Feedback on the new survey: "How many kits do you build in a year?"

My real answer: Actually, most of the 15 or so kits in my stash were gifts. The rest were bought equally at a local hobby store and from Internet stores.

 Unless 9, 11, or 13 of your kits were gifts, you have an answer in that there was an odd number of kit YOU purchased. Wherever the pluralilty lies is where you primarily buy your models.

My real answer: The magazine is my primary source for info on new kits, but I also spend a lot of time at this forum and other modeling web sites to the point where I'd like to split my answer as 50% the magazine and the other 50% split over this forum, the Aircraft Resource Center forum, the Aerodrom forum, and Modelling Madness.

If you are split an even 50%, I'm guessing you are getting earlier information, and likely more information in "Other modeling forums." Of course, this question is skewed to the host.

My real answer: How about all four? If anything, I would be (and have been) willing to sacrifice ease of construction for accuracy, price, and level of detail. The Roden 1/72 scale kits are a prime example of reasonably priced ($10 or so), accurate, detailed models with a little bit of chutzspa needed to put them together. This leads me to my next complaint...

 Your next answer gives all the information you need to really answer this question as well in you're asking for basic kits in the 5-10 dollar range.

My real answer: A basic kit for $30?!? Are you kidding me? How about a basic kit for $10, or even $5? Roden, Toko, Airfix, Revell-Monogram all offer kits at astoundingly low prices. Those are basic kits. And the Roden ones don't even fall in the basic kit category.

You are really answering # 3 "low price."

Now, of course no poll is ever perfect. A better way, but far more complex, would be to have you rate each choice in the order of importance to you.

ajlafleche wrote:

My real answer: Actually, most of the 15 or so kits in my stash were gifts. The rest were bought equally at a local hobby store and from Internet stores.  Unless 9, 11, or 13 of your kits were gifts, you have an answer in that there was an odd number of kit YOU purchased. Wherever the pluralilty lies is where you primarily buy your models.

Actually, about 11 of them really are gifts. And figuring out the simple majority of the source of the rest seems to go against the spirit of the poll -- I'm equally likely to get something at the local hobby shop as I am through the Internet. Partially this is because I really don't make impulse buys (anymore ), so I'm pretty methodical about what I buy.

My real answer: How about all four? If anything, I would be (and have been) willing to sacrifice ease of construction for accuracy, price, and level of detail. The Roden 1/72 scale kits are a prime example of reasonably priced ($10 or so), accurate, detailed models with a little bit of chutzspa needed to put them together. This leads me to my next complaint...  Your next answer gives all the information you need to really answer this question as well in you're asking for basic kits in the 5-10 dollar range. My real answer: A basic kit for $30?!? Are you kidding me? How about a basic kit for $10, or even $5? Roden, Toko, Airfix, Revell-Monogram all offer kits at astoundingly low prices.Those are basic kits. And the Roden ones don't even fall in the basic kit category. You are really answering # 3 "low price."

Not true. I'm really arguing about the assumption that a "basic kit" would retail for $30. That assumption ignores a huge segment of available models. I've bought a few $30 models, as well as aftermaket parts and decals, but I wouldn't consider what I bought to be basic kits. For example, the Fujimi 1/72 scale F-14D is not a basic kit: it has some PE parts, vinyl tires, and four engines with stands, and a full set of air-to-air weapons. It's not a "basic" kit by my definition, and I paid a little under $30 for it a year or so ago.

At about the same time, I picked up a Revell-Monogram 1/48 scale P-38 for about $7. It has parts for three variations, but does not have the fine detail or (from what I've read) the nice fit of the Fujimi kit. To my mind, the Revell-Monogram kit is a prime example of a "basic" kit.

Another "basic" kit that I've bought and am working on is the semi-scratchbuilt Continental Navy Brigantine Lexington (http://www.briglex.org). That ran me $75 plus shipping, plus another $40 or so for the cannons. I haven't yet bought the stuff I'll need for the rigging. However, the semi-kit only has what's needed to build the hull, and deck. I really will need to scratchbuild a lot of the vessel.

I'm not complaining because I think I got more than my money's worth, but this does provide another perspective on what constitutes a "basic" kit.

So, what do you think a "basic" kit consists of, and how much do you think it should cost?

Now, of course no poll is ever perfect. A better way, but far more complex, would be to have you rate each choice in the order of importance to you.