Jump to content

I fear for Airfix's future!


ElectricLightAndy

Recommended Posts

Like many of you on here, Airfix to me always brings a smile to my face when I spot those shiny red boxes in the wilderness, dotted amongst the disposable toys in department shops or a surprise spotting in an 'Aldi' or 'The Works' let alone the prominent placements in the LHS.

 

But during the run up to Christmas, whilst I spent many moons searching for gifts for the nieces/nephews I noticed that there was far fewer sightings than usual, 'Beales' appear to have completely cut their ties with Hornby with a complete absence of Airfix, corgi and scalextric sets, then whilst browsing 2 separate hobbycraft with me' lady, their usual aisles worth of Airfix has been reduced to a pitiful 1/3 of an aisle, most of them were 'quick kits' and the rest were ancient moulds with hefty prices, for example, Airfix's ancient 1/32 ford 3 litre was £20, whilst on the healthier looking Tamiya and Revell shelves there was a 1/24 mx5 for £13 and a brand new BMW i8 for £20... To name a few, if I was a kid and I spent my pocket money on the ford whilst my brother had spent his on the BMW, I'd feel a bit cheated with the contents/quality of the Airfix kit, not just because it's physically smaller.

 

So my question is, why do Airfix insist on not doing 1/24 kits and barely attempt to update their current range of 1/32 kits, I build planes as well and cannot understand how another incarnation of a spitfire can be more profitable than a retooled E-type for example (allegedly one of their bestsellers) or even a retooled E-type and F-type double or retooled DB5 and DB11 double? They obviously have the license to produce them, given the popularity of the subjects I'm sure they would sell well, I worry that if they don't modernise across the board and change their policy's, instead of just wingy things they will go under. 

 

Rant over... Thoughts?

 

Andy.

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose it could be where you are located. Our model/toy shop is mostly Airfix now, with just a smattering of Revell.  Perhaps these shops just cannot compete with on-line sales and discounts.  I have noticed they have steadily increased their paints and glues sections, with Games Workshop type paints being added to Humbrol ranges and paintbrushes etc.

 

Mike

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly for car modellers, their genre is a fairly niche market, and maybe Airfix's experience with their (reasonably) recent 1:32 kits was such that they decided not to rush at any more kits due to a poor reception?  If that is the case, you can't blame them for not spending scarce resources on kits that may not make back the seed capital.  Surely that's the best way to ensure their survival as a brand? :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its a bit of a Catch 22 situation with the 32nd Scale cars.

The recent rally and race cars that Airfix produced are really quite nice little kits. Yes they have their flaws (the wheels), and some might say their detail is too simplified, but they filled a hole in the model car market, with some wonderful, never seen marques. 

Yes, they were 32nd scale, which historically is what Airfix cars are about, (originally, taken from slot car scale) but they took a gamble on releasing them, and maybe they didn't reach the targets they wanted, but they certainly filled a void in the model car market. 

 

If we were to take this up to the next level; what if they had produced those cars in 24th scale? A Mini Cooper, Mini Countryman & Ford Fiesta WRC, Jaguar XKR GT3 and an Aston DBR9...

Personally, I think that they wouldn't be able to keep up with the demands, because all but two of those kits are not available in IM, the two being the Fiesta WRC & Mini Cooper. The Jaguar and Aston would probably in themselves bring in a serious amount of dosh.

But two things have to be taken into account.

- The enormous cost it would take for new tooling's of those kits, versus anticipated sales. Not everyone would be like me, and buy every one, probably two of each and of course        the cost of what the kit would be when it hit the shelf. 

- Entering into the 24th scale car market is like falling into a bottomless well. It would be mere days before the forums would be buzzing with Airfix's new 24th scale kits, ill stick to        Tamiya, this is wrong, wrong colour, box is the wrong colour, you get the picture. Airfix produce good kits, yes, but they cannot compete with Tamiya, Revell, Hasegawa,       Fujimi in that market. 

