Round2 Dec 2024 youtube

[Mark C.]

10 hours ago, Robberbaron said:

Crossing my fingers that we will see that happen!

With minor alterations to the body tooling to make the turn signals separate, it could be easily reissued as either a '71 or the '72 with just a change of the grill and turn signal lenses.  After all, we haven't had a styrene '71 Chevelle in 53 years.

This could also allow the height and shape of the turn signals to be corrected.  From what I've seen in pictures online, it looks like even the original '72 kits and promos were off in that regard.

I’ve been wondering whether a ‘71 variant would be possible as well.  Admittedly I don’t have much knowledge of the details of these cars, so I don’t know if the interiors are the same between the two years?

[Mr mopar]

I was hoping that the SS slasher would have the street funny parts still in it but no luck ! 

[Ragtop Man]

On 12/5/2024 at 8:44 AM, Daddyfink said:

Why Round 2 or Revell have not made a new tool Chevelle is beyond me! They have retooled the '57 Chevy, '32 Ford, '67 Camaro and so on, why not an early 70's Chevelle? 

 

Assume you have seen the Revell '68 and '69?  Plus the '70 Snap WOF from a few years ago? Chevelles are the last thing I'd say are being ignored. 

[Ragtop Man]

On 12/4/2024 at 8:50 PM, RSchnell said:

Agree 100%.   It's really interesting how Revell can put out new tool kits that are vastly superior to anything Round 2 has in their catalog and retail around $23-26. Round 2 is pumping out stuff that should've been retired or retooled with a selling price that far exceeds the quality. Aside from the '60 & '63 Ford pickups, I haven't bought anything put out by Round 2 in the past year or so. It's easier to go to a model show/swap and find an older issue of said kit for a third of the price & usually not as many problems with warpage, flash etc.

If you don't have the R2 '65 or '68 GTOs, you are missing out, IMO. Both extremely well done, fixed a lot of details that AMT and MPC got wrong in the day. The '64 Chevelle was either a rare resin or you paid through the nose for a Craftsman. None of those annuals or the AFX were accessible or affordable in their original iterations, if you could even find them. 

[slusher]

Every month we are not going to get blown away with the releases of every month. Round 2 has gave us new kits and those great Ford truck kits. Let’s see what next year brings. All of us has part boxes to fix any wheel and engine short comings. 

[Chris V]

On 12/5/2024 at 4:09 PM, SteveG said:

As for the MPC SSlasher Chevelle, there was a good reason it disappeared for 40 years.   A portion of the tooling containing the engine parts was removed for use in something else, making it totally unusable. To top that off any the inserts that might be useful were on the other side of the world.  I was lucky to get the budget approval to retool up the missing parts.  I did my best to try and find a set of stock looking wheels that we could easily add make it a true 2n1 kit, but it wasn't in the cards.  Honestly, I didn't think of adding the adding the same 5 spokes that are in the Dart, but I guess I could of.   Still, if it sells well enough as the SSlasher kit there a good chance I'll get to spend some more money on it for a future release, maybe something close to the '71 annual but without the Spoof parts.  

-Steve

Like many others I’m absolutely thrilled to see the “SSlasher” return, and will definitely get a couple when they become available to purchase.
Considering the look of the model, the newly (re-)tooled slot mags from the “Streaker Vette” seem like a natural choice to include in future reissues.

Edited December 6, 2024 by Chris V

[Daddyfink]

8 hours ago, Ragtop Man said:

Assume you have seen the Revell '68 and '69?  Plus the '70 Snap WOF from a few years ago? Chevelles are the last thing I'd say are being ignored. 

Don't assume! LOL! And no, they are not 70 to 72, are they? 

 

 

[Can-Con]

On 12/4/2024 at 7:44 PM, DJMar said:

Agreed. Personally, I have trouble shelling out current retail for yesteryear's kit design & tech. Nostalgia is cool, but for me, the money to fun ratio just isn't there with a lot of R2's recent releases.

