Greg Myers Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=98372 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deathgoblin Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Man, I want one of the Heller Delahaye kits, especially the coupe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niteowl7710 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Thanks Howard....some great pictures therein.... I just don't get it. I say we are well into an upward curve leading us to the Third Great Golden Age of Model Car Building....and a stroll through this IPMS Germany website posting would certainly seem to reinforce that. Yet there is a view by some who are very important to our hobby that the model car hobby itself is on a downward death spiral...a philosophy that would justifiably lead to a lack of interest, little or no investment if you offer products or services to this hobby segment, and/or riding your existing business model at it sits, until it no longer supports itself. I just don't understand... Tens of Millions of Baby Boomers (who almost all built model car kits as kids) now entering a period of life when they'll have more time than at any point since adulthood for leisure time pursuits. A smaller, but significant portion of the next three cohort groups that have enjoyed model car building since their teens and still do....and a new generation (the grandchildren of todays adult model car builders) who are increasingly fascinated by the hobbies and interests of their grand parents....including cars....and model cars. Not to mention a period of investment by various business organizations in newly tooled model car kits, and an unprecedented level of restoring and revising older kits, that we haven't seen since the late 1990's. Somebody is missing the boat here. Big Time. Maybe it's me....but I think otherwise. All you have to do is....look at this IPMS Germany post. All-new 300SL with all the chassis tubing and a clear belly pan so you can see it when it's assembled? Porsche 918 in two versions? Even though it's not my scale, a 1/16th VW Microbus??? Round 2 reissuing AMT kits that haven't been down the production line in well over 40 years? Upcoming and aggressive kitmakers like Aoshima, Moebius, ITC, Meng? Man, that sure doesn't sound to me like a hobby that is on a slow death spiral! End of rant. Now...man it's going to be a long year waiting for some of these great new kits!!!! TIM I agree that if certain people can be brought on board the "Future is Bright as the Sun!" bus we will indeed enter a genuine honest Golden Age in the Hobby. I'd debate the exact number involved, as the "2nd Age" in the 90s almost looks like a bubble in retrospect, and the "1st Age" was the origin of the hobby. Not to sound disrespectful of the folks here who were around for it, but I'm not sure you can dub the creation of something as it's original Golden Age. That's like claiming the 1st Golden Age of Automobile was the Stanley Steamer and Model T when everyone (something like 300+ automakers at one point) was making something that had 4 wheels and that new fangled internal combustion engine, as opposed to the ACTUAL Golden Age of the Post WWII to Gas Crisis years (IMHO). But semantics aside there was an article with the RevellAG people at Nuremburg and they said that RevellAG saw a 13% growth in sales in 2014, after a 6% growth in 2013. Even after taking a disastrously high write-down liquidating a bunch of Star Wars kits nobody wanted (huh who would have figured) they still saw a nearly 3% growth in plastic model sales if split off from the rest of their business. 3% might not sound like much, but it's not a loss, and it's certainly more growth than say the ACTUAL economy of pretty much ANY European country had in 2014. I hazard to say most businesses would like to see a 3% gain in the past 5-7 years, or any of us would take that pay raise at work as well. They also saw an increase in export sales to the U.S. and Asia, and the Hobbico ownership will certainly do nothing but increase their visibility in this country. Heller has bold new ownership who clearly isn't afraid to fund new projects, EBBRO has made an obvious and major investment in diversification out of simply a diecast company, and Aoshima continues to push aggressive growth at home and abroad. Time will tell what Meng and ICM do within the 1/24 model realm as Meng didn't go to Germany, and ICM had no new 1/24 kits on display (in their defense the Model T kits are brand new and their focus). The one key to sustainability this time around I believe will be THIS very media form. Not forums per say, but the entirety of the internet. No longer will Heller be just "that French company", or Aoshima be another small manufacturer in Japan. They have a global platform, global sales reach, and a global audience, with the recent retirement of one of the key "from the beginning" employees at Aoshima they've also gotten leaner, tougher and younger. Bold plans put in place by bold teams of people 50 & Under, who seem to be real "car guys". How well that enthusiasm translates into products only time will tell, but they certainly aren't listening to the Hobby Chicken Littles... Everyone is always ready to roll out the desert tray of reasons why things can't be done. I say that the 2015 Nuremberg Toy Fair was a giant fat warning shot over they bow of that attitude by people willing to not only show the reason why things CAN be done, but are willing to do them. Even within the U.S. Moebius seems to be small and agile, with the presence of mind to realize a visible representative to their customers is needed. Even if their customers sometimes aren't exactly tactful with their criticism, they are willing to take it under advisement and improve their products. Round2 has figured out their niche, and is going to milk that til the cows come home. Someone go phone Illinois, if we can get the dinosaur (or perhaps giant elephant) back into fighting shape, maybe this hobby has a chance to prove the naysayers completely wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atmobil Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Well spoken words there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Well stated, James...this is a great era for modeling... Lots of interesting new stuff has come out in recent years, and lots more in the pipeline it looks like... