I don't have a huge stash of unpainted kits. But I've bought some 1/700 ship things that I'm pretty convinced won't be available for that long, mostly AM upgrade sets.
I've been surprised though in working on 1/72 planes that stuff I thought I'd be able to get easily have disappeared (some Airfix BoB subjects, for example).
I've just started my first 1/35 armor subjects and am wondering whether subjects stay available, or whether there are makers who are known for having short runs and then not being available. Is there stuff that is wise to buy because it might not be around long?
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stash strategic buying in 1/35?
phil2015
Joined: July 27, 2015
KitMaker: 502 posts
Armorama: 325 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 01:27 AM UTC
Naseby
Joined: October 15, 2010
KitMaker: 825 posts
Armorama: 246 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 01:41 AM UTC
Do You want it ? Then buy it. Build it or dont. Sell it. Or let Your children build it. Or give it to a fellow modeler. Kits are cheaper then ever.
Biggles2
Joined: January 01, 2004
KitMaker: 7,600 posts
Armorama: 6,110 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 02:49 AM UTC
In general, Dragon kits seem to be produced in limited schedules, while Tamiya kits (even some real old ones) seem to be around forever! Jacob says, "Kits are cheaper then (sic) ever" - maybe some are, but some 10 - 20 year old re-pops are nearly double the original price! But one thing for sure; they're probably never going to get any cheaper!
TopSmith
Joined: August 09, 2002
KitMaker: 1,742 posts
Armorama: 1,658 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 02:57 AM UTC
I have 70 or 80 kits in my stash. I have acquired them over time and I understand your point. I too have faced the same issues. Here are several suggestions. Buy the best kit available for the vehicle you want with the understanding that it will go out of production at some unknown time or be outdated by some kit in the future. The caveat to that is today's molding is to the point that future kits will not be drastic improvements to today's kits. You see things like interiors becoming sales features because you need to stand out in a market filled with good kits. Buying the kit is only half of the purchase. You need to acquire the PE/ decals/resin parts/ track for the kit because they will go away probably before the kit stops being produced. I have some kits that I can't find the resin updates anymore. Should have bought them at the time...
panzerbob01
Joined: March 06, 2010
KitMaker: 3,128 posts
Armorama: 2,959 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 04:17 AM UTC
No need for fear, I think.
I seriously doubt that the supply of kits will actually "dry up". Certainly not anytime soon. Model kits are not toilet paper, hand-sanitizer, canned food - there are likely no "kit hoarders" rushing out to corner any huge pile of plastic, so there won't be any big shortage of kits created at any level...
If there is any exception to this, it will likely be a local "shortage" caused by the LHS which folds up because modelers stay home and don't buy his or her stuff. Or because the LHS is a "Non-essential Business", and states (CA and NY at this point) and municipalities are starting to close down such businesses and order people to stay home and "shelter in place". Which of course will result in the LHS being closed for all practical purposes.
EBay is wide open for kit business. And there are lots of modelers with kits that they seek to move along. Of course, nobody knows what will happen next month or over some longer future... But.
Personally, I have many more kits than I have life-time left to build. MY "concerns" lie much more in the potential interruptions to supplies of modeling "consumables" such as paints and cement... Those products may well become more difficult to get - specially if you usually get them from the Hobby Lobby or your LHS, who will be closed down for awhile, as versus via e-sales.
My "strategic plan" is to check my paint and cement supplies and perhaps get another bottle of cement and maybe a couple of bottles of paint which I am running short of right now. Oh, and I'll probably order yet another kit... NOT because I fear running to kit-starvation, but because there are SO MANY newer kits out there which I really "need" in my stash!
Cheers! Bob
Hey! Staying home may be a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to get some modeling done!
I seriously doubt that the supply of kits will actually "dry up". Certainly not anytime soon. Model kits are not toilet paper, hand-sanitizer, canned food - there are likely no "kit hoarders" rushing out to corner any huge pile of plastic, so there won't be any big shortage of kits created at any level...
If there is any exception to this, it will likely be a local "shortage" caused by the LHS which folds up because modelers stay home and don't buy his or her stuff. Or because the LHS is a "Non-essential Business", and states (CA and NY at this point) and municipalities are starting to close down such businesses and order people to stay home and "shelter in place". Which of course will result in the LHS being closed for all practical purposes.
