Revell 2019

[hpiguy]

4 hours ago, Vince Nemanic said:

So VW expects a model manufacturer to invest over a half million dollars before the kit is licensed? In other words, I'm not holding my breath for any new VW models.

Don't let the speculation by peeps get you upset.  Don't put too much faith into guesses and the maybe-so stuff.  The same type of rumor or tall tales that tell us molds are 'lost forever' and the kit reappears a year later.  It's just spit balling and guesses as to why something is late or held up in most cases here.

VW is NOT the reason the Bandito is held up in licensing for now.  

 

Edited September 27, 2019 by hpiguy

[Dave Van]

Licensing procedure can run from super easy to the most costly and difficult part of making something. 

When we had a company in Charlotte that made NASCAR related items MOST of our time was spent on licensing. 

Some were simple hand shake, other were just a PAIN!!! I've done it in the plastic kit biz too.......the stories I could tell.

Personalities come into much of it...and who and what you know. 

Goodyear started out easy. A product sample and $25 a year with signed release.  Then someone at Goodyear decided they could make Harley Davidson money off licensing. That's when Goodyear came off all Revel Monogram kits....they wanted $$$ for EACH item manufactured.  

[niteowl7710]

Vince I said they require final product approval, they have several checkpoints along the way including an initial approval process. So no you wouldn't go blindly into the night investing in a tool that would ultimately be instantly turned down, but VAG (the parent company that owns VW, Audi, Lamborghini, et al) is very serious about protecting it's image. 

Also while that might not be what's holding up one or both of the VW kits being talked about here, it's not guessing or "maybe-so stuff" it comes directly from talking to the folks at Belkits & Beemax who happen to be the last two companies to work on all new tool VAG subject matter.

Anyone who remembers the Galaxie Limited '47 Chevy Coupe release will also remember that kit was tangled up with GM licensing for an extended period of time in a debate over the box art in regards to the clothing the young lady washing the car was wearing in terms of whether it was too revealing.

1:1 Manufacturers always have last right of refusal on the finished product.

[Luc Janssens]

On 9/27/2019 at 10:55 PM, niteowl7710 said:

Vince I said they require final product approval, they have several checkpoints along the way including an initial approval process. So no you wouldn't go blindly into the night investing in a tool that would ultimately be instantly turned down, but VAG (the parent company that owns VW, Audi, Lamborghini, et al) is very serious about protecting it's image. 

Also while that might not be what's holding up one or both of the VW kits being talked about here, it's not guessing or "maybe-so stuff" it comes directly from talking to the folks at Belkits & Beemax who happen to be the last two companies to work on all new tool VAG subject matter.

Anyone who remembers the Galaxie Limited '47 Chevy Coupe release will also remember that kit was tangled up with GM licensing for an extended period of time in a debate over the box art in regards to the clothing the young lady washing the car was wearing in terms of whether it was too revealing.

1:1 Manufacturers always have last right of refusal on the finished product.

Heard that "Mini" is also a though one.

[Force]

The car and car parts companies are becoming more and more greedy and want more money for stuff that really doesn't matter...haven't they understood the value of free advertising, they are getting their name and product out for nothing and at least I have learned of many companies and products through modeling.
Of course the car manufacturers have to have the last say on a model kit as it's a model of their product and should be a satisfactory replica, but when it comes to money some of them are out of this world when it comes to licensing, Good Year, Harley Davidson and Caterpillar are some companies in the top end of licensing fees and are so protective of their brand that it almost becomes ridiculous.
In my opinion the licensing fees should be in proportion to the earnings the product are predicted to give...yes you don't know that before it's released but of course the model manufacturers have an estimate when they develop a new kit and wount do it if they don't believe it will give something back...and if it gives more...fine, just pay a little more then.

And if a kit has Good Year or whatever name on the tires it doesn't matter much as I don't think that will increase sales with many %.
Of course it would be nice to have the correct tire brand on for example a racing car but the main thing is that the kit has tires.

The "Mini" is a BMW brand and I don't know how they are when it comes to licensing.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Force

[Richard Bartrop]

It's their intellectual property, and they can charge what they want, but that still doesn't mean it doesn't stink.

[gasman]

Noticed 2 new kits list over at Stevens International

1/24 1987 Buick Grand National 2 n 1

1/25 1966 Chevy Impala SS 396 2 n 1

good too see the 66 Impala back, the issue from 7-8 years ago is starting to get pricey 

[Richard Bartrop]

On 9/29/2019 at 12:15 AM, Force said:

The car and car parts companies are becoming more and more greedy and want more money for stuff that really doesn't matter...haven't they understood the value of free advertising, they are getting their name and product out for nothing and at least I have learned of many companies and products through modeling.