 

On 12/4/2024 at 9:50 PM, RSchnell said:

Agree 100%.   It's really interesting how Revell can put out new tool kits that are vastly superior to anything Round 2 has in their catalog and retail around $23-26. Round 2 is pumping out stuff that should've been retired or retooled with a selling price that far exceeds the quality. Aside from the '60 & '63 Ford pickups, I haven't bought anything put out by Round 2 in the past year or so. It's easier to go to a model show/swap and find an older issue of said kit for a third of the price & usually not as many problems with warpage, flash etc.

Ya know, it's not a problem guys, just don't buy them. It's just a box of plastic, no one's life depends on you buying one. 🤨

[Robberbaron]

11 hours ago, Mark C. said:

I’ve been wondering whether a ‘71 variant would be possible as well.  Admittedly I don’t have much knowledge of the details of these cars, so I don’t know if the interiors are the same between the two years?

Pretty sure interiors stayed the same from 71 to 72.  Originally the next generation "colonnade" A-bodies were planned to debut in 1972, but they got pushed back a model year.  So all the divisions had to do quickie updates to their 1971 models.

Most of the cars had minor changes such as grills, front turn signals, taillights, etc.  Pretty sure the only noticeable difference on the Chevelles was the front turn signals and the grills.

Similar situation with Cutlasses: grill and taillight changes.  71 and 72 442 even used the same grill, just painted black vs. silver.

[Chris in Berwyn]

32 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

 

Ya know, it's not a problem guys, just don't buy them. It's just a box of plastic, no one's life depends on you buying one. 🤨

I assume R2 people are smart enough to figure out whether they will make more money selling fewer kits and a higher price, or whether more kits at a lower price is better for them.  Personally, I have to really, really want it to fork over $34 or so for a kit with tooling that was paid for back in 1972 or whenever. 
 

All that said, R2 is putting out a LOT of ads with deep discounts on kit prices recently. Makes me wonder if sales are slower than anticipated and they need to either bring in some cash or get deadweight out of their warehouse. 

[DJMar]

2 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Ya know, it's not a problem guys, just don't buy them. It's just a box of plastic, no one's life depends on you buying one. 🤨

REALLY? 🫢

[RSchnell]

4 hours ago, Chris in Berwyn said:

I assume R2 people are smart enough to figure out whether they will make more money selling fewer kits and a higher price, or whether more kits at a lower price is better for them.  Personally, I have to really, really want it to fork over $34 or so for a kit with tooling that was paid for back in 1972 or whenever. 
 

All that said, R2 is putting out a LOT of ads with deep discounts on kit prices recently. Makes me wonder if sales are slower than anticipated and they need to either bring in some cash or get deadweight out of their warehouse. 

I've noticed that too. You'd think they'd have worked a deal with everyone's favorite bargain store to offload a bunch of dead stock. I know the last go round with the AMT & Monogram kits- they sat on the shelves for months compared to in the past where the scalpers would clean them out in 2 days. 

My personal opinion is they've saturated the market with kits that should have been retired not to mention you've got an ancient AMT kit priced at $35('65 Galaxie hardtop) sitting next to a new/newer tool Revell for $25('66 Impala hardtop) and is light years ahead of the AMT in terms of fit & finish. 

[Mark C.]

I dunno.  Having read most if not all of Steve G’s posts on the cloning and reissuing of old kits, I would think that more of us would understand the efforts that it takes to make this happen and be appreciative of it.  Maybe some of us don’t remember the dry period that car and truck models went through some 20-ish years ago, when this was considered a dying hobby that was basically a kid’s activity, but since then the choices have improved to a point that I couldn’t have imagined back then.  There are some great new tools out there for those that “need” the latest and greatest, but then for the rest of us there are also some awesome kits of subject matter that we would not ever have dreamed of seeing again, and would never see if it weren’t for cloning of old kits or modified reissues.  I for one am happy to have the choice, and also recognize that the parts are out there to create a super detailed version of most of these reissues if somebody wants to put the effort into doing it.

