You know, I finally got my hands on some Accurate Miniature kits. I was astonished by the amount of detail in the kit. I have three of the B-25C/D’s and I cannot fathom why they went out of buisness. It is really ashamed. Any thoughts on weather or not these wonderful kits might resurface someday, with another Accurate run or the manufacturer selling the molds?
Outstanding kits!!!
I agree with you. I have the B-25, TBM-3 and SBD-5. All three are great kits. The TBM is half done and it’s incredible, buy it if you see one. I haven’t started the others yet. You know how that goes.
Darren
Wonderfully produced, by modelers for modelers, but no head for business, and a perfectionism that made them late to market with many kits. The lack of a skilled executive who could “make the numbers” had a lot to do with the demise of Accurate. Also the fact that they chose to go up against Tamiya and Hasegawa with a better product at a higher cost hurt them. I had high hopes that they would stay around and continue to produce their marvelous kits, but the mold recyclers and kit repackagers are still around because they know their market and can profit from the fact that old molds were paid off years ago. To give them their due, the Japanese, European and North American companies have greatly improved the quality of their new releases, and they are cautiously issuing new kits, but the innovation baton has pretty well passed to the Eastern European and Chinese makers.
I have it on good authority from a friend in the hobby industry that part on the AM line will be resurfacing, but the basic plan is to have each kit sold with all the options, rather than market different variations on the same kit. That is what caused AM to go out of business in the first place. Italaeri will be proding some of the kits since they have purchased some of the molds. AM will bring back others, and also release new kits. Can’t wait to see them!
I read somewhere on the web that the molds were purchased. I’m sure they’ll be back again but under a different name.
Italeri has the TBF-1C and the IL-2M3 in there catalog for 2003.
Did any one out there know that AM had a 1/24 scale NASCAR Taraus underway??? I did!!! It was on their website shortly before their passing. I sent an email to the folks at AM and was told they would be producing it at “full” price but another company would be producing a lesser cost ( Less detailed???) version of the same kit.
Interesting eh??