letting the hobby die

[drnitrus]

I found this on another site and thought I would pass it on. Check it out.
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/model1/

[speedphreak]

I don't ever see this happening. Me personally, I enjoy both die-cast and Model kits (plastic). While die-cast cars are very cool, especially when you get up to the BBR's and CMC and the like...its great to see so much detail and such. BUT, the plastic car kits...this is WAY more of an art than ANY die-cast model car out there. Thats why I continue to build model cars, for the art and pure personal pleasure and full-fillment(sp)

-Chris

And yes, I am guilty of owning die-casts. lol
BBR Enzo
CMC Mercedes McLaren SLR (Maroon)
Hot Wheels ELITE Ferrari F-40
and some more.....

But, plastic kits, especially AOSHIMA and TAMIYA will always be my most favorite!

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

For everyone's information, that petition has been around for a very long time, and if they've only got 2225 signatures I don't think people are all that concerned over the Chicken Little scenario painted by the ones starting it all. The hobby is evolving, people are still building, plastic kits are still being introduced, yada yada. As long as people are building plastic kits, someone will make them. Maybe not in the vast numbers as in years past, but they'll still be around. And a lot of what the now-old petition asks for is precisely what is happening in the marketplace.

Regardless of the fact that they've usually got decades or more worth of plastic stashed in their collections to build in the future, the old guard think that everyone should be forced to build plastic kits, that it's "good for the hobby" ignoring the fact that many people who bought them in the past were never going to enjoy nor get good at building them and are more than satisfied buying diecast models. The market satisfies that demand, and I don't like that people feel that their ideal of the hobby (plastic, and plastic only) should be forced down everyone else's throats.

Personally I like the fact that building plastic kits is becoming a more "exclusive" club where the reward to us is our models are something truly unique. Those who still build plastic are the true core of the hobby and that core shouldn't be artificially subsidized by companies selling plastic to non-believers just to keep plastic kits as a cheap commodity to the remaining builders. In other words, the companies are going where the money is...either selling diecast, selling plastic to the core group, or a bit of both. They're not in business to lose money. If they did we'd have no new plastic.

[Technoman]

I agree with ZoomZoomMX-5 entirely..

[winstona]

We know full well that this hobby will never be like the old days again. As long as they are still producing kits, I am happy about it. As ZoomZoomMX-5 mentioned, I think the kits I have in my closet will be good enough for me to survive for another 5 years. Even if no new kits are made, I will still be enjoying this hobby (as long as I can buy paints...).

I just can't imagine the iPod/PSP/XBOX generation of kids will enjoy this hobby as much as us old folks.

Winston

[toyota00]

[quote=
I just can't imagine the iPod/PSP/XBOX generation of kids will enjoy this hobby as much as us old folks.

Winston[/QUOTE]


Not true. I am 16 and I tried playing the PS2 yesturday, it didn't really work. I enjoy this hobby way more, and iPod? That is portable music bro....

[freakmech]

well i think this hobby will suffer if Revell and AMT dont start producing more kits that appeal to younger builders. Im 31 and i could care less about 99% of there releases but if i was starting the hobby today, i probably wouldnt shell out $30+ for a Tamiya or Fujimi kit that was more appealling. This is the only problem i see, that the people making the decisions are the 45+ year old guys that are content with another 50' something Ford release. But there will always be resin kits for me if something drastic should happen. In fact i hope to be producing my own resin kits shortly and 30 years from now. so with that said, i feel Die-cast hurt the production of plastic kits but these days i find way more interesting subjects in resin, the down side being cost of coarse.

[RallyRaider]

Bah. Plastic kits have already killed this hobby. Only models worth a damn are those whittled out of soap.

[hirofkd]

I remember reading a similar argument more than a decade ago in either Car Modeler or Scale Auto Enthusiast. (LOL)

Since then, I've seen tons of new kits that no one would be able to keep up.

Is car model business really dead? The same Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Hobby Town USA, that I started shopping more than a decade ago when I first came to the US, still carry the same amount of (or even more) car models today. And the shelves don't seem to be taken over by imported kits either.
Are hobby stores closing one after another in your neighborhood?

During the last decade alone, not only the Japanese companies, but also R/M and Amt/Ertl produced a number of brand-new kits, didn't they?

So, that are those petitioners talking about?

[freakmech]

Originally Posted by RallyRaider

Bah. Plastic kits have already killed this hobby. Only models worth a damn are those whittled out of soap.

Silly Aussie

[MPWR]

I have a hard time taking this idea seriously. I don't know which is sillier- that the hobby is dying, or that it can be saved with a petition.

Yes, some manufacturers are producing fewer new kits. So what? There are still alot of kits being made. I don't think I could find a hobby shop anywhere in my area that doesn't have a car section. At my LHS, the car section is as big as the aircraft section- and it's at least as healthy.

Incedently, diecasts are getting alot of fire lately for the appearent decline in new car kits. Sure, some companies are having to split development budgets between plastic and diecasts, but I'm not entirely convinced they're all evil. Every kid that buys a diecast is a car enthusiast- one who likes the idea of having a car replica to put on a shelf and look at. Kind of like all of us. And that kid also knows that model car kits exist, too. Buying a diecast is alot easier than buying your first model kit and wondering if you'll be able to do anything with it. But just because a kid may buy a diecast one day doesn't mean he doesn't think of moving on to plastic, too. Sure some won't, but others will- and that's future market for our hobby. Think of diecasts as a gateway drug.

[fwdfreak]

Originally Posted by MPWR

Think of diecasts as a gateway drug.

tottaly agree with this
Well I myself don't see a problem with this hobby, its not dead but a signature won't hurt anyone.

[Khier]

The strange is they are ready to invest in license fees, royalities and tooling for new models in any scale and material except 1/24-25 plastic. Compare for example what Revell of Germany has been developing in 1/18 metal and 1/32 plastics. Both 1/32 or 1/24 injection dies cost a lot of money. Dies used for casting metal are also expensive. Development of either types involve comparable labor and material costs. So why die cast? Why 1/32??

[2.2 Straight six]

Originally Posted by winstona

I just can't imagine the iPod/PSP/XBOX generation of kids will enjoy this hobby as much as us old folks.

i don't agree with that, at least no so much. im 17 and i've been building for about 5 years, considering the money i spend on kits i dont think i'll ever give up the hobby.

[drunken monkey]

the simple way of seeing if scale plastic model kits is dying out is too look at whether current cars are being made in kit form. The time when we stop seeing curent cars being made is when we should start to worry.