For me, I’ve never seen a better time to be in the hobby and I am thankful for it.  And as Can-Con said, don’t buy it if you don’t like it.  It’s really up to the companies investing the money into these kits to decide what to do.  Our only job is to buy what we like.  How does it get any better than that in the ‘real world’?

[Tom Geiger]

First, Round Two is doing a great job. Bringing back old classics like the Ford pickups as new tools,  putting money into incomplete old tools of kits we haven't seen in eons.  Kudos to them!

For the folks complaining that they are charging money for kits  "whose tooling has been paid for since 1972", that's just not so. The company that created and paid for that tool in 1972 doesn't exist anymore. The tooling went through a succession of owners, who each paid up to acquire it.  And that chain now ends with Round Two who probably has that tooling on the books as an asset with value.  That comment is the equivalent to saying that a classic 1:1 1962 Corvette shouldn't be sold for big money because it was paid for in 1962!   

As far as rereleasing old kits on a regular cycle, those kits we all can buy older versions at discount prices at shows,  remember that we are the lunatic fringe.  We are very involved hobbyists who know about shows and even sources where we can buy new kits for less than retail.  Some 80% of kits are bought by occasional hobbyists. I witness that as I don't know of another modeler in our circle who lives in my town.  But new kits disappear from Hobby Lobby every day. I can see the changes in stock when I visit. Somebody is buying those kits!   And that's the majority of the market that they chase.  I once read that the average stay in the hobby for average folks is 18 months.  That means that they could reissue old kits every two years to a brand new audience. It's not all about us.

[Can-Con]

13 hours ago, Chris in Berwyn said:

 a kit with tooling that was paid for back in 1972 or whenever. 

But that's the thing with old tooling Chris.  The tooling may very well not be "paid for" yet.

You have to think of the tooling like an used car. Sure someone bought it off the lot brand new and paid for it. Then they sold it, and it was sold again. Every time it's sold the new buyer has to pay for it , right?

Same thing. The tooling was bought new[created] and paid for. But it was bought and sold several times since them and it had to be paid for every time. When Round 2 bought it, they had to pay for it again and the only way they get to recoup their investment it to run the tooling and sell the kits it produces.

Do they have to sell them for as much as they do? Probably not but they are in the business to make money, not supply us with kits as a free service. 

And something to remember is these kit sales help build their accounts so they can afford to have new kits created and released.

[Can-Con]

11 hours ago, DJMar said:

REALLY? 🫢

Yup, really. I know that sounds pretty flippant and possibly a bit ignorant but here's how I look at it.

Every model kit is just a box of plastic. It may be something you like and want to have or it may not be.

If it's something you're not interested in you don't buy it. Say, a model of a sailing ship or a gundam for example. If it doesn't interest you, you ignore it and move on. 

If it something that does interest you but you don't like the kit, same thing. Ignore it and move on. 

No one has to buy every kit ever released, nore should they. What's the point? If you don't like the kit or it doesn't interest you, don't buy it. It's just that simple.

[Stef]

In the 90s, we had the first golden age, featuring tons and tons of NEW kits.

Now, Round2 is giving us a second golden age, featuring tons and tons of OLD kits.

 

Could not be happier with the state of the hobby, and Round2 is knocking it out of the park nearly every month.

Their new stuff, old stuff, and modified stuff keeps me buying more and more and more.

Stuff I butchered as a kid. Stuff I'd forgotten about. Stuff I missed the first time around. Stuff I didn't even know I ever wanted.

Working on the 60 Ford pickup as we speak, and even 5 years ago, it seemed like an impossible dream to ever build one, drooling over (Plowboy's?) build thread of an old promo.

I've bought more Round2 kits since coming back to the hobby (8 years ago), than all the other kit makers combined.

Nostalgia is one hell of a drug, and if Round2 ever reissues the 82 Cavalier, Night Prowler, Stunt Van, and a few others, my life will be complete, heh.

