Rising price of our hobby

[Greg Myers]

Russ osborn quoted in another thread , "All the new kits seem to be priced at $29.99. Still a few older ones on the shelves for less, but definitely getting up there." 

For the last few years I'v been wondering about the rise in price in our hobby, what effects will it have? Yeah the " 40 % coupon" is great but only at one store and only a select few kits.

[High octane]

Everything seems to be rising price wise these days, well everything except my income. The high cost of model kits should and will in some instances prevent much younger modelers to afford buying kits, and they'll have to ask for model kits for their birthdays and Christmas as gifts. Besides there are not too many jobs for a kid, teenager, young adult, as there were back in the 50's & 60's either, which is no help for them at all.

[MrObsessive]

I'm a bit more selective these days when it comes to buying kits and price certainly has a lot to do with it. It's VERY easy to rack up more than $60 for one model by the time I add in paint, a case, and perhaps some other detailing extras I might want to go with it. I don't know any young folks that can spend that kind of money in one shot.

Nick has a good point in that jobs aren't as plentiful for young people as there used to be. Jobs are out there, but with the high cost due to inflation, taxes, etc-----a dollar bill goes nowhere near as far as it used to.

[Snake45]

Fewer kids are interested in getting into the hobby, which means sales are lower and markets are fewer/smaller, which means prices are higher, which means fewer kids can afford the hobby, which means fewer kids are interested in getting into the hobby....

Back in the '50s-'60s, the "lunch money" crowd was the backbone of the hobby. For every kit that got sold and built seriously, or by someone serious about it, 100 more were sold off the shelves of five-and-dimes, drug stores, discount houses, grocery stores, toy stores, and common local hobby shops and slapped together in an afternoon by a kid or other occasional builder. The vast majority of all that--market and customers alike--are gone now. Those of us who are left are an endangered species.

[Exotics_Builder]

Price is somewhat subjective.  If I want a kit bad enough and it fits my other criteria, price could be a factor.  But when I look at what the military modelers wind up paying for detail plus all the aftermarket stuff they add, it SEEMS we are still better off.

But, as I have been reducing my stash in a downsizing effort prior to a long distance move, I find offering anything for sale offers are all over the board.  It seems better to donate to something worthwhile than go through the hassle.

But I am much more selective these days as I still have about 700 unbuilt models in the stash.  At my build rate, I'll need a couple hundred years to get through them.

[MrObsessive]

Those of us who are left are an endangered species.

Sad but true............

 

[1930fordpickup]

The prices are getting to high to buy kits for just the parts inside anymore. 

Even the model show prices are to the point of stop and think do I need this kit. 

 

[SfanGoch]

Like Gerry said. Compared to armor kits, model cars are a bargain. Even without aftermarket add-ons, most armor is at least twice the price. Dragon Tiger Is retails for over $70. AFV Club's Patriot Missile kit will be going for a buck fifty. Even a lousy 1/35 Willys Jeep costs 35-42 dollars.

[charlie8575]

Working in a hobby shop right now, I can honestly say that a lot of the retailers are getting absolutely torqued, and unfortunately, we have to pass that on to the customers.

My shop offers discounts to club members and certain long-time and high-volume customers, so that helps. We also have a couple of large sales during the year that allow you to save a pretty substantial amount.

If you pre-pay a special order in cash, we give you 30% off the top.

The amount of product being sold has something to do with it, to be sure, but I keep arguing we'll never re-expand the market if no effort is made. That means everything from community outreach by clubs to yes- the dirty "a" word. ADVERTISING, and beyond your "core market."

A couple of weeks ago, there was a discussion at my club. Why aren't your advertising to your core market? Simple, they're our core, and while advertising to them for new product and so forth is necessary, we need to re-grow the market, and that means expanding the message. But, nobody wants to do that.

Don't advertise- not only is it a good way to kill your business, it might kill your industry.

Charlie Larkin

[charlie8575]

Like Gerry said. Compared to armor kits, model cars are a bargain. Even without aftermarket add-ons, most armor is at least twice the price. Dragon Tiger Is retails for over $70. AFV Club's Patriot Missile kit will be going for a buck fifty. Even a lousy 1/35 Willys Jeep costs 35-42 dollars.

Very true, and Tamiya is doing an across-the-board price increase in armour.

Charlie Larkin

[CometMan]

Since my interest tend to be less-common subjects, (Buicks instead of Chevys; Mercurys instead of Fords, etc.) the "40%ers" are not of much use to me most of the time. Fortunately, my LHS usually sells their kits in the $18-$22 range which is within a few dollars of the price after a coupon at the giant stores, and I can get the kit whenever I want. Also, I tend to wait for the initial wave of "new product fever" to wear off, and the less common subjects I like to "die on the shelves", or even become a recently dis-continued kit before I pick them up, so I usually do alright anyhow. But it is very frustrating to see these companies essentially driving them selves out of business with their corporate greed!

[Tom Geiger]

I buy my new kits from model show dealers and the same ones at club meetings.  Prices are still $16-18 range.  I don't think I've broken the $20 barrier.

