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  This may have been done/suggested previously. I saw again another(Older?) post of kits we'd like to see re- released. How about doing it the other way. Manufacturers could tell us what molds  they own/rent and give us the number of preorders or $ they need for a small run. We sign up to buy said  kits. Since all we can do is guess at whats out there, would it be a major corporate mistake to let their buyers know what they own and what it would take to put money in their pockets? There have been so many corporate buyouts and mergers, the manufacturers probably have an idea of what the competition owns. Why not us? We get what we want and the manufacturers aren't blowing money on a crapshoot that may or may not sell.Thoughts?

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Good luck getting a manufacturer to tell the world what they can/can't produce.  On top of that, they don't sell to us, they sell to the middle men and wholesalers.  If it doesn't knock their collective hat into the creek, they don't furnish the pre-orders necessary to get something produced.

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This and other somewhat related topics tend to come up as the seasons change. We all have a specific vehicle or two (or twenty!) that we feel would sell well and can't understand why the manufacturers don't/won't fix the molds or create new ones.

In one word......economics.

More detailed explanation- the cost associated with either re-issuing a kit or creating a new one are quite staggering and companies work within a budget and have to determine which ones will appease us and bring a financial return in order to keep the company running. I will leave it to the more informed members here to go into greater detail on the costs as there are many (some of which might not be apparent to us modelers) and it could be one or two that keep a kit from becoming a reality.

If it were as easy as ordering some styrene and pouring it in the molds, we would have more kits to choose from, I promise you that.

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  It seems like if the manufacturers had money or a percentage of a minimum run up front they wouldn't have to guess at the desirability/sales of a kit. I can understand the reluctance to design and create a new set of molds($$$$),  It's just frustrating and I wonder if the manufacturers actually read forums like this.

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Would love to get the 67' Ford Galaxie back if that tooling still exists...

Jeff

You have to remember that many times molds were altered to make the next year's kit.

In this case, my guess is that the '67 Ford molds were changed to make the '68, & then quite possibly again to make the '69 Galaxie.

Which would explain why the '67 & '68 have never been re-introduced while the '69 has, several times.

My guess is that you will never see the AMT '67 Galaxie re-popped in it's original form.

It will most likely require an entirely new tool.

 

Steve

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The stuff I want to see and build, and the stuff that would actually sell enough to kee pa company running are vastly different!

That's exactly right!   I hate those "if those model companies had half a brain..."  posts. 

Truth is, we've gotten a lot of interesting kits we never would have thought would be new tools from Revell and Moebius.  Who would've thought we'd get a new '66 Suburban or the Bronco?  So I never say never!

I think it's reasonable to think we will see a new tool 1967 Ford. It's on the most requested list.   So are the '68 and '69 Chevy.  Time will tell.

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I think there are a few glimmers of hope out there. Moebius seem to be introducing a lot of new kits that haven't been done before. And all three of Meng's auto series kits are unique, just wish they would release more than one a year!

We are seeing new Camaro and Mustang kits. And I think Tamiya is constantly introduceing new subject matter. So all is not completely lost.

But I don't think the companies could ever build as many kits as all of us want. Not if they wanted to remain profitable. 

 

Personally, I'd like modern pickups and SUVs, cars from the late 70s, and more modern sedans and wagons.

 

 

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Yes it would be nice if company's could get a better feel for what the modeling world wants. My "wish list" is just too long and too obscure to accommodate me.

( Although Round 2 is re-releasing some classic kit's I doubt we will see all the early 60's kits we miss.)

Company's also have to find the middle ground between beginners ( low cost / easy assembly ) and veteran builders ( Every detail / option / higher part's count. )

I would HAPPILY pay $ 40 to $50 to see Jo Han's Haulin Hearse...... but I would probably be the only one. So that  wont help a company's bottom line.

But since EVERYBODY want's a 69 Camero.... well...... that's what companies turn out. It's safe so they will make their investment back.

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My all time favorite kit was just re released, and I just bought 10, so I'm pretty happy. 

 

I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll probably never be happy.

There are about 100 full sized Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Dodges, Mercurys, etc, from the 50s alone that I'm sure will never be kitted.