[slusher]

On 12/7/2024 at 8:58 AM, Tom Geiger said:

First, Round Two is doing a great job. Bringing back old classics like the Ford pickups as new tools,  putting money into incomplete old tools of kits we haven't seen in eons.  Kudos to them!

For the folks complaining that they are charging money for kits  "whose tooling has been paid for since 1972", that's just not so. The company that created and paid for that tool in 1972 doesn't exist anymore. The tooling went through a succession of owners, who each paid up to acquire it.  And that chain now ends with Round Two who probably has that tooling on the books as an asset with value.  That comment is the equivalent to saying that a classic 1:1 1962 Corvette shouldn't be sold for big money because it was paid for in 1962!   

As far as rereleasing old kits on a regular cycle, those kits we all can buy older versions at discount prices at shows,  remember that we are the lunatic fringe.  We are very involved hobbyists who know about shows and even sources where we can buy new kits for less than retail.  Some 80% of kits are bought by occasional hobbyists. I witness that as I don't know of another modeler in our circle who lives in my town.  But new kits disappear from Hobby Lobby every day. I can see the changes in stock when I visit. Somebody is buying those kits!   And that's the majority of the market that they chase.  I once read that the average stay in the hobby for average folks is 18 months.  That means that they could reissue old kits every two years to a brand new audience. It's not all about us.

Well said Tom!

[mrm]

On 12/7/2024 at 8:58 AM, Tom Geiger said:

First, Round Two is doing a great job. Bringing back old classics like the Ford pickups as new tools,  putting money into incomplete old tools of kits we haven't seen in eons.  Kudos to them!

For the folks complaining that they are charging money for kits  "whose tooling has been paid for since 1972", that's just not so. The company that created and paid for that tool in 1972 doesn't exist anymore. The tooling went through a succession of owners, who each paid up to acquire it.  And that chain now ends with Round Two who probably has that tooling on the books as an asset with value.  That comment is the equivalent to saying that a classic 1:1 1962 Corvette shouldn't be sold for big money because it was paid for in 1962!   

As far as rereleasing old kits on a regular cycle, those kits we all can buy older versions at discount prices at shows,  remember that we are the lunatic fringe.  We are very involved hobbyists who know about shows and even sources where we can buy new kits for less than retail.  Some 80% of kits are bought by occasional hobbyists. I witness that as I don't know of another modeler in our circle who lives in my town.  But new kits disappear from Hobby Lobby every day. I can see the changes in stock when I visit. Somebody is buying those kits!   And that's the majority of the market that they chase.  I once read that the average stay in the hobby for average folks is 18 months.  That means that they could reissue old kits every two years to a brand new audience. It's not all about us.

I would have to respectfully disagree with most of that comment. Especially the last paragraph. 

First off, if R2 were solely in the business of making model kits, with their current offerings, pricing and competition would be out of business in a year, two max. Their kits (exclusively) are offered in Walmarts for prices ranging from $19.99 to $29.99. And they are collecting dust. They took out their displays before black Friday to make room for stuff that actually sells. Now they wheeled the pallets back out and they are staying full with the occasional John Wick Chevelle missing. And that's because of John Wick. I bought a couple. A '61 Galaxie because I thought it looked cool and a '92 Silverado because it is one of the few pick up trucks that I'm actually attracted to. Both for $19 each. Well, I'm sorry, but they are junk. In comparison, in Hobby lobby there are Revell kits too. And every other week all model kits are 40% off. That's when models are bought. And from the ones that are bought, the R2 are not the ones flying off the shelves and being restocked. If we take your number of 18 months for the average folks in the hobby, it means they need to be attracted by something to first try the hobby and then by other subjects to keep them in it. In other words you only have so many chances to "get them". And here comes the problem. To the "new-bloods" the R2 offerings are boring and unattractive with uninspiring box art. So when they decide to give the hobby a try, they go to what attracts them, which is definitely not a '70s Plymouth that they have never even heard of. And if they decide for some reason to give the hobby a try with the '61 Galaxie I got, they will face antique and not easy instructions, poor quality moldings and one-piece bumper/grille/headlights that look inferior to the 1/64 Hot Wheels Premiums. Then next time they try the Bandai Star Wars models or the Gundham robots. And they discover models that actually fit, have a higher quality feel to them and can be completed to look a lot better with a lot less effort. And then they never look back. If they even picked a car to begin with. "They can reissue old kits every two years to a brand new audience" only if those kits are attractive to that brand new audience. And they are not. And will become less and less attractive, because those kits are stuck in the'60s, while the world moves on. The only people excited to see kits that haven't been seen in eons are people who were alive eons ago. And if these are the target demographic of a business, that is a very, very short term business plan. It is literally the same as selling old movies on VHS tapes in 2024 for the "nostalgia factor". 

