[quote]IMO the market for WWI tanks is too small.
There were only a few hundreds in duty on both sides (Entente and Germany) what is nothing, absolutely nothing in comparision to WWII.
For sure they have got a certain appeal but I suppose that there is only a minority amongst modelers who is really interested in.
That group might be that small, that an investment in creation new molds seems not to be justifiable.[/quote
I'm sure I read that Emhar sold loads of WW1 tanks when they started selling them (even breaking some sales record, but I might be wrong) but sales dropped off when people realised the kits weren't that great.
Hosted by Darren Baker
How can us WW1 TANK fans get noticed?
Beastmaster
Joined: January 27, 2009
KitMaker: 592 posts
Armorama: 588 posts
Posted: Thursday, August 20, 2009 - 10:00 AM UTC
gremlinz
Joined: February 07, 2009
KitMaker: 795 posts
Armorama: 743 posts
Posted: Thursday, August 20, 2009 - 10:39 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Interesting replies. I've written to a few magazines and had a letter published here and there also. Sending this thread to Wingnut might be an idea but Peter Jackson is mainly as far as I'm aware interested in aircraft and Roden mainly do aircraft but it might be worth a try. Eduard obviously did WW1 aircraft but none of them really seem to want to get into tanks, apart from Emhar. It's as if they think well Emhar's done them so there's no point in doing any more. Anyone know if the manufacturers visit this site and others?
PJ himself is an aircraft nut but as far as I'm aware he has no hands on involvement with wingnut models and they do have a small range of WWI non-aircraft related dioramas available and being developed though I think they are 54mm, not sure there. But never hurts to ask, if they say "no thanks, go away" you're no further ahead but then you're no further back either.
Murdo
Joined: May 25, 2005
KitMaker: 2,218 posts
Armorama: 1,050 posts
Posted: Thursday, August 20, 2009 - 10:50 AM UTC
These are the four WW1 items I have. Yeah, I know, the paint is totally wrong. It was all I had at the time.
Beastmaster
Joined: January 27, 2009
KitMaker: 592 posts
Armorama: 588 posts
Posted: Saturday, August 22, 2009 - 09:20 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextInteresting replies. I've written to a few magazines and had a letter published here and there also. Sending this thread to Wingnut might be an idea but Peter Jackson is mainly as far as I'm aware interested in aircraft and Roden mainly do aircraft but it might be worth a try. Eduard obviously did WW1 aircraft but none of them really seem to want to get into tanks, apart from Emhar. It's as if they think well Emhar's done them so there's no point in doing any more. Anyone know if the manufacturers visit this site and others?
PJ himself is an aircraft nut but as far as I'm aware he has no hands on involvement with wingnut models and they do have a small range of WWI non-aircraft related dioramas available and being developed though I think they are 54mm, not sure there. But never hurts to ask, if they say "no thanks, go away" you're no further ahead but then you're no further back either.
I wonder if it was PJ who actually set Wingnut Wings up? It might be worthwhile emailing manufacturers I suppose but I'm just baffled why a company like Tamiya can bring us the Char but they won't give us a Renault FT17 or a male or female. I know there's the RPM FT's plus modelkasten sets (which I still haven't purchased yet) but it seems as if it's not WW2 armour particularly German , they ain't interested. You'd think they'd at least test the waters - especially if the Char sold well.
gremlinz
Joined: February 07, 2009
KitMaker: 795 posts
Armorama: 743 posts
Posted: Saturday, August 22, 2009 - 11:56 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I wonder if it was PJ who actually set Wingnut Wings up? It might be worthwhile emailing manufacturers I suppose but I'm just baffled why a company like Tamiya can bring us the Char but they won't give us a Renault FT17 or a male or female. I know there's the RPM FT's plus modelkasten sets (which I still haven't purchased yet) but it seems as if it's not WW2 armour particularly German , they ain't interested. You'd think they'd at least test the waters - especially if the Char sold well.
Not sure if he set it up and owns it or just funded it but considering all his stuff carries the name "wingnut" ( as in wingnut films etc ) I suspect it's a hands off op owned by him. He has a business building full size WW1 aircraft and pretty sure he's chairman of the local airshow ( where this year they had a blank firing Flak 36/37 apparently ). He's also had a bunch of fullsize replica Lancasters built for the remake of Dambusters so he definitely has the interest in models of one scale or another, but his personal interest is widely known to be WW1 aircraft.
From a business point of view few companies would "test the waters" other than at major model shows where you may see "concepts" which may be no more than CAD drawings intended solely to gauge the level of interest. Which is why you would see things "announced" but never appearing on shelves. But most wouldn't put money into tooling and production unless they had some market research to back up projected sales figures.
