Re-releases

[Tom Geiger]

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 ... 

The truth is that every time Model King did a kit of a drag car, they instantly sold out and he even went for a second run on some that again sold out.  Some of the replica stock cars he took a chance on... stock 1971 Thunderbird, 1970 Buick Wildcat,  1964 Comet were a challenge for him to get rid of.  The market speaks!

Again, go back to my comments that 90% of model kits are bought and built by occasional modelers.  These are people who enjoy cars but have a surface knowledge of them, unlike the fanatics who we are!  Take a look at a Hallmark car calendar... those are the cars that are most likely to get kitted....  Corvette,  '57 Chevy,  Mustang etc because those are the cars that are instantly recognizable to the masses.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The truth is that every time Model King did a kit of a drag car, they instantly sold out and he even went for a second run on some that again sold out.  Some of the replica stock cars he took a chance on... stock 1971 Thunderbird, 1970 Buick Wildcat,  1964 Comet were a challenge for him to get rid of.  The market speaks!

Again, go back to my comments that 90% of model kits are bought and built by occasional modelers.  These are people who enjoy cars but have a surface knowledge of them, unlike the fanatics who we are!  Take a look at a Hallmark car calendar... those are the cars that are most likely to get kitted....  Corvette,  '57 Chevy,  Mustang etc because those are the cars that are instantly recognizable to the masses.

All entirely true. But happily for those of us who like a little more esoteric stuff, the cost of both high-resolution 3D scanning equipment and 3D printing equipment continues to become more manageable. It's not too hard to imagine a viable business case in the next few years could be made for scanning and producing those '50s beauties shown above. 

They'd be expensive, probably well over $100 per, but folks who want subjects like HRM offers routinely pay that much, and people happily paid close to a hundred for some of Modelhaus' simplified resin kits.

Edited October 6, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[disabled modeler]

I got the 70 Wildcats and Comet ,Thunderbird kits when they were out...was very happy to see them again.

[StevenGuthmiller]

The truth is that every time Model King did a kit of a drag car, they instantly sold out and he even went for a second run on some that again sold out.  Some of the replica stock cars he took a chance on... stock 1971 Thunderbird, 1970 Buick Wildcat,  1964 Comet were a challenge for him to get rid of.  The market speaks!

Again, go back to my comments that 90% of model kits are bought and built by occasional modelers.  These are people who enjoy cars but have a surface knowledge of them, unlike the fanatics who we are!  Take a look at a Hallmark car calendar... those are the cars that are most likely to get kitted....  Corvette,  '57 Chevy,  Mustang etc because those are the cars that are instantly recognizable to the masses.

Correct, but how popular is a '71 T-Bird or a '70 Wildcat.

I personally have no interest in a '71 T-Bird & I build almost nothing but stock builds.

The '59 Imperial, on the other hand, went through at least 2 runs & they're still hard to find & valuable.

 

Steve

[MrObsessive]

The '59 Imperial, on the other hand, went through at least 2 runs & they're still hard to find & valuable.

 

Steve

That's one I wish would make a comeback. I have one now, but want another for "future plans". I hate to pay a premium price for one on the 'Bay only to cut it up.

[RichCostello]

I'd love to have another shot at a 64 Comet, or 59 Imperial. I missed them the 1st time around.

[Tom Geiger]

 

The '59 Imperial, on the other hand, went through at least 2 runs & they're still hard to find & valuable.

Steve

The '59 Imperial runs were only 2500 pieces.  I don't think we'll see it again because it was the most returned kit to hobby shops.  We avid model historians knew what it was but the average builder (again that general public thing)  opened the box and didn't understand that it was a repop of an ancient promo. They expected to find a full detail modern kit.  And that's the problem with a lot of the ancient tools.  There was a post on one of the boards when the Revell VW Killer Bee repop came out by a new younger modeler who had a fit that the kit was molded so poorly and had a lot of flash.  We understand the status of 1960s  tools, but today's buyer doesn't.  They don't understand, nor do they wish to learn the entire history of scale models,  they just know their brand new toy is a disappointment.

[ChrisBcritter]

The '64 Comet was just a bit early; it would attract some more buyers now that the Moebius '65 is available.

Were all the '59 Imperials eventually sold, or is Model King still sitting on a pile of returned kits? Glad I got mine when I did.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The '64 Comet was just a bit early; it would attract some more buyers now that the Moebius '65 is available.

Were all the '59 Imperials eventually sold, or is Model King still sitting on a pile of returned kits? Glad I got mine when I did.