Edited December 13, 2024 by mrm

[Tom Geiger]

On 12/12/2024 at 10:16 PM, mrm said:

I would have to respectfully disagree with most of that comment. Especially the last paragraph. 

First off, if R2 were solely in the business of making model kits, with their current offerings, pricing and competition would be out of business in a year, two max. Their kits (exclusively) are offered in Walmarts for prices ranging from $19.99 to $29.99. And they are collecting dust. They took out their displays before black Friday to make room for stuff that actually sells. Now they wheeled the pallets back out and they are staying full with the occasional John Wick Chevelle missing. And that's because of John Wick. I bought a couple. A '61 Galaxie because I thought it looked cool and a '92 Silverado because it is one of the few pick up trucks that I'm actually attracted to. Both for $19 each. Well, I'm sorry, but they are junk. In comparison, in Hobby lobby there are Revell kits too. And every other week all model kits are 40% off. That's when models are bought. And from the ones that are bought, the R2 are not the ones flying off the shelves and being restocked. If we take your number of 18 months for the average folks in the hobby, it means they need to be attracted by something to first try the hobby and then by other subjects to keep them in it. In other words you only have so many chances to "get them". And here comes the problem. To the "new-bloods" the R2 offerings are boring and unattractive with uninspiring box art. So when they decide to give the hobby a try, they go to what attracts them, which is definitely not a '70s Plymouth that they have never even heard of. And if they decide for some reason to give the hobby a try with the '61 Galaxie I got, they will face antique and not easy instructions, poor quality moldings and one-piece bumper/grille/headlights that look inferior to the 1/64 Hot Wheels Premiums. Then next time they try the Bandai Star Wars models or the Gundham robots. And they discover models that actually fit, have a higher quality feel to them and can be completed to look a lot better with a lot less effort. And then they never look back. If they even picked a car to begin with. "They can reissue old kits every two years to a brand new audience" only if those kits are attractive to that brand new audience. And they are not. And will become less and less attractive, because those kits are stuck in the'60s, while the world moves on. The only people excited to see kits that haven't been seen in eons are people who were alive eons ago. And if these are the target demographic of a business, that is a very, very short term business plan. It is literally the same as selling old movies on VHS tapes in 2024 for the "nostalgia factor". 

Um no... actually told to me by an industry person I was having dinner with the evening before NNL East.  

Round 2 no doubt makes more of it's money in diecast, sci fi and the TV and movie genre.  They own the model companies and are pulling this old stuff out of the warehouse because  Tom Lowe, R2 owner,  is a nostalgic toy guy.  He's doing it because he wants to. It's good to be king.  Just like Frank of Moebius produced those Hudsons... not because there was a lot of market research, but because Frank LIKES Hudsons!   

As the Baby Boomers retire, more and more guys are rediscovering old hobbies.  We see it in model cars, and I see it in stamp collecting as well.  That's the market of new casual buyers.  Understand that those of us so involved that we know all the company history and attend all the shows really account for 10% of the sales.   We are those guys in Star Trek uniforms shaking our fists at the sky!