Did you ever think that the US market is not considered since it is much smaller as compared to the Asian market? [ ]

Anyway, my only kvetch with this is the fact that everyone is taking model building so seriously.

Don't get me wrong, I like a Tiger or Panther just like anyone else but it is only a hunk of plastic...

...and this is from someone who has been in the hobby for 40+ years.

World Peace should have such a passionate discussion, OY!

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Anyway, my only kvetch with this is the fact that everyone is taking model building so seriously.

Don't get me wrong, I like a Tiger or Panther just like anyone else but it is only a hunk of plastic...

...and this is from someone who has been in the hobby for 40+ years.

World Peace should have such a passionate discussion, OY!

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You make a valid point...but I'm not sure how likely you are to find a discussion on world peace on a forum for guys who build model tanks

At the end of the day a model IS most definitely just a hunk of plastic...in the same way that a painting is just canvas and paint or a sculpture is just a blob of bronze or a chunk of stone. The truth is most human beings have a need to be creative and for those who have a love of military history, military machinery and model-building, this is a passion.

The price of model kits (and in my case, living in South Africa, shipping) has become extortionate and lots of people whose great love this hobby is have scaled back their kit/aftermarket buying as a result.

Most human beings are "creative", huh? How do you account for all of the overly-obese couch potatoes of America who only recline in their Barco-loungers watching "the game" on TV, guzzling 6, or 8 or 24-packs of beer, not to mention one-man "keg-party-size El Cheapo beer" and stuffing their faces with Super-Jumbo-sized packs Buffalo hot chicken wings, (300-count), "party-pack" 24-slice 100% all-natural polyester-foam Super-Duper pepperoni, sausage, onion, ham, pineapple, shrimp, broccoli, peppers, salami, meatball, 4-cheese, mushroom, chocolate & marshmallow-chip pizzas, tacos by the case-load, and ditto for boxes & bags of Cheezits, LAY's Potato Chips, Doritos, Chips-Ahoy chocolate chip and Oreo cookies, not to mention the second-hand 100% all-sawdust, fat and rat-hair hot dogs and 50% beef hamburgers that are "out back" feeding the bar-b-cue grill's flames with the other 50% of fat, AND a "party-platter" of cold-cuts and cheeses that always seem to be "On Special" at the local Walmart, ALL AT THE SAME TIME..? And the kids are no better, with their Jumbo packs of Twizzlers in one hand and gallon-jugs of their favorite caffeine-and-sugar-laced carbonated Garbage-Drink in the other... Models? Oh, sto-o-o-op!

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Anyway, my only kvetch with this is the fact that everyone is taking model building so seriously.

Don't get me wrong, I like a Tiger or Panther just like anyone else but it is only a hunk of plastic...

...and this is from someone who has been in the hobby for 40+ years.

World Peace should have such a passionate discussion, OY!

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You make a valid point...but I'm not sure how likely you are to find a discussion on world peace on a forum for guys who build model tanks

At the end of the day a model IS most definitely just a hunk of plastic...in the same way that a painting is just canvas and paint or a sculpture is just a blob of bronze or a chunk of stone. The truth is most human beings have a need to be creative and for those who have a love of military history, military machinery and model-building, this is a passion.

The price of model kits (and in my case, living in South Africa, shipping) has become extortionate and lots of people whose great love this hobby is have scaled back their kit/aftermarket buying as a result.

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Most human beings are "creative", huh? How do you account for all of the overly-obese couch potatoes of America who only recline in their Barco-loungers watching "the game" on TV, guzzling 6, or 8 or 24-packs of beer, not to mention one-man "keg-party-size El Cheapo beer" and stuffing their faces with Super-Jumbo-sized packs Buffalo hot chicken wings, (300-count), "party-pack" 24-slice 100% all-natural polyester-foam Super-Duper pepperoni, sausage, onion, ham, pineapple, shrimp, broccoli, peppers, salami, meatball, 4-cheese, mushroom, chocolate & marshmallow-chip pizzas, tacos by the case-load, and ditto for boxes & bags of Cheezits, LAY's Potato Chips, Doritos, Chips-Ahoy chocolate chip and Oreo cookies, not to mention the second-hand 100% all-sawdust, fat and rat-hair hot dogs and 50% beef hamburgers that are "out back" feeding the bar-b-cue grill's flames with the other 50% of fat, AND a "party-platter" of cold-cuts and cheeses that always seem to be "On Special" at the local Walmart, ALL AT THE SAME TIME..? And the kids are no better, with their Jumbo packs of Twizzlers in one hand and gallon-jugs of their favorite caffeine-and-sugar-laced carbonated Garbage-Drink in the other... Models? Oh, sto-o-o-op!

Did you ever think that the US market is not considered since it is much smaller as compared to the Asian market?

To answer the OP's title question, no they have not gone nuts. Businesses do what they think will make them money. Model companies balance income and sales as best they can with the the limited skills and resources they have. We balance price and desire. It is not remarkable or noteworthy and is nothing new.

KL

You know, it's funny. I was just in this same conversation with folks in a Vermont Craft beer group over a Burlington brewery wanting $33 for a 4-pack of 16 oz cans.

With much the same results.

You get what you pay for
Mfg can charge what the market will bear
High end barrel aged stouts are expensive to product.
Adding adjuncts to them (maple) raises the costs.

You'd be surprised with the kind of people who are into model building or might be creative. I've lived and worked in many areas of the US. The vast majority of Americans (both blue and white collar) aren't even remotely creative. Netflix, Youtube, and Facebook have done a great job lobotomizing most Americans.

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You'd be surprised with the kind of people who are into model building or might be creative. I've lived and worked in many areas of the US. The vast majority of Americans (both blue and white collar) aren't even remotely creative. Netflix, Youtube, and Facebook have done a great job lobotomizing most Americans.

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Add smart phones to the list. No one talks at my work, we all sit staring at our phones. I watch tank videos, but I'm a bit of a loner and don't get bothered much.

At work I over hear some of the younger people talk non-stop about some games they play. They have created a network amongst themselves that's well structured. I suppose it keeps them out of the bars.

No one talks at my work, we all sit staring at our phones. I watch tank videos

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You'd be surprised with the kind of people who are into model building or might be creative. I've lived and worked in many areas of the US. The vast majority of Americans (both blue and white collar) aren't even remotely creative. Netflix, Youtube, and Facebook have done a great job lobotomizing most Americans.

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Add smart phones to the list. No one talks at my work, we all sit staring at our phones. I watch tank videos, but I'm a bit of a loner and don't get bothered much.

At work I over hear some of the younger people talk non-stop about some games they play. They have created a network amongst themselves that's well structured. I suppose it keeps them out of the bars.

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Do you mean that they are actually conversing with each other rather texting..?

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You'd be surprised with the kind of people who are into model building or might be creative. I've lived and worked in many areas of the US. The vast majority of Americans (both blue and white collar) aren't even remotely creative. Netflix, Youtube, and Facebook have done a great job lobotomizing most Americans.

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Add smart phones to the list. No one talks at my work, we all sit staring at our phones. I watch tank videos, but I'm a bit of a loner and don't get bothered much.

At work I over hear some of the younger people talk non-stop about some games they play. They have created a network amongst themselves that's well structured. I suppose it keeps them out of the bars.

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Do you mean that they are actually conversing with each other rather texting..?

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I'm so glad I don't have one of those things. Remember when you could have a conversation without having to send a friend request?

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No one talks at my work, we all sit staring at our phones. I watch tank videos

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Are you getting payed for watching tank videos? Sounds like my dream job - where do I sign-up?