EBay is wide open for kit business. And there are lots of modelers with kits that they seek to move along. Of course, nobody knows what will happen next month or over some longer future... But.
Personally, I have many more kits than I have life-time left to build. MY "concerns" lie much more in the potential interruptions to supplies of modeling "consumables" such as paints and cement... Those products may well become more difficult to get - specially if you usually get them from the Hobby Lobby or your LHS, who will be closed down for awhile, as versus via e-sales.
My "strategic plan" is to check my paint and cement supplies and perhaps get another bottle of cement and maybe a couple of bottles of paint which I am running short of right now. Oh, and I'll probably order yet another kit... NOT because I fear running to kit-starvation, but because there are SO MANY newer kits out there which I really "need" in my stash!
Cheers! Bob
Hey! Staying home may be a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to get some modeling done!
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 04:22 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Staying home may be a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to get some modeling done!
That is what I was thinking too. However, my wife has exponentially increased the "Honey Do" list with the prospect of me being home ever day looming.
TopSmith
Joined: August 09, 2002
KitMaker: 1,742 posts
Armorama: 1,658 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 04:28 AM UTC
Yes... I too have begun hearing the voices of " Why aren't you..." 
Lakota
#123
Joined: November 17, 2008
KitMaker: 1,202 posts
Armorama: 635 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 04:31 AM UTC
Phil,
Jacob is right. If you want it, buy it. Don't worry about what is going to go out of production. You'll probably be able to buy it on eBay even if it is out of production.
A warning, be careful going down that rabbit hole. I'm 56 years old and have 800 kits to build. I'm probably going to live to be 200 years old and my eye sight won't deteriorate any more than already has, my hands will remain steady for fine detail work, etc.
I thought of my stash as a "retirement investment", buy kits now while I can afford them and build them when I retire. That isn't going to happen. I'll try to sell kits every now and then on eBay but I only get about half to one-third of the retail price.
That said, let's all do our hobby a favor and buy a kit from our LHS when the pandemic is over. I'll build while hunkering down but I won't get to hunker down much as I work in healthcare. I took vacation time off today just so I can have some rest.
Take care and good luck.
Don "Lakota"
Jacob is right. If you want it, buy it. Don't worry about what is going to go out of production. You'll probably be able to buy it on eBay even if it is out of production.
A warning, be careful going down that rabbit hole. I'm 56 years old and have 800 kits to build. I'm probably going to live to be 200 years old and my eye sight won't deteriorate any more than already has, my hands will remain steady for fine detail work, etc.
I thought of my stash as a "retirement investment", buy kits now while I can afford them and build them when I retire. That isn't going to happen. I'll try to sell kits every now and then on eBay but I only get about half to one-third of the retail price.
That said, let's all do our hobby a favor and buy a kit from our LHS when the pandemic is over. I'll build while hunkering down but I won't get to hunker down much as I work in healthcare. I took vacation time off today just so I can have some rest.
Take care and good luck.
Don "Lakota"
CMOT
Editor-in-Chief
Joined: May 14, 2006
KitMaker: 10,954 posts
Armorama: 8,571 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 04:41 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Yes... I too have begun hearing the voices of " Why aren't you..."
And you thought the army gave you orders.
phil2015
Joined: July 27, 2015
KitMaker: 502 posts
Armorama: 325 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 04:53 AM UTC
Quoted Text
No need for fear, I think.
I seriously doubt that the supply of kits will actually "dry up". Certainly not anytime soon. Model kits are not toilet paper, hand-sanitizer, canned food - there are likely no "kit hoarders" rushing out to corner any huge pile of plastic, so there won't be any big shortage of kits created at any level...
Cheers! Bob
Hey! Staying home may be a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to get some modeling done!
Hey Bob,
thanks for the advice. I wasn't thinking about it in terms of the global pandemic we're now experiencing, but just the broader long term production cycles of model making companies.
I'm unemployed right now and it's hard to justify building a stock, but there are a couple of models I'm eyeing and just wondering whether they might disappear. Sounds like people's experience in this thread is that is not a frequent occurrence with 1/35 scale kits.
Thanks everyone for the feedback.
RobinNilsson
TOS Moderator
Joined: November 29, 2006
KitMaker: 6,693 posts
Armorama: 5,562 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 05:39 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextStaying home may be a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to get some modeling done!
