Recently, I was perusing my local Hobby Lobby and looking at the Revell & Monogram kits, as well as some MPC automotive kits. To my surprise, every last one of them (all three brands just mentioned) had “Made In China” on the boxes! When did this happen? I always thought these brands were good ol’ American-made plastic.
Depending on which Revell kit it was, i would have suspected some of them would be made in Germany, and i believe they are. Your post got me curious so i just checked an Airfix kit i got a few months back, the only kit i got to hand. Says made in India on that one.
Nah, these are the what-I-thought-were-made-in-America Revell kits, not Revell Of Germany. Heck, even the licensed kits (licensed by Boeing, Ferrari, etc.) are made in China. I could hardly believe my eyes on this. I could almost understand this if the prices went down, but they haven’t. Makes you wonder how long before the Tamiya and Hasegawa kits are made in China…
Checked some of my Revell kits and found that they are all printed in Germany but made in other countries Poland, Korea.
The Korean Company is called Ace Model they make oem for Revell at least the 1/72 armor kits that I’m aware of . I have yet to discover who the Polish company is.
I recall Revell/Monogram being bought out years ago.
I noticed that the IL-2 Sturmovik from Tamiya is made in Japan but the Hyakushiki Air Defense Fighter is made in the P.I. …go figure. And yes, I wish more were made in this country!
Before coming to FSM, I covered the trade side of the hobby industry, so it’s sometimes a little surprising to me that this is new information.
The Revell (America) tooling has been in China for many years now. The company is based in Illinois and is owned by Hobbico, the same company that owns Great Planes and Tower Hobby. However, the actual manufacturing has been done in China probably since the late-90s (perhaps earlier).
Last year, Hobbico also bought Revell of Germany. Both companies, though subsidiaries of Hobbico, operate as separate entities, and thus have different manufacturing and distribution networks.
MPC is licensed to Round 2, along with Polar Lights, AMT, and a host of other brands. It, too, manufactures its kits in China.
Airfix is a British company, so it isn’t a surprise that it is making kits in India, though it has used factories in Europe and China, too. Of course, Tamiya and Hasegawa are Japanese; Tamiya has plants in Japan and the Philippines.
I can’t think of a domestically owned (American) plastic model company that isn’t making kits in China. However, this may change. There is some talk of on-shoring. However, it’s a very sticky subject and I wouldn’t expect it to happen any time soon. The truth is China became the world’s factory floor, and what keeps manufacturing there, still, is cost. Producing model kits in America is still more expensive than doing it in China, even after adding shipping. However, this is changing as China’s middle class grows and wages rise. When it will balance and tip the other direction still remains to be seen. If oil prices continue to go up, it may be sooner than later.
Also, be aware that American laws have no weight in China. Getting a company’s tooling out of China can be almost impossible even when threatening a law suit. Model railroad companies are having a hard time with this very issue. Plus, there is rampant piracy, which is plaguing many aspects of the hobby industry. It’s a complicated world …
… and it’s a complicated subject with a lot of different factors and players. I’ve given a view from orbit in a hurried typing session between putting my son to bed and watching “Skyfall.”
Tim
There seems to be some shifting of manufacturing places lately, though. Revell’s recent repop of the F-5E is printed in China, but the plastic is molded in Poland, and packaged in the USA, so says the side of the box.
Not sure why you would think the prices would go down if they are made in China. I take it you haven’t bought a Dragon kit. [:)]. All i can say is imagine how much higher they would be if they were not made over there. I can’t imagine Tamiya or Hasegawa moving production to China though.
Tim, are Airfix still classed as a British company. I thought they were now owned by the French.
I just happen to be building a 1970’s boxing of their 72nd F-86. I have the box in front of me and it actually says Made in England on it. Now they were the days, when we actually made things. I reckon the box would be worth a bit just for having those words on it.
Hey Bish, Hornby International, based out of England, owns Airfix and Humbrol. We communicate with both operations in the U.S. and England. Heller has had no stake in Airfix since the mid-2000s after some very messy financial goings on.
Please keep it civil in here. I’ve been careful to try to report facts without making any judgments about jobs or economics or business decisions (except for piracy; I hates me some pirates!). These are touchy subjects for many people. If you feel that you can’t respond to a message without it being personal or are taking something personally, best not to respond. I don’t have anyone in particular in mind; just a reminder that sometimes things can get hot. I want to avoid that.
Well, I’m off for whiskey and beer–and that has nothing to do with it being St. Paddy’s day. Just my usual Sunday routine. Be safe today, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
That will teach me for not keeping up with the times. I don’t really follow these things closely. I know there was some link between Airfix and Heller after seeing Airfix figure sets in Heller boxing. I think i was under the impression that Hornby was French based. But of course i am going off what i recall from a few years back.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Last Revell kit I recall with a made in USA printed on the box was the re-issued Monogram Do-335.
Unfortunately, I no longer have the box but believe I bought the re-issue ( with bulged tires) 5 years ago.
And isn’t “Skyfall” a great movie!? Parts of it were made in China, too, I think.
I’ve got a few pairs of Levi’s jeans that have Made in USA on the label. I am definitely going to save these.
Collector’s items!
IIRC, Tamiya has a branch in Hong Kong.
From Bish:
{Not sure why you would think the prices would go down if they are made in China. I take it you haven’t bought a Dragon kit. . All i can say is imagine how much higher they would be if they were not made over there.}
The very fact that they’re being made in China because of lower producton costs would seem to me a very good reason for lower prices wherever the kits are being sold.
Unfortunately, I have all of my modeling stuff (kits and otherwise) boxed up right now (we’re moving from Georgia to North Carolina this coming Wednesday 20 March 2013), or I would take a look at some of the Revell & Monogram kits that I have to see what they have printed on the sides of their boxes. I just don;t remember seeing “Made In China” on any of them, not that I was particularly looking for that when I bought them. The last time I bought a Revell and/or Monogram kit was, gosh, maybe 6 - 7 years ago, and who knows how long it had been sitting on the store shelf before I bought it.
Thanks to all for the responses so far - I like hearing everyones’ opinions on this subject.
Tim,
Thanks a bunch for this brief, well-informed synopsis. I hadn’t realized just how much the modeling industry has changed as far as ownership of the manufacturers and locations of manufacturing facilites. Regardless of whom they’re made by, I’ll still be building them.
I wonder if Hans Von Hammer knows about this?? [:D]
So the models of such hi-tech planes (F-35, F-22, drones, black X-planes, etc) are being made in China? Isn’t that kind of bad? I can’t help but wonder how one country can produce such high tech weapons of war only to turn around and give scale models to a country that is friendly towards other less-than-stable countries (eg. North Korea, Iran, et al).
Eric
I’m not sure you can get any more information from a model than a set of photos. The secret stuff I’d think is more on the inside.
And even more in the inside of the inside.