I commend ICM for going 1/24 scale, but question their choice of subject matter. How many staff cars will modelers buy versus 1/4 ton,3/4 ton or 2 1/2 ton.
Would love to see a 3/4 ton with the detail and quality of Skybow/AFV 1/35 scale Dodge in 1/24 scale.

I commend ICM for going 1/24 scale, but question their choice of subject matter. How many staff cars will modelers buy versus 1/4 ton,3/4 ton or 2 1/2 ton.
Would love to see a 3/4 ton with the detail and quality of Skybow/AFV 1/35 scale Dodge in 1/24 scale.

Damn. When I saw ICM I had hoped it might be a Gaz-63.

Dennis
Wow I thought I had said it all. I'll have to look for some of your previous posts. What forum should we use to vent our displeasure with the manufacturers.
I do not wish to make any one mad just would like to get their attention .

Sorry but you and your buddies' $2000 annual modeling budget isn't even a consideration. The Japanese home market is the single biggest model buying entity extant.

Dennis: You certainly can share your opinions of the seeming "mis-direction" of model company choices but I see things vastly differently.

Firstly, I'm a huge Allied WW2 builder -- I love Allied subjects. But I also mn not a planning manager or business analyst for any of the major model companies. My thought is this: whatever it takes for companies to be profitable (in order for them to make my preferred Allied models), then I'm all for it. Whether it be the 50th iteration of a Tiger tank to pink-painted Anime tanks w/girl figurines, what does it matter to me? Why should it matter to you?

For instance, when Tamiya issued the 1/35 German Elefant, the typical chorus of jeers came out -- ususally from people upset that "their" pet subject was still not issued.

I think this is frankly, supremely un-informed thinking. Where were these people when Tamiya issued 15 model aircraft, 80 automobiles/racing cars, 20 1/48 subjects and 30 modeling tools that same month? Did they COMPLAIN that Tamiya was mis-directing its resources away from the next 1/35 Allied gem in favor of a 1/25 Formula one racer? Did you see "how dare they produce a 1/72 Apache AH-1 attack copter!! I'm boycotting Tamiya until the make a 1/35 Pacific soft-cab Dragon Wagon. I'll never buy another Tamiya kit again!!!"

Of course not. They were ignorant of Tamiya's vast holdings and other markets. But issue a German 1/35 subject instead of {insert your favorite subject here}? Omigod. Grab the pitchforks and torches and march to Tamiya headquarters.

Business Basics 101. They are here to make money, not satisfy our model-geekiness, fomented in our little workshops, drooling over Squadron In Action books.

So to people complaining about a "bias" of companies, I say this:

a) become like Peter Jackson and plow multi-millions into your own pet startup company. Direct them to cut molds of your favorite subjects w/o regard to profit

b) Why should you care what model companies make as long as they make good business decisions? If DML chooses to take a few years away from 1/35 to develop other markets, make a mint, and then return as a behemoth in the 1/35 market -- is this a bad thing? (BTW: this is EXACTLY what DML did. They practically stopped issuing 1/35, poured tremendous resources into 1/6th "Battle Barbies", revived that market and made a bucket of money to boot -- and re-entered the 1/35 market to quickly assume the premier position)

c) I don't know about most of you, but I can't believe you're so incredibly productive in your model-building as to even touch the amount of new Allied releases that have come out in the last five years. Look at your stash of untouched or incomplete Allied subjects -- and see if you can voice your COMPLAINTS the lack of new models coming out. Where's your Dragon Wagon? Your Archer? Your multiple Churchill tanks? Done with the M24? Done with the Ontos? How about that M42A1 Duster? Those Staghound kits built up in a snap, right? Surely the Tasca line was just a speed bump. Ready to decal that new Jeep and DML M16 MGMC? Your Long Tom and Char B1bis were done years ago, of course. You get the point.

d) There's no conspiracy afoot to STAY AWAY FROM ALLIED SUBJECTS. Often, not enough good reference material exist or there's an absence of surviving vehicles. Or, the project is so obscure as to not likely generate a return on investment (e.g. M3 (not M3A1) Scout Car). It's not as if company officials are sitting around, looking at white boards with allied subjects with great profit potential and choosing Berlin 1946 subjects with poor profit potential instead. Indeed, you see small makers (Mirror, Mini Art, ICM) taking chances with very odd allied subjects -- hoping to catch a little of the market.

e) petitions? Online rants? Sorry but you and your buddies' $2000 annual modeling budget isn't even a consideration. The Japanese home market is the single biggest model buying entity extant. That drives all decisions (think about the 1/48 revival). China will probably come next. You're better off spending more time trying to reduce your own stash just to enjoy the tsunami of Allied kits already sitting on the hobby store shelves. Want to petition or protest? Go to the local women's shelter or food pantry. Donate some kits to the local VA hospital or soldier/sailors/airmen stationed overseas. Volunteer at USO events. Getting bothered over stupid plastic that will be in a land fill in 30-40 years? No way.

Anti-rant rant over.

Business Basics 101. They are here to make money, not satisfy our model-geekiness, .

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Dennis: You certainly can share your opinions of the seeming "mis-direction" of model company choices but I see things vastly differently.

