Airfix Classics Launched

[Fau68]

Just saw this thread -as a big fan of old Airfix , especially the bagged and blister pack kits i grew up with,  this sounds like good news.  i have not heard if they will be brought to The Canadas but we usually get all new releases.  

 

Price will be a key to if this succeeds.

 

At a decent price I would get a few.  Bo 105 would be great I get at least 4.  The F-5A would also be nice as well the G91, O-2,Gazelle,BN Islander.

 

And I fully agree that for a GB whatever is built must be ready for operations in the backyard for just before supper!

[VMA131Marine]

7 hours ago, Fau68 said:

 The F-5A would also be nice as well the G91

The RF-5E was a much better kit than the F-5A; it would be nice to see it come back. The G91 has been greatly superseded by the Meng kit, surely?

[PhoenixII]

Sorry Marine,

I think your missing the point, it's not about accuracy, or if kit W has been surpassed by kit XYZ.

It's about nostalgia, about reliving youth, possibly about seeing if you can cock-it-up better when your supposed to be older and wiser than you did as a pimply 11 year old!

Expect an upsurge of sales of tube glue and I would think

there may even be a downturn in paint sales........certainly the sales of the "right" colours 

As to price, yes, the bean counters have had a hand, so has the board, but, is anybody familiar with the term 'under priced'?

Because if Hornby suddenly start putting out kits from old(er) moulds at stupidly low prices everything in the Hornby stable will take a massive knock, as will the market in general.

Remember, we 'know' what were talking about (really?!!?)

Aunty Glad, Uncle Fred, Mum, Dad and great aunt Flo's next door neighbours cats second cousin don't give a flying fig!

THAT'S Hornby's market. Do you really think any of the large model companies that still survive are reliant on our purchases?You stop buying Airfix, P&L takes a 0.00002 hit, in real terms that's ONE cup of Coffee less at the next board meeting!

[IanC]

3 hours ago, PhoenixII said:

Sorry Marine,

I think your missing the point, it's not about accuracy, or if kit W has been surpassed by kit XYZ.

It's about nostalgia, about reliving youth, possibly about seeing if you can cock-it-up better when your supposed to be older and wiser than you did as a pimply 11 year old!

Expect an upsurge of sales of tube glue and I would think

there may even be a downturn in paint sales........certainly the sales of the "right" colours 

As to price, yes, the bean counters have had a hand, so has the board, but, is anybody familiar with the term 'under priced'?

Because if Hornby suddenly start putting out kits from old(er) moulds at stupidly low prices everything in the Hornby stable will take a massive knock, as will the market in general.

Remember, we 'know' what were talking about (really?!!?)

Aunty Glad, Uncle Fred, Mum, Dad and great aunt Flo's next door neighbours cats second cousin don't give a flying fig!

THAT'S Hornby's market. Do you really think any of the large model companies that still survive are reliant on our purchases?You stop buying Airfix, P&L takes a 0.00002 hit, in real terms that's ONE cup of Coffee less at the next board meeting!

 

If they don't rely on, or at least care about, the 'serious' modeller market, why did they bother make changes to the Martlet? Aunty Glad et al wouldn't have noticed.

 

And even if it is all about reliving the past, which I doubt, surely it's the likes of us that will be most prone to nostalgia purchases?

 

The classics range may appeal to a wider market. Fanatics like us, others keen to see what older kits were like. And in some cases, as mentioned in the thread, there are kits worthy of taking some time on as they're still pretty good replicas after all these years.

 

But, we'll see.

 

 

 

[PhoenixII]

6 minutes ago, IanC said:

If they don't rely on, or at least care about, the 'serious' modeller market, why did they bother make changes to the Martlet? Aunty Glad et al wouldn't have noticed.

 

And even if it is all about reliving the past, which I doubt, surely it's the likes of us that will be most prone to nostalgia purchases?

 

The classics range may appeal to a wider market. Fanatics like us, others keen to see what older kits were like. And in some cases, as mentioned in the thread, there are kits worthy of taking some time on as they're still pretty good replicas after all these years.