All I know is that everyone who has a sealed '59 Imperial repop is asking between $60 and $70.

[StevenGuthmiller]

All I know is that everyone who has a sealed '59 Imperial repop is asking between $60 and $70.

They're not giving the Comets away either.

 

Steve

[1930fordpickup]

I walked by more than one stack of those 59's for an average not that long ago, but the Comets seems to spike not long after the dealers did not have any more on hand. Glad I got one of those. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

I walked by more than one stack of those 59's for an average not that long ago, but the Comets seems to spike not long after the dealers did not have any more on hand. Glad I got one of those. 

There's only one of the '59s on ebay right now.

They're asking $70.00 for it.

I don't know how long ago you saw stacks of them, but they're not easy to find at a decent price anymore.

You can still pick up the Comet for a little more than half of that.

 

Steve

[waynehulsey]

and lets not forget the entire fleet of old French cars and trucks that have been tooled up recently!  

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 ... 

Primarily a stock builder and yes the various French and Italian cars have been keeping the budget pretty depleted over the last year. Thrown in the Ferguson and the upcoming Porsche tractors. Then the other for me is I've been doing a lot with the cardstock models also over the last couple of years. For the active pile right now: Ebbro Citroën DS 19, Heller Renault 4CV, Modelik Ursus C45 tractor (cardstock), Stalinetz S65 Crawler (cardstock), Italeri Lamborghini Miura. Of course that means Round 2 and Revell-Monogram, and even Mobius, aren't getting much of my modeling budget. 

[1930fordpickup]

There's only one of the '59s on ebay right now.

They're asking $70.00 for it.

I don't know how long ago you saw stacks of them, but they're not easy to find at a decent price anymore.

You can still pick up the Comet for a little more than half of that.

 

Steve

As time flies by it is more than likely longer than I think it was. For a few years after the releases were out at the Toledo toy show and the Detroit show. LIke 2 or 3 here and there.  The normal stack of newer kits. 

[Mike999]

About that '59 Imperial...I bought several when they were issued, figuring they wouldn't be around long.  (Though I didn't know it was a limited run of only 2,500.)

The Imps still have price stickers on them from a Los Angeles hobby shop.  Full retail was $34.99, minus my 20% customer loyalty discount.

Three months ago, in July, I put one '59 Imp up for auction on eBay.  Set the starting bid at $39.99. The auction ran for 7 days and did not get a single bid. 

I just checked eBay's Completed Listings for these kits.  3 have recently sold via Buy It Now.  They sold for $22.99, $29.99 and $38.00. 

Some sellers are ASKING $75-$80 for the Model King re-pop.  But as always on eBay, what some delusional people ask is a far distance from what the kits are actually bringing.  An original '59 Imperial kit, mint in the box, was recently offered for $75.  (Plus $21.50 for domestic shipping, so...uh...no thanks.)

[Alix Bernard]

Okay how bout another spin. No more injection molds, missing inserts and rust.Could resin company(s) be up to this DAUNT

ING task. To produce the product your customers want. Granted, not everyone has worked in or built a resin kit. I just visited a site where the whole page is filled with resin bodies race and stock. Guys are doing prototypes all the time, I may be one. Yes, much time, patience , reference material, etc.

  Thanks for your replies guys. I've learned quite a bit, but it looks like one of my grails The Uncertain T will be a homemade creature, along with a few other dinosaurs.

[Eshaver]

I guess SOME here can say what they want about the "STOCK " comments I have made . . I still reserve comments over the AMT "Motor City Stocker " kits bringing some OUTRAGEOUS prices . Go ahead , , go price a 1970 Ford Torino , yeah , go ahead ......

[Art Anderson]

Okay how bout another spin. No more injection molds, missing inserts and rust.Could resin company(s) be up to this DAUNT

ING task. To produce the product your customers want. Granted, not everyone has worked in or built a resin kit. I just visited a site where the whole page is filled with resin bodies race and stock. Guys are doing prototypes all the time, I may be one. Yes, much time, patience , reference material, etc.

  Thanks for your replies guys. I've learned quite a bit, but it looks like one of my grails The Uncertain T will be a homemade creature, along with a few other dinosaurs.