Firstly, I'm a huge Allied WW2 builder -- I love Allied subjects. But I also mn not a planning manager or business analyst for any of the major model companies. My thought is this: whatever it takes for companies to be profitable (in order for them to make my preferred Allied models), then I'm all for it. Whether it be the 50th iteration of a Tiger tank to pink-painted Anime tanks w/girl figurines, what does it matter to me? Why should it matter to you?

For instance, when Tamiya issued the 1/35 German Elefant, the typical chorus of jeers came out -- ususally from people upset that "their" pet subject was still not issued.

I think this is frankly, supremely un-informed thinking. Where were these people when Tamiya issued 15 model aircraft, 80 automobiles/racing cars, 20 1/48 subjects and 30 modeling tools that same month? Did they COMPLAIN that Tamiya was mis-directing its resources away from the next 1/35 Allied gem in favor of a 1/25 Formula one racer? Did you see "how dare they produce a 1/72 Apache AH-1 attack copter!! I'm boycotting Tamiya until the make a 1/35 Pacific soft-cab Dragon Wagon. I'll never buy another Tamiya kit again!!!"

Of course not. They were ignorant of Tamiya's vast holdings and other markets. But issue a German 1/35 subject instead of {insert your favorite subject here}? Omigod. Grab the pitchforks and torches and march to Tamiya headquarters.

Business Basics 101. They are here to make money, not satisfy our model-geekiness, fomented in our little workshops, drooling over Squadron In Action books.

So to people complaining about a "bias" of companies, I say this:

a) become like Peter Jackson and plow multi-millions into your own pet startup company. Direct them to cut molds of your favorite subjects w/o regard to profit

b) Why should you care what model companies make as long as they make good business decisions? If DML chooses to take a few years away from 1/35 to develop other markets, make a mint, and then return as a behemoth in the 1/35 market -- is this a bad thing? (BTW: this is EXACTLY what DML did. They practically stopped issuing 1/35, poured tremendous resources into 1/6th "Battle Barbies", revived that market and made a bucket of money to boot -- and re-entered the 1/35 market to quickly assume the premier position)

c) I don't know about most of you, but I can't believe you're so incredibly productive in your model-building as to even touch the amount of new Allied releases that have come out in the last five years. Look at your stash of untouched or incomplete Allied subjects -- and see if you can voice your COMPLAINTS the lack of new models coming out. Where's your Dragon Wagon? Your Archer? Your multiple Churchill tanks? Done with the M24? Done with the Ontos? How about that M42A1 Duster? Those Staghound kits built up in a snap, right? Surely the Tasca line was just a speed bump. Ready to decal that new Jeep and DML M16 MGMC? Your Long Tom and Char B1bis were done years ago, of course. You get the point.

d) There's no conspiracy afoot to STAY AWAY FROM ALLIED SUBJECTS. Often, not enough good reference material exist or there's an absence of surviving vehicles. Or, the project is so obscure as to not likely generate a return on investment (e.g. M3 (not M3A1) Scout Car). It's not as if company officials are sitting around, looking at white boards with allied subjects with great profit potential and choosing Berlin 1946 subjects with poor profit potential instead. Indeed, you see small makers (Mirror, Mini Art, ICM) taking chances with very odd allied subjects -- hoping to catch a little of the market.

e) petitions? Online rants? Sorry but you and your buddies' $2000 annual modeling budget isn't even a consideration. The Japanese home market is the single biggest model buying entity extant. That drives all decisions (think about the 1/48 revival). China will probably come next. You're better off spending more time trying to reduce your own stash just to enjoy the tsunami of Allied kits already sitting on the hobby store shelves. Want to petition or protest? Go to the local women's shelter or food pantry. Donate some kits to the local VA hospital or soldier/sailors/airmen stationed overseas. Volunteer at USO events. Getting bothered over stupid plastic that will be in a land fill in 30-40 years? No way.

Anti-rant rant over.

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Hey! I'm not going to fight with you, but you've got quite a rant of your own going there! I think that I've been pretty productive over the last 55 years that I've been modelling... I'm going to ask you to please not assume things about me that you don't know.

If there's a Tsunami of ALLIED stuff coming our way, what do you call all that GERMAN stuff out there, a puddle? Go ahead and COUNT all the 1/35 German kits out there and compare that figure to how many Allied kits have hit the market. I think that you just might find quite a numerical disparity there... Lack of vehicles or reference material? Please- there are A LOT more REAL Allied vehicles at WWII reenactments than there are German ones. If you don't like my rant- don't read it... Have a nice day

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Business Basics 101. They are here to make money, not satisfy our model-geekiness, .

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Eric are not those two things one and the same? Make the geeks happy and make money.

I vote for more Allied subjects; be it a new Deuce and a Half or a USATC S-160 Lend/Lease locomotive!

As has already been said, it looks like Mirror Models has we Allies taken care of with all the CMP trucks and HobbyBoss is doings he same with the White US 6 ton in either straight truck or with the Holmes wrecker body. Then someone is supposedly doing the Diamond T with Rogers trailer so I think the Allies are ready.

Oh, and let's not forget the Austin Tilly that Papa Tamiya came out with.

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Sorry but you and your buddies' $2000 annual modeling budget isn't even a consideration. The Japanese home market is the single biggest model buying entity extant.

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I've said this many times on this very forum. It's not conjecture - it came straight from Mr. Tamiya when we met in 1996.