Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Mario Matijasic
Monogram sticker shock.
landshark4
Joined: June 04, 2012
KitMaker: 103 posts
Armorama: 88 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 06:45 AM UTC
Spent two years in the DRCongo so you can imagine what that was like trying to have this hobby. Going to South Africa a couple of times didn't help much because like you said stuff was expensive. But it was nice to see that one hobby shop by Medellin mall in Pretoria. Didn't think the selection of stuff was that bad.
Lakota
#123
Joined: November 17, 2008
KitMaker: 1,202 posts
Armorama: 635 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 07:21 AM UTC
Howdy Y'all 
Interesting conversation, I just picked up a 1/48 Tamiya M1A2 at Hobby Lobby today for about $23.00 including sales tax and 40% off coupon; for me, a splurge. I usually don't buy new kits and use the LHS and HL for paints and supplies. The selection at Hobby Lobby is quite poor since they cut down on the number of kits they stock.
I usually get my kits for less off EBay or pick them up at swap meets. Better yet, I can usually dig something out of the stash. My stash has become sort of an "investment" for retirement, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"
Interesting conversation, I just picked up a 1/48 Tamiya M1A2 at Hobby Lobby today for about $23.00 including sales tax and 40% off coupon; for me, a splurge. I usually don't buy new kits and use the LHS and HL for paints and supplies. The selection at Hobby Lobby is quite poor since they cut down on the number of kits they stock.
I usually get my kits for less off EBay or pick them up at swap meets. Better yet, I can usually dig something out of the stash. My stash has become sort of an "investment" for retirement, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"
18Bravo
Joined: January 20, 2005
KitMaker: 7,219 posts
Armorama: 6,097 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 09:29 AM UTC
Speaking of chain hobby shops...
While doing long term gigs for the Army out of Ft. Lewis, I had to stay in an apartment in Bellevue. The HobbyTown there was surprisingly well stocked, especially with tools.
HobbyTowns are hit or miss. The one one North Academy in Colorado Springs is far better than the one on South Academy. And the Colpar's in Aurora is really nice. Not so much the one in Lakewood, but I'm not sure if that Colpar's is a HobbyTown or not.
But back to Washington, the best one I knew of in your neck of the woods was Bridgetown Hobbies in Sandy, just outside of Portland. Yeah, I know - that's a whole 'nother state, but where I'm from in Texas that's like a Sunday drive. Literally, as Kings Hobbies in Austin is about that far.
Too bad Bridgetown went under. They had a really nice selection of just about everything, including 1/72 nautical items such as a 4 inch gun that's much better than the Revell one in the Gato.
While doing long term gigs for the Army out of Ft. Lewis, I had to stay in an apartment in Bellevue. The HobbyTown there was surprisingly well stocked, especially with tools.
HobbyTowns are hit or miss. The one one North Academy in Colorado Springs is far better than the one on South Academy. And the Colpar's in Aurora is really nice. Not so much the one in Lakewood, but I'm not sure if that Colpar's is a HobbyTown or not.
But back to Washington, the best one I knew of in your neck of the woods was Bridgetown Hobbies in Sandy, just outside of Portland. Yeah, I know - that's a whole 'nother state, but where I'm from in Texas that's like a Sunday drive. Literally, as Kings Hobbies in Austin is about that far.
Too bad Bridgetown went under. They had a really nice selection of just about everything, including 1/72 nautical items such as a 4 inch gun that's much better than the Revell one in the Gato.
Vierville
Joined: April 05, 2014
KitMaker: 384 posts
Armorama: 372 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 11:11 AM UTC
Wayne, yeah the shop at Menlyn (Jix Hobbies) is very good. They carry quite a wide range of supplies and some nice kits.
Dragon ,Hasegawa and Eduard models are for the most part not available at all here apparently due to the fact that these companies will only ship large quantities (shipping container sized orders!)and there isn't sufficient demand in the country.
I have found some gems at toy stores too...very unexpected but a pleasant surprise.
Dragon ,Hasegawa and Eduard models are for the most part not available at all here apparently due to the fact that these companies will only ship large quantities (shipping container sized orders!)and there isn't sufficient demand in the country.
I have found some gems at toy stores too...very unexpected but a pleasant surprise.
