have deeper pockets, gone are the days of under $10.00 car kits and .35 cent paint.
I just spent $49.99 for the 1/72 scale Apollo 10 kit from Dragon. I did my research ahead of time and I am perfectly happy with the quality and fidelity of scale with this new kit.
It's 2012 folks, stuff costs money, look up the word hobby in any dictionary, in any good one, you will find that the word actually means 'expensive'. LOL
Sadly the hobby industry will soon be left to those of us who have deeper pockets, gone are the days of under $10.00 car kits and .35 cent paint.
I remember the days when car models cost only 1.99 - which was back in the late 60's. It's true, prices keep going up. If you want to stay in the hobby, you need to make the adjustment to keep up. Nothing is cheap anymore.
I just paid 50.00 for the large scale Moebius Flying Sub kit (which is a good price) - prior to buying the Moebius J2, I never imagined that I would ever pay more than 30 to 40.00 for a kit, but there you have it. Given the relative quality of contemporary model kits and the satisfaction from a good build, there are more expensive hobbies to be had.
prior to buying the Moebius J2, I never imagined that I would ever pay more than 30 to 40.00 for a kit
LOL, in 1993 I paid $80 ($450 in adjusted for today dollars) for a new-from-Japan Masudaya Robot kit- the highest price I ever paid for any hobby or kit related item ever. I saved for a month, and ate mac & cheese every night for dinner to do it. Back then I'd pay less for tires for my CAR!
I was totally happy when I opened it up, but never again would or will I be so crazy with my $$
When you make a commitment to this Hobby, it's all or nothing. Some consumers complain of the high prices and blame them on the manufactures,
but the blame falls squarely on the rising price of oil. Plastic is a petrolium product and as such kit prices are affected directly by its fluctuation. Kids and casual hobbiests are quickly being priced out of the hobby. So gentlemen if we want to keep our hobby alive and well, the responsibility rests with us.
I have been in this industry for 35 + years, I own a fortune in hand tools, supplies , paints, power tools and many specialized products. They didn't come over night . I am fully accustomed to spending a bare minimum of at least $50.00 for just about any kit I build these days.
Now here's the rub,...I have the great fortune of an understanding fiance, and a large budget for models and supplies, my kids are all grown, my ex-wives are in other states. I can more than afford $50.00 - $200.00 on my favorite kit, a few sets of golf a week, and I live comfortably with a semi-extravigant life style. I earned every penny of it and retired with a nice pension. To me this is the new 'Golden Age' of model building, I can build anything I want in just about any scale with the funds and resources to support my habit. I have a Ph.D in Engineering, so if I can't buy a kit of what I want, I have the skills to design and build what I want from scratch. I cast my own parts, own a milling machine and a lathe , and do the artwork and can print my own decals and have access to an Alps printer so I can print in white. The Middle East be damned , I will pay any price for my beloved hobby, how can I put a price on Relaxation?
