how do you guys feel about those pre-built, pre-painted finished models that are being sold everywhere now? My fave hobby shop in Pennsylvania just gave a HUGE amount of shelf space over to them during the holidays at noticeable detriment to their actual stock of real models. I think they’re just toys and ought to be relegated to stores that deal with the like…I’m kinda wondering too if they’re not just a symptom of the short attention span of today’s generation? do you think they pose a danger to the future of armor modeling? I mean, with some of today’s releases getting waaaay past the beginner or even intermediate level for some, why wouldn’t a kid interested in armor today just go buy a cheap copy ? Do any guys out there actually own a collection of them? If so, what prompts you to buy them?
They’re here to stay more than likely. Like you said, today’s generation is lazy to a point and the lack of time that most people seem to have makes this an alternative to building it for themselves. Also, some might feel they don’t have the talent to do so. True that many of the newest releases are very detailed and are maybe even intimidating to the average builder. I won’t buy one, for as you said, they seem “toyish” to me and lack the personal touch of doing it myself. I mean how hard is it to plunk down your money, take the model home, and display it on the shelf? Repeat the process. Where’s the satisfaction?
Modeling to me is more involved than that. I enjoy the research. I look forward to the joy and frustration of putting my own camoflauge on. I look ever so forward to completing the build, even as I have so many other things to do. And the satisfaction of actually completing the build, well in these times, is priceless.
First, I must say I don’t care for them. However, I don’t see it as a threat to the model building world. It would be more of a symptom rather than the disease. My wife asked me why I don’t just buy a tank, thinking that I wanted a tank on my desk. She did not realize that I build models to build a model. People that want to build will build, and people that want to have will have. It’s more of a danger to the diecast replica industry. Yes, they do have a toyish feel. However, the figures may be desireable to those who are poorly skilled in that area. I am one of those, but I refuse to buy figures for dios because I will never be able to improve if I do that. The biggest problem I have is how all the prebuilt items show up first when I search a websites inventory.
I don’t think it’s fair to assign this to lazy kids with short attention spans. Believe it or not, kids are not as different as they have ever been. Building models can be extremely boring unless you are predisposed to it. Children are far more busy than in previous generations. Their lives are spread as thin as adults. There are too many activities they are involved in to spend hours and hours being bored. Not everyone enjoys doing the same things. Some kids like sports, some read, some build models…don’t try to blame video games for it either. I grew up with video games, I still have them, but I chooe to build models more than play games. I think the prebuilt jobs are more for people that want a tank on their desk at work, but can’t execute the task.
Isn’t this question the same with; why build your own PC, while you can just get one already made out from the shelf ?
However, I think pre-build models are good for a real beginner.
From there, hopefully they will gain some skills and buy the real thing.
Ben
Your local hobby shop is diversifying to meet demand. The fact is that the prebuilt stuff is not intended for model builders. They aren’t marketed to us – they are marketed to the guy who wants a Tiger tank on his shelf or the lady who wants to get an interesting birthday gift for her husband. My father in law has gotten me five of them although and some sit on various shelves in my office – I don’ t really care for them but I honor his thoughtfulness. He knows I like militaria and he occasionally buys them for himself.
The growth in them is probably spurred on by cheaper manufacturing costs (new technology, inexpensive labor). However, since it’s not my niche, they affect me as much as the latest 1/24 car releases – which is none whatsoever.
I wouldn’t be surprised if some people gravitate from getting a few diecast or prebuilt models to really speculating and commissioning guys on our side of the hobby to really build detailed models for them (and I don’t mean the vast majority of “probuilt” junk on eBay).
Not really, I’ve been mucking about with computers for almost 30 years and don’t consider “rolling” my own computer to be a hobby, in the sense that modeling is. Whether you buy or build a computer is up to the individual, it’s what you do with the computer after it’s on the desk that is what’s interesting. With models the research and assembly is the enjoyable part.
Pre-built models are similar to die-cast in that they are done out of the box. There is no skill involved in placing it on a shelf. Pre-painted models are good examples of beginner kits, in that they can be built by a child and look pretty good when done. At least the kid gets to learn how to remove parts from sprues, fit, sand and glue them together.
