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Is there a way to check when kits were last available/discontinued?


TheVoidDragon

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I've only recently starting thinking about actually getting some specific kits, and browsing the henkofholland site there is quite a large amount of things from various manufactures that I'd like, but it seems none of them are available and i've been unable to find any of them pre-owned either. I'm hoping some of the things i'm after come back at some point, but i have no idea how long things are usually out of production for. Is there any way to see when something was last available?

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Hi

I would recommend scalemates website as a starting point.

Although sometimes a bit off it will give you a good idea when kits were released and any subsequent reissues.

 

Some companies like Revell will reissue kits, others like Dragon won't.

 

If there are specific kits you want maybe try putting a list in the wanted section on here? Otherwise I get a lot from ebay (just be careful with prices) or from shows.

 

Hope that helps?

 

Ben

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For Airfix there is the History section of the Airfix Tribute Forum

http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/viewforum.php?f=61

 

The sections are in a bit of a mess right now with many photos of bags/blisters/boxes missing cos of photobucket's vandalism but the info on kits is still there

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1 hour ago, badger said:

Hi

I would recommend scalemates website as a starting point.

Although sometimes a bit off it will give you a good idea when kits were released and any subsequent reissues.

 

Some companies like Revell will reissue kits, others like Dragon won't.

 

If there are specific kits you want maybe try putting a list in the wanted section on here? Otherwise I get a lot from ebay (just be careful with prices) or from shows.

 

Hope that helps?

 

Ben

What do you mean by Dragon won't reissue kits? Some of the things i was interested in are by Dragon.

Edited by TheVoidDragon
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Hi

As I said Dragon don't tend to reissue kits.

 

I can think of maybe 4 of their 1/72 range that have been reissued since their first release and these either sold out immediately or were ridiculous prices.

 

Regards

 

Ben 

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Dragon rarely, if ever, re-issue the same kit again.  However, they do very often release updated, improved or Cyber Hobby versions of the same subject.  Far too many examples to mention here.  You need to watch the product numbers on sites such as eBay: the box art is usually a giveaway.  Scalemates will generally tell you about those new versions, and very usefully show you the evolving box arts.  Older releases are often quite dated and inaccurate by current standards anyway, and many were not Dragon original moulds. They took over and re-boxed Kirin and Gunze Sangyo and re-boxed Eastern Express/Maquette kits (not one of their finest moments!).  As a rule of thumb, if the box changed then the kit changed too.  Unlike some other manufacturers Dragon haven't gone through periodic box art style rebranding.

 

As others have said, what exactly are you looking for??

 

It's also worth noting that Italeri re-boxed some Dragon kits, although often with indy link tracks replaced with vinyl.  Indeed for a while back in the 90's they had a formal dual-branded tie-up.  Some of the Italeri re-boxes have also been further re-boxed by Zvezda, like the StuG IIIB.

Edited by Das Abteilung
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