It occurs to me, after seeing a few threads pop up here and there that bash manufacturers for "crap" kits, that perhaps it might not be a bad idea to create a new forum topic where members could compile a list of kits that they know are re issued rather than new toolings.
I hate to see respectable companies take it in the teeth from those of us who depend on them to supply us with kits. I happen to have a lot of respect for Italeri, but I see them getting bashed a lot.
Over the past decade or so, we've all been witness to the growing trend in mold swapping between the major manufacturers. I believe this trend makes the actual trademark on the box largely irrelevant and not trully indicative of the quality of what could be in the box.
If the manufacturers will not be upfront enough with us to mark on the boxes what the origins of the kit inside are, then its up to us, and the experiences we've had in this hobby, to put the word out to our fellow hobbyists about what we know of these kits.
We can't depend on brand loyalty so much anymore to assure we will get a good kit for the money, product research and value shopping are becoming more necessary to getting a good model or a good whatever.
Kit reviews are a good place to start, thankfully FSM and other modeling magazines have them. The internet in general is also a good research tool.
I remember, years ago I bought a 1/72 Sukhoi SU-24 Fencer kit under the Dragon label. I was told it was probably very good as it was Dragon. I was terribly dissapointed by the kit and the final result. I found out much later on, via the internet, that the kit was actually a much older Italeri product, created before much was known about that aircraft and Western eyes weren't let any too close to an example of the type that wasn't severely stripped down. At that, I finally understood it wasn't trully a "crap" kit, just released with the information that was available on the subject at the time.
When the Iron Curtain came down and we could finally get our hands on some Eastern produced kits, Italeri was one of the first that helped Eastern countries into Western markets, I remember Italeri kits with the Bilek or Zvezda logos on the boxtop just as large and prominent as their own was.
Perhaps we could create some sort of kit buying guide feature as a seperate forum that could be a valuable reference tool to all of us so we can keep our money for the good kits and not get duped into buying a "new" kit by a manufacturer who wouldn't tell us it was a re issue or how old it was.
If forwarned is trully forarmed, lets not let our fellow modelers into their local hobby shop unarmed.
Anybody with me on this idea?