Does 2015 mark the the end of the dark era?

[khier]

When I look at the new kit announcements by model makers for 2015 I can hardly get a complete overview. Revell is attacking with the Del Rio. Moebius is detonating a bomb with their 1961 Catalina. Galaxie made a strong comeback with the '48 Coupe. ROG is preparing the BMW I8 and Porsche 918, and behold, a C7 Corvette in the pipeline. Aoshima is going ahead with Italian super cars. Ebbro has been releasing a French classic after the other. And finally, Tamiya showed a brand new MB 300 SL. Each time I think about I feel like thanks God for letting me live until 2015. However, the question is, did the model makers finally see the light, and we should expect this trend to persist, or is 2015 nothing but the exception that confirms the rule?

Edited February 10, 2015 by khier

[disabled modeler]

I think the companies have figured out most of us are getting bored with the same re-issues that have been bouncing back every other year or so. Yes I believe they are starting to listen to us and what we would like to see and buy...its good for business.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

And they're starting to hear our voices due to the advent of the Internet and such forums as this.

[Bennyg]

I think car guys are being catered for pretty well. There is only one truck/big rig NEW release I'm looking forward to. The Drake K200 kenworth and Lowloader. I thought revell or amt would have done a current model big rig by now.

Ben

[MeatMan]

In the end; money talks, and profit screams!! Which prob does mean that they are seeing us vote with out dollars. Resin kits, etc. are making inroads against styrene. They know they need to offer more. My take anyway.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Mobius alone will be bombarding us with new kits in the next few months! I believe the '71 Ford truck should be out very soon, as well as the '54 Hudson. The way I understand it, the '61 Pontiac, & '65 Belvedere are supposed to be very close also. Followed not too far behind by the '65 Comet. Kind of makes you wonder what's coming from them next year, & how I'm going to afford them all! Steve

[High octane]

A new tool in progress, another new kit on the hobby shop shelves, MAYBE another kit in my "stash." Oh boy, oh joy just what I need as I can't finish what I've already got now. For me this isn't the 60's anymore and I just don't get really excited whenever a new kit is released. I'm also tired of tying up ca$h for plastic.

[slusher]

I really enjoy seeing all these new kits being released. It is so nice seeing some old AMT classics as well as all new tooled kits. Nice to have so many choices...

[unclescott58]

I agree. Things are going great in our hobby. The model companies must see a future in it with all of the new kits on the way. It's interesting to hear (read) all of the doomsdayers predicting the end of our hobby because of the kids are not getting into it. With what's really going on, I wonder how true this is. Despite the predictions, the hobby is looking pretty healthy to me.

Scott

[Motor City]

I wonder why ERTL, and then Round 2, have re-issued so many of the same AMT models over and over again. Where are the models that should need no modification to the tooling such as the 1964 Bonneville, Grand Prix, Cutlass, and Wildcat, 1961 Bonneville and Invicta? The same goes for MPC models such as the 1965 Coronet 500, the 1966 Bonneville, Polara, and Monaco. Is it that the tooling is missing, in poor condition, or they don't think there is demand for these? I would like to see a lot of the promos from the 50s re-issued in styrene. Even cars without interiors would be cool to add to our collections.

[southpier]

......I feel like thanks God for letting me live until 2015. ....

me, too.

even if i didn't build models!

[Lunajammer]

I think reissues are the bread and butter of the established model companies and they pay for the development of the new tools. I can't imagine Moebius is making much money because I expect they are pumping their profits back into engineering more new products. I'm sure their "classic" reissues are helping with that. I credit them for banking on the future by investing in a body of work that will serve them later.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Lunajammer

[Tom Geiger]

and you didn't even mention Meng or ICM! They both have a lot of potential to add to their 1/24 releases. From hints on their first Ford pickup, they will probably do a follow up of a different model / drivetrain. ICM gave us their WWII era Mercedes and Opel in 1/24, so there is potential that they could upscale some of the other vehicles they currently have in 1/35 scale like the Packard. I also hear that their Model Ts are very nice. A contender for sure!

I just posted in another thread that the manufacturers are building up to support us Baby Boomers as we retire. We will have free time and money to spend. And they realize that potential! Every day here on the board in the introduce yourself section, it's the same story over and over... guys who build when they were young, who are just getting back to the hobby. We should be okay for the next 20 years or so!

[FordRodnKustom]

Dark era? I must have missed that.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I wonder why ERTL, and then Round 2, have re-issued so many of the same AMT models over and over again. Where are the models that should need no modification to the tooling such as the 1964 Bonneville, Grand Prix, Cutlass, and Wildcat, 1961 Bonneville and Invicta? The same goes for MPC models such as the 1965 Coronet 500, the 1966 Bonneville, Polara, and Monaco. Is it that the tooling is missing, in poor condition, or they don't think there is demand for these? I would like to see a lot of the promos from the 50s re-issued in styrene. Even cars without interiors would be cool to add to our collections.

