If you were in charge of a model company

[Dave Van]

Fun discussion.......but hope you don't wake up in control of a model company!!!

Working in the biz you tend to loose it as a hobby. I am lucky to get to work with Model King and Moebius. I have done work at Revell and AMT too at one time.

While I still enjoy it I have lost plastic models as a hobby. Some days when deadlines are coming I say I am not going to do the biz side any longer and go back to the hobby I have enjoyed since I was 5 years old. But seeing something on the shelf at a store keeps me going.....for now. It is a very difficult job today.....1960's at AMT was a LOT more fun I am sure.....they could put anything out and it sold more than the best sellers today. Bud Anderson and Geo Barris dropping by with cool cars.....that might have been fun. Today it's tough and I respect those that do it full time.

I think Moebius is doing a pretty good job on box art. Across the board on their cars and Sci Fi or firgure kits. Sean S. did this one for the coming kit.....I like it....

Edited April 5, 2012 by Dave Van

[Harry P.]

1. Engineer kits so that chrome parts are not connected to the tree in places that are visible on the finished model.

2. Soft, real rubber tires.

3. Make all kit glass a snap fit to avoid the problem of trying to glue the glass in place without having the glue show (many modelers have a lot of trouble gluing in the glass neatly). A little engineering could eliminate the whole problem.

4. Always include a comprehensive list of correct factory interior/exterior color combinations for builders who like factory stock.

5. Ban the floating alternator!

[The70judgeman]

I think it boils down to part of what Ed was saying...opinion polls, optional parts, etc. What do the people in the hobby really want and want to see in the products being released. Not what they think we all want. It seems we start with a kit and end up "correcting" or customizing a model anyway. Of course, prices will reflect the effort put into producing a kit. The Japanese seem to have a better grasp of fit and finish...they are re-releasing some new "corrected" or updated kits...Tamiya especially. One for instance is a completely new kit based off an old kit of a WWII Japanese battleship that is updated, improved, and corrected to be much more accurate. I know most of us build cars or trucks, but that is just an example. I think they are just taking the lead on this on their own to produce a better product. Kudo's to them in my book.

[dj89sse]

only one thing i would want to do... find a way to get pre teens interested in building again. If kids were building money would come into the industry and companies would be able to take chances and do the things in all the above posts.

[Casey]

3. Make all kit glass a snap fit to avoid the problem of trying to glue the glass in place without having the glue show (many modelers have a lot of trouble gluing in the glass neatly). A little engineering could eliminate the whole problem.

That is a great idea, Harry, and one reason I liked the way Monogram engineered most of their "glass"- you could snap it in place and need only a little adhesive on one or two spots.

[geordie]

The future sucess of modeling will hinge on appealing to the youth, who are less interested in driving and fixing real cars, and more interested in electronic gadgets and games. Here's an idea....out of the box....partner with a gaming company, have a way for the kid to take his finished model to the local model shop, have it scanned and digitized and be able to upload it into the game, so he can 'drive it'....

[Scuderia]

The future sucess of modeling will hinge on appealing to the youth, who are less interested in driving and fixing real cars, and more interested in electronic gadgets and games. Here's an idea....out of the box....partner with a gaming company, have a way for the kid to take his finished model to the local model shop, have it scanned and digitized and be able to upload it into the game, so he can 'drive it'....

Hell i'm almost 30 and I'd do that lol.

A number of folks have designed cars in racing games and tried to duplicate them in scale.

[martinfan5]

You guys have some great Ideas, a lot of what I would do as well, I really like a few from Harry , and Gasp, Ed as well. I also like think that doing polls on model sites is something they should being now. And just not on kits to re release, but on what new subjects to do as well.

I like the Idea that Ed came up with, re releasing the kits that are sellers are trying to fetch a large sum for, some us that were not around when the kits first came out, are going miss out unless we want to fork out whats being asked for them.

Edited April 5, 2012 by martinfan5

[XJ6]

$$$$ Lower the Price $$$$............

[Ramfins59]

I'll put my 2 cents in on this... Yes I'd love to see parts on the chrome tree where the attachment point is NOT in a spot where you'll have to touch it up with paint or foil after trimming or sanding.

Also, I'd like to see molds designed like some of the Tamiya kits where the mold lines on the bodies are NOT in really obvious places... Have the mold lines be along the trim lines or the edge of the body and not running across the fenders and trunks. I understand the limits of moldmaking, but if some of the foreign companies can do it, why can't they ALL do it..??

I'd also like to see the glass in kits not being a one piece affair. Make separate pieces for the front and rear windows so that ugly runner/connector piece doesn't run across the headliner. I know some of the newer kits have separate front & rear glass, but can't they do it on ALL kits.

[puddingwrestler]

Stop relying so heavily on re-issues. Okay, the elder modelers like them and they can be fun, but often they are subjects which do not appeal t the younger modeler, and they are often more work than new tools just to put together. When I first started modeling as a teen, I was put off car models when the third car I built was a re-issue with poor fit and detail which I didn't enjoy building one bit (this was the late 90s).

