What does everyone look for in a model kit? What makes a model worth the $$$ to you?

[freakmech]

the Skyline hype?!? post was a great sucess, i learned alot, thank you.

Now for the bigger question.... What do you look for in a model kit? what do you require from a kit to make you fork over the money to buy it???
accuracy, detail, engine, tuner accessories? how does everyone decide which kit to buy next?

I will start.... With me its every time i see a car in real life that catches my eye I just have to find a model of it. It doesnt matter what kind of car it is either. just anything i hadnt seen yet. for example my mom got a brand new Echo... now i dont think the car is all that great looking but i hadnt seen it and promptly went and spent a month trying to locate a Vitz model which was the only alternative. its an obsession with cars in general i guess though ill buy any Ferrari kit and ive got most every type of Nissan as well. in fact the only Nissan im missing that i know is availiable is a Datsun Sunny1600 (if anybody has one please PM me!).
So what do you look for in a kit?

[Bloodhound]

if it's a hard to find kit, something I really like, or comes with some awesome spares like high rise manifolds or blowers/ ginat rear tyres. most of the time the cars I like don't come with these so it's a necessity to have them in stock.

[Ghost_9418]

If its cheap and a tamiya kit and under $30 Ill buy it. Or if its a cheap revell kit of a car i like ill get it.

[exhaust smoke]

What I look for in models? Hmmmmmm, let's see...

1) Almost anything 1/24th that is made by Tamiya. (I suppose that would probably be read as detail in the kit).

2) Subject, i.e, I love Mitsubishi Lancer's, so I'd like to collect & build models of each Evolution. Not doing to badly so far, have got Evo's 3-8. 1 & 2 are a little hard to find (if they exist at all!).

3) Anything driven by Michael Schumacher.

[Honoturtle]

First I go by the type of car I like ex. Trueno, Camaro, Mustang, Supra, etc. Then the price, if it's too expensive, that's a turn down. Manufacturer, I don't really care for even though Fujimi got me pissed recently, it's mainly about the car, I can deal with the kit problems later. I'll usually not spend more than $30 USD for just the kit, but their are exceptions .

[ozstrider]

I like something thats tuned and you could see it on the road, and possibly own it for real one. Like drifters. A drifter looks awesome as a model, and maybe one day if you like it enough, you could get one yourself.
And cars that have alot of potential. Like civics and supras.
Plus any japanese car.

[primera man]

Mainly buy because it is a kit that has caught my eye and makes me want to build it or i've seen one already done and want to build one

[hobbes874]

It has to be under $30 and made by Tamiya usually I always go for cars that I dream about ex: Skylines, Rx-7's, WRC etc.

[supratuner]

It has to be a car i like in the real world! thats pretty much it, if i really like it im willing to pay huge bucks for it. If i could find a Veilside SUprA C-1 in 1/24 that was plastic like all the other veilside models i would be willing to pay $100 usa for it. just to show an example or what id pay

[MR-2RaCeR]

Anything under $30 that i like.

[sugarcaddy]

good question---

I go by my gut feeling on a lot of my models. I like a challange, so some times I will get a simple kit to convert it into something more than it ever was intended for. Also I have a fondness for tuner type cars, so just about anything from this is an open door for me to build. And sometimes it just something that catches my eye and says hey this looks like it would be a cool model to build. I build more than just cars, so a tank, plane or boat model is right up my alley!!

Scott

[Chain]

Originally posted by freakmech
the Skyline post was a great sucess, i learned alot, thank you.
Now for the bigger question.... What do you look for in a model kit? what do you require from a kit to make you fork over the money to buy it???
accuracy, detail, engine, tuner accessories? how does everyone decide which kit to buy next?

Not necessarily in priority:
1)Has to be accuracy. Dont wanna waste my time re-adjusting. Too busy.
I rather spend the time improving or modifying according to reference pics of the real cars and if money permits, add in PE parts.
2)Has to be worth the $$. More parts, more detailed like an enzo or williams FW24.
3)Has to be a kit that is in a particular type like F1 which I favour now.
4)Engine details would be nice e.g: CLK-GTR, Toyota GT1TS020, CLK DTM...etc
5)Decaling details.
6)Challenging kits.

[Layla's Keeper]

Accuracy is a must to me no matter what the cost. I was upset with AMT because they put the wrong bumper in their 1966 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W30 kit and the bumper is a big part of the W30 package even though it's a really nice kit otherwise. Making it right should always be job one.

After that, fit and/or detail relative to cost is crucial. If I'm going to pay Tamiya costs, I DAMN WELL expect the kit to go together as well as a Tamiya. Or, for that matter, Fujimi Enthusiast series kit prices should equal Enthusiast Series detail.

Finally, subject matter is important, but not critical. There are many cars I love that there are kits of that I will not buy because they aren't worth the cost. If I hit the lotto, everything on my shelf would be Studio 27, Fisher Model Works and Pattern, Modelhaus, RMCoM, and Le Mans Miniatures. But, until that happens, I can't always justify $70 for a kit so it had better be one spectacular kit at that price for me to buy it.

[dag65]

Pure coool factor!!!!!!!!! If it makes me go HMMMMMM with thtat one I could......

[Ferrari TR]

Subject matter!

SAE mag. asked this question a few years back and the answer they got was PRICE!

I build everything from snap kits to EM/high-tech stuff and my choices are based on subject matter not price or parts count.
If I have a choice I seek the best kit of the subject, but there is just not a choice that often.

My last 2 models were built from snap/simple kits and my next few will be as well (in progress cars). From there I have a couple of Tamiya Ferrari F-50's that are to become full-tilt-boggie contest monsters(p-e, CF decals, plumbing and lots of scratch)!

"Whatever makes you happy!" Hobbies are susposed to be fun, after all!