Armored76
Joined: September 30, 2013
KitMaker: 1,615 posts
Armorama: 1,500 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 06:12 PM UTC
Quoted Text
parcels take between 4 months and 9 months to arrive even if sent by international registeted express mail
...and here I am getting upset if the parcel is not delivered the next day after it has been sent. Waiting 2-3 weeks for deliveries from the UK feels like eternity. Such posts really put this in a perspective!
Kevlar06
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 07:37 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Speaking of chain hobby shops...
While doing long term gigs for the Army out of Ft. Lewis, I had to stay in an apartment in Bellevue. The HobbyTown there was surprisingly well stocked, especially with tools.
HobbyTowns are hit or miss. The one one North Academy in Colorado Springs is far better than the one on South Academy. And the Colpar's in Aurora is really nice. Not so much the one in Lakewood, but I'm not sure if that Colpar's is a HobbyTown or not.
But back to Washington, the best one I knew of in your neck of the woods was Bridgetown Hobbies in Sandy, just outside of Portland. Yeah, I know - that's a whole 'nother state, but where I'm from in Texas that's like a Sunday drive. Literally, as Kings Hobbies in Austin is about that far.
Too bad Bridgetown went under. They had a really nice selection of just about everything, including 1/72 nautical items such as a 4 inch gun that's much better than the Revell one in the Gato.
The best two hobby shops in our local area are Skyway Models in Renton, and Georgetown in Seattle. We also have two Hobbytowns, one in Bremerton, one in Tukwila. And then there are three Hobby Lobby's -- Lakewood outside Fort Lewis, Federal Way and Tacoma. I'm not aware of a Hobbytown in Bellevue. The one in Tacoma closed down back in 2011. Bridgetown was good, but as you said, a long way to drive, and they weren't as good as Skyway. We've lost about ten hobby shops in the area over the years, our local model RR shop closed just this last year (probably due to mismanagement more than anything) for various reasons (I used to work at one in University Place, until the owner died, and his executor ran it out of business). But there's always the box stores and the two good ones we have left.
VR, Russ
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 09:23 PM UTC
While it is a very good discussion about how different prices are around the world, one factor has not been discussed...quality. This can be of life, or of service, or of item. I have friends in Ukraine and while cost of living is very low, so is the quality of life. Many times they do not have heat, or water, or hot water. Roads are in poor repair. Housing is very small by American standards.
I have been to Europe. Quality costs there too. Here in America we do have a higher standard of living, with a good chance to get high quality items in our life-time. But there are trade offs.
As for modeling, yeah, prices will be wonky for a while. Business' are not as solid as they appear and the hobby, while in a fantastic golden age of kits, is not as strong in Western culture as it was years ago. Even if the old Monogram molds are long paid for and it is "all profit" to make kits from them, it still costs in material and labor, and those are far more expensive than just the molds.
And Hobby Lobby is more of a wholesale mover of overstock than a real supplier of model kits. Hobby Lobby was at their heyday for models in the late 1990's and early 2000's because they were still moving a glut of kits through from a HUGE failed distributor and large amounts of overstock from the kit makers themselves when kits got overpriced at that time (Italaeri, I am looking at you). Hobby Lobby is kind of like a Dollar store in that regard...if another warehouse liquidates, expect to see a glut of kits flow through all the discount stores again.
I have been to Europe. Quality costs there too. Here in America we do have a higher standard of living, with a good chance to get high quality items in our life-time. But there are trade offs.
As for modeling, yeah, prices will be wonky for a while. Business' are not as solid as they appear and the hobby, while in a fantastic golden age of kits, is not as strong in Western culture as it was years ago. Even if the old Monogram molds are long paid for and it is "all profit" to make kits from them, it still costs in material and labor, and those are far more expensive than just the molds.
And Hobby Lobby is more of a wholesale mover of overstock than a real supplier of model kits. Hobby Lobby was at their heyday for models in the late 1990's and early 2000's because they were still moving a glut of kits through from a HUGE failed distributor and large amounts of overstock from the kit makers themselves when kits got overpriced at that time (Italaeri, I am looking at you). Hobby Lobby is kind of like a Dollar store in that regard...if another warehouse liquidates, expect to see a glut of kits flow through all the discount stores again.
vettejack
Joined: November 23, 2012
KitMaker: 1,277 posts
Armorama: 1,254 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 09:56 PM UTC
EBay sees about 90% of my modeling dollars. For what I look for and/or want, it fills just about everything I could ask for. The other 10 percent? Pretty much divided by the manufacturer's website (foreign or domestic) if I'm able to purchase directly from it, and a smattering of time spent at HL pretty much for supplies only. I also shop Lowes/Home Depot/ACE Hardware for the typical disposables (brushes, thinners, wire, etc.) that is used in the hobby: at a much cheaper price, and in greater quantities. 