I rejoiced when Moebius did the Hudson & Chrysler 300 kits!

I had hoped for more, but even Moebius has taken the predictable course & moved on to 60s racing subjects & pickups.

I sure wish that they would have taken the next obvious step with the 300 kits & given us some Desoto/New Yorker/Imperial variations, but it was not to be.

I guess that us "big 50s car" fanatics will just have to continue to be frustrated & learn to live with the occasional new '57 Chevy & Ford variations.

 

Steve

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I hear you Steve. 

I'm pretty happy, as I have a maniacal love for Fords. I guess the only other branded car from the decade I really love is the '57 Bel Air four door hardtop, that IMHO the Chevy is much inferior to the '57 Fairlane 500 Town Sedan. 

I would love to see a nice kit of a '51, '52, '54 and '55 Ford, and would be radiant with some AMT re release of their 1958 Ford, even tough the tooling is probably gone. 

That's about it for the 1950's on my book. I'm not bashing your choices, don't get me wrong, but I'm still pretty happy with what is available. 

I know you are into Mopars, but I'm not a fan. Also like Fords way more than their Mercury rich cousins.

Not into wagons, so I won't be buying the Revell Country Sedan, and also, they didn't fix the proportions problems that were carried over from the Custom Tudor. 

The AMT 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Victoria is my all time favorite kit. I just got 10 of those, and will have a ton of fun building them, and even converting at least one to a Town Sedan. 

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  It seems like if the manufacturers had money or a percentage of a minimum run up front they wouldn't have to guess at the desirability/sales of a kit. I can understand the reluctance to design and create a new set of molds($$$$),  It's just frustrating and I wonder if the manufacturers actually read forums like this.

In some cases, manufacturers float news of possible new kits in order to get a sense of how the kit is received. They look at what the pre-orders are from the distributors and retailers and from there they decide what gets released. These pre-orders can be viewed as how soon they will cover their investment. Creating a whole new kit can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars so they have to look at many angles before deciding what to offer.

I know that Dave Metzner from Moebius and Ed Sexton from Revell (and possibly other employees from those companies) visit this forum and listen to our chatter. Ed will attend various shows displaying upcoming releases and asking attendees to write down their wish list for future review. 

Another example of the manufacturers reading this forum (and others) is how kits that had flaws got fixed either before their first run or in the following one. While not all flaws are caught and fixed, us modelers tend to be a critical bunch and our comments don't go unnoticed.

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I hear you Steve. 

I'm pretty happy, as I have a maniacal love for Fords. I guess the only other branded car from the decade I really love is the '57 Bel Air four door hardtop, that IMHO the Chevy is much inferior to the '57 Fairlane 500 Town Sedan. 

I would love to see a nice kit of a '51, '52, '54 and '55 Ford, and would be radiant with some AMT re release of their 1958 Ford, even tough the tooling is probably gone. 

That's about it for the 1950's on my book. I'm not bashing your choices, don't get me wrong, but I'm still pretty happy with what is available. 

I know you are into Mopars, but I'm not a fan. Also like Fords way more than their Mercury rich cousins.

Not into wagons, so I won't be buying the Revell Country Sedan, and also, they didn't fix the proportions problems that were carried over from the Custom Tudor. 

The AMT 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Victoria is my all time favorite kit. I just got 10 of those, and will have a ton of fun building them, and even converting at least one to a Town Sedan. 

But who wouldn't love to see a few of these?

 

Steve

 

7eb425d5cc3124aac6789e10d775bb94.jpg125211_Front_3-4_Web.jpgJM20094.jpg1955-Plymouth-6.jpg1953+Cadillac+Coupe+DeVille-07.jpg

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I could give them a huge list of stuff that would sell well.....but....???

Mark, you , me maybe Bill are the few Stock builders here . The plastic manufacturers seem to have a mindset that we really need more 57 Chevrolets, Rail dragsters and Camaro street rods .I'm tired of asking for a re issue of a 1963 Ford F-100 , or a 1966 Bonniville cause I know it will fall on deaf ears ... 