 

But, we'll see.

Hi Ian,

Airfix don't depend on the 'serious' modeller, we're not even the icing, just, maybe, the cherry.

It has to be remembered the 'Airfix' marque is owned by Hornby, who as well as owning

Hornby railways also own Scalextric and Corgi. Also, it has to be remembered that Airfix is a minnow

in comparison with these, even though, in relation to the company 'bottom line' Airfix is quite profitable.

On the other hand the like's of AZ, Valom, Kora etc. are dependant, as can be seen on here, in other threads.

My guess would be the required changes to the Martlet were highlighted before metal was cut, therefore incurring little cost.

If any company can change / get rid of a 'problem' at little cost, why not? as you don't "cut off your nose to spite your face".

In business, you don't stimmy any part of your prospective market for no good reason.

Had it have cost money I don't think the changes would have appeared. 

No, Aunt Glad wouldn't be bothered, nor would 'little Jimmy', nor the other 89% of 'sometime' modellers.

 

My comment about reliving the past still holds, while you and I may not buy, what about the tens of thousands, World wide,

who have returned to, or never left the hobby, but are NOT members of IPMS, or a club or who have never been on an

internet model group site, or Face Book, Twitter, Instagram etc. etc. there are your nostalgia purchases.

Then there will be some who think 'what the heck, I did it before, I can do it again' 'I can buy the kit from XYZ,

at a reasonable cost, so if it goes 'pear shaped' no great loss'.

 

The marketing men have seen a 'new' possible? route to market. Remember, in sales, the World is your market place,

and everybody in it, a prospective customer.

If it's done correctly it may well put some much needed money in the coffers, if it's an absolute 'Pig's ear', it's minimal loss.

 

 

[bluedonkey99]

On 5/23/2018 at 4:37 AM, mhaselden said:

Just catching up with this thread.  Saw the email announcement but haven't made it back to BM in the meantime (shame on me...and shame on work!).

 

As with many others, I'm not sure whether this idea will work.  I certainly doubt that it will do much, if anything, to cure the company's ills.  That said, for a rose-tinted meander down memory lane, I'm sure there will be quite a few of us who succumb to the inevitable temptation.

 

One of the earlier comments about "can only use tube cement" got me thinking...maybe we need a "special rules" GB for these kits:

• Kit must be built entirely in a single Saturday afternoon.
• Paint and markings optional.  Extra marks for the wrong paint or the right paint in all the wrong places.
• Tube cement is mandatory.
• Extra marks if you wanted the turret to turn but somehow you inadvertently glued it firmly to the hull.
• Must provide a video of the model being "blown up" using caps or incinerated with a box-full of Swan Vestas.  Extra marks for artistic flair, especially human-generated sound effects.

I had considered additional criteria at the start, like "The kit must be bought from a newsagent and built the same day" but I think the first half of that task might prove impossible.   

Don't forget: simulated bullet holes made with hod needles/pieces of wire

[mhaselden]

39 minutes ago, bluedonkey99 said:

Don't forget: simulated bullet holes made with hod needles/pieces of wire

 

Good one!  I'd forgotten about that.  For some reason, they never turned out the way I expected when I did that!

[Ratch]

This is a cute move by Hornby. Airfix now becomes two brands. The new (post 2006) toolings in the nice red boxes, reflecting Hornby's investment, and the 'Vintage Classics', the kits of yesteryear. These will pander to the nostalgia market while avoiding the criticism of the pigs ear dressed up in a nice red box. Because the original tool investment has long since amortised maybe prices will continue to be just a little lower than the new tools, although that will also depend upon how many units they intend to produce.. I'm sure that in the UK, the name Airfix sells kits to the general public. Airfix is as synonymous with plastic kits as Hoover was with vacuum cleaners. Of course the Group as a whole need to make money for all the individual brand names to survive. Hornby is actually quite a bit bigger than Hornby Railways, Scalectrix, Corgi and Airfix. Lima, Rivarossi, Basset Lowke, Pocher and Oxford Diecast (amongst others) contribute to the Group.