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 James...while I may respectfully disagree with you on the definition and applicability of the words "Golden Age", I really appreciate the facts/ detail and strongly support the sentiments you expressed in the remainder of your post. Best Regards and thanks again for that...TIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niteowl7710 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 James...while I may respectfully disagree with you on the definition and applicability of the words "Golden Age", I really appreciate the facts/ detail and strongly support the sentiments you expressed in the remainder of your post. Best Regards and thanks again for that...TIM My dubiousness over the 60s (and to an extent the 15 year period between 1988-2003) being a golden age is how much of this hobby at it's infancy was paid for by the various 1:1 auto manufacturers paying the freight with all of the promotional models? If the annuals didn't ever exist, is the hobby as a whole robust enough heading into the gas crisis (and subsequent down turn of Detroit) during the mid/late 70s until people figured out engines could have HP again? Look at what happened to JoHan when the promo orders dried up. The merger of AMT/MPC/Ertl and Revell making their "landmark" kits (like the '69 Camaro) also coincided with all the folks from the 60s reentering the hobby and having my generation. We were introduced to the hobby by a group of very enthusiastic returning builders who were also getting into things we consider run of the mill in 2015. Resin, Photoetch, aftermarket decals, etc. But when we all drifted away to college combined with the effective end of the entire promo business, a crutch that when removed effectively hobbled AMT until Round2 came along (IMHO), it sent the hobby into a dark period. It's that time I will truly credit the older generation for keeping things going. In 2015 Gen X/Y is back from collegiate journey into the wilderness, the explosive technological revolution in both the internet & kit manufacturing, and now we've got the kids this time around (mine are 12, 3 1/2 and about to turn 2) and they are a fortunate bunch. They will have TWO generations of builders to guide them! The hobby has a solid 15 year period ahead of it where there will be THREE generations of builders operating at once. It's the opportunity of a lifetime for everyone involved, we must do the best we can not to squander it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 (edited) Spot on James This is a great time to be in the hobby, and you can see just how globally the hobby has changed, I think it is a exciting time right now. Edited February 1, 2015 by martinfan5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim boyd Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 (edited) James thanks for taking time to further explain your view of the Golden Age. Here's mine....I would characterize the First Golden Age of modeling as the period between 1959 and 1966 when model car building was on a huge growth curve, followed to a lesser extent by the period of the late 1960's, and to a lesser extent yet, the early 1970's. The ability to spinoff model car kits from promotional models during this period was a major factor, but in reading, talking to people in the industry back then, and personal observation, annual kits were but a part of the overall growth. AMT's Trophy Series kits (the first '32 Roadster, the AlaKart, the '57 Bel Air) sold in numbers that dwarfed the annual kits. Likewise the Roth series and racing kits from Revell...the Big T, Big Deuce and the like from Monogram, and later in the decade, the Monkeemobile and Tom Daniels kits, if the experts back then that I've talked to have recalled the situation correctly. Annuals were a factor, no doubt, but the hobby would have prospered (to a lesser extent) without them. . The First Golden Age of the hobby initially faded a bit with the advent of Slot Cars in the mid 1960's, and then moreso as the 1.1 scale automotive world lost its way (and not just with the OEM offerings, either) starting around 1971-72. For AMT, at least, the growth of their Semi-Tractor/Trailer product line was a Godsend, helping them to re-establish some financial health and momentum (info gleaned in part from reading their Quarterly Financial reports back then), but that too petered out by the mid 1970's. Product quality took a big step backwards,,,,we lost the two magazines covering the hobby (Car Model and Model Car Science), and by the late 1970's Revell was making due with toylike kits like the Charlies Angels Van and John Travolta Firebird. It was topped off with the liquidation of the 11 years of the MPC Model Car Championship, which had served as the underground of the then-developing adult model car hobby, after the 1979 contest season. To me (and many others I've talked with over the years), these were the dark ages. The Second Golden Age (as I think of defining it) started in the early 1980's when Scale Auto Enthusiast became successful, and with three...no make that four landmark product introductions. Each of these signaled that the model car manufacturers had finally decided that their futures lied with products targeted at the adult model car builder. This was huge, because back then, most people didn't believe there was any sort of sizable adult model car audience to speak of. Those kits were the Monogram NASCAR series, the Monogram Pro Stock series, the Fujimi Enthusiast Series, and the AMT-Ertl 1966 Nova kit. From that point on we enjoyed a glory-filled fifteen year run as many who built model kits as children and teens returned to the hobby as adults once their education, personal and family lives had settled down. The second golden age was capped off with a run of terrific AMT-Ertl kits in the late 1990's, some equally good from Revell, and even Lindberg, not to mention the continued growth of a viable and vibrant model car aftermarket. And finally, the advent of model car contests managed by model car builders, and the NNL Phenomenon of non-competitive model car meets, were huge factors as well. With the benefit off hindsight, the second golden age of model cars came to an end with the rise of affordable 1/18th scale diecasts, a viable