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Mark, you , me maybe Bill are the few Stock builders here . The plastic manufacturers seem to have a mindset that we really need more 57 Chevrolets, Rail dragsters and Camaro street rods .I'm tired of asking for a re issue of a 1963 Ford F-100 , or a 1966 Bonniville cause I know it will fall on deaf ears ... 

I to like building Factory stock looking car's And would love to see the 66-70 Bonneville's return along with the 68 & 69 Chevy Impala's

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For starters, there is but one model kit mfr in the US who has had control of all their existing tooling since day one, and that would be Revell (yes I know that some Revell tooling was lost to them out in Venice CA years ago, only to be found by other model kit vendors).    AMT and MPC tooling both have been through multiple ownership over the past 40 yrs or so, with several moves of that tooling happening.  With AMT, that was a "fire sale" thing, after ttwo bankruptcies--AMT Corporation, and then Lesney-AMT:  Those lead to hasty gathering of molds and inserts in a matter of mere months--there is but one man today who might know what insert goes with what tool, and that would be John O'Neil, and he's at least 80 yrs old, if not older.  

With that in mind, consider the problem:  You've got a warehouse of model kit tooling, most of which is in large solid steel blocks--weighing a few hundred lbs apiece.  Open one up, only to find inserts  missing.  Where the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks are those inserts.  More searching!   Then, since model kit tooling is almost always cut in steel--what is the condition?  Were those tools properly preserved with Cosmoline, or were they left to rust (surface rust is death to an injection molding tool cut in steel).  Now, estimate the cost of restoring such tooling as can be restored to the level we modelers demand.

Most of you who read this, being not ever associated in any way with the model kit industry, tend to assume that all that is necessary is to find he tooling, load it up into the mold press--and PRESTO!  Your favorite "unobtainium" kit is now in mass production!   (Would God it were that easy!)

Art

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7eb425d5cc3124aac6789e10d775bb94.jpg

I wouldn't give up all hope on this one Steve! If anyone would produce this Olds, my money would be on Moebius. It's got several things going for it, hardtop/sedan, Convertible, short wheelbase 88, or long wheelbase 98 (this one pictured I think is a 98) and even Richard Petty raced one back in '57.

Time will tell! ;)

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I wouldn't give up all hope on this one Steve! If anyone would produce this Olds, my money would be on Moebius. It's got several things going for it, hardtop/sedan, Convertible, short wheelbase 88, or long wheelbase 98 (this one pictured I think is a 98) and even Richard Petty raced one back in '57.

Time will tell! ;)

Well, we can sure hope, can't we Bill. :)

 

Steve

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For starters, there is but one model kit mfr in the US who has had control of all their existing tooling since day one, and that would be Revell (yes I know that some Revell tooling was lost to them out in Venice CA years ago, only to be found by other model kit vendors).    AMT and MPC tooling both have been through multiple ownership over the past 40 yrs or so, with several moves of that tooling happening.  With AMT, that was a "fire sale" thing, after ttwo bankruptcies--AMT Corporation, and then Lesney-AMT:  Those lead to hasty gathering of molds and inserts in a matter of mere months--there is but one man today who might know what insert goes with what tool, and that would be John O'Neil, and he's at least 80 yrs old, if not older.  

With that in mind, consider the problem:  You've got a warehouse of model kit tooling, most of which is in large solid steel blocks--weighing a few hundred lbs apiece.  Open one up, only to find inserts  missing.  Where the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks are those inserts.  More searching!   Then, since model kit tooling is almost always cut in steel--what is the condition?  Were those tools properly preserved with Cosmoline, or were they left to rust (surface rust is death to an injection molding tool cut in steel).  Now, estimate the cost of restoring such tooling as can be restored to the level we modelers demand.

Most of you who read this, being not ever associated in any way with the model kit industry, tend to assume that all that is necessary is to find he tooling, load it up into the mold press--and PRESTO!  Your favorite "unobtainium" kit is now in mass production!   (Would God it were that easy!)

Art

Art , I understand the injection process as I studied the art of this years ago . The thing that I failed at was Calculus and a couple other required courses that AMT would have required . That never deterred me . I studied Fiberglass AND several other molding processes , including design . I'm simply posting this to remind ya that I am one who has at least done her homework .....

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