Back when I was a kid I discovered the world of modeling from my older brother. Hed get some of the old Aurora models, bild them and thhen Id destroy them LOL.
I graduated up to the Revel, MPC, Monogram kits over the years Id forgotten the earlier models until a few months ago when I bought on up about 10 Lindbergh Line Kits from the local OLLIEs. I opened up a couple and where I was expecting models with the level of detail I got throwbacks to the 1950s. If you want to repeat your child hood these are the Kits you want. The lines are there but take the landing gear for example. You can put the gear down with the doors open but the gear bays are not there, just holes to glue them in. The other option is in the airborne one where the gear is left off. Skill level is at the #2 level Decals are a bit thick, and they are molded in white plastic. Cockpit detail is almost non existant-just a pilot figure and a rudementary seat thats all.
But for the price they are good for a short build. If you apply yourself and some paint they still turn out to be some good builds. Revell they aint but for the price they’re ok.
Don’t sell yourself short on Revell. They’ve been coming out with decent kits. I don’t stick with certain brands of kits. I have multiple brands in my stash - including Revell. It all depends on the subjects you’re looking to build.
But don’t knock them, my LHS gets them in and my guy there says he sells them all, mostly to 30 something dads and their young kids, so there is hope for the younger generation. I to have fond memories of building some of those as a kid, I want to get the U-2 they have and supe it up.
Revell has a variety of skill level kits. Don’t reject them just because they also sell novice kits. Their midget race car, the KK one, and the PT-17 Stearman kits are real gems, but I would not recommend them to beginners because of the large number of various dainty but detailed parts. And on some of their ship kits the number of parts is daunting. Whether the kits are simple or complicated, they were bargains. Hope they remain that way under new ownership.
With others, even Glencoe and Lindberg put out an occasional gem. The Lindberg '54 Ford and the Glencoe Curtiss Condor kits are really nice. Some flash, some misfit in spots, but nothing that an experienced modeler can’t handle.
One of my biggest pet peeves is returning hobbyists bash certain brand of kits - Revell especially. eye roll…
Here’s the thing, sure you’ve been away from the hobby for 5 years, 10, 20, or whatever. Keep in mind, kits have eveloved so much in terms of technology, new tooling, etc… Don’t sell yourself short assuming they’re no good.
Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t believe Capton Cole was knocking Revell.
When he said “Revell they ain’t but for the price there’re ok.” I believe he was saying the Lindberg Line Kits aren’t as nice as Revell but not bad for the price.
In regards to Revell (or Airfix or etc.)
Revell has for good reason or not, acquired a semi-bad reputation. I think it is a real shame when this same company puts genuine effort into improving their kits and those efforts are not recognized. I know they have good kits and I know how to find reviews and use Scalemates to find the good ones so they are a manufacturer I will not dismiss.
For all intents and purposes, Revell/USA ceased to exist when Odyssey Partners, who had acquired both Monogram and Revell in 1986 with the idea of merging the two companies, which they did. Revell’s operations were closed down and production was based on Monogram’s plant in Illinois. The Revell name was retained because of its international recognition (Graham), but new development under the Revell label was really Monogram in content, if not name.
Revell’s European offices (UK and Germany) emerged as Revell of Germany, a separate entity.
so if I understand you correctly you are think a kit amt releases now, that was tooled, say, in 1962, ans sold for a buck then should still be a buck? If that’s your thinking you are in another world. Cost are far more considerable now.
Exactly. For a better comparison between prices then and now, it’s also a good idea to take into account how long you worked for each dollar then and now, and how much the price of the item is, as a percentage of your income, then and now. How long did you have to work for that kit?
Sorry to not be clear. I have no doubt that Round2 needs to charge $ 25.00 for a car kit that originally cost $ 2.00.
But I wouldn’t pay $ 25.00 for most of those rereleases unless it is something I really need to have.
Two cases in point.
I bought the AMT Avanti from Round2. I really wanted an Avanti. The hood wouldn’t fit closed over the engine, the hoses didn’t connect to where they should, the bumpers had no pins and fell off. I’m not that bad a modeler, but it fought me every step of the way. But in the end I had an Avanti.
I bought two of the “Q ship” kits for $ 20.00 each in order to make something that looked like a real ship. The hull pieces were useful and everything else, everything, needed to be scratchbuilt. In the end I sent it to the SOD about 75% finished.
So I think if I’m going to pay 10 times as much as before, I would like to see SOME improvement. Not possible in an old kit repop? Well, once bitten- twice shy.
i would agree sir. But at least they aren’t like Hasegawa and charging $50-60 for curbside kits with barely any interior detail. The Hasegawa Subaru Legacy kit retails in that range and the interior is terrible.