That is what I was thinking too. However, my wife has exponentially increased the "Honey Do" list with the prospect of me being home ever day looming.
Tough .....
Kevlar06
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 06:29 AM UTC
Some things to keep in mind:
1) All kits are to some degree “limited run” in one way or another, either the molds wear out, or manufacturers discontinue them. Most, kits are “popped” all at once in a specific number, then the mold is retired. If it’s popular, the mold will be used again. If it’s not a good seller, it may never come out again.
2) Older molds have a tendency to be supplanted by newer innovations, which sometimes cause older molds to be permanently retired.
3) Occasionally, an older mold is brought back into production, either for nostalgia, or with added “features”, but it’s difficult to predict what you’ll see again. Atlantis is “re-popping” old Aurora and Revell kits that haven’t seen the light of day in 40 years, but that doesn’t make them “good” kits.
4) Plastics manufacturing can be fickle. Well managed companies will be around for a long while. Others will be gone overnight.
Given the factors above, it may be difficult to predict what will be available for long periods of time, or for that matter, what will be in short supply. What I do is stick to “interest areas”, rather than buying what I think will become short. I have several: 1/24 or 1/25 open wheel racers before 1970; specific US or foreign armored vehicles and towed artillery; any 1/32 WWI aircraft; a few 1/700 ships (primarily US WWII); 1/32 and 1/72 “yellow wing” aircraft; 1/72 spacecraft and missiles. By sticking to these “categories”, I don’t worry much about models that might go out of production. I just pick up the new ones as they come in, and add them to my stash. That way, when I get urge to build a model, it’s there when I want it. So I agree with others here who have said to buy what you’re interested in. But sometimes interests change. That’s what Ebay is for.
VR, Russ
1) All kits are to some degree “limited run” in one way or another, either the molds wear out, or manufacturers discontinue them. Most, kits are “popped” all at once in a specific number, then the mold is retired. If it’s popular, the mold will be used again. If it’s not a good seller, it may never come out again.
2) Older molds have a tendency to be supplanted by newer innovations, which sometimes cause older molds to be permanently retired.
3) Occasionally, an older mold is brought back into production, either for nostalgia, or with added “features”, but it’s difficult to predict what you’ll see again. Atlantis is “re-popping” old Aurora and Revell kits that haven’t seen the light of day in 40 years, but that doesn’t make them “good” kits.
4) Plastics manufacturing can be fickle. Well managed companies will be around for a long while. Others will be gone overnight.
Given the factors above, it may be difficult to predict what will be available for long periods of time, or for that matter, what will be in short supply. What I do is stick to “interest areas”, rather than buying what I think will become short. I have several: 1/24 or 1/25 open wheel racers before 1970; specific US or foreign armored vehicles and towed artillery; any 1/32 WWI aircraft; a few 1/700 ships (primarily US WWII); 1/32 and 1/72 “yellow wing” aircraft; 1/72 spacecraft and missiles. By sticking to these “categories”, I don’t worry much about models that might go out of production. I just pick up the new ones as they come in, and add them to my stash. That way, when I get urge to build a model, it’s there when I want it. So I agree with others here who have said to buy what you’re interested in. But sometimes interests change. That’s what Ebay is for.
VR, Russ
KurtLaughlin
Joined: January 18, 2003
KitMaker: 2,402 posts
Armorama: 2,377 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 06:50 AM UTC
Quoted Text
. . .there are likely no "kit hoarders" rushing out to corner any huge pile of plastic
There are PLENTY of kit hoarders out there, Bob, surely you know that!
Have you never seen the guys coming out of a large model show with two armloads of kits?
KL
panzerbob01
Joined: March 06, 2010
KitMaker: 3,128 posts
Armorama: 2,959 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 09:53 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Text. . .there are likely no "kit hoarders" rushing out to corner any huge pile of plastic
There are PLENTY of kit hoarders out there, Bob, surely you know that!
Have you never seen the guys coming out of a large model show with two armloads of kits?
KL
Dang! You got me there, Kurt!
I'm guilty of buying one, 2, sometimes a few, at each show I go to. But I don't think of having a stash of perhaps 1500+ kits as being a "hoarder". No-siree! I'm just a long-time compulsive kit buyer!