Few companies would say "let's just build an XYZ and see how it sells and if we lose a few million on it put it down to the learning curve" ( the possible exception being General Motors who has produced some serious flops ). Hence why if you want someone to build it it's really up to you to prove to them that it will sell.
But then look at armoured trains, Trumpeter found a niche there that wasn't being served and as they are coming out with more along those lines obviously sales are sufficient to keep them serving that niche. So I would say if you can get someone to start the ball rolling that if the ball rolls far enough plenty of others will come along to help kick it.
TerryM
Joined: April 06, 2008
KitMaker: 15 posts
Armorama: 12 posts
Posted: Saturday, August 22, 2009 - 01:20 PM UTC
I believe that WW1 armor is an area that really deserves to be explored, and besides, there's not that many subjects cover compared to other periods anyway. As far as this idea of a niche subject, British armor was a subject badly neglected for a long time, yet thanks to companies like AFV Club, Bronco, and a few nice efforts by Tamiya they seem to be good sellers and continue to dish out more in the future, and now Tamiya even decided to redo the Matilda tank. If anything AT LEAST try to do a good kit of a Mark IV or a Renault FT-17! Anyone who have any basic historical knowledge of tanks will understand the significance of these two vehicles! I'm sure there are many modelers itching to slap one together dished out by any of the big-name manufacturers!
Beastmaster
Joined: January 27, 2009
KitMaker: 592 posts
Armorama: 588 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 23, 2009 - 10:25 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I believe that WW1 armor is an area that really deserves to be explored, and besides, there's not that many subjects cover compared to other periods anyway. As far as this idea of a niche subject, British armor was a subject badly neglected for a long time, yet thanks to companies like AFV Club, Bronco, and a few nice efforts by Tamiya they seem to be good sellers and continue to dish out more in the future, and now Tamiya even decided to redo the Matilda tank. If anything AT LEAST try to do a good kit of a Mark IV or a Renault FT-17! Anyone who have any basic historical knowledge of tanks will understand the significance of these two vehicles! I'm sure there are many modelers itching to slap one together dished out by any of the big-name manufacturers!
Exactly. I love my WW2 tanks as well but what amazes me also is that (to me anyway) some of these WW2 tanks such as some of the lesser known German armour that's been released recently aren't that interesting. I know it's all a matter of taste but I find A Male or an FT17 much more visually interesting than a Panzer IV for instance, even though I like Panzer IV's.
goldnova72
Joined: February 21, 2009
KitMaker: 627 posts
Armorama: 592 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 30, 2009 - 03:58 PM UTC
If the Germans used it in WW2 ,someone will eventually put out a model of it. Just found a couple of pictures of Renault FT 17s on a German train (page 22 ,German Armoured trains in WW2 , W.Sawodny , Schiffer pub).Must be more photos out there. And armoured rail cars and locos seem to be "hot" right now. ....Hope we get some armour of pre ww2 vintage some day soon...Jim 
Dutchy3RTR
Joined: June 28, 2009
KitMaker: 340 posts
Armorama: 337 posts
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 11:31 AM UTC
WooHoo, someone's been listening.
From the Accurate Armour newsletter:
"For fans of early (and they don't get much earlier!) AFV's, we can confirm "No-1 Lincoln Machine" (LITTLE WILLIE), as a kit for early 2010."
http://www.accurate-armour.com/comingsoon.cfm?navlevel=2
From the Accurate Armour newsletter:
"For fans of early (and they don't get much earlier!) AFV's, we can confirm "No-1 Lincoln Machine" (LITTLE WILLIE), as a kit for early 2010."
http://www.accurate-armour.com/comingsoon.cfm?navlevel=2
lespauljames
Joined: January 06, 2007
KitMaker: 3,661 posts
Armorama: 2,764 posts
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 11:40 AM UTC
Shame AA are expensive,
Gentlemen, Please, i have a plan.
We should start a campaign, called "Getting ourselved heard"
we should build, many many emhar 1/72 and 1/35 ww1 kits.
then, we should procede to track down the heads of all the companies who we want to see produce ww1 tanks. and throw the complete Emhar kits at them, forcing them inot submission.
i believe, if we throw enought Emhar kits, we may be heard. A small cry, peircing through the Sombre blanket of Tigers, and Panzer Iv's
Gentlemen, Please, i have a plan.