 

Airfix, Like any other business in this day and age are struggling, they need the cash from their sales to keep themselves going, and to design and produce new kits. Aircraft are their No1 market, so that's where the majority of their money will go and it will continue like that. But having said that, I do think maybe some more forward thinking is needed. I realise that they cant please everyone all the time, but maybe reach out to the none aircraft builders and do some research, say, for example, 32nd cars you'd like to see next, 48th Armour you'd like to see next.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andy, I see you like Classic cars. Like me, wouldn't you just love Airfix to re-pop their classic 1/32 cars? A Sunbeam Rapier, or a Vauxhall Victor FD Estate, or the Mercedes 250SL? They would not have to splash out on new tooling either. How many people would buy them though? Cars designed 50 or 60 years ago will not appeal to many of today's youngsters, even if they do build up into nice models. The Bentley gets re popped regularly, and must sell, but the others? Give me a Cortina or a Zodiac over a 'New Mini' any day.

  • Like 3
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with all that is said above, I understand that entering the 1/24 market would be difficult, but as @MAD STEVE points out some of the cars they have licences for don't exist in styrene 1/24 scale, also they have licences to produce the buggati veyron, of which I am unaware of a 24th scale kit, they produced the 'James bond' DB10 and Jag for spectre in scalextric and the Aston as a corgi car, they don't exist at all in any kit form... I know it's all pie in the sky thinking but the buggati for example must have cost almost as much to create in a brand new format of kit (also roughly 1/24) than it would have to release a conventional 1/24 kit of a very famous and desirable car that nobody else does. Also I think the grumpy modeller debate that happens every time a new aircraft is released would not really apply as much to the car world, they are a difficult bunch to please, that's why I don't post winged thing builds 😀

 

 

Andy. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a proposal in the early Hornby days that they would re-release some of their 1/32 car kits under the Airfix banner. The Hornby cars were quite neat and reasonably simple. Nothing seems to have come of that, or indeed the extended "Engineer" range that was floated a couple of years ago.

 

I think we can assume that Hornby, being in possession of actual figures, don't see them as viable.

 

John

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Andy, I see you like Classic cars. Like me, wouldn't you just love Airfix to re-pop their classic 1/32 cars? A Sunbeam Rapier, or a Vauxhall Victor FD Estate, or the Mercedes 250SL? They would not have to splash out on new tooling either. How many people would buy them though? Cars designed 50 or 60 years ago will not appeal to many of today's youngsters, even if they do build up into nice models. The Bentley gets re popped regularly, and must sell, but the others? Give me a Cortina or a Zodiac over a 'New Mini' any day.

You could go the resin route for the tina (and anglia)

28mioa0.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, mini man said:

You could go the resin route for the tina (and anglia)

28mioa0.jpg

I have a FROGspawn 1/16 Cortina, which is being converted into a 2 door. I managed to bag a boxed Zodiac with the rally artwork. (not cheap though) and I have a Bandai 1/20 Capri 1600GT

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, ElectricLightAndy said:

I agree with all that is said above, I understand that entering the 1/24 market would be difficult, but as @MAD STEVE points out some of the cars they have licences for don't exist in styrene 1/24 scale, also they have licences to produce the buggati veyron, of which I am unaware of a 24th scale kit, they produced the 'James bond' DB10 and Jag for spectre in scalextric and the Aston as a corgi car, they don't exist at all in any kit form... I know it's all pie in the sky thinking but the buggati for example must have cost almost as much to create in a brand new format of kit (also roughly 1/24) than it would have to release a conventional 1/24 kit of a very famous and desirable car that nobody else does. Also I think the grumpy modeller debate that happens every time a new aircraft is released would not really apply as much to the car world, they are a difficult bunch to please, that's why I don't post winged thing builds 😀

 

 

Andy. 

You hit the nail on the head there Andy. 

It does seem that no one is as yet looking at the Veyron, or even the Chiron for that matter, yet Airfix popped one out as a Quickbuild kit, along with the other one that doesn't look as being kitted soon either, the Mclaren P1.

I think the car modellers are less grumpier than their wingy thing cousins because so many releases come from left field that they are just happy at whats being released :) The Aoshima Pagani is a good example.... 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, ElectricLightAndy said:

Well @Vince1159 that's another point, why do Airfix insist on not doing more modern aircraft like the F35 B lighting or a re-tooled eurofighter? 

 

Good point,when i was a nipper i was Spit/Hurri mad and built a lot of them so if todays kids are interested it would make sense to follow that trend and do modern jets...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd venture that older aircraft are much more sellable to a finite market. One can buy and build 50 Spitfires and they could all be noticeably different. Current military jets you can sell a modeller one of. They're all grey. Build one, you've built them all.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/31/2017 at 1:38 PM, Mike said:

Sadly for car modellers, their genre is a fairly niche market...