[The Tomohawk Kid]

If Airfix are going for the nostalgia gig, they seriously need to look at the prices to make it work.

 

Thomo.

 

 

[PhoenixII]

3 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

If Airfix are going for the nostalgia gig, they seriously need to look at the prices to make it work.

 

Thomo.

Thomo,

I'm interested to find out if the above is a personal observation,

or if you know more than the rest of us?

Even though the moulds are old and have paid for themselves, Airfix can't sell at too low a price, as if they do there will be a 'knock on' effect to everything that's been produced under Hornby ownership.

Sorry to tell you, the day's of the 2/- kit are long gone.......

[Lord Riot]

Any chance they'll re-release the Dominie, Jetstream and Beagle Basset?

 

While they're at it, a 1/72 Andover/748 would be rather nice too!

[Black Knight]

28 minutes ago, PhoenixII said:

Even though the moulds are old and have paid for themselves, Airfix can't sell at too low a price, as if they do there will be a 'knock on' effect to everything that's been produced under Hornby ownership.

yes and no; Hornby had to pay for those old moulds so they need to recoup that investment cost

[The Tomohawk Kid]

2 hours ago, PhoenixII said:

Thomo,

I'm interested to find out if the above is a personal observation,

or if you know more than the rest of us?

Even though the moulds are old and have paid for themselves, Airfix can't sell at too low a price, as if they do there will be a 'knock on' effect to everything that's been produced under Hornby ownership.

Sorry to tell you, the day's of the 2/- kit are long gone.......

 

 

It not  case of knowing more than anyone else, one does not need to be Einstein to work out to appeal to the casual nostagic buyer the cost has to be in the range where an impulse buyer does not have a second thought about shelling out and they can relate to when the kits where 2/- or lower.

 

Thomo.

Edited June 11, 2018 by The Tomohawk Kid

[Ray S]

I know I for one have been hoovering up the older Airfix kits recently, purely out of nostalgia! It does not only mean I have been buying kits I built way back when, but I have also been getting ones I never touched before. There is something great about getting an old kit and turning it out to my current build standards (not all that high I may add if you actually see the results close up!).

 

I would rather pay the prices that Airfix ask for them (assuming they are not exorbitant) and get the new high quality transfers, rather than the old models and less good transfers. On the other hand, if Airfix supply two options, an old box (with probably better mouldings inside) and a new one would do the job twice!

 

My hope is that they will produce some of the ships again (quite a few I have not built yet), and the following aircraft:

HP42

Skyvan

Islander

Beaver

Cessna 0-1 and 0-2

Cherokee Arrow

Belvedere

 

And also some of the old cars.

 

Ray

[Andre B]

I would also go for an reissued kit with new decals instead of an old with cracked up decals.

 

And even if the secondhand price are low the total price usually ends up higher with shipping than the price of the new and reissued kit in the nearest shop.

 

I hope Airfix continue with these "classic range kits". There are still som nice kits to reissue - KM Prinz Eugen 1/600 and the Banshee in 1/72.

 

And I think the F-86D was one of the nicest looking aircrafts with that dark blue and white stripes, dark blue fin and white stars...

 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/airfixtributeforum/viewtopic.php?t=4753&amp=1&start=20

 

Cheers / André

Edited June 16, 2018 by Andre B

[Albeback52]

22 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

 

 

It not  case of knowing more than anyone else, one does not need to be Einstein to work out to appeal to the casual nostagic buyer the cost has to be in the range where an impulse buyer does not have a second thought about shelling out and they can relate to when the kits where 2/- or lower.

 

Thomo.

Perhaps so but, Airfix is a business and has to turn a profit so, these items have to be priced accordingly. As for Airfix having to "seriously look" at prices, do you not think they have already done so ?  The only kits that interest me are the AFVs and, the figure/AFV kits are already priced at a level lower than or, roughly equal to a current Series One Airfix kit. So,  I don't really think that the prices per se are excessive( except perhaps for the sailing ships).