We should start a campaign, called "Getting ourselved heard"
we should build, many many emhar 1/72 and 1/35 ww1 kits.
then, we should procede to track down the heads of all the companies who we want to see produce ww1 tanks. and throw the complete Emhar kits at them, forcing them inot submission.
i believe, if we throw enought Emhar kits, we may be heard. A small cry, peircing through the Sombre blanket of Tigers, and Panzer Iv's
JackFlash
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
Armorama: 256 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 08:47 AM UTC
If you want to be heard? You have to have front page Kit Reviews and Features. When the manufacturers come to the Kitmaker sites, that is where they go. Most don't bother with forums. You need an editor that will use his g-mail to contact companies representing Kitmaker and extract free samples - kits. Then this person must be willing to get "fair" in the box reviews done then pass these on to builders that will commit to finishing a kit with in 6-8 weeks. Then a Feature on the build is done.
The point is each forum needs a representative. So someone get with Jim and begin the process.
The point is each forum needs a representative. So someone get with Jim and begin the process.
firstcircle
Joined: November 19, 2008
KitMaker: 2,249 posts
Armorama: 2,007 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 09:39 AM UTC
I'm currently building Airfix's "new" Mk 1 Male. Is it really new and is it really Airfix original tooling? I don't disbelieve, I only ask out of curiosity. I have no first hand knowledge of what their old Mk 1 was like, other than I'd heard it was dreadful. The ad I saw said this was new tooling, and it certainly has nice crisp details and fits together fairly well so far. I have only seen one article on it on the web, I'm sure there are others, but has anyone else here built it yet? There is a Female as well, is there not?
adamsmasher
Joined: June 27, 2009
KitMaker: 192 posts
Armorama: 54 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 06:27 PM UTC
Has anyone tried to get a petition going? They aren't always the most effective, but they're quick and easy. If you had enough signatures on it of people stating they would buy a WWI kit then it might get someone's attention (assuming enough people sign it).
ninjrk
Joined: January 26, 2006
KitMaker: 1,381 posts
Armorama: 1,347 posts
Posted: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 01:55 AM UTC
I wonder if part of the problem isn't simply that there are already are kits of several WW2 tanks, so you're competing with other existing kits for a preumably smaller core of modelers than those who will buy the German E-1259Pi Ausf X sight unseen. Sure, the existing injection kits are crap but they're still out there.
My gut says if Wingnut, Dragon, Trumpeter, ect released a Mk V it would make a profit but I certainly have no market research to back that up.
Matt
My gut says if Wingnut, Dragon, Trumpeter, ect released a Mk V it would make a profit but I certainly have no market research to back that up.
Matt
JackFlash
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
Armorama: 256 posts
Posted: Friday, September 25, 2009 - 06:26 PM UTC
Ok I'll say this again. "If you want to be heard? You have to have front page Kit Reviews and Features. When the manufacturers come to the Kitmaker sites, that is where they go. Most don't bother with forums. You need an editor that will use his g-mail to contact companies representing Kitmaker and extract free samples - kits. Then this person must be willing to get "fair" in the box reviews done then pass these on to builders that will commit to finishing a kit with in 6-8 weeks. Then a Feature on the build is done.
The point is each forum needs a representative. So someone get with Jim and begin the process".
The point is each forum needs a representative. So someone get with Jim and begin the process".
adamsmasher
Joined: June 27, 2009
KitMaker: 192 posts
Armorama: 54 posts
Posted: Saturday, September 26, 2009 - 08:42 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Ok I'll say this again. "If you want to be heard? You have to have front page Kit Reviews and Features. When the manufacturers come to the Kitmaker sites, that is where they go. Most don't bother with forums. You need an editor that will use his g-mail to contact companies representing Kitmaker and extract free samples - kits. Then this person must be willing to get "fair" in the box reviews done then pass these on to builders that will commit to finishing a kit with in 6-8 weeks. Then a Feature on the build is done.
The point is each forum needs a representative. So someone get with Jim and begin the process".
Hmm... well I don't think finding builders will be a problem as demonstrated by this post; that said, who wants to take up the reins and be the liaison with Jim and get the ball rolling? I've never done a review myself so I don't think that I'm probably the best person to that end of the process (also, I've never talked with Jim), although I would certainly agree to build a kit
So... who's feeling ambitious?
blaster76
Joined: September 15, 2002
KitMaker: 8,985 posts
Armorama: 3,034 posts
Posted: Saturday, September 26, 2009 - 11:25 AM UTC
I must say that basically I have no nterest in WW 1 tanks. But..... I really am sick to death of all the remake after remake and digging out non-production WW 2 German stuff. I rarely come over to this site anymore becasue it has become ad nauseum for me. I am excited about the Trumper T-62 series starting to come out. I for one would probably pick up a MkIV male and female just for something different to build. I mean how many Tiger 1's can you build there are only a few major variants and then a billion small variants. (I have 7) My big thing now is 350 scale ships we are in the heyday just as 35th Armor was 10 years ago.. Even there we are strting to get a lot of variations of the big ships. Of course a Yamato 1941 is a world of difference from the final set up in April 1945.
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