They're will aware of the value of advertising to the young, which is why they used to pour money into this hobby, and why they now direct their efforts to things like video games.  The problem is that the average of your typical car modeler has shifted dramatically since the '60s, and they went to build the same sort of cars they did when they were young.  They have close to zero interest in the new models, which of course are the ones the car companies want to promote.  So the value of any promotion they get from model kits is pretty much zero.

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, gasman said:

good too see the 66 Impala back, the issue from 7-8 years ago is starting to get pricey 

I never did see one on any shop shelf anywhere, but finally managed to trade my way into one. Lately I've been buying rebuildable original AMTs--I have two promos and a full kit, and maybe enough stuff to get a Modified Stocker on the street. 

[Rob Hall]

1 hour ago, gasman said:

Noticed 2 new kits list over at Stevens International

1/24 1987 Buick Grand National 2 n 1

1/25 1966 Chevy Impala SS 396 2 n 1 

The Grand National includes the GNX parts (first time together in one kit), and the 2n1 aspect of the Impala is there are now optional lowrider wheels/tires and decals..

[niteowl7710]

14 hours ago, Rob Hall said:

The Grand National includes the GNX parts (first time together in one kit), and the 2n1 aspect of the Impala is there are now optional lowrider wheels/tires and decals..

Just tossing in the lowrider parts from the 1997 reissue of the 1965 kit I'd wager.

Edited October 4, 2019 by niteowl7710

[niteowl7710]

On 9/29/2019 at 2:15 AM, Force said:

The "Mini" is a BMW brand and I don't know how they are when it comes to licensing.

From what I've gathered (again speaking to folks who know visa-vie Beemax/NuNu) and heard second hand from other sources - BMW licensing isn't particularly difficult to get, it's just REALLY expensive.  When Beemax was licensing their M3 DTM kit, it was almost shelved because they wanted $250,000 for final approval.  A large group of us did everything but pay the fee to convince them that it was worth taking that financial risk, and the kits have gone onto having 5 boxings (2 China only) and been a sale success.  It seems once you swallow that huge introductory fee, the ability to further license things is more reasonable. Which is why Beemax/NuNu have released the M6, and have a multi-use E46 3 Series kit coming, E90 3 Series, M8 GTE, & M1 Gr. 5 in the pipeline.

The same thing goes for Hasegawa's 2002 - with the '69 Monte Carlo Rally reissue coming out this month that will be the 3rd Rally kit, and 6th boxing over all.  Plus Hasegawa has seen it worth the cost to reissue the street and touring car versions of their 1994 318/320 kits.

Edited October 4, 2019 by niteowl7710

[Justin Porter]

Licensing has gone the way it has because it's no longer as valuable to the car manufacturers to "advertise" through model kits as it once was, particularly as modeling is much more focused on older cars - and typically competition ones - than on the latest street cars.

As such, the relationship has changed. It's now much more valuable to the model kit manufacturers to have the rights to that intellectual property, to use the car manufacturer's IP for their product than it is for the car manufacturer to allow the model kit manufacturer unfettered access to their IP.

We've seen this before in the video gaming world as well, where a single developer pays for exclusive rights to a car manufacturer's IP so that the exclusivity of having those cars in their game becomes a distinct selling feature.

Again, it's because the car manufacturers know that there being a game, or a model, or a diecast of a car from their past likely won't change present day sales of their flagship $35,000< crossover one unit BUT the companies producing those games, models, or diecast can practically live or die as to whether or not they can release that next piece.

That kind of power is worth money. 

[Trendsetta68]

On 10/3/2019 at 8:53 PM, Rob Hall said:

The Grand National includes the GNX parts (first time together in one kit), and the 2n1 aspect of the Impala is there are now optional lowrider wheels/tires and decals..

Wow...just wow ... I was asked to design some lowrider art decals for this kit months ago by one of their reps ..... I designed the decal set but they never got back with me ..... ??☹

[espo]

11 hours ago, Trendsetta68 said:

Wow...just wow ... I was asked to design some lowrider art decals for this kit months ago by one of their reps ..... I designed the decal set but they never got back with me ..... ??☹

I guess you'll know for sure when the royalty checks start rolling in. 

[Trendsetta68]

25 minutes ago, espo said:

I guess you'll know for sure when the royalty checks start rolling in. 

I wish that could be true ... but the back and forth emails ended when I had the complete artwork ready to be submitted ... ☹☹?

[mrm]

Sorry if this has been discussed already, but is there any news about the '29 Roadster and '30 Coupe from Revell? Are they reissuing them? Did they salvage the molds? What's the story?