Kevlar06
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 - 11:01 PM UTC
Quoted Text
....... Business' are not as solid as they appear and the hobby, while in a fantastic golden age of kits, is not as strong in Western culture as it was years ago. Even if the old Monogram molds are long paid for and it is "all profit" to make kits from them, it still costs in material and labor, and those are far more expensive than just the molds.
And Hobby Lobby is more of a wholesale mover of overstock than a real supplier of model kits. Hobby Lobby was at their heyday for models in the late 1990's and early 2000's because they were still moving a glut of kits through from a HUGE failed distributor....
----I used to think this until about a year ago. Then, I noticed the local club membership has increased, in fact we've got several clubs in our area now. Additionally, the number of modelers on line has exponentially increased in the past few years-- there are literally thousands an thousands of us world-wide. A few years ago, before the Internet, the only adult model builders were often labeled as "geeks". But today, it's appealing to a whole new group of individuals-- Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Pilots, College professors and even retired Army officers populate the groups I associate with! I think the Internet has cut into the business of the stand alone mom & pop store-- not just in the Hobby world, but everywhere. But I think there is room for innovative brick and mortar stores that use the internet creatively to seek and market. Additionally, I think the sophisticated market among Western society for hobbies in general and models in particular has grown, not declined-- and we can have these discussions among a much wider group of people than we ever could in our LHS. It's true, you can't find many models in the 5 & 10 stores anymore, but then again, there aren't many 5 & 10s around either. It's up to us to bring up the younger generation of modelers in different ways. That's where stores like Hobby Lobby and Hobbytown come in.
VR, Russ
Wierdy
Joined: January 26, 2010
KitMaker: 570 posts
Armorama: 553 posts
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 - 04:42 AM UTC
...speaking about sticker shock:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dragon-1-35-6286-Sd-Kfz-181-Pz-Kpfw-VI-Ausf-E-Tiger-I-Initial-Production/181294748488?hash=item2a36025348:g:4FkAAOSwPc9W00pM
I do realise this kit is rare, OOP etc., but it has been superceeded by their own recent releases in terms of accuracy.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dragon-1-35-6286-Sd-Kfz-181-Pz-Kpfw-VI-Ausf-E-Tiger-I-Initial-Production/181294748488?hash=item2a36025348:g:4FkAAOSwPc9W00pM
I do realise this kit is rare, OOP etc., but it has been superceeded by their own recent releases in terms of accuracy.
johnnyD
Joined: August 07, 2003
KitMaker: 60 posts
Armorama: 47 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 11, 2018 - 08:40 PM UTC
Experienced something a little different when I stopped by our local Hobby Lobby this weekend. I found the old Screaming Mini Sherman for $7.95... Thought I had stepped back to my childhood for a moment. Couldn't resist and snatched it up for that. Wish I could find more deals like that more regularly. 
brekinapez
Joined: July 26, 2013
KitMaker: 2,272 posts
Armorama: 1,860 posts
Posted: Monday, February 12, 2018 - 01:11 AM UTC
I think they marked those down because they are phasing them out of their stores, so buy them while you can. I hope they replace them with something good and not another car kit.
Bravo1102
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Monday, February 12, 2018 - 03:47 PM UTC
Well, Monogram is supposed to be reissuing the Stug IV and doing another run of the M4 Hedgehog Sherman. Usually when clearing out an item in a shelf plan it's ideal to bring in something in the same size box. Makes stocking that much easier. I better get out and get the M4A1 . Just finished one and have a hankering to do another. Funny I'd rather do another Monogram than build one of the Dragon kits in the stash. 
obg153
Joined: April 07, 2009
KitMaker: 1,063 posts
Armorama: 1,049 posts
Posted: Monday, February 12, 2018 - 06:19 PM UTC
I'm inclined to agree with Robin about on-line buying. Like many of us, I've got more kits in the stash than I'll ever finish, so most of the stuff I buy is paints, tools, and AM goodies. No wear & tear on the car, no cost for gas, no hassles driving, and so on. As for Hobby Lobby, I won't even set foot in their stores anymore and it has nothing to do with the selection of kits.
