Justin Porter

Also as a bit of a fun aside, model car kit #1 sold of 2025 was Fujimi #39848 Nissan Silvia S15 Veilside which actually did sell on New Year's Day.

That's definitely safe to say given that the wholesale discount rate is right about the same when comparing Bandai to the likes of Revell or Round 2 through my distributors. Volume sellers in any category become critical building blocks of the hobby business because they keep that steady stream of folks coming through the door and give the opportunity for "add-on" sales. But I would definitely say that the engine that keeps my doors open is paint and supplies. As a for instance, one hundred and twelve jars of Tamiya Extra Thin Cement left my Tamiya rack last year!

I have a website that I sell through alongside of my shop as well as I attend a handful of local model shows as a vendor. I personally avoid out-of-production kits for inventory. While certainly there's a great potential to buy out collections for possibly less than the wholesale cost of new kits, there's also the very likely probability that these kits will go into the hands of casual builders rather than experienced hobbyists. If that happens and there's any defect with the kit (aged decals, missing parts, tire marks on the plastic) then the customer has typically no recourse for manufacturer support and I end up eating the return and the defective merchandise PLUS any potential negative that the customer could choose to voice through social media/online reviews/etc.

Not only more popular but also more lucrative, to be absolutely blunt. I sold 456 Gundam/Sci-Fi kits to 402 cars. Average price per Gundam was $40.76 while average price per car kit was $30.37. The most popular Gundam kit in my shop for 2024 was perennial favorite Bandai #2204932 - the Master Grade Sazabi ver Ka. Seven of these monsters left my shop this year, and that's about typical for sales of this kit. Whenever older modelers gripe about how "There's no young people in the hobby" it's my Gundam sales that I instantly point to as proof that no statement could be further from the truth. Young people are absolutely modelers, but they're not typically classic American car modelers.

Car kit sales are DEFINITELY a critical piece of my puzzle, representing the third strongest category over my counter. I took a moment to create a graph of 2024's Top Ten Categories to show how they stack up. Automotive trails Gundam and my #1 category which is Paint but not by a huge amount.

Two units sold through the year while the Ertl-tooled '71 Duster sold three units. Forum hype for Round 2 kit revivals doesn't generally translate to actual sales over my counter.

At least in my perspective it's hard to call the Gasser unsung. Checking the data since its arrival in 2022, it leads the whole pack with 14 units sold. Tied behind it are Tamiya 24090 which is their full detail Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R and Revell 4511 which is the '71 Olds 442 with 13 each. I know here on the forums the kit was absolutely excoriated for perceived window height issues, but actually at the counter my customers love it for the subject matter, the fit, and the overall look of the finished model. As a comparison, the AMT "Twister II" altered wheelbase reissue has only sold two units in the same span of time.

I do pick and choose what I order from my distributors. In my case, I'm what's commonly called a "cash & carry" account, which is to say that I purchase my inventory outright at a fixed wholesale rate rather than buy on a credit account. The downside to this is that generally credit accounts can have merchandise charged to them and shipped the moment it's on the wholesaler's dock, while I have to pre-order to secure new releases and even then may not get priority shipping or allocation. The upside is that I don't have a credit bill looming in the background whether I've sold merchandise or not. As to the oldest kit on my shelves, at the moment that's - at least from the top of my head - probably Hasegawa kit 20268 which is a Limited Edition release of the rally version of their Lancia Stratos. The livery is that of a lady driver/navigator team that tackled the 1977 Monte Carlo Rally and finished 6th overall. Frequently with old stock I've got a roll of "SALE" stickers and I'll take 15-20% off the shelf price to get it moved and give its shelf space to something in higher demand. However, in the case of that particular Stratos, I feel like I'd rather wait for the right buyer than discount it because it's a good quality kit of an interesting historical subject. Frankly, if it waits long enough it might even end up on my personal shelf.

So, for a numbers breakdown, it goes a bit like this. In 2024 I sold a total of 402 model car kits, averaging slightly better than a car kit a day (and a new record for the category in my shop too). That 402 units sold came on the back of 249 individual SKU's. Both the Tudor and the Alfa sold six units, while the Fox Body through to the Chevy II Gasser claimed five units. The remaining on the list scored four sales each. The not-fun piece of doing this year end review as well is to go over to the shelf with the point of sale data and look at what kits sat for the whole of the year without any sales (a list that includes such luminaries as AMT 1367 '97 Ford F150 4x4 and Fujimi 39602 Honda NSX Type R)

Mine is a small shop in a small town so not huge numbers compared likely to what a Hobby Lobby or even a Hobbytown USA likely does. I'm more surprised THAT you're surprised that the Revell Mustang LX is a consistently popular kit. It's a near universal subject that appeals to casual builders and is one of the few kits that depicts a non-nostalgia drag car. As to the 250GTO, I chalk that up to Fujimi's wonderfully inconsistent availability and advertising. Even compared to its native competitors like Hasegawa and Aoshima they do an absolutely abysmal job of communicating what's coming up, what tooling they're developing, and when a production run will likely hit distributors.

Unfortunately my POS isn't quite sophisticated enough so the best I have is building the data by going month by month. You can certainly see when certain kits land. The impressive one is the GT500 which hit in November and grabbed its spot mostly in one month and some change. Other kits like the Fox Body, Chevy II Gasser, and the Aoshima Knight Rider are just steady staples that seem to always find an audience. To use the Tudor vs Alfa comparison, the Tudor landed in May and had a flurry that died off by September, while the Alfa landed in August and kept selling steadily through December.