I've cut back a bit on what I buy since I already have so much stuff.  Still when I'm at a show or club meeting and people have put out $5 and $10 kits, I'll buy them.  There are kits I'll pick up for specific parts, like 6 cylinder engines,  or chassis and drivetrains.  For instance I recently bought a '41 Plymouth kit.  Someone had taken the V8 engine and custom tires / wheels out of it. I'm happy to pay $5 for the flathead six.  

Kids today work on a different value scale than we do since we're still measuring things against the minimum wage we were paid as kids.  They think nothing of spending $50-100 for a new Lego set or video game.  A while back a friend of mine worked in a hobby shop and he said the average young guy coming in would buy a Tamiya Honda kit,  all the paints and glues he'd need,  some Pegasus accessories and think nothing of dropping $75 or more to build his model.

Charlie, you are in a hobby shop today.  What do you see?  Who are your customers today?

Edited August 5, 2016 by Tom Geiger

[Roadrunner]

As someone that has spent years purchasing military models and AM (including some large scale stuff), I view car modeling as one of the more economical modeling choices. So far my efforts have been confined to OOB curbside representations, so cost per car kit is, all things considered, minimal. 

[gtx6970]

Price has become a somewhat big deal  for me, Not so much because I cant afford it,,,its because I'm a tight wad. I already have hundreds of kits on shelf still sealed with the sticker on it,,,many at $5.99 or less.

So my buying of modern tool kits has become extremely selective in the past few years.

 

 

[unclescott58]

Here we go again. Another thread about the cost of models. If you don't like the price. Don't buy the model. How many times are we going to beat this dead horse?

 

[SfanGoch]

Until it tells us where the cheap kits are. Dead horses can be pretty stubborn.

[Greg Myers]

Here we go again. Another thread about the cost of models. If you don't like the price. Don't buy the model. How many times are we going to beat this dead horse?

 

Do you ever read a thread before you comment?

Many here are simply commenting on the subject presented, no bellyaching, no ranting, simply discussing the topic. 

I would suggest if YOU don't care for the topic at hand you may elect to not participate.

[Ben]

The deals are out there. You just have to do a lot of comparing. Everyone was going on about how they were getting the just rereleased, AMT Super Boss kit at Hobby Lobby for just under $26.00 using the 40% off coupon. Trouble is, you can only use that coupon on one item. I just bought four of the Super Boss kits from Tower Hobbies for just under $28.00 a kit. Free delivery to my door! No running around town wasting time and gas not even knowing if the store will have that kit!

[unclescott58]

By the way, kits being affordable to kids in the past is a bunch of B.S. too. They could buy models with their lunch money? Who were these kids? I sure couldn't. In the late 1960's, in 5th and 6th grade, a hot lunch ticket cost .25 cents. I was allowed two hot lunches per week. The other days I had to brown bagged it. Using the same bag the whole week. An AMT kit cost $2.00. A month of hot lunches for me. Guess what? I mainly got models on birthdays and holidays. Starting in about 7th grade I started making big money mowing lawns. I charged $2.00 per lawn. A good week I'd maybe earn $10.00 to $14.00. But, there were other things I wanted besides just model kits. Don't feel too bad for me. I had plenty of models. Not as many as wanted. But, that was life.

Do I like the price of models today? Of course not. But, compared to other things, it's still a relatively cheap hobby. What does a dinner with drinks cost at a somewhat nice restaurant? I'm just tired of people whining about this one subject. If it cost too much money quit buying them. Me? I've got more models in my collection today than I ever have had. And some I've had to $29.95 for. Others less. I'm willing to pay to play. And not whine about it.

 

[vamach1]

Here is a morbid thought.  In the next ten years older modelers with collections of hundreds of models will start dying off.  Eventually all those height priced kits will be sold off for more reasonable prices.  It's a topic most will avoid due to the morbid thought but it is becoming a reality among the real car hobby with owners of 1900-1930's cars dying off faster than museums can handle accepting the flood of cars the younger generation could care less about.  Will this happen with our hobby?  Time will tell.

[unclescott58]

Do you ever read a thread before you comment?

Many here are simply commenting on the subject presented, no bellyaching, no ranting, simply discussing the topic. 

I would suggest if YOU don't care for the topic at hand you may elect to not participate.

Then what was the point of this thread? Kits are now $29.99? Okay. So what then?

[MrObsessive]

Until it tells us where the cheap kits are. Dead horses can be pretty stubborn.

[SfanGoch]

Will this happen with our hobby? 

Same thing that's been going on since the hobby started. Old guys who hoarded kits drop dead, their stash is sold via estate sales or auctions, the buyers will know which kits can command top dollar, the kits will be offered for sale on certain model shop sites and eBay for really obscene money, guys on modeling sites will bitch and moan about the the prices. Oh, and we'll still be waiting, with bated breath, for the next $29.99 reissue of a 50-60 year old, technology challenged kit because it brings back warm, fuzzy childhood memories. Rinse and repeat. In other words, nothing will happen. 

Edited August 5, 2016 by SfanGoch

[plastic-mechanic]

... Another thread about the cost of models....

 

that was my thought, too. seems like the same topic(s) get regurgitated every three or four weeks.

[SfanGoch]

It does tend to validate the assertion that car modelers are cheap.