Hoarding, as in those folks buying 10 cases of TP, is all about seeking some sort of "measurable" control over their apparently fragile and seriously-shaken lives. I certainly have no fear that I'll ever outlive my stash as it is... so no loss of life-control, there! But I DO occasionally get a twinge when a cool new kit pops out... and then seems to not continue frequently appearing on eBay over months.
panzerbob01
Joined: March 06, 2010
KitMaker: 3,128 posts
Armorama: 2,959 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 10:01 AM UTC
All funnin' aside, please DO keep in mind that the critical hobby supplies and consumables may well become difficult to come by for awhile, given as most folks likely buy paints and cement and such at local stores, and those stores may well become "shuttered" as the "non-essential businesses" that they are.
Cheers! Bob
PS: I'll certainly join in acknowledging the complicating potential of SWMBO as supposedly "free" at-home time opens up!
Cheers! Bob
PS: I'll certainly join in acknowledging the complicating potential of SWMBO as supposedly "free" at-home time opens up!
Kevlar06
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 11:02 AM UTC
Quoted Text
All funnin' aside, please DO keep in mind that the critical hobby supplies and consumables may well become difficult to come by for awhile, given as most folks likely buy paints and cement and such at local stores, and those stores may well become "shuttered" as the "non-essential businesses" that they are.
I think this is a very legitimate comment. I have some knowledge In this area based on my work on Chem-bio response plans, and studying other virus outbreaks. If we don’t control the spread of this, or get a vaccine soon, I think we’ll be in this mode well into late spring, perhaps early summer or even longer. Even if you don’t buy the product at a LHS, the impact on manufacturing and transporting these products will probably be severe, since they really are non-essential items. Not trying to start “panic buying” of modeling supplies here, just thinking ahead. I always try to buy two of everything (supply wise) when I need it, just so I don’t have to make another trip to the store when I run out. So I’m pretty well set for back-up. But, I think we’ll see shortages in hobby supply stock the longer this goes on. So— stay at home and build models as long as you can so we can beat this thing!
VR, Russ
GaryKato
Joined: December 06, 2004
KitMaker: 3,694 posts
Armorama: 2,693 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 11:36 AM UTC
I certainly have thought this. I bought some Vulcan kits (Mk. VIb and 2-pdr Anti-Tank Gun) as they seem to be a small producer. I kick myself for all the times I saw the Vision 7.5cm leIG kit and didn't buy it. I would give a thought to Gecko's A9 and A10 kits.
southpier
Joined: December 11, 2009
KitMaker: 546 posts
Armorama: 316 posts
Posted: Friday, March 20, 2020 - 11:37 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextStaying home may be a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to get some modeling done!
That is what I was thinking too. However, my wife has exponentially increased the "Honey Do" list with the prospect of me being home ever day looming.
you can always counter that by saying "you know babe, remember the time you said we could try....?"
let's see how fast that squeaking door gets fixed now!
18Bravo
Joined: January 20, 2005
KitMaker: 7,219 posts
Armorama: 6,097 posts
Posted: Saturday, March 21, 2020 - 04:30 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I've been surprised though in working on 1/72 planes that stuff I thought I'd be able to get easily have disappeared (some Airfix BoB subjects, for example).
If you don't already have more kits than you could build in three lifetimes you're not taking the hobby seriously enough.
Airfix BoB kits spilling off the shelves at every Hobby Lobby I've been to. (This store has one less today. $6.00 is a steal) In fact, Airfix in general is making quite the comeback, reissuing many of their older kits, many of which are quite good. One of the best last remaining hobby shops I know - Colpar's in Aurora, CO, has a huge selection of them.
dhines
Joined: November 17, 2015
KitMaker: 407 posts
Armorama: 373 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 22, 2020 - 12:12 AM UTC
I have 200 plus kits, 80 etch sets and lots of glue, paints, etc. It looks like this lock down will last longer than most people realize. Having a great hobby to fill my time during this lock down is ok for me, but I am scared for high risk people. I think this virus has been out there a lot longer than people realize. At least for us modelers this situation is a mixed blessing for filling up free time, but I think it will get much worse b4 it gets better. God bless and give us the strength to overcome this present danger.
terminators
Joined: February 20, 2012
KitMaker: 1,932 posts
Armorama: 1,907 posts
Posted: Sunday, March 22, 2020 - 12:19 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextStaying home may be a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to get some modeling done!
That is what I was thinking too. However, my wife has exponentially increased the "Honey Do" list with the prospect of me being home ever day looming.
Damn !
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