IPLawyer
Joined: March 18, 2015
KitMaker: 71 posts
Armorama: 63 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 - 03:43 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Text....... Business' are not as solid as they appear and the hobby, while in a fantastic golden age of kits, is not as strong in Western culture as it was years ago. Even if the old Monogram molds are long paid for and it is "all profit" to make kits from them, it still costs in material and labor, and those are far more expensive than just the molds.
And Hobby Lobby is more of a wholesale mover of overstock than a real supplier of model kits. Hobby Lobby was at their heyday for models in the late 1990's and early 2000's because they were still moving a glut of kits through from a HUGE failed distributor....
----I used to think this until about a year ago. Then, I noticed the local club membership has increased, in fact we've got several clubs in our area now. Additionally, the number of modelers on line has exponentially increased in the past few years-- there are literally thousands an thousands of us world-wide. A few years ago, before the Internet, the only adult model builders were often labeled as "geeks". But today, it's appealing to a whole new group of individuals-- Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Pilots, College professors and even retired Army officers populate the groups I associate with! I think the Internet has cut into the business of the stand alone mom & pop store-- not just in the Hobby world, but everywhere. But I think there is room for innovative brick and mortar stores that use the internet creatively to seek and market. Additionally, I think the sophisticated market among Western society for hobbies in general and models in particular has grown, not declined-- and we can have these discussions among a much wider group of people than we ever could in our LHS. It's true, you can't find many models in the 5 & 10 stores anymore, but then again, there aren't many 5 & 10s around either. It's up to us to bring up the younger generation of modelers in different ways. That's where stores like Hobby Lobby and Hobbytown come in.
VR, Russ
I just got back into modelling 3 years ago after having been away for almost 40 years. When I joined my local modelling club in Northern Virginia, I didn't realize that I would be part of period of sustained growth for my local modelling club. We regularly get over 30 people at our monthly meetings, our annual Christmas Party meeting/party drew over 60 this year, the club runs an annual one-day model show, The Model Classic that seems to grow bigger every year.
Set against this is the fact that in 2017, the local hobby shop with the largest selection of models, Piper Hobby in Chantilly, closed and that last month, my local hobby shop in walking distance, Hobby Works-Fairfax closed. Because I visited Hobby Works nearly every week and because the manager Bruce is part of our local model club, the closing of Hobby Works really sucks for me. One of my friends from the club sent me an email on New Year's Day telling me that Hobby Works would be closing at the end of January, which was not a great way to start the New Year for me, although I appreciated my friend's letting me know that the store would be closing.
However, despite grieving the loss of my local hobby shop, I continue to be optimistic about the future of scale modelling, in part, because of my experience in my other major hobby, board wargaming. Although board wargaming was never as mass market a hobby as modelling was, they did used to sell wargames at Toys 'R Us back in the 1970s and they were sold at most of the larger hobby stores. Nevertheless, for over 30 years now, wargames have been hard to find in retail stores, so I've been living in a world for over 40 years now in which I have bought most of the products in one of my hobbies online or, before the Internet, by mail order. And despite this, the board wargame hobby has largely flourished in the last decade. As with modelling, the product quality and variety is as high as it has ever been, but the "print runs" tend to be significantly smaller than in the heyday of the hobby back in the 60s and 70s. Fortunately, the companies selling games seem to be able to make a decent profit and stay in business, even with smaller "print runs."
So, as much as I enjoy visiting a local hobby on a regular basis, I know from experience that it is possible for a hobby to survive and even thrive with a minimal retail presence. Even with Hobbico's bankruptcy declaration this year, I have been amazed by how many new models that have been announced for 2018 (some of which have already arrived in stores, both brick and mortar and online), even from Revell Germany. So, maybe I'm pollyannish, but as long as model companies keep producing new models and local modelling clubs stay active, I continue to be optimistic of the future of the hobby and that the decline of retail hobby shops is not the end of the world.
