Jump to content

REVELL Germany to stop model production? [Unsubstantitated Rumour Warning]


spruecutter96

Recommended Posts

6 hours ago, hopkp said:

I'd really be very interested to know how well all of those 'classic' kits are selling and to whom. I built pretty much all of them in my youth as did any of my friends who are into modelling and none of us have any interest in revisiting them now, either out of nostalgia or for any other reason. Life's simply too short at this stage (we've all seen our 60th birthdays come and go) and there are far too many more recent kits out there still to be built to waste time re-doing all of the old stuff.

 

Genuinely puzzled as to what market they're aimed at.....

 

 

I've been building a few Airfix Vintage Classics recently. I've done few of the Matchbox/Revell ones too. They've been relaxing and fun to do in between 'proper' projects which invariably involve greater expense and a degree of stress. 

 

In fact, I'm increasingly drawn to those older kits - aircraft and AFVs - which remind me of earlier, more carefree days of modelling. Nostalgia yes, and maybe because life simply is too short.😀

 

 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/9/2021 at 5:19 PM, Eric Mc said:

I truly hate posts like this. They are just idle gossip and bring nothing of value to any discussion. 

 

If someone has definitive news and evidence to back it up, fair enough. But just throwing a dangerous rumour out into the void is downright irresponsible, in my opinion.

 

LOL. The forum is called the "rumourmonger" after all!

  • Like 3
  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/9/2021 at 6:56 AM, LanceB said:

that

 

13 hours ago, hopkp said:

I'd really be very interested to know how well all of those 'classic' kits are selling and to whom. I built pretty much all of them in my youth as did any of my friends who are into modelling and none of us have any interest in revisiting them now, either out of nostalgia or for any other reason. Life's simply too short at this stage (we've all seen our 60th birthdays come and go) and there are far too many more recent kits out there still to be built to waste time re-doing all of the old stuff.

 

Genuinely puzzled as to what market they're aimed at.....

 

Monogram represents the best quality vs cost that ever existed in this hobby. At 55 years old I absolutely love building some of their kits. And while I’ve built a lot of their kits I still haven’t built them all. Sad that they haven’t rebounded the way airfix has

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree Monogram classics are fun and yield a pretty nice result pretty quickly- ideal if painting rather than building is your thing.

 

as for the classic kits not all of us are over 60 yet! I’m 45 and I’m buying them either through nostalgia to rebuild kits I made as a kid or to build those I didn’t or indeed those that wmhavent been available for a while. They’d stated that Airfix vintage classics were to test the market and they’ve issued a load more so they ARE popular! I couldn’t get a Jetstream or Dominie for ages at my LHS when they were first released and they kept on selling out!

 

TT

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is probably off-topic and I haven't even read through all the previous posts, but: I've browsed through evilbay dot uk/de/it whatever there are, looking for more of the wonderful Revell 1:72 Ju 88 A-4 kits of the "recent" tooling and I get 😠 for all the idiots shooting our hobby in its own legs by trying to sell the half a century old Revell Ju 88 A-4/D-1 for all those who don't know their huge difference - for the same 20€+ price, fGs! Shame yourselves!

  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, tonyp said:

 

LOL. The forum is called the "rumourmonger" after all!

😂 I was immediately reminded of this post from the Wingnut Wings thread (my emphasis):

I will unlock this or people to comment, but no speculation, rumours etc  please (and yes

I know its the rumor section but for good rumours)

Julien

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I listen to all the model podcasts as well and theres nothing but praise/nostalgia for the Monogram 48th kits.

 

I can happily overlooks raised panel lines and some basic details for a nicely shaped century series fighter.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/9/2021 at 5:25 AM, spruecutter96 said:

According to a post on Large Scale Planes, Revell Germany are planning to bring their model production to a close in the next few years.

These are definitely NOT good news.

 

Our hobby is in a serious decline and unless we do something about it on a personal level (e.g., engage kids, nephews, and their friends with our hobby), we will also follow Revell's path (I can't say to what extent but, I see it coming with all these news that I read over the past decade or, so).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/10/2021 at 2:42 AM, hopkp said:

I'd really be very interested to know how well all of those 'classic' kits are selling and to whom.

