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How much if at all does the box art influence you to purchase a particular kit ? When I started building models in the 60's the box did help me decide which kit to buy. I learned pretty quick that sometimes the box art has little to do with what the finished product would look like . I point to Palmer. They had some very cool looking boxes but the kit did not resemble even a little what was actually what the finished product looked like. Now I wait and read reviews here and in the magazines before I put down money on a "new" kit.

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If I had a choice of an original issue with the cool box art or a rerelease with a picture of the actual model on the box. I would go for the original even if it cost more. The box art means a lot to me as it brings back memories. A lot of box art back in the 70's especially on truck kits was more art than just a box to put a kit in. I love having all those great old boxes to look at!

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The Box Art doesn't influence me at all. I buy kits based on whether or not I like that particular car. While I do read the magazine kit reviews, they rarely if ever influence my kit buying.

Pretty much my answer as well, I also use http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/car/ to see what the kit contents are like, and see what I am getting

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When l was a kid the box art was everything and while in my 20's some art or picture would influenceme some. Now l knoe most of the relisted models and tend to buy what l like or want. lf i waited for some reviews l would be waiting a while. the reviews does not matter what kit l buy but l still read them for information...

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Even though i am 100% familiar with the contents, i do buy all my vintage kits with the box art in mind. I even buy all the reissues solely on the box art. Some kits i think the box art is worth more than the kit inside. Its really based on the kit. I have every issue of the 65 Chevelle wagon, but bought all of them, other than the original issue, soley on the box art.

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AMT's box art of the late '60s undoubtedly had an influence in my choosing one kit over another when I was young. The way the various options were depicted could inspire you to get creative with your own build. Later (early '80s?) photographic images (Brown '32(?) Ford, dark gold '57 Ford custom) actally negatively influenced my buying decisions.

The only time I really got burned was when I saw the Palmer '74 Thunderbird. The box art implied that it would have wide wheels & tires as well as engine upgrades. My normally non-assertive self stormed back to the store and told the owner that he needed to quit selling junk like that.

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A recent purchase on Ebay brought back a flood of positive memories from child hood. I scored a rebox of two Heller single seat Formula racers with awesome box art. As an early builder, I was heavily influenced by the box art of many kits. AMT's was some of the best, as was much of Tamiya's. Now, at 55 years of age, box art of current kits does not influence my purchases, though I still love the art of the older stuff. Nowadays, the box is merely a storage place for the parts.....

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I think most of us are too much of insiders for the box art to affect us! We know what's going on from the rumor stage of a new kit, so we know what we will and won't buy before it ever hits the market.

Box art is a big seller to the general public, those that see kits for the first time on the hobby shop shelf. We seldom see stuff we don't already know about. Remember the excitement as a kid when you went store to store to look at the model selection. You'd find new kits you never knew existed and that was very exciting. And there was box art that absolutely sold kits! For me it was the Revell '57 Nomad kit. That beach scene got me time and time again. I really wanted to have the car on the box top!

Mvc001s-vi.jpg

Here's the box. Note the Bob Paeth autograph in the sand!

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Hmmm...box "art" versus photos of the actual contents. I'll admit that in many cases box "art" can be eye catching and can cause one to stop and look at a model they might not have. However for me, I would much rather have photos (non re-touched) of the actual kit. I could care less if it's a professionally built box-top-model if it's done decent. Show me what i'm getting, not an artists conception of what it could be.

Agreed

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In my estimation, nearly all model kit box art -- especially the paintings -- is second-rate when it comes to technique. That covers everything that isn't a photo on page one of this thread. One of the very few pieces of excellent painting that I've seen is this one... I have this kit, and it's as excellent in its production as the taste of the manufacturer who okayed the box art.

I think most of the Revell of Germany art of the past few years has also been quite good.

Entex8452Mercer_zps2090a39b.jpg

Edited by sjordan2
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A M T's gorgeous art prints in 1969 were the all time high point in their history. Monogram had a few hits , so did Revell. A M T blew it period when they were held hostage by Racing Champions . I dunno how many times a box art model was depicted on a box , only to be something ENTIRELY different with in the box .

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