 

Price of course is very subjective and it will be to the individual modeller to determine if the prices are reasonable or not. Ultimately though, nobody is forced to buy them. For myself, I certainly object to paying contemporary prices for a 1965 Catalina, 1966 B-29 or, 1961 Halifax!!. I would however happily buy same if they ever appeared in the Classics range at an appropriately lower price. What that would be of course is down to Airfix and their bean counters!😀

 

Allan

Edited June 12, 2018 by Albeback52

[Dave Fleming]

If the Basset re-appears, hopefully it might encourage decal manufacturers to make alternatives to the inaccurate ones that came in Kitstarter box! (Says man with 4 Kitstarter and two classic boxings!)

Edited June 12, 2018 by Dave Fleming

[gavingav1]

On 6/11/2018 at 7:40 AM, The Tomohawk Kid said:

On 6/11/2018 at 11:17 AM, PhoenixII said:

Thomo,

I'm interested to find out if the above is a personal observation,

or if you know more than the rest of us?

Even though the moulds are old and have paid for themselves, Airfix can't sell at too low a price, as if they do there will be a 'knock on' effect to everything that's been produced under Hornby ownership.

Sorry to tell you, the day's of the 2/- kit are long gone.......

 

 

It's never a case of moulds paying for themselves so the kit should be a much lower price, any production run even from an older mould needs mould maintenance which cost money, staff must be paid to produce the kits, running the injection moulding machines cost money and there are the packaging  and decal sheet redesign costs that all must be recouped from a limited run of production kits, nothing is ever free .

[Killingholme]

Nothing that can't be found easily enough on ebay, but then a kit sold on ebay doesn't make any money for Airfix. 

[Ratch]

54 minutes ago, Killingholme said:

Nothing that can't be found easily enough on ebay, but then a kit sold on ebay doesn't make any money for Airfix. 

Most of them cost more on ebay.

[gavingav1]

1 hour ago, Killingholme said:

Nothing that can't be found easily enough on ebay, but then a kit sold on ebay doesn't make any money for Airfix. 

If you buy new from airfix you get a brand new product with guarantees and customer support, on ebay you get "appears complete " and a kit with an old rubbish out of register decal sheet and very little comeback if the seller states sold as seen . 

[AMB]

9 minutes ago, gavingav said:

If you buy new from airfix you get a brand new product with guarantees and customer support, on ebay you get "appears complete " and a kit with an old rubbish out of register decal sheet and very little comeback if the seller states sold as seen . 

Providing the seller shows pictures of all the box contents, what's the problem?  It is truly 'sold as seen'. You either accept it or not!  

[Albeback52]

12 hours ago, Killingholme said:

Nothing that can't be found easily enough on ebay, but then a kit sold on ebay doesn't make any money for Airfix. 

Ebay is not the be all and end all of kit buying.. There are a lot of Airfix kits that are NOT easy to find on ebay or, anywhere else for that matter. Those rarities that do surface from time to time usually go for totally silly prices. Also, not everybody likes or trusts ebay. I do accept however that you may only use ebay for the purpose of example.

 

This Vintage Classics range will have the benefit of wider availability and distribution along with affordable pricing. It will certainly pull the carpet out from under a lot of ebay sellers who will see the value of their stashes plummeting! Of course, all is dependant on exactly what Airfix intend to add to the range in future. Certainly, last week's Workbench Blog provided some enticing little teasers!

 

Allan

[RussellE]

Would be nice to see the Wallace and Gromit kits released again. Rare as hens teeth and fetching wild prices on ebay!

[VMA131Marine]

33 minutes ago, RussellE said:

Would be nice to see the Wallace and Gromit kits released again. Rare as hens teeth and fetching wild prices on ebay!

Does Airfix still hold a license to produce the kits, I wonder?