 

A walk around the tables at Telford shows that to be the case. 

Several years ago at London Toy Fair I was in a meeting with the sales manager for one of the main UK kit importers. When we commented on the difficulty of getting a reliable supply of certain ranges, the response was "There is no market for model cars in the UK". 
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, fatbaldbloke said:

 

A walk around the tables at Telford shows that to be the case. 

Several years ago at London Toy Fair I was in a meeting with the sales manager for one of the main UK kit importers. When we commented on the difficulty of getting a reliable supply of certain ranges, the response was "There is no market for model cars in the UK". 
 

 

Whereas, the model car market is much larger than the market for model airplanes in the US.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎31‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 4:27 PM, bentwaters81tfw said:

Like me, wouldn't you just love Airfix to re-pop their classic 1/32 cars? A Sunbeam Rapier, or a Vauxhall Victor FD Estate, or the Mercedes 250SL?

Unfortunately the Victor was converted to the Rebel Rouser in 1980 so cannot be re-issued in its original form.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Ratch said:

Unfortunately the Victor was converted to the Rebel Rouser in 1980 so cannot be re-issued in its original form.

Did they butcher the tool, because it was never released? I know they ruined the Fords.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Morning Chaps 

 

I must say, I think that a classics range would be an excellent idea, both Airfix and Hornby kits. 

There always has been the argument that car modelling is not that big in the UK, and this, I believe is where the conversation always gets a bit squiffy.

Airfix don't just sell to the UK, they sell to the rest of the world too, and when you add all those people to the mix, it is a very large car modellers market indeed. 

True, maybe there aren't a lot of US modellers, or Japanese modellers that will what a Sunbeam or a Victor, and it seems the presiding opinion of car modellers nowadays is they want THE very best, with everything in it, right now, in 3 different colours. So why would they want re pops of 50 year old kits? 

 

But it wont just end with car modellers... You release a classic range of cars, the wingyones will break in internet with the list of stuff they want, followed by the shipyones, tankyones, you get the picture.

 

Maybe its time that a little lateral thinking was done by Airfix. 

Years ago, they sold off their OO scale railway kits to Dapol. They rebranded them and are still selling quite well today. 

Maybe that might be the answer. 

Like as we might, Airfix/Hornby are not going to start re releasing 30,40,50 year old car kits, because they are nice and think it might make them a bob or two.

But if they were to sell the molds off to a similar concern as Dapol? 

I know the model railway market is probably much bigger than the plastic modelling market, but I actually think that idea has some merit.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i take issue with the claim that there is no market for uk cars, there is currently no market for uk cars because they are no subjects out their, it's hard to prove a market exists for a non-existent product, it's funny how the tamiya jaguar saloon, esci ford escort and transit always seem to sell out and command high prices and the 1/24th academy ford capri too, no market Hmmm .

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with the above! 

 

I've got a bit of a project on the go at the moment which needs some cars seen on our roads in the late 80s. Not too tricky finding a few European or Japanese road cars from the era, but trying to find some UK built vehicles has been a headache. Bagged the Revell and AMT XR3i, and lots of Transits...but that's about it as far as I could see. A nice Capri or Sierra (that doesn't cost a bomb on eBay) would be nice, and maybe some Vauxhalls too? 

 

I usually exclusively build wingy things. I would certainly build far more car kits if the stuff I want was available. But the stuff I want is the bread and butter stuff as F1 and supercars don't do a great deal for me (sorry!)

When Italeri re-released the Esci Transit, I bought five straight away....I'll buy more too. And if a 1/24 Cortina of any mark came along, my wallet would come out again too....big time!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree 100% Gavin. 

The sad fact is that the people that are saying that, are the people that are bringing kits in, and if they decide there's no market, then buggery, that's it.

 

You know, I have never quite understood why, given the range of vehicles that were produced, that models of British cars are so few on the ground.

Just take this for example. How many kits of British car models can you name, from the late 40's to the early 60's? in 1/24th scale.

French, German and Italian on the other hand you can basically have your pick.

60 odd years into plastic modelling and we still don't have Morris Minor in 24th scale. nuff said :)    

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...