nx-o1troubles said:
Ok, but $100 is probably about the most I would ever spend on a kit alone. What if that $850 kit was damaged during shipping, or a piece broke during assembly? Im sorry, but why are decently priced Enterprise E kits of any kind so hard to find?
I'm sure if it was damaged during shipping, the part would be replaced. If you damage the part during construction you have the choice of either fixing it or buying a replacement part.
$850 for a kit of this size and beauty is more than a fair price considering the time and effort 1 person put in to designing, patterning and molding this. I would dare say you would be hard pressed to find as detailed a model outside of those who designed it for Paramount. It is my personal opinion that REL has surpassed even those who designed the E-E for the movies. This model is nothing less than stunning.
Finding a model kit in the price range you desire is possible. You can read previous threads on here about PL and RC2 and other model companies that will not produce models that they do not expect to sell less than a billion-gajillion pieces. They are in it for the almighty $$, not to satisfy the low volume needs of collectors and enthusiasts who congregate at boards like this. That is why we are dependant on the skills of others to make the kits, be they resin, fiberglass or whatever of the ships/subjects we desire because the ones who could mass produce them and make them affordable to most...won't.
You do realize the this E-E is 3 and 1/2 FEET long? You won't find many who would make a model that size. Barring the massed produced models, when you purchase a model crafted by an artisan with more care and patience than any large company would ever do, you pay for it. If I had the extra money, I would not hesitate to purchase one of these kits. As it is, I stand in envy of those who can, and I look at REL's images and am awed by what I see.
Barring the Enterprise A.. Enterprise E is the most beautiful Starfleet vessel I have ever laid eyes on, and REL's is the most impressive model I have seen of her so far.