Mark
southpier
Joined: December 11, 2009
KitMaker: 546 posts
Armorama: 316 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 - 05:19 AM UTC
Quoted Text
...Being working poor means I usually only buy more than one model maximum twice a year now.
wealth is measured in many, many, ways. at different times in our lives it means different things. money cannot buy integrity. how many guys are there who's main participation in the hobby is accumulating kits which never come out of the box?
when you begin to realize that the time you have left is less than you've had, things take on a much different perspective. buying - and actually building - one or two models a year is not a bad thing by my standards.
blaster76
Joined: September 15, 2002
KitMaker: 8,985 posts
Armorama: 3,034 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 - 02:08 PM UTC
I remember about 10 -12 years ago someone would announce the 40 -50% off sale at hobby lobby. A bunch of us would go down to our stores log the kits available and post. If one of the other places had something you wanted not available to you someone would buy it and trade them. Had a lot of the Dragon stuff that was just coming out back then. Prices were good too. Havent shopped for model kits there in a very long time. Do buy supplies as they have a lot of tools and glues that is readily available when you need it now
Mrclark7
Joined: June 04, 2017
KitMaker: 503 posts
Armorama: 477 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2018 - 01:14 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Experienced something a little different when I stopped by our local Hobby Lobby this weekend. I found the old Screaming Mini Sherman for $7.95... Thought I had stepped back to my childhood for a moment. Couldn't resist and snatched it up for that. Wish I could find more deals like that more regularly.
Ive come close to picking up that one also. Hope to see you build and post to the site.
Soojet
Joined: March 22, 2018
KitMaker: 22 posts
Armorama: 20 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 31, 2018 - 03:49 AM UTC
There was some speculation in this thread about what Hobby Lobby was going to replace these marked down kits with. The replacements are not good from what I saw today. They seem to be replacing the old. Kits with Lindberg kits... I saw a T55 1/35 scale and some double pack of a ship and armor. I was really hoping for some more Tamiya kits.
sgtreef
Joined: March 01, 2002
KitMaker: 6,043 posts
Armorama: 4,347 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 31, 2018 - 05:59 AM UTC
Got here a little late, but I sure do remember one Hobby Lobby that had Dragon kits way back in 2000.
They have shut down,but was great and cheap also,even without a coupon, and another that shut down which was like the first around in Tulsa, off of 31 street that carried Tamiya paint in the large bottles,only one of them that ever did. Only 4 left in the Tulsa area.
And Paul I feel sorry for you man.
I hear that Sweden leads the world in having a nice place to live but pay high taxes, like 30%.
I really liked Germany the best though , and all that different beer.
And great food also.
They have shut down,but was great and cheap also,even without a coupon, and another that shut down which was like the first around in Tulsa, off of 31 street that carried Tamiya paint in the large bottles,only one of them that ever did. Only 4 left in the Tulsa area.
And Paul I feel sorry for you man.
I hear that Sweden leads the world in having a nice place to live but pay high taxes, like 30%.
I really liked Germany the best though , and all that different beer.
And great food also.
sgtreef
Joined: March 01, 2002
KitMaker: 6,043 posts
Armorama: 4,347 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 31, 2018 - 06:05 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Experienced something a little different when I stopped by our local Hobby Lobby this weekend. I found the old Screaming Mini Sherman for $7.95... Thought I had stepped back to my childhood for a moment. Couldn't resist and snatched it up for that. Wish I could find more deals like that more regularly.
I bought one also last year so I can try and copy the Calliope, for my 1/6 scale Sherman kit I have.
Bravo1102
Joined: December 08, 2003
KitMaker: 2,864 posts
Armorama: 2,497 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 31, 2018 - 08:01 PM UTC
Quoted Text
There was some speculation in this thread about what Hobby Lobby was going to replace these marked down kits with. The replacements are not good from what I saw today. They seem to be replacing the old. Kits with Lindberg kits... I saw a T55 1/35 scale and some double pack of a ship and armor. I was really hoping for some more Tamiya kits.
That would be the Lindberg M46 and USS Missouri? The M46 is 1950s Renwal quality and really 1/32. The Missouri doesn't even have masts, it is that simplified.
The T-55 was a worthwhile effort for the late 1980s. Wow a styrene T-55! And was in many respects better than the similar vintage ESCI kit (still around from Italeri) Back in the day it was a good basis for scratch-building and one of the first kits I went whole hog with some of the first after market resin available; AEF. That was the late 1980s. Memories, I even heavily converted Spetnaz figures into Polish infantry to go with it. Now? Save your coins for other kits.
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