With the dawn of a new year, I like to take stock using my POS data of what was and wasn't moving off my shelves here at Haven. It's one of those fun things I like to do that also helps me steer purchasing for the next year. Your local shop may have entirely different results, but here's a run down of my top ten sellers. Afterwards I will also list the top seller by brand. So, starting from 10th spot here we go... #10 - RMX4563 Revell 1/25 1970 Shelby GT500 #9 - AOS6560 Aoshima 1/24 KITT w/LED Scanner #8 - FJM126661 Fujimi 1/24 Ferrari 250GTO w/photoetch wire wheels #7 - RMX4545 Revell 1/25 '68 Pontiac Firebird 2n1 #6 - MOE2324 Moebius 1/25 1965 Chevy II Gasser #5 - RMX4555 Revell 1/25 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 #4 - RMX4547 Revell 1/25 1957 Ford Del Rio Wagon 2n1 #3 - RMX4195 Revell 1/25 '90 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 Drag Racer #2 - TAM24188 Tamiya 1/24 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA #1 - RMX4553 Revell 1/25 '32 Ford Tudor Sedan 2n1 So, as can plainly be seen Revell is THE volume leader at my shop, but that's not to say that other brands don't get their opportunity to shine. However, if I were to specify a combination that's a clear win with my customers it's an easy to assemble kit with a good suite of options and a sub-$30 MSRP. Here's the top sellers by brands in 2024. Atlantis - AAN13102 "Keeler's Kustom" Studebaker Funny Car AMT - AMT1308 1956 Ford Victoria "Strip Fowl" Aoshima - AOS6560 KITT w/LED Scanner Ebbro - EBB20022 Brabham BT-18 Fujimi - FJM126661 Ferrari 250GTO w/photoetch wire wheels Hasegawa - HSG20312 Mazda 767B Charge livery Meng - CS008 Audi R8 GT3 Eva Type 01 test livery Moebius - MOE2324 1965 Chevy II Gasser MPC - MPC997 1969 Plymouth Barracuda NuNu - 24034 Volvo S40 BTCC Brands Hatch Winner Revell - RMX4553 '32 Ford Tudor Sedan Salvinos JR - SJM41295 1988 Earnhardt Monte Carlo Tamiya - TAM24188 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA

Really super stoked to see this reissued. I built an old release of it in high school and the decals were absolutely shot. I also look forward to what the modern aftermarket will release for the Quattro.

https://www.spotmodel.com/product_info.php?products_id=61149&language=en USCP is one of the top 3D printed suppliers of classic sports car details. His recently released Weber set us truly worth the buy.

This has been quite a year for me with seven builds, all of which I'm honestly quite proud of. I feel like after some breakthroughs in 2023 in terms of technique, this is a year where I've genuinely developed a personal style and stuck with it. I also really do like what a colorful group 2024 has. The builds are Tamiya's Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33), Tamiya's Morgan Plus Four, Fujimi's Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano, Revell's '67 Corvette coupe, Revell's '66 Pontiac GTO, Gunze Sangyo's Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite, and Tamiya's Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA.

I don't have one ordered myself. This is the picture Andy posted of one of his many different '68 Chevy kits. At the moment, I HAVE downloaded a 3D printing file for a car kit, but it's a curbside kit of a TVR Sagaris.

Red Wheel has posted the first test shots of their upcoming Cadillac. Progress is happening rapidly!

For those who aren't aware, Mini Retro is a supplier out of New Zealand that's been making a name for themselves doing transkits and full kits for all manner of "Little British Cars." Possibly most famously, they've produced a full engine and engine bay transkit for the Gunze Bugeye Sprite. Their latest has just hit the market and the little A40 is a great choice particularly for fans of touring car racing as the A40's can still be found dicing around the grid each year at Goodwood. You can either contact Mini Retro directly through Facebook OR they've arrived at a deal with Mr Models of New Zealand to actively stock and sell their kits should you prefer to order that way. https://mrmodels.co.nz/product/mrminiretro-124th-scale-models-resin-kitset-austin-a40-farina-series-2-mr008/

Forum member Andy Lesiak produces a 3d printed '68 Impala kit that's miles ahead of any tooling that might be in Round 2's possession.

It's a nice and tidy set up that I certainly enjoy using on projects. It fit right at home on this Revell '67 Chevelle that I built. It may not necessarily have been that common or successful in the 1/1 hot rodding world but I definitely like it as a "something fresh and different" underhood accessory in scale.

Announced today with a TBA release date and no glimpse yet of the new box art, according to Stevens International we we will be seeing a reissue of the AMT '68 El Camino Street Machine. This is especially good news as far as I'm concerned because this kit's EFI supercharged Chevy big block was a really well done piece of modern in-scale hot rodding. Kit #1484 and here's looking forward to it returning to the line-up. Glad to see that this line of kits is experiencing enough success that Round 2 is continuing to reissue them.

This is really a fantastic testament both to your modeling skills and the capability of 3D printing. What you've created really is amazing!

Really a very handsome model!

Red Wheel's own website or several vendors including Spot Model who also carried their Tucker.

Following on from their excellent Tucker Torpedo, Red Wheel has announced and shown the initial renders of their next kit. This time they're plugging another BIG gap in classic car kits with a Cadillac Series 62.