A lot of these old molds probably no longer exist. My understanding is that with these annual's molds were many times destroyed or altered to produce new molds for the next year. Case in point would be the Johan 1960 Plymouth as an example. Originally, the '60 Fury was produced, but then later the molds were altered to make the '60 Plymouth wagon. Hence, no more '60 Plymouth Fury. My guess would be that we'll probably never see a new one either. Steve

[martinfan5]

edited post

Edited February 11, 2015 by martinfan5

[lordairgtar]

Just out of curosity, why are you here then ? do you have any model kits ?

He said "even if I DIDN'T Build". not I DON'T.

[Art Anderson]

I wonder why ERTL, and then Round 2, have re-issued so many of the same AMT models over and over again. Where are the models that should need no modification to the tooling such as the 1964 Bonneville, Grand Prix, Cutlass, and Wildcat, 1961 Bonneville and Invicta? The same goes for MPC models such as the 1965 Coronet 500, the 1966 Bonneville, Polara, and Monaco. Is it that the tooling is missing, in poor condition, or they don't think there is demand for these? I would like to see a lot of the promos from the 50s re-issued in styrene. Even cars without interiors would be cool to add to our collections.

MOst likely due to cost considerations, and also due to the sad fact that much of the old AMT and MPC model kit tooling is in considerable disarray, due either to not having been sorted (all those little inserts may well be there someplace, BUT where?), or modified in some way, and nobody available to piece it all back together again.

Art

[Art Anderson]

Dark era? I must have missed that.

Uh, consider that just since 1990, there have been more new model car kits introduced than at just about any other era in the history of this hobby. Now, whether they are subjects that any one person might want or not--is the question, I think.

Art

[Chuck Most]

I think the "dark era" ended in the mid-to-late '80's. Iffy, simplified kits seemed to have become the norm in the late '70's, and the hobby all but completely imploded in on itself in the very early '80's for a variety of reasons. It wasn't until that "second wave" of modeling popularity came about in the '80's when those grey skies finally blew over.

But as far as new stuff and subjects more esoteric than your typical muscle car being released... let's just say I hope that 2015 isn't some kind of fluke. Maybe it is, but hey- what a magnificent fluke it is shaping up to be! It seems to me that the hobby product industry has become much more influenced by the "hardcore" modelers the last decade or so, rather than by the wants of big-box retailers. There may not be as many new releases each year, but when there is a new release, the quality is much better now than at any point in the past, generally speaking. It just seems like the model manufacturers are finally listening to the "lunatic fringe", and realizing that if they can make something that'll make THOSE folks happy, it ought to make the other 99% of hobbyists happy, too. Subject matter plays into that too- people are still buying endless Tri-Five Chevy kits, but at the same time, even those diehards seem to be getting cynical. I've seen a lot of "left field" stuff announced for this year, and even though I'm not interested in every single one of those subjects, I hope that they do well. The kit manufacturers seem to be a lot more open-minded about potential subject matter these days, and there's still plenty of ground left to cover.

[martinfan5]

He said "even if I DIDN'T Build". not I DON'T.

Yeah, I completely read that wrong

[highway]

me, too.

even if i didn't build models!

Edited February 11, 2015 by highway

[Casey]

I wonder why ERTL, and then Round 2, have re-issued so many of the same AMT models over and over again.

It costs less to run (i.e. inject plastic into a mold) a kit which you already know is in good nick and will produce clean parts right out of the molding machine than to break out the forklift and look over a dusty, cosmoline covered piece of tooling which hasn't been moved since the Carter administration. This is why we see Round2 reissuing so many of the same kits which were reissued during the RC2 era. The molds are already in China, at or near their molding facility, so creating new box art and decals is something which can be done half a world away at very little cost, yet still provide a seemingly "new" kit to consumers.

IMHO, the Dark Era ended in the early-mid '80s ('82 or so) when Monogram started producing its musclecar and truck kits. If you've never looked closely at the contents of a '70's era Revell kit with no chrome plated parts (saves $$$!!), crummy two-piece vinyl tires, and a chassis and interior shared between Ford Mustang IIs and GM H-bodies, you owe it to yourself to do so. Let's not forget the exciting new Dodge Omni 024 from MPC in 1980, either! Ugh, the late '70s/very early '80s were awful, with model vehicles sporting awful stripes, snowplow like front spoilers (I'm looking at you MPC "Red Light Bandit" El Camino!), and very few exciting new vehicles from the Big Three to even base new kits upon.

We've had it pretty good since the very late '80s IMHO, with some very good periods in the '90s, and as long as we have places to buy both old and new kits, there's always going to be something available to brighten anyone's day.

[Eshaver]

Gee Casey, Finally we have something we can agree upon ...............................

[Ace-Garageguy]

I didn't touch manufactured models between about '69 and 2005 (except for a couple I was given but didn't work on in about '95), and according to Casey, it seems I didn't miss much.

I've been of the impression there's been a new "golden age" going since I've been back in it, what with all the excellent stuff coming from Moebius, Revell, and the aftermarket, plus vintage kits and reissues of lotsa old favorites...and everything only a mouse-click away.