 

Genuinely puzzled as to what market they're aimed at.....

Me. They're aimed at me. I love making older/obsolete kits and pulling them up to modern standards. I'm 100% behind @Corsairfoxfouruncle here, often these old releases are the only option for the scale and subject, and even if they aren't, the prohibitive price of the new-tool releases from east of here still makes them attractive. Chuck in the excellent new decals Revell provide and they stand up really well if you're willing to put the work in.

 

If it wasn't for Revell I fear I might not have a hobby anymore...😭

  • Like 5
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, tonyp said:

 

LOL. The forum is called the "rumourmonger" after all!

I don't find it anything to laugh about. Speculating about possible future releases is one thing (and I expect what this forum was set up to do), but speculating about the strategic business plans of a company can be very dangerous - especially if the rumours are of a negative nature.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, Shalako said:

Our hobby is in a serious decline

Is it? As a fairly recent returnee it seems to be thriving compared to the state of things 20 or so years ago

 

Cheers

 

Colin

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t get this “our hobby is in serious decline” view... there are more kits of more subjects from more manufacturers now than I can remember at any time. Sure, there may not be a model shop on every small town high street, and plastic kits in village post offices, but when did you last see a fishing tackle shop, an independent sports shop or a record shop with racks of vinyl? This hobby will see me out, and if the kids are 3D printing hoverboard parts by then, good luck to them, I say...

best,

M.

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Uncle Dick said:

Even if they did cease production, someone will buy their moulds and toolings and repop them in time...and so forth et al 

 

Quite a few Britmodellers could invest to form a business, buy Revell’s stuff and churn out Britmodellor kits? But we’d make no money because we’d be the ones buying them 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Shalako said:

These are definitely NOT good news.

 

Our hobby is in a serious decline and unless we do something about it on a personal level (e.g., engage kids, nephews, and their friends with our hobby), we will also follow Revell's path (I can't say to what extent but, I see it coming with all these news that I read over the past decade or, so).

The hobby is in decline is an attitude that originated in the Late eighties/early nineties and those were dark times, very few new tool kits available and re-issues of 30 year old kits is what was available, the landscape is very different now, it seems every time i go online there is an announcement of a new kit or a new model company from the far east or ex communist block, the hobby is thriving now and we have greater choice than ever. i believe revell need to be brave like Airfix was a few years ago and separate their ranges into newer tooled kits and classics, revell have stung us all with a 40 year old kit in a new box . 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Beermonster1958 said:

Airfix made the right decision with the Vintage Classics and, while I may question the pricing and, actual choice of subject, at least we all know what's there.

 

John

How much do you think a reissued kit should cost? Airfix do charge less for the Vintage Classics than for new kits of the same kit series, and although the tooling may have been made years ago, it may still need to be worked on to make it viable. All the other costs associated with production are going to be the same as for a new kit. so the fact that a Vintage Classic Bulldog is a quid less than a new tool Series 1 Spitfire seems reasonable - it's not going to be the 17p it was in 1971.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

16 minutes ago, Richard Humm said:

it's not going to be the 17p it was in 1971

The inflation calculator https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633409/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html says it should be £2.75. Of course that's not quite fair as petroleum based products would have been hit much harder than average during the period.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't have a dog in this fight, and I know some won't like what I'm going to say. The original post was just a rumour from another source, right, wrong or indifferent, end of.

From what I've read so far it's modellers speaking as modellers........wrong. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the company, or more accurately their bean counters.

The reason for a take over is because someone has seen the chance of making a profit, this is the reason for every business in exsistence now, rather than to pander to the dictats of a very small minority. There used to be a thing called alturism, sadly, that's long gone in business. Some still play 'nicely', while others are quite blatant about profit.

 

With Airfix, ESCI, Revell etc; they have changed hands over the last 40 to 50 years many times. This means, each time, the 'new' owner has had to pay for 'company assets'.