Having cast several thousand resin kits, transkits and parts sets, yes, it is possible to reproduce an entire model car kit in resin.  However, it IS NOT GOING TO BE INEXPENSIVE (at least not in the minds of most model car builders).    The sheer cost of materials (resin, and the catalyzed RTV rubber both are costly), and the very high labor intensity involved (particularly when compared to injection-molding styrene kits), make this a very daunting proposition for any "newbie" wanting to do such, and for even professionals in such a business, it's stll expensive--due to both the material costs as I mentioned, but also anyone doing this as a profession (even a part-time one) will expect to be paid for his/her labor, plus something for the investment of money in equipment (and while RTV rubber molds are of limited lifetime, they are "equipment), in other words, a return on such investment.

Art

[my66s55]

As far as any kit manufacturers issuing any new 50's kits, I can't see it. When Modelhaus was in business,at least you could get a resin copy of a desired year car. Even at that, it is far from a kit. Here is my list of model kits I would like to build. How many do you think would be even be considered to garner enough demand to manufacture?

1955-56 Plymouth                                                    1955-56 Pontiac

1955-56-57-58 Dodge                                              1956-57-59  Olds

1957-58-59 Chrysler New Yorker

1957-58-59 DeSoto Fire Flite

This is not a wish list. It's my to do list. All will have a rolling detailed chassis, Engine bays complete with correct engine and detailed interior. It has been my opinion for a number of years that, the only way to get a model kit of a subject you want to build, is to create it yourself. In order to do this, you need to have certain skills. 

[disabled modeler]

I guess SOME here can say what they want about the "STOCK " comments I have made . . I still reserve comments over the AMT "Motor City Stocker " kits bringing some OUTRAGEOUS prices . Go ahead , , go price a 1970 Ford Torino , yeah , go ahead ......

id gladly welcome the old Motor City Stockers series myself.

[my66s55]

As far as any kit manufacturers issuing any new 50's kits, I can't see it. When Modelhaus was in business,at least you could get a resin copy of a desired year car. Even at that, it is far from a kit. Here is my list of model kits I would like to build. How many do you think would be even be considered to garner enough demand to manufacture?

1955-56 Plymouth                                                    1955-56 Pontiac

1955-56-57-58 Dodge                                              1956-57-59  Olds

1957-58-59 Chrysler New Yorker

1957-58-59 DeSoto Fire Flite

This is not a wish list. It's my to do list. All will have a rolling detailed chassis, Engine bays complete with correct engine and detailed interior. It has been my opinion for a number of years that, the only way to get a model kit of a subject you want to build, is to create it yourself. In order to do this, you need to have certain skills. 

Let me add to that list 3d printable files I have access to.  55&57  Lincoln Premiers 

                                                                                            56 Lincoln continenetal

[Eshaver]

Doug, because I focus on Dioramas , I would buy any of these as kits . Maybe perhaps multiples because the Plymouth and the Pontiac held well in the dioramas I specialize in . The Oldsmobile would be a nice candidate simply because of it being a Great "Beater car " .....

[MrObsessive]

Doug, out of that list I'd have to say the '57 Olds might have the best shot of seeing the light of day as a standard glue kit. As for the others, like Ellen said I'd take all of them!

That '55 Plymouth is of special interest to me as that's the first car I can remember my Dad owning (a two door hardtop Savoy), and it's the car I was brought home from the hospital in.

1957 Liincoln Premiere two door hardtop?? Heck yeah I'd take one!

[gtx6970]

I'd love to have another shot at a 64 Comet, or 59 Imperial. I missed them the 1st time around.

Agreed,

I managed to pick up a couple of the 64 Comets when they were released . And did pick up a sealed 59 Imperial a couple years ago. Neither of which are very common on sellers swap meet table.

 

I for sure would take one or 2 more of each for sure

[Tom Geiger]

As far as any kit manufacturers issuing any new 50's kits, I can't see it. When Modelhaus was in business,at least you could get a resin copy of a desired year car. Even at that, it is far from a kit. Here is my list of model kits I would like to build. How many do you think would be even be considered to garner enough demand to manufacture?

1955-56 Plymouth                                                    1955-56 Pontiac

1955-56-57-58 Dodge                                              1956-57-59  Olds

1957-58-59 Chrysler New Yorker

1957-58-59 DeSoto Fire Flite

This is not a wish list. It's my to do list. All will have a rolling detailed chassis, Engine bays complete with correct engine and detailed interior. It has been my opinion for a number of years that, the only way to get a model kit of a subject you want to build, is to create it yourself. In order to do this, you need to have certain skills. 

Every one of those cars have been produced in scale in the past.  So for determined builders, models of these can be achieved by using old promos or resin copies.