I'd want to be issuing more new kits, and not all of older model cars. Kids are not as interested in those, you'd need to start issuing newer cars.

Convert all model tools to 3-in-1 style so every kit has optional parts, and actually update them so that you're not buying a 1970s custom interior in 2012, but a current style hotrod interior.

Also, have a small discrete icon on the box which tells you if a kit is a re-issue or not. Possibly put all the 'classic' reissues in their own series with their own distinct box art. Hell, have multiple series of kits with different box art aimed at different builders. Classic paintings for the traditional modelers, and flashy video game inspired versions for the kids.

Also for the video game riddled younger generation, how about magnetic custom parts so you can interchange them on the model once built? You could ship the kit with two or three different spoilers or whatever, and also make seperate sets just of body kit parts which could be swapped on.

Maybe develop a video game around the concept - look at what Lego have been doing with Video Games. Sales of bricks have taken a bit of a hit, so the company has diversified out into boardgames, video games and other areas. Not saying this will nessecarily work for cars, but the ability to build your own car for real to match the one you have in game is cool. You could even link up optional parts to game achievements. Maybe you get credit towards buying optional model parts through winning races or something.

[bbowser]

$$$$ Lower the Price $$$$............

You can't have it both ways. If we want better engineered kits, fewer re-issues (new tools), more options, better tires, American not Chinese jobs, etc. etc. it's going to cost more. It's not a hobby to the company.

There are a lot of great ideas here.

[martinfan5]

I keep saying and feeling that the model company need to start looking at doing more newer cars, and by newer I mean from the 80's and up. I am one of the few that have zero interest in anything before the mid 60's and really.

So If I were in charge , I would start focusing on newer subjects, because some day, the buyers of all the old kits, well wont be buying them anymore, and then what?. I think it needs to be a 50/50 or maybe 60/40 on old and new kits.

I would also stop making and tooling kits that are almost toy like, and if the car has see through wheels, then the kit will have to have brake parts.

[Greg Myers]

Dave we still have cool people today that show up with neat ideas for new kits.

[heatride]

1. Engineer kits so that chrome parts are not connected to the tree in places that are visible on the finished model.

This is the big one for me right here . I had rather them do it the way Harry has said or just leave them plain white plastic !

[Greg Myers]

I'm reading a book about the Ramchargers, a bunch of guys I'm sure most of you have heard of. Anyway, ( as Mel Brooks says in Blazing Saddles) "work, work , work" and then these guys would go home and flog it till the midnight hours with quite a string of accomplishments I might add.

I'd have to say if you work in the model car industry and don't like it, get out. You're doing something wrong.

I'm continually amazed at the sour grapes most people have, working in this industry, hearing it here and on many other boards from many other insiders. I for one am tired of all the doom and gloom. Walk into any hobby shop ( Hobby Lobby, Michaels included) and tell me we aren't in the golden age of modeling, again.

[Dave Van]

Dave we still have cool people today that show up with neat ideas for new kits.

I'm aware of that teaming with Revell.....but it was more an overall statement that this business is work....and not all fun. And being 50+ years of age Bud and Barris (met both of them) would be the guys I'd imagine showing up at my dream job of the 1960's! It's still more fun than not....but there are days you want to go collect stamps......

[Dragline]

The last 2 new Revell Funny Car kits have chrome sprue with invisible attatchment points, so it is on their radar.

If you don't build drag cars then you missed out.

Great ideas around this place.

Bob

[Art Anderson]

I think most of us here are capable of making a small fortune owning a model company--IF we start with a large fortune.

Art

[Dave Van]

I think most of us here are capable of making a small fortune owning a model company--IF we start with a large fortune.

:lol:

[Eshaver]

Art, if I were to start a model production company, I would want YOU in charge cause you sir have an UN-beatable track record ! Ed Shaver

[Art Anderson]

Art, if I were to start a model production company, I would want YOU in charge cause you sir have an UN-beatable track record ! Ed Shaver

Nope, sorry!

[dartman]

How about some realistic looking tires.Size and tread design.

[Jordan White]

Agree on the realistic tires, not to mention tires with lettering.

Overall, I wish the model companies would actually use all this interactive media to their advantage. Why have a Facebook page if you're not going to use it to see what the customer wants! Why not have polls that see what people would like in a certain kit, or what kits to produce next. Even if people don't have Facebook, get a mailing list together where polls and surveys can be sent though e-mail. See if people actually want yet another Mustang, Corvette, or Tri-5, or if they'd rather have something unique.

Guess that's more of a rant, but you get my point.

[GMP440]

I would have lots of product developement done. For instance I would invest in new tooling for subjects that modelers been crying for. Focus would be less on reissues and more on subjects we have not seen in years.

Also, would do more manufacturing in the US.