Some great points, guys; I’m feeling better already! I have to say that I agree with you on almost every point, especially that one about the joy being in building itself. Man am I glad I didn’t have to build this new computer; I’m having a hard enough time just getting from point A to B!
As Roy pointed out, they aren’t aimed at us, the group who get satisfaction and enjoyment out of building and painting, but rather at the collector/militaria type segment. I see it no differently than the Franklin Mint or any of those other similar organizations that produce die-cast replicas of vintage cars, planes, ships, etc. Hobby shop owners, the good business minded ones at least, will sell what is popular and diversify accordingly to stay in business so they can continue to serve the less popular areas. I’m not certain, but I bet they get a better margin over time on the pre-build/pre-painted stuff than they do on the unassembled kits.
Our hobby covers a very broad spectrum, both in terms of time periods/vehicles/genres and in interests and enthusiasts, and that’s a good thing. It means it’s alive and vibrant and if things like this allow the different manufacturers to continue to stay in business and provide to the different market niches, including ours, more power to them.
I really don’t like them although I do see many improvements in their quality. I often wonder nowadays how they keep the Dragon prebuilt aircraft prices so low.
I don’t see them as a threat to modeling, they’re simply made for a different market. The above examples are pretty much exactly who they are meant for… people with a basic interest in the topic who want an accessable representation of it, without too much headache or thought process needed. I actually have a few, from the Forces of Valor line in 1/72 that I thought were neat, and while I realize they aren’t as accurate or nicely detailed as say, a Dragon 1/72 kit, they have their uses. For my needs the FoV Tiger I, Normandy 1944 was perfect… I had just finished my DML 1/72 Maus and wanted something to put next to it in scale for reference… so I picked up a premade Tiger I in a late war camo. I immediately took it out of the box, disassembled it, and started detailing the paint job tho especially on the figiure and running gear and weathering. After about a week of work, I had a perfect scale reference for the DML Maus that had taken me well over a month. I definetaly wouldnt have bothered if I had to get another 1/72 kit, because the whole point of the endeavor was really to have a good Maus with a reference item, because I dont have space for the 1/35 right now.
The other areas that I think are actually pretty cool are the larger scale ones that are marketed as toys to go with different action figures… I’m seriously considering picking up one of the Tiger Is in 3 3/4" GI-Joe scale to repaint and have as a toy Tiger… obvisouly it wouldn;'t sit besides my real models, but it’d be more of a relaxed for fun item I could fool around with without any worry.
I do both, build models and collect die-cast. My preference for building is along the lines of military subjects with the occasional figure thrown in, while my diecast collection is all cars, but no junk here…only the good stuff from Team Calibre and Milestone. The 1/16 dragsters and funny cars from Milestone are really quite impressive. I guess my point is that they are separate entities and don’t generate any conflict of interests between one and the other, at least in my case.
And the professional model builder.
They serve a purpose though and considering what they are, not a bad little marketing item. Get enough of them and someone might say, “I’d like to try one myself…” Isn’t that how it usally starts. Soon they won’t be intersted in pre builts but hording their own kits to build themselves. Then they’ll start selling off familiy heirlooms to buy aftermarket, attending shows, magazine subscriptions, forum cruising, all to end in a blithering mess under their own work benches, covered in resin dust, bits of PE sticking to them, air brush hose wrapped around them, mumbling over and over to themselves “indy tracks, fruil tracks, mk’s indy, fruil, mk’s…” Then someone will have to do an intervention and get them into therapy, maybe collecting hummels or something.
Pre-Built…Where’s the fun in that?
Everyone has different tast!
Robert
Here is what I see is the good and the bad of this.1.These pre built are made mostly for the collectors in this world who use this as a buisness,airshows ect…This all got started with Nascar and at the racese,I know of people who don’t want the fuss of builting and want it done to put in there selfives.2.You have people in the militry who wants a eye catching thing of the desk.They like the plastic models but don’t have time to put together.Also pre built is more durible then the plastic and won’t brake from move to move.
Now the way I feel is that,whats the fun in this.To me there is none.You can’t create a piece of art with pre built.Also you can’t learn vurtuies that way,like patience,love of craftmanship and how life is.This is to say that each piece that you put together is liken to your life,you don’t see it till its done.In this repect I can see were we have become lazy in teaching a new genaration of modelers.Well thats my 2cents worth,Digger.