Be it moulds, (both old and new) warehousing, desks, tables, chairs, yada, yada. What it means for modellers (and boy, do we have long memories!) is always to throw back that this kit was only XXX back in the day, why is it so expensive now?....their just taking the mick! It's an old tool, there's far better from ZZZ company, why didn't they xxxxxxxxxx OR xxxxxxxxxxx (insert your own phrases) with the moulds. Reason, because with the money already invested in the purchase a fast return is needed, get 'em into production ASAP. Old moulds never die, unless stored badly or become so worn it's not cost effective to repair, meaning that should a company decide to shift their target market or go for a different market altogether, guess what, they can and will, provided the numbers crunch correctly. Somewhere in the wings there will be another company that will decide, Hmm, we could make a profit from those and so the moulds will continue to be utilised.

 

Paul

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 09/04/2021 at 14:18, Thomas V. said:

2. Sitting on huge number of excellent tools without  re-issuing them  ( Alouette II, Piper Super Cubs, F-86D, Rafale B, Ju 290, He 162, RF-4E, Bo 105, G.38, FW 200, SB2C-4,

    Hunter, Me 410, Seaking, F-101, F-89, Halifax etc... not to mention automotive related subjects...Isetta, Karman Ghia...

Not to mention the 1/144 A400M and 1/144 C17! Both current RAF types that I'd love to build and very hard to find in 1/144 now. 1/72 A400M is huge, bigger even than my 1/72 Airfix Victors so I'd prefer 1/144. And then there's a ton of 1/72 Luft'46 stuff, only the Ho229 reissued as far as I am aware. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For what it's worth, I've spoken to a couple of contacts in model shop retail, in the UK, who both stock a lot of Revell products (including all the paints etc). They haven't heard anything from their reps about anything like this and are probably two of the bigger UK accounts.

Edited by IT_Man
Know that original post mentions Germany as source.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 09/04/2021 at 08:19, Eric Mc said:

I truly hate posts like this. They are just idle gossip and bring nothing of value to any discussion. 

 

If someone has definitive news and evidence to back it up, fair enough. But just throwing a dangerous rumour out into the void is downright irresponsible, in my opinion.

 

 

I bet Revell hate it more!

 

Agreed there needs to some form of substantiation, otherwise as you say it is very dangerous idle gossip.

 

Tommo.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/04/2021 at 02:42, hopkp said:

I'd really be very interested to know how well all of those 'classic' kits are selling and to whom. I built pretty much all of them in my youth as did any of my friends who are into modelling and none of us have any interest in revisiting them now, either out of nostalgia or for any other reason. Life's simply too short at this stage (we've all seen our 60th birthdays come and go) and there are far too many more recent kits out there still to be built to waste time re-doing all of the old stuff.

 

Genuinely puzzled as to what market they're aimed at.....

 

 

They are aimed at the likes of me.

 

However, Revell have not had a bespoke 'classic' range for some years now. When they were last around I was able to buy dealer packs of quite a few of them at knock down prices where kits were working out at a couple of quid each - I still must have at least 15 Rotodynes, with multiples of the B-47 Jupiter C,  the V2 and others from the range.

 

They are aimed at the likes of me, but its clear the market is limited or else the range would be still going strong.

 

Tommo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

 

They are aimed at the likes of me.

 

However, Revell have not had a bespoke 'classic' range for some years now. When they were last around I was able to buy dealer packs of quite a few of them at knock down prices where kits were working out at a couple of quid each - I still must have at least 15 Rotodynes, with multiples of the B-47 Jupiter C,  the V2 and others from the range.

 

They are aimed at the likes of me, but its clear the market is limited or else the range would be still going strong.

 

Tommo.

Or is it just possible to admit that Revell did a lousy job at it? Airfix seems to be doing just fine with their Classics. And an entire company, Atlantis Models, makes almost all of its income from releases of the classic molds they acquired. They seem to be doing just fine. So maybe, just maybe, the problem was at Revell? 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Asmodai said:

Or is it just possible to admit that Revell did a lousy job at it? Airfix seems to be doing just fine with their Classics. And an entire company, Atlantis Models, makes almost all of its income from releases of the classic molds they acquired. They seem to be doing just fine. So maybe, just maybe, the problem was at Revell? 

 

Dunno.

 

Even pre Covid the Airix range of 'Classics' had slowed up dramatically.

 

Tommo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...