I heard that the Roadster is supposed to come back out, but just rumors. 

Anyone has any solid info?

[Casey]

18 minutes ago, mrm said:

Sorry if this has been discussed already, but is there any news about the '29 Roadster and '30 Coupe from Revell? Are they reissuing them? Did they salvage the molds? What's the story? I heard that the Roadster is supposed to come back out, but just rumors. Anyone has any solid info?

It's been announced on several sites that the '29 roadster has a tentative reissue date of 2020. I have yet to see any site or source state the '30 is coming back in 2020.

Not sure what you require for "solid info", but I would expect Revell is eager to get both the newish 1/25 '29 and '30 kits back into the marketplace.

[Dave Van]

I did licensing in the hobby field in the 80's and 90's.  Licensing went from copyright protection and liability protection to a PROFIT center. 

When Harley Davidson announced it made more off licensing than the selling of bikes.....it opened the flood gates. 

Sample....Goodyear went from $25 a year fee, product sample and contract making Goodyear free of liability to the per item fee and a much higher fee overall.....why Revell Monogram dumped Goodyear of their products. 

Many manufactures saw the HD deal and figured they all could make big bucks. They failed to take into consideration that HD was much more iconic and had a base already willing to pay......but the maker of a auto paint flopped in the licensing/marketing game. 

But the HD deal opened all the issues we have today with licensing. 

[mrm]

27 minutes ago, Casey said:

It's been announced on several sites that the '29 roadster has a tentative reissue date of 2020. I have yet to see any site or source state the '30 is coming back in 2020.

Not sure what you require for "solid info", but I would expect Revell is eager to get both the newish 1/25 '29 and '30 kits back into the marketplace.

By "solid info" I meant official announcements. 

I am still kicking myself for not stocking up on the '30s, when they were available in Hobby Lobby.

 

[Snake45]

1 minute ago, mrm said:

I am still kicking myself for not stocking up on the '30s, when they were available in Hobby Lobby.

I never saw one at my HL--or anywhere else for that matter. To this day I've never seen that kit in the flesh.

I did pick up three copies of the '29 roadster when they were available, though....

[High octane]

1 hour ago, mrm said:

Sorry if this has been discussed already, but is there any news about the '29 Roadster and '30 Coupe from Revell? Are they reissuing them? Did they salvage the molds? What's the story?

I heard that the Roadster is supposed to come back out, but just rumors. 

Anyone has any solid info?

I wouldn't hold my breadth on the return of the '29 Roadster of the '30 Coupe, as right now it doesn't look too good. Not saying that it won't happen, but if and when is anybody's guess. I did manage to pick up an extra one of each when they were available though. Now, will I build them is another question???

[hpiguy]

43 minutes ago, High octane said:

I wouldn't hold my breadth on the return of the '29 Roadster of the '30 Coupe, as right now it doesn't look too good. Not saying that it won't happen, but if and when is anybody's guess.

What is the source you are basing this on?

[niteowl7710]

9 hours ago, High octane said:

I wouldn't hold my breadth on the return of the '29 Roadster of the '30 Coupe, as right now it doesn't look too good. Not saying that it won't happen, but if and when is anybody's guess. I did manage to pick up an extra one of each when they were available though. Now, will I build them is another question???

Ed Sexton told me to my face back in April at NNL East the '29 was coming back in early 2020. That's about as official as an announcement as you're going to get about those kits. I mean at this point only Round2 is (mostly vaguely) doing a monthly release sheet anymore. Revell, Moebius and Salvinos are just running on a - When we get it in, we ship it model. The new ownership in Germany felt it was more important to release some of the new and/or highly modified tooling they had just bought (Ford GT LM, '68 Chevelle, Sprint Car, '69 Mustang) than reissuing the Model As.

More broadly keep in mind when you're paying a 3rd Party to manufacture your product, you're basically buying xzy number of hours of production floor time, months in advance.  You can't just plug something in to be run, without pulling something back out in exchange. So do you pull say the new tool Chevelle out to put the '29 with swapped engine/wheels in, when you consider it didn't sell as well - compared to the '30? I'm guessing they sold more Chevelles than they will of these reissued '29s, if for no other reason than the '29s were lingering around well after the tooling was kerfuffled.

Edited October 19, 2019 by niteowl7710

[crazypainter]

when is the Baja Bandito/Baja Beast VW VAN supposed to come out and YES --I talked to Ed at NNL-EAST 2019 and he said they know we want the 30 Model A kit out --he said maybe late this year --Upper management still is not talking about --if they have the mold or where it is---