option for hobbyists as they again became busy with their personal and family lives and had less time for modeling. RC's purchase and the subsequent mismanagement of the AMT/Ertl brand was a huge negative factor, only reversed with the Round 2 developments of recent years. The decision of WalMart to drop model cars was also a huge factor - though one I would argue was essential to set the stage for the Third Golden Age of Modeling, when the kit manufacturers would again target the serious adult hobbyist rather than the big box chains determing where the model companies spent their development budgets. . The Third Golden Age showed the first signs of emerging toward the end of the last decade, when Revell decided to start targeting the really hard-core modeling audience with kits like the Black Widow, Chopped Merc, Chopped '48 Ford, and so forth. Round 2's role has been huge. Likewise, the popularity of message boards like this one has been huge. Of equal importance, both the major model magazines kept at it, and helped to stoke the fires during the dark ages of the ealry 2000's. and hopefully now that the Third Golden Age is harkening. We've already agreed above on the generational forces feeding this wave, and that the latest wave of kit introductions globally and new or revitalized model car kit makers is critically helping to build the pace. And that brings us back to the purpose of this thread, to gloat over all the cool styrene at the IPMS Germany website. At this point i want to acknowledge that my view on this topic is hopelessly North American market oriented. While I had extensive global responsibilities (and global travel) in my full time career in the auto industry, regretably I never had the time during all of that to explore our hobby in other continents, so that is a factor that others may wish to weigh in on. Obvious from all of this is that I consider Golden Ages to be based far more on the enthusiasm of those in the hobby than the pure numbers of hobbyists and the sales of kits. We'll never return to the numbers of people or sales in the 1960's First Golden Age, nor even the Second Golden Age. But for those of us still involved, and those we can entice to revisit the hobby, plus the fresh new blood as cited in Jame's post above....I do believe we are on the cusp of a true Third Golden Age of Modeling. One more point before I sign off. I know that many who frequent this board, and the other boards out there, do not buy the model car magazines. History will show that the role of model car magazines has been, and will remain a huge factor in the success of our hobby. I would really, really encourage those of you out there who can afford it, to subscribe to Model Cars, as well as the other mainstream model car magazine. It's nothing less than an investment in the continued health and growth of this hobby we love. OK...who else has a thought on the Golden Age(s) of Modeling? I'd love to hear them as well.... Cheers to us...TIM Edited February 1, 2015 by tim boyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Morgan Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Man, Dig that tractor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisBcritter Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Any guesses as to what the blades in the middle and bottom are? They're not on Flex-I-File's website. (Sure hope the middle one is a micro saw.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lysleder Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Man, I want one of the Heller Delahaye kits, especially the coupe. http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/HE80707 They retail for about $26 in britain, and another $17 or so for shipping.. Reputable vendor too. This one focus on aircraft stuff but apparently they carry some Heller cars. I bought my ICM Admiral from them, they're good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickRollerLT1 Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 That blade in the middle would be mighty painful if it fell deep into your leg or foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Irwin Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I'm another one who will be converting that Ferguson into a ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 France seems like a "grow" market for model kits..... http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2015/Artikel_PR/Revell_Wirtschaftsmeldung_2014.html Model kits are released, people buy them and thus the market grows. Now there is a business concept I'd never have figured out myself in a week of Sundays. Someone should tell the model kit industry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbowser Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Any update on this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Any update on this one? X2!! i'd like to know about this one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 The tractor is pictured on the Heller site, but can't be ordered yet, so its release is in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niteowl7710 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 1st Quarter 2016 was the latest update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Chernecki Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Until the Heller kit is released, I can play around with mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Until the Heller kit is released, I can play around with mine Nice weathering on that one...very realistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khier Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 We need a trailer for this tractor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Chernecki Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Nice weathering on that one...very realistic. Thanks!! You don't want to know how many Tamiya weathering kits I had to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Janssens Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 That Heller tractor opens up a whole lot of diorama possibilities, old car/truck with tractor in a derelict shed.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 One could try to replicate one of the ones used in the 1955-58 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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