I have two 1/32 kits left in stash, I am leaving the industry. Way over priced. 1/72 kits cost as much 1/48 kits 5 years ago and so forth, your pricing yourselves out. There are plenty of aircraft to model in 1/32 scale, but they will cost an arm and one leg.
It’s called inflation. You may have noticed that the price of everything has gone up, not just plastic kits.
Yup. Inflation which leads to higher costs for everybody, including the people making, packing, and shipping the model kits from the various factories. In most areas, the quality and detail available in model kits are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were years ago. If someone wants more money for producing better products than they once did, I have no problem with that.
Sorry that you have to give up the hobby that you love,sometimes decisions have to be made about how we spend our incomes all the time.I don’t Golf anymore,the fees and time investment become too much.
Unless your totally put off,there are still some cheaper options like model show vendors,flea markets garage sales.Still some cheaper Revell and Monogram options still out there.
Hopefully you can work something out to keep building.
I’m not really prolific,and I still have 40 kit stash so I’ll ride it out,maybe buy a new release here a day there.
And you can find deals on ebay, etsy, bonanza and mercari. Just picked up a minimally started 1/32 Revell BF-109F for $15.00 on ebay
As inflation increases, usually wages increase as well. Granted, back in the early 1960s, I could by Airfix HO scale tank kits for 39 cents and Aurora 1/48 tanks for 98 cents. Pyro ship models of 1/1200 ships sold between 39 cents and 50 cents per kit. I remember two sets of 1/1200 Renwal ships with six kits in the box at 1.00, and Revell ships sold for 2.00 dollars on average. Houses cost upwards of the high 20,000 dollars and cars for 1,500 dollars. Wages were perhaps 8,000 to 20,000 dollars per year. Please note that the kits were not very detailed or molded.
Today, with inflation seemingly hitting the market kits are more expensive while incomes are much higher, cars and houses cost a great deal more now. But, we have far, far more kits and manufacturers from which to choose, the variety is exceptional, and the detail is great. I’ll take today’s situation in the model industry over what I had back then any day!
Bill
I used to pay very little for a series 1 Airfix kit in the 60s, too. Nowadays they run from about £6 - £13 (roughly $7.50 - $18). The cheaper ones are usually the self-same kits that you and I bought back then! But Airfix prices have recently increased a lot. When the 1/35 Cromwell tanks were released last year, they were priced at about £27. They are now £34 - about a 25% increase. The 1/48 sea Fury was £25 last year, now also £34 - up by about 38 per cent. The new-tool 1/48 Avro Anson, due for release this year, will be priced at £47, and the new 1/48 Buccaneer will be £72. Of course, some retailers sell them more cheaply than Airfix’ own prices, but that’s up to them (more power to them, I say!)
Other makers’ kits have also risen in price - that’s the way of the world, and any pastime that involves buying something is subject to it.
I now only buy kits when its something I really want, and it’s a good price.
If you belong to a model club ask the guys what they are selling. I pick up gems all the time for a bargain.
It’s not an airport, no need to announce your departure…
Just keep your eye open on model sites and eBay for deals.
There are always kits that go for a steal on sites like those. Sometimes there are second hand sellers who don’t know what they have or list it improperly (like not knowing if the kit is complete and saying they don’t think so). Other times it is widows (or their children) trying to liquidate dad’s extensive stash and they don’t care how much it goes for, they just want it gone.
I actually got a couple of kits from an estate sale my oldest step son had been at. He grabbed a couple of model kits for a few dollars. Both were worth a decent amount of money because of age and collectability.
And I’ve found some steals at Goodwill for a couple bucks.
When you look at, and think about the price of car’s, housing, etc., the price of kits is inline or below par, as far as % goes.
Add in the finer details and better molding, they can still be a bargain. Quite a few kits include a fret of PE, that can run from $10 and up, not including postage or other shipping charges.
Yeah not a total fire sale, but still good value for what you get.
You should try watch collecting or guns.
I just got back into the hobby and have been enjoying its low cost of entry and participation. No joke.
The thing is, once inflation goes down if it ever does, the prices of things remain the same. I’ve seen it with the cost of groceries. They claim the cost of food increases because of fuel increases. But, when fuel prices go down, the cost for groceries remains the same.
Lots can be said on this topic. For the working middle class, Inflation normally exceeds ones salary. So every year we struggle to do more with less. While we have seen great advances in modeling qauality over the years, we 've also seen the cost of living drive up saiaries which then drive up the cost of products.
While Monogram Madness brought up another hobby comparison, guns or watches; I once collected both. Just as a comparison, I bought a P08 German Mauser factory black widow luger in VGC for under $500 (many years ago). I sold it around 10 years ago for $1,600 and now they are over 6K. That hobby was left by the wayside.
Another hobby that was once attainable has also zoomed out of control is the 1:18 diecast collectibles. Many true “collectible” cars in scale that once sold for $50-100.00 are now going for $250-400 when you locate them. You guessed it, I stopped collecting them too.
My first house cost only $49K in the early 80’s but has recently sold for 169K. Now that my children are gone (all except Jarrod), I was looking at getting back into a hot rod, muscle car or nice sporty car. Yup, you guessed it, the prices have gone way beyone my means or willingness to pay for them as well.
So I’m with most of you, I’ve chosen to limit my enjoyment to family activities and scale model building (also a little music composition, motorcycling, and shooting as time and budget allows).
I’m fortunate to have a larger model stash containing a little of every modeling subject. Now I complain of the costs for paints, after-market items, and whatever else. Perhaps that is the nature of it all.
I’m sorry to hear about anyone having to leave the modeling hobby over costs, but as previously explained, I totally understand it. I hope situations and incomes might improve to allow all of us with the modeling bug to stay active in our hobby.
DRUMS01 / Ben
Yeah, I can get killer cost from my local club and Vendors at shows.
I also have over 100 kits in the stash so I trained for this [;)]
I agree, it does stink, but it is what is unfortunately. It all really depends on the subject as well. Even some of the old Monogram stuff is going for what I think is crazy amounts. It’s either you are willing to pay for it, or not I guess. I’m not, so I’ll just work on what I have and keep an eye for a resonably priced kit.
Plastic is made from oil,need i say more?
Production quality overall has improved over the years, flash and injector pin marks are by and large a thing of the past. Upgrading the molds takes capital, and the company isn’t operating as a charity. Coupled that with the increasing cost of transportation/logistics, it all gets baked into the final price for the consumer.
My knowledge of 1/32 aircraft kits is almost nonexistent, but as others have said there are plenty of sources for cheap kits, if you really want to find them.
Take a look at the 1/24 A/C kits… I gave $160 for the Airfix F6F.
1/32’s are bargain basement priced, compared to that.
I agree. I’m lucky to have held onto a small stash I accumulated when I was younger. While I didn’t build much during college, grad school, getting married, and professional life, I still bought an occasional kit. Now, I try to only buy kits if they are on special or if I have a gift card or something. It would be tough to justify paying today’s full prices with the family budget.